Zoomtard

As a functionally tone-deaf man who can play no instrument beyond the human desire for sentimentality, Zoomtard is the ideal person to come to if you want to sum up the year in music.

That you’re still here obviously means that you’d love me to do this. Well, in that case, the three best albums are:

Mumford and Sons, Sigh No More
Thanks to Nelly and his inside track, we got a preliminary taste of this beautiful music before it was released for general consumption. There is a notable small renaissance in evangelical Christian contributions to pop culture and when Mr. Mumford Jnr. tells us to sigh no more, he’s not just choosing those words cos they rhyme. If you heed my opinion on only one thing, heed it on this: it will not betray you, dismay or enslave you – it will set you free. Make your iTunes more like the iPod it was meant to be.

Regina Spektor, Far
I have had a soft spot for this strange-looking Russian woman ever since Vodafone implanted an earworm of hers inside all our heads a few years back. She was perfect for an advertising campaign with a name that was slightly hard to spell and an annoying little girly voice. She had a way with words, though, and on Far it’s matched by a Regina Spektor who’s finally learned to sing like a woman. For most of the album her voice soars and it’s as good as pop can be.

Brother Ali, Us
If Zoomtard has no right to tell you about music, he sure as hell has no right to recommend hip-hop. He is the whitest cracker you’re ever likely to meet. Except for Brother Ali of course, he’s an Albino convert to Islam. But the album is magnificent: old-school hip-hop with simple beats that don’t distract from the arching narratives that encompass significant themes, like post-colonial hatred, and street violence, and how you can get your own back on the loud neighbours upstairs. This is smart and compact and rewards much re-listening.

Round these Maynooth parts, every year we make a mix cd of the best music we discovered this year (not always from this year). Here’s my tracklisting so you can recreate it in spotify:

1. Brother Ali-brothers and sisters (1:27)
2. Brother Ali-the preacher (3:23)
3. The Avett Brothers-The Perfect Space (4:31)
4. Mumford & Sons-The Cave (3:37)
5. She & Him -Black Hole (2:12)
6. Sufjan-Introductory Fanfare For The Hooper Heroes (1:07)
7. Fight Like Apes – Something Global (3:50)
8. Fight Like Apes – Tie Me Up With Jackets (2:35)
9. Mos Def – Quiet Dog Bite Hard (2:57)
10. Noah and the Whale – Instrumental I (1:33)
11. Noah and the Whale – Love of an Orchestra (2:03)
12. Bruce Springsteen – My Father’s House (5:07)
13. Regina Spektor – Laughing With (3:17)
14. Regina Spektor – Human Of The Year (4:07)
15. Morrissey – Something Is Squeezing My Skull (2:38)
16. Okkervil River – Singer Songwriter (3:49)
17. M. Ward – Epistemology (3:49)
18. The Hold Steady – 40 Bucks (3:58)
19. Radiohead – These Are My Twisted Words (5:31)
20. Mumford & Sons – Dust Bowl Dance (4:43)
21. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – The Wrestler

Your correspondent, Outside the cars are beeping out a song just in his honour