Album of the Year 2011

[FlownWest]

Re. that Jamie XX / Gil-Scott Heron collaboration - did you really like it then? I think you're the first person I've heard that does. I thought it was a bit of a mess and I'm not sure what he was trying to get at with his remixes. The original was just so good and I find the remix album very unapproachable. One remix album that sticks out this year was the Dennis Bovell dub remix of Steve Mason's Boys Outside.

I liked it just as I thought it was it was something a bit different and held up well as an actual album rather than just a collection of tracks... also I'm a fan of Jamie XX so I guess I just like his remixing style. Not my favourite album I listed there though.

 

[mune ni kamome]

War on Drugs - Slave Ambient
Good place to start. Tom Petty meets Spirtualized as Resident say!

Thank You. That's exactly where I did start. Heard a few from the album on youtube and thought it was really great. In fact I keep playing that Blackwater Falls track over again. I must keep more abreast of what's going on

 

[New Carpet?]

After listening to a few on these lists, the only ones that I consider worth buying are The Vaccines & P J Harvey.

M83 is a grower but seems to be a couple of superb tracks packed out with fillers. Time may change my opinion.

I really think it's his weakest album since his debut ten years ago - the last three M83 albums were much more exciting and epic.

That said, it still has snuck its way into my annual list of 20, though it would have been far higher up if any of it was as brilliant as this remix he did for Daft Punk earlier in the year:

[yt]4z58t_-7hO0[/yt]

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I get the idea we have a similar taste in music, and I'm guessing you would like them.

You were absolutely spot on Mellotron. I checked out m83 and am quite blown away by the stuff I have heard. That Rebellion track is amazing.

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

Some great Albums/CDs this year:

My own 2011 favourites , in no particular order are:

Dawes 'Nothing is wrong'
Bon Iver 'Bon Iver'
The Black Keys 'El Camino'
Ane Brun 'It all starts with one'
Fleet Foxes 'Helplessness Blues'
The Real Tuesday Weld 'The Last Werewolf'

Looking forward to an equally enjoyable 2012.

TNBA

TTF

 

[NMH]

Late entry;

[yt]qY0NE_KS7Z4[/yt]

 

[New Carpet?]

So this is what I finally came up with:

1. Washed Out - Within & Without
2. Cut Copy - Zonoscope
3. Cloud Control - Bliss Release
4. Metronomy - The English Riviera
5. Neon Indian - Era Extraña
6. Explosions In The Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
7. Real Estate - Days
8. Atlas Sound - Parallax
9. Walls - Coracle
10. Panda Bear - Tomboy
11. Active Child - You Are All I see
12. Apparat - The Devil's Walk
13. I Break Horses - Hearts
14. Peaking Lights - 936
15. Beirut - The Rip Tide
16. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Mirror Traffic
17. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
18. Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo
19. Radiohead - The King Of Limbs
20. The Black Keys - El Camino

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

Im going for something completely different!!!

for me is Ben Caplan & the Casual Smokers - The time of the great remembering

I first saw him at the great escape 7 his debut album is astonishing

 

[BBassic]

Well all the albums I enjoyed most this year weren't actually released in 2011. Does that count?

 

[big nuts]

So this is what I finally came up with:

1. Washed Out - Within & Without
2. Cut Copy - Zonoscope
3. Cloud Control - Bliss Release
4. Metronomy - The English Riviera
5. Neon Indian - Era Extraña
6. Explosions In The Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
7. Real Estate - Days
8. Atlas Sound - Parallax
9. Walls - Coracle
10. Panda Bear - Tomboy
11. Active Child - You Are All I see
12. Apparat - The Devil's Walk
13. I Break Horses - Hearts
14. Peaking Lights - 936
15. Beirut - The Rip Tide
16. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Mirror Traffic
17. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
18. Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo
19. Radiohead - The King Of Limbs
20. The Black Keys - El Camino

Good list - I recently saw Washed Out in a working mans club called the Brundenell in Leeds whilst I was working up there. Great venue and great gig they finished with a chilled out synth version of Wicked Game by Chris Issac.

 

[Buzzer]

So this is what I finally came up with:

1. Washed Out - Within & Without
2. Cut Copy - Zonoscope
3. Cloud Control - Bliss Release
4. Metronomy - The English Riviera
5. Neon Indian - Era Extraña
6. Explosions In The Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
7. Real Estate - Days
8. Atlas Sound - Parallax
9. Walls - Coracle
10. Panda Bear - Tomboy
11. Active Child - You Are All I see
12. Apparat - The Devil's Walk
13. I Break Horses - Hearts
14. Peaking Lights - 936
15. Beirut - The Rip Tide
16. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Mirror Traffic
17. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
18. Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo
19. Radiohead - The King Of Limbs
20. The Black Keys - El Camino

That is a superb list and I'm ashamed to say I don't have a lot of these. I am especially pleased to see Explosions in the Sky rate so highly. Is it really that good? I'm a big fan of post-rock and just haven't got round to buying the album. Late Christmas present to myself, methinks.

I'd like to add a late entry - Icelandic singer Sóley's album 'We Sink' is a real grower. I keep going back to it again and again. It's been rated very highly across a lot of Scandinavian music blogs and websites too.

 

[Flex Your Head]

1. Comet Gain - Howl of the Lonely Crowd
2. Let's Whisper - The Shortest Days
3. Standard Fare - Out of Sight, Out of Town
4. Veronica Falls - Veronica Falls
5. The Blanche Hudson Weekend - You Always Loved Violence
6. Pocketbooks – Carousel
7. Sarandon - Age Of Reason
8. Acid House Kings - Music Sounds Better With You
9. The Bats - Free All The Monsters
10. The Andersen Tapes - As I Write 'Today' Ten Times
11. Bubblegum Lemonade - Sophomore Release
12. Cassolette - Songs
13. The Electric Pop Group - Seconds
14. Knight School - The Poor and Needy Need to Party
15. The Legends - Over and Over
16. The Manhattan Love Suicides - The Dandelion Radio Sessions
17. The Radio Dept. - Clinging To a Scheme
18. Nixon - Anorak Christmas
19. Sourpatch - Crushin'
20. Vom Vorton - Hide & Seek

Actually, a couple of those might have been from the arse-end of 2010. Shoot me.

 

[mune ni kamome]

Well done you lot. Plenty of new music for me to listen to on youtube over the hols. Flex Your Head take a bow as I've not heard of a single one of those 20.

 

[Flex Your Head]

Flex Your Head take a bow as I've not heard of a single one of those 20.

Happy to knock you up a 'mix-tape' CD if you fancy it?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

So this is what I finally came up with:

1. Washed Out - Within & Without
2. Cut Copy - Zonoscope
3. Cloud Control - Bliss Release
4. Metronomy - The English Riviera
5. Neon Indian - Era Extraña
6. Explosions In The Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
7. Real Estate - Days
8. Atlas Sound - Parallax
9. Walls - Coracle
10. Panda Bear - Tomboy
11. Active Child - You Are All I see
12. Apparat - The Devil's Walk
13. I Break Horses - Hearts
14. Peaking Lights - 936
15. Beirut - The Rip Tide
16. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Mirror Traffic
17. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
18. Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo
19. Radiohead - The King Of Limbs
20. The Black Keys - El Camino

Nice to see Apparat get a mention. I recently started listening to this and really rate it. It sounds stunning on the stereo I have in my lounge, simply stunning. If you like this I can highly recommend Orchestra of Bubbles which is an collaboration with B-Pitch owner Ellan Allien.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

So this is what I finally came up with:

1. Washed Out - Within & Without
2. Cut Copy - Zonoscope
3. Cloud Control - Bliss Release
4. Metronomy - The English Riviera
5. Neon Indian - Era Extraña
6. Explosions In The Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
7. Real Estate - Days
8. Atlas Sound - Parallax
9. Walls - Coracle
10. Panda Bear - Tomboy
11. Active Child - You Are All I see
12. Apparat - The Devil's Walk
13. I Break Horses - Hearts
14. Peaking Lights - 936
15. Beirut - The Rip Tide
16. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Mirror Traffic
17. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
18. Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo
19. Radiohead - The King Of Limbs
20. The Black Keys - El Camino

M83 is a good call as well. [MENTION=12101]Mellotron[/MENTION] put me onto them and have been listening to some of their stuff on line. I'll be buying the album in the new year for sure. A Gruff is God.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

This is a great thread for uncovering new music and bands. Thanks to everyone for your lists. Always interesting to see what others are listening to. I will be exploring some of these based on your recommendations. I would want to add these though.
The Fall- Ertsatz
Half Man Half Biscuit-90 Bisodol Crimond
War on Drugs- Slave Ambient.
Darren Haymen-The Ships Piano
EMA- Past Life Martyred Saints

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

To save me trawling through youtube can somebody make some recommendations for me - an early 40's indie kid. To give an idea of what I like: Bon Iver, Fleetfoxes, Band of horses, Grizzly Bear, Best coast, Beach house sort of stuff, also like the slightly twee stuff eg pains of being pure at heart. (and stuff with a bit more guts)

Do not like synthey minimal dance stuff (like polar bear).

 

[mune ni kamome]

Happy to knock you up a 'mix-tape' CD if you fancy it?

That would be very kind. I'll message you

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

To save me trawling through youtube can somebody make some recommendations for me - an early 40's indie kid. To give an idea of what I like: Bon Iver, Fleetfoxes, Band of horses, Grizzly Bear, Best coast, Beach house sort of stuff, also like the slightly twee stuff eg pains of being pure at heart. (and stuff with a bit more guts)

Do not like synthey minimal dance stuff (like polar bear).

Have a look at the Album of Year 2011 thread. Most stuff on there very good.