What You Should Have Been Listening To During Two Thousand and Eleven

Something about the end of a calendar year brings about the urge to make lists.  Lists that mean pretty much nothing, but have numbers so they must be important.  Also, I wanted to celebrate the one year anniversary of not updating this blog by posting almost exactly what I did a year ago.  Same theme, different content.  Music will be the subject of this year's numerical ordering activity, a subject about which I am no expert, but probably spend more time listening to than most people.  My top ten albums of the year really means the top ten of what I have been listening to, and is by no means a comprehensive list because I am too poor and out of touch to be really on top of shit.  And here it is...feel enlightened. 



10) Youth Lagoon - Year of Hibernation

I might be a little biased since this dude is from Boise, but it is the perfect soundtrack to a lazy weekend afternoon.  As with most good music with staying power, it takes a few listens to get into the subtleties of the album, but once you get into them, you get lost in the layers.  Space out music to the extreme.



 9) Neon Indian - Era Extrana

This album makes the list basically because of 'Polish Girl', which is probably one of the best songs of the year. 



8) Junior Boys - It's All True

Two words: Banana Ripple.  





7) The Naked and Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You

Quite possibly one of the best album titles ever. 




6) Washed Out - Within and Without

This was made for long, introspective sessions of staring out your front door, watching the weather pass by.  Or laying in your bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to not fall asleep.  Basically, it's great music to be lazy to.


5) Real Estate - Days

Real Estate has put out a catchier, more focused and accessible version of their debut album.  Loosely put together with jangely guitars and shy drums, the album is in no rush, and you shouldn't be either while listening to it. 



4) Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Something about Justin Vernon's voice just makes you want to rip your heart out and throw it into the ocean.  There is more emotion packed into one Bon Iver song than most albums can fit into their tracklist.  Just knowing that he holes himself up in epic places to write songs with simple instrumentation overshadowed by intense emotion makes everything that emerges from his fingertips and mouth that much more haunting.



3) Radiohead - The King of Limbs

A continuation of their last album, meaning awesome.  The final song, Separator, is one of their best.  It is easily listenable on repeat. 




2) Starfucker - Reptilians

This album is almost indescribable.  It's weird, danceable, headbangable, catchy indie rock littered with electronica, disco, pop, new wave and an assortment of other influences which are all mashed together in a way that draws you in and doesn't let you halfway pay attention.  Reptilians requires your full attention and doesn't let you down.  I never want this album to end when I listen to it.  Dropkick to the face!




1) M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

A double album masterpiece.  There is no question that this needed to be an album that is twice as long as normal, because not once while listening do you think, 'Is Anthony Gonzalez finished being self-indulgent?'.  Great albums make you feel like you are a part of something larger than yourself when you hear them; they create a feeling of awe and wonder, sucking you into their world.  They also make you bob your head and want to cry, maybe at the same time.  Hurry Up, We're Dreaming accomplishes this.


And I am done spouting bullshit.