The Comprehensive 2011 Artists' Definitive Albums Thread!

[tral!]

The idea of this thread is simple. Simply say what album one should listen if he or she wants to get to know an artist. I'll try and keep this thread updated as frequently as I can until the festival hits. ALSO: DEBATE IS ENCOURAGED.

!!! - Myth Takes or Louden Up Now
12th Planet
Afrojack
Alf Alpha
Andy C - Nightlife Vol. 5
Angus and Julia Stone
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion or Strawberry Jam
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti - Before Today
A-Trak - Infinity + 1 or Dirty South Dance
Axwell - Essential Mix 06
Beardyman
Best Coast - Crazy For You
Big Audio Dynamite - This is Big Audio Dynamite
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
Bloody Beetroots & Death Crew 77
Bomba Estereo
Boys Noize - Oi Oi Oi
Brandon Flowers
Brandt Brauer Frick
Breakage - Essential Mix 2010
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning or Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground or Cassadaga (seems to be really contentious)
Broken Social Scene -You Forgot It In People
Cage the Elephant
Caifanes - Caifanes
Caspa - Essential Mix 2009
Cee Lo Green
Chromeo - Fancy Footwork
Chuckie
City and Colour - Bring Me Your Love
Clare Maguire
Cold Cave - Love Comes Close
Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (2008)
CSS - Cansei De Ser Sexy
Cults
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Daedelus - We All Have Magical Properties mix
Death From Above 1979 - You're a Woman, I'm a Machine
Delorean - Subiza
Delta Sprirt - Ode to Sunshine
DJ Hype
DJ Kentaro
DJ Marky - Fabriclive 55
DJ Zinc
Duck Sauce - Greatest Hits EP
Duran Duran - Rio
EE
Elbow - Seldom Seen Kid
Electric Touch - Electric Touch
Eliza Doolittle
Ellie Goulding
Emicida
Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream
Erick Morillo
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah: Part 1 (4th World War)
Excision
Fat Freddy’s Drop - Based on a True Story
Fedde Le Grand
Fistful of Mercy
Flogging Molly - Drunken Lullabies
Foals - Total Life Forever
Foster the People
Francis and the Lights
Freelance Whales
fun.
G.Q.
Gayngs - Relayted
Glasser - Ring
Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta! or Gypsy Punks
Good Old War - Only Way to be Alone
Gord Downie - The Grand Bounce
Goth Trad
Green Velvet - Green Velvet
Gypsy and the Cat - Gilgamesh
HEALTH - HEALTH
Here We Go Magic
High Contrast - High Society
Hurts
Interpol - Turn On the Bright Lights
Jack Beats - Essential Mix
Jack’s Mannequin - Everything In Transit
Jakes
Jenny and Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now
Jimmy Eat World - Futures
Joachim Garraud
Joy Orbison - Percussion Lab mix
Kanye West - College Dropout or My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kele - The Boxer
Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak
Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
Kode9 - Memories of the Future
Kyle Hall
Laidback Luke - BBC Radio Essential Mix
Leftfield - Leftism
Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow
Lil’ B
Lorn - Nothing Else
Los Bunkers
Magnetic Man - Magnetic Man
Mariachi El Bronx
Marina and the Diamonds
Mary Anne Hobbs
MEN
Menomena - Friend and Foe
Monarchy
Mount Kimbie - Crooks and Lovers
Moving Units - Dangerous Dreams
Ms. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Nas & Damian Marley - Distant Relatives
Neon Trees
New Pants
Nosaj Thing - Drift
OFF!
OFWGKTA - Bastard by Tyler the Creator and Earl by Earl Sweatshirt
Omar Rodriguez Lopez
One Day as a Lion
Ozomatli - Ozomatli
Paul van Dyk
Phantogram - Eyelid Moves
Phosphorescent - Here's to Taking it Easy
PJ Harvey - Rid of Me
Plan B - The Defamation of Strickland Banks
Ramadanman - Besti-Mix
Raphael Saadiq
Ras G
Ratatat- Ratatat or Classics
Riva Starr
Robyn - Body Talk
Roska
Rye Rye
Sander Kleinenberg
Sasha
SBTRKT
Scala & Kolacny Bros.
Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters
She Wants Revenge - She Wants Revenge
Shpongle - Nothing Lasts...But Nothing is Lost
Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
Sleigh Bells - Treats
Steve Angello
Sven Vath
Take - Only Mountain
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
Terror Danjah
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down
The Aquabats - The Fury of the Aquabats!
The Black Keys - Thickfreakness or Brothers or The Big Come Up (nobody seems to agree)
The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole
The Drums
The Felice Brothers
The Henry Clay People
The Joy Formidable
The Kills - No Wow
The London Suede - Sci Fi Lullabies or Coming Up
The Love Language
The Morning Benders - Talking Through Tin Cans
The National - Boxer or Alligator
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Presets - Apocalypso
The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme
The Rural Alberta Advantage
The Strokes - Is This It
The Swell Season - Once Soundtrack
The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt
The Twelves - The Essential Mix
Thunderball
Tinie Tempah
Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
Tokimonsta
Trampled by Turtles
Trentemoller - Into the Great Wild Yonder
Twin Shadow - Forget
Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History
Warpaint
Wire - 154
Wiz Khalifa
Yacht - See Mystery Lights
Yelle - Pop Up
Zed Bias

[manalive!]

!!!
12th Planet
Afrojack
Alf Alpha
Andy C
Angus and Julia Stone
Animal Collective
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
A-Trak
Axwell
Beardyman
Best Coast
Big Audio
Dynamite
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
Bloody Beetroots
Death Crew 77
Bomba Estereo
Boys Noize
Brandon Flowers
Brandt Brauer Frick
Breakage
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
Broken Social Scene
Cage the Elephant
Caifanes
Caspa
Cee Lo Green
Chromeo
Chuckie
City and Colour
Clare Maguire
Cold Cave
Cold War Kids
Crystal Castles
CSS
Cults
Cut Copy
Daedelus
Death From Above 1979
Delorean
Delta Sprirt
DJ Hype
DJ Kentaro
DJ Marky
DJ Zinc
Duck Sauce
Duran Duran
EE
Elbow
Electric Touch
Eliza Doolittle
Ellie Goulding
Emicida
Empire of the Sun
Erick Morillo
Erykah Badu
Excision
Fat Freddy’s Drop
Fedde Le Grand
Fistful of Mercy
Flogging Molly - Swagger
Foals
Foster the People
Francis and the Lights
Freelance Whales
fun.
G.Q.
Gayngs
Glasser
Gogol Bordello
Good Old War
Gord Downie
Goth Trad
Green Velvet
Gypsy and the Cat - Gilgamesh
HEALTH
Here We Go Magic
High Contrast
Hurts
Interpol
Jack Beats
Jack’s Mannequin
Jakes
Jenny and Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now
Jimmy Eat World
Joachim Garraud
Joy Orbison
Kanye West
Kele
Kings of Leon
Klaxons
Kode9
Kyle Hall
Laidback Luke
Leftfield
Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow
Lil’ B
Lorn
Los Bunkers
Magnetic Man
Mariachi El Bronx
Marina and the Diamonds
Mary Anne Hobbs
MEN
Menomena
Monarchy
Mount Kimbie
Moving Units
Ms. Lauryn Hill
Mumford & Sons
Nas & Damian Marley
Neon Trees
New Pants
Nosaj Thing
OFF!
OFWGKTA
Omar Rodriguez Lopez
One Day as a Lion
Ozomatli
Paul van Dyk
Phantogram
Phosphorescent
PJ Harvey
Plan B
Ramadanman
Raphael Saadiq
Ras G
Ratatat
Riva Starr
Robyn
Roska
Rye Rye
Sander Kleinenberg
Sasha
SBTRKT
Scala & Kolacny Bros.
Scissor Sisters
She Wants Revenge
Shpongle
Skrillex
Sleigh Bells
Steve Angello
Sven Vath
Take
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
Terror Danjah
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down
The Aquabats - The Fury of the Aquabats!
The Black Keys
The Chemical Brothers
The Drums
The Felice Brothers
The Henry Clay People
The Joy Formidable
The Kills
The London Suede
The Love Language
The Morning Benders
The National
The New Pornographers
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Presets
The Radio Dept.
The Rural Alberta Advantage
The Strokes
The Swell Season
The Tallest Man on Earth
The Twelves
Thunderball
Tinie Tempah
Titus Andronicus
Tokimonsta
Trampled by Turtles
Trentemoller
Twin Shadow
Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History
Warpaint
Wire
Wiz Khalifa
Yacht
Yelle
Zed Bias

[DeepFriedSushi]

!!!
12th Planet
Afrojack
Alf Alpha
Andy C
Angus and Julia Stone
Animal Collective
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
A-Trak
Axwell
Beardyman
Best Coast
Big Audio
Dynamite
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
Bloody Beetroots
Death Crew 77
Bomba Estereo
Boys Noize
Brandon Flowers
Brandt Brauer Frick
Breakage
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
Broken Social Scene
Cage the Elephant
Caifanes
Caspa
Cee Lo Green
Chromeo
Chuckie
City and Colour
Clare Maguire
Cold Cave
Cold War Kids
Crystal Castles
CSS
Cults
Cut Copy
Daedelus
Death From Above 1979- You're A Woman, I'm a Machine
Delorean
Delta Sprirt
DJ Hype
DJ Kentaro
DJ Marky
DJ Zinc
Duck Sauce
Duran Duran- Rio
EE
Elbow-Seldom Seen Kid
Electric Touch
Eliza Doolittle
Ellie Goulding
Emicida
Empire of the Sun
Erick Morillo
Erykah Badu
Excision
Fat Freddy’s Drop
Fedde Le Grand
Fistful of Mercy
Flogging Molly - Swagger
Foals
Foster the People
Francis and the Lights
Freelance Whales
fun.
G.Q.
Gayngs
Glasser
Gogol Bordello
Good Old War
Gord Downie
Goth Trad
Green Velvet
Gypsy and the Cat
HEALTH
Here We Go Magic
High Contrast
Hurts
Interpol- Turn on the Bright Lights
Jack Beats
Jack’s Mannequin
Jakes
Jenny and Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now
Jimmy Eat World
Joachim Garraud
Joy Orbison
Kanye West- All of them.
Kele
Kings of Leon- Aha Shake HeartbreakKlaxons
Kode9
Kyle Hall
Laidback Luke
Leftfield
Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow
Lil’ B
Lorn
Los Bunkers
Magnetic Man
Mariachi El Bronx
Marina and the Diamonds
Mary Anne Hobbs
MEN
Menomena
Monarchy
Mount Kimbie
Moving Units
Ms. Lauryn Hill- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Mumford & Sons- That fucking piece of shit
Nas & Damian Marley- Distant Relatives, obviously. Welcome to Jamrock and Illmatic if we're talking solo work.
Neon Trees
New Pants
Nosaj Thing
OFF!
OFWGKTA
Omar Rodriguez Lopez
One Day as a Lion
Ozomatli
Paul van Dyk
Phantogram
Phosphorescent
PJ Harvey
Plan B
Ramadanman
Raphael Saadiq
Ras G
Ratatat
Riva Starr
Robyn- Body Talk
Roska
Rye Rye
Sander Kleinenberg
Sasha
SBTRKT
Scala & Kolacny Bros.
Scissor Sisters
She Wants Revenge
Shpongle
Skrillex
Sleigh Bells
Steve Angello
Sven Vath
Take
Tame Impala
Terror Danjah
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down
The Aquabats - The Fury of the Aquabats!
The Black Keys- Thickfreakness
The Chemical Brothers- Dig Your Own Hole
The Drums
The Felice Brothers
The Henry Clay People
The Joy Formidable
The Kills
The London Suede
The Love Language
The Morning Benders
The National- Alligator
The New Pornographers
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Presets
The Radio Dept.
The Rural Alberta Advantage
The Strokes- Is This It
The Swell Season
The Tallest Man on Earth
The Twelves
Thunderball
Tinie Tempah
Titus Andronicus- The Monitor
Tokimonsta
Trampled by Turtles
Trentemoller
Twin Shadow
Two Door Cinema Club
Warpaint
Wire
Wiz Khalifa
Yacht
Yelle
Zed Bias

[tral!]

dont repost the entire thing, that makes for an ungodly wall of text.

[HandBanana]

The London Suede - Sci Fi Lullabies

[DaFunkyPrecedent]

Phosphorescent - Here's To Taking It Easy

[3eyes]

Twin Shadow-Forget
Deloreon-Subiza
Sleigh Bells-Treats
Foals-Total Life Forever

[Donaldj]

High Contrast - High Society

[nbvcide]

several of those acts don't have a full-length album out, and dozens only have one

[CellarOwl]

!!! - Myth Takes
Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Duran Duran - Rio
Leftfield - Leftism
PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me
Robyn - Body Talk
The Presets - Apocalypso
The Strokes - Is This It
Wire - 154

[benhur]

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
Duran Duran - Rio
Elbow - Seldom Seen Kid
Gayngs - Relayted
Interpol - Turn On the Bright Lights
Kanye West - College Dropout
Leftfield - Leftism
Menomena - Friend and Foe
Sleigh Bells - Treats
The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole
The Strokes - Is This It
Wire - Chairs Missing

[aguadulce]

Duran Duran - RIO
The National - Alligator
New Pornagraphers - Twin Cinema
Delta Spirit - ode to sunshine
Tallest Man On Earth - the wild hunt

[IlliniQ]

!!! - MYTH TAKES
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
Arcade Fire - Funeral or The Suburbs
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti - Before Today
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
Broken Social Scene - You Forget It In People
Crystal Castles - Debut
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
Death From Above 1979- You're A Woman, I'm a Machine
Duran Duran- Rio
Elbow-Seldom Seen Kid
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah:Part 1 (4th World War)
Foals - Total Life Forever
Glasser - Ring
Interpol- Turn on the Bright Lights
Kanye West- The new one - Dark Fantasy
Ms. Lauryn Hill- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
PJ Harvey - I prefer To Bring You My Love
Robyn- Robyn
Sleigh Bells - Treats
The Black Keys- Rubber Factory
The Chemical Brothers- Dig Your Own Hole
The Kills - No Wow
The National- Love em all, but the new one is the Best...HIGH VIOLET
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - self-titled debut
The Radio Dept.- Clinging To A Scheme
The Strokes- Is This It
The Swell Season - Soundtrack to "Once"
The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave or Wild Hunt...but about the same level of awesomeness
Titus Andronicus- The Monitor
Twin Shadow - Forget
Wire - Pink Flag

[gooftroop]

How should we define "definitive album?" Most important to their career? Favorite? Best place to start/define them?

Either way I would not say Animal Collective's is Merriweather. Feels to me is a way more definitive album.

Also !!!'s should be Louden Up Now, bar none.

[exemef]

caifanes - caifanes (self titled)

[dorkfish]

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is not the definitive Bright Eyes album.

[Bons222000]

I think you could make a case for any of the Arcade Fire albums but I guess Funeral was probably the most mainstream-friendly and certainly their breakthrough.

[jcd750]

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is not the definitive Bright Eyes album.

probably pretty subjective, but my vote would be Cassadaga

[dorkfish]

Fevers or Lifted are the clear turning points in his career.

[mountmccabe]

Either way I would not say Animal Collective's is Merriweather. Feels to me is a way more definitive album.

Especially as a preview of their Coachella 2011 performance; with Deakin back their show will likely be less of the MPP-type material.

[quicksand]

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion

Nas & Damien Marley - Distant Relatives

Broken Social - You Forgot it in People

HEALTH - HEALTH

Chem Bros - Dig Your Own Hole

[quicksand]

I think you could make a case for any of the Arcade Fire albums but I guess Funeral was probably the most mainstream-friendly and certainly their breakthrough.

'Cept for that new piece of poop.

[quicksand]

Especially as a preview of their Coachella 2011 performance; with Deakin back their show will likely be less of the MPP-type material.

My gut told me Feels but I didn't want to recommend it knowing they probably won't play anything off of it. I pray I'm wrong though.

[dorkfish]

My gut told me Feels but I didn't want to recommend it knowing they probably won't play anything off of it. I pray I'm wrong though.

They're also likely to play very little of Merriweather material. If the definitive album is supposed to represent what they're likely to play, you'd probably have to choose whatever their future LP will be titled.

[quicksand]

I haven't been keeping up with what they've been playing, or even if they've been playing live.. but some ODDSAC shit would be awesome too. Just let the visuals roll with the song.

[dorkfish]

ODDSAC would be awesome, but they seem to be pretty intent on never playing any of that stuff live. I'm sure that Danny (ODDSAC director) will be doing some visual elements for the Coachella show, though.

[weezy f baby]

Boys Noize - Power
Green Velvet - Green Velvet

[brycerosen]

anyone know the best laidback luke?

[brycerosen]

bump

[TheDeadBird]

black keys- brothers
animal collective- strawberry jams
broght eyes- lifted
kanye- college drop out