My Top 10 CDs of 2008 (and a few 2007)

#10 - SINGH IS KING - SOUNDTRACK

Bollywood is where it's at. Great mix of old, new and exotic. Singh is King may not be the best all around Bollywood soundtrack but the addition of Snoop Dogg gives it some global cache and there are just enough good beats and grooves to keep everyone on the floor in the Rupee Room until they drop!

#9 BONNIE "PRINCE" BILLY - LIE DOWN IN THE LIGHT

I really liked "Prince" Billy's 2006 CD so I thought I'd give the new one a try. This singer/songwriter has a quaking anguished voice and his lyrics really have bite. I like that this one is a little more upbeat but still has the sound of a troubled guy with more issues then newspaper. Earthy and dark but pleasantly uplifting too.

#8 - SUBMARINES - HONEYSUCKLE WEEKS

Bouncy, breezy fun tunes form this nice couple are hard to resist. They lyrics are cute and the singer, Blake Hazard, has that waify voice I like. I particularly like the track Swimming Pool.

#7 KD LANG - WATERSHED

Kd Lang has been around for a long time. She has made some great CDs over the years and while her style changes with each different album her lyrics and voice are a constant. I wouldn't say this is her best but it does find her in top form. It is very mellow and dreamy. Songs like Sunday and Close Your Eyes are great to kick back to with the newspaper or a latte. Nice stuff from KD, her first album of new tunes since 2004.

#6 SIA - SOME PEOPLE HAVE REAL PROBLEMS

I have loved SIA's voice and phrasing style since I first heard her sing the song Destiny with Zero 7. She still contributes to that great chillout lounge band but now has a couple of albums of her own out. She found a bit of success as one of her songs was used in the final episode of Six Feet Under, but luckily she didn't hit it too big and sell out. Some People Have Real Problems is SIA at her quirky yet very listenable best. Bouncy tunes like Little Black Sandals and Playground mix nicely with more serious stuff like the beautiful, You Have Been Loved and Beautiful Calm Driving. This is really a nice one to listen to over and over and over....

#5 MO' HORIZONS - TEN YEARS OF REMIXES

Wow do I love this! Every song is so loaded with percussion, bass, flutes, vocals and grooves that it is really hard to sit still and listen. the songs can all be found on other Mo' Horizons albums but these mixes are all really terrific. It's kind of retro and futuristic all at the same time. I really like Sunshine Today, My Bombombomb and Tu Fiesta Personal. Put this on and dance or at least move around in your airplane seat like I do when listening on my iPod.

#4 Karsh Kale/ Anouska Shankar - BREATHING UNDER WATER (2007)

This is not new but it is new to me. I really love Karsh Kale's CD Broken English (2006) and thought it might be nice to hear this DJ, mix master guy teasm up with one (and at least for one song two) daughter of the legendary sitar player Ravi Shankar. This fine mix of old and new is really great. Not that I am an expert, but Anoushka is a very respected sitar player herself. On this album there is a cameo by her half sister, Norah Jones, and another by Sting. I'm not a big Sting fan but I love the track he sings on. Sea Dreamer. There are also a few tracks where old Ravi strums in as well. Nice stuff to chill to.

#3 GROOVE ARMADA - SOUNDBOY ROCK (2007)

I rank this #3, not because every song is great but rather because some of the songs are really great and the others aren't bad. Groove Armada always gets great guests and puts out an eclectic mix of funk, hip hop, reggae, R&B and whatever else pops up. GREAT SONGS - What's Your Version, Song For Mutya (Out Of Control), Love Sweet Sound, Lightsonic and Save My Soul. The rest ain't bad either.

#2 LAMBCHOP - Oh (OHIO)

Let's start by saying I think Lambchop is the absolute best band there is. The musicians are amazing and leader Kurt Wagner's lyrics are quirky and deep. That said, many people don't get it (Sophia for one) and can't get past the fact that Kurt isn't going to win the American Idol contest anytime soon. He probably wouldn't even stand a chance on Singapore Idol (which is so lame it's laughable). My number 1 album of all time if Lambchop's 2004 Is A Woman. This new offering is up with their best. Great sound of country, jazz, rick, folk and the kitchen sing mixed with great lyrics full of mystery. Songs like Sharing a Gibson With Martin Luther King, I'm Thinking of a Number and Slipped, Dissolved and Loosed top the list but it's all good here in Lambchop land.

#1 SKYE - LIVE ATR KCRW

Skye, the former singer with ultra chill Morcheeba is in great form on this short live set. She mixes some old Morcheeba stuff with a few from her own really solid album, Mind How You Go and even a few new gems. Every song is really a knockout. She even does a nice version of the Gorillaz - Feel Good, Inc. This is my top little gem of 2008.

Like I said, you may not like all of any of this but it is what is getting most play on my pod as I traveled Asia in 2008. I'm looking forward to more great stuff in 2009, might need a few more gigs on the pod though....