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Ben's Top 40 Albums of 2011
ATRL Administrator
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My goodness, if these are the albums that didn't make it... we're dealing with a lot of great stuff here.
You will be seeing Cults somewhere on my top 40. Bonus spoiler: It just happens to be positioned right next to ****ed Up, though I didn't plan it that way. I just noticed it once I put the list together. Crazy!
It truly is a great time whenever Weird Al is around. What amazes me is that he's still relevant after like 30 years. He always knows what to do. The album isn't on my top 40 either, maybe in part because 5 of the songs came out about 2 1/2 years ago. I don't know. It's really great, I love it and I love Weird Al. I appreciate him and wish he would be around forever.
I like what you said about Death Cab. I got to check out Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears and I enjoyed it, too. Fun stuff. Your blurb on Beyonce, hilarious. I was on the fence with Lisa Hannigan, too, she just missed out. Black Belles and Miranda Lambert also narrowly missed for me.
Nicole Atkins made my top 40, barely, at #40. Really really like Nicole. #40 is an honor.
I'm glad to see a mention for my Close Personal Friend™ Ximena Sariñana! You can bet you'll be seeing her on my top 40.
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Banned
Member Since: 12/29/2002
Posts: 19,803
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I wasn't expecting much from 4 but it truly blew my mind. I'm glad to see you whoring Party, as that's my favorite song from the album
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 10/1/2002
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Alright - so what is the deal with this Beyonce album? None of her, what, 7 singles? got to me at all. And yet it's all over critic year-end lists and now yours. Damn. Maybe I should give it another try.
Awesome words on DCFC - I agree completely. He can keep putting out records and I'd keep listening. Just very good. Also great to see recognition for TVOTR and Strokes.
Cant wait for the main show dude!
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Member Since: 1/26/2006
Posts: 17,384
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Wow, many great albums just out of the Top 40.
Codes And Keys is a good album, but it has many weak songs.
Yuck is also a great album, one of the best new bands coming from the UK this year.
haven't heard Nine Types of Light, but I like some songs from it.
"Even In Dreams" is also my favorite song from Belong.
The first time I heard Angles I didn't like it at all. But after three or four listenings, I started to like it a lot, maybe you must do the same.
And competely agree with Cults' album. The album is just OK, there are only few songs I really like. "Abducted" is my favorite.
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ATRL Senior Member
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30. Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi – ROME (Starring Jack White and Norah Jones)
When you hear that producer-extraordinaire Danger Mouse is working on a spaghetti-western themed, Ennio Morricone-inspired instrumental album titled ROME (where he's collaborating with Italian composer Daniele Luppi), you may think that it sounds like a vanity project. By most accounts, it kinda is. This is an album that Danger Mouse made because he loves that type of music from the '60s, and wants to make his own version of it. However, as someone who loves that kind of music, it's really such an wonderfully engrossing album. That Mouse/Luppi are joined by Jack White and Norah Jones (who sing three songs a piece, though they do backing vocals on each other's songs) really makes it even better. Jack White, on songs like "Two Against One," does his great snarling-pissed-off vocals thing to great effect. Norah Jones, meanwhile, sounds better than ever over Mouse/Luppi's spaghetti-western-inspired soundscapes, on songs such as "Black," and i'd really love to hear an entire album from Jones in this style. She sounds tremendous over these types of songs.
The White and Jones songs aren't the only highlights, as the album is mainly instrumentals that are just gorgeous sounding. If you drive around listening to these songs, it makes you feel like you've been transported to several decades past. I don't think Danger Mouse ever expected this album to be a huge hit, as he just made the album he wanted to make, and if people liked it, great, and if they didn't, great, as well. I find that to be a great attitude to have in making music, as chasing hits can often sound desperate, which is certainly not what a nice-warm-bath of an album like ROME is.
Best Songs:
01. Black
02. Two Against One
03. Theme of "Rome"
29. Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
This album was a long-time coming, and was supposed to be out much sooner (which clearly, obviously, was delayed due to MCA's cancer, which last I heard he was still undergoing treatment, but things seem to be heading in the positive direction). So, i'm very happy to be able to listen to this album, as it really recalls the Beasties' 'early '90s album such as Check Your Head/Ill Communication, as it has several short little songs, jumps through genres (the hardcore punk/hip-hop hybrid "Lee Majors Come Again," still remains a favourite years later), and is just everything you could want out of a Beastie Boys release. It's hard to say anything more about this album. I imagine if you love the Beasties, you really liked this album. And if you have never understood their appeal, this wasn't going to convert you. I guess i'm just happy to hear a Beastie Boys album in the year 2011, and i'm happy that it ended up as good as Hot Sauce Committee Part Two is.
Best Songs:
01. Lee Majors Come Again
02. Crazy Ass ****
03. Nonstop Disco Powerpack
28. Adele – 21
It wouldn't be a 2011 year-end albums list without this one, likely the 21st century equivalent to Carole King's Tapestry. You've already read so many write-ups on this album already, so i'm just going to point-form it:
- Adele's voice is not very good.... it's GREAT! You already know that, though.
- I like the collection of producers/songwriters this album got, from Paul Epworth (who did "Rolling in the Deep," and "I'll Be Waiting," and who is maybe one of the smartest guys making pop/rock music right now) to Ryan Tedder (who did "Rumour Has It," and is far more bearable as a songwriter/producer, compared to his Not My Thing group OneRepublic) to Rick Rubin (he did "Don't You Remember," "He Won't Go," "One and Only" and the cover of "Lovesong." It's some of his most vital and exciting work in quite a bit).
- However, the star of the album, besides Adele of course, just may be Semisonic frontman Dan Wilson. Besides co-writing "Don't You Remember," and "One and Only," he co-wrote and co-produced (along with Adele on both fronts) the defining song from the album "Someone Like You." Sure, "Rolling In The Deep" is fantastic, and was a massive hit, but "Someone Like You," is on a whole other level. That SNL sketch!! That doesn't happen very often to current songs. And that the guy behind "Closing Time" was the one who helped make it happen makes me oddly happy. Go late '90s modern rock guys! Next, we need the guy from Fastball to write some songs for someone.
Best Songs:
01. Someone Like You
02. Don't You Remember
03. One and Only (i'll throw in I'll Be Waiting in there as well)
27. Paul Simon – So Beautiful or So What
A concept that keeps coming up in my year-end is people making music because they want to, as opposed to them being forced to churn out a big pop hit every year. If you want a great example of that, look at Paul Simon. This is a guy, whether in Simon & Garfunkel or as a solo artist, who has decades of great music under his belt, and if he felt like he never had anything worthwhile to say again, he could very easily retire and no one would look down on him. His legendary status has long been cemented. Yet, at age 70 (though he was 69 when the album was released), he releases So Beautiful or So What, a collection of songs that has the vitality of someone half his age. Granted, someone half his age wouldn't be able to pen songs about growing older/mortality with the kind of clever observations that Simon could, but still. One of my favourites on the album is "The Afterlife," an upbeat song in which Simon spends his first day in heaven and gets nothing but bureaucracy. It's hilarious, catchy, and truly economical songwriting.
In fact, the thing that I really must state, as I mention songs about the afterlife on this album, is that it's incredibly upbeat for being an album that is pretty much entirely about that topic. It's not a downer at all! The album features some really nice guitar licks, and Simon is backed by a band that recalls his Graceland days (though very likely it's just the band from Graceland, so yeah). Funny to think, that especially after Simon's last album (the Brian Eno-produced Surprise, which had its moments, but was basically a dry-run for Eno for his collaboration with David Byrne "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today," one of my all-time favourite albums, since it was released in 2006), that his most upbeat album in a while would be the one that is basically all about mortality and wondering what happens next. Further proof of his genius.
Best Songs:
01. The Afterlife
02. Getting Ready for Christmas Day
03. Rewrite
26. The Mountain Goats – All Eternals Deck
It's fitting, that after talking about Paul Simon, i'd then end up talking about John Darnielle, another one of our best singer/songwriters. Darnielle, who has been performing as The Mountain Goats since 1991 (where for a while he was the sole member, as he recorded songs to four-tracks), but only had become a full-band since around 2002 (where he's joined by Peter Hughes on bass, and the incredible, wonderful hero to all Jon Wurster on drums). I placed their previous album The Life of The World to Come on my 2009 list, which had songs named after Bible verses, and was an explortation of religious themes. It's a great album, that only gets better with age. Their latest, All Eternals Deck, is a far more immediate album to people new to The Mountain Goats. For one thing, it's the best showcase for bandmates Hughes and Wurster yet, as these feel like full-band songs, as opposed to the acoustic-based songs with occasional drums like the last album. Highlights include "Damn These Vampires," which has the chorus "God damn these vampires, for what they've done to me," which I mean, come on. How could you not love that? There are also songs in tribute to Charles Bronson and Liza Minnelli ("For Charles Bronson," and "Liza Forever Minnelli" respectively), the punky "Estate Sale Sign" (where Wurster does his best Superchunk-level drumming), the post-apocalyptic "Beautiful Gas Mask," ****, the whole thing is great!
Portions of the album were produced by Erik Rutan, a death metal legend who spent time with Morbid Angel, among other death metal stuff, and it makes sense, as Darnielle has long been a huge fan of the genre, even if his style of music is very different from death metal. Check out the song "Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton," one of Darnielle's finest songs, as it's got a really great story to it. Though the album mainly sounds like previous Mountain Goats album (with maybe some added darkness around the edges), it is a cool thing to note, all the same. I guess my point is, if you haven't listened to The Mountain Goats yet, All Eternals Deck is just as fine a place to start as anywhere. I just know in a couple weeks (or even as soon as I post this) i'll be regretting putting this album as low as it is.
Best Songs:
01. Birth of Serpents
02. For Charles Bronson
03. Estate Sale Sign
04. Age of Kings
05. Damn These Vampires
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NEXT UP: Albums 25-21! Don't hold me to it, but there's a good shot I could have that up tomorrow.
Thanks for all the comments!
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Member Since: 12/11/2008
Posts: 9,543
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One and Only is one of the best song of 21. Agree with you.
Great choices of album.
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Member Since: 10/3/2009
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Just coming here to stay awesome set!!
I first listened to ROME two days ago and liked it since the very beginning. "Problem Queen" is one of the stand-outs of that album. Norah Jones's voice is so good.
Talking about great voices, nice to see Adele's 21 making this list. One of my favorite albums of 2011 without a doubt. "Someone Like You" being your number 1. What a great choice.
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ATRL Administrator
Member Since: 5/2/2000
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Gosh, I really should've devoted more time to ROME. That's the travesty of the year on my part. I mean, Danger Mouse. Daniele Luppi. Jack White. Norah Jones. Come on! What else do I want?
Really great to see Beastie Boys made it. I'll have more to say when they show up on my top 40.
Let's see... wouldn't be a Best of 2011 without Adele. Glad you mentioned the SNL sketch about "Someone Like You"! That was a highlight of the year.
I haven't heard the Paul Simon or Mountain Goats albums but I enjoyed your writeups... looks like I've got more I need to check out. Looking forward to the next set!
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 5/9/2003
Posts: 3,779
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Rome and Hot Sauce and 21 +3
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ATRL Contributor
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I haven't heard those albums not even "21", but I really love Someone Like You
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ATRL Senior Member
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I only heard the single from Danger Mouse and Luppi - and I actually really liked it. So that, along with the Paul Simon album (I'm convinced now), are definitely on my "to do" list.
Your write-up for Adele was so great. When you think of a lot of the important and awesome moments in music this year, it's her name associated (SNL sketch, big selling albums, etc).
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Member Since: 5/2/2009
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Danger Mouse & Adele
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ATRL Senior Member
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Hot sauce Adele?
And I'm really, REALLY regretting not checking out that Paul Simon album after that blurb. Silly me.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 12/29/2003
Posts: 6,311
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What I had originally when I saw your first post from the recent posts:
Other than the Colbert Show stint, I actually forgot about The Black Belles but it's on my list of things to check out before this break is over (so far: RHCP album )
lmfao @ you pretty much writing to Beyonce super fans
Yay Ximena!
Oh, right, I should add Codes & Keys to my list.
All You Need is Now ^_^! I was actually going to have the title track on my list since I slacked on the album but then the other songs on the list overpowered it... uh, adds the album to my list.
I'll take your apology and add TV on the Radio to my list. Yep, using this comprehensive (32!) list for albums that I missed out on but need to rediscover soon. Deal with it.
Damnit, you had me go on a Weird Al youtube marathon... damn you. Well, it worked out during the ATRL maintenance dealio? <--where I died. I blame you.
Overall, so many great artists and like you on the Cult's album, I'd probably list a lot of albums that I should like or should have checked out but for some reason or another, just failed, ha.
Getting BB's album now. I know, I suck.
No wonder "Rumour Has It" was my favorite from the album! Damnit, Ryan Tedder!
Actually, getting ROME now too. You sold me at Norah Jones BUT I enjoyed your write-up too
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 6/9/2002
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25. Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
In the topsy-turvy world we are currently in, the so-called "mainstream rock" bands are the ones having trouble getting attention, while the so-called "indie rock" bands are the ones that get more attention. While I don't begrudge this from happening (a lot of the "mainstream" bands are not very good), it's still a complete turn on what the labels (that I hate typing out or mentioning) actually mean.
It seems the only way to get a lot of attention on the major label side (with some exceptions like The Black Keys, Foster the People, etc) is if you're rock veterans of decades, and no major label rock vets did better this year than the Foo Fighters. How did they do better? By just sticking to the basics, and recording analog at Dave Grohl's house. What a concept! Now, I don't consider myself an expert on engineering and that kind of stuff, but you can tell the difference, as Wasting Light is a very "warm" sounding album. Sure, there's some slickness that is standard for a rock band of this size, but compared to everything else on the radio put out a major label, the difference is night-and-day.
So, what about the songs themselves? Again, very back-to-basics stadium rock stuff that the Foos are so good at. Highlights include the opener "Bridge Burning" (which Ryan wrote a great write-up about that I feel said everything I would have said), the Nirvana-Nevermind reunion of "I Should Have Known," where Krist Novoselic plays bass and Butch Vig produces. My favourite song, however, is "Dear Rosemary," a driving-powerhouse of a song that reaches another level as soon as the legendary Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü/Sugar) joins in on both guitar and backing vocals. The call-and-response of "DEAR ROSEMARY!" between Grohl and Mould is such a joyous moment to listen to, and you can almost hear the giddiness in Grohl's voice in "holy ****! we got Bob ****ing Mould on our album!!"
In going back to the analog-recording thing, Wasting Light sounds like it could have very easily been released in the '70s. And while it obviously couldn't be (no Doc Brown around), I feel that speaks to its timeless nature. While a lot of big bands try out all the new experimental electronic stuff of the day, the Foos have put out an album that could be listened to years from now and sound like it came out that year, whether that year is 1971, 2011, or 2031.
Best Songs:
01. Dear Rosemary
02. Bridge Burning
03. I Should Have Known
24. Cass McCombs – Humor Risk
Cass McCombs, the brilliant recluse singer/songwriter, did something that became quite common this year: He released two albums! Wit's End, which came out in April of 2011, was a more somber affair, but is also very, very good (highlights include "County Line." and "Buried Alive"). I was thinking of combining the two albums into one spot, but that felt a bit unfair (though, in fact, I do this a bit later in the Top 40 albums list, but I feel I have a good reason for it. More about that then).
The album by McCombs that I am including, November's Humor Risk, is far more upbeat, but only on the surface. Sure, the band is playing more psych-rocky arrangements ("Mystery Mail" sounds like a lost, 7-minute song from Nuggets [which if you know anything about the Nuggets series, is a bit of a contradiction as they are generally 3:30 or less]) but the songs themselves are just as dark as Wit's End. And I wouldn't have it any other way, as McCombs adds black humour to his song that help power the songs (I mean, this is the guy who wants his tombstone to read "Home At Last.") A good example is the aforementioned "Mystery Mail," which is about a failed-drug smuggling operation, done out of the character's mailbox, that ends in jail and death for the partners (One stabbed by a ball-point pen, no less!). I really like his style, that's almost like a mix between Elvis Costello and Louis CK. This was the first year I became aware of McCombs, and I will definitely keep him on my radar.
"Love thine enemy, but hate the lack of sincerity."
Best Songs:
01. Love Thine Enemy
02. Mystery Mail
03. The Living Word
04. The Same Thing
23. Patrick Stump – Soul Punk
While I liked Fall out Boy when they were around, Soul Punk by Patrick Stump still may be the biggest surprise i've had this year (at least, until I find an album that places above this that just may have been a bigger surprise, but I don't think that will be the case).
Fall out Boy was always a very melodic, and musical band, and Stump was a huge part in what made the band great. In Soul Punk, Stump gets his Paul McCartney on, as he sings, writes, produces, composes, and plays every instrument on the album. Which becomes even more impressive once you hear it, as it's truly big-sounding stuff.
Soul Punk is just such a listenable album. The week that I first heard it, it was pretty much the only thing that I played. Its influences range from Michael Jackson, Prince, Morris Day & The Time, and '80s music in general. While the music may be retro-sounding, the lyrics themselves are very contemporary as Stump sings about "dance like you're disappointed in the world," on "Dance Miserable," which then leads into a laundry list of today's problems "Unemployed? dance! Foreclosed? dance! Uninsured? dance! Climate change? dance!," which sounds a lot better in execution then it does in print.
Also notable about this album: Again, speaking as someone who enjoyed FOB's albums, but Stump has absolutely never sounded better than he does on Soul Punk. Beyond his trademark belt, he also does a bit of a Prince-style whisper-vocal on the beginning of "The "I" In Lie," and in general gets very soulful on the album (despite the album title, there's nothing at all "punk" about this album. It's full-on Soul). I don't think this album got the attention it deserved, maybe due to some people's preconceived notions of Stump? But seriously, if you like those influences listed above (and who doesn't???), then you should really give this album a shot. I think Stump could have a second-wind of a career with this kind of music, especially if he continues to make albums as good as Soul Punk.
Best Songs:
01. Run Dry (X Heart X Fingers)
02. Explode
03. Everybody Wants Somebody
22. Bill Callahan – Apocalypse
Not to be confused with Alpocalypse
When you first put on Bill Callahan's Apocalypse, the first thing that you hear is Callahan saying "The real people went away," without any music. Just a cold-open of Callahan hauntingly saying those words, before the music follows him right after that phrase. Its a haunting place to start an album, by one of our greatest singer/songwriters. Callahan has been recording music since 1990 as Smog, when he stopped recording albums as Smog in 2005. Apocalypse is his third solo album, and it's truly as great of an album he has done. I had Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle on my Just Missed list of 2009, and I really regret that now, as that is an amazing album.
The main draw to Callahan, I feel, is that voice. His voice is this baritone voice, that's unlike many other singers, as it's just a stark, lonely voice that just pierces through you. It's a joy, then, that his songwriting is just as strong, which really makes for a really great combination. My favourite song on the album is titled "America!," a really hilarious song, in which Callahan is in another country, homesick for his home country, but is also bored and watching TV. "I watch David Letterman! In Austraila! Oh America!," goes the song's best line.
What Callahan does with music is really quite impressive, as he can tell a story in such a descriptive way. On one of the other best songs on the album, "Universal Applicant," in which he tells a yarn where he ends up stranded at sea, and says "There's a flare gun in my hand. I point it straight and point it high. and to the universe it applies," which is then followed by Callahan making a noise of a flare gun going in the air ("sssss, poom"), and it's a true sign of his handle of his own material that none of this sounds the least bit goofy.
Thank goodness for Bill Callahan, and thank goodness that he continues to make albums as wonderful as Apocalypse.
Best Songs:
01. America!
02. Universal Applicant
03. Drover
21. Heidecker & Wood – Starting from Nowhere
Heidecker & Wood is a group consisting of Tim Heidecker (of Tim & Eric fame) and Davin Wood (the main composer on Tim & Eric's Tom Goes to The Mayor, Awesome Show Great Job! series'), and the music they do is '70s-era softrock. 100% serious, and not done as a goof. The idea of the group came as Heidecker wrote a song for the Awesome Show that wasn't comedic, and decided to stash that away for use sometime in the future. He then ended up writing a whole albums worth of songs, and it's such a great and wonderful album.
Heidecker & Wood's familiarity with this type of music is evident as much of it recalls Steely Dan, Michael McDonald, and most of the AM Gold stuff of that time. Of course, things are done slightly tongue in cheek (such as the album opening with applause, an hilarious presumptuous thing to do for someone's first album), but their appreciation of this type of music is not the joke, which is what makes Starting from Nowhere work. Highlights include "Right or Wrong," a song with a great groove, that ends up in a weird sort of mix of WOAHHHHH's and African chants, "Life on the Road," a goofy song about, well, Life on The Road (which includes the character in the song saying "Get on the bus. Get on the plane, and remember everybody's names. Then sit behind the guitar, play the chords," a hilariously pathetic image of a guy just sitting behind his guitar going through the motions), and "Weatherman," the smoothest song you will ever hear about a car collision.
It's almost like this album was tailor-made to my sensibilities, as I adore this kind of music (non-ironically, as well) and adore Heidecker's work. It's a truly unique album, and I hope Heidecker & Wood end up making another album someday.
Best Songs:
01. Right or Wrong
02. Life on the Road
03. Weatherman
04. Right to the Minute
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NEXT UP: Albums #20-16! Hopefully I can get that up on Sunday. I'm just warning you that the updates may be coming a bit slowly for the next week or so, as I have some other things I need to accomplish in the coming week. However! After next week, things should be back to their normal speed from then on.
Thanks for the comments!
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Member Since: 1/26/2006
Posts: 17,384
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"21"
haven't heard any of the others, but I really liked "Damn These Vampires" from The Mountain Goats, maybe I should check the whole album.
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ATRL Administrator
Member Since: 5/2/2000
Posts: 2,844
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Another fabulous update. Foo Fighters' album is my favorite from them in many years, so it's great to see it here on the big list. I know you've been a fan of Patrick Stump's project so it's great to see that make it, too, and you sold it really well. I'm gonna have to check out Cass McCombs and Bill Callahan, because with the Benjammin' stamp on them, I'd be doing myself a disservice otherwise. Oh, and Heidecker & Wood? Simply brilliant.
Can't wait for the top 20. Happy New Year!!
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Member Since: 6/20/2007
Posts: 37,153
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Adele
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Member Since: 5/23/2007
Posts: 65,087
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Foo Fighters Patrick Stump, I haven't heard his album but maybe I should, I've been liking all his singles
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