Best of 2009: 22 & 21

22. Cut Off Your Hands – You & I Andy: 34 :: Dave: 17

When watching Cut Off Your Hands play live, as both parts of Tympanogram experienced earlier in the year, you can’t help but notice lead singer Nick Johnston’s efforts at portraying the rock star. He deep throats his mic, bounces around, gyrating as frequently as possible trying to make you feel his presence. Perhaps it was an off night, but all I could think was ‘If only he was able to sing while doing this.’ The best parts of the concert for me happened when he forgot about the rock star thing and just played his music. Because it’s actually pretty good.

One of the few bands you may recognize to come from New Zealand, Cut Off Your Hands combine elements of Britpop, Post-punk and straight guitar pop to form their concise and often very catchy songs. If the above concert description sounds like a negative review of their concert, I’d like to clarify that I did enjoy their set. I just think if they’re so interested in becoming rock stars, in this case it would be better to let the music do the work.

Cut Off Your Hands – It Doesn’t Matter (mp3) from You & I

21. Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon
Andy: 29 :: Dave: 22

I don’t consider myself a hip-hop fan. Few and far between are the entire hip-hop records I enjoy entirely. (As an aside, how terrible a category name is hip-hop? Is everyone a bunny? A wittle frog?) As good as Kanye is, rarely can I listen to an entire album of his straight through. I have no such problem with Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon.

For me, great lyrics can enhance the quality of albums, but rarely become my focal point in determining whether one is ‘good’ or not. I feel a great deal of the negative criticism leveled at this record is that its lyrical content is not comparatively great to the others the artist and this record keep company with. Honestly I am not a proponent of the narration’s presence on the album, but it doesn’t detract too much from my enjoyment. Why can’t a guy sing about being depressed? Even if the rhymes are at times clumsy and the lyrics slightly rough, if people connect with it, is it really all that bad? There are moments and songs on this album that are forgettable, and then others that are incredible. He may not be the best rapper and lyricist, but the man’s keen ear for sounds are what makes this record so enjoyable. I am not focusing on the lyrics when I listen to this record. Sure, lines here and there are hilarious or witty and add to my enjoyment of particular songs, but I care more about the overall sense received from the songs.

This has turned more into a rail against reviews and less a celebration of his music, but just look at Cudi’s Hype page, everything the guys touches is fucking gold, according to the people that matter.

Kid Cudi – Up Up & Away (mp3) from Man On The Moon: The End Of Day