records of 2011: 1. Kode9 & The Spaceape - Black Sun

1. KODE9 & THE SPACEAPE- BLACK SUN
This album fuses spoken-word poetry with dub music. The spoken-word voice of The Spaceape carries reggae, ragga and so much utter conviction, that one can't help but pout their lips in approval.

This is the ultimate collaborative album. Steve Goodman is the man behind the project, - he's Kode9 - and the illustrious Hyperdub record label that includes Burial. And he's Scottish. This music however reminds me of London so much that it's no wonder he relocated there. There's no bagpipes on this one.

This takes the crown this year, because from top to bottom this album remains edgy, energising and thematic. Radiation is the theme here. So put on your suncream, top up your tan and happy new year!

records of 2011 - 2. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

2. BON IVER - BON IVER

The craft that went into this thing is amazing. Justin Vernon expanded on his solo, stuck-on-a-log-cabin of his debut "For Emma, Forever Ago" by using a full band and collaborating with so many musicians, it was a delight to behold.

We get saxophones, we get made up words, sentences that don't make sense, that make sense, fake places, real places, everything. It's a textural album. Not just a folk album. Folk is a dirty word.

His voice is perhaps the most beautiful in modern music. If the hairs on the back of your neck don't stand up when you listen to this, then go and grab some sandpaper and scrub down your neck. Actually don't; you might bleed.

I feel that this could be one of the best albums released ever. The jury is still out for me on "Beth / Rest," the 80's closer that absolutely jars with everything else on offer here. But time will tell. Props to the boy for taking risks though.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KrmxavLIRM

records of 2011- 3. Delicate Steve - Wondervisions

3. DELICATE STEVE - WONDERVISIONS

Never before has anything sounded so fun! Goofball! This New Jersey collective believe in instrumentals and all out arpeggios that apply so much bend on the guitar-work, it's pretty staggering.

Noone really knows about this album, I'm really surprised it hasn't got more exposure. Maybe it doesn't have that much emotional depth, but still it has bags of personality. I discovered this at the top of the year and I'm still just as gleeful when I listen to it.

A real sense of occasion, an out-and-out jam, an exercise in technicolour, a treat. A vision, like the name suggests. That's it - just go and get it. Don't forget to blow those bubbles now!

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWNIajNpsAA

records of 2011 - 4. Bill Callahan - Apocalypse

4. BILL CALLAHAN - APOCALYSPE

Beautiful baritone voice
Images that are bleak, apocalyptic
Long, explorative tracks that often question the integrity of America
Luscious guitar work, especially in the track "America"

Carefully delivers his lyrics in a singing style that's almost spoken word, tender.
A singer-songwriter with a huge history, his previous project Smog dates back to 1990
Long sentences here, better make some a bit shorter
Longing for that feeling; see "Riding For The Feeling," it will all be ok
A fascinating gig I went to in 2009 in a church is one of my favourite ever shows
Human, unlike say, Daft Punk
A sparse album. Just 7 songs. His spare style really holds up ever so well.
Never heard anything so timeless.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMQ0CeXYd54

records of 2011. 5. Cut Copy. Zonoscope

5. CUT COPY - ZONOSCOPE
This is the biggest grower of 2011. The first time I heard it, I was a little underwhelmed at first. One of those trendy music websites called this a sprawling landscape compared to the champagne immediacy of 2008's "In Ghost Colours" - thank god Australians spell that word with a "u" - and they got it bang on correct.

Sure, opener "Need you Now" is pretty instantaneous but many of the tracks take a while to show their hooks; this album is pretty refrained. Here, we're not square on with the waterfall; we're looking at it from some distance. Again, yeah there are some explosive moments of beauty but as The Onion AV Club journalist said, here "Cut Copy often lets the arrangements ride." Bang on.

And so finally, it grew on me and now it just sounds huge like a skyscraper. It's retro-future. Ouch. Apologies. It's champagne-popping. What a howler of a description. Luckily, this album ain't a howler, definitely not, as it gets me howling in the shower.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=tb1o42RdVzA

records of 2011 - 6. Radiohead - The King of Limbs

6. RADIOHEAD - THE KING OF LIMBS
As ever, this was a real occasion. It just seemed to fall from the sky at the last minute, released to great surprise. Refreshing and inspiring.

As for the music, of course it's a return to the electronics of yesteryear and it feels better every time I listen to it. It's so compact at just 8 tracks and that's nice. You can't beat a tight album.

I believe that a movie should be made in honor of this one, as it feels so much like a soundtrack, it's just nuts. I also think it could be perhaps the best sequenced Radiohead album ever. Also it's the biggest grower.

Like I said back in April (sometimes I don't like to write in the conventional style by the way)

"There are stuttering beats but it's nice. I like it. The voice of Thom Yorke didn't quite grab right hold of me at first earshot listen."

Takes time. Give it time. A certainty to stand the test of time.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3oRhwOcQ3w

top records of 2011: 7. Clams Casino - Instrumentals

7. CLAMS CASINO - INSTRUMENTALS
Absolutely makes me wanna smelter. This instrumental hip-hop album is where it's at. It's innovative, doesn't only draw from hip-hop, is diverse, makes me nod my head like no other album this year, demonstrates great potential, kicks an otherwise stagnant genre right up the you-know-what, delights at every corner and is a real late-charger for me this year, zooming up my list right towards the end.

The hazy aesthetic on most of this recalls Burial and the lazer-beam production of "Brainwash By London" recalls the production of Switch. Bjork is sampled on "Illest Alive" and there's plenty more surprises on this killer banger stunner of an LP from this New Jersey producer. Unquestionably, where it's at.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7uVpv2ltS8

top records of 2011 - 8. Zomby - Dedication

8. ZOMBY - DEDICATION

This guy. Who is this guy? He's released a bag of stuff in such a short space of time. He's British and is mostly concerned with releases that jump all over the shop and this one is a nice introduction, even though it's not his first album, I don't care; it's brilliant and I'll be checking out all his other shit for sure.

It's hardly the dubstep of Burial, but man this is less of the soul and more of the limbs. Moving your limbs, darting around, head spinning crazy, bonkers nutjob shit all over the shop. Burial gets his head down and walks across the city, this lets its hair down and gets all ditzy.

The album is the sound of electronic spaghetti. Does that mean it should be the album of the year here? Well, we're maturing around these parts. Get ready for a Coldplay # 1. Ahem.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE5BXbfZe5w

top records of 2011 - 9. Bullion - You Drive Me To Plastic

9. BULLION - YOU DRIVE ME TO PLASTIC
I used to frequent a club-night back in my prime - I hope I have a second prime - a few years ago at university called Beats In Abundance and they used to spin funk, electronic, samba - a bit of everything. My friend Luke Baines was and still is a champion for mixing together so many colours and styles.

They once had cake at a christmas party and often had helium baloons in the small club. At the Christmas party in London a couple of years ago, they had exercise bikes inside to help power the speaker or something. Back in Norwich, their regular home, this was the only night I would ever happily pay for, as in Po Na Na, I often got someone to open the Fire Escape door and secretly enter through that. Once I got caught though, as the alarm was soundng pretty loudly. Maybe everyone thought it was part of the music though.

This EP shows bags of promise for a young British producer and DJ. The samples are magic. Maybe he makes a lot of them himself. About that, I'm not so sure. It is so diverse, so unique and so enthralling - that the journey will hopefully be even longer and more fleshed out so far. Recalling The Avalanches and The Books, hit this up for a whirlwind of a 20 minute party.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXqWhefsK08

top records of 2011 - 10. Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo

10. KURT VILE - SMOKE RING FOR MY HALO
Breaking into the top 10 then is this one. 10 and 11 on this list are certainly linked in as Kurt Vile used to be in The War on Drugs. What we're talking about is 2011 was the year that americana and guitar effects worked swimmingly well together to produce a sound that offers both the sonic need for echo and the emotional need for reflection.

Take "runner ups" for example:

"My best friend's long gone / but I got runner-ups, yeah!" shows the inevitability of drifting apart from close buddies and "Smoke Ring For My Halo" says it all really - confusion about ego in a sardonic manner. This boy has it all.

Well, Vile was only signed by Matador Records as a solo artist in 2009, but was born in 1980, so has the life experience to depart on us too. He shows he's been through a lot, but of course he still wants to find comfort: "I have everything I need / It's fine now" - sometimes it's the direct and simple things that are best because they know exactly what they want to say.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnrB3UEoZDc

top records of 2011. 11.The War On Drugs - Slave Ambient

11. THE WAR ON DRUGS SLAVE AMBIENT
This year offered a swirling sound of psycedelic swims of guitars effects combined with the deep vocals of folk across a few different projects and here, Kurt Vile's old band here gave us an album with some of the best tracks heard in ages.

It's a unique sound and one that combines the likes of My Bloody Valentine and Bob Dylan. The sound of when the harmonica comes out in all the feedback in "Baby Missiles" is just to die for, as is the layered, stunning opener "Best Night" that always stops me in my tracks.

From a group of musicians that's been around a while then, there'll still probably be a lot more to come, and I for one just can't wait. What a fantastic discovery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMToQg0vSds

top records of 2011 - 12. Tinariwen - Mazes

12. TINARIWEN - TASSILI

These guys were placed at #17 on my albums of the decade a couple of years back for their seminal work Aman Iman: Water is Life. That work was full-bodied desert-blues singing songs of exile in Mali complete with electric guitars.

Well this is a stripped-down, 'let's all gather round the fire' kind of vibe and it's just as invigorating, with TV On The Radio even chipping in for a welcome vocal harmony for "Tenere Taqhim Tossam." It's liquid blues. It's transcends all styles. It's set for utter longevity.

Sometimes music is so fluid that it makes you want to drink it up in one gulp. This is how this goes.

"People say that this sounds like the blues. That's true, the blues began in Africa though. It's interesting how music can project itself onto a continent and then back again." --Spaghetti Blogonese , December 2009---

top records of 2011. 13. Julianna Barwick - The Magic Place

13. JULIANNA BARWICK - THE MAGIC PLACE

This is chamber music. Not like the Wu Tang mind. I mean when we float around and meditate. Hardly new age, or Enya as people inevitably compare this to. It's not as glee, it's more sleepy, even more ethereal. I dread to think how many times that word has been used to describe this kind of music. In an image, it's the feeling when you wake up in the morning and realize it's the weekend and you don't have to go to work.

You won't hear this record played over and over in your head as it feels like one body of work compared to catchy tunes. You won't hear it played in elevators either as it's too rich and layered for that. You could however, benefit from having it on repeat on your i-Tunes as its that kind of experience, one that you'll be happy to have time and time again, in close succession.

Magic.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7lLfYBGRaA

top records of 2011 - 14. Björk - Biophilia

14. BJORK - BIOPHILIA

A genre unto her own, this lady continues to mesmerize further as most of this album was recorded on an i-Pad and each track has its own app available for it.

Not that any of this matters though, as the music stands up on its own as another great set of songs from the Queen of avant-garde.

The production is as sharp as Dracula's teeth, the beats as crisp as a packet of crisps and the voice as lush as a British shop that sells scented soap.

Listen and get lost again. Watch and follow. Delve in to the delight.

Follow the leader. Follow the leader.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vre4S5076wA&feature=related

top records of 2011 - 15. Moon Duo - Mazes

15. MOON DUO - MAZES

This is something very special indeed. What?

Try squiggly spaced out guitar jams that will put you in a trance. There's a load of feedback and catchy, choppy riffs a-plenty and the duo of Sanae Yamada and Ripley Johnson of Wooden Shjips really collaborate well with such tight understanding. This is dense stuff, yet it's all about soaring into the sky and pouring out spacedust.

There's plenty of telecaster, a little eerie organ thrown in for good measure and some dauntless vocals on show here and it's all thrown into the fuel tank and ignited to explosive and impressive effect.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvYUUes4O1Q

top records of 2011 - 16. Future Islands - On The Water

16. FUTURE ISLANDS - ON THE WATER

When one of your best friends states that he has a favourite band, it's time to sit-down and listen, or stand up and dance or just write something down or just download the new album by them or leave it a while like I did and finally realize just how right he was.

When you listen to this you'll either notice how low the vocals are or how mesmerizing the ocean wave are in the backdrop of the production or little new hooks and nuances with each listen or bits of tin-drum or tropical production or something.

When the future comes I imagine that this synth-rock band will become a lot more prominent in my listening patterns or maybe I'll have the chance to see them live in concert and be blown away or more importantly I'll just clasp onto it right now as this is always the best time.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vI_kx4J8Vc

top records of 2011 - 17. Akron/Family II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT

17. AKRON/FAMILY - AKRON/FAMILY II: THE COSMIC BIRTH AND JOURNEY OF SHINJU TNT

This looks like sci-fi right? It's misleading.

This band are one of the most underrated acts on the planet. On this planet, they're based in NYC.

This band crafted one of my most favourite songs of all time I'll Be On The Water and the link below for the song Island captures the same beauty.

This album is very spaghetti. Bit like this blog; veering all over the place. But it's not like the cover suggests. Instead it's cohesive freak folk rock for a blog. Wanna snog? For all you non British people out there, that means fancy kissing with your tongue.

No? Well that's sealed then. Listen to this instead:

GOLD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aUJbwySgz8

top records of 2011 - 18. Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica

18. ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER - REPLICA

Built outta samples. That means nothing though. This is nothing like DJ Shadow or The Avalanches. Nor is it anything like Returnal which featured highly on this very blog last year. That album felt like you were on board Deep Space 9 or some shit.

This though is a totally different animal. Taking 80's commercials and splicing them together. I am scrolling down on Metacritic about this LP to get some collective adjectives. Mad and weird and eerie and beautiful seems to be the common consensus. It makes me wanna say off-kilter and "makes me wanna smelter."

The burst of absurdism is dedicated to Aubrey Ford. His wit and competence to produce such output like "Go shuck yourself!" sends shivers down the spine. Thanks man.



CREEPY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r3cBP1xgag

top records of 2011 - 19. Gazelle Twin - The Entire City

19. GAZELLE TWIN - THE ENTIRE CITY

This album is pretty scary. It's even scarier than the following true ghost story:

In my local pub here in Kuala Lumpur lies the story of OLD BEER BEARD. One day in 1939, the landlord served OLD BEER BEARD his favourite drop of ale. I say favourite drop as it came served from a pipette into a shot glass. OLD BEER BEARD would rest the shot glass on his 7 meter long beard on the bar.

Next thing that happened: KNOCK KNOCK! --- "Who's there?" wailed OLD BEER BEARD and in came a damsel in distress wearing red stockings, red heels and a red balaclava. "War is breaking out! The war has started!" she cried. "Pipe down ya jam tart!" said OLD BEER BEARD." The landlord of the pub started ringing the bell, not for last orders but because the war was breaking out.

The damsel in distress showed some of her red stockings and OLD BEER BEARD had a heart attack. He rolled around on the floor supping his drink still asking the punters to leave him alone saying "Ain't no thing but a chicken wing! "Ain't no thing but a chicken wing!"

Nowadays, whenever a hot mama walks in the bar wearing a red balaclava, the bell rings ding-a-ling. Sorry to shit you up.

This debut album from Gazelle Twin really is great.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=LrxUxLxCvvI

top records of 2011 - 20. Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation

20. - YOUTH LAGOON - THE YEAR OF HIBERNATION

Last year Perfume Genius released his glorious bedroom produced debut "Learning." This year we got this and it's in a similar vein. It's more electronic than Perfume Genius, but just as uplifting. It doesn't really employ choruses though. It has hooks and kickdrums and it's amazing how something so shiny and twinkly can be so transcendental.

It's like Trevor Powers - of California - has crafted the most beautiful yacht out of a load of lego and can set sail into the blueberry sea.

Another great thing here, is how it blurs gender boundaries. I could've sworn this was a woman singing but neigh, neigh it's not. I'm not a horsey. Neigh. I just feel like this album brings out the inner child in me. A great debut.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWfwLA5hZjo&feature=related

records of 2011 = 21. Eleanor Friedberger - Last Summer

21. ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER- LAST SUMMER

I KNOW A GIRL CALLED ELEANOR BUT SHE SPELLS IT LIKE ELEANORE.

I DON'T THINK ELEANORE KNOWS THIS ELEANOR

I THINK ELEANORE WILL LIKE THIS ELEANOR

BOTH OF THESE PEOPLE ARE QUIRKY

THIS IS GREAT SUMMER POP FULL OF MUSICAL TWISTS AND TURNS

ELEANORE AND ELEANOR ARE NAMES THAT ARE REALLY GOOD.

ELEANORE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tgSk83OJmk

top records of 2011 - 22 - Air Drops - EP

22. AIR DROPS - EP

Not a lot of information about the identity of this one. Simply a bedroom performer. Not just any bedroom performer though. There are hundreds of those. Instead Air Drops soothes you in the same way that a bottle of eye drops soothes your allergy. This is icy electronic pop at its best.

Now, this blog is definitely not one to jump on the anti-chillwave bandwagon. Nor are we all about promoting this bracketed genre that will blow over as more of a fad than anything else. Instead there is enough on this little EP to stand up on its own. Enough to take the melodies of Royksopp, the playful production of Neon Indian and the range of Baths to create a promising start to a curious discovery.

Let's hope this work gets enough recognition all over the interweb to let the project kick on and bring more wintry delights to a stunning sketch that just needs the watercolours applying next time.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tgSk83OJmk

records of 2011. 23. Mark McGuire - Get Lost

23. MARK MCGUIRE - GET LOST

When we say a man playing his guitar through effects pedals, you say "Oh" but we say "Whoa." Last year saw the release of his stunning debut Living With Yourself and he's already released another archived collection, the sprawling A Young Person's Guide to Mark McGuire.

So, what's this one like? Well, it's still perfect music to lay down on your bed and close your eyes to. You say "Oh right" and we say "Whoa. High Hive!" This body of work stands taller as one whole work and has less variation than his first effort. However, the beautiful scenery is still apparent at every left, right and straight ahead, like the squiggly 20 minute hypnosis of Firefly Constellations.

There's mounds of ambient and sonic material out there. Some of the blogs and music websites like witchtalkmedia will filter through it for you. For me, this artist is the very best of them and for someone so young and prolific, let's hope there'll be a lot more lying-down to come.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S6bt_xaWW4

top records of 2011 - 24. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

24. FLEET FOXES - HELPLESSNESS BLUES

I was walking to the immigration office in the grey, humid city and it was stiflingly humid and I was in a hurry and I hadn't slept very well the night before. I was pumped on coffee and I had to go and upset my stomach by eating a big Mac because I was in a hurry. I felt sick and I barely had any money in my pocket. I had to comprehend the idea of waiting in line for two hours at immigration. It really was a kind of fuck my life moment.

Nothing seemed to matter though - not that anything matters anyway - as this record came through my tinny headphones. Even through the loud, sweaty, constructive city, the melodies of these boys reigned over me as I burst out into song, becoming the seventh fleet fox in a golden instant.

This brand of Americana is so in love with everything that it brushes aside all troubles. It follows on from their self-titles debut a years ago and expands everything into an all-out, full-on masterclass of baroque folk. The craft and fun and utter melody that is on show here makes this triumph over coffee any day.

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HHgedNNQco

records of 2011. 25. Jonas Reinhardt - Music For The Tactile Dome

25. JONAS REINHARDT - MUSIC FOR THE TACTILE DOME

There's this ace trend right now of otherworldly, space-age music and when it sounds as captive as this, we can consider ourselves lucky earthlings. There's no great need to generalize other than to introduce new listeners to the captivating, starry sound. It's not exactly a tight little music scene, as it's a vast universe out there.

I first started to pick up on it last year as the sounds of Emeralds and Oneohtrix Point Never received high critical acclaim and with Grouper earlier ths term releasing some killer sounds, it starts to get pretty addictive.

So, where do Jonas Reinhardt fit into all of this? Well, as the title track beams in, it feels like you're in for the journey of your dreams, as glittering synthesizers twinkle all around. It's mind-bendingly gorgeous stuff and the music that follows picks up and drops off the pace as we cruise around space. This differs from the aforementioned compatriots, as it feels like a solitary, focused space mission as opposed to revelling in zero gravity

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWDuYefZvXM&feature=related

records of 2011. 26. Junior Boys - It's All True

26. JUNIOR BOYS - IT'S ALL TRUE

They drop album number four and the pressure is off because the media has come to expect sophsticated sophisto-pop from this Canadian duo. If you're not familiar, the acts name is apt because they employ a wholesome and cultivated take on pop music. It makes me want to wear a really nice coat because the sound is still quite wintry.

The great thing about the Junior Boys is that each album holds up really well. Only one or two tracks of theirs have truly blown my mind - "FM" and "In The Morning" are two of my favourite pop songs of all time - but still all four LP's are really concentrated instead of being watered down with piss like most pop music.

And. And, it's hardly drivetime. It's suave and confident without being too cocksure. With each album the production sounds even more iridescent, maybe because of technology improving since their 2004 debut "Last Exit" but that's not for me to say. What I do say is let's have another 6 of these beauties and then we can say the Junior Boys will have released 10 great albums.

LOLZ! LMFAO!

GO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CFAatTMGfU&ob=av2e