Eko's '11: Lps
not the strongest year but some great stuff nonetheless |
| 35 |  | Red City Radio
The Dangers of Standing Still |
| 34 |  | The Horrible Crowes
Elsie |
| 33 |  | La Dispute
Wildlife |
| 32 |  | Hands
Give Me Rest |
| 31 |  | Youth Lagoon
The Year of Hibernation |
| 30 |  | Emery
We Do What We Want |
| 29 |  | Sorne
House of Stone |
| 28 |  | Old Man Markley
Guts n' Teeth |
| 27 |  | CityCop
The Hope In Forgiving & Giving Up Hope |
| 26 |  | Across Waters
More Light Is Never Ending |
| 25 |  | Sainthood Reps
Monoculture |
| 24 |  | MuteMath
Odd Soul |
| 23 |  | M83
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming |
| 22 |  | Laura Stevenson and the Cans
Sit Resist |
| 21 |  | Bigfoot Wallace
Malleable |
| 20 |  | Okkervil River
I Am Very Far |
| 19 |  | Switchfoot
Vice Verses |
| 18 |  | Bomb the Music Industry!
Vacation |
| 17 |  | Radiohead
The King of Limbs |
| 16 |  | Frank Turner
England Keep My Bones |
| 15 |  | Hey Rosetta!
Seeds |
| 14 |  | Russian Circles
Empros |
| 13 |  | Owen
Ghost Town |
| 12 |  | Death Cab For Cutie
Codes and Keys |
| 11 |  | The Men
Leave Home |
| 10 |  | Joyce Manor
Joyce Manor
It?s quite difficult to imagine anyone not liking Joyce Manor. The way in which
they have flawlessly carved out their high energy punk/indie niche quickly begs
the question, ?Why did no one think of this sooner?? Johnson?s manic voice
may be the key. Frustratingly brief, yet entirely gripping. |
| 9 |  | The War On Drugs
Slave Ambient
Slave Ambient is one cool customer. Granduciel?s command of subtlety helps to
fashion one of easiest-listening albums of 2011, most evident in the spot on
transition from ?Your Love Is Calling My Name? to ?Come to the City.? Anyone
else think ?The Animator? sounds remarkably similar to M83?s ?When Will You
Come Home?? |
| 8 |  | Jeff Jacquay
La Cambria
It?s almost as if Jacquay didn?t want it to be heard and made the album for
himself rather than for anyone else. His quiet, whispery voice barely rises over
his muted acoustic guitar picking. Still, for those that take the time, listeners
will find that La Cambria is an unquestionably consistent, charming, and
heartwarming release. |
| 7 |  | Crash of Rhinos
Distal
No album combined fun with proficiency quite like Distal. Crash of Rhinos always
seemed to be doing a balancing act between chaos and composure while
screaming their hearts out. It was hard to find a more exhilaratingly cathartic
album in 2011 than this one. Play it loud, yell along, and feel better. ?I had a
future in failing!? |
| 6 |  | Josh Garrels
Love and War and the Sea In Between
Garrels?s unassuming cadence and distinctive baritone are the only things
holding the over-blown sprawl of Love & War together, but they are all that is
necessary. He holds nothing back in these eighteen tracks, and finds himself
succeeding at almost every turn, from his hip-hop dabbling to his tropical ballad
to his numerous instrumentals. |
| 5 |  | Tim Hecker
Ravedeath, 1972
I still don?t feel like I really understand this album, but for some reason it?s
completely riveting. Hecker?s ability to produce such a bleak soundscape is
topped only his skill at creating climaxes so subtle that the listener is almost
unconscious of their occurrence, but can feel them all the same. |
| 4 |  | Manchester Orchestra
Simple Math
No words rang truer in 2011 than ?half a year and here we are again.? A slight
disappointment at its release, it took several months of downtime for this album
to show its strengths to me. And while I?m still not sure if it?s Mean Everything
to Nothing with poise or without furor, it?s an excellent album on its own. |
| 3 |  | Kye Kye
Young Love
In what some have called a strong year for female vocalists, Olga Yagolnikov of
Kye Kye takes the cake on this user?s list. Her slightly low-end vocals are always
poised, never overly dramatic or flirty. Intimate, organic atmospheres and skilled
songwriting and production make this a highly notable debut. |
| 2 |  | Bon Iver
Bon Iver, Bon Iver
At its release I was among the popular camp of ?not as good as For Emma,? but
the more I listen to Bon Iver?s self-titled such a tag seems a bit erroneous.
While in one sense a huge departure from For Emma?s folk roots and in another
sense very much the same, Bon Iver, Bon Iver establishes Vernon as an artist
capable of a long and prolific career beyond his career defining masterpiece. |
| 1 |  | Wu Lyf
Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
I have to admit that I?m a bit sad that Go Tell Fire To The Mountain has become
so divisive. Wu Lyf should have been the uniting indie band of 2011. From the
grandiose sweeps of ?We Bros? to the ferocious yells of ?Spitting Blood? to the
epic build of ?Heavy Pop,? Tell Fire seemed to be what indie rock desperately
needed. Wu Lyf found the balance between gritty intensity and beautiful
serenity as if they had been refining their sound for years. Even if it didn?t live
up to the heights I dreamed up for it, Go Tell Fire To The Mountain is a huge
achievement that hopefully will continue to resonate for years to come. |
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