Slow Jamz '07
1. Jill Scott, "Crown Royal" (from The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, Hidden Beach)
2. Heavy, "Dontsayg'night" (from Jazzmoney$$, BBE)
3. Savath & Savalas "Era Tu" (from Golden Pollen, Anti)
4. Kelly Rowland ft. Tank "The Show" (from Ms. Kelly, Sony)
5. Eric Roberson "Fantasy" (MP3)
6. Feist "How My Heart Behaves" (from The Reminder, Cherrytree)
7. Chrisette Michele "Mr. Radio" (from I Am, Def Jam)
8. Air "Lost Message" (from Pocket Symphony, Astralwerks)
9. Emily King "U & I" (from East Side Story, J)
10. Japancakes "Touched" (from Loveless, Darla)
11. 4hero "Give In" (from Play with the Changes, Milan)
12. The Cinematic Orchestra "Music Box" (from Ma Fleur, Domino)
13. Musiq Soulchild "Takeyouthere" (from Luvanmusiq, Atlantic)
14. Amel Larrieux "Younger Than Springtime" (from Lovely Standards, Bliss Life)
15. Meshell Ndegeocello "Elliptical" (from The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams, Emarcy)
16. The Sea and Cake "Transparent" (from Everybody, Thrill Jockey)

This is going to be a whole lot of unwanted and unsolicited information, but here goes anyway: for me, coitus interruptus isn't a method of birth control, it's what happens when the wrong music comes on. I just can't speak body language with a tonally or rhythmically inappropriate soundtrack. I've gotten up before, and probably will again. That's not ideal, though, so I've tried to perfect the Slow Jamz mix.

The process is roughly 80 percent art, 20 percent science. It ends up being a confirmation hearing of sorts; I make a long list then find reasons to eliminate until I have what I want. As an example, in making Slow Jamz '07, Bjork's "The Dull Flame of Desire" made the short list, but Antony Hegarty's voice disqualified it. In fact, if I ever took Cialis and ended up with one of those dangerous erections that lasts four hours or more, I wouldn't dial up 911, I'd dial up "My Lady Story."

Meanwhile, the Japancakes take on My Bloody Valentine's "Touched" makes the cut. The original wouldn't - the whale song scares me—but with the sharp edges sanded down it's not bad bump 'n' grind music. Elsewhere in covers, Heavy, a duo from Queens whose debut Jazzmoney knocked me out, provided me with a fantastic version of the Isley Brothers "Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time For Love)." Plenty of R&B, obviously, including Chrisette Michele's "Mr. Radio," a song I love from a record I didn't. Eric Roberson and Jill Scott, both neo-soul darlings, take different approaches. Eric is all romantic and sentimental; Jill is raunchy—and not cerebral-raunchy, just raunchy. I started with "Crown Royal" because I like to think of myself as Jill's male counterpart - intelligent in a way that belies my inner freaky-deaky, cute in the face and thick in the waist. Emily King's "U & I" isn't really a slow jam, it's mid-tempo, but it features the best heart-on-sleeve love lyrics I've heard this year. There's also a bit of faux-jazz: the Sea and Cake's "Transparent"; Amel Larrieux's take on "Younger than Springtime," from one of my favorite records of the year; as well as Feist's "How My Heart Behaves."

A Slow Jamz mix allows me to listen to stuff I technically like, but would never listen to otherwise. I find Scott Herren's Savath & Savalas projects a bit boring in any other context; the same goes for Air. I theoretically liked Meshell Ndegeocello's record but would never think to actually play it. There are songs from this year I liked way more than "Era Tu," "Lost Message" and "Elliptical," but they weren't quite right. If only "Shawty Is a 10" was slower . . . .

The song here I'm most excited about is "The Show," by Kelly Rowland with Tank. It's egregiously synthy and overcooked. Add 37 chime sweeps and you'd have the perfect R&B cliché. Somehow, though, it's the truest traditional sex jam I heard this year. It's passionate, but also very mechanical—much like sex itself should be.

Joshua Alston is a reporter for Newsweek.