Iman Lababedi

In Katherine Bigelow’s espionage procedural about the decade long hunt and assassination of the 9-11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden by the USA, Jessica’s CIA Analyst Maya is a singleminded hard as nails bent on tracking down the man since she graduated from High School.

I can’t think of a better way to start the New Year than with the Bowerytones, aka Jahn Xavier (Guitar, Vocals), Denny McDermott (Drums), Charlie Roth (Bass, Vocals). I believe the album should be out very soon and the soulful r&b whiteboys, sorta relation to the Nitecaps for sure, are lead by the deep voiced rumbler X. On Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013 at the Mercury Lounge, they go on at 830p.

Irreplaceable – Beyonce – “To the left, to the left…” . One of the woman’s best song is a bitter break up things. The words refer to the boxes where She wants Him to put the boxes he is filling with his belongings. Apparently, Beyonce has had enough of his two timing. For such a brittle parting it is a catchy singalong and an instant classic. At Roseland a coupla years ago it was performed by the audience. Which kinda sucks – Grade: A

For everything that is drear and dark and nightmare and depressive in NR&B, K-Pop has a joyful cheer in reply. Ancestral racism may stop K-Pop from breaking the US, but whether it does it has a question more important than NR&B can muster: WHY SO SERIOUS??

Best Thirteen Minutes: Kanye West blowing every one else off stage at the 12-12-12 benefit. It is hard to imagine a less audience, or world friendly, set: he segued from one hit to anopther with arrogance and power in a leather skirt and a hard bass thump, then threw down his mic and stormed off stage. Perfection.

So what do we think? An OK year, nothing special, nothing terrible. Everything in stasis, though we did get used to streaming music, but 2013 should see a return to form.

Lather – Frank Zappa – Who can’t applaud the wonder that was Zappa? The best named man on the plant, defined as he zaps sounds and expectations. So I applaud this piece of jazz lo-fi weirdness with all my heart, just don’t make me listen to it – Grade: B-

Victor Hugo saves the lousy music and the lousy acting and the odd lack of hugeness to a huge story (they didn’t do much of a job of opening it up from the stage at all). The book is a thriller and a dream, an important historic masterpiece, just about the only account of the June Uprising. Apparently, it can survive anything

I am surprised T.I. did as well as it did and I am willing to give Bruno yet another listen because, hey, at least the little sucker isn’t a misery guts. PS: I don’t believe not using streaming services worked either to or against Taylor Swift’s advantage

Here we go with the mea culpas, I said “Locked Out Of Heaven” was gonna bomb and instead it is one of the most succesful songs of the year,. and I claimed Justin Bieber’s new album was a disaster and here is the third top ten hit off it. Proof, a person can be wrong all the time.

If indie aint a meaningless catechism, explain this dreary mish mosh of also rans. In what planet was Grimes the single of the year? While I like even love some of the tracks her (come down Killer Mike), song for song it really isn’t up to much. And you can’t simply blame Pitchfork, they can only review what’s in front of them.

Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton – Released in 1977 (at the height of punk!) this piece of dross is the nadir of Clapton’s career and through its appearance on an early “Miami Vice” episode, the embodiment of the 1980s. Amazingly insipid – Grade: D

And you thought the concert sucked? Wait till you hear the live recording… with a precision to be admired, they excised all the best bits (more or less) and left the crap we’ve heard a million times.

Now the weasel has the audacity to back out of his promise. He told UK tab the Daily Star: ”I’m fortunate to do what I do and no way do I want to stop. This three-year break idea only came about because I said at a gig in Australia that we might not be back there for three years.”

Popular Song – Mika – Another first rate piece of pop confection by the English (via Lebanon) pop star. Intensely catchy sweet bop one IPOD commercial away from world domination – Grade: A-

We will be cold, tired and miserable and with only days and days of darkness and dreariness to look forward to. Hell, even the Superbowl will be a month away. So it is a perfect time for the good people at City Parks Foundation to get us thinking of the summer.

Yeah, I will give em Jack White, though it isn’t my best album of the year, that would be Spider bags, but Frank Ocean. Have you ever been at a dinner and somebody makes a joke and everybody is laughing their heads off and you try to laugh along but you just don’t get it? That’s how I feel about Frank Ocean.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – Not the worst tour of his career, that would be the rising, but the second worstr tour of the year. Too long, too bloated, just a mess. Plus, if you are gonna play 210 minute gigs, start them at 8pm, for God’s sake

The Gypsy Rover – The Irish Rovers – A variation on “Gypsy Davies”, an early 1800s Irish folk song, it tells the mythic story of a fine Irish Lady who left behind her family and heritage to follow a Gypsy. This version is all Irish lilt and a strong if soft male brogue, when I was a child (this is the first song I remember ever hearing), I had a prettier version with a woman singer – Grade: B+

The rush of dance and r&b is constant. It is energetic, sophisticated, and falls out of time. …the Line crosses and recrosses the 21st Century while never losing its footing, it is r&b as it should be. An impressive and lovely, exciting and smart end to the year

If The-Dream wasn’t such a late arrival, the album might well have been in my top ten of 2012. As it is, the modern day Here My Dear is a wrecker of an album, a lyrical malfeasance on top of soulful dirges.

White Christmas – Michael Buble And Bing Crosby – This isn’t a particularly bad version, it culls a take off a Crosby Christmas special and through the magic of technology adds Buble, who is quickly becoming the American standards singer of choice. But all this forcing dead pop stars out of their graves and making them duet with people without their permission turns my stomach. It is grave robbing – Grade: F

Terius Nash: 1977 – The-Dream -On the heels of his work on Unapologetic and essentially producing Beyonce’s latest, the bitter taste off his first solo album is officially over. Released as a free download, this is a surprisingly brilliant album of Here My Dear break up songs as heartbreak, detailing his divorce – Grade: A

wrote about the reasons behind the Justice Collective charity single a couple of weeks ago, but again: in 2009 a human crush occurred at a football match in Sheffield’s Hillsborough Stadium killing 96 people. This year, the Courts finally allowed the remains to sue the Police for the accident. UK stars came together to record the top single to help pay for the survivors and inheritors expenses. The track is a dreadful version of an asinine Hollies song but a good cause.

I was just in the UK and you couldn’t throw a brick without hitting a commercial for Neil Diamond’s greatest hits on TV. The result? Check out the magnificently useless # 5. Meanwhile, I must admit Emili Sande is beginning to grow on me. Precisely what happens when an album goes exothermic.

Rolex – The -Dream, Cassie – With the advent of new r&b I have been wondering if maybe I don’t like it any more. But The-Dream is one soul singer who constantly knocks me out. This isn’t a great song, lyrics are a little obvious, the synth in the background is a touch light, and Casha Monet, his new find, seems like Ree Ree redux… still it catches your ear with ease and holds it – Grade: A-

Cha Cha knee – caused by repeated and abrupt twists and turns and basically just ‘going for it’, Hip Hop hip – a recent phenomenon experienced by aging street dancers, Jive spine – usually suffered when ‘Dad dancing’ – men trying to lift their dance partners off the ground, Rumba Lumbar – localised pain in the lower back caused by jerky pelvic rotations

am not the enemy of jam I used to be but I am not a huge fan either So having admitted my folly, let me note that whether you love or hate jam, Disco Biscuits have a tremendous sense of BPMS and among the many things they might be, are a great live band I HEAR(from Woody Fuller!) so I am very psyched for this one at ny fave vebue in the city Best Buy, as part of a residency but I am going on Thursday

Losing My Religion – REM – This is where it all came together and blew me up big, folk rock with a chip on its shoulder and moodwise an ancestor of new r&b. As for Stipe’s lyric? It rings with desire and disllussion – Grade: A+

Remember back in the day you couldn’t throw a brick without hitting Phish going “number nine number nine”? Well now Amanda and TOE are gonna be changing the year with a rendition of the entire Purple Rain album. Assuming Prince doesn’t stick a restraining order on her ass.

All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah carey – Sure, I prefer the kid in “Love, Actually” as well. But this version, by the co-writer no less, will do. From 1994 and maybe the most recent song to join the Christman pantheon of songs. Over sung, but it’s her call not ours – Grade: A

State Of Grace – Taylor Swift – One of Taylor’s best songs though it took awhile to catch on, the killer pay off, “Love’s a ruthless game unless you play it good and right” has three very very strong words and Swift nails each and every one of them. And the sound is exuberant, it is darkly shaded (which is why it took awhile) but that’s because that “unless” is right on top of you – Grade: A

Yeah, Wrecking Ball album of the year? That’s the ticket. Will the last rock critic to leave Rolling Stone please turn off the light. Oh, and Frank Ocean at # 2-was a no brainer. really, I mean really. We may not be able to agree upon anything but we can agre that a young, gay, black r&b guy that nobody except me had heard of two years ago is now the most highly over-rated musician on the planet.