Best of 2011 (albums) TORO Y MOI - Underneath The Pine

Leaving chillwave far behind, Toro Y Moi, a/k/a Chaz Bundick, virtually reconstructed his sound from the ground up on "Underneath The Pine." Expanding his one man electronic act to include a full band, Bundick's new organic approach found not only the absence of the c-word, but also of the synthpop (except on occasion), IDM and dubstep that characterized his debut album "Causers of This." Instead, "Pine" finds Chaz channeling the atmospheric groove of Air and their forefathers Morricone, Gainsburg, Jean Michel Jarre and Tangerine Dream, as well as the hallucinatory haze of Broadcast and "Valerie And Her Week Of Wonders." It all makes for a sometimes dark, sometimes delirious, sometimes dense, and sometimes dreamy trip, but one that is always incredibly engaging and often funky as hell.

"How I Know"

Best of 2011 (albums) ALL PIGS MUST DIE - God Is War (Southern Lord)

With a name like All Pigs Must Die, and an album called "God Is War," how can this not be great? Resembling Slayer at their punkiest, this is hardcore thrash at its absolute finest. Furious punk tempos are broken up by riffage ranging from lightening fast to brutal and deliberate, as lead singer Kevin Baker screams out lyrics like "kill them all" and "all will burn," and really what more do you need?

What sets APMD apart from the slew of crust/hardcore bands that Southern Lord have been emphasizing lately is that these guys not only have better chops, they also have a sense of songcraft that makes for a listen that is more compelling than those records you put on simply because you need something to get aggro with. Even as the band continues to pummel, there are so many mind-blowing shifts in dynamics here and memorable razor-sharp riffs that this feels like something of a watershed album. I could see this becoming the "Reign In Blood" of the hardcore set, and frankly they need it. Hardcore has never been my favorite of the extreme metal genres, but All Pigs Must Die makes it more exciting than it has ever been. I've listened to this record on a regular basis more than any other release this year.

"God Is War"

Best of 2011 (albums) JASPER TX - The Black Sun Tranmissions (Fang Bomb)

Jasper TX, a/k/a Dag Rosenqvist, has been one of the more prolific experimental artists of the last decade. And while there was a time when that sort of thing had fans scrambling to get whatever limited edition cd-r a particular artist was dropping on a bi-weekly basis, eventually quantity began to outweigh quality (looking at you Campbell Kneale). Thankfully, Rosenqvist scaled back his release schedule and took a couple of years between releases to craft "The Black Sun Transmissions." In doing so, he has created his best work yet. Enlisting the aid of cellist Aaron Martin and drummer Mike Weis, Rosenqvist has produced a record that should catapult him into the upper echelons of experimental music inhabited by such luminaries as Fennesz and Tim Hecker. The sound of "The Black Sun Transmissions" is as massive and all-encompassing as either artist. It is both consistent and dynamic throughout, marked by great beauty and great despair. A lot of people have called this Rosenqvist's darkest work yet, and it is, but it is a lush darkness that comforts as it draws you in deeper. Once it is done you find yourself fully submerged in Rosenqvist's soundworld. More often than not, I've hit the play button on this album as soon as it was finished because I was so entranced. Even if we have to wait a few years for Rosenqvist's proper follow up to "The Black Sun Transmissions," it will be worth every minute if it is as good as this.

Preview of "The Black Sun Transmissions"
Jasper TX - The Black Sun Transmissions by Fang Bomb

Best of 2011 (albums) LA SERA - S/T (Hardly Art)

La Sera is the solo project of the Vivian Girl's Katy Goodman. Now, in the interest of fairness and full-disclosure, I have made no secret about my love of indie-rock bands fronted by women, or my love for the Vivian Girls. It should also be admitted that I have a thing for redheads. Having said that, I honestly put this record on without any expectations one way or the other. More than anything I simply wanted to see what Goodman was up to during her off-hours. What quickly became apparent was that she was making music that was just as wonderful as the Vivian Girls, even though the two bare little resemblance to each other. Goodman eschews the taut punk/garage of her primary band for a dreamier hazier sound that has more in common with shoegaze and dream pop than punk or garage, although garage certainly lurks at the edges.

Cushioning Goodman's gorgeous and ethereal voice, each track is drenched in atmosphere, yet baited with hooks aplenty to make for some of the most addictive dream pop I've heard. There is simply not a bad song on this album; not one piece that does not have something to love. It's one of those rare little records that isn't about the promise of something bigger and better, because it is perfect as it is; even if what it is, is a small musical offering made without pretense or expectation.

"Devils Hearts Grow Cold"

Best of 2011 (albums) CRAFT - Void (Southern Lord)

This masterwork of misanthropy almost was not. Craft nearly called it quits following the annihilation fest of 2005's "Fuck The Universe," but thankfully did not. Instead they replaced their original drummer, regrouped and spent a few years putting together "Void," their most challenging and "mature" (in a good way, I promise) album to date. Certainly the band's classic black metal roots underlie everything on the album, but they also continue to incorporate a great deal of experimentation, albeit experimentation dripping with filth and grime.

The band shifts comfortably between incredibly textured pieces like "The Ground Surrenders," stripped down tracks like the brutal "I Want To Commit Murder," and about everything in-between. It's sort of amazing how diverse this record is without ever losing its grim edge. Every time I have put this on, I've found something new to love. There are a lot of dark treasures to unpack here, making it one of the more rewarding records of the year.

"The Ground Surrenders"

Best of 2011 (albums) WILCO - The Whole Love (dBpm)

It's been a long time since I even cared what Wilco were doing, and had you told me that I would fall in love with their new record this time last year, I would have laughed in your face and told you to piss off. Deep down I wanted that to be true, because at one time Wilco were the one of the best bands in the world, but that was a long time ago and I no longer believed it was possible to turn their all filler no killer approach to song craft around at this late date. Thankfully "The Whole Love" is a prima facie example of why F. Scott Fitzgerald was full of shit when he said "there are no second acts in American lives." This album is the sound of Wilco no longer going through the motions. Instead, for the first time in years, this is music worthy of their hallowed name.

For the most part, the record channels in catchy pop songs with experimental fringe. Their trademark krautrock meets americana comprises much of the record, yet there is more diversity here than any of their records since their classic one-two punch of "Summerteeth" and "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot," and each song is played with a confidence that few bands could muster. This is Wilco on top again, and it sounds great. I hope they stay there because at their best they are like the best friend that you have known forever and don't see often enough, but when you do you are reminded of why they are one of your favorite people in the world.

"Born Alone"

Best of 2011 (albums) DUM DUM GIRLS - Only In Dreams (Sub Pop)

"Only In Dreams" is an incredibly polished girl-group garage-pop jangle-rock record centered around real and substantial loss (not just your run-of-the mill heartbreak) that only gets better with each and every listen. Dum Dum Girls' front-woman Dee Dee lost her mother in 2009 to a rather unexpected and virulent form of cancer, and this record is, for the most part, a document of that loss.

While nearly every review of this record has noted the band's move from lo-fi to hi-fi, as well as the death of Dee Dee's mom as the lyrical impetus for the album, I've yet to see anyone discuss how the two may be intertwined; how maybe such a tragedy found the Girls no longer wanting to hide behind a wall of fuzzy sound and irony that ultimately distanced themselves from their listeners. With lyrics this heart-wrenching and honest, it's hard not to read their move toward sonic clarity as a break from detached hipsterism altogether toward something more real and sincere. As a result, "Only In Dreams, coupled with the band's fantastic "He Gets Me High" ep (which, btw, contains "Take Care Of My Baby," one of my top three songs of 2011), made Dum Dum Girls one of the few truly essential bands of 2011.

"Teardrops On My Pillow"


"Take Care Of My Baby" from the "He Gets Me High" ep

Best of 2011 (albums) ICEAGE - New Brigade (What's Your Rupture?)

A group of teenagers from Denmark sound like they stepped straight out of the early 80s with the masters from a long lost post-punk classic under their arms and subsequently are hailed as the "next big thing" by the music press, even though their sound was the next big thing 30 years ago. Anyway, hype and backlash aside, "New Brigade" really is a fantastic record and is kind of mind boggling in how authentically post-punk it all sounds. It's like these guys have never listened to anything other than This Heat and Wire, which is perfectly fine by me. Frankly I hope these guys really are the next big thing, because I haven't heard a record sound this urgent in years.

"White Rune"

Best of 2011 (albums) EARTH - Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1 (Southern Lord)

Earth's most beautiful and majestic record to date, "Angels of Darkness, Devils Of Light Pt. 1," is a perfect combination of doom and hope. Given that the sessions that spawned this album took place following Dylan Carlson's diagnosis of Hepatitis B, the sound makes sense, but only if you understand that no one but Dylan Carlson could make this record. Regardless of how many (countless) imitators have sprung up over the years, there is only one Dylan Carlson, and this album is yet another example of why he is one of our few living legends.

On "Angels" the band sounds like the masters of the medium that they are. The band has a knack for making doom soulful and alive, even when it lulls you into a trance, a feat not easily accomplished, and one that I cannot begin to dissect or explain here. Earth's music simply breaths in the most primal and natural way possible, and in that breath is life and death and everything in between. The epic scope and contrasts inherent within have never been more apparent as they are on "Angels," at the same time the band balances light and dark here better than any album previously.

One of my absolute highlights of 2011 was sitting in the balcony at the Southgate House in Newport, KY while recovering from a thankfully infrequent bout of a reoccurring illness which may eventually spell my own demise as I age and watching Earth play one of the warmest and most comforting concerts of the year. Afterwards I got to briefly meet and talk to Carlson. I'll never forget shaking his hand. It was the hand of a guy who has seen a lot, but still maintained a smile. It was the hand of the guy who makes some of the very best music in the world, but who remains honest and humble. For a brief moment there everything was peaceful and joyful even as a whole lot of fear and sickness loomed. "Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light" is whole lot like that.

"Father Midnight"

Best of 2011 (albums) PETE SWANSON - Man With Potential (Type)

One half of the now legendary Yellow Swans has returned with the noisiest "dance" record since Black Dice attempted (and kind of failed) this sort of thing some years back. Pete Swanson's marriage of noise and techno is one of the most exciting records that I heard all year. "Man With Potential," constantly revels itself as something new and unique, while simultaneously nailing all of the sweet spots that the Yellow Swans used to hit. Given that this is a late year release, I'm still exploring it and finding an unending trove of sounds and emotions to discover. This is easily one of 2011's densest records, and I mean that in a very good way. At the same time, there is an immediacy that hooks you on the first listen. It's kind of the audial equivalent of that old crack commercial where the dealer says 'give them the first taste for free, and they will keep coming back for more,' except this record isn't bad for you; it might devastate you, and you might lose yourself entirely inside of it, but in the end that is a very good thing.


Pete Swanson - Man With Potential by _type

Best of 2011 (albums) GROUPER - AIA: Alien Observer/AIA: Dream Loss (Yellowelectric)

Grouper followed up her surprisingly successful "Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill" with her weirdest, darkest and most challenging work yet. Over the course of two records, Liz Harris traveled the distance from loose, minimalist song structure to impressionistic soundscapes. For anyone willing to follow her down the rabbit hole, it was, needless to say, more than worth it. She runs through an entire spectrum of sound, even as she smears it into a blur during these records, making for a meditative and endlessly fascinating experience for adventurous listeners. There are certain days that the only musician that I will listen to is Harris, and that is all you really need to know about Grouper.


"Alien Observer"

Best of 2011 (albums) TYLER, THE CREATOR - Goblin (XL)

The most divisive album of the year. It was also one of the most brilliantly subversive to anyone willing to get over it's coarse surface and dig deeper. In the end, "Goblin" was a love or hate proposition, and while at first it was totally cool to love it, now everyone and their overly-sensitive brother is piling on to trash it. Regardless of all the politically correct hand-wringing and critics attempting to distance themselves from Tyler, he still has plenty of kids listening. This summer I watched in awe as he drew the largest most passionate crowd that I've ever seen at Pitchfork, even in the kijillion degree heat and humidity. Likely if you are against Tyler and his crew, then nothing I could say will probably change your mind, but if you want to read my defense of the record, and why I still stand 100% behind this record, then you can read my rather lengthy original review here. The short version is that this was the most punk fucking rock record of 2011, and I love punk rock.

"Yonkers"

Best of 2011 (albums) BON IVER - S/T (Jagjaguwar)

I'll admit that originally I was a bit let down by Justin Vernon's much anticipated follow up to the universally beloved "For Emma, Forever Ago." I thought he crossed the line in terms of poor choices in instrumentation and left great ideas underdeveloped at crucial points on the record. Then I saw him perform one of the best shows of 2011 and each song suddenly made more sense. Mind you, this is not a situation where the songs are so much better live, but it took me seeing them live to understand them fully, to feel them entirely. Since that revelation, I've grown to absolutely love this record.

Minus my own developing existential relationship with this album, Vernon accomplished somewhat of a coup in channelling "Laughing Stock" and "Spirit Of Eden"-era Talk Talk into one of indie rock's most commercially successfully albums of 2011 (it peaked at Billboard's number 2 album and has been nominated for four Grammys). For that alone, this record should be celebrated.

"Michicant"

Best of 2011 (albums) DARK CASTLE - Surrender To All Life Beyond Form (Profound Lore)

Truly forward-thinking doom. Rather than rehashing the genre's traditional sound, Dark Castle craft a progressively unique and multi-layered approach that maintains all of the crushing power and darkness of metal's most primal form. The duo's harrowing songs are given an extra layer of massiveness by producer extraordinare Sanford Parker, who mixes traditional psych-doom with the kind of colossal heaviness and genre blending that made Twilight and Nachtmystium's albums so amazing last year. This is essential doom metal that will destroy every single molecule in its path. Every listen exposes something new and more devastating. I am continually captivated by this record.

"Seeing Through Time"

Best of 2011 (albums) JAMES BLAKE - S/T (Atlas/A&M)

There was a lot of hype surrounding James Blake at the beginning of 2011, which I thought was somewhat odd, not because Blake’s work isn’t worth it, but because this is highly experimental stuff, even if it does bare the imprint of traditional pop and R&B from time to time. Essentially a singer/songwriter record, Blake's minimalistic post-post-dubstep approach to song craft is both approachable and challenging, making for an album that can be enjoyed in the background, but deserves to be closely scrutinized in order to grasp the depth of his talent. In many ways this record reminds me of Bon Iver's "For Emma, Forever Ago," in that even the slightest increase in instrumentation or dramatic tension has a profound and contrasting effect against what is overall a subtle and nuanced whole. What Justin Vernon did with an acoustic guitar in a cabin, Blake does with effects and a piano.

As an aside, this is the best sounding vinyl record I heard all year, and needs to be listened to in that format. The digital just does not do justice to the spaciousness of this album. And, if you get a chance to see Blake live, do it. He unexpectedly blew my mind when I saw him perform these songs live.

"The Wilhelm Scream"