Top Albums of 2011 Part 1 (26-50)

2011 was a pretty phenomenal year for music. There were new releases by many of my favorite bands as well as a plethora of new bands I was introduced to. My move to Austin earlier in the year definitely helped facilitate this added accessibility to my ear holes. This year has been a wild ride and a tough one to judge. Trimming my list down to a mere 50 albums was exhausting and surprising! I kept finding albums I was sure would be in or around my top 10 down in the 20's and even 30's. There has been non-stop tinkering so I'm sure there will be more changes to my top 25 before I post that tomorrow.

And away we go! Let's start with the "also received votes" list of albums I really dug this year yet couldn't find room in the top 50. (and in no particular order)

Honorable Mention:
The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From the Vaccines?
The Naked & Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You
Childish Gambino - Camp
The Weeknd - Thursday/House of Balloons
Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde
Grouplove - Never Trust A Happy Song
Cold War Kids - Mine Is Yours
Zubatto Syndicate - Zubatto Syndicate
Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2
Givers - In Light
Young Galaxy - Shapeshifting
Justice - Audio Video Disco
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Mirror Traffic
The Cool Kids - When Fish Ride Bicycles
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears - Scandalous
Young the Giant - Young the Giant
Radiohead - King of Limbs
The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar
Gardens & Villa - Gardens & Villa
Toro Y moi - Underneath the Pine
Handsome Furs - Sound Kapital

My Top 50 Albums of 2011 (26-50)
50) Dad Rocks! - Mount Modern
49) Cults - Cults
48) SBTRKT - SBTRKT
47) Wye Oak - Civilian
46) Other Lives - Tamer Animals
45) Anonymous - To My Long Lost Love
44) The Roots - Undun
43) St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
42) Seryn - This Is Where We Are
41) Adele - 21
40) Nerves Junior - As Bright As Your Night Light
39) Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing
38) The Middle East - I Want That You Are Always Happy
37) Mayer Hawthorne - How Do You Do
36) Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr - It's A Corporate World
35) The Strokes - Angles
34) Kanye & Jay-Z (The Throne) - Watch the Throne
33) James Blake - James Blake
32) Dawes - Nothing Is Wrong
31) Neon Indian - Era Extrana
30) Metronomy - English Riviera
29) Atlas Sound - Parallax
28) Washed Out - Within Without
27) Hooray for Earth - True Loves
26) Death Cab for Cutie - Codes & Keys

Top EPs of 2011

So I took a bit of a break for the holidays and to focus on my year end lists. Kept coming across new albums to take in, which pushed this process back even further.

Without further adieu, I will start my year end lists with my favorite 10 EPs of 2011. Tomorrow I will post my Honorable Mention albums for 2011, followed by my top 50 albums broken up into 2 posts. Of course I am going to spread this out as much as possible!

10) James Blake: Enough Thunder

9) Year of the Tiger: Good Day for A Tiger - you can download this and 2 recently released tracks on their bandcamp site here http://yearofthetiger.bandcamp.com/album/good-day-for-a-tiger

8) The Heavenly States: Oui Camera Oui 

7) Gary Clark Jr.: The Bright Lights EP

6)Toro Y Moi: Freaking Out

5) High Highs: High Highs - The below track "Flowers Bloom" has been one of my favorites for most of the 2011. I was happy when they finally released this EP back in October so I could get more ambient chillwave tuneage from this trio out of New York. Looking forward to more from these guys in the future.

4) Of Monsters and Men: Into the Woods - Of Monsters and Men is the latest to harness the folky pop-party sound with dueling male and female singers a la Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes as well as another 2011 favorite, Grouplove. This is a band to keep an eye on in 2012.

3) The Decemberists: Long Live the King EP - 2011 was a busy year for The Decemberists between an LP, this EP, a full year of touring and the unfortunate breast cancer diagnosis for Jenny. Happy to hear she is doing better and finished the year back with the band after taking time off from their tour!

2) Phantogram: Night Life - Night Life is the follow up to the duo's fantastic 2009 debut Eyelid Moves. They pick up right where they left off and developed even more accessibility over the last 2 years. Go ahead, try and resist the infectiousness of the below track "Don't Move."

1) Black Books: An Introduction To... - I'm sure this is a shocker for anyone that follows this blog but it says something that I have listened to An Introduction To.. more than just about anything else in 2011. Looking forward to more great psych-fuzz rock from this Austin-based group as they prepare to unveil their debut full-length album on Valentine's Day in 2012. Screw flowers and chocolate! This is the perfect gift!

  

Black Books...What They Been Up To?

Back in June I introduced many of you to Black Books and their debut EP, An Introduction To. This is my favorite band here in Austin and man have they been busy. They are close to completing their debut LP, which is slated to be released early 2012 (and you know I'll be telling you about it!). They have played all over town as well as a few dates around the state and are in the process of booking dates/venues for their 1st tour.

Somehow, with all this going on they found the time to cover a song that EVERYBODY that was alive and listened to music in the mid 90's will know. Their cover of "Lovefool" by The Cardigans is even more awesome than the fact they did the cover in the 1st place!

Give a listen and let them take you on a reverb'd trip down memory lane by clicking HERE. You can also read a little more about why they chose this cover as well as download if you like it by visiting the SYFFAL's "Pop Culture's Collide" blog feature HERE.

Black Books also recently dropped "Out the Door," an addicting track that will be featured on their upcoming album and you can hear it below. To quote my buddy Pete after I played this for him, "how are they not signed to a big label!?"

If you live in the Austin area, Black Books are playing tomorrow night (Thursday, December 15) at Frank downtown supported by The Pons and Gentlemen Rogues! Check the details out on Facebook HERE. 

Dad Rocks! Break Thru Radio Exclusive Acoustic Interview

I recently dropped the joyous and quirky folky tuneage of Snævar Njáll Albertsson (also known as Dad Rocks!) on your ear drums. Now, Break Thru Radio has an exclusive sit down with Albertsson where he discusses the inspiration for his debut album Mount Modern. He even does a few acoustic renditions to please your soul.

I do love where he says his daughter likes to sing along with "Pants." A song that includes lyrics such as "And then you're covered in shit. And you don't think that you are fit. To be raising a kid, that gets to suck on all the tits." If you can't tell he even mentions that it is a song "about being a dad and changing diapers." When you put it in those terms it makes perfect sense!

Check out the interview below and also be sure to check out Mount Modern as well! Speaking of, you can check out my album review HERE

Polock - Getting Down From the Trees

First of all, let me point that I am aware that this album was released 1st half of 2010 but when I recently purchased it there was a 2011 date on it. I spent about 10-15 minutes researching for re-release statements, articles, or some form of info and came out empty-handed. So I will justify this review and the potential inclusion in my top 50 for the year based on my album case saying 2011. Semantics!

Polock was brought to my attention at the recommendation of a worker at a record store I ALWAYS hut up when I'm home. His exact words were "they are like a Spanish Phoenix" and that's all I needed. The weather was dreary and nothing can spark a day like that more than the hooks of Phoenix! Plus, I was curious how a Spanish Phoenix would differ from the French Phoenix. This is no joke but about 5 minutes after putting this album in while driving home the sun came out. Not being cheeky or anything here, it happened! Besides, you just read it on the internet so it must be true.

A "Spanish Phoenix" might be the best blanket comparison for this band but there are also traces of Spoon, The Strokes, and even a smidgen of Real Estate. Throughout the album there are times where the singing style reminds me of a poppier Britt Daniel of Spoon. I'm talking more pop than their poppier-ish songs like "The Underdog." Album opener "High on Life" as well as the closer "Night Shot" bring The Strokes to mind. The instrumental jam throughout most of "Defenceless" could have been a Real Estate Days leftover (if patience isn't your thing and you want to hear what I mean skip ahead to around the 1:30 mark).  Also, the chorus of "Faster Love" somewhat reminds me of Weezer. Maybe it's just the way he says "Suzanne."

Other musical similarities aside, if you enjoy the infectious pop hooks of Phoenix then you will enjoy Getting Down From the Trees because they are aplenty. 'Trees is full of charm and warmth and will get your head bobbing. This may not be the most diverse album but why stray from what works especially when your music causes the sun to shine on a dreary day?

Check out the party-in-the-woods video for "Fireworks" below. Is the drummer trying to look like Jason Schwartzman in this video? Phantom Planet fan, maybe?

And below you can hear "Defenceless." Possibly my favorite jam on the album...

Video: Little Tybee - Boxcar Fair

One of the best videos I've seen this year, as well as one of the most artistic, is for "Boxcar Fair" by Little Tybee. The song itself is enjoyable and whimsical in all its grandeur but the video is so well done it takes the experience to another level. Think the former HBO series Carnivale meets Wes Anderson and the puppetry of Craig Schwarz (Cusack in Being John Malkovich). Everything you know and love about those 3 mixed in a blender and you get the idea. Best part and what makes it even more spectacular is that they filmed it all in ONE TAKE!


You can check the video out for yourself on Vimeo by clicking here http://vimeo.com/32183353 

SPOILER ALERT! Kinda....I'm still trying to figure out the floating elephant, though. I get that it's scared by the mouse but is the mouse magic or radioactive or something because of the psychic?

New Artist You Need to Know About: Low Roar

Low Roar's self-titled album is the debut solo product of Ryan Karazija, formerly of Audrye Sessions. Low Roar's sound and vibe brings to mind bands like Other Lives, Radiohead (the mellower side), and if James Blake had collaborated with Just Vernon on For Emma, Forever Ago (but James Blake was still a nobody so Vernon only took on bits and pieces of his influence). There are the occasional electronic beats and some auto-tuning but it still has a feel to it that I have not experienced since I first heard For Emma. 


Speaking of Justin Vernon and Bon Iver, Karazija embarked on a somewhat similar journey in creating this album, albeit much further geographically. While Vernon holed-up in a cabin in Wisconsin, Karazija moved from San Francisco, CA to Reykjavik, Iceland. This trek and the subsequent toll it took on his life built the foundation for the hauntingly beautiful songs of Low Roar. Opening track and current single "Give Up" sets the tone with lyrics of sadness and downright melancholia right off the bat with 'I won't wake a wealthy man someday 'cause the sun don't follow me.'

There is so much more life and emotion to Low Roar, though. "Just a Habit" with its Radioheadish (think In Rainbows) acoustic guitar work. Then "Nobody Else" is where you pick up the James Blake vibe with the auto-tuned singing and overall electronicness. Album closer "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" (not to be confused with the Smashing Pumpkins song that was also involved with some melancholy as well as some sadness) is another standout track. It is an epic climax to this album that, albeit still haunting, will have you bobbing your head or tapping your feet, fingers, a pen, whatever you have access to. At times it feels like you're in a medieval movie but can hear the soundtrack...and there's a dope beat. I just hope for the sake of all our ears he isn't talking to us as he closes the album with "No, I ain't gonna be here too long....too long."

PS: I am currently in love with this album.

Check out the beautifully well-done video for "Give Up" below:

You can also check out "Just a Habit" below.  And no, that is not a picture of Ryan....