My Favorite Albums Of 2011

The new year is here and I take a moment to finally look back at my favorite albums of 2011. This list is more comprehensive, and slightly revised, from the one published on Stereo Subversion a couple weeks ago. Clicking on the artist/title links will take you to a sample video from that album. So if there is something you are unfamiliar with, I highly recommend checking out the video. There are some hidden gems on my list that definitely deserve more recognition. Here is my top 25, and let's start at the top and go down...

1. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

Can anyone else make a album about World War II that is even remotely interesting? Only PJ. In the year when America was reminded of its own era of terror in marking the 10th anniversary of 9/11, PJ Harvey delivered a look at England's moment of pure panic. In a career filled with remarkable albums, this ranks among the top. 

2. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up

The former Butterfly, Ishmael Buttler, returned to the hip-hop spotlight with a groundbreaking album that—like his former Digable Planets persona— expanded the boundaries of black music. 

3. Chelsea Wolfe - Ἀποκάλυψις 

Doom folkstress Chelsea Wolfe’s sophomore album was more polished than her debut (released late 2010), but still retained the grit and frightfulness that makes her one of the most exciting new artists of the last year. 

4. Jessica Lea Mayfield - Tell Me

Tell Me was a giant step forward for Ms. Mayfield. No longer just playing the sullen girl, her songwriting has taken new avenues. Backed up by Dan Auerbach’s most pop friendly production, the two remain an impressive collaboration. 

5. Other Lives - Tamer Animals

The biggest surprise was this dark folk offering that is possibly the most lusciously gorgeous album of the year from beginning to end. There is not a single moment on here that doesn’t come off as brilliant. 

6. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Of all the indie bands of the past year, Bon Iver would be the last I would expect to have some sort of a commercial/pop culture crossover. But they did. And I can’t argue when it’s with an album this elegant.

7. The Roots - undun

A late addition to my favorites list, The Roots delivered a grand opus of an album. Personally, this ended a question I had been asking for a while: With close to 20 years under their belt, have the Roots become the greatest group in hip-hop history? Easily the answer is now YES!

8. Okkervil River - I Am Very Far

It’s odd how an Okkervil River album that is not meant to be a concept album (when most of them are) can still come off sounding like a concept album. It begins with a death, ends with a waking, and in between explores a dreamland of myths and self-realization. 

9. The Rosebuds - Loud Planes Fly Low

It was pretty much expected that following the divorce of Ivan and Kelly this would be a breakup album. It was actually heavier and sadder than that; a breakup album that doesn’t even directly address the breakup. Indeed it was a complicated dance move. 

10. Wye Oak - Civilian

Jenn and Andy have been on the fringe of an indie rock breakthrough since their first album. Their third LP finally achieved that for them and gave us the spectacular title-song, which is one of the best tracks of the year. 

Richard Phillips Pays Tribute to Women I Love, With Music By More Women I Love

Earlier in the month New York painter Richard Phillips released two (very) short films which in some way paid tribute to two controversial Hollywood figures that I absolutely love. To tickle my fancy even further he used new tunes from two musicians that I ridiculously love as well. The clips were part of his exhibition "Commercial Break” which made it's debut a couple weeks ago at the international art event Venice Biennale.

The first comes soundtracked by gothy-shoegazer Tamaryn, whose album The Waves continues to transfix me every time I listen to it. The subject and star is paparazzi target Lindsay Lohan and the film is a chance for her to show off her swimming skills and freckles. Yes indeed, I love that milkaholic Lindsay. In all seriousness, I am a huge fan of hers (don't judge). It may come as a surprise that littered on my walls, along with a Cat Power show poster and My Bloody Valentine LP covers, is a poster of Ms Lohan. Again, don't judge. I like girls with freckles.

In other Tamaryn news, a new 7" single from her side project Les Demoniaques is available for pre-order. Then in other Lindsay Lohan news, she seems to still be picking up gigs while on house arrest. Good for her?!?!


Phillips' other short film features Sasha Grey. Yes, that Sasha Grey! Sasha seems to be everywhere these days: Eminem videos, new photo book published, prepping for her next aTelecine album, and when you follow her on twitter you will realize she is actually friends with every single person you ever wanted to be friends with. Here we get quiet serene Sasha in a piece that (i think) abstractly looks at her rise to fame. The music comes from Grey's Pendu Sound label-mate Chelsea Wolfe. The song is "Moses" and is featured on Wolfe's soon to be released, spectacular sophomore album Ἀποκάλυψις. [Correction: this version of the song actually comes from Wolfe's debut The Grime And The Glow, a revamped version appears on Ἀποκάλυψις. Either way, I recommend both.] Twitter also tells me that Sasha Grey and Chelsea Wolfe recently did a photo shoot together. For what, I'm not sure. But I'm eagerly awaiting the full results. For now, the Phillips film below is enough to indulge in. 

Portrait: Chelsea Wolfe

Chelsea Wolfe

SXSW 2011

SXSW 2011: Highlight Videos pt.2

If you haven't listened to the new Wye Oak album Civilian, you are doing an injustice to yourself. It certainly makes the early best of the year list and is garnering the Baltimore duo a heap of praise. They have been selling out a lot of venues on their latest trek across the country and luckily they played several times during SXSW. So if you didn't get a chance to catch them that week, you have done yourself another injustice. But you can at least watch the video below of them performing the title song off the new album during the Merge Records showcase.

Also below is a great SXSW highlight from Austin's own Okkervil River giving us a blast from the Black Sheep Boy days. All good stuff.










See my SXSW Highlights blog posts here. For more SXSW videos please check out my youtube channel, and additional photos can be seen on my facebook.

SXSW 2011: Highlight Images pt.1

Another SXSW is in the bag. It's was my forth to be exact. Anyone who knows me personally, or follows me on twitter, has probably heard some trash talking coming from my side regarding South-by in the weeks leading up to it. I have my issues. Even in just the four short years I've attended, I've watched the event explode to an insurmountable level. It seems that the discovery of music has taken a backseat to tons of corporate sponsored parties that attract hordes of people who aren't even interested in music, just free beer. However when it's all said and done, I always have a blast. 

The photos that follow are the reasons why. I played it light this year and narrowed down a short MUST must-see list, which I pretty much got everyone checked off.  Number 1 on that list was Chelsea Wolfe, who I got a double shot of and was not disappointed. She sounded amazing, she was super gorgeous, and really friendly. Also on that list were Sharon Van Etten, La Sera, and Shabazz Palaces, who can all be seen below.

I'll have more SXSW images tomorrow, and videos later in the week. So please check back. 

Sharon Van Etten

Chelsea Wolfe

Dum Dum Girls 

 La Sera

Oh Land

 Shabazz Palaces

American Music Club

Wye Oak

i like Chelsea Wolfe: The Grime and The Glow & Ἀποκάλυψις

Everything about Chelsea Wolfe has come off as mysterious, and at some points even a little confusing. There was series of videos that looked like they could give even Freddy Kruger a nightmare. Her promotional photos frequently feature Wolfe out of focus or as a shadowy figure in the distance, almost in a matter to mask her identity. Then her debut album officially dropped the very last week of 2010, missing any of the end-of/best-of the year buzz that it should have garnered. One thing that has no mystery is the simple fact that her music is gorgeous.

Wolfe’s debut The Grime and The Glow has a lot of haunting echoes to it, both literally and figuratively. Wolfe’s ethereal voice creeps from out of the air like full moon lit incantations of a witchcraft ritual buried deep in the woods. The lo-fi production further clouds her with despair making each song sound like its a plea sung from the deathbed. On a song like “Noorus” she is able to conjure up angst and anger at PJ Harvey levels. The piano driven "Benjamin" and lullaby “Halfsleeper” create folk ballads as bare boned as Marissa Nadler. Tracks like “Deep Talks” and “Widow” are both frightening and mesmerizing in their pure goth madness.

Ἀποκάλυψις, which translates to Apocalypse, either predates or succeeds The Grime depending on where you look (this is where the confusion comes in). The production of this album definitely feels like a sophomore effort, as some songs reappear more polished and cleaner. All the dark elements are still present. There are plenty images of the antichrist, demons, and Moses on both. But here Wolfe’s vocals have been brought to the forefront more, so when she says a line like “We could be two straight lines in a crooked world,” we feel the full effect of its recluse emotion.

The two albums are lush introductions to the frightening world of Chelsea Wolfe. With the sudden reemergence of goth in the indie scene, these are essential. The Grime and The Glow is available on limited-edition vinyl from Pendu Sound, and digitally with bonus tracks at the usual online retailers. Ἀποκάλυψις is currently only available via bandcamp. [UPDATE 3.06.11: Ἀποκάλυψις is no longer available on bandcamp as it will soon be released on vinyl by Pendu Sound.]

...and now here are some creepy videos.