It's that time
of year again so break out the eggnog and headphones and check out the
lists for the top albums of the year. In all honesty I'm still digesting
some of the stuff that came out in 2010 and the Autumn of 2011 saw new
releases by several of my favorite artists and I probably could come up
with a list of top ten albums of band that continued their legacy, that
being said I decided to keep it to five albums plus some honorable
mentions. I have preferred not to rank them numerically but there is an
inherent value judgement in the way they appear.
Barton Hollow by the Civil Wars
This group absolutely exploded on to the scene this year. I had been hearing a buzz about this duo from Nasheville early in the year and as is common these days checked out their videos first. I was impressed with the live performances, the seriousness with which they approached their craft and yet still seeming not to take themselves too seriously which is a great combination in an artist of any genre. Barton Hollow I think was the most important album of the year receiving a lot of play in our household but of course, time will tell whether or not the Civil Wars are able to build on their success. This is also the only debut album on my list.
Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes
When the single for this album came out I listened to it probably 4-5 times in a row and it seemed that the wait between the release of the single and the full album was unbearable. This is a great album top to bottom and despite the direct sonic references to Simon and Garfunkle it is still a very innovative and original album.
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues by subpopBarton Hollow by the Civil Wars
This group absolutely exploded on to the scene this year. I had been hearing a buzz about this duo from Nasheville early in the year and as is common these days checked out their videos first. I was impressed with the live performances, the seriousness with which they approached their craft and yet still seeming not to take themselves too seriously which is a great combination in an artist of any genre. Barton Hollow I think was the most important album of the year receiving a lot of play in our household but of course, time will tell whether or not the Civil Wars are able to build on their success. This is also the only debut album on my list.
When the single for this album came out I listened to it probably 4-5 times in a row and it seemed that the wait between the release of the single and the full album was unbearable. This is a great album top to bottom and despite the direct sonic references to Simon and Garfunkle it is still a very innovative and original album.
Bon Iver by Bon Iver
I'm not even sure where to begin. This is another artist which I'd been hearing quite a buzz about, listened to a few tracks streaming and decided to download the new album when it came out. I listened to it a couple of times and thought that it was pretty creative but seemed like the studio indulgence of yet another single gifted songwriter. The self harmonies, guitar effects and instrumentation I heard on the record created a sonic texture that I thought would be impossible for most "pop" musicians to reproduce live... and then I came across Bon Iver live from the 930 club and I was hooked. I will be honest, I can barely make out a word or two, maybe a phrase in his songs so I don't really know what he is singing about but this music is some what like an expressionist painting, just enough detail to get the emotion but not enough detail that it couldn't be your song too.
http://www.npr.org/event/music/138890247/live-tuesday-bon-iver-in-concert
Ghosts Upon the Earth by Gungor
This is a case which happens so often in the GRAMMY's in which the artists previous work was soo good and yet unrecognized you feel like you have to give them something. In this case Gungor has produced an amazing follow up to "Beautiful Things". They once called their kind of music "Liturgical post-rock" in an attempt to distinguish themselves from other "christian" artists and they have even outgrown that. Essentially they are blurring the lines between art music and pop music and it is great, if this doesn't give you chills you might want to check your pulse.
The Whole Love by Wilco
In many ways this band ushered the folk rock sound back into the mainstream. Wilco's "Sky Blue Sky" was on repeat when I moved into my condo in 2006 in part because pretty much everyone likes their sound and each time you listen to it their is something new there for you to discover. The Whole Love makes it to the top five not because they were able to continue doing what did so well but because they were able to take a giant leap forward and still be true to themselves and their previous record. Keeping forward momentum as an artist and not alienating your fan base is perhaps the single hardest thing in pop music and these gentlemen have done it very well.
Honorable Mentions (or bands that continued to do what they do well)
The King of Limbs by Radiohead
A great Radiohead album but it seems that they have either found their stride or run out of new things to say. If you are a fan of Radiohead this is a great album, if you are a musician who is always looking to this band for a sign of things to come you might be a bit dissapointed.
Codes and Keys by Death Cab for Cutie
You could essentially say the same thing about this album and just substitute Death Cab for Radiohead. I will say that this is a band who's sound (medium-hi audio fidelity and "produced" sound) have tastefully been updated while still retaining the same identifiable band sound. It's a great album.
The King is Dead by the Decemberists
This is a band that was ahead of it's time, perhaps well ahead of it's time and came into popularity simply by being consistent. Hailing from the mecca of hipsterdom it is hard to tell if it was the chicken or the egg that came first. I would say that I don't think it was these guys who brought the trends on however the spotlight recently focused down on their scene only helped them shine brighter. Colin is perhaps one of the best story tellers in music of my generation and it is helped that he has a good ear for catchy melodies and is backed by fun band.
Radiosurgery by New Found Glory
Full disclosure, this is my brother-in-law's band so I am a bit biased. I grew up listening to and playing this genre of music and didn't pay much attention to these guys at first because they were from a rival scene and sell outs! Pretty funny now. I will say that although this will not get the commercial attention of their albums of their early 2000's it is probably their strongest record to date while straying true to their signature sound and fan base. In many ways I would say this is culmination of some career pop punks.
Vice Verses by Switchfoot
A great follow up to Hello Huricane which in many peoples eyes put these guys back on the map. This is a great rock album. (period) It helps that the lyrics are introspective, retrospective and even selfless at times without ever being negative or condescending, very refreshing.
Standouts from 2010: So good I was still listening to them a ton in 2011
Antifogmatic - Punch Brothers (can't wait for the new record)
Beautiful Things - Gungor
The Archandroid - Janelle Monae
Please let me know what you think, albums I need to listen to or other lists I need to check out. Feel free to comment here, on my Facebook or send me a tweet.
I recommend my good friend Greg Gibson's top 10 list as well
http://www.greggibsonmusic.com/2011/12/16/happy-holidays-and-best-of-2011/
Cheers!
