Best of 2011: Top 25 Albums of the Year (plus a long list of honorable mentions) and a spotify playlist

Oh 2011, good riddance. You've been a decent year but the media/arts output especially in music has been critically underwhelming. Maybe some recent years have been so good that we've come to expect a musical revolution to occur every year. If there was a year worthy of skipping lists and contenders with the increasing influx of releases from all angles, you'd be a good year to set a precedence.

There's some good stuff in you but all time classics that will continually pop up in a collection are few and far between. Opening a new decade is a tough job but when the 2010's are up, you will hardly be remembered or mentioned. Either way, a year is over and the kids want a list so here it is.

1. It's a Corporate World by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
   
   The top of the heap goes to a debut that I've been anticipating for quite a while after getting a taste of their 2010 Horse Power EP. The promise carried over in a eclectic collection of jangly, infectious pop.
   
   Full of effervescent energy, vigor and craftsmanship, It's A Corporate World delivers track after track. Catchy, peppy, and invigorating from the word go.
   
   Despite the perceived silly name, DEJJ have a cacophony of vibes to impart on a listener, looking for hook-filled pop perfection.
   
   It may not be the most daring, challenging, or coolest album in history but credit the quality, consistency, and whistle-ability for making it easily the most worn out LP (digitally of course) across my music collection in 2011.
2. Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming by M83 
3. Zonoscope by Cut Copy
   
   
4. Apocalypse by Bill Callahan
5. Let England Shake by PJ Harvey (Welcome back Ms. Harvey.)
6. Days by Real Estate
7. Smoke Ring for My Halo by Kurt Vile
8. Drive (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
   Only four songs besides the high quality Cliff Martinez instrumentals but those four tracks are infinitely awesome.
9. In The Mountain, In the Cloud by Portugal. The Man
10. The Year of Hibernation by Youth Lagoon
    
    
11. Reptilians by Starfuckers
12. Bon Iver by Bon Iver
13. Father, Son, Holy Ghost by Girls
14. The King of Limbs by Radiohead
    They are my all-time favorite band and this may be a bit of posterity reach but it's my f'in list.
    
15. Gimme Some by Peter Bjorn and John
    Everyone was on board after "Young Folks" but then completely lost interest yet these Scandanavians can really write a catchy tune.
16. No Color by Dodos
    Another "it" band from a few years back didn't get enough love for their follow up.
17. The Whole Love by Wilco 
18. Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes
    
    
19. 12 Desperate Straight Lines by Telekinesis
    Their last effort was amazing. This album is pretty high quality.
    
    
20. Living Room Songs by Olafur Arnalds
21. Dye It Blonde by Smith Westerns
22. Circuital by My Morning Jacket
    
23. Tomboy by Panda Bear
24. Bad as Me by Tom Waits
25. Build a Rocket Boys by Elbow

Honorable Mentions ('cause they all deserve some credit)

Part Lies Part Heart Part Truth Part Garbage: 1982-2011 by  R.E.M.

Greatest hits aren't eligible for the list but in honor of the recent demise, pack some R.E.M into a playlist before the New Year. I mean, what's a holiday mix without some "E-Bow the Letter"? Even their latest record had some pretty good tracks.






Tago Mago (40^th Anniversary Edition) by Can

Don't usually do reissues either but I love me some Can and Tago Mago is a good gateway drug from a band that is too often overlooked in the history of music.


In Light by Givers
whokill by tuneyards
Diaper Island by Chad Van Gaalen
Divine Providence by Deer Tick
Within and Without by Washed Out
Slave Ambient by The War on Drugs
Era Extrana by Neon Indian
Life Fantastic by Man Man
Goblin by Tyler the Creator
Thursday by The Weeknd
C’mon by Low
Kiss Each Other Clean by Iron & Wine

And don't forget your free parting gift/goody bag, a lengthy Best of 2011 Spotify Mix, 5 hours full of the best that the year had to offer (although some great sadly aren't available on there). Enjoy and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

I Wish I Worked For Esteban

As I sit here enjoying, Esteban Master Class, a 30 min infomercial starring the true star of all music teaching infomercials, on the excellent Pax Network no less, it dawned on me that I hadn't blogged in weeks and that one person has checked it on an almost daily, devotional (obsessive) basis, just dying for an update.

I thought of how I wish I was apprenticing to be Esteban because my 14 hour day entailed insistent loud volume editing of a 3 minute long ridiculous video by my newly obsessed by You Tube boss. He heard about it a couple of days ago. He thinks it's the future and wonders why people can't spell. Then he asked me how to spell "therefore" and "your." Make sure to pay important attention to his important note, "I upload therefore I am," which was originally "I upload so therefore I am."



And then there was the midnight insistence that I act in this fantastic piece of Halloween Propaganda:


We only did five takes. It was a great night.

Remember BaronBob is a star but Esteban is a Pax Star.

And while I'm pumping some bad videos, here are 2 videos for my new favorite songs:


Malajube "Montreal"


"Young Folks" by Peter, Bjorn, & John



Then there's I'm Form Barcelona's "Treehouse" which should but doesn't have a cutesy video. But you can see another video by them here. Not on YouTube (gasp!) All this peppy music and I'm still int eh dumps. That's what Internet retail does to a man, even of my super powers.

On the TV Front I read something...

TV Squad blogged on the newest cast members of the best show on TV - dos y cuatro AKA 24: " That's right - Deadwood's Cy Tolliver meets Babe's Father Hoggett meets The Boondocks' Huey Freeman meets Kumar. Who doesn't want to see that?" That's right Kumar/ Van Wilder's Indian friend will have the world in his hands.