Best of 2011
Happy New Years! There's a fresh, exciting year ahead of us, but we here at CJLO want to take this chance to look back at 2011 and all the wonderful things it's offered. Our DJs and volunteers have taken the time to gather lists of their favourite music related things from this past year. The lists are as diverse as the musical selection we offer. Check them out and you might find something new and interesting.
Stephanie Saretsky
Station Manager & host of Let Them Eat Cake
Top 10 Albums of 2011
New in 2011
1. Braids – Native Speaker
2. Purity Ring – 7”
3. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
4. Zola Jesus – Contanus
5. Dum Dum Girls – Only In Dreams
Listened on Repeat
1. Sleater-Kinney – Dig Me Out
2. Robyn – Body Talk
3. Hole – Live Through This
4. Bikini Kill – The CD Version Of The First Two Records
5. Best Coast – Crazy For You
Singles that are so good I can’t wait for the full album
- Rye Rye – Hardcore Girls
- Azealia Banks – 212
- MicahTron – Do Me
- Robyn – Call Your Girlfriend
Danielle J
Co-host of Runny Noise
Best Albums of 2011
- David Lynch - Crazy Clown Time
- Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
- Death Grips - Exmilitary
- Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds - Gorilla Rose
- Peaking Lights - 936
- Thai?Dai! Compilation - Finders Keepers Records
- Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 2; Judges
- Vladislav Delay Quartet - Debut
- Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972
- Nicolas Jaar - Space is Only Noise
- Rustie - Glass Swords
Remission
Host of Let The Rhythm Hit Em
Top 10 Hip Hop Albums
1. Astronautalis - This Is Our Science
2. Grieves - Together / Apart
3. Sole And The Skyrider Band - Hello Cruel World
4. Kid Koala - Space Cadet: Original Still Picture Score
5. 13 & God - Own Your Ghost
6. Danny Brown - XXX
7. Scroobius Pip -Distraction Pieces
8. Long Arm - The Branches
9. C-Drick - La Veille École
10. Action Bronson - Dr. Lecter
Honorable Mentions:
- People Under The Stairs - HighLighter
- Evil Ebenezer -Evil Eye
- The Doppelgangaz - Lone Sharks
Johnny Suck
Host of Turn Down The Suck
Top 10 Albums of 2011
1. Dopethrone - Dark Foil
2. Ripper - Into Oblivion
3. Buffalo Witch - Buffalo Witch
4. Coliseum - Parasites
5. Barn Burner - Bangers II: Scum of The Earth
6. Toxic Holocaust - Conjure and Command
7. Waster - Waster
8. Morne - Asylum
9. The Warriors - See How You Are
10. Hank III - 3 Bar Ranch Cattle Callin'
Mason W
Host of Midnight Love Affair
Note: None of these are in any real order, but they came to mind in this order, so that should reflect something.
Top Albums of 2011
- Sean Nicholas Savage - Flamingo (Arbutus Records),"Trippple Midnight Karma", and split-tape "Won Ton
Jazz" with Kool Music
- The Stepkids - The Stepkids (Stones Throw Records)
- Rich Aucoin - We're All Dying To Live (Self-Released)
- Magical Cloudz - II (Arbutus Records)
- Miracle Fortress - Was I The Wave? (Secret City)
- Panda Bear - Tomboy (Paw Tracks Records)
- Peaking Lights - 936 (Not Not Fun Records)
- Pat Jordache - Future Songs (Constellation Records)
- Sandro Perri - Impossible Spaces (Constellation Records)
- Jens Lekman - An Argument With Myself EP (Secretly Canadian)
- d'Eon & Grimes - Darkbloom (Arbutus/Hippos In Tanks)
- Makeout Videotape - Rock and Roll Nightclub (Self-Released)
- Mayer Hawthorne - How Do You Do (Stones Throw Records)
- The Group Sound - Secret Girlfriend (Totally Disconnected)
- Tonstartssbandhit - Now I Am Become (Arbutus Records)
Favourite Non-2011 Listens In 2011
- Scott Walker - Scott 4 (Philips/Fontana, 1969)
- Kisses - Heart of the Nightlife (This is Music, 2010)
- Donald Fagen - The Nightfly (Warner Bros., 1982)
- Al Stewart - Year of The Cat (Janus, 1976)
- The Zombies - Begin Here (Decca, 1965)
- Fleetwood Mac - Mystery To Me (Reprise, 1973)
- Little Anthony & The Imperials (United Artists, 1969)
- Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (Caribou, 1977)
- George Benson - Weekend In L.A. (Warner Bros., 1978)
- Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele - The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele (Paw
Tracks, 2009)
Rebecca M
Host of The Commonwealth Conundrum
Wow, I can’t believe that it is that time of the year again! This year is a complete blur, but I did manage to come up with what I believe were some awesome albums this year…
1. Fucked Up - David Comes to Life
2. Madam Raz - EP
3. Odonis Odonis - Hollandaze
4. Handsome Furs - Sound Kapital
5. City and Colour - Little Hell
6. Dinosaur Bones - My Divider
7. Mogwai - Earth Division EP
8. Hey Rosetta- Seeds
9. Kestrels - The Solipsist EP
10. Cursed Arrows - The Madness of Crowds
11. The Minutes - Marcata
12. Chad VanGaalen - Diaper Island
The C.C.’s Top Wonderful Surprises of 2011
New Zealand’s Pickachunes (Nervous) and Golden Awesome (Astronomy)
And the biggest one of all: Half Moon Run (Full Circle, She Wants to Know)! The band to watch!
#1 Album of the Year, without any doubt in my mind
Fucked Up - David Comes to Life
An epic hardcore punk opera with one of the most pretentious meta plot lines ever conceived. It has every right to be terrible, but instead it's the best album of the year. If this one doesn't win the Polaris Award this year, it will be a crime.
Other albums from 2011 that I enjoyed
- Atlas Sound - Parallax
- Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
- Black Lips - Arabia Mountain
- Cults - Cults
- Childish Gambino - Camp
- Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
- Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
- Various Artists (AKA Fucked Up and guests) - David's Town
- J Mascis - Several Shades of Why
- JEFF the Brotherhood - We Are the Champions
- Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
- R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now
- Smith Westerns - Dye it Blonde
- Thee Oh Sees - Castlemania and Carrion Crawler / The Dream
- TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light
- Vivian Girls - Share the Joy
- Wilco - The Whole Love
Favourite Discovery:
Kvelertak - S/T (2010)
Best 7"/EP of the year:
TV Casualty
Ted Leo doing his amazing Danzig impression by covering 6 Misfits songs for charity. Oh, and it's on blood red vinyl.
Best re-issue of the year
Beach Boys - The SMiLE Sessions (Deluxe edition with 5 CDs, 2 LPs and 2 7" singles!)
My favourite song of the year
Deerhunter - Nosebleed
The B-side of the "Memory Boy" single. Basically, it's Deerhunter channeling Jay Reatard (RIP), but it's so good!
Favourite Big-Ass Show of Year
Foo Fighters, Doughboys and Fucked Up at the Bell Center
Favourite Small-Ass Show of Year
Doughboys at Club Lambi
It was a secret show after the Foo Fighters concert. I almost met Dave Grohl outside the club afterwards, but kinda chickened out. I also really regret not chatting with Pat Smear.
DJ Catatonia
Host of Radio Hades
Top Metal Releases
- Yob - Atma
- Autopsy - Macabre Eternal
- Morne - Asylum
- Necros Christos - Doom Of The Occult
- Inquisition - Ominous Doctrines Of The Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm
- Graveyard - Hisingen Blues
- Wolves In The Throne Room - Celestial Lineage
- Grayceon - All We Destroy
- Ghost - Opus Eponymous
- Saturnalia Temple - Aion Of Drakon
Memorable Concerts
- Agalloch @ Petit Campus
- Yob, Dark Castle and Ensorcelor @ Katacombes
Kevin G
Funding and Promotions Coordinator
My ten favorite albums for 2011 are heavily influenced by the fact that some of my favorite artists released music this past year.
Top Albums
- Snailhouse — Sentimental Gentleman ("I Never Woke Up" is one of my favorite tracks of 2011)
- The Barr Brothers — The Barr Brothers
- Les Breastfeeders — Dans la Gueule des Jours
- Elliott Brood — Days Into Years (listening to Elliott Brood is like eating your favorite comfort food, or
putting on the old wool sweater that you’ve had for years)
- Fucked Up — David Comes to Life (punk opera concept album anyone?!?)
- Amon Tobin — Isam (In my mind, Amon Tobin can do no wrong)
- tUnE-yArDs — Whokill (absolutely destroyed her Pop Montreal appearance in September. By far the best
concert for me in 2011)
- Siskiyou — Keep Away from the Dead (Perfect timing for this album, as I started listening to it when I
starting watching the first season of The Walking Dead)
- Pat Jordache — Future Songs ("Get It (I Know That You Going To)" is another of my favorite tracks of
2011)
- The Luyas — Too Beautiful To Work
Most Played 2010 Albums in 2011
- Matt & Kim — Sidewalks
- PS I Love You — Meet Me At the Muster Station
Both could be Album of the Decade for me.
Several reasons why you should be optimistic about the future
- Writer’s Strike — Stay Down EP
- Armen At The Bazaar — Noor EP
- The Blisters — Insects EP
- Open Arms, Fast Hands — demos demos demos
- Eucalyptus — Eeeeeuuucaaaaaaallyyypppptus
- Shaker Hymns — Shaker Hymns
- Honheehonhee — Shouts
- Terra Lightfoot — Terra Lightfoot
Kayleigh
Campus Outreach Coordinator
Top Albums
- The Pack AD – Unpersons
- Saint Vincent – Strange Mercy
- Feist – Metals
- M83 – Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
- Austra – Feel It Break
- Mister Heavenly – Out Of Love
- PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
- Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch The Throne
- Fucked Up – David Comes to Life
- Bry Webb – Provider
Stephanie Dee
Host of Twee Time
Band of the Year
JEFF: The Brotherhood
We Are the Champions, as much as I liked the album, does not do these guys justice. You must see brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall perform live to really experience the filthy, fuzzy binding of all the music that I love: garage, punk, psych, rock, and pop. It's unbelievable what JEFF can do with only three drums, three cymbals, and a three-string guitar. I don't believe in pedal effects; this sound comes straight from the soul.
Listen to: Ripper / Shredder / Wastoid Girl
Fave 2011 Releases
- Ringo Deathstarr - Colour Trip
Listen to: Imagine Hearts / So High
- Kids on a Crime Spree - We Love You So Bad
Listen to: I Don't Wanna Call You Baby, Baby / To Mess with Dynamite
- Bearsuit - The Phantom Forest
Listen to: Cut Loose / Please Don't Take Him Back
- The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar
Listen to: Austere / Whirring
- Cults – Cults
Listen to: Abducted / Go Outside
Fave Non-2011 Releases Listened to in 2011
- The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St.
- Peach Kelli Pop - Peach Kelli Pop
- Nobunny - Raw Romance
- The Feelies - The Good Earth
- Red Mass - 7-Song EP
Live Shows to Remember
- JEFF: The Brotherhood with Uncle Bad Touch and Peach Kelli Pop (Club Lambi)
- JEFF: The Brotherhood with The Spits and Neil Hamburger (Club Soda, vice.com launch party)
- The Strange Boys with White Fence (Il Motore)
- Parlovr, The Barr Brothers, and Passwords (Arlene's Grocery, M pour Montréal CMJ Showcase)
- Nightseeker with Metalian (Katacombes)
Memorable Moments
- Seeing JEFF: The Brotherhood for the first time
- Nobunny materializing on stage at Casa del Popolo to the sound of squealing girls
- Non-stop, 48-hour, no-sleep, espresso-shot-partying with the CJLO peeps in New York City
- Meeting Dean "The Deaner" Murdoch from FUBAR/Nightseeker
- The return of The Adam Brown (Royal Phoenix Bar, Pop Montreal)
Most Annoying Moment
- Being too poor for Osheaga
Biggest Disappointment
- The Rapture
Denis A
Host of Dirty Work
Top 10 Releases of 2011
1. Mogwai -- Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
2. Ume -- Phantoms
3. True Widow -- As High As the Highest Heavens and from the Center to the Circumference of the Earth
4. The Joy Formidable -- The Big Roar
5. Weekend -- Red EP
6. Mansions -- Dig Up The Dead
7. M83 -- Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
8. Death Letters -- Post-Historic
9. Implodes -- Black Earth
10. Handsome Furs -- Sound Kapital
Honourable Mentions
- Taperecorder -- The Devil Is A Busy Man
- Colourmusic -- My _____ is Pink
- Police Teeth -- Awesomer Than The Devil
Anna C
Host of Purple Carrot
Top Ten Songs of 2011
1. Crystal Stilts - Shake the Shackles
2. Twin Sister - Daniel3. Vetiver - Can't You Tell
4. The Black Keys - Dead and Gone
5. Cults - Go Outside
6. The Dodos - Don't Try and Hide It
7. Veronica Falls - Found Love in a Graveyard
8. Megafaun - Second Friend
9. Cass McCombs - County Line
10.Young Galaxy -We Have Everything
This year all my greatest moments revolved around the uprising of amazing Montreal hip-hop, so here’s a list of my 10 favorites.
Favorite Local Albums
1. Heavy Soundz ‘Tumba Parlantes’
Defining Track: ‘Lo Que Soy’ and ‘Que Voy Hacer’ (ft. Boogat)
2. The Narcicyst ‘Live at Transmusicales Rennes’
Defining Track: ‘Ladieapella’ and ‘Sumeria’
3. Dr. Mad ‘People Tape V.2’
Defining Track: ‘Everybody Sings’ and ‘Drum Master’
4. Full Course ‘Entrée’
Defining Track: ‘Waiting on You’ and ‘Rencontrer’
5. Sarah MK ‘Worth it’
Defining Track: ‘It’s Here’ and ‘Should’ve (Part 1)’
6. High-Klassified and MusoNi ‘90s Babies vol.1’
Defining Track: Chocolate.Chipsounds (High-Klassified), Shampooing Fortifant(Musoni)
7. Street Hearts ‘Debut EP’(They go by Heart Streets now)
Defining Track: ‘Make Way’
8. Sarah Linhares ‘Messages from the Future’
Defining Track: ‘Here’ (Prod.Think Twice)
9. Jah Faith ‘Secret Revolutionary Mixtape’
Defining Track: ‘We are One’ (ft. Butta Beats & Monk E), ‘Bless Dem’ and ‘Amor aPrimera Vista’
10. CeasRock ‘The Exception’
Defining Track: ‘Open’ (ft. The Narcicyst and Uness), ‘On My Wait’, and ‘Backstabberz’
Honorable mentions
- Ruckus ‘Round One’
- OG Hindu Kush ‘OG Hindu Kush: In 3D’
- Conn Shawnery ’-Cs01-’
- Dr. Mad ‘Circuit_Emotionnel’
I really urge you to go check these albums out; most of them are free and, if not, they’re dirt-cheap, so there’s no excuse.
Top International Albums
- DJ Jazzy Jeff and Ayah ‘Back for More’
- Obsesion ‘El Disco Negro’
Brian H
Host of Countdown to Armageddon
Counting up. Countdown down. Sideways. Placing one record above/below another. Turning the pencil around to use the eraser. Once. Twice. Thrice. Thinking, counting. Quantifying. A tedious task.
This year, I took a different approach to composing this list, using the number of plays garnered in/around my workspace and my home life as an indicator of enjoyment. Did I forget an album or two? Probably. But I know that the list below is of records that I listened to a number of times, and enjoyed the hell out of. There's no hard science behind this, just a smile whenever a song from one of these projects comes on.
- Death Grips - Ex-Military (self-released)
- Frank Ocean - Nostalgia ULTRA (self-released)
- The Weeknd - House Of Balloons (self-released)
- Mastodon - The Hunter (Reprise Records)
- OG Hindu Kush - In 3D (self-released)
- D-Sisive - Run With The Creeps (URBnet)
- Machine Head - Unto The Locust (Roadrunner Records)
- The Weeknd - Echoes Of Silence (self-released)
- Dead And Divine - Antimacy (Distort Entertainment)
- Various Artists - Maybach Music Present: Self-Made Vol. 1 (MMG/Warner)
- Wale - Ambition (MMG/Warner)
- Wugazi - 13 Chambers (self-released)
- Stalley - Lincoln Way Heights (self-released)
- Babe Rainbow - Endless Path EP (Warp)
- BADBADNOTGOOD - BADBADNOTGOOD (self-released)
- Casey Veggies - Sleeping In Class (self-released)
- Charles Bradley - No Time For Dreaming (Daptone Records)
- Childish Gambino - EP (self-released)
- Chimaira - The Age Of Hell (E1)
- Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats - Blood Lust (Rise Above Records)
- Trivium - In Waves (Roadrunner)
- Common - The Dreamer The Believer (Warner bros.)
- Danny Brown - XXX (self-released)
- d'eon/Grimes - Darkbloom EP (Arbutus Records)
- Devin Townsend Band - Deconstruction (HevyDevy/InsideOut Music)
- Action Bronson - Dr. Lecter (Fine Fabric Delegates)
- Foo Fighters - Wasting Light (RCA)
- Foundation - When The Smoke Clears (Bridge Nine Records)
- Fucked Up - David Comes to Life (Matador)
- The Game - RED Album (Interscope)
- James Blake - James Blake (Polydor)
- Jay-Z/Kanye West - Watch The Throne (Roc Nation/Def Jam)
- Junior Battles - Idle Ages (Paper and Plastick)
- Kendrick Lamar - Section80 (Top Dawg Entertainment)
- My Morning Jacket - Circuital (ATO Records)
- Opeth - Heritage (Roadrunner Records)
- Pusha T - Fear Of God / Fear Of God II (self-released / G.O.O.D.)
- Revocation - Chaos Of Forms (Relapse Records)
- The Roots - undun (Def Jam)
- Scroobius Pip - Distraction Pieces (Strange Famous Records)
- Skeletonwitch - Forever Abomination (Prosthetic)
- Stateless - Matilda (Ninja Tune)
- Tech N9ne - All 6s and 7s (Strange Music)
- Thursday - No Devolucion (Epitaph)
Omar Husain
Host of Hooked on Sonics and Head Music Director
1. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (Mute)
2. Fucked Up - David Comes to Life (Matador)
3. Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will (Sub Pop)
4. Ume - Phantoms (Modern Outsider)
5. Wugazi - 13 Chambers (self-released)
6. Austra - Feel It Break (Paperbag/Domino)
7. Death Grips - Exmilitary (self-released)
8. Implodes - Black Earth (Kranky)
9. Mansions - Dig Up the Dead (Burning House/King Bones)
10. Joy Formidable - The Big Roar (Atlantic)
11. Wye Oak - Civilian (Merge)
12. Bon Iver - Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar)
13. Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges(Constellation)
14. Small Brown Bike - Fell and Found (No Idea)
15. Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong (Slumberland)
Louis Rozza
Former Co-Host of Hooked on Sonics and Former CJLO Music Director
1. M83: Hurry Up We're Dreaming
2. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
3. Thrice: Major/Minor
4. The Horrors: Skying
5. Arctic Monkey's: Suck It And See
6. Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues
7. Gruff Rhys: Hotel Shampoo
8. The Strokes: Angles
9. Panda Bear: Tomboy
10. The Streets: Computers and Blues
11. Eleanor Friedberger: Last Summer
12. Mogwai: Hardcore will never die but you will
13. Radiohead: TKOL Remixes
14. Bjork: Biophilia
15. Ladytron: Gravity the Seducer
Josh Mocle
Former Host of The Kids Are So-So and former CJLO News Director
Best LPs of 2011
1. Fucked Up - David Comes to Life (Matador)
2. Bridge and Tunnel - Rebuilding Year (No Idea)
3. City of Ships - Minor World (Translation Loss/Sound Study)
4. Junior Battles - Idle Ages (Paper & Plastick)
5. Doomtree - No Kings (Doomtree)
6. Lemuria - Pebble (Bridge 9)
7. Dead to Me - Moscow Penny Ante (Fat Wreck)
8. Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones (Epitaph)
9. White Wives - Absolutions (Adeline)
10. Thursday - No Devolucion (Epitaph)
11. Samiam - Trips (Hopeless)
12. Dave Hause - Resolutions (Paper & Plastick)
13. Hawks and Doves - Year One (No Idea)
14 Mastodon - The Hunter (Warner)
15. Ampere - Like Shadows (No Idea)
Best EPs of 2011
1. Against Me! - Russian Spies/Occult Enemies (Sabot Productions)
2. Punch - Nothing Lasts (Deathwish)
3. Hot Water Music - The Fire, The Steel, The Tread (No Idea)
4. The Bomb - The Challenger (No Idea)
5. Dig It Up/Prevenge Split (Pavones)
6. Daytrader - The Last Days of Rome (Independent)
7. The Riverboat Gamblers - Snatch/Grab (Paper & Plastick)
8. Armalite - Humungus (No Idea)
9. Gallows - Death is Birth (Warner)
10. Jeff Rowe - New Winter, New England (Anchorless)
Julie M
Host of With Gay Abandon
1. IOOO IO - Adventure
2. Cris Derksen - The Cusp
3. Foxes In Fiction - Hospital District / Static Cults 7"
4. UN - UN
5. Heidi Mortenseon - Run For Covers 1
6. Austra - Feel It Break
7. Thao & Mirah - Thao & Mirah
8. Light Fires - 10 FT Tall/If You're Bored 7"
9. Mensch - Dance and Die Hard
10. Braids - Native Speaker
Mike Bresciani
Former host of The Lonesome Strangers
20 favorite albums of 2011
1. Bon Iver–Bon Iver
2. Yuck–Yuck
3. M83–Hurry up, we’re dreaming
4. The War on Drugs–Slave ambient
5. Fleet Foxes–Helplessness Blues
6. Destroyer–Kaputt
7. Girls–Father, Son, Holy ghost
8. Theophilus London–The Timez are weird these days
9. Atlas Sound–Parallax
10. Washed out–Within and without
11. Kurt Vile–Smoke ring for my halo
12. The Drums-Portamento
13. Fucked Up–David comes to Life
14. The City Streets–The Jazz Age
15. Charles Bradley–No time for Dreaming
16. The Bats–Free all monsters
17. Youth Lagoon–The year of hibernation
18. The Dodos–No Color
19. Tom Waits–Bad as me
20. Toro Y Moi–Underneath the pine
Honorable Mentions
- Adele–21
- Hooded fang–Tosta Mista
- Smith Westerns–Dye it blonde
- Ryan Adams–Ashes & Fire
- The Mountain Goats–All eternals’ deck
- Big Troubles–Romantic Comedy
- We were promised jetpacks –In the pit of the stomach
- Laura Marling–A creature I don’t know
- The Decemberists–The King is dead
- The Pains of being pure at heart-Belong
10 songs I would put on a “Best of” 2011 Mix CD
- “Tree by the river” by Iron and Wine
- “Baby’s arms” by Kurt Vile
- “Holocene” by Bon Iver
- “Georgia” by Yuck
- “Santa Fe” by Beirut
- “Terra Incognita” by Atlas Sound
- “January Hymn” by The Decemberists
- “Why even try” by Theophilus London ft. Sara Quin
- “Your daddy will do” by Sloan
- “Minor Keys” by Big Troubles
Best Reissue
- The Beach Boys- SMILE
Best Shows
- Brian Wilson @ Place des arts
- The Flaming Lips @ Osheaga
- Red Kross @ The Rialto
- Evan Dando & Juliana Hatfield @ Lee’s Palace (NXNE)
- The Radio Dept @ Petit Campus
- The Pixies @ Metropolis
- Theophilus London @ Club Soda
- The Decemberists @ Olympia
- Wilco @ Metropolis
- Lee Fields & The Expressions @ Club Soda
- Janelle Monae @ Osheaga
2 New albums I gave up on after 2 listens
- Mayer Hawthorne - How do you do
- Feist - Metals
Ten albums I listened toobsessively in 2011
- By Divine Right – Sweet confusion (2004)
- Adorable – Against perfection (1993)
- Lilys – Eccsame, the photon band (1995)
- Marissa Nadler – Songs III (2007)
- The Shop Assistants – Will anything happen? (1986)
- The Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca (2009)
- The National – Alligators (2005)
- Shoestrings – Wishing on Planes (1997)
- Frightened Rabbit – Winter of mixed drinks (2010)
- Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest (2010)
As time marches on, it takes a lot more to get me excited about an album. Identifying ten stellar records every year has become an almost impossible task, so I've decided that going forward, I would limit myself to selecting my favorite album of the year. Since this is supposed to be a top 10 list, however, I've decided to chime in with a selection of 2011's best (and worst) moments in music, movies and more.
Favorite album
Kvelertak -Kvelertak
I'm cheating a little bit on this one, since it was released in 2010, but only received an official North American release in 2011. This record is billed as "black'n'roll", but the black metal elements are mostly restricted to shredded vocals and the occasional blastbeat, peppered among gang vocals, clap-along tambourine and upbeat, rollicking guitar and drum work. If Disfear 's Live The Storm was your kind of party record, you will worship Kvelertak like I do.
Runner up? Morne -Asylum.
This Boston quintet has released a flawless record of songs that managed to both sear and soar. The melodies are hypnotic and pummelling, and "My Return" has been one of the most played songs on BVST this year.
Most disappointing album
Maylene & The Sons of Disaster -IV
For all intents and purposes this album might as well have been recorded by an entirely different band... definitely not the one I fell in love at first listen with so many years ago. It contains none of the grit and danger that the first three records brought to the table, and while some of the tracks are enjoyable enough, all I hear is the sound of my heart breaking every time I listen to it.
Favorite film
Clown
In theory, this was a 2010 release in its native Denmark, but its North American premiere happened here in July at the Fantasia Film Festival, so this manages to squeak in. Billed as a cross between Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Hangover, if you enjoy watching moments of intense awkwardness and discomfort, you will love this film.
Runner up? Bellflower.
A starkly masculine film, in the best way possible, Bellflower succeeds in taking the viewer on a sometimes hellish journey to the outer reaches of young man’s mind, while simultaneously offering up enough boobs, flamethrowers and hot cars to keep the kind of angry young men it portrays enthralled.
Most hated film
Detention
This film is best described by imagining a garbage can full of 90s references peppered with self-referential observations that was violently flung against a wall. Whatever shit stuck went into the film. You're welcome.
Favorite live show
Kvelertak at CMJ
I can't speak more highly of this band if I tried. Their debut album is flawless, and I was so excited to see them live. Despite muddy sound that rendered all the between song banter pretty much inaudible, the band ripped through their songs and the crowd roared back.
Runners up? Art Vs Science, also at CMJ, which turned into a shirtless CJLO dance party, and the return of thrash thanks to Cauldron at Il Motore.
Favorite CJLO Moment
The BVST 10 Year Anniversary Wednesday Night BBQ Invitational
Having so many CJLOixcans past and present show up and celebrate a decade of the best (and worst) of rock'n'roll, country, punk and metal with me meant so much. I still can't believe that Aim Low played a set in my backyard, of all places, and I believe I also ate the best burger of my life that night, so it's easy to see why this one came out on top.
Most heartbreaking band breakup
C'mon
In their own words: "After 9 years, 4 full lengths, 4 7″s, 1 10″, 3 EPs, 1 compilation album, 8 Canadian tours, 1 European tour, a couple rounds of SXSW, and NO stupid videos, the Canadian/USA cross-border Rock and Roll of C’mon will cease to exist after Saturday Oct 22 2011." I honestly have nothing to say about this, since I'm still in the "denial" stage. RIP.
Funniest book
Zombie Spaceship Wasteland by Patton Oswalt
If you're not familiar with this guy yet, you should be. When Feelin' Kinda Patton, his debut album, showed up at CJLO way back in 2004, it quickly became a word of mouth hit thanks to its powerful combination of nerdiness, vulgarity and sharp, sophisticated insight. With his first book, Patton Oswalt brings all those elements to the written page, and adds some surprising moments of depth and poignancy.
Most innovative videogame
Stacking
This small downloadable game for PSN, XBL and Windows is unlike anything you've ever seen before, and introduces some unexpected game mechanics. Based on Russian stacking matryoshka dolls, you solve puzzles and rescue the working class in an endearingly crafted miniature world. The game is clever, funny, suitable for everyone, and a nice break from the customary thousand yard stare down the barrel of a gun.
Most anticipated for 2012
The new Lamb of God album Resolution, Rock of Ages (the movie), Grand Theft Auto V, and the end of the world. Remember, in 2012, get rich, or die Mayan.
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