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<\/p>\n Taj Mahal and Keb Mo \u2014 known collectively as TajMo \u2014 perform at the Oregon Zoo in 2018. Their eponymous album is one of the sublime spins of the last 25 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n The Aspen Daily News\u00a0 reached out to artists, DJs, producers and critics in multiple disciplines with the question, \u201cIf you were given the opportunity to send three albums to the Smithsonian from the last 25 years, to be memorialized forever, what would they be?\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what they had to say:<\/p>\n The first album I would send to the Smithsonian is Outkast\u2019s \u201cStankonia\u201d (2000). The sounds of a southern-like orchestra were incredible. Then I would go with 50 Cent\u2019s \u201cGet Rich or Die Trying (2003). Me, personally, I have never heard New York City rap like that. My third pick would be T.I.\u2019s \u201cTrap Muzik\u201d (2003). It brought the trap sound and persona to the mainstream.<\/p>\n Damian Marley\u2019s \u201cWelcome to Jam Rock\u201d (2005) stated to the world that the Marley sons\u2019 dynasty will reign. The title track became one of the eternal, undisputed anthems of reggae and established Damian as the most in-demand Marley since Bob.<\/p>\n \u201cSet in Stone\u201d (2015) solidified Stick Figure as the largest-selling reggae artist alive and the only reggae artist to unseat Bob Marley\u2019s \u201cLegend\u201d on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.<\/p>\n \u201cDread and Terrible\u201d(2014) launched Chronixx\u2019s popularity, with his first show in the U.S. at an overcapacity Central Park in New York City, establishing him as the leading figure in the Rasta reggae renaissance movement.<\/p>\n I\u2019m stuck in the \u201970s. Always have been. Luckily, some of my favorite artists are still creating music, so here\u2019s my top picks: Grateful Dead, \u201cThe Closing of Winterland: 12\/31\/78\u201d (2003). I\u2019m a huge sucker for Cornell \u201977 so the \u201cCornell 5\/8\/77\u201d release (2017) is up there.<\/p>\n On his album \u201cMagic Time\u201d (2005), Van Morrison had a super tight band and hits the melodic Van from my favorite albums. Neil Young\u2019s \u201cPrairie Wind\u201d (2005) showed Neil still evolving and exploring new concepts.<\/p>\n D\u2019Angelo & the Vanguard\u2019s album \u201cBlack Messiah\u201d (2014) is Funkadelic for the hip hop generation, Sly & the Family Stone for a post-Ferguson, pre-George Floyd, \u201cpost-racial moment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Janelle Monae\u2019s record \u201cThe ArchAndroid\u201d (2010) is a \u201cBlade Runner\u201d-meets-Rhythm Nation concept album and is when she solidified her artistic vision and locked in the band and producers to make it her new reality. She\u2019s sci-fi pop funk that reminds me of LaBelle and Janet Jackson at their best.<\/p>\n \u201cBeyonce\u2019s \u201cRenaissance\u201d (2022) converted me from a hater into a Beyonc\u00e9 fan. It recalls all the 1990s house\/club bangers, gives me that nostalgic tingle for the good ol\u2019 days of living in an urban radio market and adds the billion dollar production value and incomprehensibly lush vocals of the greatest pop diva since Whitney Houston. The guests, Nile Rogers and Grace Jones are legends. It\u2019s the most fun, celebratory disco album since the freewheelin\u2019 \u201990s days of DeeeLite or Jamiroquai. \u201cAll Hail the Queen Bey.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBlackwater\u201d (2001) by JJ Grey and Mofro is the album that made me fall in love with the band. Soulful, slowful, and just the right amount of grits. The stand out for me is the song \u201cAir.\u201d\u00a0 That song just makes me drive fast, there\u2019s no other explanation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLamentations\u2019 (2020) by American Aquarium: I believe every single word BJ Barham says, end of story.<\/span><\/p>\n I realize it\u2019s somewhat of a cheat to pick a band that I\u2019m in, but Bloodkin\u2019s album \u2018Black Market Tango\u2019 (2021) came out before I joined. It\u2019s so poetic, and typical of Bloodkin, a band that insists on self-sabotage for decades, to release its masterpiece, only to have the founder and main writer pass away before the promotional tour. This album front to back has some great songs, great vibe, and it really was the one that was gonna take them over the top.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n D\u2019Angelo\u2019s album \u201cVoodoo\u201d (2000) was genius on display, but the kind of genius that is still accessible and universally understood. This record changed the sound and course of music in the 2000s and still sounds fresh.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Bon Iver\u2019s \u201cFor Emma, Forever Ago\u201d (2007) is filled with brilliant songs wrapped in production that was abnormal for its time \u2014 equally lo-fi and lush.\u00a0 Justin Vernon\u2019s poetic, abstract approach to writing lyrics was pretty eye-opening to me. It came out at a time when I needed it, it just made sense to me when I was 22 years old, feeling uneasy with the future and frustrated with the present.<\/span><\/p>\n The Black Keys\u2019 album \u201cBrothers\u201d (2010) blends all of my favorite styles of music together in a mighty way. It\u2019s easy to dismiss it because of how commercially successful it was but it wasn\u2019t without reason. Dan Auerbach\u2019s songwriting hit another gear during this period, releasing another classic just a year earlier with his first solo record \u201cKeep it Hid\u201d (2009) and following with their blockbuster \u201cEl Camion\u201d just a year later. His falsetto singing is especially inspiring to me.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If \u201cAchtung Baby\u201d is my gun to the head, one record on a desert island choice, Frightened Rabbit\u2019s album \u201cMidnight Organ Fight\u201d (2008) is a Top 5 record. Scott Hutchinson is one of my favorite songwriters, his brothers drumming and background vocals and these songs, I love every one of them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n My life changed when I heard Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album \u201cAbattoir Blues\/Lyre of Orpheus\u201d(2004). Nick Cave has that voice. Nick is the bar on everything, writing, performance, editing and The Bad Seeds are simply the best rock band in the world, period.<\/span><\/p>\n As far as what brought me joy, it\u2019s Bob Dylan\u2019s \u201cThe Bootleg Series: Trouble No More\u201d (2017) when he finds Jesus with Jim Keltner and Spooner Oldham and means it.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s sort of an absurd attempt to narrow it down to three. I\u2019ve chosen three that are very much in the same vein rather than trying to cover more of the vast music landscape, but these are the ones that have just spoken so directly to my heart over the last couple decades: Maya De Vitry, \u201cAdaptations\u201d (2019); Taylor Ashton\u2019s \u201cThe Romantic\u201d (2020) and May Erlewine\u2019s \u201cLove Labor\u201d (2008).<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor \u2018O Brother Where Art Thou\u2019 (2002), T Bone Burnett scouted Nashville for its deepest roots musicians and enlisted them in a strange movie musical built around pre-war country, gospel, old-time and blues. The soundtrack was a shock success that outsold Music Row\u2019s bland chart-toppers, won the Grammy for Album of the Year and revealed the roots of country music (the genre, not the format) to a new generation.<\/span><\/p>\n Country radio begged the Dallas trio The Dixie Chicks to ditch the banjo and dobro, but the Chicks would not be told how to sound, and their acoustic, grassed-up 2002 record \u201cHome\u201d was the best and boldest, if not the biggest, album they released during their game-changing run. Radio stations excommunicated the Chicks over politics just when the single \u201cTravelin\u2019 Soldier\u201d was No. 1 on radio, one of the industry\u2019s darkest moments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Chris Stapleton\u2019s breakout debut \u201cTraveler\u201d (2015) proved seismic and refreshing for country music during its bro era. It reasserted Kentucky, home state of Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers and others, as a major force in country music. It put producer Dave Cobb on the map in a big way. It brought roots soul singing back to the country for the first time in years, influencing country and Americana. Most agreed that it was pretty much flawless.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Zero 7\u2019s \u201cSimple Things\u201d (2001) is a genre-defining album that set the gold standard for the chill\/downtempo genre in the early 2000s. Calvin Harris\u2019 \u201c18 Months\u201d (2012) is the best collection of songs from the EDM explosion of the early 2010s. Harris introduced house music to the masses with these tunes and turned millions of unsuspecting people into EDM ravers overnight. With their record \u201c4×4=12\u201d (2010), Deadmau5 brought the dancefloor sounds of the underground into mass consciousness.<\/span><\/p>\n The Glands\u2019 2000 eponymous record is the greatest indie record of all time (sorry Neutral Milk). Outkast\u2019s \u201cAquemini\u201d (1998) is just older than 25 years but if we could bend the rules I\u2019d say it\u2019s a shoo-in for one of greatest hip-hop records of all time. And Susto\u2019s first record, \u201cEponymous (2014),\u201d is the greatest Americana record of all time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n My job requires that I listen almost entirely to the Grateful Dead so here are my favorite archival releases from the first 25 years. Jerry Garcia Band\u2019s \u201cLet It Rock\u201d (2004) is a two-disc set from the first lineup of the JGB with Nicky Hopkins on piano. Hopkins was not in great shape, and his tenure didn\u2019t last long, but on that weekend in November 1975, he had it together. The interactions between Jerry and Nicky on this disc are wonderful.<\/span><\/p>\n One of my favorite eras of the Dead is \u201972-\u201973. The Grateful Dead\u00a0 made it easy for us to make lists by releasing entire tours. \u201cEurope 72: The Complete Recordings\u201d (2011) is 22 shows of absolute peak Dead, and \u201cPacific Northwest 73-74\u201d (2018) is six complete shows from two peak years. The concert \u201cMay 19, 1974\u201d (2018) was released on vinyl. It is a fantastic show.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cJet Airliner\u201d Paul Pena (2000); \u201cNightingale\u201d Norah Jones (2002); \u201cCrazy\u201d Gnarls Barkley (2006); \u201cOne\u201d U2 with Mary J Blige (2007); \u201cCrystal River\u201d Mudcrutch (2008); \u201cJust Breathe\u201d Pearl Jam (2009); \u201cEmpire State of Mind\u201d Jay Z, Alicia Keys (2009); \u201cWhere Rainbows Never Die\u201d The Steeldrivers\u201d (2010); \u201cRolling in the Deep\u201d (2011) Adele; \u201cMidnight in Harlem\u201d Tedeschi Trucks Band (2011); \u201cLittle Black Submarines\u201d Black Keys (2011); \u201cGet Lucky\u201d Daft Punk (2013) \u201cWings for Wheels\u201d Greensky Bluegrass (2014); \u201cHungersite\u201d Goose\u201d (2023); and \u201cGild the Lily\u201d Billy Strings (2024).\u00a0<\/p>\n Paul Pena \u201cNew Train\u201d (2000); Norah Jones \u201cCome Away with Me\u201d (2002); Drive By Truckers \u201cDecoration Day\u201d (2003); Amy Winehouse \u201cBack to Black\u201d (2006); Wilco \u201cSky Blue Sky\u201d (2007); Mudcrutch eponymous (2008); Adele \u201c21\u201d (2011); Black Keys \u201cEl Camino\u201d (2011) Beck \u201cMorning Phases\u201d (2014); War on Drugs \u201cLost in the Dream\u201d (2014); Sturgill Simpson \u201cA Sailor\u2019s Guide to Earth\u201d (2016); TajMo eponymous (2017); Futurebirds \u201cTeamwork\u201d (2019); Billy Strings \u201cHome\u201d (2019); and Mac Miller \u201cColors\u201d (2020).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.aspendailynews.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Taj Mahal and Keb Mo \u2014 known collectively as TajMo \u2014 perform at the Oregon Zoo in 2018. Their eponymous album is one of the sublime spins of the last 25 years.\u00a0 Jason Charme\/Aspen Daily News The Aspen Daily News\u00a0 reached out to artists, DJs, producers and critics in multiple disciplines with the question, \u201cIf […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2221749,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2221748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Send-these-to-the-Smithsonian-Arts-Entertainment.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2221748"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221748\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2221750,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221748\/revisions\/2221750"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2221749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2221748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2221748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2221748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n Jason Charme\/Aspen Daily News<\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nNelly, multi-platinum rap and hip-hop artist\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Rasta Stevie, KDUR reggae DJ, producer<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Chris Benchetler, pro skier, artist, filmmaker<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Claybrook Penn, KOTO Radio, Bootsie\u2019s Boombox<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Torey Pader, guitarist\u00a0<\/span>and vocalist, Bloodkin\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Jordan Sokel, lead singer,\u00a0<\/span>guitarist, Pressing Strings\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Singer-songwriter Jerry Joseph<\/span><\/h3>\n
Lindsay Lou, guitarist-vocalist<\/span><\/h3>\n
Craig Havighurst, host of\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThe String\u201d on WMOT\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
DJ Harry, house, EDM DJ<\/span><\/h3>\n
Daniel Womack, guitarist, v<\/span>ocalist of Futurebirds<\/span><\/h3>\n
David Gans, musician, author,\u00a0<\/span>host of Grateful Dead Hour<\/span><\/h3>\n
Bonus: 15 epic songs<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Bonus: 15 sublime spins<\/h3>\n