Hey Tom, I’ve always wondered how Pitchfork construct their lists – I assumed it would be a ridiculously complex and interesting process. Any chance you could write a piece on how it goes down (without creating some lawsuit)? I think that would be amazing.

Pitchfork: What’s it like touring with Grizzly Bear?
Ruban Nielson: … [At Radio City Music Hall], they had a masseuse backstage– I didn’t get one, I would have felt ridiculous. We had a whole floor of the building to ourselves. If we ever got to Grizzly Bear’s level of success, having lots of naked girls hanging around would be cool.

http://pitchfork.com/features/update/8958-unknown-mortal-orchestra/

click bait

Checking the 00s list – Fix Up, Look Sharp was #45.
So 1 decade produced 44 better songs, however 6 decades produced only 8 better songs.
I’m no mathematician, but maybe for your next birthday you should have a cake instead of punishing us with these lists. Thanks.

you’re not alone

I will never buy a Volkswagen

Could not agree more. Can’t believe that it got overlooked

This serves as an excellent rebuttal to the Deconstructed article (sorry for bringing this up). I don’t see Grimes as a post-human futuristic artistic creation in this interview, she honestly reminded me of a typical 20-something woman. At times lost for words, a little nervous, awkward and most of all; genuine.

Did anybody else notice the disappearance of Michael_ conciding with the rise of Rubber “thedutchessofthomyorke” Johnny?

I really have to stop living in Australia, these flights are going to cost a fortune.

I honestly cannot fathom how Bon Iver continues to place so highly, I understand that he branched out as an artist and became more than log cabin boy, but lyrically it would have to be the worst album I heard all year. So many other albums were more deserving of praise this year, yet everyone copped out and fell in love with that meaningless bullshit.

Yes, you’re right, but remember that this isn’t an objective (or even subjective) compilation of the best songs of 2011, but just a song popularity contest. So it’s no surprise that the more mainstream indie songs appear on this list, because the “good” obscure bands are less popular than the mainstream bands (!) Similarly, lead tracks and singles will be more popular than “better” album tracks

I’ll sit here and talk to you all day about how Pure X’s Pleasure is by far the greatest release of this year, but for each such fanatic for an obscure band, you could find twenty people willing to argue the same for M83, Bon Iver, Girls and so on.

I agree wholeheartedly that this list is an amazing summation of the year, and looking at it in ten years time I could say “oh yeah, that was what made 2011,” even though I would only have Wilhelm in my personal top ten.