2011: The Top 100 Best Songs: Part II

The year was far from radical but we did get some great, middle-of-the-ground songs that indicate how great next year will be. Here goes the second part, #61-80:




61. Sabre-tooth Tiger (Cage the Elephant):

a start-stop-start sheer punk madness. There’s some heavy shadiness involved but note how that hasn’t stopped the boys from wrecking tasty bloodshed.





62. Baby Says (The Kills):

killing us softly with their misery and clear obsession, The Kills go for the jugular with this gorgeous, slow-burn ballad that perfectly captures the requisite sadness.





63. This is the Life (Curren$y):

another induced high, which means some spitting out blunts, bitches, bedroom scenes. He’s done it all before but there’s more melody here than ever before.





64. Trouble on my Mind (Pusha T feat. Tyler the Creator):

bad intent masquerading gloriously within rap. Tyler doesn’t mind confronting controversy and here he packages a very appealing self-defense mechanism.




65. Candil de la Calle (Apparat):

picking up where Sufjan Stevens left off last year, Apparat gives this year’s best emo track bleed seamlessly. That, at least, can’t get lost in his translation.





66. Rush Hour Traffic (The Cool Kids):

now they’re all grown up and showing serious swag. We get at least three different skill levels demonstrated here and passing grades all around.





67. Stay Away (Charli XCX):

a slinky club banger from the British teenager, one that draws heavy influence from T’Pau’s hit Heart and Soul, some twenty-five years ago.





68. Judas (Lady Gaga):

note the hysteria executed in the breath-taking chorus, the flawless construction spinning out of control and the dirty thrill of the Gaga-connect.





69. Fine Tune (Miranda Lambert):

not exactly the generic type of country music it appears to be, Fine Tune slows Lambert’s vocal delivery down heavily then drown it with delicious waves of distortion.





70. Te Amo (Atlas Sound):

strikes an astonishing resonance to Thom Yorke-esque delivery over a baroque arrangement. The painful delivery spreads far and wide.





71. Schibe (Lady Gaga):

worded mostly in German, echoes early 90s techno with an excellent Madonna-aping bridge (‘when I’m on a mission/ I rebuke my condition/ if you’re a strong woman/ you don’t need permission’).





72. 24h Party People (Pollyester):

global math-pop at its finest, Euro style. This is the same type of formula used by Los Campesinos but this duo manages to outdo Gareth at every turn here.





73. How Come You Never Go There (Feist):

simplistic, endearing tune, just the way Leslie Fiest planned it but amid the ramblings, there’s a heart-breaking personal tumult unfolding.





74. Chorea (Esben and The Witch):

a smart, wizardry effort juxtaposed to Rachel Davies’ insistent vocals, almost daring one to lose oneself into the trance-like waves of sonic distortion.





75. Days Are Forgotten (Kasabian):

never mind LL Cool J’s obsession with it, just sway to the blissful dub-soul concept that the boys have hit upon. These grooves rival the same studio tricks Gorillaz have mastered.





76. Swim Club (The Cave Singers):

reminds us of the very best of Fleetwood Mac with its groovy folksiness. Lead singer, Peter Quirk allows the beat to simmer in perfect symmetry to his voice.





77. Lady Luck (Jamie Woon):

smooth blues ballad that helps (finally!) to distinguish Woon from James Blake…he’s the crooner. The smooth falsetto weaves itself seamlessly along without a doubt.





78. Wilhelm’s Scream (James Blake);

the best soul any man has done since D’angelo, Blake places his persona a sea with glorious uncertainties and watches as the effort stays afloat.





79. 1988 (Summer Camp):

‘one year at a time’, sings Elizabeth Sankey repeatedly as the recollection of youth washes over this highlight on the band’s sophomore.





80. Green Aisles (Real Estate):

lovely ode to recollection, unspooled by the band so thoughtfully, dreamily. The line, ‘our careless lifestyles’, hints at so much psycho-damage too.

2011: The Top 100 Best Songs: Part I

The year was far from radical but we did get some great, middle-of-the-ground songs that indicate how great next year will be. Here goes the first part, #81-100:



81. Ghost Pigeon (Roommate):

a desperate flailing-around that reconnects with recovery for its protagonist. Yet, though the song achieves an emotional connection, it remains truly sad with its introspective lyrics.





82. You’re too Weird (Fruit Bats):

soulful retreat into self, the song rests its case assuredly over a lazy yet gorgeous beat. Eric Johnson’s clearly-defined process of an impending break-up or renewal of a relationship is simple yet stunning.





83. All Die Young (The Smith Westerns):

crunching guitars go wild on this 80s-inspired rock ballad that incorporates a contemporary look at the teen angst associated with things like prom and first love.





84. Seekir (Zola Jesus):

an electro-synth work out that shows the specific modus operandi of Nika Danilova’s voice...the sheer beauty of minimalism. Seekir never registers high or stray from a set aim but the juxtaposition of her beloved glitches and house-pop beats work wonders yet again.





85. Introducin’ (Willie Evans Jr):

the rebirth of slick or the reinvention of it, Evans Jr. juxtaposes witticisms with sick beats to create a huge, winning rap masterpiece.





86. My Heart Does Swell (The Sandwitches):

seasoned love song by this talented trio that continue to broaden the range alt-country can provide. The harmonies that curtail it remain the highlight of their stunning opus.





87. Rolling in the Deep (Adele):

a pop rollercoaster that never tires to give. Adele has conquered the world and the awards circuit with this monster ballad that unites her cause with great emotion.





88. Oblivion (Grimes):

a continuation of her perfect pop sequence, Claire Boucher is set to blow up (deservedly) next year. For now though, we’re treated to another hybrid of idealism.





89. Midnight City (M83):

an undeniably great riff perforating everything else going on but when the saxophone hits home towards the end, then this song reaches maximum potency.





90. Blackout (Anna Calvi):

if PJ Harvey ever descended into pop then this would be the blissful sound. When she rips the looseness at the end, the track collapses upon itself.





91. Black Ops (Random Axe):

war cry for the rap field, this is hardcore hip/hop the way the new school envisions it and it is heavy on theatrics and steely production.





92. Funeral Song (Minks):

initially released in March 2010, the track remains a beautiful chillwave set played out for our discovery of it this year. It’s a blatant rip from The Cure but when it’s this good then we can let it slide.





93. Street Fighting Sun (Blitzen Trapper):

a successful mash up by the band of alt-country and the dirty blues. They’ve been labouring without such a hit for a while so this means something even more immense is around the corner.





94. Oh My God (Cults):

lovely reverb, swirling with the most depressing lyrics but you’d have to read between the lovely electronic beats to realize that. It’s the new coping mechanism of the wear and tear of everyday life.





95. Born This Way (Lady Gaga):

a fabulous retooling of something Madonna’s always done and just as successful…very much the GLBT anthem that her fans were expecting.





96. Car Crash (Telekinesis):

a successful formula being taken for a spin by the band that lost itself into the making of their current opus, only to re-emerge with stronger ties and a pure-pop masterpiece.





97. Head First (Nikka Costa):

a though she’ll forever be known for the booty-shaking Like a Feather, Costa drops this slinky, contemporary R&B romp to remind us that she’s no one-hit wonder.





98. Nosebleed (Deerhunter):

simple guitar-pop as only he can but yet Cox literally explodes the instrumentals, full blast and more energetically that any previous song he’s done before.





99. Don’t Carry It All (The Decemberists):

a simple yet aching return to the type of form that got them attention in the first place, Meloy seems to be personifying the loss of past expectations.






100. Bitin’ and Shakin’ (L.W.H. ):

good conscience rap remains alive and well via Texas producer L.W.H and his cut and paste dynamics. Here he invites a few rapper friends to spit some gently fire on a track and this is the result. Word.

2011: The Top 10 Best ‘New’ Artists:

New this year really wasn’t all that new. Though a list of this magnitude usually features those artists that we’ve never heard of before, 2011 proved to be a year where the underground efforts of some outstanding talent reached the mainstream, thus making them ‘new’ certainly in the eyes of many. This year’s batch is outstanding, indeed as strong a batch in at least a decade. It features some reinvented veterans or just clear star shine finally manifesting on others. Here goes:



1. Grimes:

the coolest artist around in pop music is Canadian (suck on that America!) Claire Boucher. Though she released a pair of obtuse debut albums last year, few heard them and even fewer had a chance to purchase them. The indie press latched on to her early though and we’ve been hailing her inevitable rise to mega-stardom next year ever since. The year has seen her reinvent pop as a major genre with her laptop-fiddling approach, re-release her debuts as well as co-author a new one. And to top it off, she’s dropped the first track of her upcoming album and left us all hungry for more.





2. Danny Brown:

not new but for all the years spent clowning around, Brown hit 30 this year and suddenly his jigsaw purpose fell into place. No other artist features more in the year (or on my song list) and that he reminds us of Andre3000 is, of course, a big help.





3. James Blake:

certainly, the year’s most talked-about new artist, Blake has been hyped and dished in equal measure---a sure sign that he’s arrived. Despite not nabbing a Grammy nomination, he has accolades from last year for his technical merits but this year we got to see his expanded talent and though some, most notable a member of Portishead, derided his rise, critics have uniformly praised his debut for enhancing dub-step into the future.





4. Shabazz Palaces:

Ishmael Butler, has turned up on Sub Pop as that label’s first rap act, this after pioneering in his previous band, Diggable Planets more than a decade ago.





5. Sheep, Dog & Wolf:

I keep coming back to the remarkable fact that this kid is still only seventeen!





6. The Weeknd:

reinventing contemporary R&B with a slutty twist that strikes the right balance.





7. Chelsea Wolfe:

the new queen of goth pop, Wolfe released her debut last year but it wasn’t with this year’s Apokalypsis that it all registered. Indeed, the album can be seen as a proper re-working of her entry into mainstream. Now, we see her as the younger version of PJ Harvey and in the eyes of rock scions there can be no higher recognition.





8. Frank Ocean:

yet another young Turk branching out successfully in the year.





9. Willie Evans Jr.:

rap’s new renaissance man.





10. Childish Gambino:

the most divisive rap act of the year but Glover has already transcended one genre…he’s merged it with pop and dug into something totally new.

2011: The Top 10 Most Disappointing Albums:

Disappointment with music is a constant theme for critics, especially when an artist reveals a flash of genius then reverts to the usual, boring space occupied by everyone else. This is summed up by my top choice here but also spreads to the innately talented slumbering without a breakthrough. Critics look for such magic moments, those instances where beauty is juxtaposed to sheer will. This list has talent aplenty and drive, just that this time they didn’t go far enough or as far as the vision is steering them. Here goes:



1. Patrick Wolf Lupercalia:

after positioning himself as the quintessential queer indie artist out there with the messy yet brilliant The Bachelor, Wolf steps back into PG-13 pre-sex music that challenges no one and doesn’t advance his own persona. Maybe it was the lure of a ‘normal’ recording career but hearing him vocalize boring stuff like Slow Motion and Together just makes me want to sleep, not weep with awe. We want the very, very gay Patrick back.




2. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Hysterical:

the title says it all, unfortunately. This from a band that gave me the howling Yankee go Home last time out. Sigh!




3. Toro Y Moi Underneath the Pine:

after a brisk start it seems as if Chazwick Bundick forgot to add lyrics of great insight into his sophomore. Sure, it’s pretty but pretty is for major labels.





4. Future Islands On the Water:

how this ended up so lacking in depth is beyond my comprehension.





5. Tori Amos Night of Hunters:

not that I expect any of her brilliance of decades past but hearing Tori getting lost mid-song or unable to drive home the point is frustrating, The plastic surgery-look is irritating as well too.




6. Laura Marling A Creature I Don’t Know:

a precocious talent but if Marling’s new shift into Fiona Apple-ish territory is going to be more effective then she needs to commit to her commitment.




7. Feist Metals:

the very nosedive into boring that I always knew she had the capacity for but truly hoped she’d have avoided.




8. Lady Gaga Born This Way:

it’s totally unfair for Gaga to end up here but then again its totally justified also. She promised us the biggest pop masterpiece ever but, with a second half that dragged, the promise was not epic, no matter how epic the videos are.




9. Rahsaan Patterson Bleuphoria:

I found myself in the midst of a huge Twitter war with Patterson’s fans when I said Bleuphoria sounded obligatory and far less revelatory than Wines & Spirits (2007). I still stand by the claim even though this album’s main fault lies in the fact that quite a few soul brothers had tighter stuff going on this year.





10. Meshell NdegeOcello Weather:

the truth is that NdegeOcello has been slacking off since the past four years and no amount of jazzy riffs are looking likely to revive her once fiery career. The production value remains solid but someone’s clearly lost their muse.