December 2011
18 posts
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The Top 50 Albums of 2011
Here is the complete and final list of my top 50 albums of 2011. I have compiled a playlist on Spotify here, although not all albums are on there.
-Justin
50. My Morning Jacket - Circuital
Circuital had some of My Morning Jacket’s best work since It Still Moves. Although they never really reach the rocking heights of their previous albums, they have managed to mix their older sound with...
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The Top 50 Albums of 2011, 10-1
Here is the final installment. I hope you’ve enjoyed the list so far. Here is the Spotify playlist.
10. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
Like it’s album cover, Strange Mercy carried a strong theme of suffocation. Annie Clark focused her sharp wit on the stereotypical social norms that women have to be shuffled into in western civilization. Songs like “Cheerleader”,...
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The Top 50 Albums of 2011, 20-11
Part 4 of 5. Here is the Spotify playlist.
20. Bright Eyes - The People’s Key
If this is truly the final Bright Eye’s album, then it is a worthy end to the moniker. It feels like the album that Conor Oberst has wanted to make for the last decade. It is politically charged but not heavy handed. It shrugs off the normal folk musicianship for a more rock oriented sound. The sound...
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The Top 50 Albums of 2011, 30-21
Part 3 of 5. Here is the Spotify playlist if you’d like to listen along.
30. Cold Cave - Cherish The Light Years
I strangely appreciate this album for not even trying to be anything other than depressing. If you’re gonna do something, you might as well do it well. And Cold Cave does a pretty good job at being sad lyrically. They bring some very interesting synth based rock along...
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The Top 50 Albums of 2011, 40-31
Part 2 of 5. Here is the Spotify playlist (there will be a big post at the end with everything for what it’s worth).
40. Zola Jesus - Conatus
It’s hard to place an exact finger on what makes Zola Jesus so good. Her melodramatic lyrics are a large part. Add to that is her powerful singing voice. It just feels like everything going on both musically and lyrically fits her so well....
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The Top 50 Albums of 2011, 50-41
I usually start of lists like this with something like “[year] was an interesting year in music”. But let’s be honest, isn’t every year a pretty interesting year in music? The modern music structure changes so rapidly that a trend may have started and ended by the end of the year. So instead of waxing poetic, let’s just appreciate the year in music as it’s own...
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Top 10 Songs of 2011
2011 was, as Justin pointed out in his post, a year drenched in nostalgia. Bands like Yuck and Real Estate represented the 90s, Girls played around with Beach Boys-esque melodies, Cut Copy, Destroyer and others with an 80s groove. Unfortunately it was also a year of nostalgia for me. I found myself not keeping up with recent music releases, instead sticking to my finds in past years, and going...
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The Top 50 Songs of 2011
Here is a compiled list of part 1 and part 2 of my songs of the year.
Here is the accompanying Spotify playlist
50. We Were Promised Jetpacks - Human Error
Probably the best anthemic rock song on an album full of anthemic rock songs.
49. Bright Eyes - Shell Games
The most complete song on The People’s Key.
48. 1,2,3 - Work
I liked 1,2,3’s album for a long stretch of time just...
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The Top 50 Songs of 2011, Part 2
Here is part 1
Spotify Playlist
2011 had some really great songs. And I’ve probably not even heard half of them. But from what I have heard, there was some really amazing things going on. First and foremost was the interesting new rap and rnb artists that we’ve gained this year, as well as some established guys making some great efforts. Another thing I’ve seen is a lot of...
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The Top 50 Songs of 2011, Part 1
Spotified: 2011 Songs 50-26
Round 2! Yep, I got about 2/3rds of the way through this list and lost it because my computer locked up. So without any pomp and circumstance, let’s get right into it.
-Justin
50. We Were Promised Jetpacks - Human Error
Probably the best anthemic rock song on an album full of anthemic rock songs.
49. Bright Eyes - Shell Games
The most complete song on The...
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Live Review: The Antlers @ Webster Hall, NYC...
Editor’s Note: You can now download a recording of this show with The Antler’s blessing here
I wasn’t aware that I was going to go to this show until about two hours before the doors of Webster Hall actually opened. Before I was sure I wasn’t going to be needed at work, I looked up tickets to this sold out show on craigslist. Luckily, people weren’t selling them over face value at...
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Happy Holidaze Playlist →
We don’t know how most of you feel about Christmas music, but we here at Ears Against Atrophy totally dig it. I for one, love pretty much everything about the holidays. The weather is colder but people are nicer. The smell of Christmas trees and gingerbread is everywhere! It’s even more awesome if you live somewhere where it snows, snowball fights, snowmen, and sledding are a must....
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“Him: haha drake does his thing on that song
his old “im a baller but it...”
– me and my brother discuss Take Care
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Best 90s Songwriters
There isn’t much to be said about the 90s that hasn’t been said. Just sit through one of those VH1 specials and you’ll hear all sorts of things. From people reminiscing on Beverly Hills 90210, flannel, Twin Peaks, to Tamagachi toys, Spice Girls, and Nirvana. You probably recognize all of these things, but hopefully don’t still love all of them.
Anyway, the consensus reached by most of the...
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Class Actress // Weekend
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Internet Forever // Centre of the Universe