McQs Best Of 2011 - Volume 3: Women On Top!

Women were without question the better sexmusically speakingin 2011. By just about any critical measureoverall quality, daring, invention, attitude, artistic completeness women delivered the bulk of 2011s most interesting work. From PJ Harveys masterpiece Let England Shake, to Lykke Lis swaggering Wounded Rhymes, to Adeles great to every taste 21, from Tune-Yards bizzaro protests to Wild Flags classic barnburners to St. Vincents simultaneously gorgeous and violent orchestral pop, women proved they could rock as forcefully, as otherworldly, as impressively as any maledominated group Ironically, the only category in which Id give men the edge this year is heart. Almost all of 2011s genuinely moving albums came from male-led acts (see Volume 10 - From My Warm Heart To Yours). A one-year anomaly, or a sign of our changing times, who can say? What is clear is that women were, as my 13-year-old son likes to say, absolutely beast in 2011, and this mix captures selects from all of my favorite female-fronted albums of the year, with the one exception of EMAs Past Lifes Martyred Saints, which can be found on Volume 7 - Moody Judys & Arty Loonies. HIGHEST RECOMMENDS wallflower persona evoked on her 2007 dancepop debut for a ballsy set of sexually assertive garage-rockers and Brill-era ballads. Suffused with Lis trademark intensity and loads of offthe-wall percussion, its definitely one of the years 10-15 best albums.

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.

21 - Adele: This years Lungs, the mainstream release from a young blue-eyed female UK soul singer thats just so damn solid even the most cynical of soul patch sporting hipsters found it impossible to resist. Heartfelt, passionate, and ridiculously accessible. SOLID RECOMMENDS

Whokill - Tune-Yards: While not nearly as consistent as Let England Shake, my final Highest Recommend of 2011goes to the freshest album of the year, courtesy of a one-of-a-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. STRONG RECOMMENDS

Blood Pressures - The Kills: Bluesier and more varied than predecessor Midnight Boom, Blood Pressures is the richest and best -sequenced Kills album to date.

Wounded Rhymes - Lykke Li: In a dramatic, impressive stylistic shift, Li abandons the shy

Strange Mercy - St. Vincent: Im not quite as big on ex-Polyphonic Spree member Annie Clarks third stab at marrying her love of Disney show tunes with her love for gnarly punk guitar, liking previous releases Marry Me and

Actor a touch better, but this is without question her most daring and aggressive release yet, and well worth hearing. Ceremonials - Florence & The Machine: Despite the presence of a few tracks that live up to the promise of her wonderful 09 debut Lungs, I cant view Ceremonials overall as anything other than a major disappointment. I get the same feeling listening to this record as I did hearing Coldplays X&Y, where you suddenly realize youve vastly overrated the long term artistic potential of an artist that initially struck your fancy. Hope Im wrong.

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 pop version of Sleater-Kinneys 05 masterpiece The Woods. Simultaneously one of the hardest rocking and most buoyant releases of the year, it landed at number one on several year-end lists. I dont think its deserving of that level of accolade (some of the early tracks after opener Romance are quite poor), but I do enjoy its best songs very much.

MILD RECOMMENDS

The Big Roar - The Joy Formidable: Dumb, ambitious power punk trio aiming for Who-sized arena grandiosity. I find some of their choices mind-boggling, but theres no doubt that they make one hell of a spirited, blurry racket.

The Fool - Warpaint: Remarkable live band, sonically kind of like a softer, gentler, female version of Tool, but a band that is near impossible to capture correctly on record. A game effort is made here, but its not enough to create the insane level of sonic separation these intricate songs need to function as intended. If you like darker, slower, moodier stuff with tons of texture, you may like this album, but it is in no way a substitute for experiencing these songs in person.