Top 2(00)9 of 2009: #6-4

For your own reference, you can use this link to look up all posts tagged as the Top 2(00)9 of 2009. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did! :) Only one more post after this one...can you guess the Top 3?...

#6. Little Boots - New In Town
From the Album: Hands (2009)
Watch the Video: here

I'm gonna take you out tonight

I'm gonna make you feel alright

 I don't have a lot of money

But we'll be fine

No, I don't have a penny

But I'll show you a good time

I've loved Little Boots since her days in Dead Disco, and her debut solo effort Hands ultimately ties  her with Dragonette's Fixin' To Thrill to be my overall fave record of 2009. So, it should come as no surprise that a Boots track will end up in the Top 10 -- but the real question was which one to include. "New In Town" was the first cut to see prominence by Boots in 2009, and announces her triumphantly -- her biting ode to Los Angeles and its underground culture. While "Remedy", "Symmetry", "Earthquake", "Meddle" and "Stuck On Repeat" (amongst the rest featured on Hands) saw ridiculous amount of personal airplay, "New" is the perfect reference to the year Little Boots has had. The album was a creative triumph, and although it didn't have the impact on the UK charts it should have, I'm hoping that this new post-Lady Gaga America will appreciate her when she begins her USA takeover in 2010.

Best Part: From the minute you press play, you're sucked in. But other than that singalong chorus and the laser-like synth, I love the line "I'll take you where the music plays for free."

Other Songs of Note: Pull out your copy of Hands. There you go.

Other Posts RE: Little Boots: My lovefest review of Hands here.

Looking Ahead: Hands is set for an American release in 2010, so she will probably be the first of my overdue UK faves making an impact stateside.

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#5. The Saturdays - Wordshaker

From the Album: Wordshaker (2009)

Listen to the Song: here

You such a 'wordshaker'

Talking, you take it back

Twisting, turning

You such a 'wordshaker'

I gotta shut you up

Your lips are burning

Seeing as it's a Girls Aloud-free year, and my faves in Candy Coated Chaos decided to split, I was in desperate need of some good, guilt-less girl-group pop. The Saturdays heard my call to arms, and provided us with their sophomore release Wordshaker. Overall, the gleam is just as sharp as on their debut Chasing Lights, but with a more mature twist. And unlike with their first, I can say with a relaxed heart that this record is much more cohesive and satisifying overall, my favorite being title track "Wordshaker". Oh, it may not be a single yet, but rest assured, when it does -- it better be the #1 that these girls have long since deserved. With the quality pop they've been producing since they busted out of the gates with "If This Is Love", it's almost mind-boggling to any pop fanatic that they haven't gotten a #1 yet. Wake up, people of the UK! You get all of the good stuff that Americans miss out on, and yet, you still let it slip through your fingers. And I'm still in the camp that this would serve as excellent crossover to American soil. Please, Fascination Records? Throw a girl a bone, here!

Best Part: That downright epic synth backdrop makes it the type of song which requires the volume to be turned all the way up and then some. Also, the coining of the term 'Wordshaker'in my own vocabulary.

Other Songs of Note: "Lose Control", "Ego", "Forever is Over","Denial", "Not Good Enough", oh, I should just quit while I'm ahead. Listen to the whole record.

Other Posts RE: The Satz: Wordshaker love here.

Looking Ahead: Per Wikipedia, the album is due for Canadian release in early 2010. Um...excuse you? A few miles to the south, please. Thank you. If not, I smell a roadtrip!

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#4. Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)

From the Album: The Blueprint 3 (2009)

Watch the Video: here

I'm from New York

Concrete jungle where dreams are made of

Ain't nothing you can't do

Now you're in New York

These streets will make you feel brand new

These lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York

New York

New York 

Okay, as most of you probably know, I now reside in New York City,  and have lived in New York State all of my life, so this should come as no real surprise. In fact, my Top 5 are all so close in terms of how much I love them, that it was beyond difficult to pick and choose what song doesn't belong in the Top 3. This song is epic smaltzy nostaglia feel-goodness minus the smaltz part. It makes non-hip hop lovers groove. It makes hip hop fans sway. Alicia's chorus gives me chills every time. It is a literal time capsule of my move to the Big City this year, and watching the video still makes me watch in awe that I am lucky enough to live here.  It's even harder to believe that this is Jay's first #1 as a lead artist in the US. Words can't even being to truly encompass how much I adore this song from beginning to end, so I won't even try. I'd rather not get all emotional anyhow. ;) Suffice to say -- living here when this song is the #1 song in the country is a very cool thing indeed.

Best Part: Aside from Alicia's chorus, "I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can", "I'm from the EMPIRE STATE", and "The City never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien."

Other Songs of Note: Alicia's ballad-ized version literally brings me to tears on some days, and is beginning to eclipse the original. Almost.

Looking Ahead: Touche, Hova. I'm paying attention now. The Blueprint 3 is easily one of the best hip hop records I've heard in awhile. And in a year that gave success to Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, that's really saying something. I think.

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Clue: Wait -- you'd really think I'd give you a clue into who the Top 3 are? Well, considering I am not repeating artists, there should be at least one glaringly obvious omission so far...The Top 3 will be revealed tomorrow morning (aka Christmas Morning). Happy Holidays, ya'll!