Finally, the world got to experience the Chinese Democracy; AC/DC still refused to compromise and remained purists in their “Black Ice”. And Metallica proved that though nothing could top their unstoppable “Master of Puppets”, they still got metal in their veins through “Death Magnetic”. And Coldplay died with Viva la Vida (oops! it was a chart topper, but so was Katy Perry).
The bluesman, B.B King was back and he brought the fifties along with him. And Bob Dylan remained synonym to music. From Erykah Badu’s funkadelicaly melancholic vocals to Lil Wayne’s lunatic sounds and Jonas Brothers cutesy power-pop, 2008, will be forever etched as one of the greatest years for the greatest human invention that we all know as music.
And as 2009 looks much graver to humanity; musically, it promises to be even bigger. Though U2 might have ruined the starting, Megadeth’s supposedly last attempt to match its “Rust in Peace”, Iron Maiden’s signature “noodle rocklicks”, KISS’s hairmetal and Dream Theater’s anticipated resurrections will surely cheer us up. Here’s a little prediction on what you will be listening to while dancing on your birthday, crying after a recent heartbreak or for some satanic ritual.
Neil Young
Fork in the Road
This latest album from the icon is inspired by his LincVolt project, a 1959 Lincoln retrofitted with an experimental electric engine. Inspired by a car and infused with his growling philosophies and electronicas, Fork in the Road’s title track “Light a Candle”, can be found in YouTube.
Ben Harper
White Lies for Dark Times
The heaviest album of his, “White Lies for Dark Times”, has 11 songs of heavy riffs and blues licks with his slides. An uncompromising rock album, Ben Harper maintains his quintessential music in all of his song.
Eminem
Relapse
The white guy who brought the mainstream hip-hop to Nepal, the slimshady long-awaited Relapse --his first studio album since 2004’s Encore -- will be mostly produced by Dr. Dre, who also produced the chart-topping first single, "Crack a Bottle."
Greenday
21st Century Breakdown
After the success of “American Idiot”, the trios attempt to top it, “21st Century Breakdown”, is a sophisticated punk opera divided into three acts: "Heroes and Cons," "Charlatans and Saints" and "Horseshoes and Hand Grenades."
Lil Wayne
Rebirth
The wizard and probably the brand ambassador of “Auto-Tune” singing gadget, Lil Wayne attempts to add some hardcore rock & roll in latest album. "This is that rock s_____/this is hip-hop, b____," Wayne warns on one of the album’s as-yet-untitled tracks.
Dave Matthews Band
Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King
The guys who made jazz beautiful and vulgarity into poetics, will come out with their seventh album inspired by saxophonist LeRoi Moore, a founding member of the group who died last August. The group will celebrate the album’s release on April 14 with a show at Madison Square Garden in New York, followed by a spring tour.
Black Eyed Peas
The E.N.D
E.N. D, short from Energy Never Dies, is their fifth album and as Will.i.am says, "The Peas’ album isn’t electro, but it’s influenced by it". Their first single "Boom Boom Pow" shifts 465,000 in its first week of release and easily tops Hot Digital Songs and is set to become the act’s first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1.
Bob Dylan
Together Through Life
The most consistent artist in the history of music, the immortal fuses Delta-blues riffs with his folk ballads and sardonic doctrines to conjure yet again a great album for everybody to be inspired of.
madhukar@myrepublica.com
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