Even though we're both in the middle of last-call christmas preparations, we always got time to share some new gems with you all, just because we honestly can't stay away from the glorious Internet for very long. Philadelphia's Best of 2011: Albums #2.
21 Dec 2011 — Tonje Thilesen
Welcome to our second (and very last) list of 2011 — this time I guess you can expect the names to be of a slightly more mainstream caliber than Henning's own picks. That aside: it has once again been a fantastic year here on Hipster Blog Island- *ahem*, No Fear Of Pop, and we can't wait for whatever 2012 will bring. Thanks for the patience.
Read about the top ten albums and check the whole list below:
#30. Cold Mailman - EP (Self-released)
#29. Jonathan Johansson - Klagomuren (Hybris)
#28. Siinai - Olympic Games (Splendour)
#27. Scarlet Chives - Scarlet Chives (Riot Factory)
#26. Seekae - +Dome (Rice Is Nice)
#25. Hooray For Earth - True Loves (Dovecote)
#24. Toro Y Moi - Freaking Out EP (Carpark)
#23. Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica (Mexican Summer / Software)
#22. Wu Lyf - Go Tell Fire To The Mountain (L Y F)
#21. Ford & Lopatin - Channel Pressure (Software)
#20. Clams Casino - Rainforest (Tri Angle)
#19. Korallreven - An Album By Korallreven (Hybris / Acéphale)
#18. Braids - Native Speaker (Kanine)
#17. Shlohmo - Bad Vibes (Friends of Friends)
#16. Youth Lagoon - The Year Of Hibernation (Fat Possum / Lefse)
#15. Einar Stray - Chiaroscuro (Spoon Train Audio)
#14. Real Estate - Days (Domino)
#13. Active Child - You Are All I See (Vagrant)
#12. Washed Out - Within and Without (Sub Pop / Weird World)
#11. The War On Drugs - Slave Ambient (Secretly Canadian)
#10. Autumn Chorus - The Village To The Vale (Self-released)
Autumn Chorus' debut album The Village To The Vale stands out from many other records in the similar genre this year, literally because their sound is in the complete opposite direction than a critically popular 2011 record. That however, is exactly the thing which makes The Village To The Vale so damn good in the first place — the Brighton based four-piece does exactly what feels right, and the result is a epic, exploding sound in the veins of Explosions in the Sky, The Antlers and Amiina. It is in many ways a traditional record (literally telling a little story throughout its 52 minute long spin), but crafted with such beauty and love for the great, wide sound that it almost makes you dizzy. It might be a tiny bit pompous at times, but they quickly pull themselves together and return to earth towards the very end of the record, performing the absolutely amazing 16-minute long track "Rosa", just barely after finishing another stunning piece with guest vocals from Anna-Lynne Williams (of Trespasser Williams and Lotte Ketsner). Why this gem is still so hidden, god knows.
#09. 120 Days - 120 Days II (Voices Of Wonder / VME)
The local musicsphere has been arguing that 2011 has been a great year for Norwegian records, which I myself even would support a few months ago. As December was closing in and I finally took a look at a few Norwegian end of year lists, I had to realize I was (partly) wrong. Last year provided us records such as Susanne Sundfør's The Brothel, Moddi's Floriography and the rather flawless self-titled release of emo/post-rock outfit Youth Pictures Of Florence Henderson — and these three Norwegian records alone contributed on forming my year of 2010 musically. That being said, it hasn't been a bad year for us: Todd Terje, Ane Brun, Team Me, Cold Mailman, Philco Fiction, Proviant Audio slash Mathias Stubø and Jonas Alaska have all contributed with excellent records and EP-s this year, and we've seen emerging, new names from the 'underground section' such as Torkelsen, Postilljonen, Violet Dream and Mikhael Paskalev, so quite honestly, I shouldn't be complaining. However, 120 Days' self-titled second release 120 Days II definitely stands out as the more interesting record from within our borders this year, which didn't exactly come as a surprise to anyone considering their critically acclaimed debut record back in 2006. Noise rock meeting house meeting space disco has never sounded more flavoured and sexy as it does on 120 Days II, all though it kindly asks for a little extra of your listening pleasures before you finally get there.
#8. Immanu El - In Passage (And The Sound Records)
All though I wasn't expecting Immanu El's third full-lenght In Passage to beat their heavenly beautiful debut They'll Come, They Come, I already knew at the first listen through the first track "Skagerak" that this was an album which wouldn't be easy to forget. Since we first heard them in 2007, Immanu El have reached the third element on their epic journey, first with a floaty devotion to the sky in They'll Come, They Come, the earthly and forest inspired Moen and now finally In Passage, which turns out to be a declaration of love to the sea. The earlier traces of post-emo are almost erased, and instead they grasp tighter to their pop-esque, but bulging indie post-rock with a more roaring sound than ever. A Norwegian critic tweeted them after their show at Revolver in Oslo earlier this fall: "I miss something ugly in all that beauty", and all though he has a point, In Passage has a sort of contained ugliness, or rawness if you'd like to call it, of which they let out in small, almost unnoticeable portions. But indeed, I think it's there, together with never-ending landscapes, the smell of salt water and the fact that you will always find a home on the other side of the horizon.
#7. Julianna Barwick - The Magic Place (Asthmatic Kitty)
The world seen with the eyes of Julianna Barwick is a highly interesting one to take notice of. It is a floaty, beautiful world to cast your eyes upon, but indeed a world which feels eternally fair and humane — a contrast to the one we actually exist in. In a way, it feels right to call The Magic Place for "homemade church music", something that both draw similarities and distinctions to Tim Hecker's Ravedeath, 1972. It seems as if Tim Hecker tries to protect the 'pure' and newborn music, where Julianna Barwick may be the perfect example to his digital-waste-meets-classical-music experiment. Reverbed bedroom pop has throughout this year moved out of the bedroom and into the greater halls: and honestly, it has never sounded better than now. If there's any collaboration I'd like to see emerge in 2012, it would definitely be Julianna Barwick x Tim Hecker. Obviosuly.
#6. Holy Other - With U (EP) (Tri Angle)
Tri Angle already dominated last year's lists with How To Dress Well's miraculously splendid Love Remains, and it seems like they indeed are back to set their signature on the electronic releases this year, both with Holy Other's With U, Clams Casino's Rainforest and Balam Acab's Wander / Wonder in hand. However, we shouldn't forget that "smaller" labels such as Not Not Fun and Hippos In Tanks have provided with not exactly a small amount of marvellous releases this year (James Ferraro, Laurel Halo and Hype Williams to mention a few, more about that here), as well as NFOP family Cascine with releases by Chad Valley, Jensen Sportag and Southern Shores. Holy Other on the other hand, truly stands out from the crowd with his forest deep ambience and (unlike Balam Acab) synthetic however utterly atmospheric beats, which remains just as mysterious as the guy himself.
#5. Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972 (Kranky)
In Ravedeath, 1972 it seems as if Tim Hecker is unveiling a form of reticent, digital insanity, perhaps with origin of his own mind, giving us tiny peaks into his crooked landscape piece by piece. Given the stand out opener "The Piano Drop" a second thought, and also the falling piano metaphor (as so intellectually introduced to us over at Tiny Mix Tapes) sets an interesting contrast to the rest of the album, as the pieces of the broken piano are being carefully observed down to the very details, but left entirely untouched down on the street level. I reckon it is a hard album to grasp the outlines of, which of course is a typical Tim Hecker signature, but then again this album was never meant to please the listener with soothing, aural landscapes — we can always be sure that Tim Hecker is trying to tell us something important behind his mysterious veil of industrial noises. After all, Hecker is perhaps one of our most modern examples of the traditional classical composer per date.
#4. Destroyer - Kaputt (Merge)
While everyone else seem so obsessed with Destroyer's title track "Kaputt" (which is of course a stunning piece of pop music, nonetheless), I could easily claim "Bay of Pigs" to be the strongest track on Destroyer's Kaputt, all though an obvious stand-out from the rest of the soft-rock infused, new era pop music. Unlike any other record this year, there is something particular about Kaputt that in a way erases all deep emotions, much because its rich and glowing sound — quite different to what for instance The Weeknd's House of Balloons or Thursday does: strips you down and leaves you with a raw and naked emptiness (not saying I dislike it, of course). Kaputt however has a hypnotizing, romantic sound constructed to make your ear canals melt, and let's face it: it's tacky in a delicious and tempting way, something that only the alcoholized genius Dan Bejar would be able to come up with.
#3. Bon Iver - Bon Iver (4AD / Jagjaguwar)
I've never seen Oslo's Sentrum Scene as packed as when Bon Iver entered the stage earlier this fall, and despite my concerns, they played what might be, no, is amongst the top 5 concerts I've ever attended. It was more of a séance than a concert in fact, probably because it's not everyday you can make every single mouth of a 1800 capacity venue shut the fuck up, and then have them all close their eyes and do nothing but listen. And if you've ever been to a Bon Iver concert and actually felt the roof melt above you and hear the sound of fireworks over your tiny heads (towards the end of "The Wolves (Act I And II)" from For Emma, Forever Ago, of course) , well, then you probably know what I mean. If not, look forward to it. Needless to say, Bon Iver is pretty much a flawless piece of work, all though you gotta admit you don't get a single word of what Justin Vernon is singing through his bulging beard. And "Beth/Rest"? Clever. Very clever indeed.
#2. Balam Acab - Wander/Wonder (Tri Angle)
Tell me, what is yet to say about the intellectual brilliance of Wander / Wonder without repeating what's already been written? So instead of writing, I grabbed the closest pen I could find and started doodling to the sound of Balam Acabs tastefully organic and quirky beats, while the cold Oslo winter was sneaking up at me from the other side of the café window:
Then I thought: why not.
#1. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact (4AD)
Just "Glass Jar" alone (preferably enjoyed spinning on vinyl in a dark room, with or without on drugs) was almost a good enough reason for me to put Gang Gang Dance's fifth studio album Eye Contact at the top of this very list, and lined up alongside tracks such as "Adult Goth" and "Mindkilla" (together with a downright genius production), well, the decision for once wasn't too hard. Clearly, "Glass Jar" is a drug alone, a perfectly customized one which unfolds your mind to a world unlike anything, obviously related to DMT but of a kind which doesn't mess up your aural sense, but sharpens it. I never was and probably never will be a 'lyric fanatic'; I guess I could classify myself as "one of those" who "posess the belief" of lyrics being an additional element, a way of forming sounds and atmosphere, not content. Indeed, Eye Contact speak its content and atmosphere from the album's (at first listen) dark and moody sounds, however which slowly tricks you into a corner and unveils its true self: a beautifully textured, colourful and pin-sharp sight, a sight which leaves your jaw dropped and eyes shut out, and you reach your hand out to touch it but you know, deep inside, that the touch will bring you to the other side. And as predicted, it did.
Read more →
Welcome to our second (and very last) list of 2011 — this time I guess you can expect the names to be of a slightly more mainstream caliber than Henning's own picks. That aside: it has once again been a fantastic year here on Hipster Blog Island- *ahem*, No Fear Of Pop, and we can't wait for whatever 2012 will bring. Thanks for the patience.
Read about the top ten albums and check the whole list below:
#30. Cold Mailman - EP (Self-released)
#29. Jonathan Johansson - Klagomuren (Hybris)
#28. Siinai - Olympic Games (Splendour)
#27. Scarlet Chives - Scarlet Chives (Riot Factory)
#26. Seekae - +Dome (Rice Is Nice)
#25. Hooray For Earth - True Loves (Dovecote)
#24. Toro Y Moi - Freaking Out EP (Carpark)
#23. Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica (Mexican Summer / Software)
#22. Wu Lyf - Go Tell Fire To The Mountain (L Y F)
#21. Ford & Lopatin - Channel Pressure (Software)
#20. Clams Casino - Rainforest (Tri Angle)
#19. Korallreven - An Album By Korallreven (Hybris / Acéphale)
#18. Braids - Native Speaker (Kanine)
#17. Shlohmo - Bad Vibes (Friends of Friends)
#16. Youth Lagoon - The Year Of Hibernation (Fat Possum / Lefse)
#15. Einar Stray - Chiaroscuro (Spoon Train Audio)
#14. Real Estate - Days (Domino)
#13. Active Child - You Are All I See (Vagrant)
#12. Washed Out - Within and Without (Sub Pop / Weird World)
#11. The War On Drugs - Slave Ambient (Secretly Canadian)
#10. Autumn Chorus - The Village To The Vale (Self-released)
Autumn Chorus' debut album The Village To The Vale stands out from many other records in the similar genre this year, literally because their sound is in the complete opposite direction than a critically popular 2011 record. That however, is exactly the thing which makes The Village To The Vale so damn good in the first place — the Brighton based four-piece does exactly what feels right, and the result is a epic, exploding sound in the veins of Explosions in the Sky, The Antlers and Amiina. It is in many ways a traditional record (literally telling a little story throughout its 52 minute long spin), but crafted with such beauty and love for the great, wide sound that it almost makes you dizzy. It might be a tiny bit pompous at times, but they quickly pull themselves together and return to earth towards the very end of the record, performing the absolutely amazing 16-minute long track "Rosa", just barely after finishing another stunning piece with guest vocals from Anna-Lynne Williams (of Trespasser Williams and Lotte Ketsner). Why this gem is still so hidden, god knows.
#09. 120 Days - 120 Days II (Voices Of Wonder / VME)
The local musicsphere has been arguing that 2011 has been a great year for Norwegian records, which I myself even would support a few months ago. As December was closing in and I finally took a look at a few Norwegian end of year lists, I had to realize I was (partly) wrong. Last year provided us records such as Susanne Sundfør's The Brothel, Moddi's Floriography and the rather flawless self-titled release of emo/post-rock outfit Youth Pictures Of Florence Henderson — and these three Norwegian records alone contributed on forming my year of 2010 musically. That being said, it hasn't been a bad year for us: Todd Terje, Ane Brun, Team Me, Cold Mailman, Philco Fiction, Proviant Audio slash Mathias Stubø and Jonas Alaska have all contributed with excellent records and EP-s this year, and we've seen emerging, new names from the 'underground section' such as Torkelsen, Postilljonen, Violet Dream and Mikhael Paskalev, so quite honestly, I shouldn't be complaining. However, 120 Days' self-titled second release 120 Days II definitely stands out as the more interesting record from within our borders this year, which didn't exactly come as a surprise to anyone considering their critically acclaimed debut record back in 2006. Noise rock meeting house meeting space disco has never sounded more flavoured and sexy as it does on 120 Days II, all though it kindly asks for a little extra of your listening pleasures before you finally get there.
#8. Immanu El - In Passage (And The Sound Records)
All though I wasn't expecting Immanu El's third full-lenght In Passage to beat their heavenly beautiful debut They'll Come, They Come, I already knew at the first listen through the first track "Skagerak" that this was an album which wouldn't be easy to forget. Since we first heard them in 2007, Immanu El have reached the third element on their epic journey, first with a floaty devotion to the sky in They'll Come, They Come, the earthly and forest inspired Moen and now finally In Passage, which turns out to be a declaration of love to the sea. The earlier traces of post-emo are almost erased, and instead they grasp tighter to their pop-esque, but bulging indie post-rock with a more roaring sound than ever. A Norwegian critic tweeted them after their show at Revolver in Oslo earlier this fall: "I miss something ugly in all that beauty", and all though he has a point, In Passage has a sort of contained ugliness, or rawness if you'd like to call it, of which they let out in small, almost unnoticeable portions. But indeed, I think it's there, together with never-ending landscapes, the smell of salt water and the fact that you will always find a home on the other side of the horizon.
#7. Julianna Barwick - The Magic Place (Asthmatic Kitty)
The world seen with the eyes of Julianna Barwick is a highly interesting one to take notice of. It is a floaty, beautiful world to cast your eyes upon, but indeed a world which feels eternally fair and humane — a contrast to the one we actually exist in. In a way, it feels right to call The Magic Place for "homemade church music", something that both draw similarities and distinctions to Tim Hecker's Ravedeath, 1972. It seems as if Tim Hecker tries to protect the 'pure' and newborn music, where Julianna Barwick may be the perfect example to his digital-waste-meets-classical-music experiment. Reverbed bedroom pop has throughout this year moved out of the bedroom and into the greater halls: and honestly, it has never sounded better than now. If there's any collaboration I'd like to see emerge in 2012, it would definitely be Julianna Barwick x Tim Hecker. Obviosuly.
#6. Holy Other - With U (EP) (Tri Angle)
Tri Angle already dominated last year's lists with How To Dress Well's miraculously splendid Love Remains, and it seems like they indeed are back to set their signature on the electronic releases this year, both with Holy Other's With U, Clams Casino's Rainforest and Balam Acab's Wander / Wonder in hand. However, we shouldn't forget that "smaller" labels such as Not Not Fun and Hippos In Tanks have provided with not exactly a small amount of marvellous releases this year (James Ferraro, Laurel Halo and Hype Williams to mention a few, more about that here), as well as NFOP family Cascine with releases by Chad Valley, Jensen Sportag and Southern Shores. Holy Other on the other hand, truly stands out from the crowd with his forest deep ambience and (unlike Balam Acab) synthetic however utterly atmospheric beats, which remains just as mysterious as the guy himself.
#5. Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972 (Kranky)
In Ravedeath, 1972 it seems as if Tim Hecker is unveiling a form of reticent, digital insanity, perhaps with origin of his own mind, giving us tiny peaks into his crooked landscape piece by piece. Given the stand out opener "The Piano Drop" a second thought, and also the falling piano metaphor (as so intellectually introduced to us over at Tiny Mix Tapes) sets an interesting contrast to the rest of the album, as the pieces of the broken piano are being carefully observed down to the very details, but left entirely untouched down on the street level. I reckon it is a hard album to grasp the outlines of, which of course is a typical Tim Hecker signature, but then again this album was never meant to please the listener with soothing, aural landscapes — we can always be sure that Tim Hecker is trying to tell us something important behind his mysterious veil of industrial noises. After all, Hecker is perhaps one of our most modern examples of the traditional classical composer per date.
#4. Destroyer - Kaputt (Merge)
While everyone else seem so obsessed with Destroyer's title track "Kaputt" (which is of course a stunning piece of pop music, nonetheless), I could easily claim "Bay of Pigs" to be the strongest track on Destroyer's Kaputt, all though an obvious stand-out from the rest of the soft-rock infused, new era pop music. Unlike any other record this year, there is something particular about Kaputt that in a way erases all deep emotions, much because its rich and glowing sound — quite different to what for instance The Weeknd's House of Balloons or Thursday does: strips you down and leaves you with a raw and naked emptiness (not saying I dislike it, of course). Kaputt however has a hypnotizing, romantic sound constructed to make your ear canals melt, and let's face it: it's tacky in a delicious and tempting way, something that only the alcoholized genius Dan Bejar would be able to come up with.
#3. Bon Iver - Bon Iver (4AD / Jagjaguwar)
I've never seen Oslo's Sentrum Scene as packed as when Bon Iver entered the stage earlier this fall, and despite my concerns, they played what might be, no, is amongst the top 5 concerts I've ever attended. It was more of a séance than a concert in fact, probably because it's not everyday you can make every single mouth of a 1800 capacity venue shut the fuck up, and then have them all close their eyes and do nothing but listen. And if you've ever been to a Bon Iver concert and actually felt the roof melt above you and hear the sound of fireworks over your tiny heads (towards the end of "The Wolves (Act I And II)" from For Emma, Forever Ago, of course) , well, then you probably know what I mean. If not, look forward to it. Needless to say, Bon Iver is pretty much a flawless piece of work, all though you gotta admit you don't get a single word of what Justin Vernon is singing through his bulging beard. And "Beth/Rest"? Clever. Very clever indeed.
#2. Balam Acab - Wander/Wonder (Tri Angle)
Tell me, what is yet to say about the intellectual brilliance of Wander / Wonder without repeating what's already been written? So instead of writing, I grabbed the closest pen I could find and started doodling to the sound of Balam Acabs tastefully organic and quirky beats, while the cold Oslo winter was sneaking up at me from the other side of the café window:
Then I thought: why not.
#1. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact (4AD)
Just "Glass Jar" alone (preferably enjoyed spinning on vinyl in a dark room, with or without on drugs) was almost a good enough reason for me to put Gang Gang Dance's fifth studio album Eye Contact at the top of this very list, and lined up alongside tracks such as "Adult Goth" and "Mindkilla" (together with a downright genius production), well, the decision for once wasn't too hard. Clearly, "Glass Jar" is a drug alone, a perfectly customized one which unfolds your mind to a world unlike anything, obviously related to DMT but of a kind which doesn't mess up your aural sense, but sharpens it. I never was and probably never will be a 'lyric fanatic'; I guess I could classify myself as "one of those" who "posess the belief" of lyrics being an additional element, a way of forming sounds and atmosphere, not content. Indeed, Eye Contact speak its content and atmosphere from the album's (at first listen) dark and moody sounds, however which slowly tricks you into a corner and unveils its true self: a beautifully textured, colourful and pin-sharp sight, a sight which leaves your jaw dropped and eyes shut out, and you reach your hand out to touch it but you know, deep inside, that the touch will bring you to the other side. And as predicted, it did.
