Top 13 Albums of 2011

Best-of list are great. It's what makes the end of the year more exciting than labor day. I've hesitated in making my own knowing it'll change by tomorrow, but where's the fun in....Not making a list. Alrighty. counter'down!



13. DJ Quik - The Book of David
Headphone-RnB-feelgood Hip Hop. It's clean, fresh, and inspiring. Good dog-walking music. If it isn't popular yet, it will be by this time next year. A cleaner, less annoying BigBoi. This music makes me wanna dance naked in a Victoria Secret.




12. Thee oh Sees - Castlemania
TheOCs were basically the 2011 house band. I probably heard other people jamming a record on a 100 occasions throughout the year. With 3 releases, (2 albums, 1 re-recorded, EPs(?)) the band was looking for the spotlight and earned it, with gonzo album art.




11. Shannon and the Clams - Sleep Talk
I felt like there were a lot of ocean related events throughout 2011. This one's for her. Mother ocean. (?)




10. SBTRKT - SBTRKT
I worked at a hotel. The lobby restroom, which we weren't suppose to use, always blasted cheesy new-age electronic dance. I typically used the employee restroom, a 2-min walk time killer PLUS buffet table next door, but even still, it wasn't as fun.




9. Thao and Mirah - Thao and Mirah
The production quality is similar to Tune-Yards, even features Merrill Garbus on a track and that's a good thing, establishing a new direction. But...Most of the album is quite different, making money off of the two's intimate voices. It's coffee shop/NPR business, but if you gotta choose an album, it's 'winning'.




8. Cut Copy - Zonoscope
"How's high school Billy?". That's what I feel like every year when my friend returns from Williamsburg, NY for the holidays. "Staaayy here... for as lonnggg as you can". Neon Indian and Washed Out re-popularized 80s analog synth in 2010. Cut Copy made it a stage show. Next year every band will try it out. You'll get a chance to dance with a group of hot chicks at a new years party.

Cut Copy - Alisafound onPop



7. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
Let's see...what does this remind me of? Nick Cave? New York City? Well that doesn't make sense, being Swedish and all, or does it, yeah, it does.




6. Black Lips -Arabia Mountain
The Black Lips curated a show at MOTRPUB earlier this year. Still scratching my head trying to figure that one out. Oh yeah, Cincinnati, garage rock. It's pop music 50 years later. Inspired by Doo-Wop, James Brown, and clean guitars.




5. tUnE yArDs - WHOKILL
It's staccato, timbre-clashing, percussive, and generally everywhere. Spaces are filled with alien noises, vocal-loops, unusual string instruments, and cupcakes.




4. The Field - Looping State of Mind
Earlier this year I walked into the EastVillageRadio studio to find Delphine Blue dancing to this track.




3. Battles - Gloss Drop
A drummer who'll make you wet your pants and a symphony of unknown from JUST ONLY, NOTHING BUT, JUST THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS. WTF!




2. Africa Hi-Tech - 93 Million Miles
The JPegah is not'a so hi-tech-a




Dirty Beaches - Badlands
Feel weird hit of the summer. The release of the album coincided perfectly with a group of friends beach trip. On our 2nd day, a forest fire broke out leaving fallen ash over the outer banks. This albums' no joke, dirty beaches.



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