The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Father Time having a laugh

Europe - "Final Countdown" (mp3)
(purchase here)

In the cut with an editor, we rap snark over the finer stylistic points of a tourism gig. "Anyone can do it..." "But, of course, a little part of you dies every time..."

Certainly, it's all a hoot. One cannot expect life to be all roses, all the time.

That said, I admit: I'm a scribe who doesn't like the year-end list. Funny, because ds and I frequently yarn on in list-like manner, and are likely to compare lists of, oh, "Top 10 Songs With Sample Clearance Lawsuits." But year-ends in the publishing world are a different beast, its salesman-like aspects so finely skewered in this DJ Rupture piece.

That said, I understand that as a person "of the life," this is another aspect of my bread and butter. And, bottom line, anyone who knows me knows that I'm not trying to say, "You must buy this," or, worse, "You will like this." And, if you don't know me, well, now you kn...

So, here're some lists I had fun making. Most are pretty standard, some you may see in another site I write for, others are "sintalentos exclusives." As for the tune of the day? Consider it a fine summary of the only 'necessary' television in my life, 05.

Be back in 06 with some new isht! No need to laundry list all the negative that happened; let's unite and make things right...

TOP 10 ALBUMS
1) Seu Jorge - The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions (Hollywood)
2) Blackalicious - The Craft (Anti)
3) Miho Hatori - Ecdysis (Speedstar International)
4) Dengue Fever - Escape From Dragon House (Birdman/M80)
5) Fatlip - The Loneliest Punk (Delicious Vinyl)
6) Beatfanatic - Gospel According to Beatfanatic (Soundsoap)
7) Platinum Pied Pipers - Triple P (Ubiquity)
8) Walk the Line: OST (Wind-Up)
9) Cherie - New Music (3d)
10) DJ Mark Marcelo - The IgNant Mix (www.markmarcelo.com/ignantmix/)

TOP 5 REISSUES
1) Bill Withers - Just As I Am (Columbia/Legacy)
2) Original Block Party Edits (EMI Import)
3) Keith Hudson and Friends - The Hudson Affair (Trojan)
4) Kid Koala - Def Beat Remixes (Def Beat)
5) SalSoul Acapellas (Salsoul)

TOP 10 SONGS (all genres)
1) Steve Spacek - "Dollar" (Sound in Color)
2) Anthony Hamilton - "Can't Let Go" (So So Def)
3) Seu Jorge - "Eu Sou Favela" (Wrasse)
4) Amerie - "One Thing" (Siik remix) (http://siik.org)
5) Miho Hatori - "Sweet Samsara, Pt. 2" (Speedstar International)
6) K-Otix - "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People" (k-otix.com)
7) Cat Power - "Hanging on the Telephone" (Cingular commercial)
8) Lady Sovereign - "Tango" (http://ladysovereign.com)
9) Bilal - "High and Dry" (white label)
10) Daniel Wang - "Berlin Sunrise" (Ghostly International)

TOP 5 UPCOMING RECORDS I'M WAITING FOR
1) Dr. Dre - DeTox; Nas/Primo (two, because I doubt these will see the light of day for another year or two)
2) Count Bass D - untitled full-length
3) Kelis - The Puppeteer
4) SA-RA Creative Partners - untitled full-length
5) Q-Tip - Live at the Renaissance
6) Giant Drag - they just put out a record, but I'd like to hear another one; consider it an early Xmas wish-list
* Bonus: A Benzino-Kanye bitch-slap fight

TOP THROWBACK JOINT
1) Blackstreet - Another Level (Interscope)

BONUS! Live, Live, Live

BEST OPENER
Band Name: Robbie Fulks
Show Date: November 18, 2005
Venue: Housing Works SoHo, NYC
Description: Remember the days of entertainment? Robbie does. Guitar licks for days, but his George Jones 'tribute' yarn was Killer.

WORST OPENER
Band Name: Keren Ann
Show Date: Sunday, November 20, 2005
Venue: Tribeca Performing Arts Center, NYC
Description: I'll excuse the timid singing, insecure guitar strumming, even the weak wah-piddling. But your sideman tool? Was he your BF? If so, I hope he is either well-hung or well-paid, because he's not doing you any favors.

BEST DRESSED
Band Name: Miho Hatori
Show Date: August 31, 2005
Venue: Mercury Lounge, NYC
Description: Did she make that dress? Light and bright, perfect accoutrement to her late summer soundscape masterpiece.

WORST DRESSED
Band Name: n/a (not trying to give 'em any free adverts)
Show Date: February 26, 2005
Venue: Apex Art Gallery, NYC
Description: Stop giving the "Save The Hoodie" campaign a bad name. The Unabomber look is out, DUDES.

GREATEST STAGE SET
Band Name: L'ACADCO
Show Date: May 25-29, 2005
Venue: Brooklyn Academy of Music, NYC
Description: "A United Caribbean Dance Force" is how they describe the ensemble and this message is vividly depicted in their staging and appearance. Not limited to the yellow, black and green of founder L'Antoinette Stines' heritage, rich reds and cool blues vibrate against their panoply of Jamaican, Barbadan, Haitian and Trinidadian dress. Gorgeous for I and I.

BEST SOLO
Band Name: Ferai, percussionist for Chuck Davis
Show Date: March 3, 2005
Venue: various NYC public schools
Description: Talking with Ferai, one understands why he rolls with Davis (of African-American Dance Ensemble fame): he's got a heart of gold and hands born to make beats. Every time was a "best solo" moment, so picking one is a bit redundant. Sound and movement come alive in this man.

BEST HECKLING
Band Name: n/a (ditto)
Show Date: February 26, 2005
Venue: Apex Art Gallery, NYC
Description: The bad part was that the heckling was familiar: "You f*g suck!" The worse part was that it was from my friend standing next to me. Nice.

DRUNK OR OTHERWISE INDISPOSED
Band Name: Tiombe Lockhart (singing with Platinum Pied Pipers)
Show Date: April 12, 2005
Venue: SOB's, NYC
Description: It wasn't that she was juiced, but her challenge to meet the right suitor over a bottle of whiskey was positively sexy.

MOST "RAWK" MOMENT
Band Name: Daniel Bernard Roumain
Show Date: April 15, 2005
Venue: IMC Expo, New Museum of Contemporary Art, NYC
Description: I fear he'll be consumed as the violin coming of Savion Glover, but listening to him enthrall an audience of Artforum subscribers, Hank Shocklee and the curious convinced me.

NICE MOVES
Band Name: xVOYx
Show Date: February 26, 2005
Venue: Apex Art Gallery
Description: Singer Texas Tom was still rocking his seven-year suit (he wore the same tan outfit for seven years) and was doing the Devo Roboto... but it was totally Tom. Reunion in The 6?

WORST IDEA EVER
Band Name: No Name
Show Date: Didn't Happen
Venue: No Place in Particular
Description: Whoo, I lucked out this year! Or at least blocked it from my memory at this point. Guess I'm getting better at picking my shows...