2011 albums thus far?

[Frau_Blucher]

Anything good y'all listened to? I have a decent amount of albums I like, but what's depressing is the mountain of shit I've had to dig thru. Here's some compiled impressions since January, subject to change and more listening.

2011 Albums

6.5 - Airborne Toxic Event - bit different but too-self similar, too earnest
8.5 - Airship - stellar production, surprise revs of demos, elevates above straight pop
8.0 - The Amsterdams - great Romanian (!) indie pop, Smithstastic at times
7.0 - The Antlers - grown-up, pretty but still conceptual pop, hard to put my finger on it
4.0 - Architecture in Helsinki - total top 40 pop, bizarre, something subversive I'm missing?
7.5 - Battles - meaty, experimental but not too, well-accounted-for indie, ft Numan on a track
4.5 - Bearsuit - not awful yet really unpleasant
6.5 - Beastie Boys - pleasant stuff but not a note you haven't heard before
8.0 - Beirut - compelling voice, interesting horns, languid pace, a nice change-up
6.5 - Bell X1 - veers toward the National, mature, not quite compelling tho
5.0 - Blancmange - what band is this??
7.5 - Blue Sky Black Death - cool, chilled, pad-heavy space pop, but not too spacy
6.5 - Boxer rebellion - quality but kinda boring after awhile
8.5 - BSP - less as a BSP album but enough good songs to elevate
3.0 - Cage the elephant - a bag of indie cliches
7.5 - The Cars - skeptical (cynical?) at first, a real return to form tho
6.5 - Chapel club - interesting prettiness with darkness, but fundamentally nothing new
6.0 - Chemical brothers - mildly interesting in right mood
6.0 - Cold cave - some good sounds, trying to be diff, some cool NW sounds, too. Snooty in parts
6.5 - Cold war kids - not really my thing but some creativity and space.
7.0 - Craft spells - should be better, too shiny, lot of darkness stripped out from demos
7.0 - Crystal stilts - dark, reverby, cool, wanting to like it more, not sure it's great
7.5 - Cut Copy - not much new ground, great execution tho and fun
5.0 - The Dears - almost dreary, very Dears, too Dears
7.5 - The Decemberists - very accessible, a turn toward a bit too Americana
5.5 - Deerhoof - it's...nice, very slightly funky, what the he'll is it tho?
7.5 - Destroyer - really pretty indie pop, some gems, too nice in spots
7.0 - Devotchka - bare hint of cabaret, fuses current modalities, but with a bit extra
3.0 - Elbow - critical darlings, I'm not a critic, fuck off and write some engaging songs
7.0 - Esben & the Witch - experimental, trippy, and noisy, good in the right mood
7.0 - Explosions in the Sky - post rock with a bit more melody than their usual
7.0 - Faith Assembly - carrying on with dark/cold wave for awhile, couple good gems, better than Hurts
8.0 - Fleet Foxes - a slow burn, shedding more rock, adding more folk, epic & lovely
7.0 - Friendly Fires - honestly not much here but fun, a hair below Cut Copy?
6.0 - Gang of Four - very GOF, so much so that it sounds like self- tribute
5.5 - Glasvegas - they've lost me, literal without being literate, big sound may be good enough for some
5.0 - Gold Panda - clubby beats but very spare, neither here nor there
7.0 - Guillemots - like G1 but loftier sound, maybe not better tho, still mulling
7.0 - Handsome Furs - doesn't consistently hit mark, funky fun when it does
6.5 - Hercules & Love Affair - exactly what you'd expect, but less fun than before
8.0 - The Horrors - influenced without mimicking, not as singular as H2, more diverse
6.5 - The Human League - pleasant surprise, too pop for me, decent stuff tho
7.0 - I'm From Barcelona - good synthy indie pop
7.0 - Insect Guide - rocks a bit more than Faith Assembly, some shared cold wave DNA
7.0 - John Foxx - best of his recent stuff, bit too relentlessly industrial for me but good
8.5 - The Joy Formidable - some great tunes, actually tries to rock too hard in spots, careful not to lose too much melody
3.0 - Kate Bush - a waste, zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
6.5 - The Kills - well executed bluesy indie rock, not quite my thing
4.5 - The Lonely Forest - a bit shouty, dangerously close to emo in spots, trying but not succeeding
5.0 - Low - highly touted in some circles, I don't get it
5.5 - The Low Anthem - ok, I admit it, it's just alt country folk
8.0 - Metronomy - one of the dwindling vestiges of the new wave revival, maybe it's just electroclash but it's great fun
6.0 - Moby - guilty admission...the dude still writes some catchy synth hooks
7.0 - Mogwai -blooms a bit off for me, came out during a dry spell maybe, still a few good ditties
7.0 - Morning Teleportation - they might be indie prog, good if looking for different and noisy is ok
6.5 - My Morning Jacket - not nearly as good as their last
5.0 - The New Division - really devoid of character
4.5 - Oh Land - over-tabbed Nordic chic pop
5.0 - Okkervil River - you've heard all this
7.0 - Pains of Being Pure at Heart - big improvement, not great, good enough
4.5 - Panda Bear - how are they and Gold Panda not the same band??
7.0 - The Pigeon Detectives - good return for them, fa,Iliad angular rock tho
4.0 - The Pipettes - another case of been there done that, pointless
6.5 - Principe Valiente - euro poppy, insincere in spots, but ok
7.0 - The Raveonettes - it's good, couple gems, I could live without them easily
4.5 - Royal Bangs - formulaic, the Bravery? Rakes? put a gun to me, I couldn't tell
4.5 - The Russian Futurists - the Bravery? Rak...you know the rest
5.5 - She Wants Revenge - decent, needs more hooks, bit Personal Jesus in bits, derivatively
6.0 - Sloan - seems there's cachet to liking them, I used to, it's alright
8.0 - The Smithereens - a real surprise, like they never skipped a beat
6.0 - The Strokes - I tried, I tired, they're of a certain time and place, not this one
7.0 - The Submarines - liked em more earlier, sweet poppyness gets a bit old, still ok
4.0 - Tahiti 80 - I don't know what kind of music this is, doesn't affect me at all
6.0 - Tapes 'n Tapes - typifies my reaction to a lot of indie rock right now, I can sense it's decent but it doesn't move me at all
8.0 - Telekinesis - there we go, good energetic indie pop/rock
7.0 - Those Dancing Days - more good Nordic sweet indie pop, no new ground
6.5 - The Vacinnes - they're not bad, they don't deserve the hype
7.5 - Wild Beasts - hard to get into at first, only noodled it's way in when not trying to absorb it
7.5 - Wire - getting lotta kudos but I thought previous was better, still Wire tho
8.0 - Wolf Gang - an unadulterated blast,very tuneful, boppy and poppy
5.0 - The Wombats - honestly, no idea what people are on about
8.5 - Yuck - not a truly great album by any stretch but really fun in a dry year

[Mathman]

Good find on Airship. I totally agree on GOF and Kate Bush (sadly for the latter). I like the bigger sound Glasvegas are using.

You may want to check out:

Ringo Deathstar - kind of that noisy, energetic sound

Dream Diary - sounds poppish, I always find myself checking to see who it is when it comes up on shuffle

Kindest Lines - still part of the new wave revival


I enjoyed the new stuff from Gavin Friday and PJ Harvey - maybe a bit more accessible than their previous releases

[Frau_Blucher]

Thanks math...will look up.


BTW, I can't even recall what I was trying to say in some of the comments.

[plagiarism]

Frau, you once had two reviews for Alcoholic Faith Mission, and now there's none.

[coop41]

3.0 - Cage the elephant - a bag of indie cliches


You really swung and missed badly on this. With all the four bearded dudes doing mellow 70's Steely Dan impersonations on your list, which epitomizes the current state of the indie scene and would be much more likely to fit your description, you call these guys indie cliches? If by cliche you mean varied sounds, and unique then you are dead on. If you had said heavy 90's influence like Nirvana and Marcy Playground I would agree. But giving the best album of the year so far a 3 is egregious and irresponsible and quite frankly disappointing. It did save me a lot of time as I stopped once I got there as this score rendered the rest of the list useless to me.

Hopefully BSP, TJF, Telekenisis, The Wombats and Yuck received high ratings to somewhat redeem your misguided attempt at denigrating this exceptional album. I'm sure the new Jackie Evanchko CD rated a 6.5 with you- mentioning it seems like she has sold out since her debut but her tiny little voice still packs a punch


I kindly urge you to give this another shot and see the quirky goodness of this gem. Please go here for further research:
http://nwoutpost.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=30463

[Frau_Blucher]

No.

[i_like_lectric_motors]

If Yuck is really among the best this year has to offer, I'm really glad I've pretty much given up on new music. A great single and a couple of other good songs? Sure ...but I still say the album's sadly lacking. Besides that album, the only others I've heard are Esben (love it) and Mogwai (OK for playing while cleaning the house). My favorite this year from my limited listening has been TV Ghost- Mass Dreams.

I just listened to the 2 Cage The Elephant songs that are still working in the other topic and they're OK ... I'll probably check the whole thing out based on what I've heard but my hopes really aren't that high.

[ghosty]

I have to echo Motors here. 2011 is shaping up to be the year I finally jump ship on this stuff. I've heard most of these albums but only liked a handful. Probably about 2 I'd really recommend to anyone (The Joy Formidable and Sloan although they aren't at their best on either album).

BTW: We really ought to have a Fleet Foxes-vs-Toyah poll on here (just kidding, Frau/Blir). [:D]

[coop41]

I think seeing Yuck and The Joy Formidable prior to listening to their records may influence me more than normal as they are both so darn good live. After seeing Esban live I really had little interest in listening to the disc which may be unfortunate, I will check that out.

I listen to tons of complete albums but much prefer singles, many excellent songs out there this year, unfortunately, most by bands that only ever have 1 good song.

[Frau_Blucher]

Seriously, my comments should be taken with a huge grain of salt - they're quick commentary I'm jotting down after one or two listens. The ratings are placeholders for me to revisit, and most of my ratings seem high in retrospect ( I desperately WANT to like more music? Cage however was a fairly strong impression - it grated and annoyed, but it's been months since I listened. I'll revisit for sure.

Having said that, I just looked around for reviews of the album for the first time. This one echoes my sentiments best and much less tersely of course:

http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/01/a ... -birthday/

And I'm with Ghosty. I've specifically mentioned to '82, Plag and others that maybe I'm listening to the completely wrong genre - that's how bad some of the stuff is. Maybe the stuff I've rated somewhat highly, I'm picking up on the barest hint of hooks or beats that are drawing me in and giving it a thumbs for as little as that. Again, a more discerning view later in the year when I've listened more. This was just to throw it out there and kick around.

[coop41]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Frau_Blucher[/i]
<br>Seriously, my comments should be taken with a huge grain of salt - they're quick commentary I'm jotting down after one or two listens. The ratings are placeholders for me to revisit, and most of my ratings seem high in retrospect ( I desperately WANT to like more music? Cage however was a fairly strong impression - it grated and annoyed, but it's been months since I listened. I'll revisit for sure.

Having said that, I just looked around for reviews of the album for the first time. This one echoes my sentiments best and much less tersely of course:

http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/01/a ... -birthday/

And I'm with Ghosty. I've specifically mentioned to '82, Plag and others that maybe I'm listening to the completely wrong genre - that's how bad some of the stuff is. Maybe the stuff I've rated somewhat highly, I'm picking up on the barest hint of hooks or beats that are drawing me in and giving it a thumbs for as little as that. Again, a more discerning view later in the year when I've listened more. This was just to throw it out there and kick around.
[/quote]

doesn't this part of the review solidify my point?:

Opening with the sinister, ominous sounds that surround “Always Something”, and the aggressive, bass-heavy “Aberdeen”, Cage fans receive little warning of the band’s newly found influences that lie ahead. Then “Indy Kidz” materializes, and you’re left in a massive shell shock. As lead single and radio accessible “Shake Me Down” begins, with its familiar Southern swagger and funky, feel-good demeanor, you wonder if your ears had previously deceived you. From here, Thank You, Happy Birthday is primarily confusing. The band continues to shape swag with earnest on head bumping rock ditty “2024” and pop rock anthem “Around My Head”, they craft fragrant, acoustic ballads (“Rubber Ball”), familiarize themselves with grunge territory (“Sell Yourself”, “Japanese Buffalo”), and end it all with an almost eight minute, soft rock jam that really doesn’t sound like it belongs.


It sure beats "all 10 songs (or God forbid 7 or 8, I mean come on, put some effort into a few songs) are standard, noodling lite rock, perfectly harmless, ditties.

Please don't mistake my comments as this is some sort of masterpiece, that it is not, It's just refreshing to hear someone who mixes things up a bit and does several different styles competently and with solid results.

[Frau_Blucher]

Well, fragrant is certainly one word for it.

[zill]

Can you put an asterisk by all the bearded bands so I know what to avoid?

[Frau_Blucher]

A footnote on Yuck - I didn't realize until now that they are the remnants of short-lived Cajun Dance Party, whose 2008 Color Life album I really liked. Side-by-side, I can totally see the connection, even though separately, I never would have guessed.

Anyway, I guess my ears know what they like, no matter the critical acclaim or the counter-claims or the counter-counter-claims. I think last year I put the No Age album at the bottom of my list with a 2. A BSP friend went ballistic, saying that it was his album of the year. [8D]

[ghosty]

[quote][i]Originally posted by zill[/i]
<br>Can you put an asterisk by all the bearded bands so I know what to avoid?
[/quote]

My only beef with Fleet Foxes is that they're so damn derivative but hardly ever get called on it. Obviously bands rip off songs and arrangements or another band's sound all the time (that's nothing new) and in the case of XTC's side project The Dukes Of Stratosphere that was the whole gag. I wouldn't mind Fleet Foxes so much if they turned a lot of Indie kids on to Bob Dylan, late-60's Beach Boys, CSN, Simon and Garfunkel, etc. Maybe they are and I'm just not reading about it. Who knows? I just think there's more to be found in the original stuff that Fleet Foxes is listening to (to their credit, they borrow from lesser known album tracks by Dylan, Byrds, etc) but to each his own. In the end, it's only music.

This:
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xtFrGCJrnKc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Sounds a hell of a lot like this:
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/irTw5mU_n4Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Interesting story about "Fourth Time Around". Dylan played an embryonic version of this song to John Lennon and a few months later The Beatles released "Norwegian Wood" (pretty similar). Dylan was pissed and rewrote the lyrics to his tune and released it as "Fourth Time Around" and stuck in a few digs at Lennon.

(note: I'm well aware that Dylan lifts melodies from old 19th century folk tunes)