2011 IN MUSIC: OBSERVATIONS
I bought no CDs for the first time ever this year. For me, that silver disc has officially died in 2011. The only physical copies of music I bought were on vinyl and all others were digital.
Maybe as a consequence of not buying CDs, I purchased no music from BEST BUY, TARGET, BARNES & NOBLE, or any of the large chains. This was something I normally did. Do these stores even sell vinyl? The vinyl I did buy was through Mom & Pop style record shops.
When purchasing digital downloads, I learned to shop between Amazon and Itunes to figure out which one had it cheaper instead of just downloading from Itunes. Every dollar adds up. I pretty much only purchased through those two large corporations (except for a small handful of mp3s purchased right from the record label itself). I want to search out other options for digital downloads.
Three of my close friends put out great albums this year but I decided to not include them in my top ten so there would be no "beef". Those three albums are LIQUID ECLIPSE's A DRIFT, THE ELEVENTH HOUR INITIATIVE's ESCAPISM and MICODIN AND DYNAMO P's LET THE SLEEPERS SLEEP.
My friend, Kristie, and I shared a DROPBOX account this year and that has provided hours of entertainment via sharing good music. I think that will stick and would love to develop more Dropbox relationships.
I tried to download illegally much less this year. It is tough, though.
Here are ten albums I really enjoyed. I listened to a ton more but these are the ones that simply got the most play or inspired me the most. Hope you find something you like in here...
01. tUnE-yArDs, w h o k i l l
tUnE-yArDs inspired me the most. I saw them live with some friends and the entire club had to pick up their jaws at the end of the show. Amazing! She does a lot of live sampling with drums and I really dig that!
02. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
PJ Harvey's album is so timeless and she really re-invented her sound in a surprising way. Funny, this is the first PJ album I've ever owned!
03. Tom Waits, Bad As Me
I am so glad that Tom Waits new album is fantastic! He didn't tread new ground but stood proudly on the structure he had already spent years building.
04. Destroyer, Kaputt!
Destroyer's album is so sticky! It feels like broken elevator music and I am surprised how much I loved it! On first listen, I almost wrote it off!
05. TV On The Radio, Nine Types of Light
TV ON THE RADIO's new album is all about great song-writing and I have always loved their unique sound. Saw them at the Mann this year and it was amazing!
06. Wavves, Life Sux EP
I never listened to WAVVES before this EP but downloaded the EP for the hell of it and absolutely love it! Surf-punk type stuff. I went back and grabbed their first album and really like that, as well. The EP is more punky, though.
07. Panda Bear, Tomboy
Panda Bear's new album wasn't quite as strong as his last but was still an amazing piece of work. I think the overhype was tough on us all because Person Pitch was such a game-changer. Like Radiohead, we can't expect a musician to reinvent the wheel every time they step out onto the stage.
08. Nicolas Jaar, Space Is Only Noise If You Can See / Darkside EP
Nicolas Jaar has enough atmosphere to make David Lynch blush yet knows how to get a hook stuck in your ear, too. Digging it! Reminds me of Matthew Dear, a bit. Darkside EP features a guitarist who really adds to the sound.
09. Iron and Wine, Kiss Each Other Clean
I fell head over heels for THE SHEPARD'S DOG, their last album. This one continues with that sound and has some of my favorite songs.
10. Radiohead, King Of Limbs
I came to realize that even Radiohead's album with the least hooks still has such great playing, lyrics, atmosphere, and style that it deserved to land on this list. It has become an understood that the live versions of these songs are even better than the studio versions. Here is a live one for ya...
