Your Favorite Music of the First Half of 2011

[Imperor]

You're at least the third person to put forward the same spin on Deerhunter, myself and Shouter (if memory serves) included. This is going to shock you, but Animal Collective are firmly not in that camp for me.

 

[u2popmofo]

Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi's Rome just might be my favorite thus far this year.

It'll be on my list as well. Similar to Radiohead, it's probably one of the albums I'm most disappointed in, but will still make my top 10.

 

[u2popmofo]

You're at least the third person to put forward the same spin on Deerhunter, myself and Shouter (if memory serves) included.

I've been saying it since their first album and EP released. Particularly after the first Atlas Sound album.

 

[LMP]

I don't consider myself a vocal supporter of Odd Future by any stretch. Couldn't get into Earl Sweatshirt, Tyler, Hodgy Beats, whoever else is left. Frank Ocean's mix is more of an introspective R&B-twinged affair than anything else; he samples "Strawberry Swing," if that's an indicator for any of you. Jet Age of Tomorrow has a sweet acid jazz feel to it.

 

[Imperor]

Earl Sweatshirt is the worst rap moniker since Blizzard Man.

 

[powerhour24]

It'll be on my list as well. Similar to Radiohead, it's probably one of the albums I'm most disappointed in, but will still make my top 10.

Well that's what he gets for hyping us up for 5 years about it.

 

[PhilsFan]

earl sweatshirt is the worst rap moniker since blizzard man.

1995!

 

[u2popmofo]

Well that's what he gets for hyping us up for 5 years about it.

Indeed. Plus, I have a somewhat obvious love of spaghetti westerns.

 

[LemonMelon]

Earl Sweatshirt is the worst rap moniker since Blizzard Man.

Ha, yeah, I consider this list out of date now:

http://www.cracked.com/article_15119_the-25-worst-rapper-names-all-time.html

I'll listen to that Frank Ocean joint since YLB is digging it. Plus, yeah, I want to like Odd Future but Tyler just is too much of an asshole/untalented.

 

[LMP]

"She" is one of the only Tyler tracks I can get behind, and lo and behold, Frank Ocean has a guest spot.

1995!

Check my style out.

 

[PhilsFan]

Put your tape decks on record.

 

[u2popmofo]

Doin' raps and goin' to parties, that's basically what we're all about!

 

[cobl04]

Doin' raps and goin' to parties, that's basically what we're all about!

This is all I do with my life.

 

[LemonMelon]

1. Destroyer – Kaputt
2. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
3. CunninLynguists – Oneirology
4. Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2
5. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
6. The Mountain Goats – All Eternals Deck
7. The Dodos - No Color
8. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
9. Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
10. Radiohead – The King of Limbs
11. Okkervil River – I Am Very Far
12. Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin’
13. Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo
14. Arctic Monkeys – Suck It And See
15. The Go! Team - Rolling Blackouts
16. The Weeknd – House of Balloons
17. Cut Copy - Zonoscope
18. The Decemberists - The King Is Dead
19. Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver
20. Panda Bear - Tomboy
21. tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l
22. Big K.R.I.T. – ReturnOf4Eva
23. Toro Y Moi – Underneath The Pine
24. Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise
25. My Morning Jacket - Circuital

Favorite songs:

Destroyer – Chinatown
Kurt Vile – Baby’s Arms
Cunninlynguists – Stars Shine Brightest (In the Darkest of Night)
PJ Harvey – The Last Living Rose
The Beastie Boys – Lee Majors Come Again
The Mountain Goats - Outer Scorpion Squadron
Radiohead – Codex
The Weeknd – House of Balloons
Okkervil River – Show Yourself
Cut Copy – Alisa
My Morning Jacket – The Day Is Coming

Disappointments: Lupe Fiasco, Elbow

 

[powerhour24]

Indeed. Plus, I have a somewhat obvious love of spaghetti westerns.

Word.

 

[bollox]

Album of the Year: PJ Harvey - Let England Shake (not likely to change)
Song of the Year so far: Tyler - Yonkers (shame nothing else on Goblin is as good)

Other stuff I liked:
Okkervil River - I am very far
TV on the Radio - 9 types of light
The Kills - Blood Pressures
The Lonely Island - Turtleneck & Chain
Explosions in the Sky - Take Care X 3
Mogwai - long ass title

Pleasantly surprised:
Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Cmte.

Disappointed:
Radiohead - King of Limbs

Looking forward to:
new Curren$y

 

[powerhour24]

Ahh! I blame the late night for forgetting Mogwai, gorgeous and engaging album from them!!

 

[cobl04]

I feel Suck it and See may end up in the upper reaches of the list.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Mogwai - long ass title

Haha, that "long ass title" is probably my favorite album title I've heard this year. Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will. That's a fucking cool album title. Haven't heard the album, though. But I enjoyed the track that they performed on Fallon a couple weeks back.

 

[bollox]

It's definitely an enjoyable album. Nothing shockingly different from them, but a solid effort. And they've got a way with memorable titles. Some of my faves from their last album: 'I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead' & 'I Love You, I'm going to blow up your school'

 

[cobl04]

5,000 Candles in the Wind would be my song of the year so far.

Is the Lonely Island album funny bollox?

 

[iron yuppie]

Not even The Cure cover?

Lovesong really should be retired from covers. I don't think that I have heard a version that comes close to doing justice to the original.

I've been saying it since their first album and EP released. Particularly after the first Atlas Sound album.

I need to disagree respectively with this assessment. Deerhunter albums to me are highly consistent. I suppose I don't see how something like Cryptograms would fit into the "two good songs and a lot of filler" category, as it is really more of an extended sound collage than it is a collection of songs.

 

[powerhour24]

It's definitely an enjoyable album. Nothing shockingly different from them, but a solid effort. And they've got a way with memorable titles. Some of my faves from their last album: 'I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead' & 'I Love You, I'm going to blow up your school'

I would say the one shocker is that an album with the title Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (especially from a band known for it's hard guitar sounds) it was surprisingly mellow, But in a good way.

 

[U2inUtah]

Favorite albums so far:

Arctic Monkeys
Cut Copy
Danger Mouse
Death Cab
Fleet Foxes
Okkervil River
Radiohead
TV on The Radio

Album I thought I really liked at first, but have hardly gone back to: R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now.
...this coming from a huge R.E.M. fan.

 

[Saracene]

So far:

1. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
2. Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
3. tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l
4. The Kills - Blood Pressures
5. Iron and Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
6. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
7. The Unthanks - Last
8. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
9. Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi - Rome
10. Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys!

Disappointments:
Elbow - I do like their latest and it's got enough good stuff to be on my list, but after their last two albums I can't help feeling underwhelmed.

 

[The Sad Punk]

good

Okkervil River - I Am Very Far
Cut Copy - Zonoscape
TV On the Radio - Nine Types of Light
The Antlers - Burst Apart
Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
Destroyer - Kaputt
Casa del Mirto - 1979

disappoint

Fleet Foxes - Helplessnesslessness Blues
Radiohead - King of Lazyeyes
Panda Bear - Tomcunt

 

[PhilsFan]

I thought James Blake's album was incredibly terrible. Limit to Your Love is great, and the rest ranges from tolerable to painful.

And it's not even my worst album from the first half of 2011.

 

[powerhour24]

 

[LemonMelon]

I thought James Blake's album was incredibly terrible. Limit to Your Love is great, and the rest ranges from tolerable to painful.

And it's not even my worst album from the first half of 2011.

Would have listed it as a disappointment as well, but that track of his that Pitchfork listed as one of the best of 2010 instantly killed any expectations I had for the album.

Limit to Your Love is indeed really good...just a shame he didn't write it.

disappoint

Fleet Foxes - Helplessnesslessness Blues

 

[joyfulgirl]

Let England Shake is easily my most-played record this year. I don't think anything else has come close.