A Strange Arrangement by Mayer Hawthorne (Stones Throw)

Yes, Mayer Hawthorne has a new song with Snoop coming up; yes, dude can’t really sing.  But the Detroit native, who grew up surrounded by Stax and Motown, has evidently gotten Soul by proxy.  Afterall, “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out“  was the best single of ‘09 in my opinion.   And certain cuts on his debut (”Your Easy Lovin’ Ain’t Pleasin’ Nothin’” and “Let Me Know”) prove that he has a long career afoot,  at the very least, as a professional songwriter. This debut was far from perfect, but it’s catchy and very well-written. Word is, his next project will be a New Wave album and given his knack for tackling genres, it should be more than interesting.  Mayer holidays be soulful as this is!

A Lovely Sight by Pisces (Numero Group)

Picking a release from the Numero Group is like shooting fish in a barrel.  The Chicagoan reissue label’s level of excellence is unmatched, as they function more like a historical society than a label.  Their projects (especially their Eccentric Soul series) document  amazing discoveries with pictures, photos and booklets that are impressive as the music itself.  A Lovely Sight is weird folky-psych rock from the ’70s made by musicians whom were never heard from again.  The songs are all awesome but differ from each other too.  The Janis Joplin-esque delivery on “Sam” is probably the most pained song I’ve heard all year.  There was nothing like this in ‘09—and probably not in ‘10 either.

** There are a few honorable mentions, all of which I loved, but are too imperfect for one reason or another or didn’t fit the purposes of this post.

-King Khan & BBQ Show’s Invisible Girl had great moments, as did almost all of Ghostface’s verses on his Ghostdeinialbum (which only he shines on).   El Michels Affair’s Enter The 37th Chamber was also a notable standout.  These were all solid in one capacity or another and deserve mention.  Happy holidays, see you in 2010!   - David Ma

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