Tell Us About 2011 Albums

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

To each his own, I guess. i was actually fully prepared to not even listen to it because of the negative reactions here, but i kept reading good things everywhere else so i grabbed it and totally love it. Weird.

[bmack86]

I don't hate it at all. I thought it was a decent, minor album from a band that was once really interesting to me.

[GeezrRckr]

sadly, what Bryan said. i just hope that fucker comes back big.

[bmack86]

I just too.

Edit: and you ruined it.

[chiapet]

Okay, Drinkey, I am going to try it based on your assertion that it's better than reviewed here.

[chiapet]

Drinkey, I am no longer in awe of your taste in music.

Too country / too blah. I couldn't finish it. It's not terrible, but it's not worth listening to (for me) either.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Drinkey, I am no longer in awe of your taste in music.

Too country / too blah. I couldn't finish it. It's not terrible, but it's not worth listening to (for me) either.

I listen to SO much different kinds of stuff that i don't expect to please everyone hahaha. I like country/bluegrass a lot, and I realize that displaces my taste in music with other like-minded individuals.

[Hannahrain]

Huh. I'm a lot more interested in it knowing that it's twangier, I guess. Any previous interest I had in the Decemberists has pretty much faded as I've gotten less and less patient with schtick, relegating them to shuffle-to-rediscover-old-things territory (except When The War Came, which is a hell of a good running song). But if it's a little more country and a little less under-burlap-shipyard-handjob for a pinch of gold dust, I might have to check it out.

Wait, Gillian is on it? Well, shit.

[bballarl]

I keep meaning to check that album out. I just have this huge mental block, e.g. my irrational hatred of Colin Meloy because of the way he looks.

[wmgaretjax]

Both the Zonotrope releases are really awesome. Kind of a Tangerine Dream meets Brian Eno thing going on. Total throwback, but really enjoyable.

*AR's Wolf Notes is a fantastic album as well. It's a collaboration involving Richard Skelton that uses ultra minimal orchestration repeated over and over again with slight variation to great effect. Not something I'd sit and listen to intently, but super gorgeous and pleasant.

[GeezrRckr]

the Beth Ditto EP is pretty solid. not quite as energetic as her work with Gossip, but the production from SMD is quite good (better than their Delicacies stuff, imo) and her pipes are always a standout.

this track is fun:

[LooseAtTheZoo]

Smith Westerns and British Sea Power were both generally forgettable, the former more so than the latter. Is the Smith Westerns first album worth a listen?

[GeezrRckr]

^i felt the same way about both of those.

has anyone listened to the new Akron/Family? i'm definitely going to give it another listen, because it's certainly interesting (albeit a bit all over the place).

[chiapet]

I listen to SO much different kinds of stuff that i don't expect to please everyone hahaha. I like country/bluegrass a lot, and I realize that displaces my taste in music with other like-minded individuals.

It's cool, just growing up in the country has meant a low tolerance for country tinged music for me. Alt-country is possibly my least favorite genre, to me it's usually taken the worst of '''alternative'' music and modern country. Nothing wrong with bluegrass or Golden Age country though (in small doses).

[bballarl]

Smith Westerns and British Sea Power were both generally forgettable, the former more so than the latter. Is the Smith Westerns first album worth a listen?

Yeah. It is shittily recorded, but the songs are great.

[JustSteve]

To each his own, I guess. i was actually fully prepared to not even listen to it because of the negative reactions here, but i kept reading good things everywhere else so i grabbed it and totally love it. Weird.

i really hate how i sometimes let this board color my opinions of things i actually enjoy. have to remember what some people here consider good and it gets me back on track...

[wmgaretjax]

pretty bummed by the latest kurt vile track...

[chiapet]

... awesome, I am posting in the past.

[guedita]

I think that Tennis - Cape Dory is somewhat underwhelming, given all the hype they've received, but it's very nice background music. And it makes me want a pina colada.

[MrAmeche]

*AR's Wolf Notes is a fantastic album as well.

Agreed

[Kyliediscope]

I'm not sure if Anna Calvi has been mentioned in here, but I am quite enjoying her album. At times, her voice kind of reminds me of PJ Harvey. It's dark atmospheric type pop. Sonofhal kind described it best when he said it sounded like PJ Harvey singing over the soundtrack to a Quentin Tarantino movie (I think that was the exact quote). There are a lot of really beautiful tracks on it, but this one is my favorite:

[TallGuyCM]

I've only listened to a few 2011 albums at this point, but this is my favorite song I've heard so far this year:



The guitar breakdown in the middle is fucking great.

[JelloPuddingChat]

I finally heard the album when I was listening to an archived Henry Rollins show. Its different for them and just awesome all around. Great explosions of sound in that song you posted.

[patriotsftbll786]

Malachai's second album is pretty great, just got done listening through it. Not to boil things down to a formula but a lot of it is trip-hop meets Nuggets psychedelia. Geoff Barrow of Portishead and some of the guys in beak> worked on it. The first single isn't too representative of the album but it's awesome all the same:

[LooseAtTheZoo]

I just finished listening/watching this audiovisual album by Rioux, who I go to school with. I like it quite a bit, weird bits of psychedelia with interesting bits of glitch and guitar/horns work.

[bmack86]

Anyone else listen to Gang of Four or Cut Copy yet? The Gang of Four is 2011's early contender for The Weirdness award for a total crap bomb dropped by a high quality band, whereas the new Cut Copy is excellent, dancy and more poppy than the last one.

[send me ctrpllrs]

I've only listened to The Decemberists, Mogwai, and Cut Copy so far this year. Cut Copy is by far my favorite of those three. Really fun album, it will make for a great dance party at Coachella. Need to get on some more listening before I have to start exploring Coachella bands.

[kitt kat]

Can someone keep a running list of the leaked albums/albums discussed here? There is WAY too much to keep track of.

I've downloaded a few of these already, but haven't had the willpower to listen to them.

[Gribbz]

whereas the new Cut Copy is excellent, dancy and more poppy than the last one.

Cut Copy is by far my favorite of those three. Really fun album, it will make for a great dance party at Coachella. Need to get on some more listening before I have to start exploring Coachella bands.

I was disappointed with the new Cut Copy when I first heard it.

Giving it a second listen now and it's gotten much better.

Their set is going to be sexy.

[roberto73]

Anyone else listen to Gang of Four or Cut Copy yet? The Gang of Four is 2011's early contender for The Weirdness award for a total crap bomb dropped by a high quality band,

I haven't listened to it yet, but this doesn't surprise me. It was a pretty steep drop-off after Solid Gold, and their two 90's reunion albums are remarkably icky.