Best Albums of 2011

It's been a long, boring year for music or has it? I tend to think so but when I look at the year's best albums and songs it looks like it was okay.
2011 ' best albums
Gimme' Some  by Peter Bjorn and John
Watch the Throne by Kanye West and Jay-Z
Valley Heart by She Wants Revenge
Wasting Light by The Foo Fighters
Degeneration Street by The Dears

These are just albums you need to go hear, sorry no samples. Maybe I am boring

Weekly Mix #87

There's not too much cleverness here though the songs are good to listen to, especially the classic rock. Ozzy, Lynyrd, Allman Brothers. the new stuff is cool as well even though much of it is some artists I listened to relentlessly this year. I don't know the Section that starts with The Black Angels and travels through EMA is pretty dark . . . good times

Listen up and enjoy!

1. Gold Mine by Breanne Düren
I was obsessed with this song for a week and now I'm glad I was because I ignored it when it was a free downlaod. Soulful and easy.

2. Eyes by Peter Bjorn and John

The Non stop Swede machine!

3. Choose to Choose by The Black Angels

Good little E.P. these guys put out in late 2011

4. Lay myself Down by Mazzy Star

Yes, they are back after something close to fifteen years and you know what? They sound exactly the same, dreamy and sweet with macabre lyrics.

5. I'll Be Your Mirror by Velvet Underground with Nico

I always thought that Hope Sandoval from Mazzy Star should sing all of Nico's VU tunes.

6. Seven Devils by Florence + the Machine

Big, epic, sweeping, creepy song.

7. Waltz 2 from Jazz Sweet by Armonie Syphony Orchestra & Evgeny Bilyar

Composed by Dmitrij Dmitrievich Shostakovich this is a good old famous bit of classical music.

8. Marked by EMA
 This is a weird, sexy song that I keep thinking is about some sort of mannequin
9. Midnight Rider by The Allman Brothers band

Not Lynyrd Skynyrd, not the Marshall Tucker Band.

10.Movin' On Up by Primal Scream

This is one of those songs that I never had any strong feelings about but I often read how many critics loved this song for it's Manchester, beats and rave culture (ecstasy) connection

11.Let's All Go to the Bar by Deer Tick

They are back and not as depressing.

12.Balloon Man by Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians

Is this a feel good song? I don't know, I mean Balloon Men explode all over New York City but the bouncy beat is so good!

13.(Don't Go back To) Rockville by R.E.M.
Maryland? Rockville Maryland? Is there a college there or something? Maybe this was an add for some College based in Athens GA.
14.Maybe She's Right by She Wants Revenge

 The darkness of the San Fernando valley persists in the hearts of She Wants Revenge. Do people eve call them SWR?

15.Baby Says by The Kills

Every time I hear a new Kills song I get excited and I like it but then I realized it all sounds the same

16.Chicago by Tom Waits

He is still making good music and he still sounds like a mad man.

17.Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne

If you don't know this song you're A) not an Ozzy fan B) never been to a professional sporting event C) Never watched TV

18.Our Deal by Best Coast

More tough luck in dating songs

19.That's My Bitch by Kanye & Jay Z
Watch The Throne : Great Album of 2011
20 Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd
If you don't know this mammoth classic rock jam you are not American, in fact you probably want to destroy America. If you don't love this song that's okay, it's kind of long.

Weekly Mix 86

Another week, another mix. I try to mix it up but it's typically always rock and indie rock at that, how did this happen? the Wavves are here, Billy Joel is here, The Bangles are back from the dead! There's new music from Rose Hill Drive a band from Boulder Colorado which means they're a college band.
Enjoy!

1. I'm Bad by LL Cool J

How stupid and how awesome was this jam back in 87'. He's the pinnacle he rained supreme, he crushed you like a jelly bean!

2. Days Forgotten by Kasabian

The band that should be better than they wind up sounding

3. Gren-Eyed Lady by Sugar loaf

So funky is the guitar that I just want to have the riff repeat forever.

4. Dig a Little Deeper by Peter Bjorn and John
More sweet ass pop from Sweden! Their album, Gimme' Some, really is the best.
5. Open My Eyes by The Bangles

Yes, the bangles are back and this song is a good come back as it's may start of sounding like the Who's Can't Explain it ends sounding like their own, In Your Room. Actually this one has been produced to sound like current indie rock. Susannah Hoffs' vocals however are probably better than most current indie groups. I don't see the Go-Go's doing this stuff.

6. Carazy For You by Best Coast
This version is from the iTunes Sessions. It's also a good example of what the current state of cool music is.
7. State Of Love And trust by Pearl jam

From the Singles soundtrack I wasn't too crazy about this song until recently but now I can listen to it happily.

8. N**as in Paris by Kanye West and Jay-Z
It's cool. It almost sounds like, Forgot About The Dre. 
9. Little Stars by She Wants revenge
They are doing the 80s as good as anybody these days. The Sounds also do a good job.
10.Nasty Secretary by The Hives

The only band that matters! This is from their 3 song release of covers that came out in 2010 called Tarred and Feathered.

11.Lie Down In The Darkness by Moby

Moby has made some beautiful soundscapes and this is one of them. His high vocals however freak me out in that castrodi type of way.

12.You Know What I Mean by Cults
Almost a do-wop but definitely an old sounding tune.
13.Bad, Bad Leroy brown by Jim Croce

Clap your hands and a sing along, this one from 1973 is a feel good tune despite it being about the baddest guy around.

14.Überlin by R.E.M.
Sounding like Drive this is off the bands final album unless they reunite for some halfhearted garbage down the line. thanks for all the music guys.
15.The Boat Song by The Black Angels

I may be the only dork who loves this band. This is from an E.P. released in 2011

16.Bug by Wavves
They are a San Diego rock band that sounds cool but I don't know if I'll ever hear anything else from them. They are living the power pop dream.

17.Paparazzi by Greyson Chance
This is that little kid who covered Lady Gaga's song in front of his classmates with just a piano. That live performance was quite good probably because he was nervous and had some passion but this studio cut has been auto tuned and is a bit too clean sounding. Maybe he did it at home, I don't know.
18.New York State of Mind by Billy Joel

Before the 80s he was a really cool cat . . . maybe he still is, I don't know.

19.Psychoanalyst by Rose Hill Drive

Modern rock and getting loud! There are many bands that sound like this now but that's always the case. They're kind of psychedelic and kind of 70s sounding, little bluesy and totally from Boulder.

20. White Punks on Dope by The Tubes
San Francisco's own WPOD! They were better known for their song, She's a Beauty but this one is just so much more fun. I love a song about failing so enormously that one has to celebrate the act!

Weekly Mix #84

Deal with it it's happening more than it should, indie music is sort of groovy. I know it's just a bullshit music industry thing but good music, rock music is now under the dumb moniker of Indie. Unfortunately it's all sort of still self aware without being  balls out. It's the legacy of Nirvana, how to be a Rock Star without losing street cred. I guess wearing clothes from the thrift shop still works.
Listen and enjoy!

 




1. You got Nothing On Me by Mando Diao
They just deliver and maybe it's in that Tom Jones way but I don't care, they make me want to boogie. 


2. You Gotta Lose by Obits
Proving that Sub Pop is still a label and proving that music still happens there.

3. Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly) by The Icicle Works
This is one of my favorite 80s one hit wonders and apparently Eddy Vedder's as well, just listen to Evenflow.

4. Bridge Burning by Foo Fighters
Another good song off the Wasting Light album 


5. Heatseaker by AC/DC

Fucking ridiculous and fucking awesome and that's why AC/DC is so great. They get away with the dumbest stuff and make it sound do good, especially when you want to rock out like a fifteen year old.

6. The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie by The Red Hot Chili peppers

They've lost it, they've gotten old and they can't hack it anymore. I wonder if they feel embarrassed for recording Punk Rock Classic now?

7. New York Groove by Ace Frehley

I got into this little jam after hearing it as the them song to some tattoo show taking place in NYC. Frehly's solo album was part of those four solo KISS albums that all came out at the same time.

8. Go Outside by The Cults

It took me a little time to warm up to these buys but now I dig their indie sound.

The Cults: They look like Mazzy Star but aren't

9.Pressure and Time by Rival SonsThese guys give it a solid punch as they try to rock out but the sound is too big for the rest of their surroundings


10. Where Have All the Good Times Gone! by Van Halen

Good question Dave. Sometimes an old rock band still sounds more rock than a modern rock band and they're not even rocking their hardest. Also this song will begin our little voyage to Southern California

11.Each and Every Day by Best Coast
 A lot of energy in the beginning of this tune about trying to convince 


12.This Town by The Go-Go's
Maybe they were inspiration to groups like Best Coast, I don't know. The dark side of the Go-Go's, singing about Hollywood shit and how jaded and desperate the place makes people.

 
13.Beverly Hills by The Circle Jerks
L.A. Punk is so aware of Hollywood and glamor it's a little funny


14.Take the World by She Wants Revenge

I would have never guessed I would like a She Wants Revenge album as much as I do Valleyheart their love song to the Los Angeles they grew up in. This song gets them away from their Joy Division roots and graduates them to Wang Chung

15.To Live and Die in L.A. by Wang Chung

Say what you'd like about this group because I have hated them and then liked them. This is my favorite song of their by far. Why would a British band be right for a movie about crime and police in Los Angeles? This concludes out SoCal musical voyage but the glam still continues.

16.Suicide Blonde by INXS
This was the first single off their X album the follow up to the enormously popular, Kick. The Album didn't do very well due to it's  . . . well I have no idea why. The songs were great but the audience had changed I guess. Maybe the harmonica just didn't sit well with people but This is in my top 10 INXS songs.


17.Scheiße by Lady GaGa

What's the German word for Shit? This song will make you want to go all Euro disco if you haven't already. I'm not a fan of GaGa's latest album as most of the songs sound like scheiße but this one is funny enough to transcend the poop.

18.Otis by Jay-Z & Kanye West

This is what the world has been waiting for, this is the greatest hip hop team up ever, right? Maybe, maybe not but this is a great first single off The Throne

19.Is This It by The Strokes

When I saw them live about eight years ago this was the encore and I thought that it was a weird last song as it's so calm.

 20.I Know You Love me by Peter, Bjorn and John

Another of my favorite albums of 2011, The song off of Gimme Some has that great Scandinavian rock music understanding that American's can't quite seem to get a hold of. With that said it would have been the last song on the mix but I had to pay tribute where tribute was due.

21.Love Is A Losing Game (demo) by Amy WinehouseI was putting this mix together the same time as Ms. Winehouse' passing and was compelled to include one of her songs. This demo version of this song is just her and a guitar and it is stark, painful and a hard tune to pay attention to but it is beautiful.

RIP Amy