Favorite Albums of 2011

I really enjoy making a list of my favorite albums every year, but it seems that with each passing year, seeing every publication's list becomes increasingly dreadful. Everything starts to blend together, and nothing really means anything. After the first list or two, they tend to seem like just lists of things that existed this year. Unfortunately, I guess I'm contributing to that, but it's fun for me to talk about albums. So, apologies.

Here's 40:

40. Craft Spells - Idle Labor 
Overlooked. Check out "Ramona."

39. Melted Toys - Washed & Dried EP 
Just what it sounds like.

38. Spraynard - Funtitled
Brief, to-the-point, fun punk. Go download it and pay them $5000.

37. Wilco - The Whole Love
Higher highs than they've had since A Ghost Is Born. They're probably never gonna be one of my favorite bands, but I'm glad they're around.

36. Washed Out - Within & Without 
This is the lamest and beardiest album on this list. But, you know, it's nice. Drop the chillwave tag, and it's a pleasant soft rock album. Too bad his Rough Trade Mix was better than this album.

35. Small Brown Bike - Fell & Found 
Honor your elders.

34. Fucked Up - David Comes To Life
Better than its ranking; I was actually floored by the album the first time I listened to it this summer. Then I listened to it one more time and haven't heard it since. Where is an album like this supposed to exist in my life?

33. Meat Puppets - Lollipop
Good times adult weirdo rock. Respite from the over-marketed stuff that the indie-corporate labels are constantly waving in everyone's face.

32. The Sea & Cake - The Moonlight Butterfly 
This is an EP by The Sea & Cake.

31. Crystal Stilts - In Love With Oblivion
Man, I just never listen to this. It's not often that I say to myself, "I need to hear some psychedelic garage rock about the sun and the moon." It really is good, I just need to put it on without considering what it is.

30. Maritime - Human Hearts
Return to form! Too bad I'm not 24 anymore, this might've been #1. It's probably better than We, The Vehicles.

29. The Bats - Free All The Monsters
Not especially thrilling, but if they have something to say, I'm listening.

28. Algernon Cadwallader - Parrot Flies
Why did this have to open with a 6 minute song? I didn't realize until right now that almost all the other songs are under 3 minutes. Gah, I have to go back to this.

27. Fucked Up - David's Town
I love and envy their album-of-songs-by-fake-bands idea. It was risky; most bands couldn't pull this off without getting too silly. But here, there are some beautiful moments.

26. Junior Boys - It's All True
Once again, it's taking me some time to catch up to Junior Boys. On first listen, I thought there was only one worthwhile song here. Now, there's maybe only one that's not a gem. I'm gonna keep on liking this.

25. Big Troubles - Romantic Comedy
This would've been an amazing 5 song EP. The second half is filler. It's a drag that they cleaned up and tried to make a Pains-style Slumberland album...I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed. (That's supposed to make them feel worse).

24. Yuck - Yuck
Terrific concept, questionable execution. A promising first album. If their handlers had any sense, they'd be fumbling over themselves screaming "Get me Butch Vig on line 1!"

23. Lemuria - Pebble  
Open stronger and leave out "Pleaser," and this coulda been great. Sheena is still one of the best guitar players going. Curious to see what they do next.
 
22. Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing
BT on cruise control. Totally acceptable.

21. Crisis Of Conformity - Fist Fight! 7"
I liked so much jokey stuff this year...I'm probably gonna end up trading in all my records for Weird Al imports.

20. Nodzzz - Innings
So, so nerdy.

19. Beach Fossils - What A Pleasure EP
Captured Tracks had countless releases this year that sounded great (that Wild Nothing-style sad 80s synth thing). I should've been thrilled, instead I kinda feel like it devalues stuff like this. Now when the label puts something out, I silently say, "I know what that sounds like, and I don't need to hear it again." It's a shame, because this EP is actually very good.

18. J Mascis - Several Shades Of Why
Initially underwhelming, then totally pleasing. J Mascis owns.

17. Empty Orchestra - One More Time, All Together Now
Remember when musicians meant what they said and allowed themselves to be vulnerable? I mean, other than Adele? Me neither, it was a really long time ago. A unique and timeless set of songs.

16. The Fucking Cops - Fuck You Up With Some Truth EP 
Punk rock a la Spraynard, Cheap Girls.

15. Jens Lekman - An Argument With Myself
Delightful.

14. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
For me, this is the most interesting record on this list. Since her debut, I've openly derided her and been completely dismissive of her music. Why would I want to listen to a Sufjan disciple who looks like a model and makes Apple-rock? What could she possibly have to say that would be interesting to me? Strange Mercy changed all that. It's dark and gnarly, like Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel during their synthy, experimental phases in the 80s. And the playing on it is incredible. "Surgeon," especially; there are an album's worth of highlights in that song alone (not to mention "I spent the summer on my back" is one of the best opening lines I can think of). What can I say? She made an album that sounds like no other album that I loved in 2011. Moral of the story: don't judge a book by it's waifishness.

13. Cheap Girls/Lemuria - Split 7"
2 monster jams.
 
12. Toro Y Moi - Underneath The Pine 
Most impressive musician of the year. This guy hears and arranges things in a way that could make Jimmy Iovine tremble with fear. From the way he shifts the listener's focus to the way he orchestrates dynamics, it's clear that this isn't some jerk fumbling around in the dark with a sampler. He knows what he's doing, and he is the real deal.

11. Destroyer - Kaputt 
On paper, this sounds like a gimmick that's sure to fail, but Dan Bejar's always-esoteric poetry and gravely serious vocals anchor the breezy yacht rock in a surprisingly effective way. It's a stark contrast that creates a very specific and totally unsettling world of an International Man Of Distinction. The first half is easy, all singles and catchy leads; the second half is where the album's earns its depth. Just reading "Bay of Pigs" can have serious emotional impact ("Listen I've been drinking/as our house lies in ruin...Haven't seen you for ages/I still fly into rages at the mention of your name...I took a walk and threw up in an English Garden"). It's great to have a Destroyer album like this. He'll probably never make another one like it.

10. Rival Schools - Pedals
10 years is a long time to go between albums, but you wouldn't know it listening to Pedals. It's spruced up a bit, smoother around the edges, but that same sound from United By Fate is there. Rival Schools sound like Rival Schools. Walter is the man.

9. Radiohead - The King Of Limbs
This is my favorite Radiohead album! I'm not sure why people didn't like this. Did they not expect a Radiohead album to sound like the future? With weird production and dubstep influences? I mean, this is Radiohead. If it's too weird, it's your fault.

8. Samiam - Trips
I guess I remember these guys, but I was never really a fan or anything. I'm pretty sure their name has always made me cringe (even in high school, when I was listening to King For A Day and Jimmy Eat World without blinking an eye). But I'm pretty sure their sound has always had a maturity that would've been hard for High School Me to identify with. Part grizzled wistfulness, part loud-drinking anthemic punk, Trips is man-rock. There are lighter moments like the opener "80 West" and "Freetime," and there are moodier songs like "Magellan" and personal favorite, "Demon," a upbeat song with emo chords about being haunted by an ex-lover. Put down that goddam Bon Iver record and be a man!
 
7. The Decemberists - The King Is Dead  
One of the best kind of surprises I can have as a music fan is when a band that I think is dead in the water comes back to life. Who would've thought this band would even be interested in making a simple folk rock album, considering the past two monstrosities they've wrought? I probably wouldn't have even given this a chance if I hadn't heard it blindly. But it was hard for me not to fall for this. Also, Rolling Stone told me it was good.

6. Vivian Girls - Share The Joy
This year's obligatory Vivian Girls entry. I like that they're trying new things, even if it doesn't always turn out right. Even I can tell that it has some glaring flaws, but they're always gonna be my band.

5. Real Estate - Days
This album is so close to everything I love about music that sometimes when I listen to it, I feel like it's mocking me. Real Estate has shown enormous growth from their 2009 debut, improving in just about every way. The most obvious difference between Days and Real Estate is the warm, autumnal production. The secret weapon here is the drums. The muffled tone borders on drum machine-quality (in the way that the best Phoenix songs do), and the de-emphasis on the cymbals allows for the chimey-ness of the guitars to shine through. But more importantly, Martin Courtney's singing and songwriting has grown in leaps and bounds. Plenty of "indie" albums sound good, especially in 2011, but very few artists have the skill to craft such amazing songs. As a frontman, Courtney is especially impressive on Days. He never oversings, never tries to squeeze in too many words; he says as little as it takes to get his point across. A song like "Green Aisles" proves that he's found his voice. It's the second perfect Real Estate song - they've always sounded like the things he sings about here, but now Courtney has finally written lyrics to fit that feel. Of course, this album would not be possible without the existence of...

4. The Feelies - Here Before
Sadly, this is a case of missed connections. Had this album come out two years ago when I was living and breathing The Feelies, it would've been over for me. Like, sell-my-albums-join-a-monastery over. But this year, I hit a new phase as a listener where I'm generally preferring heavy-handed hooks and catchy pop over the calculated simplicity and charming boredom of the VU-inspired bands that I had previously loved so much. The best moments for me as a Feelies fan feel like the musical equivalent of Magic Eye posters: just sit and zone out to these very simple two chord songs, and sometimes everything clicks and the music explodes into something much bigger than what it appears to be on the surface. Here Before is as good as any album The Feelies have made. I just need to remind myself to get bored sometimes and embrace this.

3. Minks - By The Hedge
A full year old (I first listened to this putting up Christmas lights in 2010), By The Hedge hit me in two separate periods, both during cold, gray months. This album does not sound the same in the summer. It is made for the bleakest weather and loneliest times. It's not especially devastating or sad, in fact it's probably more pretty than sad. It's just so heavy on mood and atmosphere that hearing it in the wrong setting changes everything. Its most obvious ancestor is Isn't Anything, and at times (especially "Boys Run Wild"), it seems like the gothiest thing since Pornography. Even brighter moments like "Cemetery Rain" that sound like, well, cemetery rain. This is certainly a personal classic that hold up for years alongside the aforementioned universal classics.

2. Title Fight - Shed
Sometimes I feel pretty awkward listening to a lot of the punk albums I listen to, especially when I'm going to work to tell teenagers what to do all day. Title Fight relieved some of the guilt with Shed. It still has that raw, youthful spirit, but there's a confidence and maturity to it that most emo/punk albums lack. I admit I had lost a bit of faith in Title Fight after The Last Thing You Forget. It was a huge departure from Kingston, and it was just a weird variation of classic emo sound that they supposedly were going for. But Shed is Title Fight at the top of their game. Excellent chord progressions and melodies, and top notch musicianship. It sounds like no one else (except, of course, the first two Lifetime albums). Their live show was one of the best performances I've ever seen, playing for close to an hour, going full bore and never missing a note. I can't believe they're not Fall Out Boy-popular yet. That day could still certainly come, and when it does, as long as they're still making albums like this, I'll be right there in line at the Hot Topic with your nieces waiting for the jams.

1. R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now
What does it mean to have a favorite band when you're almost 30? How much more important does that band seem than your favorite band at 20? My relationship with R.E.M. almost feels like my marriage lately: it's reliable and extremely comforting, yet still surprising. My Death Cab years were a kid and a band, both still young and evolving, stretching out, learning new things, eventually growing apart. With my musical tastes changing less and less with each passing year, and R.E.M. retiring in September, I wonder if I'll ever have another favorite band.
Collapse Into Now is not the best R.E.M. album. It is, however, the first time they've sounded like R.E.M. since Bill Berry left. In fact, the album it reminds me of most is New Adventures In Hi-Fi, specifically because it seems like it should've been the album to follow it. In addition to the Automatic-style ballads and Monster-glam guitar moments, it features the hallmarks that have made R.E.M. iconic: Peter Buck's ringing arpeggios, and some of Mike Mills' best vocal work (which is why their breakup was so painful to hear: it's clear that they could've continued to make better-than-average R.E.M. albums). Those reminders turned out to be more important than anything any other band could create right now. And I'm surprised to realize that for the first time, I truly know what "The singer, not the song" means, instead of just believing it.
Whenever I try to explain my feelings about Collapse, I find myself in a difficult position. I realize it's not a "great" album, so I find myself saying things like "it's not a 'great' album." But the thing is, to me, it IS a great album. I genuinely love the songs, and get excited whenever I hear "All The Best," and "That Someone Is You," and am honestly moved by the beauty of the melodies in songs like "Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando And I" and "Uberlin." Yet, I recognize the corniness of the "Marlon Brando" title, and I hate that recognition. I'm too old to pretend that happiness is not the most important part of being a music fan.
And so this is my favorite album of 2011. It's also the greatest.

Best Old Music: Camper Van Beethoven - Telephone Free Landslide Victory (1985)

Camper Van Beethoven - "Ambiguity Song"

I went through intense phases of worship for two bands this fall. I forgot/was too busy/lazy to document my infatuation with The Lemonheads. That'll probably come around again, and I'll try to put down some thoughts on why they hit me so hard, hopefully with a little more perspective. But right now, no band is more perfect than Camper Van Beethoven.
On the surface, their debut LP, Telephone Free Landslide Victory, is at best an experimental take on folk and world music, and at worst, a faux-hippie novelty record with three or four very good pop songs. I still can't objectively say which is closer to the truth. But after repeated listening, the "quirkiness" of the album becomes "uniqueness." The instrumentals (there are 8 out of the 17 tracks on the album) reveal themselves as themes that support the more traditional pop songs, and are equally infectious. The real charm of the album, though, lies in David Lowery's surrealist lyrics. "Take The Skinheads Bowling," and "The Day That Lassie Went To The Moon" are the centerpieces, while "I Don't See You," "9 of Disks" and "Oh No!" create a uneasy tension and sense of foreboding that adds another layer of depth to the album. Then there are the songs that sound like inside jokes - there isn't a single line of "Where The Hell Is Bill?" that rhymes; "Wasted" takes the bitter, confrontational tone of the Black Flag version and reinterprets it as a sarcastic, slacker singalong; there is an honest-to-god chorus that includes the line "Authority sucks." I can't tell if this is a dissertation on irony, or if it's something else altogether.
CVB put out five albums over the span of five years, over which they matured and seemingly became a more "serious" band. They put out two albums on I.R.S. where they maintained their ability to write excellent pop songs, while continuing to experiment and showcase their oddball humor, then later proved their mettle with two big league albums on Virgin. They remained consistent and distinctive, and despite their wide-ranging catalogue, managed to avoid putting out a truly bad song. Of all the highlights, the most Camper Van Beethoven-ish of all (and the foremost example of everything that has made me fall in love with them) is this video from their self-titled third album, which is certainly one of the greatest things on the internet:

from Camper Van Beethoven (1986)

"There's something wrong with that boy; he frowns for no good reason."

As far as biographies go, Charles Cross's Kurt Cobain bio, Heavier Than Heaven, is terrific. It's thorough, it's got great style, and it's the only bio I can think of that goes to such great lengths to stay objective. There are no traces of superfandom, and the only evidence of the author geeking out over Nirvana's music is his overview of "Heart-Shaped Box," which he does to emphasize how well it encompasses all of the main themes of Kurt's life ("birth, death, disease, sexuality, and addiction"), as well as the fact that it was co-written by Courtney Love. The ending (he dies) has all the intense pacing, foreboding imagery, and sense of dread to convey the suspense of a great horror story.
Outside of the Unplugged album, I was never a huge Nirvana fan. I wasn't aware of most of their story, and I was even a bit naive when it came to Kurt's drug use. So a lot of it was very eye opening. Here's some observations:

- As I got further into the book, it became more and more clear to me that Kurt Cobain was the worst human being who ever lived. He was an awful son, a "world-class whiner," and an unbelievable egomaniac. One would assume that he was born into terrible circumstances, and had suffered injustice after injustice. All of his troubles boiled down to one thing: his parents got a divorce when he was nine. That's it. He basically went through the same thing half the kids in the U.S. go through, and complained about it until the day he died. The divorce impacted every one of his relationships for the rest of his life. He was a terrible friend who manipulated everyone close to him. He left his wife to be a single mother, and his daughter fatherless.

- His heroin abuse is one of the worst and most relentless cases I've ever heard about. He complained of life-long stomach pains, and used it to justify his heroin use. But the stomach problems struck me as more of an attention-seeking thing than anything else. When given a choice between heroin, music, friends, family, even his daughter, he chose heroin every time. He lashed out during interventions, and never took rehab seriously.

- I know it was a Kurt bio so she wasn't really held under the microscope, but I was really impressed by Courtney, or at least the way she was portrayed. She is definitely the hero of the story, despite her own addictions and obnoxious outbursts.

- They were both pretty terrific lyricists. This might've surprised me more than anything.

- Despite the fact that he was an irredeemable asshole, Nirvana's music sounds better to me everyday (this is the first time I've really sat down and examined it). They have at least 5 stone classics that I can't get enough of ("About A Girl," "(New Wave) Polly," "On A Plain," "Dumb," and "Dive"). And it turns out that Nevermind is really good! I just listened to it for the first time last month. If you're one of the four people left in the world who hasn't heard it yet, you should check it out! Anyways, all of this is really weird because I generally don't like music by people that I don't respect. I think that at least for the time being, I'm spending all of my energy concentrating on the melodies and chord changes and production rather than trying to see a bigger picture.

For all the good that came from reading the book, Cross has really raised the bar for all biographies I read in the future. Creepy vibes, hopeless fuckup, tragic ending. Excellent.

I Was Starting To Think I Was Crazy

After going years without seeing or hearing a trace of these songs, I finally found evidence of the post-Change Dismemberment Plan studio recordings that I had on my college computer. I remembered "Angry Angel" being one of the tracks, but I didn't think that the others were also Travistan tracks. However, after checking out some live sets from 2002 on archive.org, it turns out that I'm probably wrong about that (they played "The Word Cop" and "Change"). Here's "Angry Angel," enormously improved by the greatest rhythm section of all time.

The Dismemberment Plan - "Angry Angel"

At the other end of the chronological spectrum is another song I've been trying to hear for the last year, "Can We Be Mature?" It's the band's first single, and it's as unpolished and visceral as the best songs on !, while featuring all the elements that would make the Plan so brilliant later on: spazzy guitars, quirky lyrics, and big, weird, anthemic choruses.

The Dismemberment Plan - "Can We Be Mature?"

Now I just need to find "When Have I Ever Been Known To Say No?" from the first 7" and "BTA," hopefully without having to drop import money for the Australian version of Change.