Saturday, December 24, 2011

Shanimal's Top Ten of Eleven


Shanimal’s Top Ten of Eleven
I feel like every time I do these lists, like homework, I am enthusiastic starting them, get really into them but then end up rushing my thoughts and opinions once I get to the very end to JUST GET IT DONE.  So I’ve warned you, but hopefully the music speaks for itself. 




The Black Keys- El Camino
This album hasn’t been out much of 2011, but it’s pretty f’ing solid.  Loud, fast, hard and dirty—the way I like it.




Cut/Copy – Zonoscope – Summer Jammmmmssss…This album makes me want to have a drug-induced haze dance party. My memories of seeing them at Turner Hall with Washed Out are very foggy and glittery. Favorite tracks: Need You Now, Blink and You’ll Miss a Revolution, and Hanging on to Every Heartbeat.  This is the closest to electronica/techno that I’ll get, thankfully its 80s influences outweigh the techno in my opinion.




 Arctic Monkeys – Suck it and See
Classic Rock feel at its best.  I personally was more into 2009’s Humbug because of its intense darkness heavily influenced by the Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme.  On this album you can definitely hear the Bowie/Cash/Cohen influences, but the band’s lyrical genius remains prominent on this album with its often punny lyrics. Favorite tracks : She’s Thunderstorms, The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala, Reckless Serenade, Piledriver Waltz and Love is a Lazerquest.  Seeing them preform this album & songs at the Rave (although, not as great as Pabst/Riverside Turner J_ ) made me get more into this album.





 The Kills – Blood Pressures – I think “Future Starts Slow” was probably the one of my most played songs of the summer and it definatley was a summer album for me.  Catchy guitar riffs, nitty-gritty vocals and total garage rock feel got me hooked on this album, definitely worth a listen.




Washed Out- Within & Without  - This was an album I got really into in the summertime, laying around and cuddling with my boyfriend.  That’s pretty much all I did when listening to this album, I don’t recall tracks or names cause it was something I just sat there and spaced out to.  Great album.  I also am going to be honest and admit that I’m getting lazy and don’t feel like going in depth about stuff and just want to hurry and finish this list off, but it was an amazing album..definitely “chillwave” J




 Cults – Cults “Abducted”  is so catchy, it has been my ringtone for the last 6 months.  This band was also a summer-y obsession for me.   I really like the 60s-Supremes-influence that you can definitely hear when you play this album.  Underrated track for sure was “Rave On.”  Brilliant album.




 The Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde
This album should be on everyone’s…nuff said. I still can’t get over the fact that the band is all in their early 20s, with such a mature sound.  They pay homage to a lot of the Brit-pop that I have far loved and listened to in my teen years. 




Portugal, the Man – In the Mountain, In the Cloud  -Very happy and Bowie influenced, I wasn’t too familiar with this band prior to this album even though I knew they had been around awhile. This album just makes me happy and can always put me in a good mood and make me dance.  Such positive and eclectic music.  Seeing them at Turner Hall also gave them major bonus points.



Destroyer – Kaputt  I love the 80s feel I received from this album.  It was very dreamy and transitional for me and very easy to just lose yourself in.  I know it came out in early 2011, and I was listening to it during the last few months of winter ’11, but I went and revisited it and knew it still had high ranking even after not listening to it as much in the summer. 




Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – It’s a Corporate World
Their Horsepower EP really got me noticing this band, and then they came and just knocked it out of the park with their full length. My boyfriend put it best as saying this album is like a giant stoner dream, with the exception of the cover of Gil Scott Heron’s “We Almost Lost Detroit.”   Which actually was the standout track for me and was also a summer jam for me as well.  Lyrically and harmonically this album is solid and they proved that they are more than just one half of the guys from the “Free Credit Score” commercials. Seeing them live in Chicago a little while ago was amazing and I got even more into this album than I was already.  Amazing album, well put-together. Bravo, gentlemen.


Honorable Mentions : (aka I listened to them but not nearly enough)

The Joy Formindable – The Big Roar
The Field – Looping State of Mind
Los Campesinos! – Hello, Sadness
Real Estate – Days
St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
Tune-Yards – W H O K I L L
Atlas Sound - Parallax

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