Best of 2011 - Music

[Godspeed]

It's that time of year again... here's my list:

 

1. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
2. Radiohead - King of Limbs
3. TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light
4. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
5. Black Keys - El Camino
6. Wilco - The Whole Love
7. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
8. Panda Bear - Tomboy
9. My Morning Jacket - Cirtuital
10. Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean

I thought it was a pretty good year all things considered. Got to see Bon Iver, TVOTR, and MMJ in concert this year in Milwaukee. I can't say enough how much of a blessing Pabst/Riverside/Turner is for this area.

 

[patrickgpe]

I agree, it was a very good year

 

1. Blitzen Trapper "American Goldwing"

2. Amos Lee "Misson Bell"

3. Foster the People "Torches"

4. Mayer Hawthorne "How do you do"

5 M83 "Hurry Up, We are Dreaming:

6 Blind Pilot "We are the Tide"

7. Adele "21"

8 Decemberists "The King is Dead"

9 Bon Iver "Bon Iver"

10 Florence and the Machine "Ceremonials"

[Menotti80]

I only listened to / bought one album this year, which was very good.

 

Jack's Mannequin - People and Things

[OglivieHomePerm]

Decemberists "The King is Dead"

 

This.

[craigharmann]

The ones I liked

 

Civil Wars-- Barton Hollow

Gungor-- Ghosts on the Earth

Needtobreathe--The Reckoning

Mat Kearney-- Young Love

 

I forgot one more, because I haven't bought it yet....having a baby and all costs $$$ John Mark McMillan's Economy

[brettac1]

1. Glossary - "Long Live All Of Us"

2. Austin Lucas - "A New Home In The Old World"

3. Shane Sweeney - "The Finding Time"

4. John Paul Keith - "The Man That Time Forgot"

5. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - "Here We Rest"

6. Lauderdale - "Moving On"

7. Michael Dean Damron - "Plea From a Ghost"

8. Micah Schnabel - "I'm Dead, Serious"

9. Tom Waits - "Bad As Me"

10. Jonny Corndawg - "Down On The Bikini Line"

[thebruce44]

Decemberists "The King is Dead"

 

This.

I'm a huge Decemberists fan, but was really disappointed in that album.

My list:

1. M83- Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

2. Cold War Kids - Mine is Yours

3. Portugal the Man - In the Mountain In the Clouds

4. Cut Copy - Zonoscope

5. Foster the People - Torches

6. Destroyer - Kaputt

7. Black Keys - El Camino

8. Cage the Elephant - Thank You, Happy Birthday

9. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

10. Atmosphere - The Family Sign

[jjkoestler]

In no particular order:

 

1: Bon Iver - Bon Iver

2: Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde

3: Bright Eyes - The People's Key

4: The Horrible Crowes - Elsie

5: WU LYF - Go Tell Fire to the Mountain

6: TVOTR - Nine Types of Light

7: The War on Drugs - Slave Ambient

8: Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation

9: Atlas Sound - Parallax

10: Shabazz Palaces - Black Up

[jjfanec]

The ones I liked

 

Civil Wars-- Barton Hollow

Gungor-- Ghosts on the Earth

Needtobreathe--The Reckoning

Mat Kearney-- Young Love

Really like what I have heard of The Reckoning and Young Love.

[craigharmann]

The ones I liked

 

Civil Wars-- Barton Hollow

Gungor-- Ghosts on the Earth

Needtobreathe--The Reckoning

Mat Kearney-- Young Love

Really like what I have heard of The Reckoning and Young Love.

Every Needtobreathe album, I say, "There's no way this band could get better", then their next one comes out. So far, top to bottom, it's their best yet. I really like Mat's sound and vibe, but Young Love is the most upbeat and cheery sounding album top to bottom. I've heard a few interviews with him about it. I really like it.

 

Just to put in a plug, over the past year, I've come to this great website called noisetrade.com. All the music is free, you can give "tips" if you want, but it's how I heard Blitzen Trapper, Jonny Corndawg, and a bunch of other bands that I probably wouldn't have heard. Some artists have entire albums up, some just a few songs to give you a taste. It's awesome. I strongly recommend it!

[jjfanec]

Every Needtobreathe album, I say, "There's no way this band could get better", then their next one comes out. So far, top to bottom, it's their best yet. I really like Mat's sound and vibe, but Young Love is the most upbeat and cheery sounding album top to bottom. I've heard a few interviews with him about it. I really like it.

I completely agree on Needtobreathe. I look forward to more time listening to Reckoning. I wasnt a huge fan of Mat's last album but the stuff I have heard off this album has been really good.

[patrickgpe]

craigharmann]The ones I liked

 

Civil Wars-- Barton Hollow

Gungor-- Ghosts on the Earth

Needtobreathe--The Reckoning

Mat Kearney-- Young Love

 

I forgot one more, because I haven't bought it yet....having a baby and all costs $$$ John Mark McMillan's Economy

really liked the civil wars album, checked out the needtobreathe album on spotify at lunch today and i really like it. Spotify is a great recourse to check out albums (especially if money is an issue) you can stream any album you like and its completely legal and free.

[craigharmann]

really liked the civil wars album, checked out the needtobreathe album on spotify at lunch today and i really like it. Spotify is a great recourse to check out albums (especially if money is an issue) you can stream any album you like and its completely legal and free.

Problem is with spotify, yes, it's legal and free, but it pays the artists not a whole lot. I'm all for free stuff, but being a church musician, I understand what it's like making your living writing, singing and performing music. They need to pay bills and put food on their table as well. With noisetrade, you give your email and zip code, and yeah, you get on the band/artist's mailing list, but it makes a connection that you don't really get with the major labels....plus, in my opinion, musically, it's more creative and diverse!

[jjfanec]

Every Needtobreathe album, I say, "There's no way this band could get better", then their next one comes out. So far, top to bottom, it's their best yet. I really like Mat's sound and vibe, but Young Love is the most upbeat and cheery sounding album top to bottom. I've heard a few interviews with him about it. I really like it.

Hey Craig, going off your musical tastes I was wondering what your thoughts were on the new Switchfoot album? Not sure if you are a fan but with some of the bands you listed I thought there might be a chance.

[craigharmann]

Every Needtobreathe album, I say, "There's no way this band could get better", then their next one comes out. So far, top to bottom, it's their best yet. I really like Mat's sound and vibe, but Young Love is the most upbeat and cheery sounding album top to bottom. I've heard a few interviews with him about it. I really like it.

Hey Craig, going off your musical tastes I was wondering what your thoughts were on the new Switchfoot album? Not sure if you are a fan but with some of the bands you listed I thought there might be a chance.

It's great! Sorry, that was another one I loved this year. I got to see them live in August before the album came out, and they did a lot of the new ones....good stuff! I've read lots of reviews of Hello Hurricane, and didn't really get to listen to it. I loved The Beautiful Letdown as a beginning to end album, and the last few that I've heard didn't really do it for me. This one is really good!

[jjfanec]

[quote author=jjfanec wrote:

[/b]Hey Craig, going off your musical tastes I was wondering what your thoughts were on the new Switchfoot album? Not sure if you are a fan but with some of the bands you listed I thought there might be a chance.

It's great! Sorry, that was another one I loved this year. I got to see them live in August before the album came out, and they did a lot of the new ones....good stuff! I've read lots of reviews of Hello Hurricane, and didn't really get to listen to it. I loved The Beautiful Letdown as a beginning to end album, and the last few that I've heard didn't really do it for me. This one is really good!Hello Hurrican was really good. Their best album since Beautiful Letdown by quite a bit, but what I have heard of Vice Versa it sounds even better. Pretty amazing how far they have come as a band since their early stuff. It always throws me off when I hear them on abc college football stuff. Sounds like we have pretty similar taste in music. Cool that you are in church music ministry - I am in ministry as well.

[patrickgpe]

craigharmann]

really liked the civil wars album, checked out the needtobreathe album on spotify at lunch today and i really like it. Spotify is a great recourse to check out albums (especially if money is an issue) you can stream any album you like and its completely legal and free.

Problem is with spotify, yes, it's legal and free, but it pays the artists not a whole lot. I'm all for free stuff, but being a church musician, I understand what it's like making your living writing, singing and performing music. They need to pay bills and put food on their table as well. With noisetrade, you give your email and zip code, and yeah, you get on the band/artist's mailing list, but it makes a connection that you don't really get with the major labels....plus, in my opinion, musically, it's more creative and diverse!

i still buy alot of music, but use spotify to check out new artists. I still would rather have a hard copy of their music or atleast a MP3 so i can listen on my Ipod. I think the advantage of spotify is gives people more exposure to one's music and may get them to go see them live which is where musicians make a good share of their money. I checked out a band this afternoon that I never heard of (needtobreathe) and really like them and am now more likely to see them live.

[jerichoholicninja]

Obligatory music today sucks post.

 

Was Brothers 2010 or 2011? That was pretty good.

[Schlitz001]

This year was great for music. Way better than last year. I'll even number my top albums:

1) Panda Bear - Tomboy

2) Cut Copy - Zonoscope

3) Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Unknown Mortal Orcehstra

4) Toro Y Moi - Underneath the Pine

5) St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

6) Youth Lagoon - Year of Hibernation

7) Atlas Sound - Parallax

8) Cults - Cults

9) The Dodos - No Color

10) Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost

11) Twin Sister - In Heaven

12) M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

13) Starf****r - Reptilians

14) Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

15)

New song, but no record:

Friends - I'm His Girl, Friends

Lana Del Rey - Video Games, Blue Jeans

[brettac1]

Obligatory music today sucks post.

 

Was Brothers 2010 or 2011? That was pretty good.

That was 2010.

[thebruce44]

Obligatory music today sucks post.

 

Was Brothers 2010 or 2011? That was pretty good.

El Camino was their release this year. Pretty good stuff.

[Glennron]

This year was great for music. Way better than last year. I'll even number my top albums:

I don't know, I thought last year might've been a little bit better for "indie" fans.. At least more top heavy. Arcade Fire, The National, Tallest Man on Earth, Deerhunter, LCD Soundsystem, Vampire Weekend, Black Keys etc..., and seemingly everyone loved Kanye's.

 

Not going to bother coming up with a list cause most have been listed by others, but M83's has been my favorite. For one's that haven't been mentioned, Washed Out and The Rural Alberta Advantage put out some solid ones too.

[brettac1]

I'm way out of touch with Pitchfork nation these days.

[jjkoestler]

2011 was pretty weak for hip hop. Critics seemed to love the Kayne/Jay-Z and Drake records, but I thought they were pretty weak. I don't think I've heard a hip-hop album this year that I will be spinning next year except for a few Das Racist tracks and Shabazz Palaces.

[thebruce44]

I'm way out of touch with Pitchfork nation these days.

I'd say most of this stuff is getting pretty mainstream. The last 3 concerts I've tried to get tickets to have sold out in under a few minutes online so it kinda sucks.