McQs Best Of 2011 - Volume 1: Best Of The Best

Theres no getting around it - 2011 was a down year compared to the previous four, and while maybe qualitatively better than the last genuinely weak year in memory (2006), not nearly as interesting. At the heart of the issue was songs. There were a number of conceptually clear, solid front-to-back albums in 2011, but the year desperately lacked A-plus songs. Outside of Tune-Yards, PJ Harvey, and maybe F--ed Up, it didnt feel like any artist was deliberately swinging for the fences in 2011 the way Kanye, The National, LCD Soundsystem, Cee Lo Green, Janelle Monae and others were in 2010. Still, with so many dedicated, excellent bands out there today, a wealth of quality material remains. The albums represented on this mix were either one of my favorite releases of 2011, or contained one of my favorite songs, with two caveats. One, I intentionally strove not to overlap with any artists Nancy selected for here mix ,Volume 2 - Nancys Favoriteshad I, Black Joe Lewis, Yuck, and Lykke Li would have definitely claimed a spot here. Two, I excluded my favorite experimental albums and tracks, records like Tim Heckers Ravedeath 1972, EMAs Past Lifes Martyred Saints, and Nicolas Jaars Space Is Only Noise, and tracks like Battless Ice Cream and Gang Gang Dances Glass Jar, to keep the accessibility factor of this first mix high. All these gems can be discovered on Volume 7 - Moody Judys & Arty Loonies. So, without further ado, here are the albums represented on Volume 1. HIGHEST RECOMMENDS Whokill - Tune-Yards: While not nearly as consistent as Kaputt or Let England Shake, my final Highest Recommend of 2011goes to the freshest album of the year, courtesy of a one-ofa-kind madcap indie songstress who writes protest songs worthy of Woody Guthrie, arranges like Captain Beefheart, and sings like a black male Rastafarian. Whether you like her or not, I promise, youve never heard an artist like Merrill Garbus before. Bizness, her antioligarchy protest song, and my vote for the #1 song of 2011, is included here, but again, three more can be found on Volume 3 - Women On Top. STRONG RECOMMENDS

Kaputt - Destroyer: Embracing the cheesiest new-wave sounds of the early 1980s and making them sound like the coolest thing ever, this Avalon-ish talk-sing song cycle from New Pornographer Dan Bejar was easily the years sexiest and most likeable release. The title track, my favorite, is included here, but two other selects can be found on Volume 4 - Grammy Sap Nostalgiathon.

Let England Shake - PJ Harvey: Its easier to admire than it is to love, but there is no doubt that from a holistic standpoint Let England Shake was the best album of 2011. An unflinching, folksy rumination on wars toll through the ages on the citizenry of England, its one of the most unusualnot to mention flawlessly conceivedalbums Ive heard in many a while. The albums hardest hitting song, The Glorious Land, is included here, but three more can be found on Volume 3 - Women On Top.

Build A Rocket, Boys! - Elbow: Has another band better balanced heart and experimentation, accessibility and innovation over the last halfdecade than these underappreciated, humanistic, Garbrielesque art-rockers? The thematic focus shifts here from 08s The Seldom Seen Kids deep romanticism to a profound love for ones community, but the song quality, emotionalism, and invention is just as potent this time around. Neat Little Rows, the albums hardest rocker,

represents the record here, and two of the albums most heart-stirring songs can be found on Volume 10 - From My Warm Heart To Yours.

Burst Apart - The Antlers: A genuine surprise. Following 09s lyrically stunning but oh-somonolithic and depressing Hospice, The Antlers do Radiohead one better, returning with one of the years most eclectic art-rock albums, a brooding, always interesting treatise on the explosive, all consuming nature of lust. The crescendo-ing Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out is included here. Two more tracks from the album can be found on Volume 9 - Hopeless Synth-Washed Romantics.

exploration of how much we willingly dominate others and/or subjugate ourselves when caught in the throes of lust is probably the biggest grower of the year, every bit as good as 09s excellent Two Dancers. Bed of Nails stands in here, but three more seriously brooding tracks can be found on Volume 9 - Hopeless SynthWashed Romantics.

Zonoscope - Cut//Copy: Just another extremely likeable dance-rock record from my favorite dance-rock act now that LCD Soundsystem has called it a day. No monster tracks, but very consistent, with wonderfully sly backing vocals throughout. The joyous, Beach Boy-ish Where Im Going graces this mix, and two other songs can be found on Volume 9 - Hopeless SynthWashed Romantics. SOLID RECOMMENDS

Father, Son, Holy Ghost - Girls: Quickly morphing into one of the most reliable and stylistically unpredictable indie acts around, Girlss sophomore release isnt quite as charming as their 09 debut Album, but compensates with improved production and some newfound rock n roll muscle. Playful opener Honey Bunny is included here, but two of the albums more in-your-face tracks can be found on Volume 8 - Garage-o-Punk-o-Funk-oRama.

Blood Pressures - The Kills: Bluesier and more varied than predecessor Midnight Boom, Blood Pressures is the richest and best -sequenced Kills album to date, anchored by gritty, nasty, song of the year contender DNA, included here. Two other tracks can be found on Volume 3 Women On Top.

Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes: Lacking the rustic mystery and intrigue of the bands 08 debut, the more confessional Helplessness Blues is nonetheless an at times awe-inspiring listen, due in no small part to the finest production effort of the year. Albums just dont come more immaculately mixed and arranged. The sweet, Blonde On Blonde referencing track Lorelai represents the album on this mix, but the stunning title track, easily one of the years best songs, can be found opening Volume 10 - From My Warm Heart To Yours!

Smother - Wild Beasts: It wont hit you hard at first, but this smooth, operatic, slightly jazzy

David Comes To Life - F---ed Up: An epic, expansive narrative tale of love found and lost, David Comes To Life proves the old adage that every great punk band has two knock-out albums in them: an early release where the perfect their signature punk sound, and, as is the case here, a later career release where they break free from punks extreme limitations. Mammoth singer Pink Eyes screamo vocals will be too much for some listeners to overcome, but the band is positively dialed in, serving up best tracks that stand with the best released by any act this year. Running On Nothing serves as representative here, but two more tracks, including the albums best song Queen Of Hearts, can be found on Volume 8 - Garage-o-Punk-o-Funk-o-Rama.

King Of Limbs - Radiohead: Its hard to imagine a Radiohead release as a distant also ran in the album of the year sweepstakes, particularly a year as weak overall as 2011, but that is all this interesting but uneven exercise in minimalism is. That said, its better tunes are fantastic, especially the vocal loop minor miracle Give Up The Ghost, included here. Bloom, my other favorite from the record, can be found kicking off Volume 7 - Moody Judys & Arty Loonies.

poppier version of Sleater-Kinneys 05 masterpiece The Woods. Simultaneously one of the hardest rocking and most buoyant releases of the year, it landed as number one on several year-end lists. After lead track Romance, included on this mix, I found the first half of the record a touch lacking, but its back half is dynamite, and two songs from that stretch are included on Volume 3 - Women On Top!

Nine Types Of Light - TV On The Radio: Though not quite of the caliber of previous releases Return To Cookie Mountain or Dear Science, Nine Types Of Light is nonetheless another solid effort from this highly original Brooklyn outfit, and a stirring declaration of their love for recently deceased band member Gerard Smith. No Future, the albums best up-tempo number, is included here, but the records two strongest ballads can be found on Volume 10 - From My Warm Heart To Yours.

The Whole Love - Wilco: After two decent but fairly schmaltzy releases, Wilco rediscovers their inner coolten winning, playful pop numbers bracketed by two of the most impressive extended tracks of the year, the elegant, Desolation Row-ish One Sunday Morning, and the amazing, shifting opener Art Of Almost. Art Of Almost kicks off this mix, and my favorite of the pop numbers, Dawned On Me, sports a spot on Volume 10 - From My Warm Heart To Yours.

Smoke Ring For My Halo - Kurt Vile: Sounding like it was recorded on some small town Midwestern screened-in back porch late on a Friday night when a group of kids had nothing else to do, this hazy collection of acoustic ballads was one of the most celebrated albums of the year. Im not in love with all its songs, but its definitely got one of the most distinct feels of anything released in 2011. Jesus Fever stands in here, and two more tracks can be caught on Volume 5 - Right On Cue (Here Comes The 90s).

The Year Of Hibernation - Youth Lagoon: A misfit kid, alone in his Idaho bedroom with his keyboard and some primitive recording gear, pouring every ounce of his twee soul into song. Volume 1 concludes with a sense of where it all began for many of these acts with Afternoon. Another tracking from this charming low-fi album can be found on Volume 9 - Hopeless Synth-Washed Romantics.

MILD RECOMMENDS

Wild Flag: The debut for this all female, 90s altrock supergroup fronted by drummer Janet Weiss and singer/guitarist Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney plays very much like a breezier,

Angles - The Strokes: After a very strong three song opening that included Under Cover Of Darkness, one of my very favorite tracks of the year, Angles saw the Strokes experimenting radically with their patented sound to mixed, often poor results. Machu Picu, the albums other great track, can be found on Volume 8 Garage-o-Punk-o-Funk-o-Rama.