2011 FAVOURITE ALBUMS BY MONTH
JANUARY 2011:
It has taken a while for me to compile my lists but I've successfully made it through January releases which I believe is 72 that I've been able to check out. There are definitely some surprises for me for this first month of 2011. Lots of great music out there if you are not interested in the usual crap you are force fed or media hyped about how much you WILL or SHOULD like something. I don't subscribe to that model since I'm currently in possession of my own mind. I like to make my own choices and decisions and so should you. Sharing my love of music and what moves me musically is a joy to help others hopefully discover something for themselves that they may not otherwise had thought of listening to before. Perhaps you will be enticed to check out some of these Artists and perhaps not. At least you'll hopefully be exposed to something new and exciting from reading my blog. Happy ears!!
JANUARY (IN ORDER BEGINNING WITH MY FAVOURITE RELEASES OF THE MONTH)
1. BRITISH SEA POWER-“VALHALLA DANCEHALL”
2. THE MORNING AFTER GIRLS-“ALONE”
3. THE DECEMBERISTS-“THE KING IS DEAD”
4. DOLOREAN-“THE UNFAZED”
5. CLOUD NOTHINGS-“CLOUD NOTHINGS”
6. DESTROYER-“KAPUTT”
7. ANNA CALVI-“ANNA CALVI” + THE SEPARATE SINGLE: “JEZEBEL B/W MOULINETTE”
8. YOUNG PRISMS-“FRIENDS FOR NOW”
9. BRAIDS-“NATIVE SPEAKER”
10. BROKEN RECORDS-“LET ME COME HOME”
11. EULOGIES-“TEAR THE FENCES DOWN”
12. JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW-“EARLY IN THE MORNING”
13. THE PHOENIX FOUNDATION-“BUFFALO”
14. SMITH WESTERNS-“DYE IT BLONDE”
15. WIRE-“RED BARKED TREE”
16. SYSTEM 7-“CLASSICS” (2-CD 12” SINGLE REMIXES)
17. ASOBI SEKSU-“TRAILS” [EP]
18. MOGWAI-“RANO PANO B/W HASENHEIDE” (SINGLE)
19. TAPE DECK MOUNTAIN-“SECRET SERF” [EP]
20. ANA HELDER-“ANA HELDER”
21. LOWER DENS-“BATMAN B/W DEAR BETTY BABY” (SINGLE)
22. DEERHOOF-“DEERHOOF VS. EVIL”
23. APEX MANOR-“THE YEAR OF MAGICAL DRINKING”
24. MY DISCO-“LITTLE JOY”
25. TENNIS-“CAPE DORY”
26. THE DUKE SPIRIT-“KUSAMA” [EP]
27. DISAPPEARS-“GUIDER”
28. FOSTER THE PEOPLE-“FOSTER THE PEOPLE EP”
29. RESOE-“THE BLACK VOID OF SPACE…”
30. ROBAG WRUHME-“WUPPDECKMISCHMANFLOW” (A KOMPAKT COMPILATION MIXED BY ROBAG)
31. FRANCESCO TRISTANO-“IDIOSYNKRASIA”
32. WARPAINT-“EXQUISITE CORPSE” [EP]
33. CAROLINE-“VERDUGO HILLS”
34. TAPES N’ TAPES-“OUTSIDE”
35. VARIOUS ARTISTS-“MOJO MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2011 ISSUE PRESENTS: NEIL YOUNG’S “HARVEST” REVISITED”
36. COM TRUISE-“CYANIDE SISTERS EP” (DELUXE EDITION)
37. DUCKTAILS-“DUCKTAILS 3: ARCADE DYNAMICS”
38. OH NO! OH MY!-“PEOPLE PROBLEMS”
39. AMOS LEE-“MISSION BELL”
40. LOVEDRUG-“LOVEDRUG EP – PART 3”
41. ARTHUR’S LANDING-“ARTHUR’S LANDING”
42. FUJIYA & MIYAGI-“VENTRILOQUIZZING”
43. JOHN VANDERSLICE WITH THE MAGIK*MAGIK ORCHESTRA-“WHITE WILDERNESS”
44. GANG OF FOUR-“CONTENT”
45. FOSTER THE PEOPLE-“FOSTER THE PEOPLE EP”
46. GROUPLOVE-“GROUPLOVE” [EP]
47. CAGE THE ELEPHANT-“THANK YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY”
48. I WAS A KING-“OLD FRIENDS”
OTHER RELEASES I LIKED BUT EITHER WEREN’T AMAZING TO MAKE MY FAVOURITES LIST, OR THEY ONLY HAD A FEW TRACKS I REALLY LIKED. STILL THEY ARE WORTH A LISTEN AND A MENTION OTHERWISE SEE MY DIDN’T CARE FOR AT ALL LIST FOR THOSE THAT I JUST COULDN’T RELATE TO.
JANUARY (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER AT ALL)
1. CHAIM-“U & EYE” [EP]
2. SHONKY-“LE VELOUR” [EP]
3. BAD VEINS-“OUTLIERS” [EP]
4. ABIGAIL WASHBURN-“CITY OF REFUGE”
5. EDIE BRICKELL-“EDIE BRICKELL”
6. HANNAH PEEL-“THE BROKEN WAVE”
7. MEW-“EGGS ARE FUNNY (A COMPILATION)”
8. AETHENOR-“EN FORM FOR BLA”
9. WHITE FENCE-“IS GROWING FAITH”
10. WHITE LIES-“RITUAL”
11. SONIC YOUTH-“SIMON WERNER A DISPARU” (ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK)
12. THE HONEY PIES-“THINK OF ENGLAND”
13. SHACKLETON-“FABRIC 55”
14. JATOMA-“LITTLE HOUSEBOAT REMIXE” [EP]
15. WANDA JACKSON-“THE PARTY AIN’T OVER”
16. NITE JEWEL-“IT GOES THROUGH YOUR HEAD” [EP]
17. THE VEILS-“TROUBLES OF THE BRAIN” [EP]
18. ZS-“NEW SLAVES PART 2: ESSENCE IMPLOSION!”
THESE ARE EITHER A RE-RELEASE OR BEST OF COLLECTION FOR 2011. JANUARY FAVOURITES IN ORDER:
1. THE JAYHAWKS-“TOMORROW THE GREEN GRASS” (2-CD LEGACY EDITION)
2. THE JAYHAWKS-“HOLLYWOOD TOWN HALL” (EXPANDED EDITION)
3. JOY DIVISION-“+- SINGLES 1978-80” (REMASTERED COLLECTION)
4. THE RADIO DEPT-“PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE: SINGLES 2002-2010” (2-CD COLLECTION)
5. JURGEN PAAPE-“KOMPILATION”
6. LISA GERRARD-“THE BLACK OPAL” (2009/2011)
7. MEW-"EGGS ARE FUNNY (A COMPILATION)
FAVOURITE SINGLES BY MONTH:
In a perfect world, these are album tracks from the albums I've listed that I feel would make excellent singles and would be fantastic to hear them coming out of a radio. I know that's not going to happen in today's world so I'm listing them here as if this were my own virtual radio station offering to you for new releases in January 2011. However, if you were remotely interested in any of these bands then these are my suggestions from these albums that you should check out these songs first and perhaps they would entice you to further explore the record.
JANUARY (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
1. WIRE-“NOW WAS”
2. WIRE-“MOREOVER”
3. PURO INSTINCT-“STILYAGI”
4. SHONKY-“LE VELOUR (FRANCK ROGER COSMIC VERSION”
5. BAD VEINS-“GOOD PEOPLE”
6. ABIGAIL WASHBURN-“CHAINS”
7. BRITISH SEA POWER-“WHO’S IN CONTROL
8. BRITISH SEA POWER-“WE ARE SOUND”
9. THE DUKE SPIRIT-“EVERYBODY’S UNDER YOUR SPELL”
10. BRITISH SEA POWER-“OBSERVE THE SKIES”
11. EDIE BRICKELL-“PILL”
12. EDIE BRICKELL-“YOU COME BACK”
13. LISA GERRARD-“SLEEP”
14. BROKEN RECORDS-“A DARKNESS RISES UP”
15. CAGE THE ELEPHANT-“RIGHT BEFORE THE EYES”
16. JURGEN PAAPE-“WE LOVE”
17. THE DECEMBERISTS-“DOWN BY THE WATER” (W/ GILLIAN WELCH)
18. THE DECEMBERISTS-“THIS IS WHY WE FIGHT”
19. DISAPPEARS-“HALO”
20. DOLOREAN-“THINSKINNED”
21. DUCKTAILS-“ART VANDELAY”
22. MOGWAI-“HASENHEIDE”
23. THE MORNING AFTER GIRLS-“THE BEST EXPLANATION”
24. THE MORNING AFTER GIRLS-“THE GENERAL PUBLIC”
25. THE MORNING AFTER GIRLS-“PART OF YOUR NATURE”
26. THE MORNING AFTER GIRLS-“TO BE YOUR LOSS”
27. THE MORNING AFTER GIRLS-“WHO IS THEY”
28. SMITH WESTERNS-“ALL DIE YOUNG”
29. SMITH WETERNS-“DANCE AWAY”
30. R.E.M.-“DISCOVERER”
31. THE JOY FORMIDABLE-“WHIRRING”
32. MILLIONYOUNG-“REPLICANTS”
33. SOME COMMUNITY-“RANDOM WORDS”
34. CULTS-“OH MY GOD”
35. PAPERCUTS-“DO WHAT YOU WILL”
36. WE ARE COUNTRY MICE-“FESTIVAL”
37. TELEKINESIS-“CAR CRASH”
38. DESTROYER-“CHINATOWN”
39. BYRDS OF PARADISE-“TOUCH TUNNEL”
40. APEX MANOR-“UNDER THE GUN”
41. BRIGHT EYES-“SHELL GAMES”
42. KURT VILE-“JESUS FEVER 192”
43. DOM-“BOWL CUT” (FEATURING MADELINE OF CULTS” (AISLYN REMIX)
44. SEX BEET-“DIRTY BOOTS” (SONIC YOUTH COVER)
45. TWIN SHADOW & HOORAY FOR EARTH-“A PLACE WE LIKE”
46. TENNIS-“MARATHON”
47. OH NO! OH MY!-“WALKING INTO ME”
48. OH NO! OH MY!-“SUMMERDAYS”
49. YOUNG PRISMS-“IF YOU WANT TO”
50. YOUNG PRISMS-“IN YOUR ROOM”
51. YOUNG PRISMS-“IF DON’T GET MUCH”
52. WHITE LIES-“BIGGER THAN US”
53. WARPAINT-“KRIMSON”
54. ASOBI SEKSU-“TRAILS”
55. LOWER DENS-“BATMAN”
56. AMOS LEE-“WINDOWS ARE ROLLED DOWN”
57. ARTHUR’S LANDING-“YOU CAN’T GO BACK”
58. ARTHUR’S LANDING-“IT’S A BOY”
59. CLOUD NOTHINGS-“UNDERSTAND AT ALL”
60. CLOUD NOTHINGS-“SHOULD HAVE”
61. CLOUD NOTHINGS-“FORGET YOU ALL THE TIME”
62. CLOUD NOTHINGS-“HEARTBEAT”
63. CLOUD NOTHINGS-“BEEN THROUGH”
64. DEERHOOF-“BEHOLD A MARVEL IN THE DARKNESS”
65. GANG OF FOUR-“YOU’LL NEVER PAY FOR THE FARM”
66. GANG OF FOUR-“GLASS (RE-RECORDED)”
67. EULOGIES-“WILL I”
68. CAROLINE-“SLEEP”
69. ANNA CALVI-“DESIRE”
70. ANNA CALVI-“SUZANNE AND I”
71. DESTROYER-“CHINATOWN”
72. FOSTER THE PEOPLE-“HOUDINI”
73. FOSTER THE PEOPLE-“HELENA BEAT”
74. I WAS A KING-“ECHOES”
75. I WAS A KING-“OLD FRIENDS”
76. CRYSTAL CASTLES-“NOT IN LOVE (FEATURING ROBERT SMITH OF THE CURE)”
77. LYKKE LI-“I FOLLOW RIVERS (THE MAGICIAN REMIX)
78. LOVEDRUG-“OUR WAR”
79. LOVEDRUG-“LET IT GO”
80. APEX MANOR-“UNDER THE GUN”
81. JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW-“AND IF MY HEART SHOULD SOMEHOW STOP”
82. THE PHOENIX FOUNDATION-“FLOCK OF HEARTS”
83. THE PHOENIX FOUNDATION-“WONTON”
84. THE RADIO DEPT-“HEAVEN’S ON FIRE”
85. CORINNE BAILEY RAE-“I WANNA BE YOUR LOVER” (PRINCE COVER)
86. THE VEILS-“BLOOM”
DIDN’T REALLY CARE FOR MUCH AT ALL IN JANUARY:
1. IRON AND WINE-“KISS EACH OTHER CLEAN” (HORRIBLE. APPARENTLY SAM BEAM IS NOW OBSESSED WITH “PISS” LATELY SINCE THE WORD SHOWS UP IN SEVERAL SONGS. THE WRITING IS TERRIBLE, CRINGE INDUCING. EVERYTHING HE MAY HAVE LEARNED FROM CALEXICO HAS APPARENTLY ALL WORN OFF AND THIS IS WHAT HE’S BECOME NOW. THIS IS A TERRIBLE EXAMPLE OF WHAT POPULARITY CAN DO TO SOME PEOPLE. DEFINITELY WORST RELEASE OF THE YEAR SO FAR. CONGRATULATIONS!)
2. DANIEL MARTIN MOORE-“IN THE COOL OF THE DAY” (I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS A RELIGIOUS ALBUM. I JUST COULDN’T RELATE TO IT BUT I DO LIKE DANIEL’S OTHER ALBUM WITH BEN SOLLEE. THE MUSIC IS NICE SO IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A RELIGIOUS RECORD THAT’S NEW THEN THIS COULD BE FOR YOU.)
3. CHAIN AND THE GANG-“CRY, CRY, CRY OVER YOU B/W SNAKES ON A PLANE” (SINGLE) (HORRIBLE! IAN FROM THE MAKE UP AND EVERY OTHER BAND HE COULDN’T MAKE WORK. HE’S DEFINITELY PAST RETIREMENT DATE. SAD)
4. LCD SOUNDSYSTEM-“LONDON SESSIONS” (I CAN HONESTLY SAY I’M NOT A FAN. I’VE LIKED A FEW SONGS OVER THE YEARS BUT LISTENING TO THIS SESSION I CAN SAY THESE SONGS DON’T STAND UP AT ALL. I’M SO BORED AND COULDN’T WAIT FOR THIS CRAP TO END. TOTALLY OVERRATED! AND HIS ATTENTION GRABBING “I’M ENDING LCD AND THESE ARE MY FINAL SHOWS” SO HE CAN PLAY BIG ROOMS LIKE MADISON SQUARE GARDEN IS SO PATHETIC.)
5. YOUNG THE GIANT-“YOUNG THE GIANT” (INSIPID AND COMPLETELY UNORIGINAL. AN APPARENTLY UNASHAMED ATTEMPT TO BE COLDPLAY. JUST LISTEN TO “ISLANDS” OR “GUNS OUT” OR THE U2 WANNABE SINGLE OF “MY BODY” (IF YOU CAN) AND YOU CAN HEAR THAT THIS BAND ASPIRES TO MORE BLANDLESS THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE. IT’S BORING AND THEY HAVE NOTHING TO SAY. MAKE IT STOP!!!)
