This took me a lot longer to finalize than I had planned. Truth be told, last year’s came easier because as a whole, I felt last year had a stronger collection of albums - so much so that I just picked a favorite and had everything else tie for second. This year, I felt that I had some room between some of them that I could play with and in the resulting list, actually pick a top ten favorites.
I use the word “Favorite” because this list was made by me, and I wouldn’t want to pretend that I am capable of knowing what’s “best” for anyone, so what you’re looking at is a list that’s my favorites. Not intended to spark an argument, but mostly hoping to maybe shine a light on an artist or album that perhaps you didn’t catch earlier in the year and when lined up next to some of these others, you might take the time to check them out as well.
So, without further ado, I’m going to list my top ten with short explanations, and then the back ten are the ten most played, most favorite, most-most that didn’t crack the ten (in alphabetical order). Hope you enjoy. The Favorite Songs lists will be up in the next couple of days with accompanying podcast and I promise they’ll be much more thorough and interesting, as they’ll be audible.
THE LIST///TOP TEN FAVORITE ALBUMS (2011)
“The King of Limbs” by Radiohead :: If you are familiar with my previous top five lists of years past, you know that I have a fondness for Radiohead. More often than not, they make my top spot. So this shouldn’t be as much of a surprise, but to me it really is. When I first heard “TKOL” I was underwhelmed. I enjoyed what I heard but it didn’t stick like previous material. I sat the album aside and moved on. Then, somewhere around the time that Radiohead performed the “From the Basement” sessions, I pulled the album back out and where previously I had felt that I was being challenged, I suddenly felt that familiar warmth. The songs were growing on me and where previously, I had all but dismissed this album as the one where Radiohead got away from me, I was embracing the textures and the layers and melodies and rhythms. I came back to this album more than any other this year and with each listen I discovered more to love. It wasn’t the mindblowing, earth shattering release that I was expecting to top my list, but that album never came. What came was a surprise album by my favorite band that i was not ready for, but luckily was still around when i found my reasons to be ready. I love the album. It’s not their best, but this year it was my favorite.
“Bon Iver, Bon Iver” by Bon Iver :: You could almost hear the backlash growing before the final notes of the final song played. Yes, it will appear on as many “best of” lists as it will on “most overrated” lists, but that’s just fine. For me, the album works. It’s a reminder of music that I hadn’t thought of in ages, by an artist who’s had hands in dozens of my favorite songs of the past few years. I trusted Justin Vernon to not rely on his simple charms and he didn’t disappoint. The album can be challenging to those expecting twelve more variations on “Skinny Love”, but anyone paying attention could see that this is a direction that he was likely to head from the moment he started touring in support of “For Emma”. I happened to really love the direction. I might not love the next, but that’s just fine. When you love something an artist has done, you’re not signing on for life. You can exit the bus at any stop. I’m happy to stick around and hear some more electric piano and abstract lyrics for the time being. It’s produced some really beautiful, haunting, and in the end welcoming music. No complaints.
“Burst Apart” by The Antlers :: Talk about low expectations. I had nothing going in to my first listen of “Burst Apart”. “Hospice” was a fine album, but a little dreary and easily forgotten for me at that time. “Burst Apart” felt like a band awakened and challenged to write big, expansive, artistically engaging pop songs and they lived up to the task without fail. Also, the 1-2-3 hit of “Hounds”, “Corsicana”, and “Putting the Dog to Sleep” are the best sequential album run all year.
“Days” by Real Estate :: At first listen I was afraid everything blended and sounded overly similar, but a couple of more listens and the details started flooding forth. It’s a deceptively simple album loaded with wonderful writing, beautiful melodies and incredible craftsmanship. “Days” just hit on all cylinders for me and reminded me of why I love bands who don’t shy from a well written pop hook.
“Charade is Gold” by Pulseprogramming :: Sort of what I’d hoped a grown-up version of Postal Service to sound like - only better. It’s a gorgeous, haunting, synth pop masterpiece.
“Our Blood” by Richard Buckner :: A criminally underrated singer-songwriter turned in his best album in years and again, no one seemed to notice. Some of the best writing I heard all year and Buckner’s vocals is still one of my favorite lived-in, weary instruments in all of music.
“Yuck” by Yuck :: Smart, nostalgic, indie pop that holds up with some of the greats. “Stutter” is one of the best songs of the year.
“The Ocean” by Two Bicycles :: While everyone was waiting for the new Teen Daze album to drop, many seemed to fail to notice that he’s already dropped an album one million times better just a couple of months before and it explored more interesting soundscapes by far.
“Moon Killer” by Small Black :: Had this been a full fleshed out album, it would have been higher. Small Black turned in one of the biggest surprises of the year with a free mixtape that makes me hope and wish that their next studio outing has this kind of sound, and this sort of confidence. Fucking killer songs.
“Romantic Comedy” by Big Troubles :: Maybe the catchiest, most infectious album that I heard all year. Loaded with dreamy, lo-fi, shoegazer sounds, but as good as they all are, none of them touch the brilliant album closer, “Never Mine”.
There you have my top ten. I could surely go on and on, but I’m sure more of you stopped reading back at Radiohead. For that, I will rush through and just list the back ten. In alphabetical order as I could not choose one over the other. These are simply the albums that I lived in and carried with me the most throughout the year (save for the first ten). Any of these ten would be a great listen. I can’t recommend them enough.
“You Are All I See” by Active Child
“The Rip Tide” by Beirut
“On the Water” by Future Islands
“Gardens and Villa” by Gardens and Villa
“Hearts” by I Break Horses
“Smoke Ring for my Halo” by Kurt Vile
“Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I’d Hoped” by Moonface
‘“Rare” by Tearjerker
“House of Balloons” by The Weeknd
“The Year of Hibernation” by Youth Lagoon
There you have it. The list of Favorite Album of 2011, as decided by me. The Favorite Songs of 2011 list should provide more fun, as there will be accompanying sounds to go with, and the entire collection spreads far and wide. That should be up in the next couple of days. In the meantime, how about them albums? Did i drop the ball or forget anything? Surely, I did. At any rate, thanks for reading, take care, hope you enjoyed any or all of these as much as i have.
“Scissors (Small Black Remix)” by Eight and a Half // Scissors (2011)
Small Black have stayed away from the “official” releases this year, but their mixtape and remix work have been nothing shy of killer. This remix of “Scissors” from Eight and a Half (a band consisting of members of The Stills and Broken Social Scene) takes the original’s dark, brooding post punk sounds and shifts them on their head - adding a glowing, buzzing synth-pop sheen that maintains the melancholic vibe, but takes it from the bedroom to the dance floor. A killer remix worth all sorts of plays. Get it for free from RCRD-LBL.
Another week of excellent new music comes to a close. There were plenty more than six songs worth spinning this week, but alas, I must adhere to the format. The songs that I’ve chosen this week are all from up and coming artists that deserve some serious closer looks. Each of these tracks has received plenty of play around my ear holes and I hope that if you missed them on the first pass that they grab you this time around.
As always, click on the title and artist to hear the songs and if something happens to tickle your fancy, please do what you can to support the artists. Happy listening and have a wonderful weekend!
There you have it. This week’s six songs worth spinning. Of course if that’s not enough and you crave more audible goodies, you can always check out previous installments. Or if you’re feeling like letting me do all of the work for you, you can check out my podcast from earlier this week, which is loaded with excellent tracks and limited interruptions.
Radio Slow Riot Podcast (Episode One - feat. Big Troubles, Small Black, The Radio Dept., Tearjerker, Mazzy Star, A Grave With No Name, and many, many more)
Here is the new Small Black mixtape, Moon Killer, in all of it’s excellence. I had no clue this thing was going to be so fucking good. Listen to this immediately. Easily, one of the best releases in recent months. Stream it above or download it below (for free).
“Love’s Not Enough” by Small Black // Moon Killer (2011)
Seriously, three songs are all that I’ve heard and it’s clear that I’m going to be head over heels in love with the new Small Black mixtape, Moon Killer. This new track from the forthcoming mixtape (available tomorrow) features a sample of Nicki Minaj’s “Your Love” and it’s used to spectacular effect. Shimmering synths and melancholic sing-along choruses are kind of Small Black’s things, but they just seem to be firing on all cylinders here. There’s not a bad thing about this excellent jam. Definitely worth hearing about fifty times in a row.
Yes, for all of the pain and annoyance that flickered in and out of 2009, I found myself locking onto specific songs that (especially in times of travel and distance from my friendship/relationship issues) really helped me break away. Each song listed here did that exact thing for me, but none as well as Small Black’s absolutely perfect “Despicable Dogs”.
As Cass McComb’s “You Saved My Life” was the song that I found myself using as a salve to a consistently broken heart in the later months of 2009, Small Black’s “Despicable Dogs” arrived just in time to start helping me feel like I wasn’t the disaster that I was being made to feel I was. Sure, I was still pretty much a mess, but that song took on a strange hymn like quality for me. It was an escape. It came on late in the year and I carried it with me through most of 2010, and I still listen to it a dozen times a week. It’s simple, lo-fi approach to new wave or synth pop, or whatever the fuck you want to call it, is a perfect sound to latch onto and build a world around. It’s one of the few songs in my life that I feel like I can say changed my point of view on things. Oddly, it’s not anything you can find in the lyrics either. It’s wholly some weight that I put onto it myself. Why that song? I’m not sure, but I’m glad that I found it when I did because it sure helped, and continues to help. It wasn’t a relationship song. It wasn’t something that I gravitated toward to make myself cry or get lost in some deteriorating relationship, instead it was a song for me. Just something that I fell in love with. No negativity. No baggage from another person or relationship. In face, it was one of the first moments in my life when I realized how much emphasis I place on soundtracking my life with important songs. That’s all great, but the sad part comes when you lose those important people that you thought would be there forever and now you’ve got all of these deflated songs just littering your subconscious. “Despicable Dogs” was a reminder to listen to music for me. For myself. To feel something. Not to put my feelings on something.
This probably makes little to no sense, but going through my notes for 2009, I found lots of scribbles and words pertaining to some very real sadness from that time and it reminded me of the way that I used to listen to so much of my music. No longer. At least not if i can help it.
Oh, and P.S. - those other three songs are fucking brilliant mood pieces as well that really stand up and still get plenty of repeat listens two years on.
Taking a cue from Danceyrselfclean and also returning to the days when I did it myself, I thought I’d start putting together a collection of my favorite songs from the week and posting them as an easy catch-all for anyone looking for a crib sheet on the fun stuff that might have slipped through the cracks. This has been the first week in a long time that I’ve managed to squeeze in enough time to actually (sorta) keep up with the releases that caught my ear.
Click on the title to bring up the original post with audio and description and do what you can to support the artists who tickle your fancy. Happy listening and have a wonderful weekend!
There you have it. Six (nay, seven) wonderful songs to help usher in a cool Autumn weekend. These are by no means intended to be some end-all list of everything worth hearing, but simply some of the tracks that I really loved this week that I hope you enjoy as well!
Take care, get lost in the Halloween spirit, and be safe. Have a great weekend!
“Moon Killer” by Small Black // Moon Killer (2011)
Small Black has dropped another excellent track from their forthcoming Moon Killer mixtape. This time its the title track and is it ever excellent. Loaded with killer melodies, sci-fi synth lines, muted beats and a sing-a-long chorus. Count me in on all of this new material. I’m loving every ounce of it that I’m hearing.
“Two Rivers” by Small Black ft. Heems // Moon Killer (2011)
I hadn’t realized how much I’ve been missing Small Black in my life until they come back and drop this chiller than chill, synth-pop lullaby from their forthcoming mixtape, Moon Killer. It features some mellow verses from Heem of Das Racist, and a catchy, melodic chorus from Small Black frontman Josh Kolenik. It’s always amazing how just when I think I’ve squeezed all of the excellence from a year of music, I still get daily reminders that I’m completely wrong. Small Black had my favorite track of 2009. It looks like they’re trying to convince that they’re still up for the challenge in 2011 (and 2012 apparently, when they release they’re new full length).
Finally. An official video for Small Black’s “Photojournalist”. It’s a great track and the video is solid set of visuals. A pretty girl on a nature walk and lots of flowers. Nothing mindblowing, but it’s Small Black - and Small Black is pretty fucking rad.
This episode brings in a lot of new (new Brothertiger, Mogwai, Tennis, etc…) with some choice old tracks (Suicide, Robyn Hitchcock, a deep cut from the Raveonettes). I was going to go all out for Number 30, but I wanted to get something up for everyone who’s been listening. I’ll go king sized on Number 35.
Please support the bands that strike your fancy (especially the lesser known talent). Thank you for all the support, likes, and reblogs, and as usual these Afterglow mixes are best heard at night. Make out, drive, study, sleep, or fuck to it. Do whatever you like, but please enjoy it.
PLAYLIST: (click band name for band site // scroll down for DL links)
Please support the artists that you find and enjoy. Buy their music, merchandise and tickets to see their shows. Supporting them is the only purpose in doing this blog. Contrary to the opinions of some, music blogs are a great way to discover new music, but there will only be so much new music to go around if these artists can’t afford to support themselves through their art and commerce. Only use these mixtapes as a guide to find something to throw your (financial and emotional) support behind.
A strange little stripped back version of one of the best songs of the past decade. I can never hear this enough. It’s the kind of song that lasts a lifetime. Atleast for me.
small black - THE SUN WAS HIGH (SO WAS I) (Best Coast Cover)
One of my favorite new bands covering a band that i really like on occasion. It didn’t go wrong. Small Black’s new-new-wavey goodness continues to make me love them more and more (even if i’m still waiting for another track as fucking perfect as “Despicable Dogs”) and combined with Best Coast’s knack for writing sweet melodies, this is a winner. Give the man his prize. Hint: His prize is a chicken dinner.
The second part to this week’s Afterglow series is here and is a direct continuation of Side A. More new chillwavers and old favers. That last sentence was hardly a sentence and deserves an asskicking, i’m sorry.
Nevermind that, download and enjoy. Keep in mind these mixtapes are always intended for late nights, quiet times, making out, and or night drives. Or of course, anything that you can find to do with them. Good stuff on here and all free.
PLAYLIST: (individual tracks have links, full mixtape link at bottom)
