Above all, this is my excerpt and chart of the albums I've heard, which I wrote, and I've presented here, in my blog (Be There). This is my thing this year.
Let 2012 will be more musical. Respect to the artists.
Decision is made. Here's the list:
32. About Group
"Start And Complete"
(Domino Recording Company Ltd.)
Experimental, leisure, jazzy, synth album. Suitable for mellow listening and however still has dreamy flavor ("With Each New Day"), even blues clue. Schizophrenic limpidity. Which is a plus for the album.
31. Adventure
"Lesser Known"
(Carpark Records)
Synth trip, electro voyage. Retrospective electro process, that to feel easy. Positive and directed inward album. And maybe enough leisure.
30. 18 Carat Affair
"Vintage Romance"
(Moodgadget Records)
Synth-wave, chillwave. Terms, styles, electro experiments and vintage disco electro. From all that has received pleasantly-eclectic electro music, that does not engage with pretensions. But the final composition on this album "Last Night" is little to say enchanting.
18 Carat Affair - "Last Night"
29. Amit
"9 Times"
(Commercial Suicide)
Hard straight-out dubstep, darkstep album from Indian (UK based) electro producer Amit. With all his strong programming of drums do not you have left other, than to keep your dental fillings, that this thing frightening makes them to fall. All kidding aside, "9 Times" is very dark and hard electro and this is his huge plus.
28. AIM
"We Are Sailing"
(Via Audio Records)
Music for the fly off from reality. Italian post-rock, alternative rock tale.
27. Displacer
"Night Gallery"
(Tympanik Audio)
Night Gallery of cinematic electro, IDM, ambient from Canada. NUMB, but on IDM basis. Delving into the mind which travels far.
26. Art Brut
"Brilliant Tragic!"
(Cooking Vinyl)
Cynical, smart, ironic English garage rock, indie rock agents with their own vision. Unconventionalism and noisy stories of phrenetic, amnesia weekends, bad comedians, mental problems, jokes. And to know, they don't play smart jazz. Do not laugh at them, that bite. Just kidding. They are fresh dudes, which make fresh music in this album.
25. Farewell Continental
"!Hey, Hey Pioneers!"
(Paper + Plastick)
Energetic indie rock album with nice female vocals. At times with pop-punk trend ("Who's The Boss?"). Overall catchy with its euphoric compositions, which can also be stadium anthems with charge of pop hits.
24. Ding Ke
"Island"
(Modern Sky)
Magnificent neo classical, piano ambient album - lyrical, melodic, romantic and slightly nostalgic. With songs like "Maitri", "Because Of You", "Orange" it forms a melodic capsule in this sometimes harsh world. "Island" is an incredibly sincere and beautiful piano pop album, that has all chances, to be like and of the fans of classical music.
Ding Ke - "Because Of You"
23. Cloud Control
"Bliss Release" 2 CD (Deluxe Edition)
(Liberation)-Front+'11.jpg)
Album offers a rich mixture of electro, shoegaze, indie rock, dream-pop, and it is with experimental folk rock streak. Ingredients that predispose to dreaminess. All compositions in it are valuable. And finally, with three remixes made by Fishing; DJ Animals; Seekae; Spod. I recommend you "There's Nothing In The Water We Can't Fight" (Spod Remix). Beatitude.
22. Gable
"Cute Horse Cut"
(Loaf Recordings)
This music you will not hear on the radio every day. With the stroke of a district gang scamp, they serve an eclectic mix of lo-fi, noise rock, electro and all sorts of samples, to get me into their colorful world of systematic chaos.
21. Forbidden Society
"Forbidden Society Recordings Limited 001"
(Forbidden Society Recordings)
Opposite to the mellow liquid drum 'n' bass, coming from everywhere, here have powerful, smashing, adrenaline drum 'n' bass. Not only is it pleasant, but it is very infectious and enter quickly to mind and charge you. Be careful with the dosage (listening) because you hardly out of the trip. What I speak, that is enjoyable experience.
20. Sleep ∞ Over
"Forever"
(Hippos In Tanks)
Dream-pop Sade (or of what music sleep the unicorns), mellow electronic Kate Bush sail at infinity, dream, passion. "Don't Poison Everything" speaks for itself. Open your mind, be everywhere, wants, create. That things tells me music in "Forever", and everything is in magical shell of glowing electro orbs, enchanting voices and dreams. It's dream, pop over the material world.
19. The Vaccines
"What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?"
(Columbia Records)
This album is loud, romantic, but danceable at the same time. Garage rock, but not exactly. Vibrant, but calm down when necessary, at the right time.
18. Yelawolf
"Radioactive"
(Ghet-O-Vision / Shady Records / Interscope Records)
Album with very emotional pop, hip-hop sound. Yelawolf reveals his own lyrical side. Yes, this is not a striking hip-hop album, nor is abstract, even slightly controversial at times, but there are songs that strike an emotional level. Half of them are typical Yelawolf stories - larky, touching. Here he seemed to let off steam and is more-mellow. Although many people associate him with a hard hip-hop sort of things like from his "Trunk Muzik 0-60" ("Pop The Trunk"; "Get The Fuck Up"; "Billy Crystal" (Feat. Rock City)). This album had to happen, another is the question whether right now.
Yelawolf - "Everything I Love The Most"
17. Jay-Jay Johanson
"Spellbound" 2 CD
(Universal Music)
Album which is jazzy-melancholic-ironic. The themes are universal anguish, loneliness, love. So are most of the names of the songs. It is close to the sadness of Nick Drake. This is double album and the second disc is mostly with instrumental, acoustic pieces. "The Chain" is made up of very nice romantic text:
"I would like to take a walk with you.
But I'm scared it's gonna rain.
Just a picnic in the park for two.
But the gardener will complain."
"I've been follow by the worst of luck.
Maybe you can break this chain.
Come with me, come with me.
Darling can't you see.
I'm in love."
There must have such records. If only because such compositions. With this album is nice sometimes to be sad.
16. BT
"These Humble Machine"
(Nettwerk Records)
Uplift, electro. Uplift, pop rock. Uplift trance. Uplift. Emotional. In itself this may be enough, but no, this album is perfectly composed. And it is one of the best trance album released in the last 5-6 years.
Aggregation of stars, Cosmos, universes - exactly, sense of vastness. Endless electro story, that is more exciting with each listen. And BT (Brian Transeau) is a great electro wizard.
15. EvilMrSod & Dallas Kincaid
"Subterranean Power Strain"
(Masters At Paradise)
Album absorb in itself from punk rock, rock scene of New York in the 70's and 80's. Lo-fi, rockabilly, experimental dark Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds figures in the compositions of Dallas Kincaid. Rhythm, blues rock, groove in the guitar and compositions of EvilMrSod. In the process of writing the album participate both, they complement each other ideas and everyone participate with something in the compositions of other.
Good production, good work done on recordings, made in N.Y.Hed Studios with help of Matt Verta-Ray. Here you will feel the rough rock 'n' roll, punk rock of Iggy Pop; vaudeville feeling of The Cramps; you will hear texts focusing on themes of life, with a genuine sense of humor of both. Honky-tonk in "Baby Baby B-B-B-Baby", unconventionalism of "Fuck It All (Nothing To Lose)" with The Rolling Stones guitar groove. This is rich rock album.
EvilMrSod & Dallas Kincaid - "SheryLynn"
14. Travis Barker
"Give The Drummer Some" (Deluxe Edition)
(Interscope Records)-Front+'11.jpg)
Heavy beats, hip-hop, rock, famous and skilled guest artists, a drummer (Travis Barker) burning of energy and desire to give the best of himself in the name of music. There are emotional hip-hop extracts, mixed with pop and rock ("City Of Dreams" (Feat. The Clipse & Kobe); "Just Chill" (Feat. Beanie Sigel, Bun B & Kobe)), but leisure fun anthems as "Saturday Night" (Feat. Transplants & Slash). All this and more provide it to you Travis Barker and people around him with this album.
13. Norton
"Layers Of Love United"
(Skud & Smarty Records)
The Portuguese are hot natures, and can be melodic with their music. Exactly are guys from Norton. Indie rock with electro futurism, and shoegaze with mood, which unfolds in endless positivism, listen to "Glowing Suite" in the case, which is woven of fine melody, and enveloping you in its warm embrace, and will not leave you for a long time.
Album of the movement, light, joy, love.
12. Dananananaykroyd
"There Is A Way" 2 CD (Deluxe Edition)
(Pizza College)-Front+'11+2CD.jpg)
Incredible. Energetic. Experimental. Scotsmen. Dananananaykroyd burn till heaven in what they do, and this album is the proof, that their music remains timeless despite their split up as a group. The album is: Modern, Experimental, Energetic, Forward Thinking Rock. And the rest is so much more Music.
11. 22 Pistepirkko
"Lime Green Delorean"
(Bone Voyage Recording Company)
Finnish rock band with rich history. Group which issued a very strong "Lime Green Delorean" right in 2011 through their own label. Indie rock, garage rock and a very rich emotionally charged music with beautiful lyrics and musical techniques. Some Finns also know how to make great music. These are the right people here. Hear just lovely "UFO Girl"; "Lights By The Highway"; "Rodeo Heart" and "Find Me" and you understand about what music I talk about.
22 Pistepirkko - "UFO Girl"
10. Cults
"Cults"
(Columbia Records / Sony Records)
Cults have all the prerequisites to become a big name in modern pop, electro, indie rock scene - quality album, concerts, killer songs, contract with a major label. I recommend you to hear "Walk At Night", if you can disengage from it hooks, you will find more exciting electro pop compositions. I wish them to become very big with his music. They prove, that it deserves it. A proof is in front of you.
9. Selah Sue
"Selah Sue"
(Because Music)
Mainstream album, close to pop, close to folk rock, a pinch of reggae, ragga, hip-hop, but mostly close to me a positive album. Solid material from Selah Sue, who won more listeners around the world (probably already heard an excerpt from her "This World" in a Kinder Bueno ad on TV, I felt the music of Selah Sue six months to go before this ad, among other things). And it can not be otherwise in this music coming from the heart. Selah Sue has all the prerequisites to become a big name.
8. 17F
"Tree Of Them"
(Les Disques Normal)
Sincere, intimate album from Frederick Merk - multiinstrumentalist, guitarist, a man who knows how to express his own inner soul. Why I like it? Well listen "Aiga II" and "Angel" as a start and you will understand. Acoustic, lyrical, and at times psychedelic and trippy. It reveals a universe of music. Thank you Frederick.
17F - "Le Nain"
7. Architecture In Helsinki
"Moment Bends"
(V2)
Somehow simple, but impressive. Somehow homogeneous, but experimental. Gathered the joy of making music, as a process unifying commerciality and experimentalism in fusion of electro, disco, house, indie rock, pop. This is an album that combines all these elements in a fascinating-experimental way. And it's fresh, it bears sun and dance mood from Australia. Colour and musical.
6. Death Cab For Cutie
"Codes And Keys"
(Atlantic Records)
Very innovative indie rock album with nice electro in it. Ben Gibbard again demonstrated strong lyrics. The music is catchy, and compositions such as "Doors Unlocked And Open", "You Are A Tourist", "Underneath The Sycamore", "Monday Morning" made me to hear them so long, and to expect their next album eagerly.
5. An Horse
"Walls"
(Grand Hotel Van Cleef)
With such a bombastic, direct, guitar indie rock smoke like opening "Dressed Sharply", warning tremulous waiting for the other 11 songs on the album. And they are melodic, suitable for listening to headphones while traveling somewhere. There is a sentimental folk rock tale "Windows In The City" and the brilliant melody "Swallow The Sea" plus anthems tune "Walls" make the album one of the most charming indie rock albums coming out lately. Not only that, hear what strong lyrics have "Not Mine". I've often felt that close to me. I am closer than ever to that over the material state of mind. Yes, that's what I'm talking about:
"A cold night, in the summer time.
Under street lights that weren't mine.
In a city I think it was yours.
You said this weather we're having is not quite right.
Summer's not being itself tonight.
Not tonight.
I said it's alright, summer seems just fine.
I have no idea what it's really like.
This far north and to the right.
It seems fine.
From over here, here, here, here here.
From over here, here it seems fine.
I said there's something growing in my heart that's black.
As black as the sky on a moonless night.
There's no cherry pie in sight.
You said alright, that's enough Twin Peaks for one night.
Your heart it seems just fine, your heart it seems just fine.
From over here, here, here here.
From over here, here it seems fine."
Album that deserves many listenings, fully justified, no doubt in the quality of the music of Australian duo Kate Cooper (vocals / guitar) and Damon Cox (drums / vocals). Australia's answer to The White Stripes, but with more mellifluence and attitude to melody in the indie rock structures.
4. Zola Jesus
"Conatus"
(Sacred Bones Records)
Zola Jesus (Nika Rosa Danilova) and people who help her for music in this album - Davey Riley; Nick Johnson; Ryan York; Sean McCann - made memorable musical journey. At times reminiscent of the album "Fever Ray" of Fever Ray (project of Karin Dreijer Andersson, more known by magic electro voyagers The Knife, where together with her brother Olof Dreijer) from 2009. The voice of Nika Rosa Danilova is deep, heartfelt, crushing pleasant in the context of slightly introverted electro pieces.
This is one of those albums that always has a place in my musical world. And to which I will often come back, looking for eternity, and at pain and incoming melody, mixed with a touch of decadent bliss. This is a personal journey. I stop to here and take off again, again and again.
3. Cilla Jane
"Until Morning Comes"
(Independent)
Cilla Jane is magic and storyteller. Puts me in a fairytale, from which I do not want to go out for a long time. The music on this album is touching, caressing, giving, peaceful. Makes me to think and to be positive and seeking.
If you like folk rock, roots rock should not miss this so well played fairytale. All songs inside are more than just stories. They become part of me with each listening.
2. David Bazan
"Strange Negotiations"
(Barsuk Records)
Wonderful album, giving exclusive look at urban stories - sometimes retro, sometimes talking about life in the borough, and with the right tone in voice and guitar of David Bazan. With this album you will not be bored for a moment, he has the power to come off from the daily burdens and to travel with pleasant lightness and clever lyrics.
1. 13 & God
"Own Your Ghost"
(Anticon Records / Alien Transistor)
Timeless album. Standing on electro, indie rock, but with a lot of abstract hip-hop. It gives me the right dose of charging music. People from 13 & God was able to make really intriguing amalgam of styles, which is timeless. Beneath the surface of the music lies so much electro elements, that each time I find something new. This is the album standing closest to my soul this year. Caught urban intonation of time of the modern world and mixed with the melody and open mind aesthetics. I think that often manage to overcome my own ghosts during the year. And this is album number one for me this 2011 year.
13 & God - "Old Age"
Worthy to be mentioned:
1. Tom Waits - "Bad As Me" (Anti-)
2. Kate Bush - "50 Words For Snow" (Fish People)
3. Hooray For Earth - "True Loves" (Dovecote Records)
4. Joe Henry - "Reverie" (Anti-)
5. tUnE yArDs - "Whokill" (4AD)
6. Atari Teenage Riot - "Is This Hyperreal?" (Digital Hardcore Recordings / Dim Mak Records)
7. Korn - "The Path Of Totallity" (Special Edition) (Roadrunner Records)
8. Miles - "Facets" EP' (Modern Love)
9. Ghosts Of Paraguay - "Who You Become / Needing You" (Single) (Loodma Recordings)
10. Scorn - "Yozza" EP' (Vinyl) (Ohm Resistance)
