I am still not close to having listened to all interesting new releases of 2011 in my media player so this years' list is somewhat provisional. Actually I had promised myself to not download new stuff unless I have explored and consolidated my back catalogue a bit more. In dreams ;-)
My personal flavor of the year was Psych and Pop and thus I listened to a lot of Folk/Psych/Alt-Country/Pop releases but found most of them pretty mediocre or downright awful (still not strong on paying attention to lyrics, I deleted PJ Harveys album after the first listen).
Some good electro and instro hip-hop / beatz stuff and solid funk and soul releases but little that grabbed me for long.
So here we go with a smaller-than-usual list in no particular order...and, by the way, I have added a little Schmankerl: If you click the album cover, you'll get to a download of the album in mp3 format. Not mine but my compliments.
The Kills - Blood Pressures
Not since their 2003 debut have the Kills sounded so good. The primeval snarling rock has been fitted with bigger grooves and a heavier driving beat. The rough blues edges have been filed off a bit and infusions of lush pop added. The expansion of their musical repertoire and production capabilities is without doubt informed by Jack White...and that's good.
The Bongolian - Bongos for Beatniks
Fourth and most accomplished studio album of the Multi-Instrumentalist-Culturalist: a wild rare groove fusion blending elements of Funk, Soul and Jazz with grinding percussions and heavy Bongo rhythms. Swinging London meets spy soundtrack.
Fourth and most accomplished studio album of the Multi-Instrumentalist-Culturalist: a wild rare groove fusion blending elements of Funk, Soul and Jazz with grinding percussions and heavy Bongo rhythms. Swinging London meets spy soundtrack.
Thurston Moore - Demolished Thoughts
It doesn't come as a surprise that Sonic Youth's guitarist's solo album sounds like...acoustic Sonic Youth. With Violin. Moody & sad, disoriented & folky. The tunes have a weirdly captivating quality which is to a good part due to Beck's low-fi-ish production.
It doesn't come as a surprise that Sonic Youth's guitarist's solo album sounds like...acoustic Sonic Youth. With Violin. Moody & sad, disoriented & folky. The tunes have a weirdly captivating quality which is to a good part due to Beck's low-fi-ish production.
The Go! Team - Rolling Blackouts
For a while it looked like the Go! Team stagnated with their Sample-Blitzkrieg of Jap Pop meets Hip Hop meets 60s Girl Group Sound filtered through a transistor radio. But on this one they managed to pull together so many ridiculously catchy and good humored songs that I have to add it here :-)
For a while it looked like the Go! Team stagnated with their Sample-Blitzkrieg of Jap Pop meets Hip Hop meets 60s Girl Group Sound filtered through a transistor radio. But on this one they managed to pull together so many ridiculously catchy and good humored songs that I have to add it here :-)
Aka - Hard Beat
Amazing Indonesian Psych-Rock-Funk band somewhere between Jimi Hendrix, James Brown and Deep Purple. Not "new" but the first western release of material from their peak period 1970-75. Tons of fun, super-fresh and impeccably produced - at first I thought it was a contemporary album.
Amazing Indonesian Psych-Rock-Funk band somewhere between Jimi Hendrix, James Brown and Deep Purple. Not "new" but the first western release of material from their peak period 1970-75. Tons of fun, super-fresh and impeccably produced - at first I thought it was a contemporary album.
Hella Vader - XVII
Primitive. Loud. Stomping. A fuzz monster, mashing Surf & Stoner into one heavy pulp of instro madness. Turbocharged riffing, crazed organs, alcohol, drugs, Dick Dale and the Del-Tones, Black Sabbath, reverbs and wah-wah. Nice :-)
Primitive. Loud. Stomping. A fuzz monster, mashing Surf & Stoner into one heavy pulp of instro madness. Turbocharged riffing, crazed organs, alcohol, drugs, Dick Dale and the Del-Tones, Black Sabbath, reverbs and wah-wah. Nice :-)
The Men - Leave Home
A frozen tableau of 80s brute force guitar noise: think Big Black, Sonic Youth and Spacemen 3 with some shameless post punk pathos thrown in for good measure. Melodic, metallic, noisy and full of attitude. My favorite sound of the 80s hasn't sounded so fresh in two decades.
A frozen tableau of 80s brute force guitar noise: think Big Black, Sonic Youth and Spacemen 3 with some shameless post punk pathos thrown in for good measure. Melodic, metallic, noisy and full of attitude. My favorite sound of the 80s hasn't sounded so fresh in two decades.
Seekae - +Dome
Rooted in Dubstep, this album weaves a genre-defying web of rock, hip hop and electronics. The more ambient moments show their knack for experimentation but it's atop of a thick kick drum that they sound best. Every song is epic, weird and adventurous and at the same time tight enough to be merely a pleasant aural backdrop.
Rooted in Dubstep, this album weaves a genre-defying web of rock, hip hop and electronics. The more ambient moments show their knack for experimentation but it's atop of a thick kick drum that they sound best. Every song is epic, weird and adventurous and at the same time tight enough to be merely a pleasant aural backdrop.
The Black Keys - El Camino
Not as good as last years' "Brothers" but still an outstanding blues-meets-pop album from two guys who don't have anything to prove except they can be successful if they want.
Not as good as last years' "Brothers" but still an outstanding blues-meets-pop album from two guys who don't have anything to prove except they can be successful if they want.
No comments:
Post a Comment