Jeremy's Top 10 Albums of 2011

My Top 10 records of the year:

1. Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes (Atlantic)

2. Gang Gang Dance, Eye Contact (4AD)

3. St. Vincent, Strange Mercy (4AD)

4. When Saints Go Machine, Konkylie (!K7)

5. Austra, Feel It Break (Domino)

6. The Rosebuds, Loud Planes Fly Low (Merge)

7. Real Estate, Days (Domino)

8. Eleanor Friedberger, Last Summer (Merge)

9. Wye Oak, Civilian (Merge)

10. Lia Ices, Grown Unknown (Jagjaguwar)

Honorable mentions: Acid House Kings, Music Sounds Better With You (Labrador); Dolorean, The Unfazed (Partisan); EMA, Past Life Martyred Saints (Souterrain Transmissions); Junior Boys, It's All True (Domino); Los Campesinos!, Hello Sadness (Arts & Crafts)

The Black Keys

Add Date: December 13 

Artist: The Black Keys 

Album: El Camino 

Label: Nonesuch 

Genre: Alternative, rock

Comments: Did you watch The Colbert Report this past week? "Too busy prepping for finals to watch TV," you say? Well that's just a shame, since you missed out on Mr. Colbert's gem of an interview with the Akron rock and blues duo known as The Black Keys. In the interest of time, I'll skip past all the hipster jokes to the key revelation of the interview: The album artwork featured on El Camino does not feature a picture of a Camino. "Weird observation," you reply, after chugging your fourth energy drink in Leyburn Library. But reader, if you really think about it, maybe that Camino-less El Camino symbolizes the new direction the band is taking with their music. And because I have the time and resources, I'll explain this thought further:

Since it hit shelves in the spring of 2010, The Black Keys' Grammy-winning album Brothers has completely and utterly saturated the market by being the go-to music for TV shows, major motion pictures, and even car commercials (here's looking at you, 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Luxury Van). It even got to the point when the band came on The Colbert Report earlier in the year (if you're keeping score, that's two appearances in one year) to have a "sell-out-off" with Vampire Weekend over whose music was used the most in high-profile advertisements.

With that in mind, it's no wonder that the main-main-mainstream success of "Tighten Up" and "Howlin' for You" made El Camino one of the most anticipated records of the year--both for fans and for the marketing industry. And suffice it to say, Dan Auerbach's speaker-blowing howls and Patrick Carney's gritty percussion skills led everyone to believe that the band's seventh studio album would be another trip down catchy blues-rock boulevard. But El Camino's album artwork just goes to prove that the duo found "the way" without entirely conforming or losing the element of musical surprise.

Simply put, El Camino trades the raw-blues, soulful stylings of Brothers for harder-driving, faster-riffing rock & roll. Produced by the ever-amazing Danger Mouse (who also produced the band's breakthrough single "Tighten Up"), the new album has all the indie-rock-disco that you could ever ask for, even if you never thought of asking for it in the first place. Whether you listen to the album in its entirety now, or in a few months after hearing its songs in countless Nissan and Victoria's Secret ads, you will fall in love with El Camino. No questions asked.

Snatching wigs and taking names, the album is another success for the band. But if you only have time for some choice jams, I'd definitely recommend "Lonely Boy", "Dead and Gone", "Run Right Back", "Hell of a Season", and "Mind Eraser".

Space Between Words

Add Date: December 13 

Artist: Space Between Words 

Album: And We All Follow the Sun 

Label: Self-released 

Genre: Rock 

Comments: The Florida band Space Between Words describes its sound as "soulful Southern rock... with an edgy '70s garage bite." Occasionally, that may be true, but And We All Follow the Sun mostly finds the quartet paying homage to its heroes of '90s and '00s indie and alternative. The music here is very raw, but there are some nice moments--particularly the Strokes-inspired "Things Children Do" and the toe-tapping, swing-hinting tune "Crazy As a Fox".

The Fox Derby

Add Date: December 13 

Artist: The Fox Derby 

Album: Life Apart 

Label: Self-released 

Genre: Rock, folk rock 

Comments: Inspired at least in part by Homer's The Iliad, The Fox Derby's sophomore record Life Apart is a pleasant collection of well-constructed, accessible yet downcast pop songs. The band's guitars and percussion are fleshed out by bells and swirling strings, giving the music something of a baroque, chamber-pop flare, though the tunes remain very much within the realm of indie rock.

Pretty good stuff from this Texas troupe; check out tracks 2, 1 and 3.

Best New Music - December 6

One more time:

Jessica Jalbert

Boris

Minnesota Beatle Project

Zomby

Husband

And don't miss fine instrumental records from Jacaszek and Goldmund

Jessica Jalbert

Add Date: December 6

Artist: Jessica Jalbert 

Album: Brother Loyola 

Label: Old Ugly 

Genre: Rock, folk rock

Comments: The promoter starts its review of this LP with this line: "One of college radio's biggest pleasures is hearing a tremendous album by an artist you're unfamiliar with." Well said. Until a couple of days ago, the name Jessica Jalbert hadn't even flown across my radar. Now, after a few listens to Brother Loyola, I'm hooked on the music from this Edmonton troubadour.

Jalbert (rhymes with "Albert") has already received the "alt-country" tag from multiple critics, but I don't think that's entirely accurate. While there are certainly some nice, atmospheric folk songs on Brother Loyola, that's only one of many motifs floating throughout the record. "Singer/songwriter" doesn't quite work, either--though Jalbert writes some excellent tunes, she works with a full-band setup, with guitars, bass and keyboards accented by cornet (played by Jalbert herself) and the occasional trombone, saxophone or cello. Needless to say, "rock" doesn't tell the whole story, either. As you can tell, it's pretty difficult to classify this music, and in this case that's a good thing.

Wye Oak is the best starting point for comparison, not least because Jalbert's voice sounds a good deal like that of Jenn Wasner. (I occasionally get a hint of Land of Talk's Elizabeth Powell, too.) Lead track "Necromancy" is a swirling, folk-infused composition that wouldn't seem out of place on Civilian or The Knot, but it quickly cedes the floor to a bombastic, piano and guitar-driven pop song in "Whatever Whomever". "Paris Green" has a heavy bass line and lots of guitar noise, which are neatly offset by Jalbert's sweet vocals. "Lack of a Lake" and "Stupid Hollow" are '60s pop-inspired tunes with a nice country undertone. In short, there are a lot of nice things going on throughout this record.

Brother Loyola is stellar from start to finish, but begin with tracks 4, 8, 1, 5 and 2.

Boris

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: Boris 

Album: New Album 

Label: Sargent House 

Genre: Rock, experimental pop 

Comments: From the promoter: "Boris has long been celebrated for their rare ability to reinterpret a multitude of esoteric musical genres into a sound uniquely their own. New Album finds the intrepid Japanese trio etching their own post-noise, extreme pop niche with some of their most accessible and melodic music being equally their most subversive."

For a band whose music has been described as "sludge/doom rock," "psychedelic stoner rock" or even "heavy metal", New Album represents a notable change in direction; as alluded to above, though, it's certainly not the first such shift for Boris. "Extreme pop" is an apt moniker for the sound here; the songs feature upbeat melodies and cheery vocals--when Wata takes the lead on tunes like "Hope", the music almost sounds like an industrialized version of Deerhoof--but the song structures are complex, and the band just can't help but load up several tracks with layers of shoegazey noise.

The perfect example of these intertwined styles--pop vs. experimentation--is "Spoon", New Album's strongest track and, presumably, its thematic focal point. Says Pitchfork: "More complex than you'll notice on a first or even second listen, 'Spoon' goes places your standard pop doesn't. It's an intriguing look at a band trying their hand at a second genre--and succeeding."

What's perhaps most interesting is that "Spoon" and "Hope", along with many other selections on this LP, are reworked versions of previously released material. In other words, the band doesn't view New Album as a break from its past, but rather as the next step in its musical journey. Fascinating stuff all around; spin tracks 5, 1, 2 and 3.

I, a Man

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: I, a Man 

Album: Fifteen Thirty Three (EP) 

Label: Self-released 

Genre: Rock 

Comments: Melbourne's I, a Man make alternative rock songs that occasionally hint at British prog rock or American indie. Check out "Reprise" or "Big Ideas".

Zomby

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: Zomby 

Album: Nothing (EP) 

Label: 4AD 

Genre: Electronica, dubstep, dance 

Comments: The 7-track Nothing EP is the second release for the British dubstep producer Zomby on 4AD (Joker, Gang Gang Dance, St. Vincent), following up on his critically acclaimed summertime full-length Dedication. This is 22 minutes of melodic, danceable dubstep-leaning electronica, with great beats and a terrific flow throughout. Spin "Equinox", "Labyrinth" and "Ecstasy Versions".

Goldmund

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: Goldmund 

Album: All Will Prosper 

Label: Western Vinyl 

Genre: Folk 

Comments: From the promoter: "Keith Kenniff creates ambient electronic music under the moniker Helios, shoegazey indie rock with Mint Julep and stripped down post-classical acoustica as Goldmund. All Will Prosper is his fifth release as the latter and exemplifies, as all his releases do, an ability to delicately hold the listener whilst pushing and maintaining an uplifting, yet sometimes melancholic, mood. The LP is set against a backdrop of Civil War history and culture, with 14 of the 15 tracks being Civil War-era covers. Fresh and intimate, gripping and inspiring, All Will Prosper is a fresh take on a collection of historically significant songs."

These are beautiful instrumental renditions of period tunes, mostly centered around the piano. Start with "Shenandoah", "Dixie", "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and "Amazing Grace".

Jacaszek

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: Jacaszek 

Album: Glimmer 

Label: Ghostly International 

Genre: Electronica, experimental 

Comments: From the promoter: "Polish composer Michal Jacaszek's first LP for Ghostly International, Glimmer, sees the artist expertly assimilating both classical and electronic genres into one distinct sound. He picks and chooses from the world of baroque instrumentation (clarinets, harpsichords, classical guitar) just as freely as he samples from the world of experimentation (playback, bit-crunching, wind gusts and tape reversal). Jacaszek exploits the tension between classical and electronic as he allows the two schools of music to push and pull for dominion of the album. The songs crackle and hiss with orchestral dread--like a Hitchcock soundtrack played at half-speed on a cart ride to Nosferatu's castle. Imagine that. Check out tracks #1, 4, 7, 8."

Mutts

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: Mutts 

Album: Pray for Rain 

Label: 8eat8 

Genre: Rock, blues rock

Comments: Pray for Rain is the debut full-length from the Chicago band Mutts. From the promoter: "With distorted keyboards and a groovin' rhythm section, the guitar-less Mutts draw comparisons to such bands as The Dead Weather and Queens of the Stone Age for their blues-based rock music that is at times danceable, psychedelic, and heavy."

Frontman Mike Maimone also seems to style his vocals after Tom Waits, making for an interesting combination with the band's heavy blues riffs. Check out tracks 1, 8 and 3.

Off the Wagon

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: Off the Wagon 

Album: Riverwood 

Label: Self-released 

Genre: Bluegrass 

Comments: Very solid traditional bluegrass from the Nashville 6-piece Off the Wagon. The troupe provides nice versions of songs by several masters of the genre (Bill Monroe, Stanley Brothers, Reno & Smiley, et al), but Riverwood also features a pair of fine original instrumentals. So start with those, the title track and "Red Door", and also check out "Unwanted Love" and "The Girl from West Virginia".

The Paper Scissors

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: The Paper Scissors 

Album: In Loving Memory 

Label: Source Music 

Genre: Rock 

Comments: Australian trio The Paper Scissors seem to be going for a big Brit pop sound on In Loving Memory, their sophomore LP. The music mixes a post-punk, post-Joy Division vibe with some more angular indie rock sounds. Album standout "Lung Sum" brings to mind early Bloc Party; also spin tracks 5, 2 and 8.

Paperdoll

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: Paperdoll 

Album: Ballad Nerd Pop 

Label: Self-released 

Genre: Rock, pop 

Comments: Slick guitar pop from the NYC quartet Paperdoll on their album Ballad Nerd Pop. Start with "Everything Is Fine" or "How Perfect".

Margate

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: Margate 

Album: Rock 'N Roll Reserve (EP) 

Label: Room 57 

Genre: Rock, punk 

Comments: Melodic, poppy punk tunes from the Los Angeles band Margate on this 6-track EP. The trio seems to have great energy and chemistry; all of the instrumentation--just simple guitars, bass and drums--is very capably and tightly done. Plus, I did NOT see that cover of "Eleanor Rigby" coming.

Fans of acts like Alkaline Trio will enjoy "Control" and the title track.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones 

Album: The Magic of Youth 

Label: Big Rig 

Genre: Rock, skacore 

Comments: I had my ska phase during high school, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones deserve a great deal of the credit for that. "The Impression That I Get" came out sometime around my freshman or sophomore year; almost a decade and a half later, I'll still sing along.

What's interesting is that listening to The Magic of Youth gives me the same sort of nostalgic feeling that I'd get from spinning Let's Face It. Most reunited bands--the Bosstones went on hiatus in 2003, and this is their second LP since re-forming--either stick to their old hits, or take the plunge and release some truly sorry new material. However, the Bosstones somehow manage to recapture the energy and enthusiasm from their earlier work with freshly-penned songs. Dicky Barrett's vocals sound the slightest bit more gravelly, but that's about the only indication that this isn't a set of long-lost '90s recordings.

I can't claim that this is still my cup of tea, but the horn-driven, punk-leaning tunes of the Bosstones still sound as sharp as they did years ago. Check out tracks 1, 7 and 6.

Maryse Letarte

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: Maryse Letarte 

Album: Des Pas Dans La Neige 

Label: Artic 

Genre: International, pop, folk 

Comments: The Québécoise singer/songwriter Maryse Letarte's melodies could easily be mistaken for something heard in coffeeshops on the other side of the Atlantic. CBC/Radio-Canada's Alain Brunet has this to say of Letarte: "She's a really talented song maker and arranger, and an accomplished pop composer. Maryse Letarte has everything to succeed..."

I wouldn't argue with any of that, especially after listening to Des Pas Dans La Neige (which translates as "Footsteps in the Snow"), a winter-themed album originally released back in 2008. This is not your standard Christmas issue; all 10 tracks are originals, with many of them focusing more on snow and winter than on the holidays themselves, and there's a nice experimental flare to the second half of the LP.

RIYL Sondre Lerche, Feist and Kings of Convenience. Spin tracks 4 and 1.

Minnesota Beatle Project

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: Various Artists 

Album: Minnesota Beatle Project Vol. 3 

Label: Vega Productions 

Genre: Compilations/soundtracks, rock 

Comments: Minnesota Beatle Project Vol. 3 is the product of the Minnesota music industry in order to draw attention to and rebuild the state's music and art programs in public schools. This compilation includes renditions of classic Beatles songs ("Help", "Here Comes The Sun", "A Hard Day's Night", etc.) by Minnesota bands such as Cloud Cult, Motion City Soundtrack, and Tapes 'n Tapes. There's even a song performed by Anoka Middle School for The Arts. If you're a Beatles fanatic, you'll definitely enjoy this album. And if you're not, you should still give it a listen and support art and music programs everywhere. 

Tribes

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: Tribes 

Album: We Were Children EP 

Label: Island 

Genre: Rock 

Comments: Tribes' We Were Children EP drifts between the land of elementary rock and fuzzed-out teenage garage band practice for the upcoming talent show. The lyrics aren't that discernable or interesting, and there aren't any stellar guitar riffs or experimentation, but you find yourself tapping your foot and singing along anyway. Spin the title track or "Girlfriend".

Husband

Add Date: December 6 

Artist: Husband 

Album: Husband (EP) 

Label: Self-released 

Genre: Indie rock 

Comments: Husband, or the Perth-born Michael Paolino, likens himself to the intense, broody rock of The National and The Antlers. While Paolino's voice definitely sounds a lot like Matt Berninger's, I would halt The National comparisons there. Husband is a classic case where the whole is less than the sum of its parts. The tracks are relatively strong, but somehow, at the end of the EP I still don't have a connection to the lyrics or music. Nothing resonates too hard. Start with "Ordinary".

Best New Music - November 29

Best of the week:

Kate Bush

The Duke Spirit

Gotye

Robert Pollard

Robert Schwartzman

And don't miss: Serenades' debut EP and a single from Niki & The Dove

Get Set Go

Add Date: November 29 

Artist: Get Set Go 

Album: Fury of Your Lonely Heart 

Label: Square Tire 

Genre: Rock, pop 

Comments: Get Set Go's airy melodies bounce along on the strength of Mike TV's songwriting and vocals, which are very neatly complemented by the rest of the band. Perhaps most notable is Eric Summer's viola, an instrument that sets them apart from your typical pop-rock quartet. Get Set Go's influences range from '90s alternative to '60s pop, giving Fury of Your Lonely Heart a nice genre-hopping quality. Check out tracks 5, 10, 12 and 7.

Robert Pollard

Add Date: November 29 

Artist: Robert Pollard 

Album: The Kids Eat It Up: The Best of Robert Pollard 2010-2011 

Label: GBV, Inc. 

Genre: Rock 

Comments: If you're familiar with the work of Robert Pollard, then it won't surprise you that (a) Pollard is releasing a "best-of" collection that spans less than two calendar years; (b) the album contains 28 tracks; or (c) the work features tunes from five different projects. After all, since (the recently reunited) Guided By Voices broke up in 2004, Pollard has released 12 solo LPs, and roughly as many records with his various other bands--and that's just counting full-lengths. And by the way, four of those other bands are represented on this comp: Boston Spaceships, which also features The Decemberists' John Moen, along with Circus Devils, Mars Classroom and Lifeguards.

In other words, Pollard never wrote a song he didn't like. And release. The upside of that is that his fans are never left wanting for new material; the downside is typically that it's tough, if not impossible, to wade through all of the music that he puts out. In that sense, The Kids Eat It Up is a welcome summary of what Pollard has been up to over the last couple of years. Simply put, Guided By Voices still rank as one of the best indie/underground rock bands of all time, and Pollard was the driving force behind their magic.

Speaking of which, the Dayton legends are back together, and their latest (and 16th) studio album, Let's Go Eat the Factory, is due out in January. In the meantime, grab this compilation and check out tracks 7, 1, 3, 16, 8 and 13.

Lucas Field

Add Date: November 29 

Artist: Lucas Field 

Album: Conquest of Happiness 

Label: Self-released 

Genre: Pop, rock, R&B 

Comments: The frontman of the short-lived, if much ballyhooed, southern Cali rock band Low vs Diamond, Lucas Field has set out on his own with the release of his solo debut, Conquest of Happiness. The music here signals almost a complete change in direction; moving away from the Brit rock-inspired sound of his former band, the songs here are stripped-down, R&B-infused pop numbers, as Field's soulful voice is accompanied by electric piano, bass and drums.

This new approach suits Field quite well. Start with "Hold Her Tonight"--a song that almost has a Bee Gees vibe--and also spin "Let It All Begin", "Just How It Goes" and "Two Lovers".

Robert Schwartzman

Add Date: November 29 

Artist: Robert Schwartzman 

Album: Double Capricorn 

Label: California Dreamin' 

Genre: Rock, pop 

Comments: From the promoter: "Better known as the frontman of the indie rock group Rooney, Robert Schwartzman has finally released his long-awaited solo album... Double Capricorn is dreamy pop melodies combined with the ever-present classic pop tone that is Robert's voice. Mostly all of the instruments were played by Robert himself, and were recorded in his own studio in L.A."

Bouncy, catchy tunes that borrow liberally, and quite well, from '70s pop and '80s New Wave. As a nice touch, all of the proceeds from Double Capricorn will benefit the Tibet Healing Fund. Spin tracks 2, 3, 6 and 7.

The Dead Milkmen

Add Date: November 29 

Artist: The Dead Milkmen 

Album: The King in Yellow 

Label: Self-released 

Genre: Rock 

Comments: Philadelphia's The Dead Milkmen are back after a 16-year hiatus. The band's satirical rock lands them somewhere between Weird Al and They Might Be Giants on the lyrical spectrum; musically, imagine a combination of pop-punk and '90s indie rock. The songs on The King in Yellow range from the zany (in "Fauxhemia", the narrator admits that he doesn't understand people who listen to Norah Jones and watch Wes Anderson films) to the politically conscious ("Commodify Your Dissent" is all about the commercialization of protest movements), but all possess a similar energy and self-awareness.

If you're looking for a nice break from the torrent of relentlessly over-cheery holiday music, spin tracks 2, 14, 8 and 5.

The Western

Add Date: November 29 

Artist: The Western 

Album: The Damp Times 

Label: Self-released 

Genre: Rock 

Comments: The Chicago-based band The Western makes alternative rock songs that sound like a cross between Brit pop and '90s mainstream American rock. The tunes are very well-constructed; at times, though, the somewhat inaccessible lead vocals can get in the way, so stick with tracks 5, 7 and 9.