Best Albums of 2011

Cafe Society
1

Its that time again. Pitchfork is doing their countdown and numerous other sites have already posted theirs. Who will Pitchfork put at #1? My guess is M83’s Hurry Up We’re Dreaming, which I thought was interesting & ambitious but ultimately came up just short of my top 10. Post your list of your favorite albums of 2011! Here’s mine, with my favorite track on each album:

  1. VA - Rave On Buddy Holly I normally wouldn’t throw a covers album on the list, but eff it its Buddy Holly. - YouTube

  2. The Strokes - Angles Hopefully nobody in 2021 will be calling this the best album of the last 10 years. The Strokes - Taken For A Fool - YouTube

  3. Tech N9ne - All 6’s And 7’s Crude and fun, my favorite hiphop album of recent memory. - YouTube

  4. Yuck - Yuck Reminds me of a more melodic, less artsy Sonic Youth. Yuck - Holing Out - YouTube

  5. The Antlers - Burst Apart Dream pop falsetto with a knack for good songwriting. - YouTube

  6. The Black Keys - El Camino Could be wildly overrated or underrated due to the late drop. Sticking here to be safe. The Black Keys - Lonely Boy [Official Music Video] - YouTube

  7. Tune-Yards - whokill I liked this album as much as everyone said I should have liked Bitte Orca but didnt. tUnE-yArDs - My Country [HQ] [2011] - YouTube

  8. TV on the Radio - 9 Types of Light These guys make it look effortless. - YouTube

  9. Sleeper Agent - Celabrasion Not since Costello Music have I liked an album as raucus and unpretentious as this one. Get It Daddy - Sleeper Agent (OFFICIAL VIDEO) - YouTube

  10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - It’s A Corporate World Both accessible and weirdly elusive, easily my favorite this year. Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr - Skeletons - YouTube

Note that my top 2 albums are debuts. The kids are all right! Here’s the list in youtube playlist form, so you can listen to them straight through. http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1388CD949A6C938B&feature=plcp

2

I never seem to have the same tastes as the people who make these kinds of lists, nor of the people on this board, but here goes (in no particular order):

Dia Frampton - Red - The runner-up for the competitive reality show The Voice releases what could very well be the best pop album of the year. Even though I was a big Meg & Dia fan from before they lost their record deal, I don’t think I’m being biased in saying this is an excellent example of songwriting (get it from iTunes or Walmart to get some bonus tracks with it).

Björk - Biophilia - I’m a huge Björk fan, and while I wouldn’t say it lives up to her best work, the whole concept of selling iPad Apps for each song shows her willingness to keep fresh and inventive. This is the shape of albums to come.

John Zorn - Nova Express - Zorn’s been doing a lot with The Dreamers recently, which is not really my bag, but this is a return to his file-card stuff. Very cool.

Les Rhinocéros - Les Rhinocéros - A new band, released by Tzadik records, which is enough for me to sit up and take notice. I was really pleasantly surprised by this album, but it’s certainly not for everyone.

Nicola Roberts - Cinderella’s Eyes - I didn’t number these, but I think this would be my #1 for the year if I was pressed. The overlooked ginger girl from Girls Aloud makes the most exciting album of the year? Yes.

Various Artists - Sucker Punch: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - A lot of people had issues with the movie (I loved it though), but the soundtrack is incredible: Björk, Skunk Anansie, Emiliana Torrini…and the best songs are from Emily Browning, one of the actresses who hadn’t even released anything before!

Avril Lavigne - Goodbye Lullaby - Eh, what can I say. I’m a big Avril Lavigne fan, anytime she releases something I’m gonna love it.

Kronos Quartet - Uniko - Just fantastic, like most of their stuff.

Helen Gillet - Running of the Bells - I had to put a local release on here. This woman is a cellist who works in every genre of music on the New Orleans scene. This is a very interesting work, very experimental and unusual. I highly recommend it to everyone (because I bet no one has heard of it).

Meg & Dia - Cocoon - Like I said, I’m a big Meg & Dia fan, I had almost forgotten they self-released this this year. It’s not my favourite Meg & Dia album, but the songwriting and music is always interesting, and I love this just as much as Dia’s solo album.

3

I love these lists. So much new (to me) music to listen to. Here are five from me:

  1. Panda Bear, Tomboy

  2. Bon Iver, Bon Iver

  3. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues

  4. St. Vincent, Strange Mercy

  5. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake

4

My #1 Album of the Year is “David Comes to Life” by Fucked Up

Other albums I really liked, in no particular order:

“Little Hell” by City and Colour
“Yuck” by Yuck
“Megafaun” by Megafaun
“The Old Magic” by Nick Lowe
“Torches” by Foster the People

5

Great choice. It’s a brilliant album, though I can only take it in small doses. I honestly wish I could flip a switch in my head to make myself enjoy those shouted kinds of vocals (it’s not quite cookie monster, but…).

6

All of these except for PJ (never liked her work) were very close to my top 10

7
  1. TV On The Radio - Nine Types Of Light
  2. Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
  3. Antlers - Burst Apart
  4. Adalita - Adalita
  5. The Decemberists - The King Is Dead
  6. Adele - 21
  7. Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
  8. The Bangles - Sweetheart Of The Sun
  9. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
  10. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

I love these kinds of lists, it always lets me catch up on the stuff I’ve missed during the year. Definitely need to get the new Black Keys album, and after reading this thread I will definitely be getting the Yuck album. And I plan to spend a good while exploring some of these links, thanks everyone.

And since I’ve just been compiling it, here are my favourite songs of the year. Stuff with ** is Australian music, which most of you won’t have heard as it’s so hard for anything to make it off the island. It’s like living in an episode of LOST.

  1. Big Man - Boy & Bear **
  2. Shake It Out - Florence & The Machine
  3. We Will Know What It Is - Seeker Lover Keeper **
  4. The City - Patrick Wolf
  5. Second Song - TV On The Radio
  6. Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out - Antlers
  7. Desire - Anna Calvi
  8. Tree By The River - Iron & Wine
  9. The Repairer - Adalita **
  10. Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye **
  11. Streamers - Brous **
  12. Rolling In The Deep - Adele
  13. Are You Ready Yet? - Clare Bowditch **
  14. Turn Me On - The Grates **
  15. Jungle - Emma Louise **
  16. Sadness Is A Blessing - Lykke Li
  17. You’re An Animal - Jonathan Boulet **
  18. Vomit - Girls
  19. Knots - Lisa Hannigan
  20. The Shrine / An Argument - Fleet Foxes
8

It speaks to its brilliance that those kinds of vocals aren’t usually my thing, but I can’t get enough of this album anyway.

9

Links/explanations later - I barely have time to type this right now:

  1. Mayer Hawthorne - How Do You Do
  2. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
  3. Mekons - Ancient and Modern
  4. Nick Lowe - The Old Magic
  5. The Horrors - Skying
  6. Comet Gain - Howl of the Lonely Crowd
  7. The Bats - Free All The Monsters
  8. Gang of Four - Content
  9. Los Campesinos! - Hello Sadness
  10. M83 - Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
10

OK, links:

Mayer Hawthorne

St. Vincent

Mekons

Nick Lowe

The Horrors

Comet Gain

The Bats

Gang of Four

Los Campesinos!

M83

11

I didn’t keep up with new music this year as much as I normally do, so it’s lean pickings for me. But still some good stuff (with YouTube links to sample songs):

Dum Dum Girls – He Gets Me High (this is my favorite of the year)

An Horse – Walls

Bright Eyes – The People’s Key

The Decemberists – The King Is Dead

Okkervil River – I Am Very Far

PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

Bright Eyes, the Decemberists, and Okkervil River are old favorites for me, so it’s no surprise that they’re on my list. To be completely honest though, the Okkervil River album–while good–was a little disappointing compared to their previous stuff.

I haven’t yet heard Fucked Up, but they’re appearing on so many “best of” lists that I’m going to pick them up soon.

12

My favourites, in no particular order:

Wilco - The Whole Love - A welcome return to form. Their best since A Ghost is Born. The The Art of Almost is epic.

TV on the Radio - 9 Types of Light - Glad to see this on so many other’s lists. I enjoy the funk, but I fell in love with the ethereal, impressionistic Killer Crane

tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L - I think I heard Gangsta on a podcast while I was falling asleep one night. I woke up pretty fast after that and rushed to get a pen to write down the artist. I love the clash of influences, esp. the pseudo-Aftrican polyrhythms.

Feist - Metals - I hear some people were disappointed she didn’t just continue with her “Mushaboom”, “1-2-3-4” pop vibe, but I think this album is her best yet. Her voice really complements the moody soundscapes of the music. Graveyard is a favourite.

Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi - She hasn’t gotten nearly enough attention, at least in North America. Dark sultry, bluesy goth-rock drenched in reverb. Suzanne and I

The Civil Wars - Barton Hallow - Folk duo with gorgeous harmonies singing plaintive ballads and footstompers. Barton Hollow, Billie Jean (yes, that one).

The Black Keys - El Camino - Who knew that these guys would become so big? I’ve been a fan ever since “Rubber Factory”, but their last two CDs have been a cut above. This one is big, dumb party rock of the very best kind. Lonely Boy.

Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi - Rome - The soundtrack to the best spaghetti western never filmed. IMHO, Danger Mouse can do no wrong (see “El Camino” above). Trailer for Rome

Tom Waits - Bad as Me - Tom Waits is God. He breaks no new ground but why should he when he’s perfected his brand of gutter blues and ballads. Bad As Me

Nicole Atkins - Mondo Amore - Retro-Rock from a diva who deserves way more acclaim. You can hear her influences clearly, i.e., Queen, Led Zepplin, Souixsie, Janis Joplin, her voice makes the music shine. Vultures

I just picked up Fucked Up - David Comes to Life but I haven’t even had time to take off the shrinkwrap. I’m looking forward to giving it a spin over the weekend.

13

I am enjoying this thread - especially when clip links are included. As a hardcore music fan with no time to explore these days, this is a good overview of what’s been going on…

14

Wilco - A Whole Love

Noel Gallagher - High Flying Birds

The Strokes - Angles
Ultimately, a quite disappointing year, with sub par albums from Beady Eye, Coldplay, The Decemberists and more. Plus I don’t like the softcore indie rock that’s most popular these days.

15

I seldom get 10 new albums the year they come out so I am pleasantly surprised that I got 4 albums from 2011 that I like by the end of the year. They all deserve a top 10 spot, though:

  1. Junior Doctor - Clumsy Words and Bad Pickup Lines
  2. Panic! at the Disco - Vices & Virtues
  3. New Found Glory - Radiosurgery
  4. The Airborne Toxic Event - All at Once
16

It was Bon Iver, which does not surprise me at all. M83 came in third.

I really only care about industrial music, so nothing I like ever ends up on these indiecentric year-end music lists.

17

My Best Of radio show isn’t for a couple of weeks, so I haven’t put a proper list together yet. It will definitely include previously mentioned records by The Decemberists, Wilco, tUnE-yArDs, the Black Keys, St. Vincent, and Drake.

Others I like that I don’t think have come up:
Wild Flag, s/t
Le Butcherettes, Sin Sin Sin
Girl in a Coma, Exits and All the Rest
Kurt Vile, Smoke Ring for my Halo
Thao and Mirah, s/t
Girls, Father Son Holy Ghost

What my list doesn’t include is Bon Iver. I really don’t get that guy.

18

Panda Bear: Tomboy
TV on the Radio: Nine Types of Light
Six Organs of Admittance: Asleep on the Floodplain

19

It is a little surprising to me, just because I assumed they wouldn’t want to follow in Paste’s footsteps.

What are listening to these days? I loved Ministry, KMFDM, Skinny Puppy, Pigface etc. back in the day but haven’t really heard anything good in that genre for a while.

20

Gotta put Foo Fighters’ Wasting Light on the list…