Best Albums of 2011

I still find myself to be more concerned with trying to appreciate the whole history of modern music than making sure I stay up to date, but I did a decent job of buying new albums. Most of it is from the year's first half, though.

Best of 2011

8. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues


Fleet Foxes' second album isn't as original as their first, and for good reason - it's pretty much the same thing again. Still, that same thing is very enjoyable, and it's hard to fault the band for sticking with what they know and can do well. A folksy but still distinctly rock-influenced sound, and nice vocal harmonies playing off the singer's strong voice. I find it hard not to like it a lot.

Favorite Song: "Helplessness Blues"

7. James Blake


Most people probably think they have a pretty good idea of what dubstep is, but I doubt many of them think of something like this. James Blake likes to use the bass, but he does so sparingly, just like all of the other elements at his disposal. It's very sparse music, perhaps too sparse in some places, but the results are often worth it, slowly building up to and then releasing tension in profoundly effective ways. Plus the guy has a great voice, something you don't usually hear about electronic musicians.

Favorite Song: "I Never Learnt to Share"

6. Radiohead - The King of Limbs


It's unusual for there to be a new Radiohead album that isn't a huge game changer, but that doesn't mean a perfectly normal album by them won't still be really good. And The King of Limbs, despite being a bit lean on running length, is definitely good. Its eight tracks experiment with sounds and styles the band has played with before, but does enough with them to make it definitely worth plenty of listens on its own. They're a band that's expected to reinvent music every time out, but as long as they stay as good as this, I'll be fine with it.

Favorite Song: "Give Up the Ghost"

5. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy


I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this considering my vague memories of having heard St. Vincent before, but I guess it turned out to be her most straightforward record. It's pretty much her guitar, her voice, and some drums, with a few bells and whistles here and there. It's accessible but also unique, a nice match of elements that are familiar with ones that feel distinct. She has a really nice voice, and most of the main vocal hooks have a tendency to get inside your head and stay there for a while. It turned out to be a really good blind buy.

Favorite Song: "Chloe in the Afternoon"

4. TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light


Perhaps the band's least exceptional album, but the core of what they do is just so interesting me that I can't help but like it a lot every time I hear it. I'm not sure if they'll ever get back to a dirtier and more soulful sound, but simple high quality indie rock infused with the influence of African American culture is plenty fine on its own. Just a fun album all the way through.

Favorite Song: "Will Do"

3. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming


Hurry Up is a double album, but a pretty slight one. On one hand that's a bit disappointing since it doesn't feel as grand as some other albums in the same format, but on the other it's pretty remarkable that something that lasts this one is so easy to get all the way through. The music freely mixes elements of electronic and rock, and produces a number of catchy, memorable songs. Maybe a bit too much time is spent on minor experiments and mood pieces, but the overall effect is a highly enjoyable listening experience.

Favorite Song: "Midnight City"

2. The Antlers - Burst Apart


Bust Apart is not as emotionally powerful as The Antlers' last record, but it was never going to be. They decided to shift gears a bit and do something with more of an electronic sound to it, without abandoning their roots, and I like it a lot, if maybe not as much as Hospice. There's nothing too showy over the top here, it's just a bunch of songs that flow well together and are filled with beautiful noises. It doesn't demand attention, but if you do listen, it's very good.

Favorite Song: "No Widows"

1. Panda Bear - Tomboy


This is a case where I'd probably have a hard time really identifying and explaining why I liked this album so much, or why I'm so comfortable calling it my favorite of the year anyway. I'm also noticing just how many of these artists are heavily using synthesized elements and becoming mildly concerned. But it's all probably pretty simple. I've mellowed out and don't really look for aggression in my music much these days, and a lot of artists who grew up when popular music was no longer exclusively relying on traditional instruments are finding new ways to use different sorts of sounds and create something unique and meaningful with them. Tomboy is not really unique, but it's finely crafted and infectiously entertaining throughout.

Favorite Song: "Afterburner"

Radiohead - Hail to the Thief

And now my collection of full Radiohead studio albums that people actually like is complete. Unless they make another one, which they may or may not, depending on which member you listen to. Anyway, as expected, Hail to the Thief is quite good. Just to give you an idea of how much my taste in music has changed in just six years, I remember "There There" as the first Radiohead song I ever heard, or at least the first I knew was them, and being a bit bored by it. I started listening to the band a couple years later, and now I count that song among possibly their ten best, especially if you count radio playability as a factor. Maybe twenty best if you don't (they have a lot of really good songs).

Thief is an interesting transitional album. Their most recent work at the time was the game changing and unusual Kid A/Amnesiac project, which cemented them as a band that will do their own thing at any cost. Its traditional rock elements were few and far between, and Thief marks them easing into a return to that sound, although with heavy influence of their electronic sojourn still intact. It has the longest running length and most songs of any of their albums. Most have something pretty strong going for them, and unlike the vast majority of releases the record seems a bit back-loaded, with most of the less impressive ones packed toward the beginning.

Just a few tracks that stand out particularly even if it's just for an element that's gripping or interesting instead of a genuinely good song are "Backdrifts", "We Suck Your Blood" (best use of hand claps in a song ever?), "The Gloaming", "Myxomatosis", and "A Wolf at the Door". I know I mostly just picked the tracks that would fit in the most on Kid A, but that's not an indictment on what this album does differently - there are a lot of things about it I prefer. And honestly, for me, it might be the band's best release of this decade.

Best Albums of 2007

I'm not really satisfied with this list. I listed to quite a bit of good music this year, but most if it was released previously. All told, I only picked up six albums from 2007, but at least they were all listenable. Fear of a Blank Planet by Porcupine Tree was decent, but not nearly as good as their earlier work.

Best of 2007

5. Between the Buried and Me - Colors


A solid metal album that grabbed my attention by branching off into different genres at various points, it was a little long but still managed to hold my interest. They're pretty solid musically and know how to do a variety of things.

4. Coheed and Cambria - No World for Tomorrow


The finale of the concept storyline that has now spanned four albums, the lyrics are obtuse as ever but they still make an enjoyable hybrid of pop punk and harder elements. If you can get past the voice and maybe swallow your pride if you think you hate emo (which it isn't), there's a lot to like.

3. The Good, The Bad, & The Queen


I'm still unclear about whether this is the actual name of the band or not, but it's basically Gorillaz with acoustic instruments instead of electronic ones. Some of the songs are kind of similar but there's a lot of good stuff to be found.

2. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam


A unique and satisfying album even if it's a bit sparse in parts. The highs are pretty high, and the lows are never too low. They know exactly what they're doing, giving each song just enough to be whole while a feeling of emptiness still exists.

1. Radiohead - In Rainbows

A somewhat strange album, filled with clashing instrumentation, moods, and themes. It was nice to hear some new Radiohead music that didn't seem strange for its own sake. Some of their best work in a while, at least from my perspective.

Radiohead - In Rainbows

Personally, I like having a physical copy of an album when I pay for it. It might just be a stupid collector thing, but I like having the case to put with my others and reading the jacket and tangible proof that I supported the artist. I think the way Radiohead is giving the finger to record labels and releasing this album on their own is cool, but I'd like to have a real disc that's cheaper than the super-duper $80 box on their website. Until that happens though, anyone can download the record for any price they choose, even free if they're cheap, so you should if only to see if you like it.

I'd like to have heard Hail to the Thief before this to have the full context of the style arc they've followed from The Bends to where they are now, but it's still nice to hear them sound more natural and rock-like than the still-good but less endearing electronic stuff they got into. In Rainbows is sort of a mix of the two styles. Ok Computer was already leaning in that direction, so In Rainbows is a sort of bridge that makes the whole band a bit more seamless in terms of style. "Creep" still sounds way different from "Pyramid Song", but you can see where they came from. In Rainbows can be characterized by a rise and fall of tension without too many complete releases happening. There are some moments, but most of the enjoyment comes from the routine building blocks of the songs, which are just stronger overall than most bands'. They still know how to write songs that are wholly unique while still being immensely enjoyable.

"15 Step" begins with manufactured drums and characteristic falsetto, mumbling vocals, and develops into a nice opening track. "Bodysnatchers" is very much a normal rock song, and is a bit surprising in that regard. "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" has a good, simple guitar part that puts your mind at ease and lets the ambiance wash over you. "All I Need" might be my favorite song on the album, with a nice, mellow sound that builds into the biggest climax on the record, which can give you chills with headphones on. "House of Cards" is another more mainstream sounding song, although it doesn't skimp on haunting, distant vocals, and uses it's status as longest track on the album to explore the possible avenues. "Videotape" wraps things up with minimal piano and percussion, and leads you along without giving you too much. Despite the typical stranger elements, In Rainbows still sounds like a relatively happy album compared to Radiohead's other works, and that's part of the reason I liked it so much. I don't think I'll ever totally love them as much as other people do, but I still acknowledge their ability to make consistently good, unique music.

Radiohead - Amnesiac

Amnesiac was recorded in the same sessions as Kid A, which is considered by most fans and critics to be the superior album. I agree that it's more cohesive and flows better as a united work, but I don't think the music itself is really noticeably better. They're both pretty good alternative albums with heavy electronic elements. Kid A has more truly standout tracks, but there's plenty to like about Amnesiac. There's a lot of catchy parts and great moments, and of course plenty of weirdness. A lot of the songs on Amnesiac are actually more like actual songs than on Kid A, with more palatable structures and more traditional instruments. I don't think what Radiohead's become is as interesting as what they used to be in the mid-90's, but their work since the turn of the millennium is still pretty good.

"Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box" starts things off with a nice mellow sound and pleasant beeps and bloops. "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors" has odd computerized vocals and minimal but compelling instrumentation. "I Might Be Wrong" has a good guitar riff going for it, although it does get a bit repetitive. It's followed by another less artificial song, "Knives Out". The next song is "Morning Bell/Amnesiac", another version of a track that originally appeared on Kid A. It's different enough to be interesting although it doesn't branch too far from the original. "Dollars & Cents" is easily the creepiest and most unnerving song on the album. "Like Spinning Plates" is unique sounding with the reversed effect and has a cool atmosphere. "Life in a Glass House" ends the record with a departure for the band, as hard as that is. It has a heavy jazz influence but doesn't seem too out of place. Radiohead is able to maintain an identity as an artist despite the fact that most of their albums can sound quite different.

Best Albums of 2006

2006 was a pretty good year for music, in my opinion. I managed to listen to a decent amount of new stuff and got into some good older stuff. The bad thing about music is that there's too much stuff from the past I need to hear, but they keeping coming out with new stuff too fast as well. Muse and Incubus both had pretty good new albums in Black Holes and Revelations and Light Grenades, and I got introduced to Sonic Youth with Rather Ripped, which definitely has me interesting in checking out their older stuff.

Best of 2006

6. Cursive - Happy Hollow


Happy Hollow doesn't come close to replicating the absolute brilliance of their previous release, The Ugly Organ, but it really isn't too fair to compare anything to one of my favorite albums ever. In between records, Cursive lost a cellist and added horns to their sound, and while they still sound distinctive, it just isn't as darkly interesting. They can still do good songs they're just missing an edge musically.

Not that that edge isn't as present as ever in the lyrics. The entire album is a brutal condemnation of the hypocrisies and evils of modern Christianity, and sometimes it sounds like Tim Kasher is being controversial for its own sake. He makes good points though, and this is overall pretty good indie rock.

5. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium


A bit of a letdown, to be honest. The Chili Peppers pumped out two great albums in a row with Californication and By the Way, and we've been anticipating something new for four years, and then we learn it's a double album, and it ends up being a good two hours of music, but it's lacking that something that makes it great. It's possible it's just a fault with the multi-album format, it's harder to maintain a high level of quality for something that lasts that long. There are plenty of great songs to be found, but because of the sheer number, a lot of them blend together into solid, but unremarkable funky-pop-rock-whatever. None of it's bad, it's just stretched a little thin. Flea can still play bass like no one's business, and John Frusciante continues to hone his craft as one of the best guitarists in the world, and Anthony Keidis can actually sing these days. What they need to do next is go back to focusing on a smaller, more focused project. Not that they have to, with the mountains of money they must be swimming in.

4. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere


Cee-lo, who I don't know much about, and Danger Mouse, who did the intriguing Grey Album, combine to form a band that isn't really hip-hop, but takes a lot of its best elements, adds in a distinctive, good voice and great, um... producing, and ends up making one of the best songs ever. No, really, "Crazy" is up there. It's just a good song. It's not the only one either, as every single track is at least catchy, and most are unique, well constructed, and truly interesting. I can see why it wouldn't be for everyone, but I enjoy the hell out of it.

I'll take the time now to explain how all the hip-hop-type stuff I listen too is weirdly related. Gnarls Barkley is comprised of Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse. Dangerdoom is comprised of Danger Mouse and MF Doom, and their album features Cee-Lo and Ghostface Killah. Demon Days by Gorillaz was produced by Danger Mouse and features MF Doom. I've been thinking about listening to some more rap lately and the first album to get that comes to find is the acclaimed Fishscale - by Ghostface Killah. Whatever.

3. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - So Divided


Trail of Dead fell out of the cushy position they had as a critical darling with Worlds Apart, which I thought was completely great (and introduced me to the band), and I couldn't really figure out why. I can see why someone would prefer Source Tags and Codes, but to say it's great and Worlds is bad... I just don't understand it. They're the same band. A little different, with less focus on songwriting and more on loudness and a bit of oddness, but still the same. So Divided was received a little better, though they still are far from where they were publically in 2002. I just hear a really good rock album, but I guess that's just me.

2. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain


This and Gnarls Barkley show me that I'm becoming more and more of a sucker for bands that aren't what I usually actually listen to. I'm nowhere near knowledgeable enough to describe what this band is like and why it's good, all I can tell you is that I just love listening to it. The mix of vocals is unique and interesting, the style totally works, and they're not half bad at just playing some rock. I really should be able to explain it better, but you should just listen if you don't. Also, make you sure you check out "Dry Drunk Emperor", which you should be able to find online for free. Not only is it a good song, it's a great condemnation of the presidency of George W. Bush (he's horrible).

1. Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me


Some feared their follow-up to Deja Entendu might be too accoustic. They were wrong.

The Devil and God is hard as hell. Except for a couple tracks, every song is a balance between soft and hard, light and dark, good and evil, as the title implies. The heavy parts are made more powerful by the contrast with the downplayed strumming before it. It's not as lyrically clever as they were previously, but it's stronger musically, in my opinion. It's definitely cemented itself in the pantheon of my favorite albums, like, ever. It helps that I first listened to it under optimal conditions, in a car with a like-minded friend as the sun went down in late Autumn. Set the tone perfectly.

I don't think it's fair that Brand New still gets lumped with other emo bands it used to be closer to musically, like Taking Back Sunday. They were like that once, but that was long ago, they started shifting a few years ago, and now they've gone even further. I'm interested in seeing how they continue to develop and seperate themselves from other bands.

Delayed Entries

Audioslave - Audioslave

I'm not a huge fan of the band, but I really do think this is a great album. It's just completely full of good, hard rock songs. People say good things about Superunknown but I'd say this is the best thing anybody in this band's done that I've heard. I guess they've broken up now, though.

Clinic - Walking With Thee

Weird band, very distinctive vocals and different kind of sound that still sounds like rock, even when their aren't guitars. I'm not always in the mood for something like this, but it's a good change of pace.

Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

Their long-awaited double album, the first disk is pretty normal long, well-crafted prog metal, and the second is an epic, forty minute song (broken into several tracks) that sounds sometimes as much like the score to a musical as an album. Not really much metal there at all, but I really don't know what "normal" Dream Theater sounded like at that point, as Trains of Thought, which I got before this is supposed to be easily their hardest work. It doesn't really matter, it sounds good.

Dredg - El Cielo

I got into Dredg with 2005's Catch Without Arms, but I think I really fell in love with them with this. It has a lot of what made Catch great like the wonderful vocals and nice melodies combined with harder segments, but El Cielo is really more creative, different, and just better, I think. Just a fun listen at all times.

Gorillaz - Gorillaz

I didn't listen to Gorillaz much besides the singles until Demon Days, and that might have skewed me a bit, as a lot of people seem to prefer this, and I don't. It's still definitely very good though. It's a little less varied in sound and vocals than their follow-up, but has plenty of great hooks and sounds spread through the whole thing, and is just fun to listen to.

Longwave - There's a Fire

It's kind of hard to describe Longwave, since sometimes they're jamming in a totally dark, indie way, and sometimes it's pure pop rock. You should just listen to them and see what you think, since not many people do. They have elements of a lot of bands like U2, Interpol... I don't know, I don't really listen to bands like this a lot.

Opeth - Ghost Reveries

Between Opeth and Dream Theater, I should be able to get my fill of progressive metal for the rest of time. The guy's voice is seriously amazing, one minute he's giving you perfect death growls, and the next he's singing in a truly pleasant, normal tone. Hard, pounding metal combines with great musicianship and softer moments.

Porcupine Tree - Deadwing

They're only progressive, not metal, but since the guy produced Opeth at some point, I guess that's hardcore enough. It wasn't as well received as In Absentia, so I better check that out, since I think this is really good on its own. Some of the songs take a while but I'm never bored, it's very well crafted and plenty catchy in spots. Pretty damn good background music.

Radiohead - Kid A

I guess that since I liked this, I'll like pretty much anything Radiohead does. It's not rock music anymore, but it's still very interesting to listen to, and as electronic as it is, it still manages to seem to have a soul. I prefer their sound before the turn of the century, but it's still good now.