T-Dawg's Best of 2011

I found 2011 to be a great music year. First, there were some really great moments in Pop/Radio music. The best for me: the phenomenon that has been Adele, the new Britney Spears album, the Jay-Z/Kanye West collaboration, great new tracks from Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, Drake, Beyonce, etc. Second, there were a number of album releases this year that I found myself looking forward to in a way that I haven't done in a long time. Here is a list of my favorite albums from 2011:

1. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
I love Bon Iver. I was so looking forward to this album that I would have been heartbroken if I didn't like it. Thankfully, I ended up loving it (almost?) as much as For Emma. It's absolutely beautiful like everything Justin Vernon does. Best songs: "Calgary" (second to "Skinny Love" as my favorite Bon Iver track), "Towers," "Holocene"

2. Radiohead - The King of Limbs
I think Radiohead fans had mixed reactions but I loved it. Best songs: "Little By Little," "Lotus Flower," "Separator"

3. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Another release I was eagerly anticipating. Didn't quite match their debut album across the board for me, but beautiful nonetheless. Best songs: "Bedouin Dress, "Montezuma," "Grown Ocean"

4. Real Estate - Days
Their music makes me feel happy and sad at the same time. Their sound is so nostalgic. Best songs: "Municipality," "It's Real," "All the Same"

5. Uh Huh Her - Nocturnes
I liked their first album but I loved this one. Thanks to their Southwest Airlines incident it got some mainstream attention too. Best songs: "Another Case," "Debris," "Same High"

6. Wild Flag - Wild Flag
I love Sleater-Kinney and Carrie Brownstein so I had to give this a chance. It's not S-K but it's great. Best songs: "Romance," "Oh Yeah," "Endless Talk"

7. Tegan and Sara - Get Along (Live Album)
Everyone knows T and S are one of my favorite artists ever. I wasn't sure if I should include it since it's a live album but I had to. I'm only rating it low because the songs aren't new. But the live versions are beautiful. Best songs: "The Ocean (Live)," "I Know I Know I Know (Live)," "Sentimental Tune (Live)"

8. The Mountain Goats - All Eternals Deck
I love this band. They've put out some class albums. This one isn't among their very best but I enjoyed it a great deal this year. Best songs: "Damn These Vampires," "For Charles Bronson," "Beautiful Gas Mask"

9. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
I have a complicated relationship with Coldplay but they have recorded some of the most beautiful songs of of the post-2000 era. What I really liked about this album is that they're trying out some new sounds. Best songs: "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall," "Hurts Like Heaven," "Charlie Brown"

10. Adele - 21
Totally deserves the extreme amount of attention it has received. I wanted to resist the Adele hype this year but to no avail. Best songs: "Someone Like You," "Rumour Has It," "Rolling In The Deep"

Top Albums of Ten

2010 started off as strong as it ever could have for me - I was graced with a new band and an album that managed to be the greatest thing to touch my heart and burn my ears in a long time. However, things faltered after that. I'm not quite blaming the music world for that. I just seemed to enter a phase where the only things capable of making me happy musically came out 30-40 years ago. I was craving an older sound and couldn't help but reject my usual alternative/indie groups. Hip hop stayed an exception to this rule but I guess that's because radio makes sure to keep my exposure to young money current. After some intense mullage time, I managed to scrape together my top ten of '10. So without further delay, the best albums of last year:

10. Nicki Minaj~Pink Friday

As an artist, I find Nicki Minaj incredibly alluring. She just feels like the most creative thing to come out of hip-hop in a long ass time. Her multitude of voices, personalities, sentiments - they simultaneously

construct somebody and construct nobody. What I mean to say is that from the first time I hear Nicki, I've been asking myself - who the hell is Nicki Minaj? I know Lil Wayne is not a human being (ha!) but maybe Nicki Minaj isn't either. Pink Friday isn't flawless but in my eyes, it's one of the most creative efforts of 2010 and that's thanks to tracks like "Your Love," "Save Me," "Roman's Revenge," "Moment 4 Life," and "Check It Out." Nicki tends to be a cocky bitch in a lot of her verses (not to mention in the song "I'm the Best") but frankly, if she can't be cocky, who can? Anyway, she cuts herself down to size in the honest crooning of "Save Me" (it's not your fault/i'm a bitch i'm a monster/yes i'm a beast/and i feast when i conquer/but i'm alone/on my throne), showing us that she's capable of singing another tune if she wants to. In Pink Friday, we see Nicki the rapper, Nicki the pop singer, Nicki the cocky, Nicki the humbled - we even see Nicki as Roman Zolanski. So, after seeing all these sides to her in her debut work, are we any closer to knowing who is Nicki Minaj? No, but we do know she's a motherfucking monster.

9. Titus Andronicus~The Monitor

How could I not put a civil war concept album on this list? Yet again, Titus has shown how hard they can rip, while making sure to remind us just how fucking smart they are. By interweaving Walt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln readings and Springsteen-esque guitar riffs with poetic love letters to the new jersey countryland, The Monitor is one of Titus's most moving works. It takes a relic of the past like the Civil War and allows us to relive it now (and in nj of all places).Survival seems to be the resounding theme. The most impressive thing is the sound and how even though we're working with a 150 yr old war and abe lincoln quotes, Patrick Stickles makes everything feel like the present - there isn't an ounce of antiquity weighing us down. In sum, this album feels alive - mind, body, and soul. Highlights: "A More Perfect Union," "Four Score and Seven," "Theme from 'Cheers,'" and "To Old Friends and New" (a sentimental gem). All in all, The Monitor is an album of righteous passion.

8. Mumford & Sons~Sigh No More

Even though they've been around for a few years, I didn't come across Mumford & Sons until this past year and really, this English folk band is nothing short of energetic heart. Sigh No More is gorgeous and moving. Marcus Mumford's voice is so haunting that it almost makes me believe that no one has ever been as honest, as intense, or as earnest, ever. I can't wait to get more acclimated with this band. Standout tracks are "White Blank Page," "Little Lion Man," "The Cave," and "Awake My Soul."

7. Arcade Fire~The Suburbs

Probably one of the most hyped-up releases of the year and it didn't really disappoint. It classic Arcade Fire sounds and I even greatly enjoyed the whole suburbs-ish/thematic element to the album. I don't hold the same attachment to this release that I do to Funeral or to Neon Bible, but that definitely has the potential to change over time. Highlights include "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)," "Modern Man," "Wasted Hours," and "Suburban War." On a special side note too, "Sprawl II" is one of Arcade Fire's best releases ever and I can only hope to hear more from Régine on future recordings.

6. Best Coast~Crazy For You

Fun, sweet, beachy, poppy, with some shades of lo-fi. Best Coast has this way of bringing heartfelt sentimentality into some fucking fun beats. Sure, they might seem like a seasonal band given the beachy nature to their song, it's the sentimentality of their works that makes sure they stay reigned in. Best tracks include "Boyfriend," "Crazy For You," and "When I'm With You." On a side note however, I do have to better familiarize myself with this album because it's Best Coast's many, many EPs that I know best.

5. Joanna Newsom~Have One On Me

I have a draft sitting around entirely dedicated to the perfection of Good Intentions Paving Company (I swear I'll make sure to

post that soon). That song along could have earnedthis album a spot on my list. This album marked a huge leap for Joanna Newsom in my eyes. Her voice has altered greatly since the days of Walnut Whales. In fact, its safe to say it's "normalized" in a lot of ways. And yet, there's still a lot of that Joanna originality in there - her lyrics and music are still as gorgeous as ever too. Have One On Me is a heart-frapping, honest account of Joanna's soul, but best of all, (and as lame as it might be to admit it), it's all of our hearts and souls. Standouts beside "Good Intentions Paving Company" include "Does Not Suffice," "'81," and "Baby Birch."

4. She & Him~Volume 2

So, this is how my relationship with this album progressed: After first hearing the single "In the Sun," I was disappointed and frankly, my hopes for Volume Two quickly deflated. There's a

poppy/sunny line that "In the Sun" crossed for me and well, it was the side of She & Him that I wanted to hear less. The next songto fall into my lap was "Home," which was easily one of Zooey's best efforts with everything from the duality of "I want to be where your heart is...home"/"I want to be where your heart is home" all the way to the beautiful ephemeral quality to the "I can be sweeter" backing line. So here I was faced with one of my favorite and least favorite She & Him songs, essentially signaling that the album can go in either direction and luckily, my early fears proved unnecessary. Volume Two was a more than formidable rival to Volume One with tracks like "Me and You," "Over It Over Again," "Lingering Still," "Thieves," and "Don't Look Back." My one hitch with this album is that I have heard much more strong recordings of "Thieves" and "Lingering Still" at past shows, so I kinda wish those songs had the same charm my other versions do.

3. Various Artists~Underwater Peoples Winter Review

Amazing compilation of all those NJ/Brooklyn bands I find impossible to resist. I found the whole album to be super well-rounded and complete. My favorite song off the compilation (and one of my favorites in general) is easily Fluffy Lumbers's "Adoration," a beautifully composed, perfectly sung track on the innocent notion of adoration. Some other great numbers include Pill Wonder's "Restless," Alex Bleeker's "These Days," Family Portrait's "Killer Statements," and Air Waves's "Sweetness." Strong compilations can be hard to come by, so this one had a huge impact on me in '10.

2. Kanye West~My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

He's annoying as fuck nowadays, but this album was the reboot he needed. Its been forever since Kanye did right by his music and put something out that brought together sweet beats, perfect

rhymes, choice guest artists, etc. Not to mention, Kanye finally figured out how to do right by his "singing voice," as evidenced by parts of "Dark Fantasy." If Kanye can follow this album up with something just as powerful, well then he can probably get away with any of his offstage antics (probably). The gems off this one for me are "Dark Fantasy," "Runaway," "Monster," "Gorgeous," and "Power." Some extra props to Kanye for the ever-present self-truths present in "Runaway." Oh and also, any and all signs of Nicki were spot fucking on.

1. Beach House~Teen Dream

I knew Teen Dream was my album of the year as soon as it fell into my lap. Conveniently enough, I was introduced to Beach House in early january, just in time for Teen Dream's release. Often bands who release strong debut albums, falter on their sophomore effort - not Beach House. From their self-titled debut, to Devotion, and now to Teen Dream, they've been nothing short of perfection. And with over 1700 plays for me in 2010, Beach House easily shot up to become one of my most favorite bands. Considering all three albums meant something significant to me this past year, it's difficult to talk about them purely through Teen Dream, but I will say some standouts off their latest release include "Real Love" and "Silver Soul."

-DJ

2010 Year in Review: Part 2, Songs

As we greet 2011 it's time to reflect on the songs that defined 2010.

First, here is my list of songs released in 2010 that I consider to have had the most impact on me this past year:

1. “Good Intentions Paving Company” by Joanna Newsom

Hello my old county, hello.

No song released in 2010 felt more appropriate to me and was more frapping to my ears than this epic 7-minute-but-feels-like-it's-over-too-soon piece of beauty.

2. “Home” by She and Him

I could be sweet, and I could be sweeter.

3. “White Blank Page” by Mumford & Sons

You desired my attention but denied my affections, denied my affections.

4. “England” by The National

You must be somewhere in London, You must be loving your life in the rain.

5. “Monster” by Kanye West, Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, and Bon Iver

'Cause that's what a motha fuckin monster do.

6. “My Pet Snakes” by Jenny and Johnny

We can have it out or we can have another beer.

7. “Turn Me Away (Get MuNNY)” by Erykah Badu

I'll bring the honey, you just bring the money.

8. “I Walked” by Sufjan Stevens

But I'm not about to expect something more.

9. “Suburban War” by Arcade Fire

And I search for you in every passing car.

10. “Real Love” by Beach House

I met you.

And here is the list of my top most played tracks from 31 December 2009 to 31 December 2010:

1. "Gold Soundz" by Pavement, "My Girls" by Animal Collective, and "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

4. "I'm The Man Who Loves You" by Wilco

5. "In The Flowers" by Animal Collective

6. "Hold On Hold On" by Neko Case

7. "People's Parties" by Joni Mitchell

8. "Choking Tara" by Guided by Voices and "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver

10. "Sleepy Head" by Passion Pit and "What Would I Want? Sky" by Animal Collective

T-Dawg

2010 Reflections, continued

And as the year draws to a close, I've still yet to disclose my top albums of '10. Although I figured out what gems made it on to my list, there's still one more thing I wanted to examine before praising the brand new music to grace our lives this year. As another way to pay homage to the music that frapped me hardest this year, new and old, I've compiled a list of top artists, albums, and tracks of the year. What's the point? Well truthfully, it was really the list of Top Albums that I found most interesting because it's much easier to condense a year into artists and/or tracks in my mind (plus, it was kinda cool to note how certain artists made only 2/3 of the lists). Beyond that, I did this because I wanted to see how old favorites held up against new ones and to what extent I delved into gut-wrenching, heart-frapping music that lets you relive the past.

Top ARTISTS of 2010:

1. Beach House

2. Neko Case

3. The Smiths

4. Pavement

5. Guided By Voices

6. Tegan and Sara

7. Real Estate

8. Times New Viking

9. T. Rex

10. The Knife

Top ALBUMS of 2010:

1. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

2. Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

3. Beach House - Devotion

4. Beach House - Beach House

5. Beach House - Teen Dream

6. T. Rex - Electric Warrior (Remastered)

7. Tegan and Sara - The Con

8. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

9. The National - The Boxer

10. The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come

Top TRACKS of 2010:

1. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

2. Pavement - Gold Soundz

3. Guided By Voices - I Am Decided

4. Guided By Voices - I Am a Scientist

5. Neko Case - I'm an Animal

6. Neko Case - Maybe Sparrow

7. Times New Viking - Another Day

8. Beach House - Real Love

9. Beach House - Saltwater

10. Beach House - Gila

-DJ

Time Capsule: 53 Weeks of 2010

When I began reflecting on this past year in music, I became overwhelmed with a bucket load of feelings. I wasn't completely sure how much I really engaged new albums, or when I thought about what I was listening to six months ago, it felt like I had gone through a few lifetimes since then (not to mention the first half of this year was spent in a whole other country). Reflecting on an entire year of music can be both enlightening and painful, given how tied music is to our lives and all the events and feelings that fill them. So, before I could re-engage all the new music to come out in 2010, I decided to take a hard look at what I listened to new and old, week by week. It would be careless of me to talk about brand new songs and albums, without considering what sort of impact past music (but new to me this year) had on me. Here's my time capsule - a breakdown of my most-played songs for each week of 2010:

1. United State of Pop 2009 (Blame It On the Pop) ~ DJ Earworm {technically this week only contains 3 days of 2010}

2. Gold Soundz ~ Pavement

3. Suspended In Gaffa ~ Kate Bush

4. I Don't Owe You Anything ~ The Smiths

5. Green River ~ Real Estate

6. Real Love ~ Beach House

7. Real Love ~ Beach House

8. Girlfriend In A Coma ~ The Smiths

9. The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore ~ Walker Brothers

10. I Am Decided ~ Guided By Voices

11. Middle Cyclone ~ Neko Case

12. Tightrope ~ Yeasayer

13. Round and Round ~ Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

14. Judas ~ Depeche Mode

15. Love Your Daughters ~ Times New Viking

16. These Days ~ Nico

17. Another Day ~ Times New Viking

18. Call and Respond ~ Times New Viking

19. Middle Cyclone ~ Neko Case

20. This Is Everything ~ Tegan and Sara

21. Good Intentions Paving Company ~ Joanna Newsom

22. Walking the Cow ~ Daniel Johnston

23. You Came To Me ~ Beach House

24. In California ~ Neko Case

25. Transatlanticism ~ Death Cab for Cutie

26. N.I.B. ~ Black Sabbath

27. White Blank Page ~ Mumford & Sons

28. Soil, Soil ~ Tegan and Sara

29. Animal ~ Neon Trees

30. Edge of Desire ~ John Mayer

31. Edge of Desire ~ John Mayer

32. The Chain ~ Ingrid Michaelson

33. I Just Had To Die ~ The Knife

34. The Chain ~ Ingrid Michaelson

35. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) ~ Arcade Fire

36. Modern Man ~ Arcade Fire

37. Right Above It (feat. Drake) ~ Lil Wayne

38. Poison Dart (feat. Warrior Queen) ~ The Bug

39. Windowlicker ~ Aphex Twin

40. This Magic Moment ~ Lou Reed

41. Boss DJ [acoustic] ~ Sublime

42. Right Above It (feat. Drake) ~ Lil Wayne

43. Slow Jamz ~ Kanye West

44. Gimme The Loot ~ Notorious B.I.G.

45. What's My Name? (feat. Drake) ~ Rihanna

46. Hey ~ The Pixies

47. Hey ~ The Pixies

48. Winter Song ~ Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson

49. Cupid ~ Sam Cooke

50. Club Molluska ~ Fluffy Lumbers

51. Winter in the Hamptons ~ Josh Rouse

52. Perfection ~ Clint Mansell

53. Slavedriver ~ Jenny and Johnny/Just Breathe ~ Pearl Jam {subject to change b/c this week has two more qualifying days at the time of this post}

- DJ

2010 Year in Review: Part 1, Albums

2010 was a great year for albums. While I spent alot of the year listening to 2009 releases by Tegan and Sara, Animal Collective, Real Estate, and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, and rediscovering older favorites like Joni Mitchell, Wilco, Pavement, Sleater-Kinney, and Buddy Holly, I was frapped by the sheer number of 2010 releases that felt like instant classics to me. Here is my breakdown of the best albums released in 2010.

1. Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

I was really torn about whether to put this album first or not for a couple reasons. It came out really late in the year and therefore I don’t yet have the same nostalgia attached to it as I do to alot of the other albums on the list. And also, it’s Kanye Fucking West. I’ve always been a fan of his songs but not usually his albums as entities and it always bothers me when an artist gets more attention for their antics than for their music, like Kanye has in the past couple years. All that said, though, I can’t resist this album. It’s number 1 on my list because it works so well as a unit and because, even if I have more of a sentimental attachment to the She and Him album, for instance, casually putting Dark Twisted Fantasy on Thanksgiving weekend was definitely the single most frapping listening experience I’ve had all year. From Nicki Minaj’s bizarre opening on “Dark Fantasy,” to the infectious guitar sample in “Gorgeous,” through the insanity that is “Monster,” song after song the first half of the album blew my mind. And the rest of it isn’t too bad either. The sensitivity of “Runaway” and the presence of Bon Iver re-working “The Woods” on “Lost in the World” work surprisingly well with Kanye’s simultaneously self-aggrandizing and self-deprecating sentiment. No one man should have all that power.

2. She and Him, Volume Two

I was eagerly awaiting this album when it came out in March. 2008‘s Volume One was so important to me and just so good that I was excited for what they would put out next but also concerned that it wouldn’t have the same effect. Volume Two did not let me down. While I preferred the demo version of “Thieves” that I’ve had for a couple years already (sup Lux?) to the album version and I thought that the first single “In the Sun” was just pretty good and not phenomenal, the rest of the album really hit me. “Don’t Look Back,” “Lingering Still,” “Me and You,” and “Over It Over Again” struck a very personal note when I needed it most. Upon first listen I knew that “Home” would occupy a special place in my heart right next to the Edward Sharpe song of the same title. Volume Two reminded me of summertime while I was cold in England and it was the first thing I put on when I couldn’t sleep in hostels in Bruges and Rome. I can always count on Zooey Deschanel’s voice to make my ears feel hot and to frap my sentimental heart.

3. Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More

I first heard the first 6 tracks of this album play when I was sitting in a cafe in Prague with Brianna. The songs immediately stood out to me, reminding me of the Fleet Foxes -esque type of boy-folk-rock that I have a special affection for. When “White Blank Page” came on, I knew that I would have to look the band up when I returned to England. I found the band by searching the lyrics that struck me the most: “You desired my attention but denied my affections.” Sigh No More reminds me of walking down Banbury Road in Oxford in the early spring feeling simultaneously sad and empowered. “Sigh No More,” “The Cave,” “Winter Winds,” and “Little Lion Man” are sometimes even hard for me to listen to I find them so beautiful and nostalgic. The lyrics are extremely sentimental and the music will go from soft and slow to urgent within one song. For me, this album stands alongside Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago, and Up From Below by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes as a certain type of record that holds a special place for me.

4. Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh

This is another album that reminds me of walking around Oxford in the spring. I put it so high on the list because, unlike Sufjan and Arcade Fire who I have a special bias toward, I was only peripherally into Erykah’s music before hearing this album. So, this is definitely another example of the frap effect. This album is extremely cohesive, the more upbeat answer to 2008’s New Amerykah Part One, but it also fluctuates between sexy, playful, and serious. Standout tracks include: “Window Seat,” “Turn Me Away (Get MuNNY),” and “Umm Hmm.”

5. Sufjan Stevens, The Age of Adz

I love Sufjan so much and I can’t really explain why. I was a little bit reluctant going into this album because I kept hearing how different it was from his other material and how he had gone “electronic.” Then I fell in love with “I Walked” without the context of the rest of the album. What I realized upon listening to it through was that, even with the use of electronic sounds and without the backdrop of an American state, it still sounds like Sufjan. It’s still his voice and his lyrics and his sense of cohesion. Standout tracks: “Too Much,” “I Walked,” and “Now That I’m Older.”

6. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs

Nothing will ever really surpass Funeral in my mind, but Arcade Fire always puts out really solid albums. I love the concept behind The Suburbs and I do think that there are some standalone tracks, like “Modern Man,” “Suburban War,” “We Used to Wait,” and “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” that rival their best.

7. Joanna Newsom, Have One on Me

It’s so beautiful and part of me thinks it really should be higher on the list but the thing is, it’s so long and there’s so much to it that I don’t think I’ve really listened to the entirety of it enough. For “Good Intentions Paving Company” and “Does Not Suffice” alone, though, I have to call this 2-hour triple-album wonderful. Other standouts: “Easy,” “’81,” and “Soft As Chalk.”

8. Jenny and Johnny, I’m Having Fun Now

It is hard for me to call anything Jenny Lewis has done less than gold. Her voice affects me in the same way that Zooey’s does. This album recalls some of my favorite elements of Rilo Kiley: “My Pet Snakes” beginning with “And…” and poignant lyrics standing out in the middle of a lighthearted pop song (“I am the biggest fake” in “Just Like Zeus). What Johnny brings to the table is great, too. The call-and-response bit of “My Pet Snakes” is irresistible, and his voice sounds great on the unique but catchy “Slavedriver.”

9. The National, High Violet

I think that this album is defining the transition from 2010 to 2011 for me. If I had fully listened to it earlier in the year it would definitely be higher on the list. “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” “Sorrow,” “Anyone’s Ghost,” and especially “England” are beautiful songs that hit me in that certain place much like “Slow Show.”

10. Jakob Dylan, Women and Country

Jakob continues to frap me even after all this time. I saw him perform most of this album this summer at the Pleasantville Music Festival. Standing right in front of the stage, I was struck by more than the fact that, yes, his eyes really are that blue. His voice is calm but so powerful and his lyrics are thoughtful without being overly political. Plus, Neko Case sings backup on some of the album tracks.

other mentions:

Best Coast, Crazy For You

Beach House, Teen Dream

Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday

These are all albums that I’ve enjoyed alot but haven’t really given there fair amount of time yet. I think the Best Coast album is so infectious but I haven’t decided if I think it’s valuable as anything more than fun surf pop. I think that half of the Nicki Minaj album is both fun and interesting but there is alot of it that still kind of feels like filler. And the Beach House… I’ve tried so hard to break into it, and I really do love some of the songs, but I still feel like I don’t entirely “get” it.

T-Dawg