09 Arctic Monkeys - The hellcat spangled 'Shalalalaa'
10 Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle
top 5 albums I checked out in 2011 that I plan to keep on spinning come 2012 (some of which may have been released before 2011)
1 Los Campesinos - Romance is boring
Third album for these guys and a giant step forward in terms of scope and ambition. For fans of dynamic, alternative pop with witty, eloquent and verbose lyrics.
2 Metronomy - The English riviera
I've always considered Metronomy to be a well thought out bandname , so I picked this up at the library not expecting a whole lot, but this album is a clear winner, ranging from bass-driven guitar tracks ("She Wants") to eighties sounding tracks with cheesy synths (like "Corinne"). Think Hot Chip.
3 The Sword - Warp riders
Stoner rock. IN SPACE. For fans of: Kyuss, Black Sabbath, and just riffs in general.
4 The Vaccines - What did you expect from The Vaccines?
Most people probably heard the radio singles from this album, so you can pretty much figure out for yourself whether this is your cup of tea. I just wanna add a random snippet of information: Justin Young used to be a solo folk artist, under the name of 'Jay Jay Pistolet'.
5 Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow stairs
Overall it's pretty gloomy. Better than 'Plans'!
6 Het Zesde Metaal - Akattemets
Snijdt dieper dan de Nederlandstalige concurrentie.
best movie I saw this year:
missed Drive (bummer!) and can't even remember going to the cinema after seeing Rundskop in February, so I'll have to go for that one
worst movie I saw this year:
Frits & Freddy by a long shot
best series I saw in 2011:
The Shield (can't remember which season, but doesn't matter because they're all good)
Curb Your Enthusiasm s8 (probably best season since season five)
Mad Men s4
Nip/Tuck s7
Entourage s4-s8
Party Down
Tell me you love me
Big Bang Theory s4
Modern Family s1
Haircut extravaganza in a series award:
Kelly Carlson/Kimber in Nip/Tuck
Best female off-beat comedian in a series:
Lizzy Caplan/Casey in Party Down
Best MILF character in a series:
Perrey Reeves/Mrs. Gold in Entourage
worst series I saw in 2011:
True Blood s4 was just painful (but still only 0.75 on a scale where 1 equals the last season of Lost)
guilty pleasure of the year
Rihanna - Man down (and pretty much any Rihanna track for that matter)
best use of double-sided sticky tape in a music video (and coincidentally also the winner of the "music video that only gets better when muted"-award)
Beyonce - Love on top (and pretty much any Beyonce video for that matter)
Arctic Monkeys - The hellcat spangled Shalalala/Suck it and see
So, I wasn't really enthralled by the heavy sound of the first single from the "Suck it and see"-album, but Alex and his lads are back with a vengeance, because single two and three off the same album sound a lot more poppy and light as a feather. Also digging the more crooner-style vocals on these songs. I was also mocking the weak-ish lyrics on "Don't sit down because I've moved your chair", but this time around, I can only sheepishly admit that "that's not a skirt, girl, that's a sawn-off shotgun" is a real good line indeed. You will mostly see drummer and co-songwriter Matt Helders in the latter video, and if I'm not mistaken, there's also an uncensored version with some LSFW parts floating around here or there.
Jamie Woon - Shoulda
Previous single "Lady Luck" was more up-tempo and even garnered some Justin Timberlake references, but this third single is back to where it all started for Jamie Woon with debut single "Night air": very subtle, light, electronic pop.
Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle
The guys in BBB are releasing their third full album soon, and this is the first single. First album "I had the blues but I shook them loose" was indie-rock with some dark edges, second album "Flaws" was filled with acoustic tracks, third album "A different kind of fix" promises to be more up-tempo and poppy, judging on the first single. Really infectuous piano-riff, and all-round feel good track.
Gotye feat. Kimbra - Someone that I used to know
You knew this one already. Not that many youtube videos by a Belgian (well, born in Belgian or Dutch-speaking is closer to the truth I guess) artist (will ever) exceed six million views, so very well done indeed. Minor criticism, I have no problem with the first verse being quite long and the chorus only starting at the 1:30-mark, but the second verse (by Kiwi vocalist Kimbra) feels a little short in comparison. "He said, she said"-type lyrics are usually a winner in my book (see also: "Don't you want me baby" by The Human League and "Nothing better" by The Postal Service).
Gypsy and the Cat - Jona Vark
It must be the first time in history that this many hip bands are emerging from Australia/New Zealand and try to conquer the world. Temper Trap, Empire Of The Sun, Tame Impala, The Naked And The Famous, and there's more where that came from. First up, we have Gypsy & The Cat. I like the wordplay in the title, but the song itself is a little repetitive.
Miami Horror - Holidays
Also hailing from Melbourne are these guys, their previous single "Sometimes" was already featured in a previous blog post. This track reminds me of Junior Senior, and there's some Chromeo in there too, and I hope to shaking my bootay to it somewhere real soon. The video is about some kind of real life Dr. Zoidberg from Futurama roadtripping it up with his ladyfriend. Highly recommended.
Wolf Gang - The king and all his men
Another new band, not the be confused with OFWGKTA. The track has some things going for it, but the singer seems to venture very close to the Mika-realm in the bridge before the chorus, which is something I'd try to steer away from, if I were them.
Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds - The death of you and me
Now that the Beady Eye (which equals Oasis minus Noel) singles have evaporated from the radio waves, time for the elder Gallagher brother to step up to the plate and present his post-Oasis project. Has a higher "singer-songwriter"-vibe, and isn't even half bad.
The Vaccines - All in white/Norgaard
Bands that specialize in up-tempo tracks usually fall flat when try to tone it down, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the "All in white"-track by The Vaccines. The bass keeps it all together and the track never gets boring. Good stuff. Follow-up single 'Norgaard' returns to the short up-tempo song formula of breakthrough debut single "Wreckin' bar". Reminds me of the time when The Pigeon Detectives were a young and promising band. Putting some thought into checking the whole album after hearing this. Singer Justin Young (who seems to be going for the "eighties Morrissey with thick-rimmed glasses"-look in the latter video) recently underwent some vocal chord surgery, so they were forced to cancel a couple of months worth of shows.
The Big Pink - Stay gold
Some time ago, The Big Pink stated in an interview that their new album was going to be a hip-hop influenced album. Definitely not hearing that a lot on their new track, the melody has a slight bagpipe feel and inevitably makes me think of Glasvegas, whereas the chorus reminds me of their single 'Dominoes' a little. Nevertheless, I was a fan of their first album so my hopes are still up for this one, although I'm sincerely hoping that the lyrics on the album won't get much cornier then "Shine a light for love to follow".
Duos
A duo is the new band. A decade ago, The White Stripes were seen as revolutionary by having only 2 members in the band, and there were The Raveonettes, The Kills and a couple other shortly after, but now, the whole 2-man band niche is exploding. The Black Keys, The Black Box Revelation, Jenny & Johny, She & Him, Angus & Julia Stone, ... the list goes on. Presenting to you, 2 more duo's to look out for.
Cults - Go outside
Cults are a band from Brooklyn. This really mellow track is hitting the radiowaves nowadays, but personally, I'm more inclined towards this more up-tempo song.
Summer Camp - Better off without you
As stated previously, not to be confused with the nineties indierock outfit, this duo hails from Britain. Some of their previous tracks (see a couple of posts back) had a really purposely lo-fi, fuzzy and slightly abrasive production, this one sounds much cleaner and is a clear winner, and I'm also a fan of the double tracked/overdubbed vocals and their retro music videos. The intro made me think of this. Oh, and in case you were wondering, it's not a cover of the eponymous Terror song.
Female
SBTRKT feat. Little Dragon - Wildfire
OK, so SBTRKT is a male producer, but the true star of the track is Yukimi Nagano, so I thought I'd put it in this section anyway. Just the dry, staccato bass drum intro is already great, but the real party starts when the vocals kick in.
Little Dragon - Ritual union
Yukimi Nagano happens to be the singer of Swedish band Little Dragon (learned from wikipedia that the band name isn't a reference to Yukimi's complexion, but to her temper). She is the progeny of a Japanese father and a Swedish-American mother, and gifted with a jazzy and truly amazing voice. The rest of her band acknowledge this by letting her vocals take the forefront, and simply adding a basic but effective rhythm section, and some sparse and subtle synthesizer touches.
Robyn - Love kills
I think we can now safely regard Robyn as a true European elektropop powerhouse, and a ruthless hit machine. This track even surpasses hit-status, it's a true anthem! Saw a large chunk of her Werchter performance, awesome stuff.
Feist - How come you never go there
It's a been a long wait for some new Feist material, who gained popularity during her absence because of the 'Limit to your love' cover by James Blake. This comeback single brings no big revolutions on the production or songwriting front, just another sober mid-tempo pop track in which Leslie Feist can fully showcase her vocal capacities.
Lana Del Rey - Video games
This song was a moderate hype the last couple of weeks, and admitted it's really good. Lana Del Rey is actually the alter ego of Lizzy Grant, about whom I honestly can't tell you a lot. And I'll let you discover the song yourself, but I might add that if you're going to get married sometime soon and you're still looking for a track to accompany the opening dance, this is a possible contender.
Kreayshawn - Gucci gucci
The least you can say about Natassia Gail Zolot is that she doesn't shy away from the b*tch-word (and other swear words). Kreayshawn is a female hip-hip artist from L.A. . Even though she only has a handful of songs out, she was nominated for best new-comer at some award show but lost out to Tyler, the creator. The same night of that award ceremony, her twitter account got hacked and some LSFW pictures hit the internet. To this day, I'm still suspecting some kind of premeditated stunt to the timing of these events. Kreayshawn has got her own female-only crew (White Girl Mob, of which you can see Lil Debbie in the video with the eyecatching spectacles), and she even has got some beef going on with Rick Ross, a hip-hop artist I've yet to hear of. These two facts prove that she's working hard on her street credibility. Anyway, this song has a pretty good flow and a catchy chorus, and some dubstep-like influences in the beat, which makes it really contemporary. Also appreciating the fashion-style, gotta love that pink Minnie Mouse diadem.
Nicki Minaj - Super bass
Nicki Minaj is a Trinidadian (I read that word and I just had to use it!) urban artist, that seems to be more inclined to rap music than her fellow Carribean artist Rihanna. She has a over the top on-screen persona, not unlike a cartoon character. I checked out some of her previous singles and couldn't really get into it, but this song has got me hooked. Not only the video with its bright colours and ... well ... Nicki's bodacious appearance, but it's also not a coincidence that videos have emerged of other comtemporary pop stars (Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift) playbacking the rap part in the song. There's something really infectious about it, especially because Nicki adds some (at times seemingly ironic) intonation to the rhymes. Lyrically however, this is just another song (see also: Soldier by Destiny's Child) that proves that the vision of the ideal partner among females is just as monotone and one-dimensionally superficial as the female counterpart with men, you just swap 'looks' for 'money/power/influence' and there you go...
Katy B - Easy please me
Looks like Katy B has a more realistic view of who she wants to date, in this track that feels like it comes right from the heart, she describes her vision, which has a lot more nuance to it. Go Katy!
Can't get into
Geike - Rope Dancer
The first solo single by the ex-vocalist from Hooverphonic fails to hit the spot. Alex Callier was a pretty strict producer that liked to keep things simple, and as reaction, it seems like Geike tries to break out by bouncing in several directions at the same time. The timing and rhythm of the vocals are off, the chorus doesn't stick and there's just too much going on in the background. Sorry Geike, but this is a mess.
M83 - Midnight city
I still like the M83 sound, but this single seems to lack a little substance and subtlety.
You might remember the "I'm in Miami, b*tch"-track from a while back from these guys. A title like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Might have been even better without the part with the female vocals. The video complements the track really well.
Jakwob feat. Smiler - Right beside you
Dubstep seems to be at it's prime right now with even Britney Spears and Martin Solveig using dubstep elements/breakdowns in their recent singles. Jakwob is another dubstep producer and this is a nice, poppy track.
Magnetic Man - Anthemic
And just the round off the obligatory dubstep chapter, it's pretty hard not to move to the sounds of the new Magnetic Man track too.
Benelux
Das Pop - Skip the rope
Excellent jumpy, poppy track by Bent and his buddies. The video was shot with a hundred or so camera-phones, but the end result isn't that spectacular, really.
Sherman - Days go by
As much as Sherman personally prefers the solo acoustic performances, I hope he continues the fine string of pop singles he's made so far. Bonus points for the immediately recognisable opening seconds.
Selah Sue - This world
Selah Sue seems to generate a lot of animosity, and apart from the artificial Jamaican patois, I can't really grasp what puts people off. Might be one of the best singles so far, starting with a bassline reminiscent of the "Stan"-track by Eminem, culminating in the chorus.
Hooverphonic - One, two, three
The new Hooverphonic is nothing really special, but bonus points for the great retro, asymmetrical marine-outfit by Noemie. Impossible not to think of the following track while hearing the chorus lyrics.
Pop
Rumer - Am I forgiven?
I've been checking out most festival coverages (Pinkpop, Glastonbury, Rock Werchter, T in the Park), and a lot of bands really failed to make an impression, but one pleasant discovery was Rumer, a English singer who looks a bit like a cross between Adele and Emily Deschanel, and who specialises in melodic, orchestrated pop with a retro touch. Ideal lazy afternoon, Radio 2-material, and there's nothing whatsoever wrong with that.
Alice Gold - Runaway love
One of the more recent pop princess wannabe's is Alice Gold, and I have no objections, your honor.
Katy Perry - Last Friday night (T.G.I.F.)
Never really got into her previous "E.T."-single, but this one really hits the spot. The outfits and haircuts in the video are a bit like "Hot Tub Time Machine", and the song and lyrics are pretty funny as well ("think I'll have a ginger ale/that was such an epic fail").
Kaiser Chiefs - Little shocks
I was really unimpressed with recent Kaiser Chiefs performances, and the new single is just no fun.
Rock/Indie
Cold War Kids - Finally begin
Seems like somebody slipped these guys a Vampire Weekend cd, the African-inspired guitars polishes their once edgy sound into the realms of all things pop.
The Naked And The Famous - Young blood
It doesn't happen that often that a band from New Zealand attempts an international breakthrough, but these kiwis with their bombastic, electronic sound might just have a shot.
Death Cab For Cutie - You are a tourist
The main selling point of the new DCFC single is the repetitive cheerful guitar riff. Ben Gibbards haircut may induce temporary blindness and should be punishable by law.
The Horrors - Still life
The Horrors are back, once again with a new sound, slower and less eerie and abrasive than the "Primary Colours"-record.
Bon Iver - Calgary
Nothing wrong with the new Bon Iver single, choosing a less acoustic and more electronic path than the "For Emma, forever ago"-album. Almost has a sacral, religious vibe to it.
The Shoes - People moving
Two brothers from France, recommended for "Tv On The Radio"-fans, because the vocals sound very similar.
The Joy Formidable - Whirring
Hitting the radio waves from Wales, this female fronted three-piece and their bombastic indie rock. The frontwoman is called Ritzy, if someone was looking for baby names inspiration. I'd never heard of the word 'abacus', but with a little help from my trusted friend wiktionary, I'll go ahead and guess it's used here in it's architectural meaning: "The uppermost member or division of the capital of a column, immediately under the architrave."
The Joy Formidable - A heavy abacus
Glasvegas - Lots sometimes
There's not a lot of buzz regarding the latest album by these Scots, but anyone with a lost adolescent crush will be able to relate to the lyrics here.
Warpaint - Bees
Saw this track in the Glastonbury coverage and it blew me away. Great, compelling bass sound. Fabulous song structure. Eerie guitar riffs. The post-rock influence in the riffs bar the usual obligatory endless repetitiveness. The fun thing about this band is trying to ascertain which band member is the hottest. The main vocalist used to be/is a model, and the main guitarist dated John Frusciante once upon a time, but the slightly boyish bassist is also a force to be reckoned with, and we all know there's nothing sexier than a female that knows how to play the drums. Really tough call.
Yuck - Holing out
Album review coming up, this London outfit is succesfully reviving the nineties alternative rock/grunge scene. They seem to have a thing for videos that aren't quite suited for work, and this track features pretty much the same guitar solo twice because it's that good.
