Aceyalone "All Balls Don't Bounce" (1995)

This record reminds me of classic hiphop in so many ways.  There's the obvious musical ways.  But there's also the fact that this album is carried by a couple of great tracks, with the rest being totally forgettable.  The good stuff really is that good, however.

Department of Eagles "In Ear Park" (2008)

It's not that there's really anything wrong with this record.  It's just so mediocre.  What we have is 60s influenced psych rock.  It doesn't really take any big chances, and quite frankly I don't know why I would want to listen to this rather than a host of 60s bands.

Diplo & Santogold "Top Ranking" (2008)

I never would have thought, way back when, that bootie bass would ever become popular.  Here we have a mixtape of the stuff.  It's not for me.

Shawn Lee & Clutchy Hopkins "Clutch of the Tiger" (2008)

This is the soundtrack to a modern blaxploitation movie that was never made.  Funky, slinky instrumentals that change but somehow are all of a piece.  It's intriguing stuff, but somehow never fully essential.

Jean Grae "Jeanius" (2008)

There's a parallel universe where Jean Grae is a big star.  She's seen as the leading female MC and is brought in to add intelligence to R&B tracks.  Unfortunately in the universe we're living in, she's mostly overlooked and ignored.  I don't know all the details, but she sounds like a likely victim of the dodgy nature of the music industry.  A record in the tank, that's not released for several years....  Grae is a throwback in that her emphasis is on technique and intelligence.  While the album itself fails to live up to its potential, she's certainly a talent to watch.

Various "Cambodian Cassette Archives" (2004)

There was a weird little scene around the "Cambodian Rocks" album.  That one was a compilation of 60s & early 70s garage punk from Cambodia.  It basically sounded like you were listening to Nuggets through your apartment wall.  Anyway, that compilation was a hipster hit.  And so we have other comps in roughly the same vein.  The problem with this one is that the music isn't from the same sweet spot.  There are a lot of synthesizers in use, and you don't have that wonderfully familiar feeling.

John Fahey "The New Possibility: John Fahey's Guitar Soli Christmas Album" (1968)

This year I remembered how much I love this album of holiday music.  With Fahey, simple is never quite what it seems and that approach is perfect for these traditional tunes.