34. Miike Snow – Miike Snow
Andy: 31 :: Dave: 31
There’s something to be said for Swedish pop; between Robyn (now rumored to be working with Diplo) and Miike Snow, the socialist Scandinavian nation has produced two recent hits (and Jose Gonzalez). Miike Snow’s eponymous debut expands and contracts – incorporating accessible guitar/piano over synthesized beats.
It’s an album meant to be consumed as a whole; there are a couple of missteps, but the better songs more than make up for the mistakes. It’s not particularly challenging; it’s straightforward, upbeat electro-pop. And if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ve found it.
Miike Snow – Burial (mp3) from Miike Snow
33. Mos Def – The Ecstatic
Andy: 21 :: Dave: Unranked
When I first heard it, I told a friend of mine that The Ecstatic was Mos Def’s Bitches Brew. Thinking back on it now, that seems hyperbolic, but the meaning behind it still rings true: The Ecstatic – in spite of (or more likely because of) how groundbreaking it could prove to be – probably won’t ever be fully appreciated. It isn’t filled with Top 40 hooks, the next dance move or an affinity for materialism.
It is, conversely, layered with enough samples and sounds to reward repeated listens. In an era where music has become something disposable, or simply something to be accumulated without appreciation, Mos Def’s attention to detail here is truly something to take in.
Mos Def – Casa Bey (mp3) from The Ecstatic
