This year in music has been quite impressive. While 2010 gave us clear-cut, stand alone winners, it was much harder to determine which album was Top Ten worthy, let alone the best of 2011. Most sites have published their lists already, and while many albums appear on the same lists, the top ten varies greatly from list to list. Don't expect us to be any different.
This year's Top 50 was chosen by Earbuddy writers: Nick Krenn, Chris Bell, John Downey, and Gabe McBride. The following list does not make claim to be the definitive list of what was the very best of 2011. It just gives you an idea of what we enjoyed the most.
The List Thus Far:
50. Jenny Hval - Viscera
49. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
48. Random Axe - Random Axe
47. Big K.R.I.T. - Return of 4eva
46. Secret Cities - Strange Hearts
45. Danny Brown - XXX
44. Big Troubles - Romantic Comedy
43. The Kills - Blood Pressures
42. Needtobreathe - The Reckoning
41. Buffalo Tom - Skins
Read our thoughts on 50 - 41 in our Top 50 Albums of 2011: Part One.
40. Shimmering Stars - Violent Hearts
39. Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing
38. White Denim - D
37. Braids - Native Speaker
36. Twin Sister - In Heaven
35. Agesandages - Alright You Restless
34. Moon Duo - Mazes
33. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
32. The Witches - Forever
31. Steve Earle - I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive
Read our thoughts on 40 - 31 in our Top 50 Albums of 2011: Part Two.
30. Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde
29. Adele - 21
28. Drive-By Truckers - Go-Go Boots
27. Cowboy Junkies - Demons
26. The Decemberists - The King Is Dead
25. Mikal Cronin - Mikal Cronin
24. Ty Segall - Goodbye Bread
23. Typhoon - A New Kind of House
22. The Weeknd - House of Balloons
21. Ford & Lopatin - Channel Pressure
Read our thoughts on 30 - 21 in our Top 50 Albums of 2011: Part Three.
20. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
19. Bright Eyes - The People's Key
18. Dream Jefferson - Punch Perm
17. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
16. Washed Out - Within And Without
15. 13 & God - Own Your Ghost
14. Destroyer - Kaputt
13. Mountain Goats - All Eternals Deck
12. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong
11. Yuck - Yuck
Read our thoughts on 20 - 11 in our Top 50 Albums of 2011: Part Four.
Part Five: 10 - 1
10. Deerhoof - Deerhoof Vs. Evil
John Downey: If you don't like Deerhoof Vs. Evil, you don't like having fun. That's the only explanation I can think of as to why certain critics don't "get" Deerhoof Vs. Evil, Deerhoof's best album to date. Deerhoof vs. Evil isn’t the only album to recall the 80’s with its sound to be released this year, as Destroyer beat Deerhoof to the punch with Kaputt, but while Kaputt was a mature outing (sort of), Deerhoof vs. Evil plays out more like a Looney Tunes cartoon. This is the band's most experimental album yet, but that's not to say that it is scattershot or not fully formed. Every song on here plays like it came from the same mindset, with no weak track on here. "But it's only a fun album," one might say, and I would say, "Exactly".
Read the Deerhoof - Deerhoof Vs. Evil Review.
9. Van Hunt - What Were You Hoping For?
Chris Bell: After two records with the label, Capitol Records inexplicably moved Van Hunt over to Blue Note records. Apparently, the company must have considered Hunt a niche artist. Regardless of their intention, the move resulted in a battle between Blue Note and Hunt, resulting in a completed record, Popular, never officially seeing the light of day. With What Were You Hoping For?, Van Hunt is getting his first chance to take full controls over his music, and the payoff is splendid. I have found myself writing a lot recently about the inability of independent musicians to edit themselves very well or fully complete concepts before rushing them out to the public. With this record, Van Hunt is going to stand as a shining example of how you can control the entire process yourself, but still release fully-realized music. Now there is no excuse for anyone else. Hunt is all things at once on this record; silly, thoughtful, angry, creative, idiosyncratic, nonsensical, political, tender, carefree and groovy. Above all else, you get this sense that this is a full work. Perhaps that is what I am most thankful for.
Read the Van Hunt - What Were You Hoping For? Review
8. The War On Drugs - Slave Ambient
Gabe McBride: No disrespect meant to Mr. V, but if Adam Granduciel’s The War on Drugs winds up being remembered as ‘The Band Kurt Vile Used to Play in’, it would be an injustice. The swirling guitars, bass, harmonica, and organ mesmerize with the sweetness of a heady, soothing beer buzz. Slave Ambient is the sound of one of the great contemporary American bands ambling into its prime.
Read the War On Drugs - Slave Ambient Review.
7. Real Estate - Days
Gabe McBride: An impressive, unbearably catchy album, Days is the most pure indie pop statement of the year. Days is an improvement on Real Estate’s already pretty damn good 2009 self-titled debut, upping the ante on their charismatic, tasteful tunes. Days reveals itself as a strong but inviting statement on first listen, and overwhelms with its pleasing melodies, whose complexity blossoms with inevitable, repeated listens.
Read the Real Estate - Days Review.
6. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Nick Krenn: Justin Vernon’s follow-up to the first Bon Iver album expands sonically and thematically. Sharing the same name of Vernon’s most loved project, Bon Iver (the album) shows what Vernon is capable of when he’s not the only contributor to the music. For Emma, Forever Ago was recorded by Vernon without any outside help as he was holed up in his father’s cabin. Bon Iver moves out of that cabin into a vast environment of different locales. Each song represents a different place. Many of them are fictional -- “HInnom, TX”, “Lisbon, OH”, “Minnesota, WI” – but that doesn’t make them feel any less real.
Figuring out what’s occurring in each one can be difficult. The songs are lyrically puzzling, but they sound absolutely gorgeous. Moving past the simple acoustic arrangements of For Emma, Forever Ago, the songs are occupied with horns, pedal steel guitar, and steady percussion. Vernon even added bass saxophonist Colin Stetson to the band’s line-up for this album, and his contributions are spectacular. Bon Iver is built around soft, romantic pop, yet it cannot be lumped into the same category as Michael Bolton. You still might want to categorize it that way once you hear the album’s final track, “Beth/Rest”. If this song would have been recorded during Peter Gabriel and Phil Collin’s popular years, it would have been one of the best songs during that era. In our present time, the song sounds honestly a bit goofy. Still, it’s one of my favorite tracks.
I found it very hard to fault this album on any level. While I couldn’t get into the similar-natured Kaputt by Destroyer, Bon Iver was more accessible and left me wanting to hear it again and again. Vernon has proved that For Emma, Forever Ago wasn’t a fluke. Although the minimalist recording of that album created much of its charm, Vernon has shown how transformative his music can be when backed by a full band.
Read the Bon Iver - Bon Iver Review.
5. Tune-Yards - W H O K I L L
Nick Krenn: Merrill Garbus should be a household indie name after releasing W H O K I L L this year. Annie Clark of St. Vincent usually gets most of the critical love from indie publications, but Garbus released the more interesting album under her Tune-Yards moniker. Garbus is responsible for all the music on this album – vocals, ukulele, percussion, keyboards, xylophone – and it all comes together in a melting pot of music genres. There’s funk, R&B, hip hop, bedroom pop, and avant garde among other styles present. Classifying it is difficult. If your ears are untrained to music of this nature, you could think it’s horribly unlistenable, and I likely won’t sway you into thinking otherwise.
However, if you’re a person that demands creativity and experimentation in your music, this album will blow you away. A good starting point to determine whether W H O K I L L is for you is the track “Gangsta”. Garbus’ vocal mannerisms are at their most absurd and goofy, but don’t be surprised if it sucks you in on repeated listens. The song is comparably edgy to M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” and seems to be making a statement on individuals who depict themselves as thugs when they’ve never lived in gangland territory. Oh, yeah, there’s meaning behind the songs on this album; it’s not all shits and giggles.
Now just because I called Garbus’ vocals absurd and goofy, don’t mistake that for meaning she cannot sing. This lady is versatile, sounding very soulful and then batshit crazy. There’s never a dull moment when she’s singing. W H O K I L L will be a gateway album for some listeners, turning you onto an addiction for music outside of the norm. So who did Merrill Garbus kill? Perhaps your old taste in music.
Read the Tune-Yards - W H O K I L L Review.
4. Ben Lear - Lillian: A Folk Opera
Chris Bell: When I received a review copy of Ben Lear's Lillian I wasn't expecting much. This has all of the tell-tale signs of a record that I'm not going to be interested in. A concept record (with titular use of the term 'Folk Opera', no less), from a second generation celebrity (his father is Norman, of TV writing fame) Brooklyn solo artist. I expected the same high-minded bedroom project flotsam that particular scene has become so adept at churning out. What I got was a phenomenal record. An NYU-trained musician, Lear is no slouch as a songwriter. The true strength of this work though is how he uses his songs to serve the story, and not the other way around. Lillian is the story of a boy searching for his lost love at sea. Wrought with environmentally-conscious imagery and wonderful role-playing performances, this is the first time in recent memory that a concept record actually had me itching to find out what would happen next. It also didn't hurt that I found out during a subsequent interview that Ben is an entirely pleasant human being. That aside, Lear made a fantastic album that I'm still finding new things to love about.
Read the Ben Lear - Lillian: A Folk Opera Review.
Imaginary Friends on Easter Island from Ben Lear on Vimeo.
3. Firehorse - And So They Ran Faster...
Chris Bell: Leah Siegel may not be a household name, but she has been working the New York music scene for a good many years now and deserves to be on the tip of everyone's tongue. Before this year, Leah already had two solo LP's under her belt, along with work in the groups Brooklyn Boogaloo Blowout and the Citizen's Band. It was her release this year with the band Firehorse (actually the same band that played on her solo recordings) that snagged my attention. A classically trained violinist since childhood, Leah fronts this all out assault of a group on the record And So They Ran Faster.... Her lyrics are pointed and interesting, her guitar work is smooth and raw, but it is her vocal performance that really knocked me out. Siegel can easily transition from a sex-filled Jazz croon to a frighteningly epic Rock battle cry. Their record is an absolute wake-up call to all musicians that the only choices aren't whiny, Indie poet or soulless, shallow Pop machine. She delivers straightforward performances that make the listener think more deeply about the music.
Read the Firehorse - And So They Ran Faster... Review
2. Wild Flag - Wild Flag
Chris Bell: Since first reviewing this record, I have been singing its praises. The ladies of Wild Flag defeated almost every cliche to deliver a fantastic record. They don't care if you call them a super-group, a chick band, or pretentious hipsters, they are here to Rock and that's just what they do. Wild Flag is the kind of record that has absolutely no weak spots. Any time a song from this record pops up on my iPod, it instantly makes my day better. There isn't anything about this album that is overwrought or pretentious. Every note is perfectly placed, raw, and expertly performed. Carrie Brownstein's vocals are on point and the playing from Janet Weiss on drums and Mary Timoney on guitar is the best I've heard this year. Altogether, this group recalls the very best Rock 'N Roll has to offer. They are having fun and showing it. That is the point of the record and why I love it so much. Tracks like "Romance" and "Racehorse" are why I listen to music. I'm not the only one that loves this record, as it has made and appearance on almost every year-end best albums lists I have seen. Greg Kot from the Chicago Tribune even named it the best album of the year (and he wasn't the only one). If Wild Flag can do more records like this, I don't understand why they wouldn't become one of the most important groups of this generation.
Read the Wild Flag - Wild Flag Review.
Wild Flag performs 'Short Version' on Sound Opinions at WBEZ from WBEZ on Vimeo.
1. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
Nick Krenn: Girls’ debut album, titled ‘Album’, was described by Girls’ front man, Christopher Owens, as an “overflow of expression”. Album explored many aspects of rock music from pop to garage to psychedelic rather than sticking with a singular identity. On the follow-up LP, Father, Son, Holy Ghost, Owens continued his musical journey of self-discovery, adding new elements like a gospel choir and organ playing to his mostly ordinary songs about love, relationships, and heartbreak. However, calling Father, Son, Holy Ghost ordinary would be a disservice. It’s a stunning example of when a young, “good” band makes the leap to greatness. Everything is an improvement upon the first album from the instrumentation to the song structure to the song lyrics.
And as polished as Father, Son, Holy Ghost is in comparison to Album, Owens’ voice retains its goofy charm that makes each song likable and keeps Owens relatable as a normal dude just writing and playing songs. Nothing’s too fancy about the music; they’re just catchy tunes that you’ll find yourself listening to again and again. While I can understand that Bon Iver’s self-titled album is grabbing most of the accolades in the indie circuit as the Album of the Year, it cannot match the accessibility of Father, Son, Holy Ghost. Listening to Bon Iver requires an emotional state as a prelude. But that’s not to say that Girls’ album lacks any emotion. As I stated earlier, many of the songs deal with isolation, loneliness, and heartbreak. There are just enough fun songs to balance out the sad.
Some of the songs will surprise you too. The hardcore/metal vibe to “Die” threw me through a loop the first time I heard it. I also wasn’t expecting opening track, “Honey Bunny”, to storm out with its surf-rock pop mentality. Repeated listens will also open new sounds that could have gone unnoticed at first. Go back and listen for the organ that seems to be dueling itself at the end of closing track “Jamie Marie”. No song really misses the mark of being something 'special' on this album, and I cannot praise its charms enough. Father, Son, Holy Ghost is a blessing.
Read the Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost Review.
So that's it for this year's Top 50 Albums. Let us know what you think should have been number one in the comments or your picks for the top ten. Read what we thought about all the Albums in our List HERE. Thanks for reading!
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