@djsnack's Dozen Best Albums Of 2012

[[posterous-content:pid___0]]Another year in the books, and another year of discovering great new music.  To me, the trend of the year is the ghostly intamacy of where great new artists have taken R&B and Hip-Hop.  While there were some great Indie and Alternative albums, it really are the bedroom artists that, even as they get bigger, keep creating dance music for the soul.  This trend is reflected in the albums I fell in love with.  Here's my countdown of the top 12, with a Spotify playlist of all 12 at the bottom.  Let me know what grabbed your ear this year.

 

12. The Haunted Man by Bat For Lashes - Best effort yet for Natasha Khan.  The theme of loving a flawed man is interesting, as men in general have to come to grips on their lowering of power and control in this world.  Plus, her adventerous hooks are great.

11. Delta Spirit by Delta Spirit - Saw these guys live at SXSW.  Very fun alternative rock sound.  Sounds great driving down a Texas highway.

10. The Bravest Man In The Universe by Bobby Womack - So brutal are these songs as Bobby looks back at his flawed life.  Daman Albarn breaths new life into his sound through humanistic bleeps and bloops.  

9. Mixed Emotions by Tanlines - Really fun synth pop.  If I had a late night TV show, I'd want them to be my house band. 

8. Kill For Love by Chromatics - Dirty disco that sounds like a late night road to nowhere.  The cover of Neil Young's "Into The Black" should absolutly not work, but somehow it completely does.

7. Put You Back N 2 It by Perfume Genius - My favorite singer-songwriter album of the year.  The topics covered, like child abuse and prostitution, are just brutal.  But the music is just so hopeful that you feel like the song's subjects do find peace.  

6. Celebration Rock by Japandroids - Big, loud beer-drinkin' music.  It really does celebrate the best of a wasted youth.  And that isn't celebrated enough in our culture today.

5. Trilogy by The Weeknd - Technically this is a reissue, as this is the combination of all 3 Weeknd releases from last year packaged as one and remastered.  But hearing all 30 songs together is overwhelmingly powerful.  These tales of casual sex and drug use are gripping because the helplessness is palpable.

4. good kid, m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar - What a debut.  I'd say it's the best one since Kanye dropped College Droupout ten years ago.  He weavs through east coast Native Tounge influence to the clear Dr. Dre gangsta rap ties.  I highly recommend the the delux edition so you can check out the extra bonus cut "The Recipe" with Dre.  Best weed song since Three 6 Mafia's Stay High.

3. Coexist by The xx - The first song, with just a solo female voice and simple guitar pluck sets the mood for this extremely minimal album.  But the highlights are when the production weaves in and out of amazing dance beats muted to a feeling rather than a sound.  It's like being inside the head of someone standing in the middle of a club, wondering how the hell they got there, and where the should go next.

2. Visions by Grimes - I love Claire Boucher because she doesn't hide all her pop influences.  She has no problem saying she wants to sound like Mariah Carey or that her favorite album of the year is Justin Biebers.  She knows there are eternal truths in pop music that make them pleasureful to most people.  But how she took those influences, threw them in a blender, then spit them out with a keyboard and an iPhone are shocking.  This album is both sweet and savory.

1. Channel Orange by Frank Ocean - First, I am so thankful Frank did what he did and came out prior to the drop date of this album.  I can't imagine listening to it, and not imagining the real love and lust he is describing in songs that are clearly about a man.  Gay love is no different than hetero love in my book.  It's universal.  I see it every day with the care and affection close friends have with their significant others.  So Frank being honset in his storytelling makes these tracks that much more emotionally charged.  This soul album is a classic on the level of D'agelo's Voodoo or Marvin Gaye's Here My Dear.  You can play it at a party.  You can play it alone.  You can play it in the company of the one you most want to be with.  It's everything an American album should be in 2012.

If you don't have Spotify, you should.  Once you do, here's a playlist so you can listen to them and tell me with an informed ear I am crazy for loving these albums.  

 

New Order, A Few Notes

Seeing New Order live was a bucket list show last night. Here's a quick few notes.

- The Palladium was the perfect place to see them. The old industrial feel was straight up Madchester style. Their music belongs in such a space.

- Bernard is great, but a true charismatic front man he isn't. You can tell that Ian Curtis while they were Joy Division and Peter Hook in New Order up until this tour were the true rock stars. But his guitar parts are amazing, and the songs themselves are undeniable.

- The encore of 4 Joy Division tracks was fantastic. The juxtaposition of the New Order gloss and Joy Division grime was a treat. Hearing them rip through Transmission gave me the chills. Just how big could they have been if Ian could have held it together?

- The light show was fantastic. Thin colorful beams vibrating with the bass was a great trick to draw the music into your optics.

- Temptation is now my favorite New Order track. Going into the show it was True Faith, and even though that song was amazing live, Temptation was epic. Sing alongs, clapping breaks, and people just going ape shit to the beat. Just a classic moment.

Why Facebook Posts Aren't Sales Snipes

I have a friend from college that recently started a new career. I know this because of Facebook. He and I’ve used the service to argue about politics, music, and the Cleveland Browns for a few years now. If it weren’t for Facebook, we’d may be talk once a year over email when a reunion is being planned.

From what I can tell of his new job, it is a home-based virtual sales job that relies on the salesmen to recruit others to work under them. It strikes me as an Amway type of company. I know this much about it because a couple of times a week, he uses Facebook to try and convince people to join him. The first time I didn’t mind.  The second, it was a bit off-putting.  At this point, it makes me uncomfortable.  I haven’t probed him about the work he is doing, but by posting what are essentially ads on my feed, he’s leaving a bad taste in my mouth.  It’s like he is walking up to me at a party, and selling instead of conversing.  If he wasn’t a good friend with fun memories as a base for our relationship, I’d probably hide him from my wall. 

After his last one saying the first three people who reply to his post will get this wonderful work opportunity, it finally hit me.  This is what most brands are doing!  They are littering my experience with awful, self-serving ads.  The latest trend are pictures that have nothing to do with their brand, used as a big “Like” hook.  If I wasn’t in digital marketing, I’d unlike a lot of these brands.  Instead, I endue them jumping into my dinner party conversation, just to talk in a complete self-serving, narcissistic way.  I hate that guy, and I hate that brand. 

The dinner party analogy is the same one used brilliantly by Paul Adams of Facebook in this presentation.  He says most brands are using Facebook to invite them create an awesome party, but then inviting a bunch of strangers.  He calls for these brands to first build relationships though lightweight interactions that are conversational, not sales-y or clearly fishing for business.  Then, once you’ve built trust, then you through the party.  It will be much more successful. 

This is such a different marketing idea than what we are used to.  This is thinking about the long view to build loyalty, not just sales

now, now, now.  I hope my buddy reads this post, and thinks about how hitting his friends over the head with sales posts just doesn’t endure him to friends who may actually be interested in his offer.  I hope some brands I love do to.  

NBC Teaches You To Use Your Best Product As A R&D Lab

A couple of weeks ago I went to see NBC Sports Marion Taormin and Lora LeSage speak at a DFW Interactive Marketing Association lunch.  While I was disappointed the two couldn't pull back the curtain to let the room know some of the amazing content/marketing integrations planned for the games in a few weeks (understandably so, since they were in a room filled with oversharers that would love to spill the beans on an upcomming Coca Cola or Samsung campaign), I did come away with one great nugget.  While talking about the ambitious plan to show every Olympic event live using digital properties to fill in the gaps between their broadcast networks, Ms. Taormin mentioned that NBC considers The Olympics their R&D playground.

It's clear this is true.  Just look at all the articles already talking about how the 2012 games will be the most social, digital, etc.  All of this is expected given the consumer demmand growth in these areas.  But I give NBC a lot of credit for not being satisfied with just riding the wave, instead trying and testing the limits of what is possible.  How many companies would take a billion dollar product and use it as a testing ground for new features and benefits in real time?  They seem to understand that some of the things they try during these two weeks will be failures.  Instead of being petrified into doing 'proven' steps, they are excited to be innovative, knowing the successes that rise to the top will become the standard for broadcasing in the future.  By doing this in real time with a global audience, there will be no second guessing what works and what doesn't.  

How many companies would take their signature product, and open it up to so many unproven features while it is in the spotlight?  How could the companies you work for/with learn from this fearlessness?

 

 

Happy America Start-Up Day

I received this gem in my email this morning from one my favorite marketing and technology loudmouth's Hugh Macleod. Very inspiring words. We all love our forefathers because of the way they figured out this nation from nothing. They took the best ideas from their previous 'jobs', crafted amazing manifestos that inspired, made tactical changes as needed, failed fast, and ultimately succeeded.
To this day, the best ideas in our country that benefit the most people have this same DNA. Despite bumps and bruises, we continue to move forward in this great nation together.

Happy Birthday America.

Tweet Thoughts: 2012 Albums Worth A Listen (So Far)

Since we’re at the halfway point for the year, I figured I’d throw out there what albums have inspired multiple listens.  These are in no particular order.  Go past the tweet reviews, and check out the Spotify playlist that has all the albums for easy access/enjoyment.  What did I miss and should check out?

Grimes “Visions” – Swirling with magic in the form of beats and pixie vocals.  I’m amazed how well this album works.  Infinitely creative.

Schoolboy Q “Habits and Contradictions” – Dirty, dark, and strangely beautiful.  It feels very intimate, making it a fascinating late night listen. 

Craig Finn “Clear Heart, Full Eyes” – A small, Texas record from the lead singer of The Hold Steady.  Feels like driving to Austin. 

Jack White “Blunderbuss” – Best album since The White Stripes days.  He makes it seem so easy, that you always expect more.  But the best moments are in his restraint.

Alabama Shakes “Boys and Girls” – Like many, I thought the lead singer was a man the first time I heard it.  Sticks to you like humidity in the best way possible.

Japandroids “Celebration Rock” – Album about being young, drinking, and hanging out with friends?  Yes please!

Delta Spirit “Delta Spirit” – Really great alternative rock/pop record.  They would have opened up for REM back in the day instead of Toad The Wet Sprocket.  And been more entertaining.

Tanlines “Mixed Emotions” – Synth pop done right.  Feels like standing in the hot sun if you stayed up all night to see it. 

The Men “Open Your Heart” – Keeping good rock alive.  More depth than I expected.

The Shins “Port Of Morrow” – Quintessentially Shins, but love the Danger Mouse influence.  Makes for my fav Shins album yet.

Perfume Genius “Put Your Back N 2 It” – Sadness drips off each note soaking the heart with warmth.  Powerful.

Sleigh Bells “Born To Lose” – Not as high energy as the first, but better lyrics.  Fav cover of the year.

Lotus Plaza “Spooky Action at a Distance” – Indie shoe-gazing with crisp, shiny guitars. 

Spiritualized “Sweet Heart Sweet Light” – Velvet Underground influenced gospel epic jams.  Uplifting.

Sinead O’Connor "How About I Be Me (And You Be You)" – Lots of female artists try to be her (Fiona Apple) but she remains the master of raw female angst.  Best work in decades. 

Bobby Womack “The Bravest Man In The Universe” – Not a throwback album.  It is rooted in today’s sound, and Bobby’s voice brings weight to heart’s regrets that only a living legend could.

Hot Chip “In Our Heads” – If only every moment in life could be as joyful as this album.  I’d join their cult of sunny beats in a heartbeat.

 

A 4th Of July Spotify Playlist

With Independence Day coming up soon, I decided to put together a playlist of American artrists my whole family (from 60 to 6) could enjoy around the pool.  So that means clean versions of hip hop classics along with songs that go back to Elvis. What did I miss?

 

Will The Job Of Critic Die With Social Media?

I enjoyed the premise of this article about how a Harvard Business Review study found that the ratings of books on Amazon end up being the same as critics.  From this, the conclusion drawn is that you don’t need to listen to book critics since you can rely on the Amazon crowed sourced review to be just as bit as ‘accurate’.  I think this conclusion should not be surprising and completely dismisses the true job of the professional critic.

As two of my favorite Music Critics (Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis) say on their podcast Sound Opinions, “Everyone’s A Critic.”  Human nature is to evaluate everything we come in contact with.  Such is the case with people, cars and bars of soap, as it is also is with art.  And since we are a social species, we utilize the experiences of those who we come in contact with to inform our evaluations.  So the fact that a crowed-sourced evaluation like Amazon, Netflix, or Rotten Tomatoes reviews gets it right is not surprising.  Crowed-sourced evaluation accuracy is well documented.

 

But being accurate is not the true job of the critic.  They exist to fill a couple of critical voids beyond accuracy of their evaluation.  First, they alert the public of important work.  They can’t review everything, but the access they have to art and the artist is unprecedented.  The best of the best use this to bubble up great, important work and champion it.  Since I love indie rock, the place I go to fulfill this need for me is Pitchfork.  If an album makes their 'Best Of' list, I’m going to give it a spin.  Their evaluations more often than not align with my sensibilities.   

This brings me to another critical job.  They should mirror their audience.  Or more accurately, their work should find an audience that shares their sensibilities.  Over time, you should learn about the critic on a level that illuminates the way they think beyond just their evaluation.  They need to inform their readership on 'Why' they came to their conclusions.  

Finally, their evaluations must entertain us.  I don’t mean that they have to be full of fireworks and glitz.  But rather, they must touch our heart, mind, and soul.  Basically, their work must be art as well.  If it isn't, than it’s just basically a long winded set of Amazon stars.  This last one is why we need a class of professional critics.  Because their art moves souls and uncovers meaning through the basic practice of always criticizing.  Anyone can have an opinion, and with social media, anyone can find important work and broadcast it to their network.  A professional critic tells a story that enhances the reader’s relationship to the reviewed work.  And this can be just as valuable as the work itself.  

That doesn’t mean it won’t be tough for the professional critic moving forward.  All content creators are in limbo as everything rapidly changes.  But the good ones that just can’t help themselves, and continue to work at their craft to get better at finding great art, communicating its meaning to their followers, and doing it in a way that touches their audience will survive one way or another.  God willing.  

Freedom Is Never Free

I’ve really enjoyed the thought provoking blog posts about the future of music started when Bob Boilen, the host of NPRs All Songs Considered wroth this post about his experiment deleting all his digital music, and moving to cloud services.  As a person who makes his joyful livelihood by accessing the latest in music, his endorsement of this new future norm means something.  

In response, Emily White, one of Boilen’s college summer interns wrote a thought provoking piece about how music lovers of her generation have never ‘bought’ or ‘owned’ music.  They’ve ripped it since they were young enough to do so.  She called for the industry to meet the desire of her generation for access and convenience that also pays the artist.  

Then, last night, I read this response by David Lawery at The Trichordist to Emily and her generation.  David is a professor at The University of Georgia teaching about the music business.  So he knows a thing or two on the total economic impact of today’s digital new norm.  His argument is it is now extremely easy to buy digital music (you can have  whole new album on your iPhone in 10 min wherever you have cellular access) so convenience is no longer an excuse.  So he respectfully laid out the importance of the industry, and why everyone who is pirating music is truly stealing from the artist.  It’s a really good read.

This led to evaluate my own moral code when it comes to piracy.  Everyone I know has a line they will not cross.  And we all have created a strong but false moral code they have weaved their actions to.  Statements like, “I pay because I use a service like Spotify or Rhapsody, and I rip tracks to make my access more convenient,” or “I go to concerts to help support the artist,” are just excuses for us to pay less for what we want.

The good news is convenience is increasing tenfold quickly.  Spotify, to me, is paving the way with their easy-to-use celestial jukebox.  The big question is can this model actually support the artist?

I am not trying to get preachy with this to all my friends.  Like I said, we all have a piracy line we justify.  I obviously have one myself since I enjoy making mixtapes and getting them heard.  And I’ve been making mixtapes and making copies for my friends for over 20 years in one form or another.  I’ve never had a moral dilemma in doing so, and can’t imagine a world where I would.  So I certainly can’t judge those like Emily that have tens of thousands of songs, but have only paid for 15 CDs in their life.  But I do agree with David, that we all can work to make it better for the artist by do more to get our money in their hands.

Do you think technology can

solve this issue?

 

 

Untitled

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This weekend I finished Kevin Maney’s book Trade-Off.  It’s a few years old, but the thinking behind quality (or in his music analogy, fidelity) vs convenience is holding up in the warp-speed changes in marketing.  Specifically, he cited the launch of Amazon’s Kindle.  When it came out, it was priced at $300 bucks, making it play to early adopters like it was in improvement in reading quality.  But the truth was it wasn’t improving on theexperience of reading.  By quickly over the past couple of years dropping the price significantly to as low as $74, it has made their device access meet the convenience level it has in it DNA with functionality like the ability to store dozens of books, and download them quickly.  Amazon righted their ship quickly, and have made their product ubiquitous with digital reading.  Very smart.  That doesn’t mean they are out of the woods, since Apple and all other Tablets would love to challenge them, but it gives them a leg up in the race.

 

I had my own fidelity vs convenience experience this past week.  If you haven’t noticed, I’m a big music nerd.  And one of my favorite artists, both recorded and live, is Ryan Adams.  This past week on his Facebook page, he announced to his fans that on Friday, his personal label would be selling a 15 record vinyl collection documenting his European acoustic tour last year.  For a music fan like me, this is the type of fetish item we crave.  In the announcement, he didn’t even talk about what it was, or what music it contained.  Just a picture of a beautiful box.  To me, this is the epitome of a fidelity experience.  A limited edition, thoughtfully designed set that allows a true fan to immerse themselves in the artist’s world.  When the cost and details finally leaked, I already owned it in my mind.  It was just a matter of clicking a few buttons to purchase on the sale date.

 

 

So then, I asked myself, what brands would I do this for?  Are there any that I’ve a relationship with that such a “fidelity” experience would lead me to justify a large purchase?  I’d put Apple on the list, because I consistently update my iPhone even when my current one works just fine.  Also, there are certain restaurants I’ll gladly pay more for a meal for the total immersive experience.  Certain luxury clothing brands like 7 for all Mankind also make the list.  These are brands I love.  They help me define who I am.  And I’ve used them to weave part of the fabric of my life.  And none of them are convenient in the true sense of the word.

 

The problem is, as a marketer, I am asked so many times to make things both.  Make it easy on the customer.  Cut cost.  Convenience.  You can certainly win going this direction.  Just look at Wal Mart.  But I am also asked to create remarkable creative that ‘inspires loyalty’ at the same time.  That just can’t begin at the tactical level.  The key pieces that make up a quality experience start with the DNA of the brand.  Therefore, if you want to create love for a brand at the level I have for Ryan Adams, you have to start with the question “Why does my brand exist?”  If your succinct answer is about convenience, take on your marking issues with that clarity.  Stop trying to inspire love.  It won’t work. 

 

But if your brand exists to inspire an authentic, quality relationship - one that could lead to a fool like me smiling happily, begging an artist to take my money, stop trying to take on those selling convenience.  You won’t win.  Instead, start selling your story, and be a paintbrush in your consumer’s story.  Much like Ryan Adams is in mine.

What brands are woven into your life like an inspiring artist? 

 

 

 

 

A Playlist

Here's some monday morning tunes.  I'm also testinig the Spotify play button creator.  

Ken Burns, Storytelling, and The Relationship Era

I recently read this wonderful article in The Atlantic on how Ken Burns approaches storytelling.  As the standard bearer for documentaries in our lifetime, I'd say he's about as close as an authority as you'll find.  And while the article is great, it really is the video interviewthat provides the key insight.  In it he states:

"All real, genuine stories are about 1 + 1 = 3.  We live in a rational world where we’re absolutely certain that 1 + 1 = 2 – and it does! But the things that matter most to us – some people call it love, some people call it God, some people call it reason – is that other thing where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  And that’s the 3.”

To me, this is a critical lesson for marketers in The Relationship Era to hear.  If your marketing strategy is based only on the rational, you are doomed to end up at best as a commodity.  For example, if your social media strategy consists of buying "likes" to allow you to only tout your sale items, you may have done the rationally right strategy.  It will certainly look nice in a deck that month over month you have increased your social media consumer base, and increased the number of people aware of your sales.  But you have failed to create what we as marketers call a relationship, and what Burns calls “…that other thing where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”  It’s the intangible that makes your brand sticky to a consumer to the point that they would rather buy from you even if an alternative adds up to the rational choice.  If the choice you are offering isn’t 1+1=3, than you better be ready to ride commodity market roller coster. 

So how does a brand build that extra part?  It starts with knowing why you are in business.  Starting with "why" gives you the foundation to inspire a consumer to care about their relationship with the brand.  From there, tactical execution becomes much clearer, as you are no longer looking for just the rational marking tactic du jour.  Instead, you are communicating in a way that suits the clear symbiotic relationship between brand and consumer.  You are now in a relationship.  And that adds up to something much greater than 2.

Crystal Clear Blue Sky Double Mixtape

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First off, I need to thank Krista Spenser Graham for getting off my ass and get me thinking about making this mix. Life gets busy, but that’s no excuse for carving out time to take on a project of passion. Her gentle prodding for new music didn’t stick initially, but her persistence paid off. Thanks Krista for appreciating music like you do. Now to the mixes.

It’s been a while since I made a proper mood mix, so I wanted this one to be big. As I started sequencing the songs, it became quickly clear my general 80-minute-tops rule for a mix just wasn’t going to cut it. With great debuts from artists like Grimes, Alabama Shakes and some guy named Jack White, plus wonderful new tracks from Radiohead, M83, and The Black Keys, there’s a wealth of great new music to share. I just couldn’t cut down to 20 or so songs. Also, there were two types of songs I was selecting. The first were songs that were intimate in production, but expansive in their expression. The second set were much more expansive in production, but had an intimate quality.

That’s when it became clear. I would have to do the classic rock cliché and make a double album. Or in this case a double mixtape. Each side with 21 fantastic indie/alternative tracks. Each side a complete thought, but meant to complement each other. If you want the full effect, I suggest carving 3 hours out of your life, and sitting down with your favorite cold beverage and enjoy the musical journey. It’s just like sitting next to me, and me telling you why you should love a certain song or artist. I’m sure I’ve done this countless times to each and every one of you. And since so many of us, unfortunately, see less and less of each other, this is closest way I can make that happen. Take this as the big hug it’s meant to be.

Finally, the name. It comes from the amazing sky in Dallas this time of year. On clear days, the blue is just so expansive that you can get lost in it. But since there isn’t one que from clouds on depth, there’s an intimate quality. It wraps around your outstretched hand and feels very close. It’s truly a wonder, and reminds me why I do love living in Dallas even if it means I can’t see so many of you as often as I’d like. So if you are inclined, please download these two massive tracks and enjoy. As always, I’d love to hear from you on what you think, and anything you’re listening to that I should be. Love you all.

Crystal Clear Blue Sky Vol. 1 – Night Cometh

http://db.tt/eEd1vCGe

Am I That Lonely Tonight? – Justin Townes Earle
Go To Hell – Raphael Saadiq
We All Try – Frank Ocean
Freedom – Spiritualized
September – The Shins
Do I Wait – Ryan Adams
Rising Red Lung – Wilco
Evening’s Kiss – Willis Earl Beal
Wash. – Bon Iver
17 – Youth Lagoon
Normal Song – Perfume Genius
One – Damien Rice
Just A Song – Girls
Powa – Tune-Yards
No Future – Craig Finn
Street Joy – White Denim
Licking The Palm Of The Burning Handshake – Zola Jesus
Heart Skipped A Beat – The xx
Wait – M83
Symphonia IX (my wait is u) – Grimes
Staircase – Radiohead

Crystal Clear Blue Sky Vol. 2 – Fabulous Restrooms

http://db.tt/wvJIUhYq

Little Black Submarines – The Black Keys
Open Your Heart – The Men
Comeback Kid – Sleigh Bells
Jerome – Lykke Li
Paradise – Coldplay
We Are Young – Fun.
Hold On – Alabama Shakes
Born To Die – Lana Del Rey
On ‘n’ On – Justice
Still Life – The Horrors
Keep You – Wild Belle
Love Interruption – Jack White
Civilian – Wye Oak
Strangers – Lotus Plaza
Origins – Tennis
California – Delta Spirit
The Shakes – Atlas Sound
When I Open My Eyes – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
Midnight City – M83
Amor Fati – Washed Out
I’ll Take Care Of You – Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx

Top 5 Social Networks

5. Twitter - Often overwhelming and noisy.

4. Facebook - Now mostly a login tool for other networks.

3. Pinterest - Hopefully guys get into this. Leans a little too feminine, but interesting UI.

2. Posterous - Very easy for long form.

1. Path - Beautiful UI and integration with the big dogs. Best mobile device platform. Just needs more people on it. If my best friends were on it, it would be all I use.

New Wave R&B

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If hip hop bores you these days, toss it aside and listen to where the real excitement is. Namely, in backpack R&B like The Weeknd and Frank Ocean.

The Weeknd finished out 2011 with their 3rd free mixtape. Echos Of Silence ends the trilogy in an extremely dark place, where partying leads to despair. It's more Trainspotting than R. Kelly, even if it can be just as freaky as Kels. The tape isn't as fresh as House Of Balloons released at the beginning of 2011, but it would be hard to top that introduction. He tries off the bar with the amazing MJ Dirty Diana cover.

Frank Ocean hasn't been quite as ambitious as The Weeknd, but two guest roles on Kanye an Jigga's Watch The Thrown were nice exclamation points on his backpack-style crooning in 2011. Novacane off his free mixtape Nostalgia Ultra is better than any coke rap anthem in strange storytelling, and Songs For Women is probably a missing Kanye track from his first album if he had auto tune at that point.

Both these artist are leading the way to revitalize a genre that needed to be turned upside down. Looking forward to seeing where these guys go this year.