Having discerning taste in music and being a hipster are not at all the same thing. This is primarily an independent music blog, so when you see posts about DMB without any irony, it's bound to raise a few eyebrows.
I hate your statement, your avatar, and probably wouldn't like you either.
I'd get rid of Sleigh Bells and Chairlift and include Porcelain Raft, Mount Eerie, Lemonade and Pond
Chromatics should both be WAY higher on the list too. Definitely Top 5 IMO.
I think that's giving Carles too much credit. I haven't really read HRO since the "Great Electro Wars of 2007" and I'm still perfectly capable of judging her. I took note when there was that long letter from Amy Klein of Titus Andronicus floating around that questioned LDR's authenticity.
Being a talented musician and being worth listening to are two very different things. If being a talented musician was all that mattered to people, then Dream Theater or some shit would be like the biggest band in the world. It's not about complicated time signatures or minor keys or whatever else music students at Julliard jerk off to. What makes music resonate with people is completely subjective.
Actually, I would argue that she would fit right in with the kind of artists that perform on SNL: palatable pop for the mainstream and tremendously popular for no good reason
I felt compelled to copy this gem of a comment from a Brooklyn Vegan:
"I question the heterosexuality of any dude that didn't enjoy her performance. Sorry frumpy chicks, Adele can't be dragged away from the buffet to be on every week."
The exactly 10 year rule is kind of arbitrary here. However, I think a longer list (100?) of classic albums after 10+ years of an artist's existence is a worthwhile exercise in itself.
My favorite Pumpkins song! The original is so good it makes it nearly impossible to do a proper cover version. I like Big Pink, but I'm sorry to say that they've failed here.
Pretty much what I expected. Any "best of" list with Lady Gaga on it is immediately invalidated in my book. However, the inclusion of Little Dragon, Tom Waits, Panda Bear, Kurt Vile, Fleet Foxes and Destroyer shows that at least someone on the RS payroll has taste.
I'm not going to argue about positions on the list because how do you really rank albums of different genres against one another. But any list without M83 on it this year is pretty dumb. Also, why no love for Soft Metals, Puro Instinct or Walls on any of these? Nice to see that people enjoyed "The English Riviera" as much as I did, but I still don't "get" what people see in PJ Harvey. She's always sounded dated to me. That Jonny album was insufferably boring, and this is from someone who loves Teenage Fanclub. Yuck, Washed Out, The Smith Westerns and Youth Lagoon are also glaring omissions.
If it weren't for his goatee, you wouldn't know where this dude's chin ended and his neck began. Actually, wait, I still can't tell. Regardless, he's exactly what I'd expect this sort of curmudgeon to look like.
I'm really curious to hear what your issue is with Beirut's "The Rip Tide". Granted it's not as dense or grandiose as Condon's previous work, but the tradeoff is some wonderful baroque pop earworms.
Saw this dude at CMJ last week and he is THE REAL DEAL. Really great show that had me dancing my ass off. I'd been dying for some new forward-thinking, indie dance music and this guy has finally come to the rescue. Plus, Deadmau5 has gone to the mainstream rave set now, so I don't really understand the comparison besides the fact that they both wear costumes.
Real Hot Chip fans know "(And I Was a) Boy From School" is by far their best song, not to mention one of the best in the last 15 years. Glad to see they made it so high up there though!
Should go to Metronomy, but it won't because they actually have staying power. Mercury Prize usually goes to something trendy that'll never be heard from again. So, probably James Blake.
Pathetic. Are the people that voted for this shitty song the same people that keep trying to pass off bands like Matt & Kim, Edward Sharpe, Mumford & Sons and Coldwar Kids as "indie"?
Listen again. The best tracks on the new Junior Boys and Cut Copy albums are toward the end. They actually know how to build an album, not just flashy singles.
Have you actually listened to that Puro Instinct albums? It's really really good. Gorilla vs. Bear has it in their best of 2k11 list so far as well, so it's not that insane.
I like your list! Not sure why the Seapony album hasn't received more praise. It sounds unassuming at first but really grows on you after time. Agreed on DEJJ and Tennis as well. Feel like people didn't check these albums out because Pitchfork and other blogs gave them very mediocre reviews. I'm surprised Metronomy didn't make this leftover list either because I and several others mentioned it enough times in the comments and it was also a Stereogum Heavy Rotation. This will all be different by the end of the year though. I expect we'll see Beirut, Twin Sister, Memoryhouse, and Washed Out near the top.
I don't think you get my point. I'm not saying all later albums by veteran big name bands are bad. I'm just saying the Foo Fighters and Strokes albums are not on par with their earlier work and should not be in a Best of 2011 list that excludes better work by newer artists. I would put Destroyer's "Kaputt" near the top of my list and it's his what... 6th or 7th album? These big music mags like Rolling Stone and Spin always pull this shit because they probably have to stroke the egos of these acts and record labels to score interviews for future content. Either that or they really don't have any taste. Regardless, I think their opinion is completely irrelevant now. Did you visit their website or buy their magazine? Nope. Instead, you're arguing about it on Stereogum.com. I just felt compelled to defend this blog against those on here who were misguided enough to think Spin's list was better.
I don't think anybody cares how it was made. I think the issue here is more with the end product just completely lacking. Julian Casablancas could have phoned in the entire thing from a tin can for all I care as long as the songs were good.
Not a grower at all really. Loved it immediately and have listened to it a dozen times and the sentiment remains. My favorite tracks are probably "Everything Goes My Way" (I'm a sucker for the female/male vocal trade-offs a la "Don't You Want Me" and "Young Folks") and "Corinne." I think that overall, the record has a sound not unlike "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix," so I figured it would really resonate with people.
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