A Short Music Monday: Scott's 2011 Favorites

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Okay, look. We said we were taking the day off, sure, but we couldn't just leave you with nothing, could we? All you poor souls trying to goof off while trapped in the office, or looking for an excuse to not talk to your crazy families... anyway, this is the last Monday of the year, so today, Scott's just throwing caution to the wind and naming five of his favorite records of 2011. After he's done, feel free to ridicule his choices, explain why he's an idiot, or maybe post your own, far superior picks in the comments. Now, in no particular order, here's the list:

Cults - Oh My God

 

 

It's hard to avoid sounding like a complete and total hipster when typing the words "I knew about them before they were on NPR" (isn't that the worst sentence ever?) but I was looking forward to this album before it even appeared. The mix of dreamy Twin Peaks-like vocals and lyrics about obsession work pretty well together, plus the songs are just so catchy. This album is the band's first, and it's so good one really has to worry how bad the second one might be. I'm personally hoping this isn't just luck but actual long-term talent, because I would like a follow-up that's just as good.

Four more inside! See you there!

Kurt Vile - In My Time

 

 

I'm a sucker for late 60s Let It Bleed-era Rolling Stones, so Kurt Vile's Smoke Ring For My Halo really impressed me. It's not that he captures the same greasy excess the Stones had, but rather those bluesy feelings of joy in the middle of resignation, a thing not every band can manage. In this song, I hear the odd optimism someone might feel after being fired from a job they weren't actually enjoying. Sure, gotta pay rent somehow but, hey, sleepin' in tomorrow, right?

Dum Dum Girls - Bedroom Eyes

 

They say we can't embed?

We say go here and enjoy.

 

Just to un-hipster myself, when everyone else was going crazy about the Dum Dum Girls' debut in 2008, I didn't care about them at all. But when I heard this track off their new Only In Dreams, I changed my mind instantly. That light growl in both the guitar and the lead singer's voice is so radio-friendly that you can't help but feel bad for them. If this song had popped up when radio was still worth listening to, they'd have been superstars.

M83 - Midnight City

 

Despite the compliments, EMI won't let us embed!
Check out M83 here

 

Listen to the sound of those electric birds as they whoop across a digital sky. I don't think you could call Hurry Up, We're Dreaming synth-pop exactly, but there's plenty of electronic painted over the rock that's underneath. Plus it's just melodic in a way that dubstep never quite manages to be. Maybe this is the sound of a 21st Century ballad?

Jerry Townes - Just Say The Word

 

 

Okay, it's not really new new, but this collection of little known soul singles did come out at the very end of 2011. The fun part isn't that they're innovative but how they sound so much like the other songs of their time... except these aren't overplayed. Putting these on is like finding two dozen top ten singles you'd never heard before, and best of all you can sample them online first!

That's Scott's 2011, now what's yours? Did you find all the same albums or did you get something better? Know some underground up-and-comer or did you rediscover some old hero? Kill some time on this post-Christmas Monday and let us know your opinions. We may be out today, but we'll certainly read them all tomorrow.



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