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#15-11 · #10-6 · #5-1
I told you I'm not stopping! I don't have time to **** around. We're gonna keep rolling on with #15-11 before 2011 is out.
When MTV got its act together and resurrected
120 Minutes with Matt Pinfield earlier this summer, the first video played on the newly minted program was "Whirring" by The Joy Formidable. The explosive song and its surreal video served as my introduction to this great group from the UK. "Whirring" is noisy, bubbly, and one of the best songs of the year. Beyond that, the album never lets up.
The Big Roar highlights the struggle between the eternal optimist and the manic depressive, the band says. Sonically, that means the thing is bonkers. The overpowering sound will occupy your ears.
There's something delightfully '90s about Christina Perri, in that I feel like she could've been part of that singer-songwriter phenomenon in pop music at the time along with Alanis Morissette, Jewel and Sheryl Crow. Instead, it's 2011 and here she comes during a time in which most other pop has been overtaken by the club scene. The result?
Lovestrong. is incredibly refreshing. The sad tale that is "Jar Of Hearts" was her first single out of the gate, but there's so much more here. "Arms", "Bang Bang Bang" and "Mine" are all extremely pleasant songs. Christina Perri has crossed the threshold into mainstream success, so you don't need to take my word for it, but I can't recommend her enough.
Hot Sauce Committee Part Two was a long time coming. Five years after
To The 5 Boroughs, the Beastie Boys released "Lee Majors Come Again" and "Too Many Rappers" featuring Nas as teaser singles for their upcoming album. Shortly after, MCA was diagnosed with cancer. MCA pressed on, his health improved, and the group was ready for a comeback by 2011. They came back swinging with
"Fight For Your Right Revisited", released 25 years after the original. "Revisited" is a must-see, hilarious half-hour film starring Seth Rogen, Danny McBride and Elijah Wood as young Beastie Boys with Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly and Jack Black as old Beastie Boys. The film includes within it the entire video for "Make Some Noise", the hot single from the album at the time. It's so ridiculous, it's the video of the year. Between that, the previous singles from 2009, and other new material,
Hot Sauce is an album I'm very happy came to fruition.
The Black Keys have been pumping out great rock music from Akron for nearly a decade. This year, it seems the world at large woke up. "Lonely Boy" was everywhere this fall and deservedly so. The full album
El Camino came along near the end of the year. It's a consistently up-tempo LP that brings a mix of brash, bluesy garage rock from beginning to end. Highlights other than "Lonely Boy" include "Money Maker" and "Little Black Submarines", the longest track on the album that builds up slowly for a couple minutes, just to switch it up and rock the hardest on the album for the remainder.
If you know of Lykke Li, it's hard not to love her. The brilliant singer-songwriter and musician made a splash a few years ago with
Youth Novels, her full-length debut album that only made us want more and eagerly await her next project. The first hint came last fall in "Get Some", the rambunctious single that blew your mind and left you disheveled. Lykke followed up early this year with
Wounded Rhymes, a more diverse blend of sugar and heartache. Songs like "Youth Knows No Pain", "I Follow Rivers", "Love Out Of Lust", "Unrequited Love", "Sadness Is A Blessing" and "Silent My Song" make this instrument-heavy album a wonderfully dark, gravelly take on electronic indie pop, and a must-listen.
With that, 2011 comes to a close. Happy New Year! Thank you all once again for all your support in 2011. I'll see you on the other side in 2012 to wrap things up. You know what that means. That's right, it's my top 10 albums of 2011.
