Top Albums of the Year - 2011

Recognitions and Honorable Mentions

Before we get to the countdown of the top 12 Albums of 2011, there are just a few that I have to acknowledge that didn’t make it on the Year-End Awards post.

Hailing from the United Kingdom, The Joy Formidable came out with a spectacular rock debut with The Big Roar. Opening for such acts as The Foo Fighters, the band did what they were supposed to do: make people go from “who is that?” to “I LOVE THESE GUYS!” Look no further than the album version of “Whirring” to see just what this group is capable of.

Though I think they put themselves in a corner by coming out with a part 2 to their debut album, Gym Class Heroes still ended up offering a nice collection of tracks with The Papercut Chronicles II. The original PC album infused rap into the growing emo-rock genre, but the followup (three albums later) displays a pop side with guest vocals from Adam Levine and Ryan Tedder. Want some swag with that pop? Check out “Martyrial Girl$”

Speaking of returns, there may not have a better call back to glory days than Hot Sauce Committee Part Two from The Beastie Boys. Bringing a sound straight from 80s boomboxes that gels well with iPods of today, the Boys go all out on their eighth studio album. Nearly a year after its release, “Make Some Noise” is still a track that can make anyone Bust a Move.

An import straight outta Iceland, Of Monsters and Men bring an indie-folk record that is set to take the states by storm in 2012. BUT it was released elsewhere in 2011 so it gets mention here. At times a jam-session similar to Edward Sharpe (“Little Talks”) and at times giving Mumford and Sons a run for their money (“From Finner”), My Head is An Animal is an album that should definitely be on your radar.

Florence + The Machine exploded on the scene with "Lungs" but the followup seemed to take on a grander existence. The sounds, and the voice, seemed to just continue to get bigger on Ceremonials. Why did it not make the list? Simple because I haven't spent enough time with it. But the few spins I've been able to give it, I have loved it and thus this spot is given here.

Finally, we come to the newest release from The Black Keys, El Camino. It’s actually a shame this was released in December because if there was a little more time to digest, I’m sure the follow-up to the Grammy-winning Brothers would have made the Top Albums cut. El Camino shows the natural progression of the two-piece, leaning more towards the feet-stomping anthems of their discography than the raw-sessions they are also known for. “Little Black Submarines” is the closest hint of the early days, but even halfway through the intense drumming kicks in and the song gets taken up a notch. El Camino is a toe-tapper, a hip-shaker and a damn good record.

Top Albums of 2011

12. Red Hot Chili Peppers - I’m With You

 
The newest inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame do what they do best in a release coming in their fourth decade as a band - have an all-out jam session. Yes, they were minus John Frusciante, but Josh Klinghoffer did more than just fill-in; he truly became a member of the band. Anthony Kiedis has had better wordplay, but he still brings the fun. The MVP of this record though? Flea. Never before has the bass sounded brighter on a brilliantly-styled album.

11. Grouplove - Never Trust A Happy Song

The first of three debut albums to crack the top 12, it would have been easy to dismiss this hippified band with their single “Colors” as a one-hit wonder and move on. But the full album saw a combination rarely found: sweet, fun and talented. “Tongue Tied” has also gained mainstream access by making its way into Apple commercials, but its tracks such as “Chloe” and “Betty’s a Bombshell” that show the band’s range. As a challenge, try to listen to “Itchin On a Photograph” and not begin instantly handclapping. Go ahead, try it. It’s actually pretty fun.

10. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

 
In an era full of an increasing number of sub-genres of rock, it was refreshing to see a band get out there and wail on their instruments and be brutal on the mic. Foo Fighters gave a lesson in Rock 101 with Wasting Light and it would be a testament if up and coming bands took notice. “Bridge Burning” is a beast of a track and “White Limo” is a similar face-melter. The ballads slow things down, but the talent in the band shines through. Even in “Miss the Misery” you can practically see the veins popping out of Dave Grohl’s neck.

9. blink-182 - Neighborhoods

 
To judge whether you would like the blink reunion, just answer the following questions. Did you like the last album? Do you like Angels and Airwaves? Did you like +44? If you answered yes to all of those questions, chancing are Neighborhoods was the album for you. Any no answers and you might have had a hard time digesting the band’s comeback. And it’s a shame because while they have gone on different paths in recent years, each member of the Mark, Tom and Travis show brought everything they picked up along the way. “Ghosts on the Dance Floor” has excellent verbal usage while “Heart’s All Gone” is a track that grabs hold and never lets go. If it ends up being the band’s swan song, what a way to go out.

8. Taking Back Sunday - Taking Back Sunday

 
On a personal note, I struggled with where I wanted to put this album. Admittedly, TBS is one of my top 2 favorite bands of all time so their reunited lineup was heavily anticipated. I think the expectations were set so high that it was going to be a disappointment no matter what, but after a few listens later in the year I realized it’s a well put together release. The band is in an evolving stage from emo band to rock band and they seem uncomfortable in their own skin at times. However, it’s the songs with full on confidence and swagger that deserves merit. “El Paso” still stands to be one of their heaviest, and best, tracks while “This is All Now” serves as a highlight of the entire discography. Simply put, Taking Back Sunday deserves recognition for being one of the best rock releases of 2011.

7. Jay Z / Kanye West - Watch the Throne

 
Speaking of high expectations, I don’t think the bar could have been set any higher than taking arguably the two biggest names in rap and putting them together on one release. So even though the duo stumbles on a few tracks, why is it ranked in the top 10? Well, honestly: the shit’s cray. In today’s hip hop world, the attention span seems to be getting shorter as people just want to hear jams. And while that shines through on tracks such as “N****s in Paris” and “That’s My Bitch,” it’s the storytelling found elsewhere that defines WTT. The two seem to push each other to their limits and no where is that more evident than “Murder to Excellence.”

6. Sleeper Agent - Celebrasion

 
One of the best feelings as a music fan is discovering new music. A runner-up to that feeling is when a debut album complements the lead-off single. Both of those fell in to place with Celebrasion, the introduction to the world from Kentucky darlings Sleeper Agent. The entire disc sounds like Joan Jett’s niece decided to form a punk band but mix in some pop tendencies. The dual vocals here make for a nice exchange and the band’s sugary-sweet combination with a knockout punch will leave you dazed and confused while absolutely loving all 35 minutes of play time.

5. Foster the People - Torches

 
Hands down the best debut of 2011, Torches was Foster the People’s calling card to let the world know they were here. It could have been easy to dismiss “Pumped Up Kicks” as an MGMT knockoff and expect them to fade away as quickly as those guys did. But that wasn’t the case as the hits kept on coming. From the can’t-sit-still boom of “Houdini” to the car commercial featuring “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)” every song on here is carefully crafted, which aren’t words you would normally expect with an electro-esque band. Another unique facet to that statement? These songs sound even better switched to an acoustic setting. A not often talked about highlight? The soaring vocals on the dubstep-borrowing (but not heavy usage) closing track “Broken Jaw.”

4. Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys

 
Early in 2011, my friend Mike and I did a Most Anticipated List for the rest of the year. and we had a few shared picks, among them was the newest from Death Cab for Cutie. Codes and Keys plays on the best qualities of each member while bringing, dare I say it, a ray of sunshine into their music. I bring up Mike at the beginning of this entry because in his 2011 list he said the following about this album: “Most of the time, Codes & Keys comes across like a vintage photograph, evoking vivid/arresting moods while seeming distanced from the harshness often displayed in modern production.” I couldn’t have said it better myself - so I didn’t. I stole it from him and you should check out the rest of his list here. The band is up to their old tricks with "St. Peter's Cathedral" and "Doors Unlocked and Open" but it's "Stay Young, Go Dancing" that is the highlight.

3. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math

 
First there was “I’m Like A virgin Losing A Child” that introduced to the world the strings, bangs and vocals of Manchester Orchestra. It was subtle and low-defined, counteracted by the followup “Mean Everything to Nothing” which saw Andy Hull rip the chord on his voice and go for it with a bigger, more rocking sound while still staying true to a band that seems to show the struggle to get the most out of every song. The hat trick came in 2011 with “Simple Math,” featuring the best of both worlds. “Leave it Alone” and the title track show the band can still lay it down with a soft-side, but “Pale Black Eye” and “April Fool” can whip the crowd into a frenzy at a live show. The defining piece is “Virgin,” a haunting track that takes a hold of you before you even realize what happened.

2. Cage the Elephant - Thank You, Happy Birthday

Surprised to see this album so high on this list, or even on the list at all? For the record, I am too. I had TYHB in my top 10 all year (this was the earliest release on the list, coming out in January) but recently decided it needed to be in the top three. The reason why is that when doing when my top 50 songs of the year, my criteria was that I couldn’t choose more than one from any album. And when I got to the sophomore effort from Cage the Elephant, I realized it was a struggle to select just one track to go off of. The band delivers a sound mixed with 90s grunge inspired and the sounds of today’s indie scene that features a schizophrenic lead singer (and one that has great stage presence in live shows). At times tracks make you want to turn the radio up and break everything around you (“2024”; “Sabertooth Tiger”) and at times can you make you lie back and chill - or perhaps catch your breath (“Rubber Ball”; the acoustic version of “Right Before My Eyes” found at the end of the album). If you haven’t given these guys a chance, pop it in and discover a great band on the rise. Just make sure you don’t have any perishable items around you.

This is where the #1 Album of 2011 should go, but quite frankly - there is a lot of text on this page. And I plan on talking a lot about what was, in the opinion of this blog, the best album of the year.

So you can find that here - as soon as I get it loaded up.

2011 Albums: Year-End Awards

Now that the Top Songs of 2011 list is complete, it's time to focus on the albums that made their way through car stereos, iPods and record players this year. 

Before we begin, a note: As big as my love for music is, there is absolutely no way I could listen to everything that came out this year. So this list is one that's about 90% what I wanted to attack and 10% what I felt I needed to get to. Some names were left off for specific reasons (While Adele's 21 had some amazing singles, I thought the album as a whole was average at best) and some are left off because I simply didn't have a chance to get to them (Since I am a blogger, I'm using this to explain the absence of Bon Iver).

For plenty of those records that I didn't get to, and alternate thoughts on some that I did, please check out This Song Starts a Craze and Dance to the Radio, two blogs that are both looking at some year-end stuff as well.

Since this is my first time recapping the year at The Sight of Sound, I'm trying something a bit different. Admittedly, I'm borrowing some ideas from people I read and trying to incorporate them into my own. So get ready for part one of a three-day extravaganza beginning today with The Sight of Sound: Year-End Awards.

*note: Some are standard categories, some aren't. And some albums to be discussed in the top 12 of the year - starting tomorrow - will be winners as well.

Debut Album of the Year: Foster the People - Torches; Sleeper Agent - Celebrasion; Grouplove - Never Trust a Happy Song

2011 will be a year remembered for a lot of big names returning to the airwaves and for the dominance of female pop stars. But somewhere in all the comeback love and Gaga glory, there was room for newcomers to step up and steal the spotlight. While there were some other notable debuts (Yuck, The Joy Formidable), there were three that had such a strong opening release that I couldn't pick just one for this award. So strong in fact that (spoiler alert) this isn't the first you will hear of them. Foster the People is perhaps the most well-known of the three with MGMT-but-ready-to-be-famous sounds coming from their tracks. Sleeper Agent brings the old school sound in a new school rock genre and Grouplove provides the soundtracks for bonfires in the place of that pesky "real life." All three will be discussed in depth later, but this trio definitely takes home the prize of debut album of the year.

Most Disappointing Album of the Year: Incubus - If Not Now, When?

Want to know how an album is disappointing? You forget that it is even released. The reason why If Not Now, When? takes this title is because five years is a long time to wait for a new album. In that time, there was a greatest hits package released and Brandon Boyd decided to pull a solo stint. And that's the problem with this forgettable release: Boyd himself. Though he does admit this was going to be different than anything the band had ever done (and to be fair, some tracks were pretty good), it was too much to get used to and quickly got tossed aside.

Honorable mention: Drake - Take Care

One of the superstars in a fledgling rap game had a lot of hype surrounding his sophomore release and it came out as... boring. Some people will appreciate the sophistication in his lyrics and the chill vibe of the tracks, but those expecting the bravado found in "Forever" or "Over" will be disappointed to find it in very small capacity here.

The 'Almost There' Award: Childish Gambino - Camp

The distinction between this category and the one listed above is that the albums here were 'good', but just seemed to be missing that little something to put them into 'great' category. Childish Gambino, aka actor/comedian Donald Glover, gets the nod here for his first major release after a slew of mixtapes. The good stuff: fantastic beats and lines that demand he be taken seriously. The bad stuff: A bit too much of an autobiography. After about the 50th rap concerning him being a "nerdy black kid" and you start to say "ok, we get it." 

Honorable mention: Lupe Fiasco - L.A.S.E.R.S.; Jack's Mannequin - People and Things

It's a shame that Lupe Fiasco had to go through all the label drama before the release of his third studio album because it shines through and makes you wonder what could have been. Still, he brings it on tracks such as "Words I Never Said" and even the pop radio-ready "Show Goes On." For Andrew McMahon, making a record free of the burden of cancer must have been an exhilarating process. But while the third Jack's Mannequin channels some great songwriting, it tries too much to be shoutout to the bands of yesterday.

The "What Year is it Again?" Award: New Found Glory - Radiosurgery

Blink this year and you could question if we were really in 2011. From Taking Back Sunday and blink-182 (to be discussed later) to Panic! at the Disco and Yellowcard, the year was full of solid releases from the names that today's adults enjoyed in their youth. No band embodied that spirit more than New Found Glory. While some of their peers have gone on to craft sophistication and branch out with their new material, NFG stick with what brought them to the dance. Put Radiosurgery on and let your headphones bring you back to a time when pop-punk was just being born.

Honorable mention: Bayside - Killing Time

Coming all the way back in January, Bayside struck gold with one of their best releases in a celebrated catalog. It rivals anything some of the pure rock bands have put out and makes a statement that there are bright days ahead for this once-called 'emo' band.

Biggest Surprise of the Year: letlive. - Fake History

The singing-screaming genre is one that takes a lot of getting used to. Some can do it with pop tweaks (A Day to Remember) and some can do it with an in-your-face all-or-nothing attitude (The Devil Wears Prada). Since letlive. has been compared to those type bands, I was hesitant to give them a listen. But what I found was not only tracks full of energy, but a record that took legitimate effort to make. The band makes a point to give nods to the past Gods of hard rock while paving their own sound for the future. It's a gutsy release and one that anyone who needs to just put on some music and play it loud will definitely enjoy.

Honorable mention: Sublime with Rome - Yours Truly; Sum 41 - Screaming Bloody Murder

Take all the chaos surrounding the revamped lineup of Sublime (contractually obligated to now include WITH Rome) and set it aside: the album is pretty good. The only setback is that the band don't seem sure who they want to be. A ska band that gets played on skateboarding videos or a jam band that is featured in the next Disney-Pixar movie. It's a "press play and relax" type of album and it succeeds in that forte. As for Sum 41, the band seems to know what they are trying to do: channel Green Day. Piano ballads mixed with fast drums make Murder a convoluted effort, but when the elements come together they are on point. See: "Jessica Kill" and the title track.

The "Don't Knock It Till You Try It" Award: Patrick Stump - Soul Punk

Those expecting a Fall Out Boy-lite record will need to look elsewhere. But those who are willingly to give a talented songwriter and musician a shot at doing his own thing should give this one a listen. The Michael Jackson influences are obvious, especially in the opening "Explode," but Stump puts on his own personal dancing shoes for the remainder of the album. But don't be fooled; this isn't a mindless groove record. The 'punk' part comes in when you realize this guy used to front a successful band. He knows what he's doing.

The Guilty Pleasure Award: Lil Wayne - Tha Carter IV

It's not going to go down as one of the greatest rap albums of all time. Hell, it's not even a great record. But it's entertaining. And I enjoyed it. There's not much more that needs to be said about that as the title of the award pretty much explains it.

Up Next: We begin counting down the Top 12 albums of 2011!

Top 50 Songs of 2011: Part 4 (The Finale)

We have finally found the end of our countdown here at The Sight of Sound. Just in case you have missed a couple posts, here is a recap.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Now bring on the final three.

(EDIT: If you are a Spotify user, here is all 50 songs in a handy-dandy playlist. Well, the ones Spotify would let me add that is.

3. Foster the People - "Pumped Up Kicks"

Whether you absolutely loved the song or you think it’s one of the worst you’ve ever heard, whether you’ve been a fan since 2010 or only recently heard it and have abused the replay button, whether you think it’s a unique track that shows promise for new artists or is a cheap rip-off of MGMT, one thing is for sure – “Pumped Up Kicks” was HUGE in 2011 and if you’re reading this you most likely have some kind of opinion on it. It was the debut track for Foster the People that came not only before a proper album was even released, but before an album was even recorded. “Kicks” also pulls off something that newer artists are becoming better and better at. That is, recording vocals that if read on a sheet of paper would be disturbing but sung as a folkish electronic track give off a bouncy feel good vibe. Speaking of electronics, for as much as the debut album relied on non-traditional instruments the band has a stellar way of displaying amazing acoustic range, giving the songs new life. The acoustic version of "Kicks" is a perfect example.

2. Kanye West featuring Bon Iver, Rick Ross, Jay Z & Nicki Minaj - "Monster"

Before this year’s Watch the Throne, Kanye West came out with an Album of the Year-snubbed solo release in My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in late 2010. In a foreshadowing of one of the biggest rap releases in history, two songs on that release featured Jay Z, fittingly back-to-back. “So Appaled” was a minimal effort and reflects on the down tracks of Throne. Meanwhile, Jay’s verse on “Monster” left everyone salivating for what the two could REALLY do together. Add in the fact that they had a little bit of help in everyone from Rick Ross to Bon Iver and also featured one of the better verses from Nicki Minaj’s short career. Everything came together to create a monster track, pun intended, that carried well into 2011.

1. Adele - "Rolling in the Deep"

There are countless “best of the year” articles going around right now and the one thing that the majority all have in common is Adele placed somewhere at the top of the lists. And it’s for good reason - she deserves it. The only way you can realistically deny she was in the top talent, or THE top talent, this year is if you also admit you don’t want to like what is “popular.” Case in point: the fact that you have to make a decision between “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You.” Ultimately, “Deep” gets the nod because of its longevity. Oh, and the fact that everyone from John Legend to Linkin Park has covered it, along with Go Radio for Punk Goes Pop Vol 4 . Don’t forget to include the remixes like this one that has a 60s roller-skating kind of vibe. Or the sample from Lil Wayne. Or the remix/sample from Childish Gambino. It’s one of the catchiest songs in history and the #1 song of the year.