Reviler Best of 2011: Albums (Part 2)

Snow is falling, people are spending money on crap they don’t need and you are starting to dread all of the time you will be spending with your in laws in the next couple weeks. Cheer up. It is also that wonderful time of year where music sites like yours truly pontificate even more than usual, although in a more orderly and concise manner than we normally do (numbered lists!). For the next week we will be presenting you with a plethora of lists covering our favorite (and least favorite) things from calender year 2011. Today we culminate the festivities with our favorite albums of 2011. 

Jon

1. Bill Callahan – Apocalypse

Possibly Callahan’s best record period (Though its hard to match “Dongs”)

2. Julianna Barwick – The Magic Place

An amazingly strange and ethereal record. Definitely unlike anything else out there

3. John Maus – We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves

The more I listen to Maus’s “Pitiless”  the more I love it

4. Dirty Beaches – Badlands

I love the sound of this record – plus it samples one of my favorite Françoise Hardy songs

5.  Peaking Lights – 936

So moody, so dark, so delicious

6. Cass McCombs – Humor Risk

It was a tough call between this and McCombs other 2011 album “Wits End.” This one only wins by a nose

7. Chad VanGaalen – Diaper Island

Amazing folk/electronica album that defies the mediocrity that term often implies

8. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy

Annie Clark’s best yet. She continues her rise to super stardom (for good reason)

9. The Men – Leave Home

A punk/noise album of suprising range and dexterity – these guys can really play

10. Justice – Audio, Disco,

Wasn’t critically loved but hey, I don’t really care. This album rules.

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Jon Jon Scott (Sound Verite/Black Corners)

  • The Weeknd – House Of Balloons

Toronto’s juggernaut may be the flashpoint where black music goes druggy, raw and emotional. Welcome to post-blackness. Sampling Souixie & The Banshees, Cocteau Twins and ……

Shout out the album’s producer, Doc McKinney (Drake/Muja Messiah/Santigold) a Toronto resident, native of St. Paul,MN.

  • P J Harvey – Let England Shake

The U.K. queen of indie grows up quite lovely.

  • Kanye West & Jay -Z – Watch The Throne

Watch The Throne is that black eloquence, black excellence, black decadence & black celebration of reaching the elite status so few if any American blacks have ever become a part of, Mazel tov.

  • Father’s Children – Who’s Gonna Save The World

Like a lost stripped-down Earth, Wind & Fire from Washington, D.C., circa 1976.

  • James Blake – James Blake

There’s great quality in his voice that clearly makes him one to watch, tracks like “Unluck”, “I Never Learnt to Share” and the Feist cover “Limit To Your Love” suggest the arrival of a b brilliant new voice. Blake is both a beautiful minimalist at moments and full of it’s own pretentiousness the next.

  • Seun Anikulapo Kuti & Egypt 80 -From Africa: Rise with Fury

Fela’s youngest son, finally capturing the musically fiery spirit of his revolutionary father in a modern context, with the production assist from Brian Eno.

  • Radiohead – The Kind Of Limbs

The textures of Kid A aren’t here, even if they were they wouldn’t feel as immediate, perhaps they are no longer as experimental as they once where, or needs to be. Revelatory hardly, expansive, not in the way we come to expect, yet The King Of Limbs is very much a record in the moment, and Radiohead shouldn’t make any apologies.

  • Feist – Metals

The former Broken Social Scene breakout artist Feist has returned with a darker sound, without the buoyant singles. Rich in layers, Metals finds Feist exploring the pain in personal relationships.

  • Shabazz Palaces – Black Up

Like Kanye West on mushrooms. Shabazz Palaces explores hip-hop textures without abandoning the form, musically appealing to heads that look for adventure and challenges with a new colorful vocabulary. Charles Mingus would be proud, as will Fab Five Freddy. With such a refreshing, freewheeling approach, Shabazz Palaces works like a soundtrack to a Basquiat painting. Musical travels through sound, space and future shapes make Black Up the best “free-jazz rap” record ever.

  • Bambara Mystic Soul-The Raw Sound Of Burkina Faso 1974-1979

The title says it all, a glorious collection of West African soul, funk and Afro-pop. Another gem from Analog Africa.

  • Atlas Sound – Parallax

Psyched out dream pop from Bradford Cox as he makes a excursion from Deerhunter.

  • Bossa Nova and the Rise of Brazilian Music in the 1960’s

Crate digger ‘s goldmine, classic material from Soul Jazz.

  • Archie Shepp Quartet with Dar Gnawa -Kindred Spirits Vol.1

Former free jazz explorer, associate of Cecil Taylor, tenor great Shepp reigns in the improv for a collection of vibrant phrasing backed by Dar Gnawa. Modern jazz as defiant and joyful with flourishes of heavy bottom, boom-bap swing.

Contenders: Kendrick Lamar- Section 80, TV On The Radio- Nine Types of Light, Kurt Vile- Smoke Ring For My Halo, Pusha-T- Fear Of God Part II, King Midas Sound- Without You, Lykke Li- Unwounded Rhymes, Bjork- Biophilia, Washed Out –Within and Without, Thurston Moore- Demolished Thoughts, Panda Bear- Tomboy, Random Axe- Random Axe.

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STEVE SKAVNAK (@steveskavnak)

1)      ST. VINCENT – “STRANGE MERCY” – If you listen to this alone, you’ll swear Annie Clark is performing just for you. Perfect for any morning, day or night of the week, it’s not just her best release, but also the year’s finest.

2)      FUCKED UP – “DAVID COMES TO LIFE” – The most accessible hardcore album in years. Loud, grimy and intense. They’ve played it a few times in its entirety, but given Pink Eyes’ disdain for touring, I’m guessing we won’t get so lucky in Minneapolis.

3)      BON IVER – “BON IVER, BON IVER” – Adopted local Justin Vernon shed the Kanye hype and released a near perfect album. The only thing missing was a Rick Ross cameo.

4)      YUCK – “YUCK” – For fans of Dinosaur Jr., Teenage Fanclub and OK Soda. This year’s go-to retro resurrection was early 90s alt-rock, and Yuck hit every note with perfection.

5)      SMITH WESTERNS – “DYE IT BLONDE” – A rock band that actually uses guitars? Such a novel idea! In a world of laptop musicians, Smith Westerns released a straightforward rock album heavy on the guitar hook, something that is becoming all too rare.

6)      THE JOY FORMIDABLE – “THE BIG ROAR” – When a band records 6+ minute tracks that seem to last only seconds, they’re onto something.

7)      THE DECEMBERISTS – “THE KING IS DEAD” – Colin Meloy’s newest foray was into the roots of American folk music (with a little R.E.M. influence), and possibly one of his most successful adventures to date.

8)      LOS CAMPESINOS! – “HELLO SADNESS” – The Welsh septet has always shown flashes of brilliance, but the new record takes them to a whole new level of heartfelt songwriting, while never ditching their sarcastic and self-deprecating delivery.

9)      UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA – “UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA” – I don’t smoke weed, but if I did, I’m guessing this would be the perfect soundtrack.

10)  KURT VILE – “SMOKE RING FOR MY HALO” – We’ve all said it, but when is he going to ditch the opening gigs and play a headlining set locally?

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Ryan O’Leary

1.  Tomboy – Panda Bear
A soundtrack to a forgotten childhood dream if said child had fallen asleep to some Can records.  Tomboy is the tape hiss of nostalgic Super 8 home movies.  Perfectly constructed. Period.
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2. Smoke Ring For My Halo – Kurt Vile
Finally, an honest  singer/songwriter type that plays his damn instrument, great fingerwork, composition, and a beautiful lack of pedals or loops.  Lonely Americana at its finest.
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3.   New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges – Colin Stetson
Unquestionably the most unique recording this year, there is no way to classify this masterpiece of bass saxophone.  When listening, keep in mind it’s only one take (ONE TAKE!) done with numerous strategically-placed microphones, and engineered by the guy who brought us Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
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4. Black Up – Shabazz Palaces
Smooth and provocative, I challenge any song to make a listener feel more hype than An Echo from the Hosts that Profess Infinitum. 
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5.  D – White Denim
Incredible psychedelic blues that jams with mathematical precision.  It’s raucous, joyous, unmatched rock’n’roll.
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6.  Father, Son, Holy Ghost – Girls
I feel as though we’ve heard all of these songs 1000’s of times before, but borrowed retro-hooks or not, it feels so good. Simple syntax, simple songs, and pop bliss.
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7.  936 – Peaking Lights
Madison, Wisconsin’s own, crafting an incredible dub record: detailed but lo-fi – weed hazed but bright.
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8.  Absence – Snowman
Think Liars with with spines, a choir bruised by dark atmospherics.  It’s very primal and percussive, even the beautiful track White Wall is marred with anxious tension.
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9.  High For This – The Weeknd
R&B is back!  Fucking sexy music.  Epic production and the same deep groove throughout.  Light candles, get the massage oil, it’s a seductive and sweaty night-in.
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10.  David Comes To Life – Fucked Up
I had trouble keeping up with the obscenely complex working-man-in-love-with-a-bomb storyline, but nothing else was as epic or brutal in 2011 – and it scorches for well over an hour. It sounds a bit like beating Ezra Koenig to death with his boat shoes.
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Matt Linden
Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation – This young, shy bedridden Idaho dude made his debut this year with this album and he’ll still be building buzz into the new year. Caught him at 7th Street and the venue probably won’t fit him the next time around.
 
Male Bonding – Endless Now – With some beefed up production, this glossier, shinier Male Bonding tapped into the pop punk funny bone just like David Comes to Life and last year’s Everything in Between. Just what I needed this past summer.
 
Fucked Up – David Comes to Life – I love punk music. It will always be a part of me and always be in my heart. David Comes to Life is one of the best punk albums of the past five year and it will probably looked back on as one of the most important. Hail Pink Eyes.
 
Bon Iver – Bon Iver – Credit where credit is due. The new Bon Iver album is magical, ambitious and magnetic. Seeing the first performance this year at the State Theater made me long for a bootleg.
 
The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient – There’s many many reasons why The War on Drugs goes over so well with MN crowds. This album is phenomenal and surpasses its predecessor. This album and Smoke Ring For My Halo compliment each other nicely, and for good reason.
 
Real Estate – Days – I love the first album, but after repeated listens, and seeing these songs performed live, Days raises the bar for the NJ band whose lazy haze jingle jams are as soothing as they are addictive.
 
Balam Acab – Wander/Wonder – This young producer hit all the right notes and feelings on his lucid, tranquil and watery debut. If genre tags must be used, Wander/Wonder is everything that has, is and will ever be right in respect to Witch House.
 
Woods – Sun and Shade – Save for No Age, Woods put one probably my favorite performance at this year’s Pitchfork fest. Jeremy and crew made probably their best and most clear album in Sun and Shade and I hope it doesn’t go overlooked.
 
Tycho – Dive – This visual artist/producer’s long-awaited follow-up album was spacious, concise and beautiful. His glassy production is made with pin-precision ears and it shows on this audio trip.
 
WU LYF – Go Tell Fire To The Mountain – There’s a lot of hype, mystique and Satanic imagery around this young UK band, but they absolutely deliver on their brooding debut album. They soundly killed it at their show at The Entry.
 
Honorable mentions: Goodbye Bread, Smoke Ring For My Halo, The Big Roar, Dig Up the Dead, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Lenses Alien, Strange Mercy .

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11 Responses

  1. Matt Linden says:

    Some glaring omissions on my list:

    BIG Krit
    SIMS
    Doomtree No Kings
    ASAP Rocky
    Black Up
    Royal Headache
    John Mays
    Julianna Barkwick
    Wooden Shjips/Moon Duo
    Weatherbox
    Kendrick Lamar
    Korallreven
    Nicolas Jaar
    Dum Dum Girls
    PURE X (I don’t know how I forgot this one).

    Still under the believe that last year was a bit stronger, but there was a ton of good music as always.

  2. Matt Linden says:

    Dang auto-correct on my phone. My bad.

  3. Adam Bubolz says:

    I never fully finished my list but my rough draft was left at:

    1. D Charles Speer & The Helix – Leaving The Commonwealth
    2. Tom Waits – Bad As Me
    3. Young Widows – In And Out Of Youth And Lightness
    4. Mike Watt – Hyphenated-Man
    5. David lynch – Crazy Clown Time
    6. Dead Rider – The Raw Dents
    7. Jerusalem & The Starbaskets – DOST
    8. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
    9. EMA – Past Life Martyred Saints
    10. Boris – Attention Please

    According to these lists I have a lot of things to listen to yet this year.

  4. Adam, you’re the first person I know that liked the EMA release. I just couldn’t get into it.

    My honorable mentions would go to Cass McCombs, Akron/Family, The War on Drugs, Sims, J Mascis and Esben & The Witch.

  5. And I’m thrilled that I’m not the only one to think so highly of Fucked Up’s new record. So good.

  6. Adam Bubolz says:

    Around April or so is when I actually get a true list of what I liked for the year’s releases… I’m always horribly behind.

  7. Ryan O'Leary says:

    someone actually listened to David Lynch’s bullshit album? and metallica? really??

  8. Adam Bubolz says:

    The David Lynch album was great. I’ll challenge everyone on that. EVERYONE.

  9. Adam Bubolz says:

    Also I had no idea Archie Shepp was still putting out records, thanks Jon Jon

  10. Sound Verite says:

    Yessir Adam, and the new Archie Shepp Quartet is glorious.

  11. zoe says:

    that picture of Ryan O’ Leary is dreamy.

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