Santogold (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Santogold
Type = Album
Artist = Santogold


Released = flagicon|US April 29, 2008 flagicon|UK May 12, 2008
Recorded = 2007
Genre = Indie rock, dub, New Wave, punk rock, psychedelic rock, art rock, electronic, synthpop
Length = 41:19
Label = Downtown Records (US), Atlantic Records (UK)
Producer = Diplo, Disco D, Freq Nasty, John Hill, Jonnie "Most" Davis, Santi White, Switch, Chuck Treece, Steel Pulse
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://wc09.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:axfpxz9jldse link]
*"Billboard" (positive) [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/content_display/reviews/albums/e3ibf22b3c56d51e863416c1914967bfaa8 link]
*"Blender" Rating|4|5 [http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=5145 link]
*"NME" (8/10) [http://nme.com/reviews/santogold/9672 link]
*"Entertainment Weekly" (A-) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20192435,00.html link]
*"The Guardian" Rating|4|5 [http://music.guardian.co.uk/pop/reviews/story/0,,2278626,00.html link]
*"The Independent" Rating|4|5 [http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-santogold-santogold-lizard-kingatlantic-829075.html link]
*"The Times" Rating|4|5 [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/cd_reviews/article3895084.ece link]
*Pitchfork Media (7.1/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/50435-santogold link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/20255990/review/20273804/santogold link]
This album = "Santogold" (2008)
Next album = "Top Ranking" (2008)
Misc = Singles
Name = Santogold
Type = studio
single 1 = Creator
single 1 date = February 24 2008
single 2 = L.E.S. Artistes
single 2 date = May 5 2008
single 3 = Lights Out
single 3 date = August 11 2008

"Santogold" is the eponymous debut album by alternative American artist Santogold. The album was released on 29 April 2008 in the United States, [ cite web | url=http://www.amazon.com/Santogold/dp/B0014DC046 | title=Santogold | publisher=Amazon.com | accessdate=2008-04-13 ] and May 12 in the United Kingdom. [ cite web | url=http://www.hmv.co.uk/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;-1;-1;-1&sku=769202 | title=Santogold | publisher=HMV | accessdate=2008-04-13 ] The album features appearances or production work from Bad Brains', Chuck Treece, Cliffored 'Moonie' Pusey of Steel Pulse, Diplo, Disco D, Freq Nasty, Naeem Juwan and XXXchange of Spank Rock, Radioclit, Sinden, Switch, and Trouble Andrew. [ cite web | url=http://drownedinsound.com/articles/3092172 | title=Santo Claws: talking S1W, M.I.A. and Mark Ronson with Santogold | publisher=Drowned in Sound | author=Samuel Strang | date=2008-04-23 | accessdate=2008-04-23 ]

Background

Santogold's goal of the album was to "help break down boundaries and genre classifications" who wasn't "a black woman singing R&B or hip hop." [ cite web | url=http://www.mtv.co.uk/channel/mtvuk/news/23042008/416276/santogold_interview | title=Santogold Interview | work=MTV News | publisher=Viacom | author=Tom Thorogood | date=2008-04-23 | accessdate=2008-05-13 ] "The cool thing is that I was able to work with all these genres that are typically sub-cultural, like dub or punk or something, and then, by writing in a way that had hooks, made it accessible to everyone." [ cite web | url=http://www.thelipster.com/articles/3323653 | title=Santogold and the genre problem | work=The Lipster | author=Rebecca Nicholson | date=2008-05-19 | accessdate=2008-05-22 ] When Santogold had signed to Atlantic Records, the album was "pretty much done and they already loved it. They asked me not to change anything on it." cite web | url=http://www.popjustice.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2376&Itemid=266 | title=Santogold discusses Ashlee Simpson, Mark Ronson and her current illness | work=PopJustice | author=Peter Robinson | date=2008-05-13 | accessdate=2008-05-13 ] The writing and recording process took eight weeks. Santogold had tried to work with her friend Mark Ronson, whom she collaborated with for his album "Version", but "it wasn't possible timing-wise."

Critical reception

According to review aggregator Metacritic, "Santogold" has been received positively, with a score of 77%. [ cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/santogold/santogold?part=rss | title=Santogold | work=Metacritic | publisher=CNET Networks | accessdate=2008-05-12 ] The album was given four out of five stars by Rolling Stone, saying that Santogold "mixes dub, electronic and indie rock for one of the year's most unique debuts." The Hartford Courant agreed, continuing that no songs are alike, "yet they fit together to form a cohesive whole". [ cite web | url=http://www.courant.com/entertainment/music/reviews/albums/hc-albums0501.art0may01,0,4076041.story | title=New On Disc: Santogold, Lyfe Jennings | work=The Hartford Courant | publisher=Tribune Company | author=Eric R. Danton | date=2008-05-01 | accessdate=2008-05-12 ] PopMatters opined that "if this is the struggles of urban artists" "Santogold"'s "anthems ensure that starving will never go out of style." [ cite web | url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/57682/santogold-santogold/ | title=Santogold | work=PopMatters | publisher=PopMatters | author=Alexis Pauline Gumbs | date=2008-04-30 | accessdate=2008-05-12 ] Entertainment Weekly also gave the album an A-. "The album is hardly flawless, but in an era that retro-fetishizes rock and whitewashed pop, Santogold feels both raw and real". [ cite web | url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20192435,00.html | title=Santogold (2008) | work=Entertainment Weekly | publisher=Time Inc. | author=Leah Greenblatt | date=2008-04-18 | accessdate=2008-04-27 ] NME felt the album "reveals a glittery crazy-paved path towards a brave new musical future." [ cite web | url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/9672 | title=Santogold | work=NME | publisher=IPC Media | author=Priya Elan | date=2008-05-08 | accessdate=2008-05-13 ]

Track listing

Personnel

*Vocals – Santi White
*Featured vocalists – Spank Rock, Trouble Andrew
*Bass – John Hill
*Guitar – Chris Feinstein, J. Salomao, John Hill, Santi White
*Horns – Alfonzo Hunter, K. Louis, L. Benjamin
*Keyboards – Alex Lipsen, John Morrical, John Hill, Santi White
*Organ – John Morrical
*Percussion – Chuck Treece, M. Dilan

Production

*Executive Producer: John Hill, Santi White
*Producers:
** John Hill (tracks 1-4, 6-11)
** Santi White (tracks 1-4, 7, 10, 11)
** Diplo (tracks 6, 8, 9)
** Disco D (track 3)
** Freq Nasty (track 5)
** Jonnie "Most" Davis (tracks 1, 2)
** Switch (tracks 2-5, 8, 11, 12)
*Mastering: Ted Jensen
*Programming: Disco D, Dr. Israel, John Hill
*Artwork by: Isabelle Lumpkin

References

External links

*MySpace|santogold|Santogold