"Cheryl Tweedy" ~ Lily Allen, 2007
"Absolutely Nothing" ~ Lily Allen, 2007
"Knock'em Out" ~ Lily Allen, 2007
"Little Things" ~ Lily Allen, 2007
"LDN" ~ Lily Allen, 2007
"Friend Of Mine" ~ Lily Allen, 2007
"Alfie" ~ Lily Allen, 2007
"Something So Beautiful" ~ Emma Bunton, 2004
"Train (Live in Berlin)" ~ Goldfrapp, 2003
"Strict Machine (Live in Berlin)" ~ Goldfrapp, 2003
"Human (Live in Berlin)" ~ Goldfrapp, 2003
"Hairy Trees (Live in Berlin)" ~ Goldfrapp, 2003
"Crystalline Green (Live in Berlin)" ~ Goldfrapp, 2003
"Twist (Live in Berlin)" ~ Goldfrapp, 2003
"Hold N' Back" ~…

"Control (UK Design Of A Decade Extended Mix)" ~ Janet Jackson, 1995
"Another Great Love Gone By" ~ Vikter Duplaix featuring Esthero, 2006
"Make A Baby" ~ Vikter Duplaix, 2006
"For Life" ~ Vikter Duplaix, 2006
"Fade It" ~ Vikter Duplaix, 2006
"In The Middle Of You" ~ Vikter Duplaix, 2006
"American Terrorist" ~ Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos, 2006
"U Center Me" ~ Robin Thicke, 2006
"Powerful" ~ Skye Edwards, 2006
"Trouble In Mind" ~ Natalie Gardiner, 2006
"Give It To Ya" ~ Tweet, 2006
"See Ya" ~ Tweet, 2006
"Whisper" ~…

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v478/havplentydc/Miscellaneous/rachid.jpg?t=1168276357

Ya know how a song that you've had in your catalog for a while suddenly leaps from the speakers into your consciousness/soul, and you finally "get it"? That moment of clarity is what happened to me when I listened to Rachid's "Back To The Room" from his sorely underappreciated 1998 album, Prototype, over the weekend.

As a biracial gay man who's dealt with race, sexuality, and overall acceptance issues, this song could be my autobiography (of sorts).

Rachid himself is the biracial son of Kool & The Gang's member Ronald Bell. And if you listen to Prototype…

"Get It Out Me (Extended Mix)" ~ Janet Jackson, 2006
"With You" ~ Janet Jackson, 2006
"My Number Babe" ~ 7 Aurelius & Ashanti, 2007
"Life In Mono" ~ Emma Bunton, 2006
"Perfect Strangers" ~ Emma Bunton, 2006
"I Wasn't Looking (When I Found Love)" ~ Emma Bunton, 2006
"I Miss You" ~ Janita, 2006
"Lost Without You (Remix)" ~ Robin Thicke ft Vanessa Marquez, 2006
"Whenever" ~ choklate, 2006
"Yawn (Bore Me)" ~ Fantasia, 2006
"El Salvador" ~ Cybotron, 1982
"I Had A Dream I Was Falling Through A Hole In…

Here's how I'd rank everything this year:

My Top 10 Albums of the Year:
1. 20 Y.0. ~ Janet Jackson
Janet hasn't made such a consistent album since 89's Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814. "Get It Out Me" provided my favorite musical moment of '06 with the kinetic breakdown that samples Afrika Bambaataa. "Take Care" is easily the chillest Janet balland since RN's "Lonely". "Enjoy" is the kind of pure joy wrapped in song that Janet is known for. And "Call On Me" wound up being r&b radio's sleeper hit that really wasn't a sleeper. There was no…

"Call On Me (Smooth Mix Bionix)" ~ la Jan
"With You" ~ la Jan
"Fluorescent" ~ Gwen Stefani
"Dirty Laundry" ~ Bitter:Sweet
"The Mating Game" ~ Bitter:Sweet
"New Morning" ~ Lewis Taylor
"We Ride" ~ ThaBlige
"Reflections (I Remember)" ~ ThaBlige
"Shortie Like Mine" ~ Bow featuring Chris Brown
"I Wanna Fuck You" ~ Akon featuring Snoop
"Never Touch That Switch" ~ Robbie Williams
"Rudebox" ~ Robbie Williams
"Sun, Moon, Stars" ~ Mos Def
"There Is A Way" ~ Mos Def
"All Nite Long" ~ Diddy featuring Fergie

My "play" little sis came into town to visit with me for the Thanksgiving holiday. She's a PYT - and she's bisexual. Anywayz, we frolicked over the weekend to different hotspots in the city, where she met a group of lesbians who told her about the Peaches show the following night at a popular local venue called the 9:30 Club. Although I'ma neophyte Peaches fan with limited knowledge of her musical catalog, I agreed to roll with my girl to the show - after all, tickets were only $18!

Because I'm not familiar with all of Peaches songs, I'll hafta…

"Get It Out Me" ~ la Jan
"Stronger Than Pride (Live)" ~ Rahsaan Patterson
"Ghost of Corporate Future" ~ Regina Spektor
"Another Again" ~ John Legend
"Do It To Me" ~ la Jan
"I Need Love" ~ Robin Thicke
"Half The Perfect World" ~ Madeleine Peyroux
"Fergalicious" ~ Fergie
"I'm Not Happy" ~ Ruben Studdard
"We Ride" ~ ThaBlige
"Wake Up Alone" ~ Amy Winehouse
"Love Is A Losing Game" ~ Amy Winehouse
"Love Is A Losing Game (Live)" ~ Amy Winehouse
"We Goin In (Gettin' Down)" ~ Tori Fixx
"Extraordinary Machine" ~ Fiona Apple
"Enjoy The Silence" ~ Janita…

20 Years Old (20 Y.O.) is Janet Jackson's most sonically pleasing album in 17 years. It's a great collabo project between JD & J&T & J… you've got some hawt beats from JD, but J&T smooth it out with trademark Janet flow, which is especially evidenced in the bridges/b-sections of each song…

"So Excited" ~ the bass alone announces the return of Janet to the clubs… and the attack of the drum machines beats any hater into submission…

"Show Me" ~ musically sparse, but an effective technique… JD's bass thumping mixed with musical elements from Janet's own "happy" jamz…

"So Excited" ~ la Jan
"Enjoy" ~ la Jan
"Promises" ~ Julie Dexter & Khari Simmons
"Salt Sea" ~ Julie Dexter & Khari Simmons
"Sea & Sky" ~ Julie Dexter & Khari Simmons
"Summer Love/Set The Mood Prelude" ~ Justin TimberFake
"Until The End Of Time" ~Justin Timberfake ft The Benjamin Wright Orchestra
"Losing My Way" ~ Justin TimberFake
"(Another Song) All Over Again" ~ Justin TimberFake
"Shine (Free Mason's Club Mix)" ~ Luther Vandross
"I'm No Good" ~ Amy Winehouse