July Top 5 - 2009

This was my top 5 for July 2009

Click the play button next to any song to listen

1. Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap
   I had this tune on repeat early in the month. I saw (500) Days of Summer last night and was pleasantly surprised to hear it heavily featured in the film.
   The Temper Trap website and myspace page.



2. So Crazy - CHALI 2NA
   CHALI 2NA's long awaited solo album does not disappoint. Great beats and even better flow. One of my favorite rap artists. CHALI 2NA on myspace.



3. Never Change - Jay-Z
   I've never been a big Jay-Z fan. I like some of his songs, he just never leaves me wanting to hear a full album. For years I've been meaning to give his much hyped record, The Blueprint a proper listen, and I was surprised how much I liked it once I did. However, when you consider nearly every tune samples a classic soul artist that I love, I suppose it's not quite as surprising. This is one of my favorites from The Blueprint, which samples David Ruffin's 1973 classic, Common Man.
   Watch David Ruffin perform Common Man on Soul Train in the clip below.



4. Amarillion - Datarock
   Elwood turned me on to this tune on our roadtrip back from San Diego. As he said, the latest Datarock record, Red, as a whole is just OK, but this tune, chock-full of 80's references is great. Datarock website and myspace page.
   



5. Re: Stacks - Bon Iver
   I was a little late to the Bon Iver party for some reason but after repeated recommendations from a couple My Top 5 members, I finally got the record and quickly fell in love. The dreamy melancholy of Re: Stacks makes it one of my favorites on the album. Bon Iver's website and myspace page.
   

David Ruffin's 1973 classic, Common Man performed on Soul Train
(and later sampled in Jay-Z's Never Change).