2011 In Music

[Tiresias]

End of year lists are coming in, and it's time to assess the year, however ridiculous such a thing is. Highlights musically for me are albums by Wild Beasts, The Antlers and St Vincent, here's a youtube playlist of loads of songs I've loved this year, all over the place genre-wise, and in no especial order:


http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7B6F7448BD097D30

(damn hoped it would embed properly, oh well)

What have been the highlights of everyone elses year?

[OhJohnNo]

I only actually got one album this year, which was Mylo Xyloto by Coldplay. I have been adding a hell of a lot of older albums to my library (which is about 3 times the size it was last year) but sadly those aren't eligible.

I know you hate this song, Tire, but I love it to death:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyMhvkC3A84&ob=av2e

More importantly, though, I went to Reading Festival and it was awesome.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGU858WdnBg&feature=related

[Innonexess]

I would say it's been a damn good year for music, how's about we discuss some of our favourite Albums/Singles of the year and provide a bit of a retrospective summary of the music you've listened to - or only just managed to get into - this year?

In terms of albums (and mixtapes), i'd say House of Balloons/Thursday by The Weeknd were both great mixtapes and really let me listen to a type of music that i'd not heard before, but which i could really get in to. Also, Nero's debut and No More Idols by Chase & Status were real growers for me. This year i discovered Tycho, Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes, and as such have now rinsed out all their albums (which funnily enough released a second album in 2011). Both The Tron Legacy (Which i only got in 2011) and Drive Soundtracks were great listens for me this year. After hearing Bombino on Jools Holland, i really got into Them. I think my Album of the year however, and the one which i've rinsed to death, is Frank Ocean's Nostalgia, Ultra, which was originally released on his tumblr for free, then taken down, is only technically a mixtape, and i dont even normally listen to that much R'n'B but this, is damn good.

My tracks of this year kinda follow my most enjoyed albums of this year. From the Woods!!! by James Vincent McMorrow, Paradise Circus(and particularly the burial remix) by Massive Attack and Perth by Bon Iver have all been my favourite chilled out and mellowing stuff. Me and My Bitch by Munchi, Innocence and in The Way - Nero, All of the Lights by Kanye West (plus a million other people), Beautiful People by Benny Bennasi/Chris Brown, Louder By Fresh and more recently, We found love by Rihanna/Calvin Harris (n.b: bounce was also a banger) were all songs that got by feeling like dancing. I think my favourite track of this year was Lana Del Rey - Video Games, but i think that may just be because that's my most recent 'FAVOWITE SONG ON DE HHOOOOLLE WORRRRLD', and i probably prefer another song more, i just cant think of anything. OH, Nevasoft by Ms. Dynamite was a banger, too, when i think about it.

Ed Sheeran's A-team (with accompanying Mikill Pane remix), Childish Gambino's remix of All of the Lights and the Jamie XX remix of Rolling in the deep were all pretty hot as shit too.

In terms of next year, im looking forward to both Maverik Sabre and Lana Del Rey's album.

I know i've missed out a lot, but i wanted to get all this down so we could get some talk going!

[Energizer Bunny]

Album of the year: Let England Shake or the Drive soundtrack. Or maybe My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. When did that come out?

Tiresias here, warning EXTREMELY NSFW
Song of the year:

http://youtu.be/i3Jv9fNPjgk

For next year I can't see past the new Ladyhawke album.

[MadCatChiken]

Nuff said here for me.. :D


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU3SZjfbcpI

I haven't really bought any music that was released this year, but seeing Peter Frampton and Yes last month at the Hammersmith Apollo was awesome. :)

[Tiresias]

Might as well do a countdown

10. Other Lives - Tamer Animals
Caught me out of nowhere , and turned up an opportunity to see them live on a tour I late saw rave reviews for, oops. Morricone, Fleet Foxes and Radiohead mixed into one, gorgeous sound.
9. The Advisory Circle – As the Crow Flies
Absolutely gorgeous album of odd synth sounds based on 70s BBC soundtracks, particularly the Radiophonic workshop. It’s surprisningly brilliant.
8. Nicolas Jaar – Space is Only Noise
Maybe fairly compared to 90s coffee table musak, but is actually a pretty lovely electronica album full of earworms.
7. Ghostpoet – Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam
Brilliant album, perfectly pitched subdued hip hop with a very melancholy brilliant writing.
6. Radiohead – TKOL RMX 1234567
Honest prefer the remix record to the original album that was ultimately disappointing, and lacking in cohesion anyway. The remix album has plenty of duds but also plenty of great remixes that spiral the originals off in new directions. Lovely album to dip into.
5. Low – C’mon
Low’s most straightforward album possibly, I’m a fan from a distance whom rarely gives their whole albums too much of a listen, often they’re intimidating, but there are great songs on this album. Great stuff.
4. St Vincent – Stange Mercy
Another album that took me somewhat by surprise, while was aware of Annie Clark previously but never expected anything quite so accomplished. Great songwriting, great songs.
3. tUnEyArDs – W H O K I L L
Brilliantly mad album, puts a massive smile on my face, but sense a seriousness too. A rare original.
2. Wild Beasts – Smother
Absolutely gorgeous record that was criminally overlooked by too many. Beautifully constructed songs start to finish
1. The Antlers – Burst Apart
Another sonicly lovely album, seems to have been a year for albums that sound lovely to the ear, rather than caustic records. Haunting and beautiful.

Tracks of the year and honourable mentions
Lana Del Ray’s Videogames is the track of the year obviously, desperately emotional and charged, dramatic, perfectly done.
The National’s Exile Villify is a very very very addictive track, done for Portal 2’s soundtrack of all things
DELS – Capsize wins the best political song of the year.
Tigers by Steven Malkmus was excellent. Massive Attack and Burial’s collaboration was glorious, though long. Radiohead's Lotus Flower is ace, as is Seperator.

[Rotlung]

Ooooh yes Black Sabbath announcement definitely takes it. Very interested to see what they would come up with next year.

Apart from that, there's Arch / Matheos' Sympathetic Resonance. I'm not that much into prog metal, but I really loved the Arch-era Fates Warning, and hearing John Arch's voice again is just... awesome.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOCKhtaGwAE



Symphony X's Iconoclast isn't bad, just that the band has demonstrated that they aren't quite ready (or even planning for that matter) to explore beyond their established style. I personally would have preferred something closer to their earlier stuff, but what the hell.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39frVu8gijg



Special mention goes to the Myrath song "Wide Shut", which surprised me with a very interesting Arabic-sounding riff.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwZll6Orib4

[Tiresias]

I merged the two 2011 threads into one, seems sensible

[Innonexess]

That was a good idea. I felt like a right numpty when i saw you started one on the 7th!

Energizer: Thank you for informing me about ladyhawke's new stuff, im gonna have to look out for it in the new year!

Also, i'd just like to mention James Blake's, Jamie Woon's and Metronomy's albums, all great ones from this year. I feel especially Jamie Woon has been about forgotten about for no good reason in all the places that give end of year lists.