Don't know if we're extending attention to popular blogs, but here's
GORILLA VS. BEAR | Albums of 2011
30 Nicolas Jaar | Space Is Only Noise29 Andy Stott | Passed Me By28 The Weeknd | House of Balloons27 Clams Casino | Instrumentals26 Schoolboy Q | Setbacks25 Elite Gymnastics | Ruin 1 + 224 Run DMT | Dreaming23 Burial | Street Halo22 Mina Tindle | Mina Tindle21 Young Galaxy | Shapeshifting20 Toro y Moi | Freaking Out19 Pure X | Pleasure18 Ford & Lopatin | Channel Pressure17 Washed Out | Within and Without16 Darkside | Darkside15 Holy Other | With U14 The Caretaker | An Empty Bliss Beyond This World13 Grouper | A I A12 Sleep ∞ Over | Forever11 The Sandwitches | Mrs. Jones’ Cookies10 Puro Instinct | Headbangers in Ecstasy09 Julianna Barwick | The Magic Place08 Real Estate | Days07 araabMUZIK | Electronic Dream06 Korallreven | An Album By Korallreven05 A$AP Rocky | LIVELOVEA$AP04 White Denim | D03 Panda Bear | Tomboy02 Peaking Lights | 93601 Shabazz Palaces | Black Up
GORILLA vs. BEAR’s SONGS of 201150 John Maus + Molly Nilsson – Hey Moon49 Pure X – Dry Ice48 Joe Goddard – Gabriel feat. Valentina47 Twin Sister – Kimmi in a Ricefield46 Smith Westerns – All Die Young45 Azealia Banks – 21244 Neon Indian – The Blindside Kiss43 Puro Instinct – Vapor Girls42 Big K.R.I.T. – Dreamin41 Bleached – Think of You40 White Denim – No Real Reason39 Kindness – Cyan38 RUN DMT – Dreaming / Romantic37 Dum Dum Girls – Coming Down36 Massive Attack vs. Burial – Paradise Circus35 Gang Gang Dance – Mindkilla34 Tyler, the Creator – Yonkers33 The Sandwitches – Joe Says32 Beyonce – Countdown31 Freddie Gibbs + Madlib – Thuggin’30 Darkside – A129 James Blake – The Wilhelm Scream28 Grouper – Moving Machine27 M83 – Midnight City26 Toro y Moi – How I Know25 Jamie xx – Far Nearer24 Diplo / Busta / Weezy, etc. – Look at Me Now23 Korallreven – As Young As Yesterday22 Jhene Aiko – Stranger21 araabMUZIK – Streetz Tonight20 Clams Casino – I’m God (instrumental)19 Ford & Lopatin – Too Much MIDI (Please Forgive Me)18 John Maus – Believer17 The Weeknd – House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls16 Grimes – Oblivion15 Cass McCombs – County Line14 Kurt Vile – Baby’s Arms13 Julianna Barwick – Prizewinning12 Real Estate – Green Aisles11 Charli XCX – Stay Away / Nuclear Seasons10 Girls – Vomit09 Glass Candy – Warm in the Winter08 A$AP Rocky – Peso07 Purity Ring – Lofticries06 Girls – Honey Bunny05 Shabazz Palaces – Are you… Can you… Were you? (Felt)04 Peaking Lights – All The Sun That Shines03 Lana Del Rey – Video Games02 White Denim – Street Joy01 Panda Bear – Alsatian Darn
― Sanpaku, Wednesday, 14 December 2011 20:34 (twelve years ago) link
Kerrang proving they really will put any old shite by metallica in their list.
They probably decided on the jump from the traditional top 20 to 101 just to include Loutallica
― Minga Frump (Jimmy Riddle), Wednesday, 14 December 2011 20:46 (twelve years ago) link
Resident Advisor Albums EOY 2011
http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1423
01. Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise [Circus Company]02. Machinedrum - Room(s) [Planet Mu]03. Roman Flügel - Fatty Folders [Dial]04. Morphosis - What Have We Learned [Delsin]05. Zomby - Dedication [4AD]06. Omar-S - It Can Be Done But Only I Can Do It [FXHE]07. Clams Casino - Instrumentals [Type]08. Kuedo - Severant [Planet Mu]09. Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica [Software]10. Pinch & Shackleton - Pinch & Shackleton [Honest Jon's]11. Andy Stott - Passed Me By [Modern Love]12. Moomin - The Story About You [Smallville]13. Steffi - Yours & Mine [Ostgut Ton]14. James Blake - James Blake [Atlas]15. Tiger & Woods - Through the Green [Running Back]16. The Weeknd - House Of Balloons [Self-Released]17. Tim Hecker - Ravedeath 1972 [Kranky]18. BNJMN - Black Square [Rush Hour]19. Instra:mental - Resolution 653 [NonPlus+]20. John Maus - We Must Become The Pitiless Censors of Ourselves [Upset The Rhythm]
― los krampusinos! (pomplamau5), Wednesday, 14 December 2011 20:58 (twelve years ago) link
i really need to check out that machinedrum album. is it along the same lines as his work 3-4 years ago? that's the last time i heard his stuff.
― Z S, Wednesday, 14 December 2011 21:11 (twelve years ago) link
I don't know his previous stuff, but the lazy comparison for Room(s) is a less murky Burial.
― sean doily, Wednesday, 14 December 2011 21:16 (twelve years ago) link
I don't see that comparison at all
― Number None, Wednesday, 14 December 2011 21:20 (twelve years ago) link
Ok maybe I'm completely wrong, but it makes sense in my head (I've only listened to Room(s) twice so it was a snap judgement)...they're coming from different genres obv but the use of vocal samples seems notably similar (though maybe not uniquely so) and the overall ambience of emotive background music is functionally very close.
― sean doily, Wednesday, 14 December 2011 21:24 (twelve years ago) link
I'm just listening to Room(s) now and there are more similarities than i remembered. Machinedrum's music a is a lot busier though. It feels pretty cluttered at times, which isn't something you can say about Burial
― Number None, Wednesday, 14 December 2011 21:29 (twelve years ago) link
i didn't dig that room(s) album, and i love burial's music.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 14 December 2011 21:40 (twelve years ago) link
i am following some dude's list via twitter and would like to give him props for including the craig wedren album "WAND" which is really good and is not getting a lot of press.
― n/a, Wednesday, 14 December 2011 22:22 (twelve years ago) link
thanks! i am still rolling out my list but it'll all be here by friday morning:
http://narrowcast.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-top-50-albums-of-2011.html
also my paper did top 10 albums of the year and top 10 local (Baltimore) albums:
http://citypaper.com/special/topten/the-year-in-music-1.1244503http://citypaper.com/special/topten/the-year-in-local-music-1.1244501
― some dude (Mr. Stevenson #2), Wednesday, 14 December 2011 22:26 (twelve years ago) link
new machinedrum is definitely way moodier than his early stuff, the burial comparison is not that far off.
― moonbop, Wednesday, 14 December 2011 22:30 (twelve years ago) link
guess i'll have to give it another listen.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 14 December 2011 22:30 (twelve years ago) link
i mean this sounds like burial to me idk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS02KaxBvg0
― moonbop, Wednesday, 14 December 2011 22:31 (twelve years ago) link
I've just noticed how conspiciously absent the Jamie Woon album is from these lists, I thought that would have fared a lot better.
― boxedjoy, Wednesday, 14 December 2011 23:42 (twelve years ago) link
Kind of surprised at just how much love the Nicolas Jaar album is getting on some of these lists. Maybe I need to revisit, but it didn't seem all that amazing to me.
― los krampusinos! (pomplamau5), Wednesday, 14 December 2011 23:46 (twelve years ago) link
AllMusic’s Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Albums of 2011http://blog.allmusic.com/2011/12/14/allmusics-favorite-raphip-hop-albums-of-2011/
Ace Hood – Blood Sweat & TearsBeastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2Danny Brown – XXXChildish Gambino – CampThe Cool Kids – When Fish Ride BicyclesDas Racist – RelaxDJ Quik – The Book of DavidDrake – Take CareJ. Cole – Cole World: The Sideline StoryKiller Mike – PL3DGELil Wayne – Tha Carter IVPharoahe Monch – W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)9th Wonder – The Wonder YearsPhonte – Charity Starts at HomePusha T – Fear of God II: Let Us PrayRandom Axe – Random AxeThe Roots – UndunSaigon – The Greatest Story Never ToldScHoolboy Q – SetbacksShabazz Palaces – Black UpTech N9ne – All 6’s and 7’sTyler, the Creator – GoblinWale – AmbitionJay-Z/Kanye West – Watch the ThroneWiz Khalifa – Rolling Papers
― los krampusinos! (pomplamau5), Wednesday, 14 December 2011 23:50 (twelve years ago) link
I wasn't feeling the Jaar album much, but I do like a lot of the singles. I think I need to hear the album on a real stereo.
― moonbop, Thursday, 15 December 2011 00:35 (twelve years ago) link
A lot of his singles, I mean. Seems like there's at least an album's worth of nonlp stuff.
― moonbop, Thursday, 15 December 2011 00:36 (twelve years ago) link
AllMusic’s Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Albums of 2011
embarassing
― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 15 December 2011 00:38 (twelve years ago) link
i think it's kind of adorable that someone besides Mountain Dew still remembers that The Cool Kids exist
― some dude (Mr. Stevenson #2), Thursday, 15 December 2011 00:51 (twelve years ago) link
Pitchfork Top 50 Albums of 2011: 50-21
50. Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation49. Wild Flag – Wild Flag48. Toro Y Moi – Underneath the Pine47. Sepalcure – Sepalcure46. Cults – Cults45. Kendrick Lamar – Section.8044. Colin Stetson – New History Warfare Vol.2: Judges43. Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes42. SBTRKT – SBTRKT 41. Liturgy – Aesthethica40. AraabMuzik – Electonic Dream39. The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient38. Sandro Perri – Impossible Spaces37. Iceage – New Brigade36. Kate Bush – 50 Words For Snow35. Frank Ocean – Nostalgia, Ultra.34. Katy B – On a Mission33. Fucked Up – David Comes to Life32. Panda Bear – Tomboy31. Ty Segall – Goodbye Bread30. Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 197229. DJ Quik – The Book of David28. Cut Copy – Zonoscope27. Beyonce – 426. The Field – Looping State of Mind25. Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact24. Julianna Barwick – The Magic Place23. Bill Callahan – Apocalypse22. The Caretaker – An Empty Bliss Beyond This World21. Jay-Z / Kanye West – Watch the Throne
― Dan S, Thursday, 15 December 2011 06:21 (twelve years ago) link
how do you get these up so early?
― є(٥_ ٥)э, Thursday, 15 December 2011 06:22 (twelve years ago) link
it's on the site already. they usually post these things late at night. it's the same with their reviews
― Dan S, Thursday, 15 December 2011 06:26 (twelve years ago) link
that machinedrum album is hella boring. dj diamond album is way better as things in that vein go.
― malcolm the tenth (furnace mane), Thursday, 15 December 2011 07:17 (twelve years ago) link
LWE 30-21
30. EQD, Equalized#005-B29. RNDM, Hideaway (Dub)28. Tin Man, Nonneo (Donato Dozzy Remix)27. Protect-U, World Music26. Roman Flügel, Iron Curtain25. Crystal Maze, Crystal Maze (Chicago Skyway Remix)24. Martyn, Masks23. Burial, Stolen Dog22. The Citizen’s Band, West 42nd21. Machinedrum, Come1
― april wowak, Monday, December 12, 2011
just heard the citizens band track from this - really good, wooozy!
― april wowak, Thursday, 15 December 2011 07:26 (twelve years ago) link
Interesting to see Frank Ocean at no.3 in the Guardian. I suspected there'd be an Odd-Future-related one in the top five. I'd imagine Katy B and PJ Harvey would be no.2 and no.1.
― ShariVari, Thursday, 15 December 2011 08:48 (twelve years ago) link
Quite surprised at how badly the Sandwell District album has done - possibly in part due to the small release at the end of 2010, but at least RA clearly considered it, but it didn't get into their top 20.
― toby, Thursday, 15 December 2011 08:53 (twelve years ago) link
i can't put sandwell district on any of my ballots. discogs says very clearly the version i've been loving is a 2010 thing. if i disregard that then i open the floodgates to every other dec 2010 album.
i was surprised at frank ocean on the guardian list. i'm kind of perplexed by frank ocean love in general. he is just not very special and he CAN'T SING!!!!!!!!!! is it that he's "sensitive"? critics : frank ocean :: x factor voters : matt cardle?
― degas-dirty monet (lex pretend), Thursday, 15 December 2011 08:58 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah the Sandwell thing of only putting out 300 (?) copies one week before the end of 2010 and then releasing a less good version on CD in 2011 almost seems calculated to avoid appearing on year-end lists. That said, I don't know how many people actually heard it in 2010.
― toby, Thursday, 15 December 2011 09:24 (twelve years ago) link
LWE 10-6
10. Todd Terje, “Snooze 4 Love"09. Ital, “Ital’s Theme”08. Spekter, “Pipe Bomb”07. Gesloten Cirkel, “Yamagic”06. D’Marc Cantu, “Set Free”
― april wowak, Thursday, 15 December 2011 10:08 (twelve years ago) link
re:Pipe Bomb - I know its the way things work but feels like this was a shoe-in only because it was a one sided 12 and on theo's label (and a bit because specter's records were so overlooked in previous years)
― april wowak, Thursday, 15 December 2011 10:14 (twelve years ago) link
i was surprised at frank ocean on the guardian list. i'm kind of perplexed by frank ocean love in general. he is just not very special and he CAN'T SING!!!!!!!!!! is it that he's "sensitive"? critics : frank ocean :: x factor voters : matt cardle?― degas-dirty monet (lex pretend), Thursday, 15 December 2011 08:58 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Permalink
― degas-dirty monet (lex pretend), Thursday, 15 December 2011 08:58 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Permalink
Err... You're not gonna like this, but I don't think it's so much to do with his music as the fact his whole angle makes him more saleable to more rock-oriented audiences - i.e. the OFWGKTA association, lyrics about Coachella, how he calls himself a "singer-songwriter" rather than an R'n'B artist (which is what he is, really), sampling Radiohead and the Eagles, the "homegrown" element of the music. It's R'n'B for hipsters, not popheads and sadly that's what gets props on non-specialist lists like the Guardian's.
― dog latin, but cool (dog latin), Thursday, 15 December 2011 10:20 (twelve years ago) link
i kind of knew that but it's nice to have someone else spell it out so i don't get "lex whingeing about the same things again" thrown back at me
― degas-dirty monet (lex pretend), Thursday, 15 December 2011 10:33 (twelve years ago) link
i'm listening to the goapele album and it's just so gorgeous, light and crisp and melodies for days and her voice is, like, right up in the sky. and yet critics prefer to hole up in frank ocean's horrible bedroom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRn2DAggPEE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C8br28So7U
― degas-dirty monet (lex pretend), Thursday, 15 December 2011 10:39 (twelve years ago) link
i got sent this the other day. i'll check it out.
― dog latin, but cool (dog latin), Thursday, 15 December 2011 10:40 (twelve years ago) link
Frank Ocean easily my favourite album of the year. I am not a hipster, but then again I'm also not really a true r'n'b fan either.
― pandemic, Thursday, 15 December 2011 10:53 (twelve years ago) link
Well, that's the point really. I was using "hipster" in its widest sense. The Lex is obviously truly invested in r'n'b and gets frustrated with critics fawning over this spruced up, watered down, crossover stuff when in his experience there's much better stuff out there that doesn't have to pander to rock audiences. And he's right - there are probably dozens of great r'n'b albums out this year that are better than Frank Ocean. But for the average rock fan, only really dipping their toe into the r'n'b ahem, "ocean", it's stuff like The Weeknd/F.O. etc that will act as a gateway to greater things. I think there are now plenty of indie/rock kids out there who are ready and willing to diversify and explore other styles, but for whom diving straight into the deep end of r'n'b is just a little outside their comfort zones. When an artist is presented in the way of Frank Ocean, it doesn't feel like such a leap and hopefully this will lead to further exploration: "Well I can deal with Frank Ocean, how about The-Dream" and onwards...
― dog latin, but cool (dog latin), Thursday, 15 December 2011 11:10 (twelve years ago) link
Funny you should end on that note cos, mainly thanks to ILX/Lex, I really love The-Dream also. V much liked the new Anthony Hamilton as well. I think that so far I've had a much harder time connecting with some of the female led acts he has recommended and I think I'll try harder on that front next year. Not keen on the Weeknd tho (I've only heard the 'happy house' one tbf)
― pandemic, Thursday, 15 December 2011 11:16 (twelve years ago) link
Diddy-Dirty Money was my favourite album of last year as well, by far. Not sure if that counts as hip hop or r'n'b. Well both I guess.
― pandemic, Thursday, 15 December 2011 11:18 (twelve years ago) link
I'm no r'n'b exponent either to be honest. I generally try to get as much as I can from as many styles as possible, but I admit I'm one of those people who finds a lot of r'n'b a barrier, so yeah I did like the Frank Ocean album, and admittedly the Weeknd album - but I kind of know that these are a bit boring and probably not the "right" things to listen to. I'm the equivalent of the punk rock kid who only listens to Sum 41 and Green Day I guess. It's why it's good to have huge advocates like the Lex around on ILM, because even though his tone can come of as maybe a bit gripey, even scolding, it galvanises people like me into checking out things that don't necessarily pander to my preconceived values.
― dog latin, but cool (dog latin), Thursday, 15 December 2011 11:21 (twelve years ago) link
^^^^^^^^^^^^I often feel like my musical tastes would v often make the Lex roll his damn eyes or kiss his teeth, but there is also so much stuff that he broadly approves of that I now unabashedly love thanks to his championing of it.
― pandemic, Thursday, 15 December 2011 11:26 (twelve years ago) link
I really believe that one of the best things about music in 2011 is the fact there are no longer these big tribal barriers between styles, and you will happily see e.g. screamo kids getting into dubstep, or indie kids getting into r'n'b, and that this isn't even an exception to the rule anymore. If you have access to an iPod and an internet connection, there's no reason you can't listen to any style of music, and that's why it's largely crossover artists - ones who bridge the gap between pop/rock/dance or commercial/underground: Katy B, Odd Future, Skrillex etc who are making an impression on people. And I know people bitch about many of these - Skrillex not being "proper dubstep" or whatever, but think about how many people are being introduced to dance music via his records and what this means for the future of music. Big tings for the rest of the decade, I guess.
― dog latin, but cool (dog latin), Thursday, 15 December 2011 11:32 (twelve years ago) link
I'm not all that convinced about the concept of gateway records/artists but have no problem with a thing not being a "proper version" of a thing
― april wowak, Thursday, 15 December 2011 11:34 (twelve years ago) link
I suppose it does in a way explain the rapid rise and subsequent fall of certain kinds of artists though - once people either go through a door, or retreat from whence they came, leaving the artist in a limbo area
― april wowak, Thursday, 15 December 2011 11:35 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah, the gateway thing doesn't really ring true for me either. Especially when a lot of fans of, say, The Weeknd frame their enjoyment of them in terms of their opposition to mainstream R&B
― Number None, Thursday, 15 December 2011 11:37 (twelve years ago) link
xpost what kinds of artists do you mean?
― dog latin, but cool (dog latin), Thursday, 15 December 2011 11:38 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah, the gateway thing doesn't really ring true for me either. Especially when a lot of fans of, say, The Weeknd frame their enjoyment of them in terms of their opposition to mainstream R&B― Number None, Thursday, 15 December 2011 11:37 (12 seconds ago) Bookmark Permalink
― Number None, Thursday, 15 December 2011 11:37 (12 seconds ago) Bookmark Permalink
Yes, but it's still getting people out of their comfort zones. Sure a lot of Weeknd fans will say dumb shit like "It's r'n'b music, but, like, good, y'know?", but (and here's hoping) they'll stop swimming in the kiddie pool after a while and start exploring other things. That's how tastes evolve - more often than not it's not about being hit round the head by something that challenges every idea and value you hold about what makes something "good".
― dog latin, but cool (dog latin), Thursday, 15 December 2011 11:41 (twelve years ago) link
And the people listening to The Weeknd, I'm glad to say, aren't doing it in an ironic way. It's not like they're saying "ooh look at me, I'm listening to that r'n'b nonsense, what a loveable rogue I am". It's being treated with reverence most of the time. There was so much posturing and post-modernism going on in the last decade, particularly with the whole eighties revival thing and it's nice to be getting away from much of that IMO.
― dog latin, but cool (dog latin), Thursday, 15 December 2011 11:45 (twelve years ago) link