The standout is TWISTED, an atmospheric, acid-jazz track that bears the stamp of its producer 4 Hero, but once Ultra pours her sultry, soulful vocal into the mix it is all hers. Given a fair shot -- and the right promotion -- TWISTED could be the one that takes Ultra into the urban mainstream, placing her alongside the Erykahs, Lauryns and Mary J.'s. Of course, the great irony of her career is that after 10-plus years of riveting, thoughtful, provocative music that meshes, bends and spans several musical genres, she is still commonly referred to as a "dance diva". Stranger than fiction, indeed. Whatever they may call her, the rest of us know that Ultra will always be in a league of her own.

- Evolution: an Amazon.com User Review, 04.24.01

I turned 33 (I think) last week. I honestly was debating with myself whether I was turning 33 or 34 or perhaps 32 all over again. I find time very fluid of late. It passes. It doesn't. Months move at a lightning quick pace but days can seem to go on forever. Moments linger. I occasionally dream the future. Deja Vu is common. I'm convinced I've had conversations before yet I know I haven't but, yet, maybe I have.

I've always been fascinated with time travel stories. It's probably why I love this current season of LOST. I imagine time travel is exactly like how they are portraying it. A sense of being in multiple moments at once, every instance of time sitting on top of each other. The future has already happened. The past is here with us. Twisted.

I don't celebrate my birthday any more. SXSW is my gift to myself. Honestly, every day is that gift. I have no other responsibilities other than taking care of me...and I do. My money, my attention, my time belong to only me and I do with them what I will. So why should I celebrate my birth? I'm celebrating me the other 364 days (plus one more in 2008) of the year. The only thing my birthday stand for this year is a time for quiet reflection and envisioning that future.

Tracy and his family made vision boards at the beginning of this calendar year. So, this week, I've been doing the same. I cut out words, images, and sounds from the magazines around my apartment and today I'll be placing them -- collage style -- on a cork or bulletin board. It is what I predict for myself for the next year.

I like words so there are lots of phrases:

• "We Love the Web"
• "Party to Learn"
• "...and culture"
• "Investing in positive social change is easier than you think."
• "Listening to My Life"
• "Respect the Planet"
• "Hesitation Can Wait"
• "Reserved. But Not Tame."
• "A Simple Kind of Life"
• "Frisco"
• "We Are The People We've Been Waiting For"
• "Soul Chameleon"
• "Record Your Visions"
• "Black Girls Rock!"
• "Carpe Whatever"

There are places:

• The Hollywood Bowl
• A Spank Rock Party
• A San Francisco Parade

There are people:

• Jay-Z (in Africa)
• Lightspeed Champion
• Wale
• Justice

There are things:

• a Paul Frank watch
• a stylish formal tux...rocked with fitted dark jeans
• a how to on getting promoted
• The Wire
• Headphones

And from this, I see my past, present, and future.

Twisted.

No finer collection of music this year. It's a bunch of stuff you've never heard and it all sounds amazing. If you like soul music, you simply can't go wrong with this collection.
Very strong release from the downtempo veterans. It didn't hit me strongly with the first listen but has grown on me something fierce over the year. It's a great accompaniment to the album I've listened to the most this year, although not a 2007 release, Incognito's Bees + Things + Flowers.
I don't go to Andrew Lojero's parties around town with the same regularity that I used to but this absolutely sounds like that Los Angeles. Underground. Creative. Excited. Agitated. We're under freeways and in back alleys and abandoned churches and it's 3 in the morning. The party don't stop because Art Don't Sleep.
What can I say? I tried to deny this album but I'm a sucker for good Raphael Saadiq production and Stone seems further along in her finding her own voice than some other young blue eyed soul singers. Where I find Amy Winehouse's Back to Black derivative and imitative of a certain sound, I somehow find Introducing... interesting and indicative of a certain sound. Joss might not have half of Winehouse's personality but, at the very least, I'm not running through the artist's her records sound like. And that is not to say that Amy Winehouse isn't great but, without fail, I keep thinking that Back to Black is that the music industry found someone to finally make a sophomore Lauryn Hill album and it just so happens to be a drunk off her ass white girl from the UK.
It's the Avett Brothers. Blue-grassy soulful indie pop harmonizing? That's my kind of cocktail.

And the rest:

6. Feist - The Reminder
7. Jay Dee - Ruff Draft
8. Evidence - The Weatherman LP
9. Peter Bjorn & John - Writer's Block
10. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible