Where: In the study table.
Now Playing: "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" by Foster the People.
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The 2011 music industry has some great highlights either in mainstream or the underground scene but nonetheless, here are the albums that I found interesting this year:
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"Angles" by The Strokes.
After a five-year hiatus, which Julian Casablancas had his solo album at that duration, The Strokes are back with "Angles". I found the album pretty much the same with the previous 2 albums yet it has a twist. I found "Under Cover of Darkness" a great track to listen to and so as "Machu Picchu" and "Taken for a Fool".
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"The King is Dead" by The Decemberists.
A nice way to start the year with a new album from the indie folk band The Decemberists. After decades of making music, I found this new album not as good as the previous ones yet I think that the songs in the album are underrated and worth to listen to. "Down by the Water" is one of my favorite tracks from the said album.
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"Torches" by Foster the People.
I've heard of Foster the People in early 2010 since they released their EP and "Pumped Up Kicks" is one hell of a track. I was just eventually shocked when this song hit the mainstream and the band itself. I just remember MGMT's days with "Oracular Spectacular" on how the listeners love their songs. 10 tracks of single-worthy, catchy, and psychedelic music. Other songs like "Waste", "Warrant", "Call Me Want You Want" and "Helena Beat" did give some bats and made me dance randomly. Yeah, first album to be remembered.
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"Zonoscope by Cut Copy.
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This is one of my most anticipated albums. Whenever there's a Cut Copy release, I've always come to hear it as early as I can and the album turned out to be great. Reminds me of Kraftwerk and The Cure in one album. "Take Me Over", "Need You Now", "Where I'm Going" and "Blink and You'll Miss a Revolution" are my personal favorites to the album with also has the most interesting and creative album art but I still think that their 2008 album, "In Ghost Colours", is still their best album.
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"21" by Adele.
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This album is definitely a stronger attempt than Adele's debut album, "19". More feeling, soulful, and emotions. "Rolling in the Deep" is just one hell of a song. Catchy yet I can feel the song within the lyrics. "Chasing Pavements" from "19" is good and with soul, it's such that "21" has more vocal power to emphasize emotion. "Set Fire to the Rain", "Someone Like You" and "Rumour Has It" are the tracks that catches my attention and they are great songs to listen. As Adele puts her age in her albums, I feel that the more she matures along with her musicality and composition. A very strong contender for Album of the Year. No doubt.
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"The King of Limbs" by Radiohead.
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Well, when I first heard the 8-track album, "The King of Limbs" by one of the most influential alternative rock acts Radiohead, I was expecting much more from this probably because Thom Yorke and the gang had problems with making the album but the tracks like "Lotus Flower", "Little by Little" and "Bloom" are totally eargasmic and unique just like 1997 all-over again. I'd say, although with the end track "Separator", I knew that there will be more to come to Radiohead to somehow stick this album to a whole new one. They are not done yet folks!
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"Bon Iver, Bon Iver" by Bon Iver.
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Well, Justin Vernon has one of the soothing voices I've ever heard and he and the rest of Bon Iver continued with their critical success with this new album. Not only critical success but commercial success as well with the album garnering 2nd in the Billboard 200 during its release week last June. The one of the critically-acclaimed songs of the year, "Holocene" is really an amazing track, no wonder it was praised by music critics like Pitchfork, NME, and more. Other tracks like "Perth", "Calgary", and "Hinnom, TX", which obviously are places (some are fictional) yet catches me away and felt like I've been into that place, fantasy or reality. The album was nominated to the Best Alternative Music Album of the 54th Grammys in February next year and Bon Iver have 3 other nods like Best New Artist and Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Holocene". Good luck next year, Justin.
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"Thank You, Happy Birthday" by Cage the Elephant.
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After the success of their first and self-titled album, including my favorite track in the album, "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked", Matt Shultz and the rest of Cage the Elephant are back, welcoming 2011 with a blockbuster album, "Thank You, Happy Birthday". The band became serious now in making great music this time and with this 12-track album of pure awesomeness, includes "Shake Me Down", "Around My Head" and "Aberdeen", I would say they can be a serious contender to the category this year IMO, yet the album is a bit underrated. Like Bon Iver's latest album, the album has peaked into the no. 2 slot in the Billboard 200 this year just only behind "The King is Dead" by indie folk band The Decemberists.
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"Hurry Up, We're Dreaming" by M83.
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Anthony Gonzalez continues to amaze me with his previous works and now with M83's new release, "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming", my head goes banging to every beat of each of the two CDs and like I was in a different universe, CD after CD. The combination of electronica with some lo-fi with some dream pop tracks with a little saxophone in some tracks is really something. "Midnight City", "Steve McQueen", "OK Pal", "Claudia Lewis" and "Reunion", just too many tracks to love from this epic album. I would be thrilling to say that this is one of the best albums I heard this year and probably, in my whole life. Just epic.
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"Wounded Rhymes" by Lykke Li.
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Lykke Zachrisson a.k.a. Lykke Li once again proved that she's one to look out for this year of music. When I first heard her first single for "Wounded Rhymes" entitled "Get Some" late last year on radio, I like the upbeats yet the lyric of the said song made me think like she's singing this song to me with humility yet I don't 'get some' issues with it because of the composition. "I Follow Rivers" was somehow caught my attention like when I first heard "Little Bit" in her first album, "Youth Novels". Surprised that Glee covered this song and "Love Out of Lust" was just amazing. Kind of a dreamy-erotic themed album yet again from Lykke Li but music-wise, great.
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