The 2012 David Music Poll Results
1. fun., Some Nights (23 votes)
2. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange (21)
3. The Lumineers, The Lumineers (20)
Beach House, Bloom (20)
5. Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel… (18)
6. Of Monsters and Men, My Head is an Animal (13)
Lana Del Ray, Born to Die (13)
Jack White, Blunderbuss (13)
Grizzly Bear, Shields (13)
10. Mumford & Sons, Babel (11)
runners up: (10 votes) Alabama Shakes, Boys & Girls; (8 votes) First Aid Kit, The Lion’s Roar; Alt-J, An Awesome Wave; Grimes, Visions; (7 votes) Cat Power, Sun; Passion Pit, Gossamer; The Shins, Port of Morrow
Notes: Well, it was a mighty close race in the David Music Poll this year, with only five votes separating the top five. In the end, fun. edged out critical darling Frank Ocean, newcomers The Lumineers, and relative veterans Beach House and Fiona Apple. This is Ms. Apple’s third top five showing for her three albums released since the music poll began in 1999. Other music poll stalwards with good showings were Jack White and Grizzly Bear, although some previous favorites (I’m looking at you, The Killers, Rufus Wainwright, Regina Spektor, Bob Dylan…) didn’t fare as well. Interestingly, The Lumineers and Of Monsters and Men, who both ride the coattails of Mumford & Sons, ended up surpassing Mumford’s new effort in the poll. 2013 will mark the return of many poll favorites (Vampire Weekend! The National! Phoenix! Possibly Arcade Fire!), so it will be interesting to see if they keep their favorite status.
Now, to the individual lists…
I Tramp All Over My List
This year is the first where, I have to say, the order of my favorites seems almost arbitrary. No single album stood out in a big way this year – there were a lot I liked a lot, but I can’t say there was a single album that I unreservedly loved -- in the way, say, that I unreservedly loved, and still unreservedly love, the Robyn album(s) last year. The Ingrid Michaelson album was easily my most-listened-to album this year – I don’t love every song, but it has more songs I love than probably any other album, so I’m going to put it on top. Both Sharon Van Etten and Metric surprised me this year – I’d liked some songs of theirs before, but this time around, the albums won me over. (The Sharon Van Etten narrowly wins partly because I’ve lived with it longer.) The February House cast album is the first cast album to make my list (although Once is close behind). Of Monsters and Men released the best Mumford & Sons album this year (with Phillip Phillips’s “Home” being the best Mumford & Songs song.) Beth Orton made a nice return to form, The Hunger Games soundtrack made me respect Taylor Swift, I liked this Cat Power album more than any other before, and Ellie Goulding’s album was aural wallpaper in a good way. Cutting my songs list to seven was hard – which is kinda funny, since I was the one who limited people to seven. But Sinead O’Connor’s “Queen of Denmark” was my runaway favorite, with “Call Me Maybe” easily the pop song of the year. All of the debuts listed below popped onto my radar in December – I have a feeling that both Kishi Bashi and Django Django might have made my year-end list had they arrived earlier. As for old favorites, Fiona Apple kept things interesting, Sinead O’Connor returned to form, Ben(jamin) Gibbard did a good job solo, and Aimee Mann did what she does well, but Regina Spektor disappointed and The Killers released an album so bad there’s only one song from it I can bear to listen to.
Essential Albums
Ingrid Michaelson, Human Again
Sharon Van Etten, Tramp
Metric, Synthetica
Gabriel Kahane, February House cast album
Of Monsters and Men, My Head is an Animal
Beth Orton, The Sugaring Season
Soundtrack, The Hunger Games
Cat Power, Sun
Ellie Goulding, Halcyon
7 Essential Songs
“Queen of Denmark” by Sinead O’Connor
“Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen
“Blank Maps” by Cold Specks
“Come Back Down” by Greg Laswell featuring Sara Bareilles
“Keep Your Head Up” by Ben Howard
“It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons
“We Will Never Ever Get Back Together” by Taylor Swift
Most Interesting Debuts
Kishi Bashi
Django Django
Tom Odell
Little Green Cars
Steven M Stands at the Sky’s Edge
1. Richard Hawley, Standing at the Sky's Edge
2. Tame Impala, Lonerism
3. Spiritualized, Sweet Heart Sweet Light
4. First Aid Kit, The Lion's Roar
5. Bobby Womack, The Bravest Man in the Universe
6. Titus Andronicus, Local Business
7. Cody Chestnutt, Landing on a Hundred
8. Melody's Echo Chamber, Melody's Echo Chamber
9. Wind Nothing, Nocturne
10. Turbo Fruits, Butter
Best discovery from a previous year: Echo and the Bunnymen, What Are You Going to Do With Your Life? (1999); Dennis Wilson, Pacific Ocean Blue (1977)
Trevor Celebrates Good Rock (Come On!)
1. Japandroids, Celebration Rock
2. Tame Impala, Lonerism
3. Title Fight, Floral Green
4. forgetters, Forgetters
5. Hot Water Music, Exister
6. Jeff the Brotherhood, Country Life
7. Smith Street Band, Sunshine and Technology
Jordan S Has Some Fun
#1. Fun, Some Nights
#2. Benjamin Gibbard, Former Lives
Maggie S Rides an Awesome Wave
Easy for me, because I didn't do a lot of album-faithful purchasing this year:
1. Alt-J, An Awesome Wave
2. Fun, Some Nights
You said 7. I'd already tried to narrow my 2,347 songs I acquired last year for my blog and only managed to get it this tidy. Then again, I think only 8 of these came out in 2012. The rest were just new finds for me.
1. “North Col” – Shearwater
2. “Dear Fellow Traveler” – Sea Wolf
3. “How Many More Times” – Field Music
4. “Lay it Down” & “The Best We Got” – The Rubens
Cheery
5. ”YoYo” – Pop ETC (formerly the Morning Benders, if you care)
6. “I’m a Pilot” – Fanfarlo
7. “Submarines” – The Lumineers
8. “This is What I Said” – Cloud Control
9. “Rapunzel” – Drapht
10. “Can’t Touch It” – Ricki Lee
Plain Awesome
11. “Sun” – Two Door Cinema Club
12. “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” – Tame Impala
13. “Fingers Never Bleed” & “Longevity” – Yeasayer
Things that Sound Good While I Drive Sideways
14. “Fame” – Santigold
15. “Nothing Else is Real” – Mackintosh Braun
16. “Again (Original Mix)” – Elizabeth Rose feat. Sinden
17. “Monsoons” – Puscifer
18. “Love from a Stone” – School of Seven Bells
19. “Afterlife (Neon Feather Remix)” – Switchfoot
Zachary P, Here Comes the Sun
My number 1 album is Cat Power, Sun. That's all -- don't wanna listen to anything else :)
Megan B Puts the Fun Into 2012
Albums:
Fun, Some Nights
Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
The Lumineers, The Lumineers
Lana Del Ray, Born to Die
Regina Spektor, What We Saw From the Cheap Seats
Mumford and Sons, Babel
Jack White, Blunderbuss
Brandi Carlile, Bear Creek
Songs:
Fun, Some Nights
Frank Ocean, Bad Religion
The Lumineers, Ho Hey
Mumford and Sons, I Will Wait
Phillip Phillips, Home
Lana Del Rey, Born to Die
Muse, Madness
Leanna Doesn’t Fight the Civil Wars
My big discovery this year was The Civil Wars.
Entirely separate from their being on the Hunger Games soundtrack - which is valid and an /amazing/ song.
I saw them play live on Austin City Limits and as live performers they BLEW MY MIND and now I listen to them all the time.
Gabe B, Born to Love Lana
Lana del Rey, Born to Die
Lana del Rey, Paradise
End of list.
Crissa in da House
1. Beach House, Bloom
2. Grizzly Bear, Shields
3. Grimes, Visions
4. Purity Ring, Shrines
5. Tame Impala, Lonerism
6. Passion Pit, Gossamer
best single: Yet Again by Grizzly Bear
Lisa M Sees Pink
I have very little to offer, but I cannot pass up the chance to share my
love and admiration for Pink.
Albums:
1. Pink, The Truth About Love
Top songs:
1. Try, Pink
2. Just Give Me a Reason (Feat. Nate Ruess), Pink
Ted G Channels Orange
I'm listening to number 3 as I write...and now, against my will, number 6.
1. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
2. Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel is Wiser
3. Jimmy Cliff, Rebirth
4. Killer Mike, R.A.P. Music
5. Grizzly Bear, Shields
6. Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox (My 3-three-year old daughter insisted I include this; just what I need, seriously -- Dora singing 'Your sex takes me to paradise' at the JCC.)
Bryant P Swims in the, erm, Ocean
Most Essential Albums 2012:
1. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
2. M. Ward, A Wasteland Companion
3. The Avett Brothers, The Carpenter
4. Michael Kiwanuka, Home Again
5. Beach House, Bloom
6. Passion Pit, Gossamer
7. Tennis, Young & Old
8. Alabama Shakes, Boys & Girls
Top Seven Songs of 2012 (great idea!):
1. M. Ward, Clean Slate
2. Frank Ocean, Lost
3. Taylor Swift, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
4. Gossip, Move in the Right Direction
5. Imagine Dragons, It's Time
6. Pink, Blow Me (One Last Kiss)
7. Gotye, Somebody That I Used to Know
Jonathan V iswhoheiswhoheiswho
First the lists, then the disclaimer...
Albums
1. iamamiwhoami, Kin
2. Beach House, Bloom
3. Tame Impala, Lonerism
4. Stars, The North
5. The Killers, Battle Born
6. Bear in Heaven, I Love You, It's Cool
7. Chiddy Bang, Breakfast
8. Grimes, Visions
9. Santigold, Master of My Make-Believe
10. Guided by Voices, The Bears for Lunch / Shins, Port of Morrow
Singles
1. iamamiwhoami, Idle Talk
2. Miike Snow, God Help This Divorce
3. The Killers, The Rising Tide
4. Purity Ring, Amenamy
5. Stars, A Song is a Weapon
6. Chiddy Bang, Handclaps and Guitars
7. Andy Stott, Luxury Problems
8. Sleigh Bells, Crush
9. Moonface, Yesterday's Fire
10. Disparate Youth, Santigold
These lists feel very flakes-without-the-raisins to me, and I realize now that it's not just because I legally can't include that Gotye song. The fact is, some of the very best music I heard all year was from previous years, in some cases the IMMEDIATELY PREVIOUS ONE! Mea culpas, really--me stumbling over a band or group or album that everybody else knows is awesome already, or should. So here are some recommendations from that end of the music timeline.
Phantogram - Saratoga Springs isn't famous for just the horses anymore. This duo from yes, Saratoga Springs, is teleporting everything that was awesome about trip-hop into the not-so-distant future, and they are waiting for you to meet them there. Get the track "Don't Move", and just TRY to obey the order implicit in its name.
Guided by Voices - You're probably wondering why everyone who gets into this band turns into a GBV cultist. Just listen to "Bee Thousand" and "Alien Lanes" and it will all become clear. There are few modern bands that compare favorably with The Beatles in terms of consistent songwriting genius.
Pavement - Guilted by The National's famous lyric ("praying for Pavement to get back together...") I figured I should check out the Malkmusian rockers in question, and yes, they're amazing. But they're SO good, so musically DENSE, that it actually takes a while for you to cross the line from being merely interested to being gut-hooked. Everyone disagrees on the best gateway albums, I say start with "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain" and "Brighten the Corners", they're very accessible.
Neon Indian - If you're into M83 and Washed Out, allow me to play "purchase-bot" for a moment, and recommend Neon Indian. Trippy, playful electronica that justifies the existence of headphones.
Kuedo - I'm recommending a specific Kuedo album here, "Severant". If you like electronica and you like the music Vangelis wrote for the "Blade Runner" soundtrack, consider your weekend awesomified.
Scott T Can Dance
Tough year for "essentials". I don't think I picked up one album from a new artist for 2012. There were many fine albums by the groups I already enjoyed, but none of them were among what I'd consider the artists' best work. So as not to vote a goose egg, I'll go with my favorite all-time band who reunited after a 16 year break to produce another excellent record. To top it off it was the one concert I attended in 2012 - my first concert in three years (Thanks having a toddler!)
Essential Album of 2012
Dead Can Dance, Anabasis
Essental Albums Discovered in 2012
Real Estate, Days (2011)
Dum Dum Girls, Only In Dreams (2011)
Austra, Feel It Bread (2011)
Top 7 Songs of the Year (How did you choose seven as the number?_
1. Metric - Youth Without Youth
2. Black Taxi - Tightrope
3. Chairlift - Sidewalk Safari
4. Grimes - Oblivion
5. Now, Now - School Friends
6. POP ETC - Keep It For Your Own
7. Saint Etienne - Tonight
Mondo Blake N
Electric Guest Mondo is my fave album of the year.
Hey, Ho, Phil B!
Top Albums
The Lumineers, The Lumineers
Frank Ocean, Channel ORANGE
Lupe Fiasco -- Food & Liquor II
Kendrick Lamar -- Overly Dedicated
Justin Bieber -- Believe
Top Songs:
P!nk -- Try -- Song and Video
Fun -- Some NIghts
Cruise -- Florida Georgia Line
Swedish House Maifa -- Don't You Worry Child
Jason Mraz -- I Won't Give Up
Top Acts
Swedish House Mafia
The Lumineers
Justin Bieber
P!nk
Jason Mraz
The Ty Goes To Kevin W
Most Disappointing Album, 2012:
Diamond Rugs, Diamond Rugs – This album just kind of sits there, occasionally making brief forays into middle-of-the-road depravity. I expected actual depravity.
Likely essential album I’ve not heard yet:
River City Tanlines, Coast to Coast – Just about everything Alicja Trout touches is worth checking out. Memphis, man.
Recent Essential album I just discovered:
Vending Machine, Let the People Sing (2010) – Memphis, man. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6KOGVgJIv4
Essential albums, 2012:
9. Dwight Yoakam, Three Pears
8. Tigher High, Myth is This – Memphis.
7. Jack Oblivian, Rat City – The album never quite reaches the guitargasm of the opening (and title) track again, but Jack-O keeps churning it out. He’s from Memphis.
6. Gentleman Jesse, Leaving Atlanta – There are moments when this sounds like a Joe Jackson tribute album, which is a good thing in my book, but it’s its own animal.
5. Mind Spiders, Meltdown – There are moments when this sounds like a Jay Reatard tribute album, which is a good thing in my book, but it’s its own animal. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BScrSWZ-uoQ
4. Mikal Cronin, Mikal Cronin – Jangly pop with a few smack-you-upside-your-head moments from one of Ty Segall’s crew.
3. The Barbaras, 2006-2008 – Yes, I know the years say otherwise, but this is a 2012 release. These old part-time bandmates ofJay Reatard traded in his insanity for pure, gorgeous, bouncing pop. Jay claimed the recordings were lost, but – now that Jay’s gone and the band’s morphed into The Magic Kids – they were found, remastered by Alicja Trout, and presented by Goner Records in all their glory. Memphis, man. Live video with Jay Reatard on drums: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iswcqxn_Iv4
2. King Tuff, King Tuff – King Tuff alternates between cock-rock swagger and balladeering, sneering along like a teenager with a head cold, a bad attitude, and a bottomless bag of weed. Video (in 3D): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WsGbrwrkFE
1. Ty Segall – It’s too difficult to disambiguate all the projects from his ambitious year, so I’m just saying Ty Segall. I could write at length about his Fun House-era Stoogey sludge, but I’ll simply quote from AMG’s review of Slaughterhouse: “Segall and his bandmates recall some crazed biker gang who have come to town to feed your children bad drugs and leave them deaf.” Giddyup. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgWJNl9TZJw
Top 7 songs
7. Mark Sultan, Axis Abraxis
6. Ty Segall, Tell Me What’s Inside Your Heart
5. Mikal Cronin, Again and Again
4. Jack Oblivian, Rat City
3. Mind Spiders, Play You Out
2. Ty Segall, Ghost
1. King Tuff, Bad Thing
Lonnie’s Head is an Animal
Of Monsters and Men, My Head is an Animal
Of Monsters and Elizabeth E
Most essential album:
Of Monsters and Men, My Head is an Animal
Other essentials:
The Avett Brothers, The Carpenter
Ed Sheeran, +
fun., Some Nights
Grouplove, Never Trust a Happy Song
Imagine Dragons, Night Visions
The Lumineers, The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons, Babel
The Shins, Port of Morrow
Various Artists, The Hunger Games soundtrack
TOP SEVEN SONGS 2012:
Taylor Swift, We Are Never Getting Back Together (obvs.)
Imagine Dragons, It's Time
Kelly Clarkson, Stronger (double obvs.)
Of Monsters and Men, Little Talks
Grouplove, Tongue-Tied
fun., Some Nights
Phillip Phillips, Home
Daniel H Kills For Love
1. Chromatics, Kill For Love
2. Metric, Synthetica
3. Of Monsters And Men, My Head Is An Animal
4. Zammuto, Zammuto
5. Letting Up Despite Great Faults, Untogether
not that I expect anyone else to stand with me on this. It's lonely, my music tastes.
Matthue Bows to Royalty
Will it skew your stats if I only give a top-7? I've been sort of
lackadaisical in the new-music-I-love department. Not that I haven't
heard of things; I only think I'm running out of things that blow my
mind. Does this mean I'm old?
1. Childish Gambino, Royalty
2. Jean Grae, Cookies & Comas
3. Freelance Whales, Diluvia
4. Of Monsters and Men, My Head Is an Animal
5. Lana del Rey, Born to Die
6. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
7. How to Destroy Angels, An omen
Songs:
Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jepsen - I just heard this for the first
time, in its entirety, about a week ago. (If I was a slightly more
successful YA author, there would be no way I could admit this.) And I
didn't even hear the real version -- it was her with the Roots, on
that late night show, with a xylophone and toy piano and ?uestlove
playing kazoo. And it was the most wonderful thing ever. I guess she's
hugely successful, and getting all over the place, but how she kept
glancing at Quest to see if she was doing the right thing, and lost
her place for a second because she seemed to be genuinely starstruck,
it was really sweet. That's the only song. There.
Dean B’s Idler Hands…
Essential Album of 2012:
1. Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel...
Other Favorites:
2. Big Boi, Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors
3. Mike Doughty, The Lo-Fi Lodge
4. Mumford & Sons, Babel
5. Bob Dylan, Tempest
6. The Walkmen, Heaven
7. Jack White, Blunderbuss
8. The Magnetic Fields - Love at the Bottom of the Sea
9. Santigold, Master of My Make-Believe
Top 7 Songs:
A Ring On Every Finger - Liars
Madness - Muse
We Can’t Be Beat - The Walkmen
Werewolf - Fiona Apple
Just From Chervon - Dirty Projectors
Something To Believe In - Citizen Cope
Thinkin Bout You - Frank Ocean
All She Cares About Is Mariachi - The Magnetic Fields
Kate W Will Not Be Caught Unaware
The only album I purchased in 2012 was Broken Bells’ self-titled 2010 album. For me, 2012 was the year of singles.
1. Allen Stone, Unaware = haunting perfection
2. Bruno Mars, Locked Out of Heaven = an “over and over and over again” song
3. Phillip Phillips, Home = just makes me happy
4. Nicki Minaj, Starships = my 2012 jam
5. David Guetta, feat Sia, Titanium = one of my “belt it out in the car” songs
6. Jack White, Sixteen Saltines = genius
7. Swedish House Mafia, Don’t You Worry Child = a second “belt it out on the car” favorite
Elana M’s Stubborn Music Love
Essential Albums:
1. The Lumineers, The Lumineers
2. The Shins, Port of Morrow
Best Singles:
Flowers in Your Hair, Ho Hey, Classy Girl, Stubborn Love (The Lumineers)
Simple Song and It's Only Life (The Shins)
I Will Wait (Mumford & Sons, Babel)
Best discovery from previous years: Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More
Kate H Goes Grizzly
Best Album 2012:
Shields - Grizzly Bear
runners up:
Cat Power - Sun
Polica - Give You the Ghost
Horse Feathers - Cynic's New Year
Caveman - Coco Beware
Best "New To Me" Artists:
The Antlers
The Head and the Heart
Wye Oak
Dessa
S. Carey
Jennifer H S is a Charmer
My essential 2012 albums:
Aimee Mann, Charmer
The Lumineers, The Lumineers
One Direction, Take Me Home
Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday Roman Reloaded
Ke$ha, Warrior
Alabama Shakes, Boys and Girls
The Shins, Port of Morrow
Eamon T Makes Some Myth
I accidentally hit send in the middle of editing my list. Here's my actual finalized submission.
1.Beach House - Myth
2. Ssion - Bent (technically from 2011...but really took off last year)
3. Bat for Lashes - The Haunted Man
4. The Raveonettes - Observator
5. Gossip - A Joyful Noise
6. Goat - World Music
7. Ariel Pink - Mature Themes
8. Cat Power - Sun
9. Jack White - Blunderbuss
10. Sky Ferreira - Ghost EP
Promising for 2013:
Suede - Bloodsports
If Suede's leaked lead off track, Barriers, from their first album in 10 years is any indication, they have truly returned to form.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daQb_AKo7rs
Christopher Owens - Lysandre
Former Girls front man successfully strikes out on his own.
http://pitchfork.com/news/49151-stream-christopher-owens-debut-solo-record-in-full-plus-west-coast-dates-added/
Daniel L Finds the Origin of Love
My Essential Album from 2012:
Mika, The Origin of Love
Other Essentials:
Dragonette, Bodyparts
Of Monsters and Men, My Head is an Animal
Neon Trees, Picture Show
Mumford & Sons, Babel
Leila S Sees Stars
MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUM:
Stars, The North
OTHER ESSENTIAL ALBUMS:
Sweet Heart Sweet Light, Spiritualized
I Know What Love Is, Jens Lekman
Love at the Bottom of the Sea, The Magnetic Fields
Four, Bloc Party
In Our Heads, Hot Chip
TOP SEVEN SONGS OF THE YEAR (in no particular order)
Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jepsen
So Long You Pretty Thing, Spiritualized
I Love It, Icona Pop
Idea of Happiness, The Van She
Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It, Stars
All of Me, Tanlines
Cowboy Boots, Jens Lekman
Brian M’s Ruby Slipper
It was a good year of music this year, a lot of really good albums, but the top ten or so really stood out for me. Here you go. (full list and reviews on my blog if you're interested: here)
MOST ESSENTIAL
Ruby Throat, O Doubt O Stars
OTHER ESSENTIALS
Big Blood, Old Time Primitives
Langhorne Slim, The Way We Move
Jack White, Blunderbuss
Nacho Picasso, Lord of the Fly
Andrew Bird, Break It Yourself
Andrew Bird, Hands of Glory
Alberta Cross, Songs of Patience
The Wooden Sky, Every Child a Daughter Every Moon a Sun
Spiritualized, Sweet Heart Sweet Light
Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Psychedelic Pill
Right Away Great Captain, The Church of the Good Thief
Kadavar, Kadavar
Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel...
Guided by Voices, Class Clown Spots UFO
Jason Molina, Autumn Bird Songs
Ty Seagall - Twins
As for favorite songs, I got that covered too. (If you're interested, you can hear them all on my blog, here).
Sivert Hoyem, "Where is My Moon"
Andrew Bird, "Give It Away"
Nacho Picasso, "Naked Lunch"
Blur, "Under the Westway"
John Frusciante, "Ratiug"
The View, "Tacky Tattoo"
Jack White, "Sixteen Saltines"
Neil Young, "Driftin Back"
Langhorne Slim, "Coffee Cups"
Fiona Apple, "Every Single Night"
Lindsay R’s Funtastic Nights
Top Seven Albums
( * denotes “not released in 2012, but discovered by me in 2012”)
1. fun., Some Nights
2. Brandi Carlile, Bear Creek
3. Amy Ray, Lung of Love
4. Alpha Rev, New Morning *
5. Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials *
6. The Black Keys, El Camino *
7. Adam Lambert, Trespassing
Top Seven Songs of 2012
( * denotes “not released in 2012, but discovered by me in 2012”)
1. Brandi Carlile, “Hard Way Home”
2. Amy Ray, “Bird in the Hand”
3. Alpha Rev, “Lonely Man” *
4. Adam Lambert, “Chokehold”
5. fun., “Some Nights”
6. Brandi Carlile, “Raise Hell”
7. Alan Doyle, “I’ve Seen a Little”
David G Tames the Lonerism
Tame Impala - Lonerism
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel!!!
and of course... Frank Ocean.
Jennifer S Has More Fun This Year
Was “Some Nights” by fun this year or last? If this year, then I’m voting for that!
Bob R Has Visions
ALBUM OF THE YEAR BY FARRRRRRR:
Grimes - Visions
and my favorite single was Nuclear Seasons by Charli XCX
Josh L, Weekend Warrior
I think I'm getting even less cool and with-it, if that can be believed. I just discovered that a lot of "new" albums I like were in fact 2011, that a lot of bands I "discovered" this year put out crappy albums--I had discovered, apparently, their earlier work. I can't even vote for my two lifetime most essential musicians who both released albums, because they weren't great. Well, I will, actually, because somebody needs to speak up for old white men. I will be lecturing on hoplite warfare in two hours, after three hours sleep, so I may talk about Dylan and Young there too if I forget how Greek battle works... but you know what I was listening to on repeat last night?
Waxahatchee
American Weekend
So I'll vote for that. I haven't even listened to the latest Mountains Goats yet, which is a disgusting failure. But: Neil's Psychedelic Pill and Dylan's Tempest are also essential, and I stand by Fiona and the Idler Wheel, even if Kristen has banned the "Hot Knife" track (I sing all the parts at once). But check this out: my most essential music-related activity is riding the exercise bike (if you don't got your health, right?) and therefore the dumb-as-shit, great-for-pedaling-fast-and-singing-in-a-bono-voice essential album of the year is The Killers, Battle Born. Nice.
Aimee F Does Not Prefer That Indie Rock Record That’s So Much Cooler Than Taylor’s
I’ll just do singles for this year:
1) Taylor Swift, We Are Never, Ever Getting Back Together
2) Gotye, Somebody That I Used to Know
3) Carly Rae Jepsen, Call Me Maybe
4) Nicki Minaj, Starships
5) Adele, Skyfall
6) Fun., We are Young
7) Psy (sigh!), Gangnam Style (I wasn’t even sure if this could count as a “single”—it was more a YouTube sensation with a song attached, but still, it kind of defined 2012).
8) Bruce Springsteen, We Take Care of Our Own
9) Frank Ocean, Thinking Bout You
10) Regina Spektor, Don’t Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)
11) Taylor Swift (again), I Knew You Were Trouble
Cecil C Heads to the Bahamas
1. Bahamas, Barchords
2.Martha Wainwright, Come Home to Mama
3. Laura Marling, A Creature I Don't Know
4. Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel
5. Dallas Don Burnet, Cancel My Disappointment
best single - Adele - Skyfall
best rock documentary - Hits So Hard
best rediscovery - Lisa Germano
Jon S Does Not Avoid the ‘droids
My favorite new albums:
Japandroids, Celebration Rock - Without question, this was my favorite album of the year. Coming in at around just 30 minutes, they took the cool stuff they made in their debut release, Post-Nothing, and made it perfect. the name "Celebration" is perfectly apt. This is what real rock n' roll feels like. Large-hearted and free.
Crystal Castles, III - CC's third album is by far their most organic and gentle. And by gentle, I just mean it doesn't feel like Alice Glass is stabbing me in the eardrums (although don't get me wrong, Alice Glass can stab my eardrums or really do anything she wants to me ANY TIME SHE WANTS). This album is ominous, lush, and takes me swiftly to my dark brooding place. Which is handy, since I tend to write dark, brooding fiction.
Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do - The long awaited (by me, anyway) follow-up to her 2005 release Extraordinary Machine does not disappoint in any way. Frequently teetering between pop glide and ragged-edge chaos, this, my friends, is good art.
Shovels & Ropes, O Be Joyful - Out of left field, an up-tempo folk band with a twinge of bluegrass. This debut album from a husband and wife duo is gritty, cheerful, and full of heart. Even the sad songs are somehow uplifting.
Passion Pit, Gossamer - Sometimes you want something big and full with a nice groove. Something that recalls a bit of Motown flourish but still has a modern electro-pop feel. Here's that album for you.
Grimes, Visions - Light yet daring, ethereal yet audacious, there really isn't anyone out there doing what she's doing. Pop electronica pushed through some surreal looking glass world. But it never devolves into tedious conceptual junk. It floats above.
Buke and Gase, Function Falls - Nerd punk at its best. They make their own instruments and have a smart, raw sound that
remains catchy.
Fun, Some Nights - It's the sort of cheesy pop that my 7 year old and I can enjoy together. Imagine the two of us belting out "Carry On" during last summer's road trip with the windows rolled down. Albums come and go, but this memory will be enshrined perfectly in my mind forever.
Purity Ring, Shrines - Purity Ring reminds me a little of one of my favorite bands, The Knife. It's dark, it's electronic, it's the sort of thing I dance to in my room alone when I'm psyching myself up for an extended writing session (that may have been TMI). I'm hoping for a bit more dynamics on the next album, but for a debut album this is solid stuff that, for now at least, fills that Karin Andersson-shaped hole in my heart.
The xx, Coexist - The xx seem to be slightly obsessed with the minimalism trend, which is fine by me. Achingly sincere, romantic, and lovely, there is not a note out of place on this album. Or really, a note wasted. I'm a little worried about the next album, though. I'm not sure where you go from here. They may have to start putting stuff back in.
Honorable mention to Cat Power's Sun. It's a good album, but hewing a little too close to "Adult Contemporary" for my tastes.
Album I missed the first time around:
M83, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming - I picked this 2011 release up after it made David's top ten list for last year. So glad I did. It's soaring and epic and really great to write to. Also, bonus guest vocals from one of my favorites, Nika Danilova, aka Zola Jesus.
Singles:
More than half of these are from albums I didn't list as my favorites. Particularly Lana Del Rey, Regina Spektor, and Best Coast, felt like a few really good tracks, with the rest of the album as padding.
- Bat for Lashes, "Oh Yeah"
- Cloud Nothings, "Stay Useless"
- Lana Del Rey, "Blue Jeans"
- Best Coast, "The Only Place"
- Regina Spektor, "All The Rowboats"
- Japandroids, "The House that Heaven Built"
- Purity Ring, "Belispeak"
- Crystal Castles, "Affection"
Molly B Kills the Darlings
Number one album of 2012 was "Killing the Darlings" by Pearl & the Beard, a band from Brooklyn who was touring with Ani last fall.
Runner up: Hunger Games Soundtrack
Pretty sure the song of the year is Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen.
Other top songs:
Calvin Harris, Feel So Close
Of Monsters and Men, Little Talks
David Guetta, Titanium
Alex Clare, Too Close
Taylor Swift, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Katy Perry, Wide Awake
Special Summer 2012 shout-out to Michael Sembello's "Maniac," which is surprisingly modern and can hold its own with today's pop music. (Note: do not watch the video if you are prone to seizures.)
Teri Y Knows How to Be a Heartbreaker
Top Albums
1. Marina & the Diamonds, Electra Heart
2. Pink, Truth About Love
3. Walk the Moon, Walk the Moon
4. The Hundred in the Hands, The Hundred in the Hands
5. Lana Del Rey, Born to Die
6. Scissor Sisters, Magic Hour
7. Karmin, Hello
Honorable Mentions
Ellie Goulding, Halcyon
Eve 6, Speak in Code
fun., Some Nights
Garbage, Not Your Kind of People
Ke$ha, Warrior
Ladyhawke, Anxiety
Madonna, MDNA
Metric, Synthetica
Niki & the Dove, Instinct
Regina Spektor, What We Saw From the Cheap Seats
Rizzle Kicks, Stereo Typical
JR Plays Video Games
Albums:
1. Lana Del Rey, Born to Die
2. Gotye, Making Mirrors
3. Rihanna, Unapologetic
4. Justin Bieber, Believe
Alaya J Loves One of the Bois
Most Essential Album of 2012: Big Boi, Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors
Santigold, Master of My Make-Believe (Would have been my essential if
Big Boi hadn't run me over with his truck of holy-shit-awesome)
Dr. John, Locked Down
Michael Kinuwaka, Home Again
Yeasayer, Fragrant World
Firewater, International Orange!
The Walkmen, Heaven
Brandi Carlile, Bear Creek
Laura Gibson, La Grande
Songs:
1. Apple Of My Eye, Big Boi
2. Jack White, Love Interruption
3. ZZ Ward, Put The Gun Down
4. First Aid Kit, Emmylou
5. The Shins, The Rifle's Spiral
6. Chairlift, Take It Out On Me
7. Gotye, Somebody That I Used To Know
Joe M Gets on the Buss
Jack White - Blunderbuss
Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
The Lumineers - self titled
Frank Ocean - Channel ORANGE
The XX – Coexist
And top song (that's right, just one, not seven - damn your rules) has to be Azealia Banks' "212"
Sarah H Bears It
Most essential albums of 2012:
1. Grizzly Bear, Shields
Top seven tracks of 2012:
1. Best Coast "The Only Place"
2. Carly Rae Japsen "Call Me Maybe"
3. Tame Impala "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards"
4. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis "Thrift Shop"
5. Grizzly Bear "Yet Again"
6. Miguel "Do You..."
7. Father John Misty "Nancy From Now On"
Matthew U’s Delta Dawns
Most essential album:
Iris Dement, Sing the Delta
Other essential albums:
Patti Smith, Banga
Brandi Carlile, Bear Creek
Discoveries from previous years I just started listening to this year:
Iron & Wine (with Calexico), In the Reins
Gossip, Music for Men
Most essential songs:
Patti Smith, Amerigo
Iris Dement, The Kingdom Has Already Come
Iris Dement, The Night I Learned How Not to Pray
Shawn Colvin, American Jerusalem
Brandi Carlile, Raise Hell
Emmy L Calls to Port
ALBUMS
Shins, Port Of Morrow
Michael Kiwanuka, Home Again
Alabama Shakes, Boys and Girls
SONGS
Michael Kiwanuka, Getting Ready
Psy, Gangam Style (Because I still love it)
Loughton Wainwright III, Older Than My Old Man Now
Kieran V Has Some Fun
1. fun. - Some Nights
2. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
3. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel
4. Pink - The Truth About Love
5. Pitch Perfect - The Soundtrack (yeah, you know I love me some a capella!)
Favorite songs of the year:
1. Some Nights - fun.
2. The A Team - Ed Sheeran
3. (Blow Me) One Last Kiss - Pink
4. Playing for Keeps - Elle King
5. Ho Hey - The Lumineers
6. Everybody Talks - Neon Trees
7. I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz
Emelia Z is Il-lumin-ated
I wasn't too thrilled with the new music I listened to this year, but here it goes:
The Lumineers, The Lumineers
John Mayer, Born & Raised
fun., Some Nights
Maroon 5, Overexposed
Mumford & Sons, Babel
Bill K Listens Up
Most essential album: Haley Reinhart - Listen Up.
Perfect pop album basically ignored because she was on American Idol. If you haven't listened to this and you like good female vocalists and a Motown vibe, you must check it out!
Other essentials:
P!nk - The Truth About Love
Ben Folds Five - The Sound of the Life of the Mind
Aimee Mann - Charmer
Rufus Wainwright - Out of the Game
Matt Alber - Constant Crows
Adam Lambert - Tresspassing
Top 7 Songs of the Year:
1. Oh My! - Haley Reinhart
2. We Are Young - Fun.
3. Free - Haley Reinhart
4. Stronger - Kelly Clarkson
5. Big Machine - Mark Duplass
6. Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye
7. Everybody Talks - Neon Trees
Erich N Shakes it Up
ALBUM
1. Alabama Shakes, Boys and Girls
1. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
3. Twin Shadow, Confess
4. Emeli Sande, Our Version of Events
5. Santigold, Master of My Make Believe
6. Cat Power, Sun
7. Jack White, Blunderbuss
SONG
1. Jack White, Love is Blindness
2. Emeli Sande, Heaven
3. Twin Shadow, Golden Light
4. Cat Power, Cherokee
5. Frank Ocean, Thinkin Bout You
6. Santigold, Disparate Youth
7. Alabama Shakes, Hold On
Cassandra P Finds Perfect Imperfection
Most Essential Album:
Elle Varner, Perfectly Imperfect
Other Essential Albums (in random order):
Solange, True
Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox
Rihanna, Unapologetic
Kendrick Lamar, Good Kid: M.A.A.D. City
Miguel, Art Dealer Chic
Miguel, Kaleidoscope Dream
Purity Ring, Shrines
Alex Clare, Lateness of the Hour
Rick Ross, God Forgives—I Don't
B.o.B, Strange Clouds
Emeli Sande, Our Version of Events
Marvin Sapp, I Win
Meek Mill, Dreams and Nightmares
7 Essential Songs (Arggghh only 7?!? Okay. Also in random order:):
Rihanna, Pour It Up
Elle Varner, Stop the Clock
Rick Ross, Bag of Money
Big Sean (f. Kanye West & Jay-Z), Clique
Miguel, That I Do
Emeli Sande, My Kind of Love
Ellie Goulding, Lights (old but I just got wind of it and played the hell out of it last year)
Tiffany S’s Tower of Babel
Top album of the year: Mumford & Sons, Babel
Runners up:
Ben Howard, Every Kingdom
Of Monsters & Men, My Head is an Animal
Taylor Swift, Red
Pitch Perfect Soundtrack
Top seven songs of the year:
1) Naked & Famous, Young Blood (technically released in 2011, but didn't *hit* until 2012)
2) Lumineers, Ho Hey
3) Matt & Kim, Let's Go
4) Of Monsters & Men, Love, Love, Love
5) Gotye, Somebody I Used to Know (technically released in 2011, but didn't *hit* until 2012)
6) Imagine Dragons, It's Time
7) Family of the Year, Hero
Amy M is Hot for Cold
1. Cold Pumas, Persistent Malaise
2. Grizzly Bear, Shields
3. The Daredevil Christopher Wright, In Defense of a Broken Back
4. Deerhunter, Halcyon Digest
5. Dark Dark Dark, Who Needs Who
6. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, The Heist
7. Azealia Banks featuring Lazy Jay, 212
8. Cate Le Bon, Cyrk
9. Blue Hawaii, Blooming Summer
10. Lord Huron, Lonesome Dreams
Josh B’s Jagged Little Pill
1. Neil Young with Crazy Horse, Psychedelic Pill
2. The Avett Brothers, The Carpenter
3. Japandroids, Celebration Rock
4. Jack White, Blunderbuss
Japandroids also have the song of the year: "The House That Heaven Built." Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah!
Thanks for letting me be part of this even though I'm really out of the loop musically and spend most of the time listening to Dora the Explorer CDs. :)
Annie M is the Queen of Denmark
Favorite Albums
Sinead O’Connor, How About I Be Me (and You Be You)?
Beth Orton, Sugaring Season
Aimee Mann, Charmer
The Shins, Port of Morrow
Song of the Year (though it was overplayed)
Gotye, “Somebody That I Used to Know”
Youtube Video Song of the Year (overplayed but still kind of irresistible)
Carly Rae Jepson, “Call Me Maybe”
Ned V’s Final Testament
1) TESTAMENT 'DARK ROOTS OF EARTH'
Metal!
Jinny W Trio of Quartets
My top favorite of 2012:
*Takacs Quartet with Ralph Kirshbaum, Schubert String Quintet in C, plus the Quartettsatz. Hyperion.
Runners Up:
*Pacifica Quartet, The Soviet Experience, Vol. 2, String Quartets by Shostakovich and His Contemporaries. Cedille Records.
*Tokyo String Quartet, Brahms Quintets with Jon Nakamatsu and Jon Manasse. Harmonia Mundi.
Scott D Whispers Sweet Nothing
I had trouble thinking of albums, but here are some tracks. I feel
like I've been into music recently that wasn't released this year.
1. Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch, "Sweet Nothing"
2. Paloma Faith, "Picking Up Pieces"
3. Cat Power, "Cherokee"
4. Florence + The Machine, "Spectrum (Calvin Harris remix)"
5. Loreen, "Euphoria"
Tim D Tramps All Over This List
Albums:
1. Sharon Van Etten, Tramp
2. Screaming Females, Ugly
3. The Luyas, Too Beautiful to Work
4. Jack White, Blunderbuss
5. Jukebox the Ghost, Safe Travels
Songs:
1. Darlingside, The Ancestor
2. Green Day, Oh Love
3. Shearwater, Animal Life
4. Prince, Screwdriver
5. Jonsi, Go Do
e’s Kindred Spirit
Burial - Kindred / Truant Rough Sleeper EP
Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N 2 It
How to Dress Well - Total Loss / Live Yourself
Purity Ring - Shrines
Grimes - Visions
JJ - High Summer EP
Clams Casino - Instrumental Mixtape 2
Himanhsu - Nehru Jackets
Allo Darlin' - Europe
Angel Haze – King
Lucas K Rocks the Jukebox
1. Jukebox the Ghost, Safe Travels
2. Jens Lekman, I Know What Love Isn't
3. The Mountain Goats, Transcendental Youth
4. Ben Folds Five, The Sound of the Life of the Mind
5. First Aid Kit, The Lion's Roar
6. Best Coast, The Only Place
7. John Mayer, Born and Raised
8. Passion Pit, Gossamer
9. Aimee Mann, Charmer
10. Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel
Terra M Wrecks It
I love the idea of Most Essential Songs, too. Mainly I will be interested in perusing this list though, because I was on a big Depeche Mode kick this year during my writing.
But! Most essential albums:
#1 Bruce Springsteen: Wrecking Ball (I know this totally makes me an Old Lady, but it's an awesome album)
#2 David Byrne and St. Vincent: Love This Giant
#3 XX: Coexist (I know everyone's over them but I listen to this over and over)
#4 Mozella: The Brian Holland Sessions (great Motown sort of throwback that is pure FUN)
New discovery for me this year was also 2:54 (self-titled album) and also this AWESOME band called Zammuto. (Here's a link to my blog post on them (http://terraelan.com/wordpress/?p=748).
Kasia Catches Some Reys
Favorite Album of 2012
Lana Del Rey - Born to Die
The Rest!
Twin Shadow, Confess
Alt-J, An Awesome Wave
Dirty Projectors, Swing Lo Magellan
Sharon van Etten, Tramp
First Aid Kit, The Lion's Roar
Of Monsters and Men, My Head Is An Animal
Lord Huron, Lonesome Dreams
Sanders Bohlke, Ghost Boy
Smoke Fairies, Blood Speaks
Milo Greene, Milo Greene
Electric Guest, Mondo
Best Albums from Years Before
Civil Wars, Barton Hollow
7 Best Tracks from Years Before
Birdy - "White Winter Hymnal"
Active Child - "Johnny Belinda"
Other Lives - "For 12"
Massive Attack - "Paradise Circus"
Oh Land - "Wolf & I"
Patti Smith - "Dancing Barefoot"
Paul Simon - "Peace Like a River"
7 Favorite Tracks
Father John Misty - "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings"
alt-J - "Breezeblocks"
Dirty Projectors - "Gun Has No Trigger"
David Byrne & St. Vincent - "Who"
Lana Del Rey - "American"
Shearwater - "You As You Were"
Andrew Bird - "Three White Horses"
Jasper D Calls the POLIÇA
Most Essential Album of 2012:
1. POLIÇA, Give You The Ghost
Other Essential Albums of 2012:
2. Lana Del Rey, Born To Die
3. Marina & The Diamonds, Electra Heart
4. Ellie Goulding, Halcyon
5. Azealia Banks, Fantasea
6. Grimes, Visions
7. Regina Spektor, What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
8. Santigold, Master of my Make-Believe
9. Julia Nunes, Settle Down
10. Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday Roman Reloaded: The Re-Up
Top Singles of 2012:
MNDR, Feed Me Diamonds
Bat For Lashes, Laura
Lady Gaga, Cake Like Lady Gaga
Delta Rae, Bottom Of The River
Gossip, Move In The Right Direction
CocoRosie, We Are On Fire
Discoveries From Previous Years:
(Honestly, all of these albums would be in my top five had they been released in 2012)
CocoRosie, Grey Oceans (2010)
Washington, I Believe You Liar (2010)
The Knife, Deep Cuts (2003)
Julian H is an Animal (Collectively)
Favorite Albums:
1. Animal Collective, Centipede Hz
2. Beach House, Bloom
3. Matt & Kim, Lightning
5. Of Montreal, Paralytic Stalks
6. Matisyahu, Spark Seeker
7. DIIV, Oshin
8. Passion Pit, Gossamer
9. Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday
Favorite Songs:
1. Kate Bush, Running up that Hill - London 2012 Olympic version
2. Mark Ronson & The Business Intl., Bang Bang Bang - Girls Episode 7
3. Shonen Knife, Psychedelic Life
4. Stars, A Song is a Weapon
5. Walk the Moon, Next in Line
6. WZRD, Upper Room
7. Jungle Drum, Emiliana Torrini
Stephanie P, A Rós is a Rós is a Rós
ALBUMS
1. Sigur Rós, Valtari (most essential)
2. Alabama Shakes, Boys & Girls
3. Jack White, Blunderbuss
4. Rufus Wainwright, Out of the Game
5. Brian Eno, LUX
6. Regina Spektor, What We Saw from the Cheap Seats
7. Hammock, Departure Songs
SONGS
1. Rufus Wainwright, "Montauk"
2. Atoms for Peace, "Default"
3. Jack White, "Sixteen Saltines"
4. Kishi Bashi, "Bright Whites"
5. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, "Thrift Shop"
6. M.I.A., "Bad Girls"
7. Regina Spektor, "All the Rowboats"
(Bonus)
8. Alabama Shakes, "Hold On"
9. Kreayshawn, "Gucci Gucci"
10. Passion Pit, "I'll Be Alright"
11. Hunx, "Private Room"
A few discoveries from previous years . . .
1. The Vaccines, What Did You Expect from The Vaccines?
2. The Blow, Paper Television
3. Adam Hurst, Elegy (perfect writing music, especially combine with rainymood.com)
And the best live shows . . .
1. Radiohead
2. Jack White with Alabama Shakes
3. Childish Gambino
The Way Kevin K Moves
1. Langhorne Slim - The Way We Move
2. Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
3. Brendan Benson - What Kind of World
4. Jack White - Blunderbuss
5. The Avett Brothers - The Carpenter
6. Cliff Hillis - Dream Good
7. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
8. Jukebox the Ghost - Safe Travels
9. Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal
10. Gentleman Jesse - Leaving Atlanta
11. Rhett Miller - The Dreamer
12. Nada Surf - The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy
13. Chuck Prophet - Temple Beautiful
14. Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits
15. Rodriguez - Searching for Sugar Man
Jarrett K Hits it Out of the Ballpark
1 -- Ballpark Music: it's nice to be alive
2 -- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis : The Heist
3-- Etyan and the Embassy: Everything Changes
4 -- Passion Pit: Take a Walk
5 -- The Lumineers
The Apple of Andrew F’s Eye
My top 3 this year:
1. Fiona Apple, The Idle Wheel...
2. Fun, Some Nights
3. Bruce Springsteen, Wrecking Ball
12 year old Carolyn's Vote:
1. Taylor Swift, Red
Ronnie A’s Skyfalllllllll
Less scores this year, instead sublime music/film moments
Skyfall, Adele for the song and Thomas Newman for the score
Anna Karenina, Dario Marianelli
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, “Heroes” David Bowie
Moonrise Kingdom
Bernie, “Love Lifted Me” sung by Jack Black
Not Fade Away, “Road Runner” sung by the Sex Pistols
Searching for Sugar Man, Rodriguez
Holy Motors, the accordion scene “Let My Baby Ride” and “Who Were We” sung by Kylie Minogue
Hay is for Horses, But Hey Ho is for Nina S
"Essential" is a tough word to parse, and I tend to listen to music I've loved for years, or decades... but here are some 2012 releases I like:
1. The Lumineers, The Lumineers
2. Carolina Chocolate Drops, Leaving Eden
3. Grizzly Bear, Shields
4. Tallest Man on Earth, There's No Leaving Now
5. Mumford & Sons, Babel (though I like their first better)
6. Janis Joplin, The Pearl Sessions (OK, it's a 2012 RErelease, but still knockout!)
More banjos than drums in this year's playlist. Hmm. And even a cello--thanks, Lumineers, for making the instrument I played in high school as hip as the bass guitar I secretly craved.
Kathleen P Weaves on the Lumineers
1. The Lumineers, The Lumineers
2. Father John Misty, Fear Fun
3. Tanlines, Mixed Emotions
4. Of Monsters and Men, My Head is an Animal
5. Lana Del Rey, Born to Die: The Paradise Edition
6. Beach House, Bloom
7. Jessie Baylin, Little Spark
8. First Aid Kit, The Lion's Roar
9. Alabama Shakes, Boys and Girls
10. Nashville Cast, The Music of Nashville Original Soundtrack
John A Grins and Bears It
12. Lana Del Rey: Born to Die
11. The Unwinding Hours: Afterlives
10. Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
9. alt-J: An Awesome Wave
8. Bob Mould: Silver Age
7. Tanlines: Mixed Emotions
6. Divine Fits: A Thing Called Divine Fits
5. Dirty Projectors: Swing Lo Magellan
4. Cloud Nothings: Attack on Memory
3. Animal Collective: Centipede Hz
2. Frank Ocean: channel ORANGE
1. Grizzly Bear: Shields
Top 7 Seven Tracks of 2012
7. Alt-J: breezeblocks
6. Frank Ocean: Lost
5. Grimes: Oblivion
4. Tame Impala: Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
3. Bob Mould: Briefest Moment
2. Grizzly Bear: Yet Again
1. Animal Collective: Today's Supernatural
Biggest Band Discoveries
Foals
Rogue Wave
Emily S Hits Alt-J
For most essential album of the year I have a tie vote between Alt-J's An Awesome Wave and First Aid Kit's The Lion's Roar.
Melissa W Sees Red
Albums:
Taylor Swift, Red
fun., Some Nights
The Lumineers, The Lumineers
Beach House, Bloom
First Aid Kit, The Lion's Roar
Individual Songs:
Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jepsen (pref with this video, which I find heartwarming): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAQhG59zqZc
Ho Hey, The Lumineers
Starships, Nicki Minaj
We Are Young, fun.
Justin S’s Fun-damental Choice
My nomination for the music poll is SOME NIGHTS by FUN.
Megan S is Perfectly Frank
Top Albums of 2012
1. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
2. Grizzly Bear - Shields
3. Best Coast - The Only Place
4. Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory
5. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel ......
Older Albums I Discovered This Year
1. Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man(The Way I Loved You) (1967)
2. Caetano Veloso - s/t (1986)
3. Elton John - s/t (1970)
4. Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
Top 10 Songs (Seven seemed like an odd place to cut it off so I did 10.)
1. My Blood - Ellie Goulding (I'm not even an Ellie Goulding fan and I can't believe this song hasn't been discovered yet! Heads and shoulders above Anything Can Happen.)
2. Wasted Days - Cloud Nothings
3. There's No Leaving Now - Tallest Man on Earth
4. Emmylou - First Aid Kit
5. Myth - Beach House
6. The Only Place - Best Coast
7. Laura - Bat for Lashes
8. The House That Heaven Built - Japandroids
9. Hold On - Alabama Shakes
10. Hollywood Forever Cemetary Sings - Father John Misty
Brant R is a Crazy Beach
My Essential Albums of 2012:
Beach House/Bloom
Wild Nothing/Nocturne
King Tuff/King Tuff
Cat Power/Sun
Grizzly Bear/Shields
The Raveonettes/Observator
TV Girl/The Wild, the Innocent, and the TV Shuffle
My Essential Tracks of 2012:
TV Girl/Diet-Coke
Beach House/Other People
King Tuff/Baby Just Break
Tanlines/Lost Somewhere
Wild Nothing/Nocturne
Grizzly Bear/Yet Again
Cat Power/Manhattan
My Essential Discoveries of 2012:
Miike Snow/Miike Snow [2009]
Black Lips/Arabian Mountain [2011]
John Lennon/Some Time in New York City [1972]
Youth Lagoon/The Year of Hibernation [2011]
Buddy Holly/Buddy Holly [1958]
Sonny Rollins/Way Out West [1957]
Blouse/Blouse [2011]
Marisa P Won’t Switch Channels
Essential Albums
1. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
2. Solange, True EP
3. Bruce Springsteen, Wrecking Ball
4. Alabama Shakes, Boys & Girls
5. Haim, Forever EP
6. Taylor Swift, Red
7. Ellie Goulding, Halycon
8. FUN, Some Nights
9. Miguel, Kaleidoscope Dream
10. Best Coast, The Only Place
Best Singles
1. Gotye, Somebody That I Used to Know
2. Taylor Swift, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
3. Adele, Skyfall
4. Florence & Calvin Harris, Sweet Nothing
5. Grimes, Genesis
6. Fun, Some Nights
7. Rihanna, Stay
8. Adorn, Miguel
9. Carly Rae Jepson, Call Me Maybe
10. Katy Perry, Part of Me
11. 212, Azelia Banks
Top Seven Songs
1. Frank Ocean, Thinkin’ Bout You
2. Solange, Losing You
3. Ellie Goulding, Anything Can Happen
4. Alabama Shakes, Hold On
5. Bruce Springsteen, Wrecking Ball
6. Haim, Forever
7. Another Love, Tom Odell
Joseph H Blooms
Beach House - Bloom
Sigur Ros - Valtari
Grimes - Visions
Grizzly Bear - Shields
Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
Passion Pit – Gosamner
Siobhan V in da House
Beach House, Bloom
Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel...
Wild Nothings, Nocturne
Apollo Ghosts, Landmark
Neil Halstead, Palindrome Hunches
Biggest Letdown of 2012:
a tie!
THE XX, coexist
SHINS, Port of Morrow
WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU GONE?!?
Camera Obscura
Andy M on Mars
The Mars Volta, Noctourniquet
TMV's best album in years. And, sadly, their swan song. To mourn their break-up, this is my only submission.
Andrew H Watches the Wheels
Most Essential Albums:
1. Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel
2. Pink, The Truth About Love
Honorary Beatific Mention:
- Regina Spektor, What We Saw from the Cheap Seats
Top Seven Songs of the Year:
1. “Shut Eye” – Stealing Sheep
2. “Navajo” – Ponderosa
3. “Hot Knife” – Fiona Apple
4. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” – Taylor Swift
5. “Angels” – The XX
6. “Let’s Have a Kiki” – Scissor Sisters
7. “Ho Hey” – The Lumineers
Most Essential Songs that are a) covers and b) from previous years but nevertheless c) what I listened to most often:
1. “Take Care” – Florence + the Machine
2. “A Boy from School” – Grizzly Bear
Preeti C Has a Chip on Her iPod
Essential album of 2012:
Hot Chip, In Our Heads
Essential Songs:
Blur, Under the West Way
A.R. Rahman, Heer
M.I.A. Bad Girls
Hot Chip, Look At Where We are
Los Encantados, Maritime
Fun., Some Nights
Nas, Bye Bye Baby
Jonas R Fears Fun AND Chooses Fun
I definitely found myself listening to tracks more than albums this year - so I'm happy to contribute to this year's definitive mix as well. Since I fear some of my favorite songs may not get enough votes to warrant a place on the list, I implore you to play the track "My Bonneville," by Annie and the Beekeepers. It captures all the joy of being 16 and inheriting your first car, not necessarily a dream car, but more than you ever dreamed of.
OK, here goes...
Top Albums
1. Fun, Some Nights
2. Father John Misty, Fear Fun
3. Best Coast, The Only Place
4. Jack White, Blunderbuss
5. First Aid Kit, The Lion's Roar
6. The Shins, Port of Morrow
7. Annie and the Beekeepers, My Bonneville
8. Japandroids, Celebration Rock
9. M. Ward, A Wasteland Companion
10. Off!, OFF!
Top Songs - mostly a list of title tracks...
1. Annie and the Beekeepers, My Bonneville
2. Father John Misty, I'm Learning to Love the War
3. Best Coast, The Only Place
4. Fun, Some Nights
5. Jack White, Freedom at 21
6. Ben Folds Five, Erase Me
7. The Ting Tings, Hit Me Down Sonny
Lauren S Belongs To You, And You Belong to Her
My favorite albums this year:
1. The Lumineers, The Lumineers
2. Mumford & Sons, Babel
3. Imagine Dragons, Night Visions
4. Morning Parade, Morning Parade
5. Of Monsters & Men, My Head is an Animal
6. Kopecky Family Band, Kids Raising Kids
7. Various Artists, The Hunger Games (Songs from District 12 and Beyond)
Favorite songs of the year (in no particular order):
The Lumineers, Stubborn Love
Mumford & Sons, Hopeless Wanderer
Morning Parade, Born Alone
Imagine Dragons, Radioactive
Daughter, Run
The Heavy, Same Ol'
Santigold, Disparate Youth
Favorite Older Album I Wish I'd Discovered Sooner: James Vincent McMorrow, Early in the Morning (2011).
Nick E Shows His Preferences
1. Earlimart, System Preferences
Man, I could swear Elliott Smith worked on this album. Is that just me? It's maybe not groundbreaking, but it's strong from start to finish, shows some nice variety, and feels like something I'd have loved in college but with a fresh coat of paint. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but it's kind of perfect for me.
2. Jens Lekman, I Know What Love Isn't
In my opinion, Jens has never quite replicated the perfection of his first album -- which is really my way of saying that I like him as a total underdog sad sack. This album comes close to those good old days. Fun lyrics across the board, and enough somber songs to balance out the louder, more exuberant stuff. Also, Flatbush Avenue Target name-checked!
3. The Magnetic Fields, Love at the Bottom of the Sea
The good songs on this album are phenomenal. I can't imagine living in a world without "Andrew in Drag." But as usual with TMF in recent years, the bad songs are just as numerous as the good and, like a just-okay joke, not worth a replay once you know the punchline.
4. The XX, Coexist
A bit too muted to rank higher -- the lyrics have hardly registered with me at this point, but it's a beautiful album I'll continue to listen to for some time, I'm sure. Unless I forget about it….
5. Neil Halstead, Palindrome Hunches
The individual tracks blend together a bit too much, but hey, he's really good at what he does. Perfectly enjoyable and occasionally devastating -- though I hope his next project takes him in a new direction. It's time, Neil!
Song of the year:
Scissor Sisters, "Let's Have a Kiki"
I'm a bit sick of it at the moment, but for the rest of my life, whenever I hear it, I will remember 2012.
Pop mix track of the year:
Katy Perry, "Wide Awake"
There's always one song that makes me want to do drag, and this year, this is it.
Andrea R Heads to the Beach
Beach House, Bloom
Metric, Synthetica
Ellie Goulding, Halcyon
Father John Misty, Fear Fun
Santigold, Master of Our Make Believe
Alt-J, An Awesome Wave
Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
Purity Ring, Shrines
Now Now, Threads
The xx, Coexist
Gotye, Making Mirrors
Top songs:
Ellie Goulding, "Only You"
Alt-J, "Fitzpleasure"
Father John Misty, "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings"
Sea Wolf, "Old Friend"
Santigold, "Disparate Youth"
Purity Ring, "Lofticries"
Passion Pit, "It's Not My Fault, I'm Happy"
Billy M is a Young Man in America
Young man in America - Anais Mitchell
Not our kind of people - Garbage
Hunger Games soundtrack
Fiona apple – The Idler Wheel
Rufus Wainwright – Out of the Game
Bat for Lashes – The Haunted Man
Glen Hansard – Rhythm and Repose
Dan P and His Incorruptible Heart
Lavender Diamond - Incorruptible Heart
Beach House - Bloom
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Here
Christopher P’s Version of Events
1. Emeli Sande "Our Version of Events"
2. Paloma Faith "Fall to Grace"
3. Marina & the Diamonds "Electra Heart"
4. Lana del Rey "Born to Die"
5. Ellie Goulding "Halcyon"
Benjamin W Has Some Old Ideas
1. Leonard Cohen, Old Ideas
2. Niki and the Dove, The Fox
3. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
4. Kendrick Lamar, Good Kid M.A.A.D City
5. Jack White, Blunderbuss
6. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Here
7. David Byrne & St. Vincent, Love This Giant
And, of course, the song from my mom's book trailer. Whoever made it is a genius.
Giles G is Thinking About Frank
1. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
2. Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel...
3. Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city
4. Mumford & Sons, Babel
5. Beach House, Bloom
Dash G Surfs to This Ocean
Artist: Frank Ocean
Albums:
Channel-Orange-Frank Ocean
good kid, m.A.A.d city-Kendrick Lamar
Cruel Summer-Good Music
Babel-Mumford and Sons
The Heist-Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Royalty-Childish Gambino
Bob B On Fire
"Where The Kids Are" by Blondefire.
Joel P
Top 5 Albums (for nostalgia’s sake, because we don’t really listen to music as albums anymore, do we? I included one mixtape that really isn’t an album. Sue me.)
1. Metric , Synthetica
- Undeniably my most-listened-to album of the year, and a gem from start to finish. Perfect as an album, it flows from start to finish, the lyrics are brilliant and give me frequent frissons, the sound so heartfelt that it always makes me feel infinite. One of my all-time favorites.
2. Kishi Bashi, 151a
- Creative, fun, touching. A great listen start to finish with original ideas that surprise you around every turn, like a reinvented, accessible Animal Collective.
3. King Charles, LoveBlood
- In a year where the Lumineers and Mumford made watered down folk music boring and ubiquitious, King Charles played around with the forms and made something a lot more interesting.
4. fun., Some Nights
- You’re just dumb and full of your hipster self if this isn’t in your year-end-countdown. Nate Ruess has been making awesome music since the beginning of The Format and his music deserves the mainstream attention it’s getting. No other album was more rousing, more unafraid, more universal in the best possible way.
5. Azealia Banks, Fantasea
- Hit or miss, but when it hits (with Fierce, Esta Noche, Luxury, 1991, etc.) it’s amazing. And she’s hands-down this year’s breakout artist. If only she can keep it going…
Honorable Mentions:
Japandroids, Celebration Rock
Imagine Dragons, Night Visions
The xx, Coexist
Die Antwoord, Ten$ion
Wild Cub, Youth
Death Grips, The Money Store
Alt-J, An Awesome Wave
Angel Haze, New York EP
Emeli Sande, Our Version of Events
Rye Rye, Go! Pop! Bang!
Two Door Cinema Club, Beacon
Mika, The Origin of Love
Most overrated artist of the year: Frank Ocean
Seriously someone just stab me in the ear if I have to hear about his whiny mediocrity one more god damn time. I don’t care that he said he sucked a dick for some free album promotion, the guy’s lame.
Singles:
1. Cha-Ching by Imagine Dragons
- NO ONE HAS HEARD THIS SONG. And it’s insanely amazing! It was an extra (I think) that was only added to the Spotify album and it’s so finger-snappingly infectious that I definitely listened to it nine million times this year.
2. 212 by Azealia Banks
3. Some Nights by Fun
4. Breathing Underwater by Metric
5. Went Away by The Maccabees
6. Sleep Alone by Two Door Cinema Club
7. I Don’t Recall by Lavender Diamond
LoveBlood by King Charles, Thunder Clatter and Colour by Wild Cub, New York by Angel Haze, Send Me Down by Haim, Hero by Family of the Year, Taro by Alt-J, Manchester and Bright Whites by Kishi Bashi, White Foxes by Susanne Sundfor, Heart Attack by Asteroid Galaxy Tour, Dum Dum by Baauer, Can’t Say No by Conor Maynard, Monopoly by Danny Brown, Next to Me by Emeli Sande, The House that Heaven Built by Japandroids, How to Be a Heartbreaker by Marina and the Diamonds, Tightrope by Walk the Moon, Elephant by Tame Impala, Losing You by Solange, Bangs by Brick + Mortar, 40oz Bounce by Krueger, The Veldt by Deadmau5, Faithless by Heavenly Beat
Tis the Season for Kristin E
Singles
fun., We Are Young (because it had the power to make me feel younger than Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann)
Beth Orton, Call Me the Breeze
Gotye, Somebody That I Used to Know
A. C. Newman, I'm Not Talking
Carly Rae Jepsen, Call Me Maybe
Aimee Mann, Labrador (the video boosts its single power)
Albums
Beth Orton Sugaring Season
A. C. Newman, Shut Down the Streets
Inner Banks, Wild
fun., Some Nights
Beach House, Bloom
Wild Nothing, Nocturne
Aimee Mann, Charmer
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The 2011 David Music Poll Results
The 2011 David Music Poll Results
1. Adele, 21 (42 votes)
2. Bon Iver, Bon Iver (29)
3. Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials (25)
4. The Decemberists, The King is Dead (17)
5. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues (15)
6. M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (10)
Cults, Cults (10)
Radiohead, King of Limbs (10)
Lady Gaga, Born This Way (10)
Runners up: Death Cab for Cutie, Codes and Keys (8), Lykki Li, Wounded Rhymes (8), The Weeknd, House of Balloons (8), PJ Harvey, Let England Shake (7), Feist, Metals (7), The Head and the Heart, The Head and the Heart (7)
Notes: We had 89 respondents this year, and two impressive feats for Adele here. Ahe ekes out the highest vote total in the history of the poll (beating 2007’s The Neon Bible by Arcade Fire by one vote). And, for the first time in thirteen years, the collective poll’s top choice matches my own. As many of you say: It was Adele’s year. So how could we resist? Bon Iver, Florence + the Machine, and Fleet Foxes had strong showings for second albums, which is not always the case in the music poll (Arcade Fire notwithstanding). Radiohead hit the list for the fourth time – a first that Death Cab for Cutie would have matched if they’d gotten two more votes.
My choices leave me Rolling in the Deep
I must confess that this was not a particularly great music year for me. Good, yes. Great, no. I think any of my top four from last year would have beat the following for #1 this year. But so it goes. There’s still a lot to be happy about.
(1) Adele, 21
It’s a great album, and I spent the first half of the year listening to it fairly nonstop. And if contains at least three undeniably great songs (hello, “Rolling in the Deep”, “Turning Tables”, and “Someone Like You” – all of which will be played fifty years from now.) If I’m at all hesitant, it’s because Adele fatigue has set in – I’m ready to not listen to this for a while. But for posterity’s sake, it would be ridiculous of me to not recognize this as the album that was most essential to my year.
Best tracks: “Someone Like You”, “Turning Tables”, “Rolling in the Deep”
(2) Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials
Ultimately, this will probably prove more important to me than Adele’s album . . . but it hasn’t quite broken through to that point yet. I imagine I’m being unfair to it, like a parent who is secretly disappointed that the second child isn’t quite as awesome as the first one. Lungs is going to end up being one of my favorite albums of all time; I suspect Ceremonials will end up being (when I look back) one of my favorite albums of 2011. I also don’t know whether or not to count the bonus tracks on the deluxe edition of the album, which aren’t nearly as good as the album proper. But putting that aside, it’s still a stunner. And “Shake it Out” came close to being my song of the year.
Best tracks: “Shake it Out”, “No Light, No Light”, “What the Water Gave Me”
(3) Death Cab for Cutie, Codes and Keys
Just as my love for Lungs makes me too critical of Ceremonials, my disappointment in Narrow Stairs probably made me like Codes and Keys more. It’s indie pop at its best, with songs like “Some Boys” adding an edge to the romanticism.
Best tracks: “Some Boys”, “Codes and Keys”, “Stay Young, Go Dancing”
(4) Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes
Although there would be echoes of it in albums that came out later in the year, what struck me most about Wounded Rhymes was its singular sound – merging the Spector touch with indie rock to make music that harkened back to Be My Baby while at the same time feeling very now. Sexy, sad, and Swedish.
Best tracks: “Sadness is a Blessing”, “Youth Knows No Pain”, “Get Some”
Honorable mention:
Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Feist, Metals
Alexi Murdoch, Towards the Sun
The Firework Award for Song That Made Me Happiest This Year: Kelly Clarkson’s “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)”
Songs of the Year (not counting those mentioned above):
Matt Nathanson, “Kiss Quick”
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, “Heart in Your Heartbreak”
The Head and the Heart, “Rivers and Roads”
Avril Lavigne, “I Love You”
Fleet Foxes, “Helplessness Blues”
Robyn, “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” (Coldplay cover)
Rumor Has Rachel L’s Picks
1. Adele, 21
2. Christina Perri, Lovestrong
3. Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
Elisa votes for Civilians
1. Wye Oak, Civilian
2. tUnE-yArDs, Whokill
3. Light Asylum, In Tension (EP)
4. Shabazz Palaces, Black Up
5. EMA, Past Martyred Saints
6. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
7. Sons and Daughters, Mirror Mirror
8. Wild Flag, S/T
9. Das Racist, Relax
10. Kate Bush, Director's Cut
So Beautiful, So Sarah W. Says
Most Essential: Paul Simon, So Beautiful, So What
Anna Q Lets It Shake
Adele, 21
Civil Wars, Barton Hollow
Corinne Bailey Rae, The Sea*
Decemberists, The King Is Dead
Feist, Metals
PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
Florence and the Machine, Lungs*
Gaby Moreno, Illustrated Songs
(*- not 2011 releases, but listened to throughout 2011)
Andrew H Stands on Ceremonials
Most Essential Album
Florence + The Machine, Ceremonials
But Most Essential Song
Lana Del Ray, “Video Games”
Other Essential Albums
Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Various Artists, The Breaking Dawn Soundtrack (with no apologies – it’s boot-stompingly, heart-chillingly fantastic)
Steven M’s Diamond Life
10. Cass McCombs, Wit's End - not sure how I've missed this guy (this is his fifth record). Singer-songwriter stuff, but pretty sparse, depressing, slow and dark. I find it captivating, and love his voice, although it sort of peters out by the end. Maybe would have been the album Harry Nilsson would be making if he was still around and backed up by The Clientele. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOcnITphyjk&ob=av2e
9. Radiohead, The King of Limbs. Full disclosure - they are my favorite band. I would buy just about anything they put out, no questions asked. Naturally, I eagerly anticipated this 2011 release and devoured it as soon as I got it. I have mixed emotions about it - I love the last four songs, but the first four don't do as much for me. The first four are amazing and a tremendous achievement, meaning I can't imagine any other band being able to play and construct those songs. However, other than "Little by Little," they seem to be missing something, namely a memorable hook or melody line for me. In some ways, they are in another world musically, not needing the typical song constructs to make their point. As for the final four tunes, I love them, they're so complex yet accessible. "Give up the Ghost" sounds like a long lost Neil Young tune, great touch. Here's the last tune on the record, a little disconcerting, the video is backwards, everyone plays left handed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaVylBJQsro Can't wait to see them on tour in 2012 if I'm lucky enough. No band comes close. Still have no idea why they added a second drummer though...
8. Feist, Metals. At first, this didn't grab me like it has at this point. I think things changed after seeing her live on this tour - I understand what she's trying to do a little more - use the vocals instead of other instruments to solo. I was hoping for another "The Reminder," but this is a departure from that. I especially love the background vocals throughout the record, pretty amazing. This could have been at the top of the list if it had a stronger single. With a single on par with "Mushaboom," this could have been a classic record. Still, really well-written and sung tunes, just a little too slow to bring out her best. She's still the best female rock star. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INtvoVTYeGc
7. Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes - I have the record she made before this, which I enjoy, but she made a big step on this record - much more consistent in both quality and as a record as a whole. I definitely enjoy the record more than the concert, which I thought became tiresome. I really like the influences on this record - '60's Rock and roll, heavy percussive drums, never as present as in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7hqiiKwuJE
6. Little Scream, The Golden Record - Wow, when did this list turn into the "Lilith Faire," with three female artists in a row? Not as surprising as my three Swedish artists in a row in '10's list, but interesting nonetheless. As far as I can tell, Little Scream is, like Feist, from Montreal. Some of these songs are really really good, and the performances are great. No telling what the ceiling is for Little Scream, the songs are varied, not formulaic and all hit the mark. My favorite song isn't necessarily the best, but my favorite because its very Townshend/Who-ish, judge for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zafwnCzuO9M My hope for the years to come is for Little Scream to team up with Thom Yorke, what a combination that would be.
5. Dawes, Nothing is Wrong - Solid songwriting from an LA band - nothing incendiary, but a good listen, Americana/roots music-style. Like Lykke Li, the better performance is on the record, they could tighten things up live. Perhaps a little too Jackson Browne/classic rock sounding, but hey one of the great revelations in the Keith Richards' book is that he listened to "Running on Empty" ("We were in the Pathé Marconi studios because they were owned by EMI, with whom we'd just made a big deal. This one was way on the outskirts of town in Boulogne-Billancourt, near the Renault factory; nothing around like restaurants or bars. It was a car ride, and I remember that I was listening to Jackson Browne's Running on Empty on a daily commuter basis."). In fact, this song has him on it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdjxDLZrtKQ. Like the harmonies between the two brothers, including the drummer.
4. The Naked and Famous, Passive Me Agressive You: it's about time a Kiwi band made it back on the list. Just a fun record, good time music, a good tonic for just about every record preceding this on the list. What they lack in musical chops they more than make up in energy, sophmoric mostly, but without sounding teenage. Good mostly synth party record. Not the greatest song, but what a great title in "A Wolf in Geek's Clothing." You had me at "A Wolf..." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQOwFyGG9Bc
3. Belle Brigade, Belle Brigade - The opener on the now legendary Belle Brigade/Dawes/Blitzen Trapper show this Fall at the Fillmore, I had no expectations. However, the band was hot, performances and vocals spectacular, what a great set. Definitely glad we got there early that night. At that point, I already had the record, and enjoyed it. From the record, I hadn't put it together that the singers are brother and sister. But instead playing Phil and Don, its more of a Nash and Crosby harmony sound, they actually shoot for a CSN sound and pull it off. To credit the vocals for the success of the record is shortsighted - the songs are strong alt.country with inspired performances. Once they get some more tunes under their belt, they could be a force. Quite a debut record. Here's a song with them without the band. In the bath. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1p7EG65tf4
2. Nick Lowe, The Old Magic - I spent a lot of the first part of the year listening to Nick Lowe's back catalog, finding my favorites being the later half of his career. I went to a memorable Elvis Costello this summer and Elvis played "Peace, Love, and Understanding," introducing it as written by England's greatest songwriter - Nick Lowe. From that point on, I was excited about "The Old Magic," and he, as usual, didn't disappoint. Shelagh and I were lucky enough to see him play the record solo at the Great American Music Hall, and the songs and performance were charming and impeccable. He makes songwriting seem so easy. Each song is fantastic, though the 50's songs are probably one too many, but that's nitpicking. What I would do to be able to write a song like "Stoplight Roses" or "House For Sale (at 9:12 of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKhawkQQQmY)." He's also kind enough to throw in "The Poisoned Rose," from my favorite Elvis record, "King of America." He opened up for Wilco this year on tour, must have been a hell of a show.
1. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins, Diamond Mine - This was one of the last records I heard this year, and am so glad I was able to find it. Just absolutely mesmerizing. When I play it in iTunes, it comes up as "electronica," but I believe its the "folkiest" record I've bought in years. It's a mix of Creosote's stripped down songs and Hopkins' smart production and electronic input, somewhat like Alan Parson's additions to "Dark Side of the Moon." Creosote himself decribes it as a ""soundtrack to a romanticized version of a life lived in a Scottish coastal village, the record weaves in slices of life, bike wheels, spring tides, tea cups and cafe chatter." One of those records I wish was a little longer, just an intense atmosphere of a Scottish world through words, music and effects. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ723RFTe4Q
Best music moment of the year - Without a doubt, the highlight of the year, musically speaking, was getting a chance to meet THE Brian Wilson at Amoeba Records, as he signed a copy of the recently released "Smile" for me. Other than Mozart himself arising from the dead, I can't imagine meeting a bigger musical hero. What a thrill, I couldn't have been happier, and all he said to me was, "your welcome."
My favorite two songs of the year were Mogwai's "White Noise" the (naturally) instrumental opener from the best named record of the year, "Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ovFDMCPoHQ; and Low's "Try To Sleep" from "C'Mon": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXgc0I0zsYs (best use of Stamos since "Stepbrothers").
Ben W Turns Some Tables
1. Adele, 21
2. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
3. Beyonce, 4
4. Jay Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne
5. Lady Gaga, Born this Way
6. Paul Simon, So Beautiful or So What
7. Radiohead, King of Limbs
8. The Decemberists, The King is Dead
Favorite new band is Aunt Martha.
Ned V. Strikes Out for the Riviera
Most essential:
Metronomy, The English Riviera
Other essential:
The Strokes, Angles
Rock on!
Stewart L, Blake Baby
1) Jonsi, Go*
2) James Blake, James Blake
3) Imogen Heap, Ellipse*
4) Kate Bush, 50 Words For Snow
5) Mike Doughty, Yes And Also Yes
6) One Eskimo, One Eskimo, EP
7) Mat Kearny, Young Love
8) Radical Face, Ghost
9) Thom Yorke, The Eraser*
10) Gregory Alan Isakov, This Empty Northern Hemisphere
(*- not 2011 releases, but listened to throughout 2011)
Megan B’s Essentials: DeCoded
So here are my essential albums for 2011:
1. Death Cab for Cutie, Codes and Keys
2. Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
3. Adele, 21
4. Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials
5. Radiohead, King of Limbs
Singles:1. Death Cab for Cutie, Stay Young Go Dancing2. Adele, Rolling in the Deep3. Florence and the Machine, What the Water Gave Me4. Black Keyes, Lonely Boy5. Beastie Boys featuring Santigold, Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win6. Young the Giant, Cough Syrup
Jeff S, Arch Loafer
Here’s my top 10 for the year:
1. Archers of Loaf, Icky Mettle reissue! / Can, Tago Mago reissue! / Superchunk, Foolish reissue!
2. The Weeknd, House of Balloons & Thursday
3. Youth Lagoon, The Year of Hibernation
4. Battles, Gloss Drop
5. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Belong
6. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
7. Iceage, New Brigade
8. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
9. Holy Ghost, Holy Ghost
10. Fucked Up, David Comes to Life
Aimee F. Finds Someone Like You
These are my shameless-pop single picks:
Obvious, but: SOMEONE LIKE YOU (Adele)
It’s sort of terrible, but can’t stop listening: MOVES LIKE JAGGER (Maroon 5)
Ditto: S&M (Rihanna)
THE EDGE OF GLORY (Gaga)
I WANNA GO and TILL THE WORLD ENDS (Britney)
PARTY ROCK ANTHEM (LMFAO)
Clearly I was in a dancing mood this year…
Dan P Rages for the Machine
This one's easy:
1. Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials
2. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
3. Patrick Wolf, Lupercalia
4. Adele, 21
One I missed from last year:
The Naked and Famous, Passive Me Agressive You
And some with future potential:
Katie Herzig, The Waking Sleep
Youth Lagoon, The Year of Hibernation
Corey W, Bon Vivant
My most essential album for the year:
1. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Best Single of the Year:
1. "We Are Young," Fun, Some Nights
Wye? Because Jon S Loves Them!
The number ten cannot contain my favorite albums for the year!
12. Fucked Up, David Comes to Life
11. Times New Viking, Dancer Equired
10. Wild Flag, Wild Flag
9. Wavves, Life Sux
8. Zola Jesus, Conatus
7. Tom Waits, Bad As Me
6. EMA, Past Life Martyred Saints
5. Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes
4. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
3. Youth Lagoon, The Year of Hibernation
2. tUnE yArDs, w h o k i l l
And my favorite album of the year, from a band who I've always loved and who I have watched mature over the course of several albums into artists I hope will be a lasting influence on rock music:
1. Wye Oak, Civilian
Kate H’s Bon Mots
#1: Bon Iver, Bon Iver
runners up:
Radiohead, King of Limbs
Other Lives, Tamer Animals
The Black Keys, El Camino
Feist, Metals
Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi, Rome
discoveries from previous years:
Gayngs, Relayted
The XX, XX
Doomtree, Doomtree
Four Tet, There Is Love In You
Lucas K Hurries Up His Choices
1. M83, Hurry Up We're Dreaming
2. The Antlers, Burst Apart
3. Cut Copy, Zonoscope
4. The Go! Team, Rolling Blackouts
5. The Mountain Goats, All Eternals Deck
6. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Belong
7. The Decemberists, The King is Dead
8. Jay-Z/Kanye West, Watch the Throne
9. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
10. Sebastian, Total
Michael T is Workng for the Weeknd
Here is a list (in descending order) of my favorite albums and songs of the year.
1. The Weeknd: House of Balloons
2. Cults: Cults
3. tUnE-yArDs: whokill
4. James Blake: James Blake
5. Bon Iver: Bon Iver
Singles:
1. Azealia Banks: 212
2. Fun.: We Are Young
3. Foster the People: Pumped Up Kicks
4. Laura Marling: Sophia
5. Cut Copy: Need You Now
Jeff H Rolls Some Stones
Didn't hear alot of the bigger albums this year but I really liked....
Raphael Saadiq, Stone Rollin
Adele, 21
Yeesh, that Adele pick makes me feel so middle of the road. But what can you do? It's good.
Bright Eyes Has the Key to Josh B’s Heart
My essential albums of 2011 are:
Bright Eyes, The People's Key
PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
Wilco, The Whole Love
Bright Eyes is my favorite, even with the weird rambling speeches by a possibly insane person between the songs.
Jinny W Finds Music For a Time of War
Here are my picks:
1. Carlos Kalmar and the Oregon Symphony, Music for a Time of War.
2. Emerson String Quartet, Mozart's Prussian Quartets.
3. Takacs String Quartet, Haydn Quartets Op. 71.
Dissing Places, Kody K Votes for People and Things
Albums:
1. Jack's Mannequin, People and Things
2. The Civil Wars, Barton Hallow
3. Adele, 21
4. All Time Low, Dirty Work
5. Lady Gaga, Born This Way
6. Jessie J, Who You Are
Best Import:
Birdy, Birdy
Best Singles:
1. Fun, We Are Young
2. Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars, Safe and Sound
3. Snow Patrol, New York
Kristen K’s One and Only
1. Adele, 21Favorite songs:Nicki Minaj, Super BassFuck You, Cee Lo Green
...is the same as Alecia’s One and Only
My fave this year was 21 by Adele.
Matthue R Goes Camp
Weird thing: There's not much punk/loud stuff on here. I mean, Wild Flag, but that might be a vote for my past. I think that the most exciting stuff I'm finding is stuff that I'm just starting to give a second thought to? Also, other thing: A lot of the albums here are free mixtapes that the artists give away online. I mean, I love the hip-hop community.
most essential: Childish Gambino, Camp
and:
2. Wild Flag, Wild Flag
3. Frank Ocean, nostalgia, ultra.
4. Shondes, Searchlights
5. Regina Spektor, Live in London
6. Roots, undun
7. Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday
8. Girls in Trouble, Like You, Like Me
9. The Amy Winehouse uncollected-songs album.
10. House of Balloons, The Weeknd
For Kirsten H, No Poison Iver
but of course, number one goes to:
Bon Iver: Bon Iver
others I adore:
M83: Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
TV on the Radio: Nine Types of Light
Lykke Li: Wounded Rhymes
The Joy Formidable: The Big Roar
Tegan and Sara: Get Along
Radiohead: The King of Limbs
Nero: Welcome Reality (...that's right, I included a dubstep album)
The Antlers: Burst Apart
Explosions in the Sky: Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
Scott T Bangs His Drums
2011 Most Essential Album
The Drums, Portamento - catchiest record of the year for me. In heavy heavy rotation via Spotify until I finally got my Xmas copy
Other 2011 Essentials
Cut Copy, Zonoscope - follow-up to another essential proves equally essential
Ladytron, Gravity the Seducer - another classic from Ladytron
Washed Out, Within and Without - Infectious from first listen
Essentials Discovered in 2011
Bag Raiders, Bag Raiders (2010) - another brilliant Aussie electropop band
Daft Punk, Tron:Legacy Soundtrack (2010) - film was just an excuse for this amazing record. It almost made the movie good.
Patrick C Joins the Cult of Cults
TOP
Cults - Cults. Fell for the 60's vibe!
RUNNER UP
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Sara R loves her Girl Talk
Girl Talk, All Day
in part because of Girl Walk All Day, which is deeply joyous and fantastic.
I could mention other albums but really that is the one which was most essential in 2011.
Elana V Keeps Her Bones
My picks are:
1. Frank Turner, England Keep My Bones -- he's my favorite and best discovery of the year; "I Still Believe" is an essential single
Followed by -- The Decemberists, The Kind is Dead;
And of course, Adele.
Kate W Chooses Her King
King of Limbs, Radiohead
Brothers, The Black Keys
Live at Third Man, White Denim
Matthew U Sets Fire to the Rain
Most essential album:
Adele, 21
It's her year, there's no escaping it...
Other essential albums:
Gillian Welch, The Harrow and the Harvest
The Civil Wars, Barton Hollow
Moby, Destroyed
Brian Eno, Drums Between the Bells
Shpongle, The God Particle (EP, full album coming soon)
Artist I bought this year that I can't believe I wasn't already worshipping:
Neko Case, all her albums
Discoveries from the past:
Groove Armada, Black Light
Deadmau5, 4x4=12
Preeti C Heads Toward a Fall
Essential album of 2011: Gorillaz – The Fall
My favorite 2011 discovery (though it came out in 2010): Kid Canaveral – Shouting at the Wildlife
Dean B.’s Tide is High
Favorite Albums of 2011:1. Beirut - Rip Tide2. Alexi Murdoch - Towards The Sun3. Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire4. Radiohead - King Of Limbs5. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake6. Bon Iver - s/t7. R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now8. Mike Doughty - Yes And Also Yes9. Feist - Metals10. Eddie Vedder - Ukelele Songs11. Thao & Mirah - s/t
2011 Favorites Mix Tape1. Lotus Flower – Radiohead2. Sad Song – The Cars3. Under Cover of Darkness – The Strokes4. Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win – Beastie Boys f/Santogold5. Discoverer - R.E.M.6. The Trick – Das Racist7. Keep Your Heart - TV on the Radio8. East Harlem – Beirut9. The Glorious Land – PJ Harvey10. How Dare You – Thao & Mirah11. Ashes & Fire – Ryan Adams12. Comfort Me – Feist13. Rational Man – Mike Doughty14. You Are A Tourist – Death Cab for Cutie15. The Broken Places – Moby16. Holocene – Bon Iver17. Virus – Bjork18. Through The Dark – Alexi Murdoch19. One Sunday Morning - Wilco
Josh L’s King David
1. Decemberists, The King is Dead2. Fucked Up, David Comes to Life
Scott D’s Bout That Life
1. Lady, Bout Dat Life2. Lady Gaga, Born This Way3. Rihanna, Talk That Talk
Rob M’s Counting His Days
1. Real Estate - Days
2. Caged Animals - Eat Your Own
3. Bewitched Hands - Birds & Drums
4. Yuck - S/T
5. Cloud Nothings - S/T
6. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
7. Hooray For Earth - True Loves
8. New Animal - S/T
9. Black Lips - Arabia Mountain
10. Hotel Mexico - His Jeweled Letter Box
11. War On Drugs - Future Weather
12. Ume - Phantoms
13. The Horrors - Skying
Fiona S Takes it All
Adele, 21
Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials
The Decemberists, The King is Dead
Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
Beyonce, 4
Almost Great/Should have been:
Lady Gaga, Born This Way
Jasper D Shakes it Out
Most essential album of 2011:
Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials
Other essential albums of 2011, in no particular order:
Adele, 21
Lady Gaga, Born This Way
Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes
Jessie J, Who You Are
Rachael Yamagata, Chesapeake
Patrick Wolf, Lupercalia
Ellie Goulding, Lights
Bjork, Biophilia
St. Vincent, Strange Mercy
What a fantastic year for music.
Lauren O Rises the Ashes
Ryan Adams, Ashes and Fire!
Incredible writing, driving, and lounging-by-the-fire-doing-nothing accompaniment. :)
Paula M Keys In Her Choices
It was hard to narrow down the list but I think I have finally done it. 1. Death Cab for Cutie, Codes and Keys This was a hard call to make. Death Cab and Florence + the machine were my top choices. If I were being completely honest, I'd tell you Florence had the better album and I let my sick obsession with Death Cab color my decision. But honesty be damned. I decided to pick Codes and Keys because it was most essential to me even if it wasn't the best album of the year. 2. Florence + the machine, Ceremonials Fine, I'll be honest. It was the best. 3. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, BelongI discovered this album because Rhapsody recommended it and I absolutely love it. I've sung it's praises to many people. However, no one seems to have heard of it. I'm not exactly on the cutting edge of the music scene so this leads me to believe that the band may not actually exist. 4. Destroyer, KaputtI have been a long time Destroyer fan and this album does not disappoint. It makes me quite happy. 5. The Head and The Heart, The Head and The HeartI'm not sure if this one actually counts. I loved the album but I only recently learned it was actually a re-release. (Not on the cutting edge, remember?) Do re-releases count here? Probably not but this album was essential to me. 6. Bon Iver, Bon IverI finally caught up and got on the Bon Iver wagon. Everyone was right. It's amazing. 7. Adele, 21I know she has been horrendously over played. My husband is so sick of her he can barely control his verbal assaults each time she comes on the radio. But this album broke my heart. It broke my heart into a hundred pieces and threw them on the floor. Afterwards, it helped me pick up every piece. And what more can you really ask of an album? 8. Real Estate, DaysThis was a late in the year find but it became essential quite quickly. Just listen to "It's Real." 9. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
It's just a good, old fashioned album about love and heartbreak.
10. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
Some songs can be skipped but they had me at "Midnight City."
11ish. If number 5 doesn't count, move everything else up and add Alex Turner at number 10.
Honorable Mention
Bright Eyes, The People's Key
Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
Big Talk, Big Talk
Alex Turner, Submarine
Cat's Eyes, Cat's Eyes
Tune-yards, w h o k i l l
Bill K Goes for the Head, Heart
1) The Head and the Heart/The Head and the Heart Perfect chill-out music for an evening drive. Harmonies straight out of the Indigo Girls playbook. If you don't like "Rivers and Roads"
there may be something wrong with you.
2) Foster the People/Torches
Awesome pop music. Listened to it a million times this summer and fall. "Call It What You Want" is my favorite track.
3) Adele/21
'Twas the year of Adele. Did you know that "Someone Like You" was the first number one song in more than a decade to feature just piano and vocal. A fact.
4) Guster/Easy Wonderful
Maybe this is a 2010, but man is it good. I found it in 2011 so that's enough for me.
5) Haley Reinhart
I know. American Idol is over. But this girl is so amazing, I could, as Simon Cowell might have said, listen to her sing the phone book.
Her version of Benny and the Jets was my favorite vocal performance of the year.
Rex O. has the Hundred in his Hands
THE HUNDRED IN THE HANDS (self-titled album) is easily my fave new band.
NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB (album: Optimist) comes in as a close second.
CRYSTAL CASTLES(self-titled) in third.
ADELE, 21 in fourth
Eamon T Says This to All The Girls
Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
(Each record keeps getting better. Amazing.)
The Kills - Blood Pressure
(How two people can be this cool is beyond me.)
Lady Gaga - Born This Way
(Undeniable.)
Chapel Club - Palace
(Best new English band.)
Blood Orange - Coastal Grooves
(Dev Hynes latest and best project to date.)
Adele - 21
(Also undeniable.)
Beth Ditto - Beth Ditto EP
(She's everything.)
Wild Flag - Wild Flag
(The 90's really are alive in Portland. Rock n' Roll chicks. Yes!)
Hercules and Love Affair - Blue Songs
(Real disco)
Florence and the Machine - Ceremonials
(As much as I don't want to like this...I find myself singing Shake It Off on a daily basis)
Honorable Mentions...
Pj Harvey - Let England Shake
Cults - Cults
Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong
The Rapture - In the Grace of Your Heart
Looking forward to in 2012
Scissor Sisters - not in love with the single they just released...but can see it's commercial appeal
Lady Gaga - just announced she'll be putting out another record. Don't know how Mother Monster does it all.
Suede - rumors are that they're working on new material
Alaya J’s Americana Harvest
Most essential album of the year:
The Harrow and the Harvest, Gillian Welch (Welch's first album in eight years. Every song is gorgeous. Her voice is one for the ages.
David Rawlings' guitar gently weeps, and you haven't heard harmony until you listen to them sing together. This album felt like a gift.)
Other favorite albums of the year:
The King Is Dead, The Decemberists (Almost made my most essential, except no one can beat Gillian Welch. But she sings on this album!
Which might be my favorite Decemberists record. The English-major-relaxes-in-the-country thing works for them.)
Cults, Cults (I listened to this a lot. I figured it should get a mention on the merits of play count alone.)
El Camino, The Black Keys (Short, sweet and loud.) The Rip Tide, Beirut (This didn't get much love from the press, but I find Beirut compulsively listenable, and this one is no exception).
So Beautiful or So What, Paul Simon (Paul Simon steps up his game.
"Waiting for Christmas Day" and "The Afterlife" are quirky, classic Paul Simon stand outs.)
Helplessness Blues, Fleet Foxes (This didn't sweep me away quite as much as their debut, but it's still an immersive, mesmerizing album.)
Bon Iver, Bon Iver (I don't get the last song. It hurts me. Everything else is great).
Simmerkane II, Chadwick Stokes (I stumbled upon this album via the song "Coffee & Wine," which I strongly suggest you download right now.
Catchy, playful, old-new Americana.)
Singles:
Pumped Up Kicks, Foster The People (Have I listened to this song about a hundred times since I first heard it? Yes. Have I danced every time?
Almost.)
Shake It Up, Florence + The Machine (The album as a whole doesn't quite work for me, but I love this track).
Blue Jeans, Lana Del Rey (I love this song! Video Games is all right, but this is the one that's got the embarrassingly high play count. It reminds me of how much I, too, love the "Marlon Brando in Streetcar Named Desire" look).
Albums I'm sorry I missed last year:
The Turista, Josh Rouse (I love this guy. It's sort of like soft rock, except I normally hate soft rock. Just easy and beautiful and unpretentious. This might be my favorite album of his yet).
Be My Thrill, The Weepies (Actually, is this a theme? Another easy, unpretentious band. I read a review that described their music as being like a "warm hug." Who doesn't like warm hugs?)
Steven M Says, Long Live the King
1. The Decemberists, The King is Dead
2. Brave Irene, Self-titled
3. Josh Rouse & The Long Vacations, Self-titled
4. Brown Recluse, Evening Tapestry
5. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Belong
6. Chixdiggit, Safeways Here We Come
7. Tenement, Napalm Dream
8. Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, Go Down Under
9. P.S. Eliot, Sadie ________________________________
Bryant P Sings the Blues
Most essential albums of 2011, with most essential tracks for each:1. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues"Helplessness Blues," "Bedouin Dress," "Montezuma"2. Smith Westerns, Dye It Blonde"Imagine Pt. 3," "Weekend"3. Kelly Clarkson, Stronger"Stronger," "You Can't Win," "Dark Side"4. M83, Hurry Up We're Dreaming"Splendor," "Midnight City"5. Cults, Cults"Never Saw the Point," "Walk at Night"6. Craft Spells, Idle Labor"After the Moment," "Scandinavian Crush"7. The Head and the Heart, The Head and the Heart"Ghosts," "Cats and Dogs"8. Seryn, This Is Where We Are"We Will All Be Changed"9. Tennis, Cape Dory"Cape Dory," "South Carolina"10. The Drums, Portamento"I Don't Know How to Love," "Money"Honorable mention, but not quite essential: Washed Out, Within and Without; Bon Iver, Bon Iver; Toro y Moi, Underneath the Pine; Thao & Mirah, Thao & Mirah; Charles Bradley, No Time for DreamingTracks I listened to the most this year: "Ghosts" by The Head and the Heart (110); "Helplessness Blues" by Fleet Foxes (107); "Imagine Pt. 3" by Smith Westerns (100)
What the Water Gave Marie R
Most essential:
Florence + The Machine, Ceremonials
Also essential:
Adele, 21
Feist, Metals
The Head and the Heart
Erich N Reaches 21, Drinks It In
1. Adele, 21
The Roots, Undun
Jay-Z & Kanye West, Watch the Throne
The Weeknd, House of Balloons
Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday
Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi, Rome
Amos Lee, Mission Bell
Lady Gaga, Born This Way
Beyonce, 4
TV on the Radio, Nine Types of Light
Anna O Joins the Goat Rodeo
Most Essential Album:
Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, The Goat Rodeo Sessions
If you love classical and bluegrass, this is the album you’ve been waiting for.
Other Favorites:
Beirut, Rip Tide
I go up and down on Beirut, but I enjoyed a lot of the songs on this album
Adele, 21
21 was my first introduction to Adele (I still haven’t listened to all of 19). That voice!
Unfortunately that’s about it for albums. Only since 2009-2010 have I gradually been getting into The Decemberists, Avett Brothers, Vampire Weekend, and Mumford & Sons. So I listened to a lot of their albums last year to my great enjoyment. I can’t get enough of the collaboration between Mumford, The Dharohar Project, and Laura Marling. Only 4 songs, but the amount I’ve played them they seem to be an entire album’s worth.
Teri Y Was Born a Wolf
I think this was a pretty good year for music. Often I find an album I love and then a few months later I find myself not listening to it at all any more. This year I kept going back to albums and not just for that one great single.
This year I had two most essential albums:
Patrick Wolf, Lupercalia
Lady Gaga, Born This Way
Then in no particular order:
The Wanted, Battleground
Ellie Goulding, Bright Lights
Florence + The Machine, Ceremonials
Zebrahead, Get Nice!
Avril Lavigne, Goodbye Lullaby
Cobra Starship, Night Shades
Kelly Clarkson, Stronger
I think it's also important to point out that Robyn, Body Talk is still going strong even though it's been out since 2010.
Top Singles:
Blake Lewis, Heartbreak on Vinyl
Travie McCoy, We'll Be Alright
The Good Natured, Wolves
Britney Spears, Till the World Ends
Karmin, Crash Your Party
Many, many songs from Glee
Best find I missed last year:Chromeo, Business Casual
Lonnie M’s Playing By Heart
Jonathan Coulton, Artificial Heart
Josh R’s Bon Voyage
Bon Iver was hands down my top album of the year, and seeing the band perform live, it was an incredible experience.
Here are my top ten albums of the year:
1: Bon Iver, Bon Iver
2: Feist, Metals
3: Bombay Bicycle Club, A Different Kind of Fix
4: The Antlers, Burst Apart
5: Florence & The Machine, Ceremonials
6: Foster the People, Toches
7: PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
8: Radiohead, The King of Limbs
9: Bright Eyes, The People's Key
10: Coldplay, Xylo Myloto
Elizabeth E Makes Me Stronger
MOST ESSENTIAL
Adele, 21 - Duh.
MOST ESSENTIAL: INNER 16 YEAR OLD
Kelly Clarkson, Stronger - beware boys everywhere, Kelly is back and she's been screwed over. And it's so much fun for the rest of us!
ESSENTIAL
Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials
The Black Keys, El Camino
Death Cab for Cutie, Codes & Keys
The Decemberists, The King is Dead
Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
Foster the People, Torches
Blind Pilot, We are the Tide
Oh Land, Oh Land
Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Marketa Irglova, Anar
The Jezabels, Prisoner
Kevin W’s Lips Are Unsealed
2011 Albums1. Black Lips, Arabia Mountain -- The best Black Lips effort yet pretty much makes it the best album of the year. I repaired and painted the exterior of my house this summer. I live in Alabama. It's hot in the summer in Alabama, very hot. But this Black Lips album made that a fun experience, truth be told. There are at least six or seven songs on here -- "Raw Meat," "Bone Marrow" and "New Direction" in particular -- that make it impossible to remain in a bad mood.
2. The King Khan Experience, The King Khan Experience -- You know what else is good? Free music. Especially free music by Mr. Supernatural himself. Who cares if this was brought to the world from a car company?
3. The Reigning Sound, Abdication -- Another free album from Scion A/V. Honestly, it's not Greg Cartwright's finest work, but even his B game is better than most people's A game.Top single, 20111. Hunx and His Punkettes, Lover's Lane -- I don't know if this was released under Hunx and his Punx or his Punkettes or what, but it's just a slithering little stunner. I am pretty sure this is what Phil Spector had in his heart of hearts all along.
2. Indian Wars, Tuscaloosa Bar -- Okay, so there are better songs out there, but I'm kind of obligated to list this seeing as I live in T-Town.
Early favorites for best song of 2012
King Khan and His Shrines, Bite My Tongue -- Everybody should see a King Khan show before it's too late. Seriously. If you can't have fun at one of his shows you are likely dead or Newt Gingrich.
Mikal Cronin, Am I Wrong -- This is the flipside to the King Khan track. I know precious little about this guy, but this track's a fine start.
Most disappointing album, 2011
The Ettes, Wicked Will -- Meh. Just meh. I guess she left her best work with The Parting Gifts.
Albums from 2010 that was released too late to make the list:
White Wires, WWII -- Who says I don't appreciate straight-out pop?
Sugar Stems, Sweet Sounds Of -- I mean, really, I like a good pop song.
Annie M Wants Someone Like Adele
Overall the year belongs to Adele, 21
Promising new discovery: Agnes Obel, Philharmonics
Most interesting Sound of Music remix: Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata, The Hills Are Alive
And the Broadway album of the year would have to go to The Book of Mormon
Amanda M and the Big Nine
TV On the Radio, Nine Types of Light
Eugene K Watches the Throne
I don't know that I have an album that I would consider the most essential. It's kind of a toss up between Watch the Throne and Bon Iver and the James Blake.
Kanye West & Jay Z, Watch the Throne
Bon Iver, Bon Iver
James Blake, James Blake
Kendrick Lamar, Seection:80
The Weeknd, House of Balloons
Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes
EMA, Past Life Martyred Saints
Frank Ocean, Nostanlia/ultra
BEBETUNE$, inhale C-4 $$$$$
dj BC, Another Jay On Earth
Emelia Z, 21 at Heart
Adele, 21
Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
Drew L. Prepares for the Jihad
1. Andrew Jackson Jihad, Knife Man
2. Bomb the Music Industry!, Vacation
3. The Horrible Crowes, Elsie
Honorable mention:
Wu Lyf, Go Tell Fire on the Mountain
Girls, Father, Son, Holy Ghost
Jordan S Drinks the Wine
I think I only have one standout for 2011:
Iron & Wine, Kiss Each Other Clean
Ryan C’s Washed Out 2011
1. Washed Out, Within and Without
2. James Blake, James Blake
3. Destroyer, Kaputt
4. M83, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
5. The Weeknd, House of Balloons
6. JJ, Kills
7. How to Dress Well, Just Once EP
8. Cults, Cults
9. Girls, Father, Son, Holy Ghost
10. Drive soundtrack
Sarah DL’s Show of Compassion
Album of the year: CAKE: Showroom of Compassion although I still haven't forgiven the band for playing their New York shows on the nights of the Passover seder so I couldn't have my Cake and eat it too.
Songs: LMFAO - Sexy and I Know It Serious ear worm. Has the added bonus that my teen daughter is absolutely mortified that I downloaded it. I'm practicing singing it in the car so that I can break it out the next time she and I are in the presence of a karaoke machine. Cause I'm evil that way.
I also admit to a strange fascination with DJ RedFoo, who in addition to being Berry Gordy's son, is a former day trader who's appeared on Jim Cramer's Mad Money. AND he cites my favorite band, Led Zeppelin, as an influence. I used to work on Wall Street. We both like Led Zeppelin. It's like we're….soul mates. But seriously, what I REALLY want to know is: What's the deal with the dude with the box on his head?
Don’t Underestimate the Things Cassandra P Will Do With Her Picks
Here's my list, ranked in order (reluctantly):
1. Adele, 21
2. The Weeknd, Thursday
3. The Weeknd, House of Balloons
4. Beyonce, 4
5. Drake, Take Care
6. Rihanna, Talk That Talk
7. Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials
8. Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne
9. Wale, Ambition
10. The Weeknd, Echoes of Silence
Ronnie A’s Favorite Movie Moments
A number of movies this year shunned original scores and used classical pieces to great effect. The two best were Tree of Life (favorite cut: Zbigniew Preisner’s Lacrimosa 2 during the creation sequence) and the opening of Melancholia with Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde (the only movie this year to use that music properly). The rest:
Le Havre, Little Bob kicks ass
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Attack the Block, Basement Jaxx
Jane Eyre, Dario Marianelli
Moneyball, “The Mighty Rio Grande” by This Will Destroy You and “The Show,” written by Lenka, performed by Kerris Dorsey
Take Shelter, David Wingo
Carey Mulligan singing New York, New York in Shame
Downton Abbey, the moment Sybil comes down to dinner wearing her bloomers. I can listen to that music cue over and over (Alfie Boe)
Veronica W’s List Bursts Apart
The Antlers, Burst Apart
Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
Adele, 21
Cults, Cults
Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes
The Decemberists, The King Is Dead
Megan S, Fleet of Foot
I'm finding it increasingly hard each year to find albums that 1) I love from top to bottom and 2) I return to again and again, which are my primary criteria for a top 10 list. Thus, my list this year is a very short one. In a very particular order:
1. Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
2. Middle Brother - Middle Brother
3. The Whole Love - Wilco
4. Parallax - Atlas Sound
Top Discoveries From Previous Years (in no particular order):
1. The Monitor - Titus Andronicus
2. Epic - Sharon Van Etten
3. Sam Cooke at the Copa - Sam Cooke
4. Running On Empty - Jackson Browne
5. Let It Be - The Replacements
Julian H, Foxy As Ever
1. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
2. M83, Hurry Up We're Dreaming
3. Neon Indian, Era Extra
4. Beirut, The Rip Tide
5. Hooray for Earth, True Loves
6. Handsome Furs, Sound Kapital
7. Lady Gaga, Born This Way (Bonus Track Version)
Cora K, Rapturous
The Rapture, In the Grace of Your Love
The Vaccines, What Did You Expect From the Vaccines
The Drums, Portamento
Above and Beyond, Group Therapy
Gotye, Making Mirrors
Best concert: The Rapture at The Corner Hotel, MelbourneBest DJ: Above and Beyond, Amnesia, IbizaMost memorable festival experience: Portishead at Harvest Festival, Weribee. They were so dark that free therapy sessions should have been given out afterwards.
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Rhiannon F Goes with the Flo
Ok best album - Florence + the Machine - Ceremonials.
Also over here in sunny ol' England there was an advert around Christmas time for John Lewis (department store) and they had this really cute kid in it but the song behind I loved. It was Slow Moving Millie with Please, please, please let me get what I want. A cover of The Smiths and also She + Him did a cover of it for 500 Days of Summer but Slow Moving Millie's version is so nice.
Bon Appetit, Melissa W!
My list is short this year, as I didn't discover much, just dove back into my old stuff and basked in nostalgia for the most part. But on the 2011, front...
1. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
2. Cults, Cults
3. Wilco, The Whole Love
4. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
And, new to me, but perhaps long-known to other parents around Brooklyn and the world:
5. Various, Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals ("Tess" is a standout)
Kathleen P says Trapper is a Keeper
Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing
Cassettes Won't Listen - Evinspacey
The Dears - Degeneration Street
The Decembrists - The King is Dead
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Kooley High - Presents David Thompson
Lupe Fiasco - Lasers
Oh Land - Oh Land
Rihanna - Talk That Talk
Tennis - Cape Dory
Special Mention For a Most Promising EP - Glass Candy, Warm in the Winter
Maggie S Catches a Cab
Favorite 2011 Albums
1 - Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys
2 - Zoe Keating - Into the Trees
3 - Boy & Bear - Moonfire
4 - Florence & the Machine - Ceremonials
Notes: Three of these are by artists I loved so much I didn’t think they could pull off an album I would like as well or —gasp — even better than their previous ones. But Death Cab, Florence, and Zoe delivered three albums that are that Holy Grail of music — songs that are fantastic on their own but make even more sense as an album. Boy & Bear is an Australian newcomer for me. It was what I WANTED the Fleet Foxes album to be.
Favorite Albums I Found in 2011 (Not from 2011)
- Ramona Falls - Intuit (2009)
- Fionn Regan - The End of History(2007)
I’m not sure if I would’ve been sucked into Ramona Falls without their weird and distressing music video for “I Say Fever,” but I DID see the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eqZHvpAbss), and the rest is iPod history. Fionn Regan is an Irish songwriter who is always appropriate to play when you have any sort of company over, even when that company is your mother.
2011 Albums I thought would make it, but didn’t:
- Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto (songwriting largely buried by bombastic, big stage production)
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (beautiful but inaccessible, with the exception of “Helplessness Blues” and “The Shrine”)
- Feist - Metals (lovely but missing the whimsy of her earlier work)
Favorite 2011 Singles
Coldplay - “Major Minus”
Gotye - “Someone That I Used to Know”
Shinedown - “The War Inside”
Adele - “Rolling in the Deep”
Imogen Heap - “Lifeline”
City & Colour - “Little Hell”
The Civil Wars - “Barton Hollow”
Foster the People - “Pumped Up Kicks”
Lost Lander - “Cold Feet” & “Afraid of Summer”**Lost Lander gets bonus points for being so new and so small that you get to be the cool person for knowing they exist for at least a few months
Favorite Singles I Found in 2011 (Not From 2011)
The Saw Doctors - “Red Cortina (acapella version)
The Submarines - “1940 (AmpLive remix”)
Arcade Fire - “Ready to Start”
Bell X1 - “Snakes & Snakes”
Woodpigeon - “And As the Ship Went Down . . .”
Thu Says, “Bon’s Away!”
a year of great singles trapped inside mediocre albums:
1. bon iver, bon iver
good but nowhere near as good as for emma, forever ago. too much green, not enough white. best tracks: minnesota, WI and michicant.
2. nicolas jaar, space is only noise
apparently this kid was born in the ‘90s. he’s good at replicating the sound of rain falling infinitely outside a gray window, so, kudos.
especially: too many kids finding rain in the dust, keep me there.
3. feist, metals
i’m just happy this exists. most of all for: the circle married the line.
4. st. vincent, strange mercy
i applaud st. vincent for wanting to get weirder, but remembering the ease and glibness with which she told john to marry her in 2007, i wish her lyrical bravado were still the most important part of her music. alas, girl’s still got plenty of moxie with: surgeon, cheerleader, and cruel.
John A: The Oak’s On Him
11.M83: Hurry Up We’re Dreamers
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.: It’s a Corporate World
9. Bjork: Biophilia
8. PJ Harvey: Let England Shake
7. Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues
6. Radiohead: The King of Limbs
5. Elbow: The Seldom Seen Kid
4. Panda Bear: Tomboy
3. Beirut: The Rip Tide
2. The Decemberists: The King is Dead
1. Wye Oak: Civilian
Best “Metal” Record: Anthrax: Worship Music
Best Reissue: Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream
Biggest Surprise: Coldplay: Mylo Xyloto (it doesn’t suck!)
Best Discovery: Riddle of Steel (from St.Louis; broke up in 2003, two killer albums; for fans of Queens of the Stone Age, The Police and Van Halen!)
Jonathan V is in it, Head and Heart
My Favorites of 2011
1. The Head and the Heart, The Head and the Heart
2. F*cked Up, David Comes to Life
3. The Antlers, Burst Apart
4. Destroyer, Kaputt
5. Active Child, You Are All I See
6. M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
7. Kate Bush, 50 Words for Snow
8. Beirut, The Riptide
9. Florence & The Machine , Ceremonials
10. Washed Out, Within and Without
1. THE HEAD & THE HEART - The second time listening through this simple, sweet folk album, I knew it was going to be my favorite of not just 2011, but retroactively 2010, 2009, and possibly 2008. Heartfelt, full of quiet yearning, usually an album needs to be “live” to have this same warm vibe.
2. DAVID COMES TO LIFE – A punk epic that redefines the rock opera, this is a truly great record. The track “Just One More Night” must be heard to be believed--imagine a Green Jelly song that gives you chills up and down your spine. Its final strains will be accompanied by the sound of you weeping openly.
3. BURST APART – Get lost in a forest of falsetto and digital fuzz.
4. KAPUTT – Dan Bejar’s lyrics sound like indie pop riddles, his music is downright gorgeous, and he proves on “Kaputt” that he’s capable of morphing from “Hunky Dory” to “Avalon” without losing his essential Canadianness.
5. YOU ARE ALL I SEE – For a good month, you were all I heard! Active Child's music is increasingly indescribable, like the genes of several genres remixing themselves for fun and profit. Just listen to the first minute of “Hanging On”. You won’t know what the hell you’re hearing, and I mean that in the best way.
6. HURRY UP, WE’RE DREAMING – This is another epic M83 album, full of space and awe and unexpected gorgosity. “Midnight City” was the single of the year for me, with its hyperactive electropop rooster chorus.
7. 50 WORDS FOR SNOW –Kate Bush has concocted another beguiling mystery of an album, with its own arch sense of humor and real gravitas. Where else are you going to hear a song about knocking boots with a snowman? And who else can make that song both erotic and heartbreaking? She’s one of our great storytellers, in any medium.
8. THE RIPTIDE – Consistently brilliant. Music that's inventive and old-fashioned at the same time.
9. CEREMONIALS – What’s even better than a year with a great new Kate Bush record? A year that ALSO features a great new record from somebody working in the same mystical, voice-as-sound-weapon vein.
10. WITHIN AND WITHOUT – Car commercial music mixed with sex scene music, what more do you want?
More Than Honorable Mention:
We Are Augustines for unbridled muppet passion, Feist for a wonderfulness that I have officially taken for granted, Iron and Wine for pretty much the same thing, The Decemberists for their brilliant skin-shedding act, John Maus for his borderline-satire-synths, and The Vaccines for earnestly punky britpop.
Albums of the Year that Weren’t from the Year:
Three of the best albums I heard in 2011 were not from 2011, two of them not even remotely…
The Blue Nile, “Hats”
How can something so understated be so overwhelming? Call it the Zen of Soft Synth.
Genesis, “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”
This album is a proggy odyssey, full of gorgeous instrumentals, batsh*t crazy lyrics, and the brashest performance from Gabriel ever put under a needle.
Kverlatak, Kverlatak
Norwegian metal in Norwegian, not that this matters if you want to rock with them.
Kevin K. Gives 2011 to December
My list:
The King Is Dead by The Decemberists
Middle Brother by Middle Brother
The Double Cross by Sloan
The Wombats Proudly Present: This Modern Glitch by The Wombats
Nothing Is Wrong by Dawes
Torches by Foster the People
The Sound of His Own Voice by John Wesley Harding
Dye It Blonde by Smith Westerns
International Pop Overthrow by Material Issue (Re-issue)
The Whole Love by Wilco
The Last Place by Army Navy
W H O K I L L by Tune-Yards
The Electromagnetic Escape by The Red Sea Pedestrians
Pickin’ Up The Pieces by Fitz & The Tantrums
Hot Sauce Committee Part Two by Beastie Boys
Sky Full of Holes by Fountains of Wayne
Alabama Shakes EP by Alabama Shakes
21 by Adele
The Go Rounds (2011) by The Go Rounds
KMAG YOYO (& other American stories) by Hayes Carll
El Camino by The Black Keys
Only In Dreams by Dum Dum Girls
We Are The Champions by Jeff The Brotherhood
All Eternals Deck by The Mountain Goats
An Argument With Myself EP by Jens Lekman
Hello Sadness by Los Campesinos!
It’s A Corporate World by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
Kiss Each Other Clean by Iron & Wine
The Old Magic by Nick Lowe
Stone Rollin’ by Raphael Saadiq
Andrea C, Throws Her Support to Minnesota, WI
1. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
2. Adele - 21
3. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
4. Low - C'mon
5. Foster the People - Torches
6. Cults - Cults
7. Neon Indian - Era Extrana
8. M83 - Hurry Up We're Dreaming
9. Florence and the Machine - Ceremonials
10. Phantogram - Nightlife
May 2012 bring yet more fantastic music. I'm waiting for the National's next album...
Billy M Will Lay Your Shit Bare
21, Adele
Born This Way, Lady Gaga
Anar, Marketa Irglova
Night of Hunters, Tori Amos
Ceremonials, Florence + The Machine
Born to Die (leaked!), Lana Del Rey
Helplessness Blues, Fleet Foxes
The King Is Dead, The Decemberists
Femme Fatale, Britney Spears
Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Harry S, Aggressively Naked, Famous
Passive Me, Aggressive You, by The Naked and Famous, and Wild Flag's eponymous album
Zack Goes For Flora Over Fauna
Fredrik, Flora
Jonas R Looks into the eyes of a Stranger
Most essential:
Amy Lavere, Stranger Me -- such a great breakup album I wish I had a vindictive heart and someone just broke it.
Filling out my Top 10, in no particular order:
Cake, Showroom of Compassion
Wild Flag, Wild Flag
John Doe, Keeper
Wilco, The Whole Love
Beastie Boys, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
Snakefarm, My Halo at Half-Light
Thao and Mira, Eleven
Honeyhoney, Billy Jack
Adele, 21
Honorable Mentions:
Shilpa Ray, Teenage and Torture
The Gaddabouts, The Gaddabouts
The Smithereens, 2011
David Lynch, Crazy Clown Time
Ryan Adams, Ashes & Fire
Dum Dum Girls, Only in Dreams
Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling, Dharohar Project EP
Siobhan V Raves On
Veronica Falls - Veronica Falls
Cults - Cults
Out of Love - Mister Heavenly
Strange Mercy - St Vincent
In Heaven - Twin Sister
!Bonus! Rave On - Buddy Holly covers
Brant R Goes Kaputt
My Most Essential Album:
Destroyer/Kaputt
In Range of Most Essential:
James Blake/James Blake
Cults/Cults
Stephen Malkmus/Mirror Traffic
Washed Out/Within and Without
Eventual Essential Potential: Atlas Sound/Parallax; The Black Keys/El Camino; Bon Iver/Bon Iver; Clams Casino/Instrumental Mixtape; Florence + The Machine/Ceremonials; Eleanor Friedberger/Last Summer; Girls/Father, Son, Holy Ghost; Little Dragon/Ritual Union; Frank Ocean/nostalgia, ULTRA; Real Estate/Days; Smith Westerns/Dye It Blonde; Surfer Blood/Tarot Classics [EP]; tUnE-yArDs/W H O K I L L; Youth Lagoon/The Year of Hibernation; Yuck/Yuck
Other Albums I Enjoyed: Adele/21; Beyoncé/4; Blouse/Blouse; Bright Eyes/The People’s Key; Guy Clark Jr./The Bright Lights EP; Coldplay/Mylo Xyloto; Danger Mouse/Rome; The Decemberists/The King Is Dead; Fleet Foxes/Helplessness Blues; Noel Gallagher/Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds; Jay-Z & Kanye West/Watch the Throne; The Joy Formidable/The Big Roar; Lady Gaga/Born This Way; The Strokes/Angles; Tom Waits/Bad As Me; The Weeknd/House of Balloons; Wilco/The Whole Love; Wild Flag/Wild Flag
Some Essential Tracks: Adele/Rolling in the Deep; Atlas Sound/Mona Lisa; Battles with Matias Aguayo/Ice Cream; The Black Keys/Nova Baby; James Blake/Limit to Your Love; Blouse/Videotapes; Cults/Abducted; Destroyer/Savage Night at the Opera; Eleanor Friedberger/I Won’t Fall Apart on You Tonight; Noel Gallagher/I’d Pick You Every Time; Girls/Alex; The Joy Formidable/Austere; Little Dragon/Ritual Union; Stephen Malkmus/Stick Figures in Love; Smith Westerns/Weekend; The Strokes/Life Is Simple in the Moonlight; Surfer Blood/Voyager Reprise; tUnE-yArDs/Bizness; Washed Out/Amor Fati; Yuck/Shook Down
Essential Albums from Previous Years:
Alice Cooper/Billion Dollar Babies [1973]
Beach House/Teen Dream [2010]
The Black Keys/The Big Come Up [2002]
Cut Copy/In Ghost Colours [2008]
Deerhunter/Halcyon Digest [2010]
Electric Light Orchestra/Out of the Blue [1977]
Brian Eno/Before and After Science [1977]
Heart/Dreamboat Annie [1976]
Ke$ha/Animal [2010]
Lynyrd Skynyrd/(pronounced 'lĕh-'nērd 'skin-'nērd) [1973]
TV Girl/TV Girl [EP] [2010]
Washed Out/Life of Leisure [2010]
Ron Wood/Gimme Some Neck [1979]
Neil Young/Live Rust [1979]
Essential Tracks from Previous Years: ABBA/Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (a Man After Midnight); Alice Cooper/Hello Hooray; The Black Keys/I’ll Be Your Man; Cut Copy/Out There on the Ice; Deerhunter/Desire Lines; Electric Light Orchestra/Summer and Lightning; Electric Six/Synthesizer; Brian Eno/By This River; Donald Fagen/I.G.Y.; Fleetwood Mac/Lindsey’s Song #1 (I Know I’m Not Wrong); The Flying Burrito Bros/Hand to Mouth; Heart/Crazy on You; The Hold Steady/Certain Songs; The Human League/Human; INXS/Mystify; Jackson 5/Maybe Tomorrow; Ke$ha/TiK ToK; Nicolette Larson/Lotta Love; Huey Lewis & the News/Walking on a Thin Line; Madvillain/Sickfit; J Mascis/Ground Me to You; Harry Nilsson/River Deep, Mountain High; Pearl Jam/Corduroy; Katy Perry/Hot N Cold; The Rascals/Groovin’; Right Said Fred/Don’t Talk Just Kiss; Johnny Rivers/Secret Agent Man; Semisonic/Closing Time; The Staple Singers/(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay; Mavis Staples/Trippin’ On Your Love; Rod Stewart/It’s Not the Spotlight; Sweet/Fox on the Run; Yann Tiersen/Fuck Me; Alphonse Trent and His Orchestra/After You’ve Gone; TV Girl/If You Want It; The Walker Brothers/No Regrets; Washed Out/Feel It All Around; Steve Winwood/While You See a Chance; Ron Wood/Worry No More; Neil Young/Lotta Love
Nick E is a Holocene-ster
1. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
During a summer overrun with Gaga and Britney and Rihanna, this album was a breath of fresh air. The pop was fun, it served its purpose; but it’s Bon Iver I wanted to come home to at the end of a day. This has earned a permanent place on my iPod.
2. Dolorean, The Unfazed
After several albums that only offered love songs about adultery, self-destruction, and a half-botched suicide pact, this one closes out with an unapologetic, almost saccharine love song. It’s like finally being rewarded with affection from a withholding lover! And the rest of the album is great, too.
3. M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
I want to buy a car just so I can drive around at night listening to this on a dark interstate.
4. Florence + The Machine, Ceremonials
This one might deserve to rank higher, but I’ve only listened to it a few times at this point. There’s something oddly shameless about these songs – totally uninhibited. If I had long hair, I’d have to let it down when listening to this.
5. Stephin Merritt, Obscurities
Something old, something new. A little bit of everything I love about this man’s music and, for the first time in a while, not a single track so weird I have to skip it.
Stephanie S Paints it Black
Here we go...
1,The Black Keys, El Camino
2. Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials
3. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Best new finds:
Brother by Matt Corby
Seeker Lover Keeper ( Aussie super group with Sally Seltman, Holly Throsby and Sarah Blasko)
Kasia G Shows Some Mercy
My essential album of the year was:
St. Vincent, Strange Mercy
Anica Likes Welch’s Jelly
Most essential:
Gillian Welch, The Harrow & The Harvest
(I mean, come on. It's Gillian.)
Also essential:
The Roots, Undun
Me likey:
The Black Keys, El Camino
Ana Egge, Bad Blood
The Jayhawks, Mockingbird Time (but mostly for sentimental reasons)
Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, & Chris Thile, The Goat Rodeo Sessions
Best old albums I bought last year:
John Fahey, The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death The Dillards, Wheatstraw Suite
2010 album I'm still playing the most:
Gorillaz, Plastic Beach
(so good)
1. Adele, 21 (42 votes)
2. Bon Iver, Bon Iver (29)
3. Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials (25)
4. The Decemberists, The King is Dead (17)
5. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues (15)
6. M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (10)
Cults, Cults (10)
Radiohead, King of Limbs (10)
Lady Gaga, Born This Way (10)
Runners up: Death Cab for Cutie, Codes and Keys (8), Lykki Li, Wounded Rhymes (8), The Weeknd, House of Balloons (8), PJ Harvey, Let England Shake (7), Feist, Metals (7), The Head and the Heart, The Head and the Heart (7)
Notes: We had 89 respondents this year, and two impressive feats for Adele here. Ahe ekes out the highest vote total in the history of the poll (beating 2007’s The Neon Bible by Arcade Fire by one vote). And, for the first time in thirteen years, the collective poll’s top choice matches my own. As many of you say: It was Adele’s year. So how could we resist? Bon Iver, Florence + the Machine, and Fleet Foxes had strong showings for second albums, which is not always the case in the music poll (Arcade Fire notwithstanding). Radiohead hit the list for the fourth time – a first that Death Cab for Cutie would have matched if they’d gotten two more votes.
My choices leave me Rolling in the Deep
I must confess that this was not a particularly great music year for me. Good, yes. Great, no. I think any of my top four from last year would have beat the following for #1 this year. But so it goes. There’s still a lot to be happy about.
(1) Adele, 21
It’s a great album, and I spent the first half of the year listening to it fairly nonstop. And if contains at least three undeniably great songs (hello, “Rolling in the Deep”, “Turning Tables”, and “Someone Like You” – all of which will be played fifty years from now.) If I’m at all hesitant, it’s because Adele fatigue has set in – I’m ready to not listen to this for a while. But for posterity’s sake, it would be ridiculous of me to not recognize this as the album that was most essential to my year.
Best tracks: “Someone Like You”, “Turning Tables”, “Rolling in the Deep”
(2) Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials
Ultimately, this will probably prove more important to me than Adele’s album . . . but it hasn’t quite broken through to that point yet. I imagine I’m being unfair to it, like a parent who is secretly disappointed that the second child isn’t quite as awesome as the first one. Lungs is going to end up being one of my favorite albums of all time; I suspect Ceremonials will end up being (when I look back) one of my favorite albums of 2011. I also don’t know whether or not to count the bonus tracks on the deluxe edition of the album, which aren’t nearly as good as the album proper. But putting that aside, it’s still a stunner. And “Shake it Out” came close to being my song of the year.
Best tracks: “Shake it Out”, “No Light, No Light”, “What the Water Gave Me”
(3) Death Cab for Cutie, Codes and Keys
Just as my love for Lungs makes me too critical of Ceremonials, my disappointment in Narrow Stairs probably made me like Codes and Keys more. It’s indie pop at its best, with songs like “Some Boys” adding an edge to the romanticism.
Best tracks: “Some Boys”, “Codes and Keys”, “Stay Young, Go Dancing”
(4) Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes
Although there would be echoes of it in albums that came out later in the year, what struck me most about Wounded Rhymes was its singular sound – merging the Spector touch with indie rock to make music that harkened back to Be My Baby while at the same time feeling very now. Sexy, sad, and Swedish.
Best tracks: “Sadness is a Blessing”, “Youth Knows No Pain”, “Get Some”
Honorable mention:
Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Feist, Metals
Alexi Murdoch, Towards the Sun
The Firework Award for Song That Made Me Happiest This Year: Kelly Clarkson’s “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)”
Songs of the Year (not counting those mentioned above):
Matt Nathanson, “Kiss Quick”
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, “Heart in Your Heartbreak”
The Head and the Heart, “Rivers and Roads”
Avril Lavigne, “I Love You”
Fleet Foxes, “Helplessness Blues”
Robyn, “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” (Coldplay cover)
Rumor Has Rachel L’s Picks
1. Adele, 21
2. Christina Perri, Lovestrong
3. Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
Elisa votes for Civilians
1. Wye Oak, Civilian
2. tUnE-yArDs, Whokill
3. Light Asylum, In Tension (EP)
4. Shabazz Palaces, Black Up
5. EMA, Past Martyred Saints
6. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
7. Sons and Daughters, Mirror Mirror
8. Wild Flag, S/T
9. Das Racist, Relax
10. Kate Bush, Director's Cut
So Beautiful, So Sarah W. Says
Most Essential: Paul Simon, So Beautiful, So What
Anna Q Lets It Shake
Adele, 21
Civil Wars, Barton Hollow
Corinne Bailey Rae, The Sea*
Decemberists, The King Is Dead
Feist, Metals
PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
Florence and the Machine, Lungs*
Gaby Moreno, Illustrated Songs
(*- not 2011 releases, but listened to throughout 2011)
Andrew H Stands on Ceremonials
Most Essential Album
Florence + The Machine, Ceremonials
But Most Essential Song
Lana Del Ray, “Video Games”
Other Essential Albums
Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Various Artists, The Breaking Dawn Soundtrack (with no apologies – it’s boot-stompingly, heart-chillingly fantastic)
Steven M’s Diamond Life
10. Cass McCombs, Wit's End - not sure how I've missed this guy (this is his fifth record). Singer-songwriter stuff, but pretty sparse, depressing, slow and dark. I find it captivating, and love his voice, although it sort of peters out by the end. Maybe would have been the album Harry Nilsson would be making if he was still around and backed up by The Clientele. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOcnITphyjk&ob=av2e
9. Radiohead, The King of Limbs. Full disclosure - they are my favorite band. I would buy just about anything they put out, no questions asked. Naturally, I eagerly anticipated this 2011 release and devoured it as soon as I got it. I have mixed emotions about it - I love the last four songs, but the first four don't do as much for me. The first four are amazing and a tremendous achievement, meaning I can't imagine any other band being able to play and construct those songs. However, other than "Little by Little," they seem to be missing something, namely a memorable hook or melody line for me. In some ways, they are in another world musically, not needing the typical song constructs to make their point. As for the final four tunes, I love them, they're so complex yet accessible. "Give up the Ghost" sounds like a long lost Neil Young tune, great touch. Here's the last tune on the record, a little disconcerting, the video is backwards, everyone plays left handed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaVylBJQsro Can't wait to see them on tour in 2012 if I'm lucky enough. No band comes close. Still have no idea why they added a second drummer though...
8. Feist, Metals. At first, this didn't grab me like it has at this point. I think things changed after seeing her live on this tour - I understand what she's trying to do a little more - use the vocals instead of other instruments to solo. I was hoping for another "The Reminder," but this is a departure from that. I especially love the background vocals throughout the record, pretty amazing. This could have been at the top of the list if it had a stronger single. With a single on par with "Mushaboom," this could have been a classic record. Still, really well-written and sung tunes, just a little too slow to bring out her best. She's still the best female rock star. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INtvoVTYeGc
7. Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes - I have the record she made before this, which I enjoy, but she made a big step on this record - much more consistent in both quality and as a record as a whole. I definitely enjoy the record more than the concert, which I thought became tiresome. I really like the influences on this record - '60's Rock and roll, heavy percussive drums, never as present as in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7hqiiKwuJE
6. Little Scream, The Golden Record - Wow, when did this list turn into the "Lilith Faire," with three female artists in a row? Not as surprising as my three Swedish artists in a row in '10's list, but interesting nonetheless. As far as I can tell, Little Scream is, like Feist, from Montreal. Some of these songs are really really good, and the performances are great. No telling what the ceiling is for Little Scream, the songs are varied, not formulaic and all hit the mark. My favorite song isn't necessarily the best, but my favorite because its very Townshend/Who-ish, judge for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zafwnCzuO9M My hope for the years to come is for Little Scream to team up with Thom Yorke, what a combination that would be.
5. Dawes, Nothing is Wrong - Solid songwriting from an LA band - nothing incendiary, but a good listen, Americana/roots music-style. Like Lykke Li, the better performance is on the record, they could tighten things up live. Perhaps a little too Jackson Browne/classic rock sounding, but hey one of the great revelations in the Keith Richards' book is that he listened to "Running on Empty" ("We were in the Pathé Marconi studios because they were owned by EMI, with whom we'd just made a big deal. This one was way on the outskirts of town in Boulogne-Billancourt, near the Renault factory; nothing around like restaurants or bars. It was a car ride, and I remember that I was listening to Jackson Browne's Running on Empty on a daily commuter basis."). In fact, this song has him on it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdjxDLZrtKQ. Like the harmonies between the two brothers, including the drummer.
4. The Naked and Famous, Passive Me Agressive You: it's about time a Kiwi band made it back on the list. Just a fun record, good time music, a good tonic for just about every record preceding this on the list. What they lack in musical chops they more than make up in energy, sophmoric mostly, but without sounding teenage. Good mostly synth party record. Not the greatest song, but what a great title in "A Wolf in Geek's Clothing." You had me at "A Wolf..." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQOwFyGG9Bc
3. Belle Brigade, Belle Brigade - The opener on the now legendary Belle Brigade/Dawes/Blitzen Trapper show this Fall at the Fillmore, I had no expectations. However, the band was hot, performances and vocals spectacular, what a great set. Definitely glad we got there early that night. At that point, I already had the record, and enjoyed it. From the record, I hadn't put it together that the singers are brother and sister. But instead playing Phil and Don, its more of a Nash and Crosby harmony sound, they actually shoot for a CSN sound and pull it off. To credit the vocals for the success of the record is shortsighted - the songs are strong alt.country with inspired performances. Once they get some more tunes under their belt, they could be a force. Quite a debut record. Here's a song with them without the band. In the bath. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1p7EG65tf4
2. Nick Lowe, The Old Magic - I spent a lot of the first part of the year listening to Nick Lowe's back catalog, finding my favorites being the later half of his career. I went to a memorable Elvis Costello this summer and Elvis played "Peace, Love, and Understanding," introducing it as written by England's greatest songwriter - Nick Lowe. From that point on, I was excited about "The Old Magic," and he, as usual, didn't disappoint. Shelagh and I were lucky enough to see him play the record solo at the Great American Music Hall, and the songs and performance were charming and impeccable. He makes songwriting seem so easy. Each song is fantastic, though the 50's songs are probably one too many, but that's nitpicking. What I would do to be able to write a song like "Stoplight Roses" or "House For Sale (at 9:12 of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKhawkQQQmY)." He's also kind enough to throw in "The Poisoned Rose," from my favorite Elvis record, "King of America." He opened up for Wilco this year on tour, must have been a hell of a show.
1. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins, Diamond Mine - This was one of the last records I heard this year, and am so glad I was able to find it. Just absolutely mesmerizing. When I play it in iTunes, it comes up as "electronica," but I believe its the "folkiest" record I've bought in years. It's a mix of Creosote's stripped down songs and Hopkins' smart production and electronic input, somewhat like Alan Parson's additions to "Dark Side of the Moon." Creosote himself decribes it as a ""soundtrack to a romanticized version of a life lived in a Scottish coastal village, the record weaves in slices of life, bike wheels, spring tides, tea cups and cafe chatter." One of those records I wish was a little longer, just an intense atmosphere of a Scottish world through words, music and effects. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ723RFTe4Q
Best music moment of the year - Without a doubt, the highlight of the year, musically speaking, was getting a chance to meet THE Brian Wilson at Amoeba Records, as he signed a copy of the recently released "Smile" for me. Other than Mozart himself arising from the dead, I can't imagine meeting a bigger musical hero. What a thrill, I couldn't have been happier, and all he said to me was, "your welcome."
My favorite two songs of the year were Mogwai's "White Noise" the (naturally) instrumental opener from the best named record of the year, "Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ovFDMCPoHQ; and Low's "Try To Sleep" from "C'Mon": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXgc0I0zsYs (best use of Stamos since "Stepbrothers").
Ben W Turns Some Tables
1. Adele, 21
2. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
3. Beyonce, 4
4. Jay Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne
5. Lady Gaga, Born this Way
6. Paul Simon, So Beautiful or So What
7. Radiohead, King of Limbs
8. The Decemberists, The King is Dead
Favorite new band is Aunt Martha.
Ned V. Strikes Out for the Riviera
Most essential:
Metronomy, The English Riviera
Other essential:
The Strokes, Angles
Rock on!
Stewart L, Blake Baby
1) Jonsi, Go*
2) James Blake, James Blake
3) Imogen Heap, Ellipse*
4) Kate Bush, 50 Words For Snow
5) Mike Doughty, Yes And Also Yes
6) One Eskimo, One Eskimo, EP
7) Mat Kearny, Young Love
8) Radical Face, Ghost
9) Thom Yorke, The Eraser*
10) Gregory Alan Isakov, This Empty Northern Hemisphere
(*- not 2011 releases, but listened to throughout 2011)
Megan B’s Essentials: DeCoded
So here are my essential albums for 2011:
1. Death Cab for Cutie, Codes and Keys
2. Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
3. Adele, 21
4. Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials
5. Radiohead, King of Limbs
Singles:1. Death Cab for Cutie, Stay Young Go Dancing2. Adele, Rolling in the Deep3. Florence and the Machine, What the Water Gave Me4. Black Keyes, Lonely Boy5. Beastie Boys featuring Santigold, Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win6. Young the Giant, Cough Syrup
Jeff S, Arch Loafer
Here’s my top 10 for the year:
1. Archers of Loaf, Icky Mettle reissue! / Can, Tago Mago reissue! / Superchunk, Foolish reissue!
2. The Weeknd, House of Balloons & Thursday
3. Youth Lagoon, The Year of Hibernation
4. Battles, Gloss Drop
5. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Belong
6. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
7. Iceage, New Brigade
8. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
9. Holy Ghost, Holy Ghost
10. Fucked Up, David Comes to Life
Aimee F. Finds Someone Like You
These are my shameless-pop single picks:
Obvious, but: SOMEONE LIKE YOU (Adele)
It’s sort of terrible, but can’t stop listening: MOVES LIKE JAGGER (Maroon 5)
Ditto: S&M (Rihanna)
THE EDGE OF GLORY (Gaga)
I WANNA GO and TILL THE WORLD ENDS (Britney)
PARTY ROCK ANTHEM (LMFAO)
Clearly I was in a dancing mood this year…
Dan P Rages for the Machine
This one's easy:
1. Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials
2. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
3. Patrick Wolf, Lupercalia
4. Adele, 21
One I missed from last year:
The Naked and Famous, Passive Me Agressive You
And some with future potential:
Katie Herzig, The Waking Sleep
Youth Lagoon, The Year of Hibernation
Corey W, Bon Vivant
My most essential album for the year:
1. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Best Single of the Year:
1. "We Are Young," Fun, Some Nights
Wye? Because Jon S Loves Them!
The number ten cannot contain my favorite albums for the year!
12. Fucked Up, David Comes to Life
11. Times New Viking, Dancer Equired
10. Wild Flag, Wild Flag
9. Wavves, Life Sux
8. Zola Jesus, Conatus
7. Tom Waits, Bad As Me
6. EMA, Past Life Martyred Saints
5. Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes
4. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
3. Youth Lagoon, The Year of Hibernation
2. tUnE yArDs, w h o k i l l
And my favorite album of the year, from a band who I've always loved and who I have watched mature over the course of several albums into artists I hope will be a lasting influence on rock music:
1. Wye Oak, Civilian
Kate H’s Bon Mots
#1: Bon Iver, Bon Iver
runners up:
Radiohead, King of Limbs
Other Lives, Tamer Animals
The Black Keys, El Camino
Feist, Metals
Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi, Rome
discoveries from previous years:
Gayngs, Relayted
The XX, XX
Doomtree, Doomtree
Four Tet, There Is Love In You
Lucas K Hurries Up His Choices
1. M83, Hurry Up We're Dreaming
2. The Antlers, Burst Apart
3. Cut Copy, Zonoscope
4. The Go! Team, Rolling Blackouts
5. The Mountain Goats, All Eternals Deck
6. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Belong
7. The Decemberists, The King is Dead
8. Jay-Z/Kanye West, Watch the Throne
9. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
10. Sebastian, Total
Michael T is Workng for the Weeknd
Here is a list (in descending order) of my favorite albums and songs of the year.
1. The Weeknd: House of Balloons
2. Cults: Cults
3. tUnE-yArDs: whokill
4. James Blake: James Blake
5. Bon Iver: Bon Iver
Singles:
1. Azealia Banks: 212
2. Fun.: We Are Young
3. Foster the People: Pumped Up Kicks
4. Laura Marling: Sophia
5. Cut Copy: Need You Now
Jeff H Rolls Some Stones
Didn't hear alot of the bigger albums this year but I really liked....
Raphael Saadiq, Stone Rollin
Adele, 21
Yeesh, that Adele pick makes me feel so middle of the road. But what can you do? It's good.
Bright Eyes Has the Key to Josh B’s Heart
My essential albums of 2011 are:
Bright Eyes, The People's Key
PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
Wilco, The Whole Love
Bright Eyes is my favorite, even with the weird rambling speeches by a possibly insane person between the songs.
Jinny W Finds Music For a Time of War
Here are my picks:
1. Carlos Kalmar and the Oregon Symphony, Music for a Time of War.
2. Emerson String Quartet, Mozart's Prussian Quartets.
3. Takacs String Quartet, Haydn Quartets Op. 71.
Dissing Places, Kody K Votes for People and Things
Albums:
1. Jack's Mannequin, People and Things
2. The Civil Wars, Barton Hallow
3. Adele, 21
4. All Time Low, Dirty Work
5. Lady Gaga, Born This Way
6. Jessie J, Who You Are
Best Import:
Birdy, Birdy
Best Singles:
1. Fun, We Are Young
2. Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars, Safe and Sound
3. Snow Patrol, New York
Kristen K’s One and Only
1. Adele, 21Favorite songs:Nicki Minaj, Super BassFuck You, Cee Lo Green
...is the same as Alecia’s One and Only
My fave this year was 21 by Adele.
Matthue R Goes Camp
Weird thing: There's not much punk/loud stuff on here. I mean, Wild Flag, but that might be a vote for my past. I think that the most exciting stuff I'm finding is stuff that I'm just starting to give a second thought to? Also, other thing: A lot of the albums here are free mixtapes that the artists give away online. I mean, I love the hip-hop community.
most essential: Childish Gambino, Camp
and:
2. Wild Flag, Wild Flag
3. Frank Ocean, nostalgia, ultra.
4. Shondes, Searchlights
5. Regina Spektor, Live in London
6. Roots, undun
7. Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday
8. Girls in Trouble, Like You, Like Me
9. The Amy Winehouse uncollected-songs album.
10. House of Balloons, The Weeknd
For Kirsten H, No Poison Iver
but of course, number one goes to:
Bon Iver: Bon Iver
others I adore:
M83: Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
TV on the Radio: Nine Types of Light
Lykke Li: Wounded Rhymes
The Joy Formidable: The Big Roar
Tegan and Sara: Get Along
Radiohead: The King of Limbs
Nero: Welcome Reality (...that's right, I included a dubstep album)
The Antlers: Burst Apart
Explosions in the Sky: Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
Scott T Bangs His Drums
2011 Most Essential Album
The Drums, Portamento - catchiest record of the year for me. In heavy heavy rotation via Spotify until I finally got my Xmas copy
Other 2011 Essentials
Cut Copy, Zonoscope - follow-up to another essential proves equally essential
Ladytron, Gravity the Seducer - another classic from Ladytron
Washed Out, Within and Without - Infectious from first listen
Essentials Discovered in 2011
Bag Raiders, Bag Raiders (2010) - another brilliant Aussie electropop band
Daft Punk, Tron:Legacy Soundtrack (2010) - film was just an excuse for this amazing record. It almost made the movie good.
Patrick C Joins the Cult of Cults
TOP
Cults - Cults. Fell for the 60's vibe!
RUNNER UP
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Sara R loves her Girl Talk
Girl Talk, All Day
in part because of Girl Walk All Day, which is deeply joyous and fantastic.
I could mention other albums but really that is the one which was most essential in 2011.
Elana V Keeps Her Bones
My picks are:
1. Frank Turner, England Keep My Bones -- he's my favorite and best discovery of the year; "I Still Believe" is an essential single
Followed by -- The Decemberists, The Kind is Dead;
And of course, Adele.
Kate W Chooses Her King
King of Limbs, Radiohead
Brothers, The Black Keys
Live at Third Man, White Denim
Matthew U Sets Fire to the Rain
Most essential album:
Adele, 21
It's her year, there's no escaping it...
Other essential albums:
Gillian Welch, The Harrow and the Harvest
The Civil Wars, Barton Hollow
Moby, Destroyed
Brian Eno, Drums Between the Bells
Shpongle, The God Particle (EP, full album coming soon)
Artist I bought this year that I can't believe I wasn't already worshipping:
Neko Case, all her albums
Discoveries from the past:
Groove Armada, Black Light
Deadmau5, 4x4=12
Preeti C Heads Toward a Fall
Essential album of 2011: Gorillaz – The Fall
My favorite 2011 discovery (though it came out in 2010): Kid Canaveral – Shouting at the Wildlife
Dean B.’s Tide is High
Favorite Albums of 2011:1. Beirut - Rip Tide2. Alexi Murdoch - Towards The Sun3. Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire4. Radiohead - King Of Limbs5. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake6. Bon Iver - s/t7. R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now8. Mike Doughty - Yes And Also Yes9. Feist - Metals10. Eddie Vedder - Ukelele Songs11. Thao & Mirah - s/t
2011 Favorites Mix Tape1. Lotus Flower – Radiohead2. Sad Song – The Cars3. Under Cover of Darkness – The Strokes4. Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win – Beastie Boys f/Santogold5. Discoverer - R.E.M.6. The Trick – Das Racist7. Keep Your Heart - TV on the Radio8. East Harlem – Beirut9. The Glorious Land – PJ Harvey10. How Dare You – Thao & Mirah11. Ashes & Fire – Ryan Adams12. Comfort Me – Feist13. Rational Man – Mike Doughty14. You Are A Tourist – Death Cab for Cutie15. The Broken Places – Moby16. Holocene – Bon Iver17. Virus – Bjork18. Through The Dark – Alexi Murdoch19. One Sunday Morning - Wilco
Josh L’s King David
1. Decemberists, The King is Dead2. Fucked Up, David Comes to Life
Scott D’s Bout That Life
1. Lady, Bout Dat Life2. Lady Gaga, Born This Way3. Rihanna, Talk That Talk
Rob M’s Counting His Days
1. Real Estate - Days
2. Caged Animals - Eat Your Own
3. Bewitched Hands - Birds & Drums
4. Yuck - S/T
5. Cloud Nothings - S/T
6. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
7. Hooray For Earth - True Loves
8. New Animal - S/T
9. Black Lips - Arabia Mountain
10. Hotel Mexico - His Jeweled Letter Box
11. War On Drugs - Future Weather
12. Ume - Phantoms
13. The Horrors - Skying
Fiona S Takes it All
Adele, 21
Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials
The Decemberists, The King is Dead
Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
Beyonce, 4
Almost Great/Should have been:
Lady Gaga, Born This Way
Jasper D Shakes it Out
Most essential album of 2011:
Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials
Other essential albums of 2011, in no particular order:
Adele, 21
Lady Gaga, Born This Way
Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes
Jessie J, Who You Are
Rachael Yamagata, Chesapeake
Patrick Wolf, Lupercalia
Ellie Goulding, Lights
Bjork, Biophilia
St. Vincent, Strange Mercy
What a fantastic year for music.
Lauren O Rises the Ashes
Ryan Adams, Ashes and Fire!
Incredible writing, driving, and lounging-by-the-fire-doing-nothing accompaniment. :)
Paula M Keys In Her Choices
It was hard to narrow down the list but I think I have finally done it. 1. Death Cab for Cutie, Codes and Keys This was a hard call to make. Death Cab and Florence + the machine were my top choices. If I were being completely honest, I'd tell you Florence had the better album and I let my sick obsession with Death Cab color my decision. But honesty be damned. I decided to pick Codes and Keys because it was most essential to me even if it wasn't the best album of the year. 2. Florence + the machine, Ceremonials Fine, I'll be honest. It was the best. 3. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, BelongI discovered this album because Rhapsody recommended it and I absolutely love it. I've sung it's praises to many people. However, no one seems to have heard of it. I'm not exactly on the cutting edge of the music scene so this leads me to believe that the band may not actually exist. 4. Destroyer, KaputtI have been a long time Destroyer fan and this album does not disappoint. It makes me quite happy. 5. The Head and The Heart, The Head and The HeartI'm not sure if this one actually counts. I loved the album but I only recently learned it was actually a re-release. (Not on the cutting edge, remember?) Do re-releases count here? Probably not but this album was essential to me. 6. Bon Iver, Bon IverI finally caught up and got on the Bon Iver wagon. Everyone was right. It's amazing. 7. Adele, 21I know she has been horrendously over played. My husband is so sick of her he can barely control his verbal assaults each time she comes on the radio. But this album broke my heart. It broke my heart into a hundred pieces and threw them on the floor. Afterwards, it helped me pick up every piece. And what more can you really ask of an album? 8. Real Estate, DaysThis was a late in the year find but it became essential quite quickly. Just listen to "It's Real." 9. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
It's just a good, old fashioned album about love and heartbreak.
10. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
Some songs can be skipped but they had me at "Midnight City."
11ish. If number 5 doesn't count, move everything else up and add Alex Turner at number 10.
Honorable Mention
Bright Eyes, The People's Key
Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
Big Talk, Big Talk
Alex Turner, Submarine
Cat's Eyes, Cat's Eyes
Tune-yards, w h o k i l l
Bill K Goes for the Head, Heart
1) The Head and the Heart/The Head and the Heart Perfect chill-out music for an evening drive. Harmonies straight out of the Indigo Girls playbook. If you don't like "Rivers and Roads"
there may be something wrong with you.
2) Foster the People/Torches
Awesome pop music. Listened to it a million times this summer and fall. "Call It What You Want" is my favorite track.
3) Adele/21
'Twas the year of Adele. Did you know that "Someone Like You" was the first number one song in more than a decade to feature just piano and vocal. A fact.
4) Guster/Easy Wonderful
Maybe this is a 2010, but man is it good. I found it in 2011 so that's enough for me.
5) Haley Reinhart
I know. American Idol is over. But this girl is so amazing, I could, as Simon Cowell might have said, listen to her sing the phone book.
Her version of Benny and the Jets was my favorite vocal performance of the year.
Rex O. has the Hundred in his Hands
THE HUNDRED IN THE HANDS (self-titled album) is easily my fave new band.
NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB (album: Optimist) comes in as a close second.
CRYSTAL CASTLES(self-titled) in third.
ADELE, 21 in fourth
Eamon T Says This to All The Girls
Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
(Each record keeps getting better. Amazing.)
The Kills - Blood Pressure
(How two people can be this cool is beyond me.)
Lady Gaga - Born This Way
(Undeniable.)
Chapel Club - Palace
(Best new English band.)
Blood Orange - Coastal Grooves
(Dev Hynes latest and best project to date.)
Adele - 21
(Also undeniable.)
Beth Ditto - Beth Ditto EP
(She's everything.)
Wild Flag - Wild Flag
(The 90's really are alive in Portland. Rock n' Roll chicks. Yes!)
Hercules and Love Affair - Blue Songs
(Real disco)
Florence and the Machine - Ceremonials
(As much as I don't want to like this...I find myself singing Shake It Off on a daily basis)
Honorable Mentions...
Pj Harvey - Let England Shake
Cults - Cults
Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong
The Rapture - In the Grace of Your Heart
Looking forward to in 2012
Scissor Sisters - not in love with the single they just released...but can see it's commercial appeal
Lady Gaga - just announced she'll be putting out another record. Don't know how Mother Monster does it all.
Suede - rumors are that they're working on new material
Alaya J’s Americana Harvest
Most essential album of the year:
The Harrow and the Harvest, Gillian Welch (Welch's first album in eight years. Every song is gorgeous. Her voice is one for the ages.
David Rawlings' guitar gently weeps, and you haven't heard harmony until you listen to them sing together. This album felt like a gift.)
Other favorite albums of the year:
The King Is Dead, The Decemberists (Almost made my most essential, except no one can beat Gillian Welch. But she sings on this album!
Which might be my favorite Decemberists record. The English-major-relaxes-in-the-country thing works for them.)
Cults, Cults (I listened to this a lot. I figured it should get a mention on the merits of play count alone.)
El Camino, The Black Keys (Short, sweet and loud.) The Rip Tide, Beirut (This didn't get much love from the press, but I find Beirut compulsively listenable, and this one is no exception).
So Beautiful or So What, Paul Simon (Paul Simon steps up his game.
"Waiting for Christmas Day" and "The Afterlife" are quirky, classic Paul Simon stand outs.)
Helplessness Blues, Fleet Foxes (This didn't sweep me away quite as much as their debut, but it's still an immersive, mesmerizing album.)
Bon Iver, Bon Iver (I don't get the last song. It hurts me. Everything else is great).
Simmerkane II, Chadwick Stokes (I stumbled upon this album via the song "Coffee & Wine," which I strongly suggest you download right now.
Catchy, playful, old-new Americana.)
Singles:
Pumped Up Kicks, Foster The People (Have I listened to this song about a hundred times since I first heard it? Yes. Have I danced every time?
Almost.)
Shake It Up, Florence + The Machine (The album as a whole doesn't quite work for me, but I love this track).
Blue Jeans, Lana Del Rey (I love this song! Video Games is all right, but this is the one that's got the embarrassingly high play count. It reminds me of how much I, too, love the "Marlon Brando in Streetcar Named Desire" look).
Albums I'm sorry I missed last year:
The Turista, Josh Rouse (I love this guy. It's sort of like soft rock, except I normally hate soft rock. Just easy and beautiful and unpretentious. This might be my favorite album of his yet).
Be My Thrill, The Weepies (Actually, is this a theme? Another easy, unpretentious band. I read a review that described their music as being like a "warm hug." Who doesn't like warm hugs?)
Steven M Says, Long Live the King
1. The Decemberists, The King is Dead
2. Brave Irene, Self-titled
3. Josh Rouse & The Long Vacations, Self-titled
4. Brown Recluse, Evening Tapestry
5. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Belong
6. Chixdiggit, Safeways Here We Come
7. Tenement, Napalm Dream
8. Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, Go Down Under
9. P.S. Eliot, Sadie ________________________________
Bryant P Sings the Blues
Most essential albums of 2011, with most essential tracks for each:1. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues"Helplessness Blues," "Bedouin Dress," "Montezuma"2. Smith Westerns, Dye It Blonde"Imagine Pt. 3," "Weekend"3. Kelly Clarkson, Stronger"Stronger," "You Can't Win," "Dark Side"4. M83, Hurry Up We're Dreaming"Splendor," "Midnight City"5. Cults, Cults"Never Saw the Point," "Walk at Night"6. Craft Spells, Idle Labor"After the Moment," "Scandinavian Crush"7. The Head and the Heart, The Head and the Heart"Ghosts," "Cats and Dogs"8. Seryn, This Is Where We Are"We Will All Be Changed"9. Tennis, Cape Dory"Cape Dory," "South Carolina"10. The Drums, Portamento"I Don't Know How to Love," "Money"Honorable mention, but not quite essential: Washed Out, Within and Without; Bon Iver, Bon Iver; Toro y Moi, Underneath the Pine; Thao & Mirah, Thao & Mirah; Charles Bradley, No Time for DreamingTracks I listened to the most this year: "Ghosts" by The Head and the Heart (110); "Helplessness Blues" by Fleet Foxes (107); "Imagine Pt. 3" by Smith Westerns (100)
What the Water Gave Marie R
Most essential:
Florence + The Machine, Ceremonials
Also essential:
Adele, 21
Feist, Metals
The Head and the Heart
Erich N Reaches 21, Drinks It In
1. Adele, 21
The Roots, Undun
Jay-Z & Kanye West, Watch the Throne
The Weeknd, House of Balloons
Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday
Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi, Rome
Amos Lee, Mission Bell
Lady Gaga, Born This Way
Beyonce, 4
TV on the Radio, Nine Types of Light
Anna O Joins the Goat Rodeo
Most Essential Album:
Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, The Goat Rodeo Sessions
If you love classical and bluegrass, this is the album you’ve been waiting for.
Other Favorites:
Beirut, Rip Tide
I go up and down on Beirut, but I enjoyed a lot of the songs on this album
Adele, 21
21 was my first introduction to Adele (I still haven’t listened to all of 19). That voice!
Unfortunately that’s about it for albums. Only since 2009-2010 have I gradually been getting into The Decemberists, Avett Brothers, Vampire Weekend, and Mumford & Sons. So I listened to a lot of their albums last year to my great enjoyment. I can’t get enough of the collaboration between Mumford, The Dharohar Project, and Laura Marling. Only 4 songs, but the amount I’ve played them they seem to be an entire album’s worth.
Teri Y Was Born a Wolf
I think this was a pretty good year for music. Often I find an album I love and then a few months later I find myself not listening to it at all any more. This year I kept going back to albums and not just for that one great single.
This year I had two most essential albums:
Patrick Wolf, Lupercalia
Lady Gaga, Born This Way
Then in no particular order:
The Wanted, Battleground
Ellie Goulding, Bright Lights
Florence + The Machine, Ceremonials
Zebrahead, Get Nice!
Avril Lavigne, Goodbye Lullaby
Cobra Starship, Night Shades
Kelly Clarkson, Stronger
I think it's also important to point out that Robyn, Body Talk is still going strong even though it's been out since 2010.
Top Singles:
Blake Lewis, Heartbreak on Vinyl
Travie McCoy, We'll Be Alright
The Good Natured, Wolves
Britney Spears, Till the World Ends
Karmin, Crash Your Party
Many, many songs from Glee
Best find I missed last year:Chromeo, Business Casual
Lonnie M’s Playing By Heart
Jonathan Coulton, Artificial Heart
Josh R’s Bon Voyage
Bon Iver was hands down my top album of the year, and seeing the band perform live, it was an incredible experience.
Here are my top ten albums of the year:
1: Bon Iver, Bon Iver
2: Feist, Metals
3: Bombay Bicycle Club, A Different Kind of Fix
4: The Antlers, Burst Apart
5: Florence & The Machine, Ceremonials
6: Foster the People, Toches
7: PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
8: Radiohead, The King of Limbs
9: Bright Eyes, The People's Key
10: Coldplay, Xylo Myloto
Elizabeth E Makes Me Stronger
MOST ESSENTIAL
Adele, 21 - Duh.
MOST ESSENTIAL: INNER 16 YEAR OLD
Kelly Clarkson, Stronger - beware boys everywhere, Kelly is back and she's been screwed over. And it's so much fun for the rest of us!
ESSENTIAL
Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials
The Black Keys, El Camino
Death Cab for Cutie, Codes & Keys
The Decemberists, The King is Dead
Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
Foster the People, Torches
Blind Pilot, We are the Tide
Oh Land, Oh Land
Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Marketa Irglova, Anar
The Jezabels, Prisoner
Kevin W’s Lips Are Unsealed
2011 Albums1. Black Lips, Arabia Mountain -- The best Black Lips effort yet pretty much makes it the best album of the year. I repaired and painted the exterior of my house this summer. I live in Alabama. It's hot in the summer in Alabama, very hot. But this Black Lips album made that a fun experience, truth be told. There are at least six or seven songs on here -- "Raw Meat," "Bone Marrow" and "New Direction" in particular -- that make it impossible to remain in a bad mood.
2. The King Khan Experience, The King Khan Experience -- You know what else is good? Free music. Especially free music by Mr. Supernatural himself. Who cares if this was brought to the world from a car company?
3. The Reigning Sound, Abdication -- Another free album from Scion A/V. Honestly, it's not Greg Cartwright's finest work, but even his B game is better than most people's A game.Top single, 20111. Hunx and His Punkettes, Lover's Lane -- I don't know if this was released under Hunx and his Punx or his Punkettes or what, but it's just a slithering little stunner. I am pretty sure this is what Phil Spector had in his heart of hearts all along.
2. Indian Wars, Tuscaloosa Bar -- Okay, so there are better songs out there, but I'm kind of obligated to list this seeing as I live in T-Town.
Early favorites for best song of 2012
King Khan and His Shrines, Bite My Tongue -- Everybody should see a King Khan show before it's too late. Seriously. If you can't have fun at one of his shows you are likely dead or Newt Gingrich.
Mikal Cronin, Am I Wrong -- This is the flipside to the King Khan track. I know precious little about this guy, but this track's a fine start.
Most disappointing album, 2011
The Ettes, Wicked Will -- Meh. Just meh. I guess she left her best work with The Parting Gifts.
Albums from 2010 that was released too late to make the list:
White Wires, WWII -- Who says I don't appreciate straight-out pop?
Sugar Stems, Sweet Sounds Of -- I mean, really, I like a good pop song.
Annie M Wants Someone Like Adele
Overall the year belongs to Adele, 21
Promising new discovery: Agnes Obel, Philharmonics
Most interesting Sound of Music remix: Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata, The Hills Are Alive
And the Broadway album of the year would have to go to The Book of Mormon
Amanda M and the Big Nine
TV On the Radio, Nine Types of Light
Eugene K Watches the Throne
I don't know that I have an album that I would consider the most essential. It's kind of a toss up between Watch the Throne and Bon Iver and the James Blake.
Kanye West & Jay Z, Watch the Throne
Bon Iver, Bon Iver
James Blake, James Blake
Kendrick Lamar, Seection:80
The Weeknd, House of Balloons
Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes
EMA, Past Life Martyred Saints
Frank Ocean, Nostanlia/ultra
BEBETUNE$, inhale C-4 $$$$$
dj BC, Another Jay On Earth
Emelia Z, 21 at Heart
Adele, 21
Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto
Drew L. Prepares for the Jihad
1. Andrew Jackson Jihad, Knife Man
2. Bomb the Music Industry!, Vacation
3. The Horrible Crowes, Elsie
Honorable mention:
Wu Lyf, Go Tell Fire on the Mountain
Girls, Father, Son, Holy Ghost
Jordan S Drinks the Wine
I think I only have one standout for 2011:
Iron & Wine, Kiss Each Other Clean
Ryan C’s Washed Out 2011
1. Washed Out, Within and Without
2. James Blake, James Blake
3. Destroyer, Kaputt
4. M83, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
5. The Weeknd, House of Balloons
6. JJ, Kills
7. How to Dress Well, Just Once EP
8. Cults, Cults
9. Girls, Father, Son, Holy Ghost
10. Drive soundtrack
Sarah DL’s Show of Compassion
Album of the year: CAKE: Showroom of Compassion although I still haven't forgiven the band for playing their New York shows on the nights of the Passover seder so I couldn't have my Cake and eat it too.
Songs: LMFAO - Sexy and I Know It Serious ear worm. Has the added bonus that my teen daughter is absolutely mortified that I downloaded it. I'm practicing singing it in the car so that I can break it out the next time she and I are in the presence of a karaoke machine. Cause I'm evil that way.
I also admit to a strange fascination with DJ RedFoo, who in addition to being Berry Gordy's son, is a former day trader who's appeared on Jim Cramer's Mad Money. AND he cites my favorite band, Led Zeppelin, as an influence. I used to work on Wall Street. We both like Led Zeppelin. It's like we're….soul mates. But seriously, what I REALLY want to know is: What's the deal with the dude with the box on his head?
Don’t Underestimate the Things Cassandra P Will Do With Her Picks
Here's my list, ranked in order (reluctantly):
1. Adele, 21
2. The Weeknd, Thursday
3. The Weeknd, House of Balloons
4. Beyonce, 4
5. Drake, Take Care
6. Rihanna, Talk That Talk
7. Florence + the Machine, Ceremonials
8. Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne
9. Wale, Ambition
10. The Weeknd, Echoes of Silence
Ronnie A’s Favorite Movie Moments
A number of movies this year shunned original scores and used classical pieces to great effect. The two best were Tree of Life (favorite cut: Zbigniew Preisner’s Lacrimosa 2 during the creation sequence) and the opening of Melancholia with Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde (the only movie this year to use that music properly). The rest:
Le Havre, Little Bob kicks ass
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Attack the Block, Basement Jaxx
Jane Eyre, Dario Marianelli
Moneyball, “The Mighty Rio Grande” by This Will Destroy You and “The Show,” written by Lenka, performed by Kerris Dorsey
Take Shelter, David Wingo
Carey Mulligan singing New York, New York in Shame
Downton Abbey, the moment Sybil comes down to dinner wearing her bloomers. I can listen to that music cue over and over (Alfie Boe)
Veronica W’s List Bursts Apart
The Antlers, Burst Apart
Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
Adele, 21
Cults, Cults
Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes
The Decemberists, The King Is Dead
Megan S, Fleet of Foot
I'm finding it increasingly hard each year to find albums that 1) I love from top to bottom and 2) I return to again and again, which are my primary criteria for a top 10 list. Thus, my list this year is a very short one. In a very particular order:
1. Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
2. Middle Brother - Middle Brother
3. The Whole Love - Wilco
4. Parallax - Atlas Sound
Top Discoveries From Previous Years (in no particular order):
1. The Monitor - Titus Andronicus
2. Epic - Sharon Van Etten
3. Sam Cooke at the Copa - Sam Cooke
4. Running On Empty - Jackson Browne
5. Let It Be - The Replacements
Julian H, Foxy As Ever
1. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
2. M83, Hurry Up We're Dreaming
3. Neon Indian, Era Extra
4. Beirut, The Rip Tide
5. Hooray for Earth, True Loves
6. Handsome Furs, Sound Kapital
7. Lady Gaga, Born This Way (Bonus Track Version)
Cora K, Rapturous
The Rapture, In the Grace of Your Love
The Vaccines, What Did You Expect From the Vaccines
The Drums, Portamento
Above and Beyond, Group Therapy
Gotye, Making Mirrors
Best concert: The Rapture at The Corner Hotel, MelbourneBest DJ: Above and Beyond, Amnesia, IbizaMost memorable festival experience: Portishead at Harvest Festival, Weribee. They were so dark that free therapy sessions should have been given out afterwards.
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Rhiannon F Goes with the Flo
Ok best album - Florence + the Machine - Ceremonials.
Also over here in sunny ol' England there was an advert around Christmas time for John Lewis (department store) and they had this really cute kid in it but the song behind I loved. It was Slow Moving Millie with Please, please, please let me get what I want. A cover of The Smiths and also She + Him did a cover of it for 500 Days of Summer but Slow Moving Millie's version is so nice.
Bon Appetit, Melissa W!
My list is short this year, as I didn't discover much, just dove back into my old stuff and basked in nostalgia for the most part. But on the 2011, front...
1. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
2. Cults, Cults
3. Wilco, The Whole Love
4. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
And, new to me, but perhaps long-known to other parents around Brooklyn and the world:
5. Various, Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals ("Tess" is a standout)
Kathleen P says Trapper is a Keeper
Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing
Cassettes Won't Listen - Evinspacey
The Dears - Degeneration Street
The Decembrists - The King is Dead
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Kooley High - Presents David Thompson
Lupe Fiasco - Lasers
Oh Land - Oh Land
Rihanna - Talk That Talk
Tennis - Cape Dory
Special Mention For a Most Promising EP - Glass Candy, Warm in the Winter
Maggie S Catches a Cab
Favorite 2011 Albums
1 - Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys
2 - Zoe Keating - Into the Trees
3 - Boy & Bear - Moonfire
4 - Florence & the Machine - Ceremonials
Notes: Three of these are by artists I loved so much I didn’t think they could pull off an album I would like as well or —gasp — even better than their previous ones. But Death Cab, Florence, and Zoe delivered three albums that are that Holy Grail of music — songs that are fantastic on their own but make even more sense as an album. Boy & Bear is an Australian newcomer for me. It was what I WANTED the Fleet Foxes album to be.
Favorite Albums I Found in 2011 (Not from 2011)
- Ramona Falls - Intuit (2009)
- Fionn Regan - The End of History(2007)
I’m not sure if I would’ve been sucked into Ramona Falls without their weird and distressing music video for “I Say Fever,” but I DID see the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eqZHvpAbss), and the rest is iPod history. Fionn Regan is an Irish songwriter who is always appropriate to play when you have any sort of company over, even when that company is your mother.
2011 Albums I thought would make it, but didn’t:
- Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto (songwriting largely buried by bombastic, big stage production)
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (beautiful but inaccessible, with the exception of “Helplessness Blues” and “The Shrine”)
- Feist - Metals (lovely but missing the whimsy of her earlier work)
Favorite 2011 Singles
Coldplay - “Major Minus”
Gotye - “Someone That I Used to Know”
Shinedown - “The War Inside”
Adele - “Rolling in the Deep”
Imogen Heap - “Lifeline”
City & Colour - “Little Hell”
The Civil Wars - “Barton Hollow”
Foster the People - “Pumped Up Kicks”
Lost Lander - “Cold Feet” & “Afraid of Summer”**Lost Lander gets bonus points for being so new and so small that you get to be the cool person for knowing they exist for at least a few months
Favorite Singles I Found in 2011 (Not From 2011)
The Saw Doctors - “Red Cortina (acapella version)
The Submarines - “1940 (AmpLive remix”)
Arcade Fire - “Ready to Start”
Bell X1 - “Snakes & Snakes”
Woodpigeon - “And As the Ship Went Down . . .”
Thu Says, “Bon’s Away!”
a year of great singles trapped inside mediocre albums:
1. bon iver, bon iver
good but nowhere near as good as for emma, forever ago. too much green, not enough white. best tracks: minnesota, WI and michicant.
2. nicolas jaar, space is only noise
apparently this kid was born in the ‘90s. he’s good at replicating the sound of rain falling infinitely outside a gray window, so, kudos.
especially: too many kids finding rain in the dust, keep me there.
3. feist, metals
i’m just happy this exists. most of all for: the circle married the line.
4. st. vincent, strange mercy
i applaud st. vincent for wanting to get weirder, but remembering the ease and glibness with which she told john to marry her in 2007, i wish her lyrical bravado were still the most important part of her music. alas, girl’s still got plenty of moxie with: surgeon, cheerleader, and cruel.
John A: The Oak’s On Him
11.M83: Hurry Up We’re Dreamers
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.: It’s a Corporate World
9. Bjork: Biophilia
8. PJ Harvey: Let England Shake
7. Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues
6. Radiohead: The King of Limbs
5. Elbow: The Seldom Seen Kid
4. Panda Bear: Tomboy
3. Beirut: The Rip Tide
2. The Decemberists: The King is Dead
1. Wye Oak: Civilian
Best “Metal” Record: Anthrax: Worship Music
Best Reissue: Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream
Biggest Surprise: Coldplay: Mylo Xyloto (it doesn’t suck!)
Best Discovery: Riddle of Steel (from St.Louis; broke up in 2003, two killer albums; for fans of Queens of the Stone Age, The Police and Van Halen!)
Jonathan V is in it, Head and Heart
My Favorites of 2011
1. The Head and the Heart, The Head and the Heart
2. F*cked Up, David Comes to Life
3. The Antlers, Burst Apart
4. Destroyer, Kaputt
5. Active Child, You Are All I See
6. M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
7. Kate Bush, 50 Words for Snow
8. Beirut, The Riptide
9. Florence & The Machine , Ceremonials
10. Washed Out, Within and Without
1. THE HEAD & THE HEART - The second time listening through this simple, sweet folk album, I knew it was going to be my favorite of not just 2011, but retroactively 2010, 2009, and possibly 2008. Heartfelt, full of quiet yearning, usually an album needs to be “live” to have this same warm vibe.
2. DAVID COMES TO LIFE – A punk epic that redefines the rock opera, this is a truly great record. The track “Just One More Night” must be heard to be believed--imagine a Green Jelly song that gives you chills up and down your spine. Its final strains will be accompanied by the sound of you weeping openly.
3. BURST APART – Get lost in a forest of falsetto and digital fuzz.
4. KAPUTT – Dan Bejar’s lyrics sound like indie pop riddles, his music is downright gorgeous, and he proves on “Kaputt” that he’s capable of morphing from “Hunky Dory” to “Avalon” without losing his essential Canadianness.
5. YOU ARE ALL I SEE – For a good month, you were all I heard! Active Child's music is increasingly indescribable, like the genes of several genres remixing themselves for fun and profit. Just listen to the first minute of “Hanging On”. You won’t know what the hell you’re hearing, and I mean that in the best way.
6. HURRY UP, WE’RE DREAMING – This is another epic M83 album, full of space and awe and unexpected gorgosity. “Midnight City” was the single of the year for me, with its hyperactive electropop rooster chorus.
7. 50 WORDS FOR SNOW –Kate Bush has concocted another beguiling mystery of an album, with its own arch sense of humor and real gravitas. Where else are you going to hear a song about knocking boots with a snowman? And who else can make that song both erotic and heartbreaking? She’s one of our great storytellers, in any medium.
8. THE RIPTIDE – Consistently brilliant. Music that's inventive and old-fashioned at the same time.
9. CEREMONIALS – What’s even better than a year with a great new Kate Bush record? A year that ALSO features a great new record from somebody working in the same mystical, voice-as-sound-weapon vein.
10. WITHIN AND WITHOUT – Car commercial music mixed with sex scene music, what more do you want?
More Than Honorable Mention:
We Are Augustines for unbridled muppet passion, Feist for a wonderfulness that I have officially taken for granted, Iron and Wine for pretty much the same thing, The Decemberists for their brilliant skin-shedding act, John Maus for his borderline-satire-synths, and The Vaccines for earnestly punky britpop.
Albums of the Year that Weren’t from the Year:
Three of the best albums I heard in 2011 were not from 2011, two of them not even remotely…
The Blue Nile, “Hats”
How can something so understated be so overwhelming? Call it the Zen of Soft Synth.
Genesis, “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”
This album is a proggy odyssey, full of gorgeous instrumentals, batsh*t crazy lyrics, and the brashest performance from Gabriel ever put under a needle.
Kverlatak, Kverlatak
Norwegian metal in Norwegian, not that this matters if you want to rock with them.
Kevin K. Gives 2011 to December
My list:
The King Is Dead by The Decemberists
Middle Brother by Middle Brother
The Double Cross by Sloan
The Wombats Proudly Present: This Modern Glitch by The Wombats
Nothing Is Wrong by Dawes
Torches by Foster the People
The Sound of His Own Voice by John Wesley Harding
Dye It Blonde by Smith Westerns
International Pop Overthrow by Material Issue (Re-issue)
The Whole Love by Wilco
The Last Place by Army Navy
W H O K I L L by Tune-Yards
The Electromagnetic Escape by The Red Sea Pedestrians
Pickin’ Up The Pieces by Fitz & The Tantrums
Hot Sauce Committee Part Two by Beastie Boys
Sky Full of Holes by Fountains of Wayne
Alabama Shakes EP by Alabama Shakes
21 by Adele
The Go Rounds (2011) by The Go Rounds
KMAG YOYO (& other American stories) by Hayes Carll
El Camino by The Black Keys
Only In Dreams by Dum Dum Girls
We Are The Champions by Jeff The Brotherhood
All Eternals Deck by The Mountain Goats
An Argument With Myself EP by Jens Lekman
Hello Sadness by Los Campesinos!
It’s A Corporate World by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
Kiss Each Other Clean by Iron & Wine
The Old Magic by Nick Lowe
Stone Rollin’ by Raphael Saadiq
Andrea C, Throws Her Support to Minnesota, WI
1. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
2. Adele - 21
3. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
4. Low - C'mon
5. Foster the People - Torches
6. Cults - Cults
7. Neon Indian - Era Extrana
8. M83 - Hurry Up We're Dreaming
9. Florence and the Machine - Ceremonials
10. Phantogram - Nightlife
May 2012 bring yet more fantastic music. I'm waiting for the National's next album...
Billy M Will Lay Your Shit Bare
21, Adele
Born This Way, Lady Gaga
Anar, Marketa Irglova
Night of Hunters, Tori Amos
Ceremonials, Florence + The Machine
Born to Die (leaked!), Lana Del Rey
Helplessness Blues, Fleet Foxes
The King Is Dead, The Decemberists
Femme Fatale, Britney Spears
Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Harry S, Aggressively Naked, Famous
Passive Me, Aggressive You, by The Naked and Famous, and Wild Flag's eponymous album
Zack Goes For Flora Over Fauna
Fredrik, Flora
Jonas R Looks into the eyes of a Stranger
Most essential:
Amy Lavere, Stranger Me -- such a great breakup album I wish I had a vindictive heart and someone just broke it.
Filling out my Top 10, in no particular order:
Cake, Showroom of Compassion
Wild Flag, Wild Flag
John Doe, Keeper
Wilco, The Whole Love
Beastie Boys, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
Snakefarm, My Halo at Half-Light
Thao and Mira, Eleven
Honeyhoney, Billy Jack
Adele, 21
Honorable Mentions:
Shilpa Ray, Teenage and Torture
The Gaddabouts, The Gaddabouts
The Smithereens, 2011
David Lynch, Crazy Clown Time
Ryan Adams, Ashes & Fire
Dum Dum Girls, Only in Dreams
Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling, Dharohar Project EP
Siobhan V Raves On
Veronica Falls - Veronica Falls
Cults - Cults
Out of Love - Mister Heavenly
Strange Mercy - St Vincent
In Heaven - Twin Sister
!Bonus! Rave On - Buddy Holly covers
Brant R Goes Kaputt
My Most Essential Album:
Destroyer/Kaputt
In Range of Most Essential:
James Blake/James Blake
Cults/Cults
Stephen Malkmus/Mirror Traffic
Washed Out/Within and Without
Eventual Essential Potential: Atlas Sound/Parallax; The Black Keys/El Camino; Bon Iver/Bon Iver; Clams Casino/Instrumental Mixtape; Florence + The Machine/Ceremonials; Eleanor Friedberger/Last Summer; Girls/Father, Son, Holy Ghost; Little Dragon/Ritual Union; Frank Ocean/nostalgia, ULTRA; Real Estate/Days; Smith Westerns/Dye It Blonde; Surfer Blood/Tarot Classics [EP]; tUnE-yArDs/W H O K I L L; Youth Lagoon/The Year of Hibernation; Yuck/Yuck
Other Albums I Enjoyed: Adele/21; Beyoncé/4; Blouse/Blouse; Bright Eyes/The People’s Key; Guy Clark Jr./The Bright Lights EP; Coldplay/Mylo Xyloto; Danger Mouse/Rome; The Decemberists/The King Is Dead; Fleet Foxes/Helplessness Blues; Noel Gallagher/Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds; Jay-Z & Kanye West/Watch the Throne; The Joy Formidable/The Big Roar; Lady Gaga/Born This Way; The Strokes/Angles; Tom Waits/Bad As Me; The Weeknd/House of Balloons; Wilco/The Whole Love; Wild Flag/Wild Flag
Some Essential Tracks: Adele/Rolling in the Deep; Atlas Sound/Mona Lisa; Battles with Matias Aguayo/Ice Cream; The Black Keys/Nova Baby; James Blake/Limit to Your Love; Blouse/Videotapes; Cults/Abducted; Destroyer/Savage Night at the Opera; Eleanor Friedberger/I Won’t Fall Apart on You Tonight; Noel Gallagher/I’d Pick You Every Time; Girls/Alex; The Joy Formidable/Austere; Little Dragon/Ritual Union; Stephen Malkmus/Stick Figures in Love; Smith Westerns/Weekend; The Strokes/Life Is Simple in the Moonlight; Surfer Blood/Voyager Reprise; tUnE-yArDs/Bizness; Washed Out/Amor Fati; Yuck/Shook Down
Essential Albums from Previous Years:
Alice Cooper/Billion Dollar Babies [1973]
Beach House/Teen Dream [2010]
The Black Keys/The Big Come Up [2002]
Cut Copy/In Ghost Colours [2008]
Deerhunter/Halcyon Digest [2010]
Electric Light Orchestra/Out of the Blue [1977]
Brian Eno/Before and After Science [1977]
Heart/Dreamboat Annie [1976]
Ke$ha/Animal [2010]
Lynyrd Skynyrd/(pronounced 'lĕh-'nērd 'skin-'nērd) [1973]
TV Girl/TV Girl [EP] [2010]
Washed Out/Life of Leisure [2010]
Ron Wood/Gimme Some Neck [1979]
Neil Young/Live Rust [1979]
Essential Tracks from Previous Years: ABBA/Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (a Man After Midnight); Alice Cooper/Hello Hooray; The Black Keys/I’ll Be Your Man; Cut Copy/Out There on the Ice; Deerhunter/Desire Lines; Electric Light Orchestra/Summer and Lightning; Electric Six/Synthesizer; Brian Eno/By This River; Donald Fagen/I.G.Y.; Fleetwood Mac/Lindsey’s Song #1 (I Know I’m Not Wrong); The Flying Burrito Bros/Hand to Mouth; Heart/Crazy on You; The Hold Steady/Certain Songs; The Human League/Human; INXS/Mystify; Jackson 5/Maybe Tomorrow; Ke$ha/TiK ToK; Nicolette Larson/Lotta Love; Huey Lewis & the News/Walking on a Thin Line; Madvillain/Sickfit; J Mascis/Ground Me to You; Harry Nilsson/River Deep, Mountain High; Pearl Jam/Corduroy; Katy Perry/Hot N Cold; The Rascals/Groovin’; Right Said Fred/Don’t Talk Just Kiss; Johnny Rivers/Secret Agent Man; Semisonic/Closing Time; The Staple Singers/(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay; Mavis Staples/Trippin’ On Your Love; Rod Stewart/It’s Not the Spotlight; Sweet/Fox on the Run; Yann Tiersen/Fuck Me; Alphonse Trent and His Orchestra/After You’ve Gone; TV Girl/If You Want It; The Walker Brothers/No Regrets; Washed Out/Feel It All Around; Steve Winwood/While You See a Chance; Ron Wood/Worry No More; Neil Young/Lotta Love
Nick E is a Holocene-ster
1. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
During a summer overrun with Gaga and Britney and Rihanna, this album was a breath of fresh air. The pop was fun, it served its purpose; but it’s Bon Iver I wanted to come home to at the end of a day. This has earned a permanent place on my iPod.
2. Dolorean, The Unfazed
After several albums that only offered love songs about adultery, self-destruction, and a half-botched suicide pact, this one closes out with an unapologetic, almost saccharine love song. It’s like finally being rewarded with affection from a withholding lover! And the rest of the album is great, too.
3. M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
I want to buy a car just so I can drive around at night listening to this on a dark interstate.
4. Florence + The Machine, Ceremonials
This one might deserve to rank higher, but I’ve only listened to it a few times at this point. There’s something oddly shameless about these songs – totally uninhibited. If I had long hair, I’d have to let it down when listening to this.
5. Stephin Merritt, Obscurities
Something old, something new. A little bit of everything I love about this man’s music and, for the first time in a while, not a single track so weird I have to skip it.
Stephanie S Paints it Black
Here we go...
1,The Black Keys, El Camino
2. Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials
3. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Best new finds:
Brother by Matt Corby
Seeker Lover Keeper ( Aussie super group with Sally Seltman, Holly Throsby and Sarah Blasko)
Kasia G Shows Some Mercy
My essential album of the year was:
St. Vincent, Strange Mercy
Anica Likes Welch’s Jelly
Most essential:
Gillian Welch, The Harrow & The Harvest
(I mean, come on. It's Gillian.)
Also essential:
The Roots, Undun
Me likey:
The Black Keys, El Camino
Ana Egge, Bad Blood
The Jayhawks, Mockingbird Time (but mostly for sentimental reasons)
Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, & Chris Thile, The Goat Rodeo Sessions
Best old albums I bought last year:
John Fahey, The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death The Dillards, Wheatstraw Suite
2010 album I'm still playing the most:
Gorillaz, Plastic Beach
(so good)
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