Favorite Music of 2011

2011. Where did the time go? Are you done with your holiday shopping? Are you done with your Top 10 Lists? I didn't think so. Let's dive right in, as I'm sure you have plenty more important things to worry about.

Much like last year, two albums battled it out for the top spot. The rest fell somewhat easily into the list. But if you're me and you put anything up against Yeezy... Yeezy wins. Hats off to Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), though—for one hell of an album that I'm sure will top a lot of lists this year and hopefully win him a Grammy or two. Heck, he's great on Watch the Throne, so everyone wins.

My TOP 10 Albums

1. Jay-Z and Kanye West
   – Watch the Throne
2. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
3. Toro y Moi – Underneath The Pine
4. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
5. Neon Indian – Era Extraña
6. SBTRKT – SBTRKT
7. Cults – Cults
8. tUnE-YarDs – w h o k i l l
9. Panda Bear – Tomboy
10. Cut Copy – Zonoscope

Other albums of note:

The Beach Boys – The SMiLE Sessions
Whether or not this is how Brian Wilson would've assembled it in the late 60s is beside the point. I consider it a privilege to finally hear the original studio recordings. And they're great.

Laura Stevenson and the Cans – Sit Resist
I good friend turned me onto her music, and now I'm doing the same. She has a great voice—nearly made my Top 10.

Jim Guthrie – Sword & Sworcery LP: The Ballad of the Space Babies
Candy Claws – Dreamland Soundtrack
Jürgen Müller – Science of the Sea
Tycho – Dive
The above four albums are instrumental and mostly electronic (a few are soundtracks). I often play them while working. I can't say enough about Candy Claws, who are one of my favorite groups at the moment. Play 'Sword & Sworcery' by Superbrothers if you haven't already, too.

The Roots' Undun seems promising, but it's too early for me to give it a spot.

Finally, I mined a ton of individual songs from music blogs this year—a lot of them from Said the Gramophone (consistently, one of the best). So, be sure to check them out.

As always, more than anything else I'm curious to know what everyone is listening to. Feel free leave your favorites in the comments. I'm also on last.fm (bobjinxmusic) if you want to follow along next year.

Here are my lists from previous years: (2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006)

Favorite Music of 2010

It's become a yearly ritual to sort through my favorite albums come the first week of December. Now, it's silly to sort and rank things—let's just get that out there. And you're probably sick of seeing these lists already. But if you care about something, like I care about music, it's a good way to wrap up the year and especially fun to look back on.

This year, two albums rose to the top: Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Sufjan Stevens' The Age of Adz. Which is interesting, because the last time Sufjan released a monumental album (Illinois, in 2005), so did Kanye (Late Registration). That year, I was torn between the two. But this year, it isn't even close. It is ridiculous how much I love Kanye's new album. Not to mention G.O.O.D. Fridays. I'd say he is my favorite artist/musician of the moment. The man, the music—argue with me all you want. Ha!

So, you know my #1 and #2 spots. Here's where the music landed.

My TOP 10 11 Album picks*

1. Kanye West
   – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy


2. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
3. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
4. Marnie Stern – Marnie Stern
5. Toro y Moi – Causers of This
6. Robyn – Body Talk*
   
7. Caribou – Swim
8. Blackbird Blackbird – Summer Heart
9. The Apples in Stereo – Travelers in Space and Time
10. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
11. Chromeo – Business Casual

*Edit: After listening to Robyn's new album, it definitely should've made the final cut. But I didn't think it fair to bump anyone out, so I now have 11 albums.

Because it's always hard to cut it off at 10 11, here are some other good ones from this year:

Best Coast – Crazy For You
Candy Claws – Hidden Lands
(for these guys, check out In the Dream of the Sea Life from 2009—better, imo)
Ratatat – LP4
LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
Vampire Weekend – Contra
The New Pornographers – Together

And some albums that are newly growing on me:

Robyn – Body Talk (bumped up to the list!)
The Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

As always, I'm curious what everyone else is listening to, so PLEASE leave your favorites in the comments.


If you think you share some of my musical tastes, look me up on last.fm (bobjinxmusic)

Here are my lists from previous years (2009, 2008, 2007, 2006)

and FINALLY, here's the censored version (for Walmart):

Favorite Music of 2009

Short and sweet this year folks...
(as I realize you're being bombarded with lists left and right)

TOP 10 Album Picks:

1. Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion
2. Dan Deacon: Bromst
3. Yo La Tengo: Popular Songs
4. St. Vincent: Actor
5. Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
6. Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca
7. The Decemberists: The Hazards of Love
8. Atlas Sound: Logos
9. Neon Indian: Psychic Chasms
10. Neko Case: Middle Cyclone

Great year for music.
Just ask this guy!



As always, I'm curious about what everyone is listening to.
So drop your favorites in the comments box.

(Favorite Albums of 2008, 2007, 2006)

Favorite Music of 2008

2008 was an interesting year for me, musically speaking. I found myself at the beginning of the year catching up with albums I missed out on from previous years. The likes of which included Justice's Cross, LCD Soundsystem's Sound of Silver, and Jim Noir's Tower of Love. It was also a year where I spent more time scrounging around mp3 blogs, resulting in my iPod filling up with singles and tracks instead of albums. So, I found myself in the past couple of weeks struggling to come up with a solid Top 10 list of albums—specifically having difficulty filling the #10 slot. The two major disappointments of the year for me have been Of Montreal's Skeletal Lamping and Kanye West's 808's and Heartbreaks. The later is growing on me a bit as of late, but I still don't think it deserves a spot in an official Top 10. Even stranger, Los Campesinos!, which you will soon find is easily my favorite act of the year, released a second album only months ago, We Are Beautiful, We are Doomed...which I find nearly as impressive as their debut album. I don't know the official rules of Top 10 lists (venturing into obnoxious territory here), but I'm pretty sure it would be weird to put two albums by the same artist in one list.

ANYWAY, all that rambling is just a big excuse for what I'm calling a Top 9 list of albums. To fill in the gap of the missing #10 slot, I've decided to drop a bunch of songs on you as well. I'm not doing a write-up this year on each album, but consider it safe that I heartily recommend all this music for anyone who is looking for a change of pace.

TOP 9 Album Picks:

1. Los Campesinos!: Hold On Now, Youngster
2. Marnie Stern: This Is It...
3. Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend
4. Born Ruffians: Red, Yellow, and Blue
5. The Dodos: Visiter
6. High Places: 03/07 - 09/07
7. Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes
8. TV on the Radio: Dear Science
9. Atlas Sound: Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel

Top 5 Songs:

1. "Ruler" - Marnie Stern
2. "White Winter Hymnal" - Fleet Foxes
3. "Fools" - The Dodos
4. "Paranoid" - Kanye West
5. "Water Curses" - Animal Collective

and a smattering of other great tracks and singles from the year:

"Single Ladies" - Beyoncé
"No One Does It Like You" - In Ear Park
"Toe Jam (Featuring David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal)" - The BPA
"Knickerbocker" - Fujiya & Miyagi
"Walking On A Dream" - Empire of the Sun
"Cranes And Cranes And Cranes and Cranes" - Johnny Foreigner
"In the New Year" - The Walkmen
"Little Bit" - Lykke Li
"5 Years Time" - Noah and The Whale
"Jitterkadie" - Death Vessel
"Arrows of Eros" - Golden Silvers
"RR vs D" - Au
"Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" - She & Him
"Bruises" - Chairlift
"With Handclaps" - Y'all is Fantasy Island
"Machine In The Ghost" - The Faint

Feel free to leave comments (ideally, with your own best of lists!)

UPDATE:

(Favorite Albums of 2007)
(Favorite Albums of 2006)

Favorite Albums of 2007

I tried this last year and it was kind of fun, so here goes (I'm not normally one to write about music, so bear with me).

Top Ten Picks:

1. Animal Collective: Strawberry Jam
   This year I was on the lookout for music that would grab me. Animal Collective's Feels currently stands out as one of my favorite albums, so I was anticipating nothing short of amazing from these guys, and they delivered. I'm at a loss to describe this album. On the surface it sounds loud and primitive—almost tribal. They take something perfect like a pop song and distort it until it's almost unrecognizable. Harmonic tones, hoots, and screams work seamlessly together. My connection to this music is probably grounded in a fascination with art that can be both beautifully striking and grotesque at the same time. They manage to find that musical pleasure point in my head. Take it for a ride if you're looking for something strange but powerfully fulfilling.
   
   
2. Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
   This is as close to pop ecstasy as I want to get. Kevin Barnes takes it up a notch as he ventures into a funkier, bouncier sound. It's dark at times, and more personal. Sticking with the "music that grabs you" criteria, this was the album I couldn't get out of my head for weeks after I first listened to it. Melodies play like candy that you can't get enough of. It's catchy, fun, and weird (noticing a pattern yet?).
   
   
3. M.I.A.: Kala
   I was head-over-heels with her last album, Arular, so again, big expectations here. You can tell she had something larger to say on this album, as her artistic voice is more present. The dance hooks are still there, but this is a bumpier more scattered landscape. I'd almost consider it the dance counterpart to Strawberry Jam if not for it's tribal beats alone. It's political and demands your attention...AND you can dance to it!
   
   
4. Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
   This was the surprise album of the year for me. Straightforward, driving, perfectly crafted indie rock. And so refreshing! These guys just keep getting better.
   
   
5. Caribou: Andorra
   A great album for so many reasons. It hearkens back to 60s psychedelic pop with a electronic update that feels contemporary. It's hypnotic, almost daydreamy. I usually listen to it when I'm on a long drive (maybe that's not a good thing).
   
   
6. Radiohead: In Rainbows
   Undeniably Radiohead, with a subtler approach for a change. It takes a couple listens to get into because it's more subdued. A stunning album, nonetheless...and fun to download.
   
   
7. Feist: The Reminder
   Beautiful song-writing, lovely voice, catchy melodies...so likable that Apple snatched her up to launch their new iPod nanos. This one is more diverse and ranging than her last album, which is great. Best of all, you can listen to it when your Mom's in the car!
   
   
8. Kanye West: Graduation
   I'll admit I was hoping for more from Kanye, but he still delivers one of the best hip-hop albums of the year. And amazingly he continues with a fresh sound.
   
   
9. Panda Bear: Person Pitch
   It's probably not fair for the guys from Animal Collective to make it into two spots, but so what. This sonic beauty is the brainchild of Noah Lennox, better known as Panda Bear when he's with the band. I don't think I've fully grasped what it's about, but it's sonically one of the most ambitious experimental albums I've ever heard. It shares a melodic likeness to Brian Wilson—layers and layers of instrumentation, sounds, and lyrics. At times it's a bit too much to digest in one sitting. But again, it reaches to the core of everything I look for in music. And its perfect to listen to when I work on my art.
   
   
10. Architecture in Helsinki: Places Like This
    This was by far the most fun album I listened to all year. I got an energetic preview of it at a live show last spring that I'll never forget. The album doesn't quite recreate that energy, but it comes close. They've channeled the B52's on this one and it definitely makes you want to get up and dance.
    

Also worth checking out...
(if ten would allow more)

Wilco: Sky Blue Sky
The Go! Team: Proof of Youth
The Shins: Wincing The Night Away
Okkervil River: The Stage Names
Lavender Diamond: Imagine Our Love
Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
The Clientele: God Save The Clientele

Feel free to leave your personal list of favorites in the comments section. I'd love to hear what people are listening to outside of my sonic bubble.

(Favorite Albums of 2006)

Favorite Albums of 2006

To mix things up at the end of the year, I've decided to post some of my favorite albums of 2006. Ranking music is always weird (and often pretentious), but this is my honest impression of the albums that wowed me the most this year.

Top Ten Picks:

1. Belle and Sebastian -- The Life Pursuit
2. Yo La Tengo -- I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
3. TV On The Radio -- Return to Cookie Mountain
4. Danielson -- Ships
5. Ghostface Killah -- Fishscale
6. Peter Bjorn and John -- Writer's Block
7. The Decemberists -- The Crane Wife
8. Figurines -- Skeleton
9. Neko Case -- Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
10. Tapes n' Tapes -- The Loon

Honorable mentions
(if ten would allow more)

I'm From Barcelona -- Let Me Introduce Myself
The Roots -- Game Theory
Outkast -- Idlewild
Jenny Lewis -- Rabbit Fur Coat
Love Is All -- Nine Times That Same Song
Camera Obscura -- Let's Get Out of This Country
Sonic Youth -- Rather Ripped

Feel free to leave your personal list of favorites in the comments section. I'd be interested to know what other folks are listening to.

BLOWR! BLOWR! BLOWR!

I tend to have my sketchbook and iPod in hand when I'm doing laundry. On this occasion, I happened to be listening to Animal Collective's Grass when the chorus of "blowrs" blasted my ears. I was inspired to create this tormented creature.