A Round of Sound: 2011 Mixtape

January 24, 2012

Finally, it’s time for the annual playlist that caps off my little countdown. Rather than do a ranking of favorite songs, I choose to compile what I think is a good representation for the year in music, all on an 80 minute CD-R. There’s plenty of songs I had to leave off the mix due to their length or lack of fit, so this is by no means my top 19 songs of the year. I do want to give a shout out the bookends of this disc which are from a couple bands who I finally found a way to get on my year end mixtape. Martime is not the kind of band that will ever challenge for high ranking in my albums list, but they are still one of my personal favorites because they write damn good pop-rock songs with “It’s Casual” serving as a great example. Human Hearts was another very good album from them and it’s been long overdue finding a place for one of their tracks on my mixtape. Likewise for The Mountain Goats, who are pretty much a top 25 staple for me when they release an album. John Darnielle is one of the best songwriters in the world today, and “High Hawk Season” is one of the more stunning songs of his career and the easy standout on All Eternals Deck. Also, kudos to Los Campesinos! who make their third appearance on one of my year end mixtapes, breaking a tie with numerous other bands to give them the overall lead.

Other notes: As I said, I managed to squeeze 19 tracks onto this years mix, up one from 2010. The lowest ranked album that has a song appear on the mix comes from the aforementioned Human Hearts by Maritime which was my #40 album of the year. In addition to that track, there are 3 other songs coming from albums outside my top 25. There are six tracks representing my #11-#25 albums, and 9 tracks from my top 10 albums. The only top 10 album not represented on the mix is Burst Apart from The Antlers. And as usual, the order of the Mixtape is not a ranking, but rather just the best order I came up with.

Below, you’ll see the tracklist, and after the jump you can listen to every track if you so choose. If you’re one of those super-cool Spotify users, I’ve also created a Spotify playlist of my Mixtape, which you can link to below. Also included is a link to my Amazon.com list which has my entire top 25 albums of the year, nice and neat in a one page form (as well as access to my lists from the previous 10 (!) years). Last but not least, Amy Boyd has once again stepped up to create some very fine album art for my Mixtape. This is the 4th straight year she’s helped me out, so as gratitude, I’ve included a link to her pop-culture blog as a permanent fixture over under my links section. She likes to call me Don Draper during the design process, which I consider much more of a compliment than I think she’s intending, so it’s the least I could do. You’re welcome.

So, that’s a wrap for 2011, and if you’ll excuse me I’m already behind on the 2012 releases…seriously.

Top Albums of 2011 (Amazon.com link)

2011 Mixtape (Spotify playlist)

1) “It’s Casual” – Maritime :: Human Hearts
2) “Need You Now” – Cut Copy :: Zonoscope
3) “Baby’s Arms” – Kurt Vile :: Smoke Ring For My Halo
4) “Abducted” – Cults :: Cults
5) “Get Away” – Yuck :: Yuck
6) “Ice Cream” – Battles :: Gloss Drop
7) “Midnight City” – M83 :: Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
8) “Cruel” – St. Vincent :: Strange Mercy
9) “The Wilhelm Scream” – James Blake :: James Blake
10) “It’s Real” – Real Estate :: Days
11) “Hello Sadness” – Los Campesinos! :: Hello Sadness
12) “Amor Fati” – Washed Out :: Within and Without
13) “Holocene” – Bon Iver :: Bon Iver
14) “The Words That Maketh Murder” – PJ Harvey :: Let England Shake
15) “Civilian” – Wye Oak :: Civilian
16) “Vomit” – Girls :: Father, Son, Holy Ghost
17) “Bizness” – tUnE-yArDs :: w h o k i l l
18) “Helplessness Blues” – Fleet Foxes :: Helplessness Blues
19) “High Hawk Season”  – The Mountain Goats :: All Eternals Deck

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3 Comments | All, Music, Rounds of Sound, Top Albums of 2011 | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Hawkins

#1 Album of 2011

January 23, 2012

Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost

[True Panther Sounds; released 9/13/2011]

“Come into my heart.”

“Vomit”

What’s my combination for a great album you ask? Well, it’s simple really: engaging and innovative songwriting, meaningful lyrics, and the sense that the artist is truly passionate about his or her creation. Or to put it another way, just listen to Girls’ sophomore album Father, Son, Holy Ghost. The jump this San Francisco duo made from their rather generic surf-pop debut in 2009 to this masterpiece is pretty remarkable. I found their first release to be a fine album, but was missing something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It still managed an honorable mention nod from me, but left me so uninterested that I decided to pass on their EP last year. Well, whatever it was that was missing from that debut, they undeniably found on their follow up LP, enough to make Father, Son, Holy Ghost my Top Album of 2011. (Giving hope to all honorable mentions everywhere!)

The opening track (“Honey Bunny”)  from Father, Son, Holy Ghost harkens back to their debut with a fantastic little Beach Boys-esque pop song (but better than any of the surf-pop they tried on their debut), and then departs from that sound into a variety of influences; from a psychedelic glam rocker (“Die”) to Guns N’ Roses tinged anthems (“My Ma”, “Vomit”). All of these departures make this disc the standard bearer for retro albums released in 2011, which for whatever reason seemed to be an ongoing theme for the year. Lead singer/songwriter Chris Owens still exudes his damaged vocals for this release, but they are a huge improvement from the debut as he seems to have made a discernible effort to come off more restrained here, and well, less annoying. Oh, but does the damage in his voice, and honesty in his lyrics, still remain.

His story is a rather tragic one having been raised in the Children of God cult and just as it did on the debut, those experiences have shaped the art he creates. As Owens sings about the girls in the aforementioned “Honey Bunny” who  “don’t like my bony body” (preach it brother) he comes across confident while at the same time somehow conveying a sense of self-pity that make this such an affecting listen. However, it’s in his anthems like album centerpiece, but unfortunately titled, “Vomit” that the album’s heart truly shines through, as Owens employs a backing gospel choir during the song’s final coda. It’s a moment that truly punches you in the gut and displays what this album does best; entertain with moments of fantastic musicianship while remaining soulful. Because despite all the influences scattered throughout, Father, Son, Holy Ghost is best described as a soul album, and it’s Owens who has allowed us a glimpse of that soul.

[“Honey Bunny” – Father, Son, Holy Ghost]

BONUS: I also recommend clicking this link for a live version of “Vomit” (and other Father, Son, Holy Ghost tracks) they did for Pitchfork.tv. It’s pretty life-changing and chills inducing.

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Posted by Hawkins

Top Albums of 2009: Honorable Mentions

January 9, 2010

Honorable Mentions:

Before we get into the countdown, I wanted to mention a few albums that just missed out on the top 25.  These are not necessarily the next highest ranked albums after 25th.  These are just a few of the albums that I have yet to cover on the blog that couldn’t quite crack the top 25, but I felt like needed mentioning for whatever reason.

———-

The Thermals – Now We Can See

Following up their landmark album The Body, the Blood, the Machine, the Portland trio return with another pop punk album full of guitar driven hooks.  While Now We Can See doesn’t quite have the politically-charged themes as their previous effort, the lyrics are still some of the best in the business from one of the best songwriters in the game.  There was a great deal of anticipation for this album following the critical acclaim of TBTBTM, and while this album isn’t nearly as epic, it is an excellent follow up overflowing with catchy melodies and some great sing along tunes.

[“Now We Can See” – Now We Can See]

———-

Elvis Perkins in Dearland – Elvis Perkins in Dearland

After initially being disappointed with this release, I did eventually come around to appreciate it.  This is the follow up to Perkins’ cathartic debut Ash Wednesday, one of my favorites in 2007, and it is much more ambitious than his previous effort this time employing a multi-instrumental backing band that adds a little bit more pomp to his tunes. My first reaction to the album was that some of the emotion was sacrificed, but considering the subject matter of Ash Wednesday, I think that was a little hard to re-create. This release shows Perkins maturation as a songwriter and songs like “Shampoo” and “Doomdsay” are a couple of the year’s best. (“Shampoo” was featured on my mid-year Round of Sound here.)

[“Doomsday” – Elvis Perkins in Dearland]

———-

The Low Anthem – Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

Initially self-released in 2008, Nonesuch Records picked up Oh My God, Charlie Darwin and re-released it this year maybe trying to pull their own For Emma, Forever Ago success story.  However, while this album can’t quite match the brilliance of Bon Iver, it does pack some immensely beautiful and intimate folk tunes that serve as a lovely listen.  This is the 2nd full-length release from the Rhode Island trio and if anything it sets them up for much greater success in the future.

[“Charlie Darwin” – Oh My God, Charlie Darwin]

———-

Islands – Vapours

The third album from the ex-Unicorns members is a return to form to their gloriously quirky debut Return to the Sea.  Founding member Jamie Thompson departed after that release and follow up Arm’s Way was a much darker album and while still enjoyable, it was a disappointment.  However, Thompson returned for Vapours and while everything on Return to Sea hasn’t been recaptured, Vapours is the kind of album these guys should be putting out.  This is one of those albums where there really isn’t a standout track, but that’s due to the abundance of consistently good songs on the album as a whole.

[“Switched On” – Vapours]

———-

Girls – Album

With what has to be one of the least Google-able band names and album titles ever, the San Francisco duo of Girls introduced themselves to the masses with a debut album thats sure to garner some sort of gut reaction due to the incredibly earnest lyrics.  Frontman Christopher Owens has an interesting backstory having grown up in the Children of God cult and his world view was obviously molded from his traumatic upbringing.  It’s a fascinating and refreshing release of pop songs with a variety of influences.

[“Hellhole Ratrace” – Album]

———-

Dishonorable Mentions:

Now for some albums, that for lack of a better term, I can only call my Dishonorable mentions.  These are some of my lower rated albums of the year (but by no means my lowest rated…these all fall in the lower half of my rankings).  Now, since I am usually only going to buy albums that I have some sort of interest in, I can’t say these are bad albums.  For the most part these are just releases that disappointed me in some way that deserve a mention.  And just like my honorable mentions, I’m only featuring albums that I haven’t previously done a write-up on here on the blog.

———-

Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk

I honestly don’t know why I was expecting so much out of this album.  Oh wait, I know…it’s because it features M. Ward, Jim James, and Conor Oberst!  However, “supergroup” albums are frequently disappointing and this one is no different.  It’s just uninspired, way too long, boring and not enough Jim James (and too much Oberst).

[“Dear God (sincerely M.O.F.)” – Monsters of Folk]

———-

Wilco – Wilco (The Album)

This is an example of one of those albums that is by no means a bad release, it’s just that I miss what Wilco used to be.  They have completely evolved into an adult oriented rock band and while the music isn’t bad, it is quite boring.  I was hoping Sky Blue Sky was just an aberration, but Wilco (The Album), while better, did nothing to excite me.  Maybe I’ll like it more when I’m 40.

[“You and I” – Wilco (The Album)]

———-

Muse – Resistance

Now this one is hard on me.  I like Muse, I really do.  Their debut album, Showbiz, was a very important album for me and my musical evolution.  But ever since then (except for Origin of Symmetry), they have been on a slippery slope of becoming caricatures of themselves.  Well, Resistance pretty much completes that downfall.  It’s one of the most self-indulgent, overtly pretentious albums I have heard in quite some time.  And this is coming from a fan of indie-rock…I hear plenty of pretentious music.

[“Uprising” – Resistance]

———-

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – Summer of Fear

I loved loved loved MBAR’s self titled debut album released in 2008 (I even mentioned it in my first ever AROS post), which is why I am so disappointed in this absolute mess of an album, Summer of Fear. A few of the songs are keepers, but even those can be grating to listen to.  MBAR’s ambitions got the best of him here, and it doesn’t work out well at all. The lyrics are awful, and the music is disjointed and just plain hard to listen to.

[“Losing 4 Winners” – Summer of Fear]

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Posted by Hawkins