Rose Bellefluer
Assistant Editor
1. Adele – 21
2. KeithCharles – BeforeCommonEra
3. Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes
4. Britney Spears – Femme Fatale
5. Lady Gaga – Born This way
6. Gorillaz – The Fall.
Rico Washington
Contributing Writer
As far as favorite albums of the year, I honestly don’t have any yet. Sad I have some favorite songs, but nobody’s album has captured me enough to the point that I can play it front to back without skipping or being somewhat disappointed.
Dane Young
Publicist
1. Jennifer Hudson – I Remember Me
This album speaks to my soul, to me it was a perfect feel good release for her. I think it showed us that she is at peaceful place and ready to work. Oh might I add she looks damn good so I can relate lol.
2. Beyonce – 4
I know that “4″ just came out like last week but this album is my ish. It was the direction that I predict for Bey, the perfect fusion of soul R&B and a little pop. Although it does seems a bipolar project but it works….
3. Chris Brown – FAME
What can I say, “FAME” forgiven all my enemies or Fame and Mishaps Employes…either acronym works because this man goes from slapping a girl, who was probablly deserving of, to being back in the spotlight make $$$$$$$$$.
4. Travis Porter “Music, Money Magnums”
OK so i’m definitely team Travy, any Travis Porter song gets me in the mood to party. My bangie gemini side just takes over anytime they are played. It aint no fun if the homies cant have none. lol
GREATeclectic
Editor-in-chief
1. Lady Gaga – Born This Way
2. M.I.A. – Vicki Leekz
3. Blaqstarr – Blaqstarr
4. Jaime XX & Gil Scott-Heron – I’m New Here
5. SBTRKT – SBTRKT
6. James Blake – James Blake
7. Britney Spears- Femme Fatale
8. Savvy Society – Tribal Dance
Swiper Bootz
Music & Pop Culture Editor
1. Lady GaGa – Born This Way
2. Toro Y Moi – Underneath the Pine
3. Cut Copy – Zonoscope
4. Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes
5. Maybach Music Group – Self Made Vol. 1
6. Alex Ludovico – Fame Kills
Han Vance
Managing Editor
1. Of Montreal – Thecontrollersphere
EP by Athens, GA greats released on heels of incredible tour.
2. Timi Conley – NERD SEXY
Solo work by eclectic Kite to the Moon (of Athens, GA) frontman.
3. BITERS – All Chewed Up
Retro garage sounds from ATL label, Underrated Records.
Myles Johnson
Contributing Writer
1. Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”
Just when I thought she was stuck, creatively in a very dark place, she bursts with such life that is so opposite of past stark jams like “Dance In The Dark” and “Bad Romance.” Her first single scared me a bit with it being pretty cliche, but the album is a epic trail from Mexico to Spain to New York riddled with electronic/industrial noises, athem choruses, biblical/religious innuendos, and the over all album has the spirit of freedom and progression. It sounds like Madonna, Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Vanity6, Prince, but really it sounds like an unmistakable form of nouveau, avant-garde pop that takes chances, yet still believes in music being universal that Lady Gaga has formed. Yes, Gaga!
Who would have thought she would be beat out Winehouse, Duffy, and Sam Sparro as THAT break-out blue-eyed soul singer. Every song on her sophmore record is so personal, like a diary page. Rick Rubin really pushed Adele’s sound not only production wise, but coneptually. “Turning Tables” and “Rolling In The Deep” are just conceptually and lyrically as brilliant as her production and that big, jazzy voice brings character to anything she sings.
This is a mixtape, so I don’t know if it counts, but it reminded me of why I fell in love with her. It’s not so chaotic and over-produced that it becomes unlistenable and it’s not so pop-polished that she sounds like a foreign Gwen Stefani, it’s classic Maya. Political tirades, gloats about how fly she is, and she makes me feel like the 3rd world is just the fucking place to be.
