WQHS’s Best Albums of 2011

As 2011 comes to a close, the DJs of WQHS give you their top ten albums from this past year.

Check out the entire list after the jump.

[photo via birdswitharms.tumblr.com]

10. Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx - We’re New Here

Who the hell is Jamie xx and why is he so good at everything? With every remix released under that moniker, I just simply can’t believe the sheer talent that exudes from my speakers. It’s seriously with albums like this that I wish I had Rogue’s powers from X-Men so that I could absorb his gift with a mere touch of my hand (no, that’s not ridiculously geeky). In all seriousness though, while Jamie xx had certainly made his way around the remix circuit with reworkings of tracks by Florence + The Machine, Radiohead and Glasser, his re-imagination of Gil Scott-Heron’s 2010 album I’m New Here is a landmark achievement for both his career and remix culture in general. Perhaps most widely recognized for the ingeniously addictive “NY Is Killing Me,” the album as a whole can only be defined as an ethereal electronic homage to the late legend Heron.  And while certainly not every song on the album is a chart-topping success, that’s OK. We’re New Here is a journey, saturated with lounge inspired garage beats and blues infused dubstep melodies, coupled with Heron’s commanding and ghostly voice. Songs such as “We’re New Here” and “My Cloud” display not only Jamie xx’s versatility in style, but his uncanny ability to completely transform any audio artifact into a living, breathing aural entity, with what I imagine as having very soft, supple skin. This truly is one of those records that shouldn’t be hacked apart when given a listen. Go from beginning to end, and then you’ll see why this was one of the year’s most influential albums. -GK

NY Is Killing Me

9. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

Fleet Foxes followed up their well-received 2008 record with another solid effort. The anticipation for this album was huge, as it can sometimes be a little shaky watching a band try to top a landmark debut. Fleet Foxes, however, seemed to take the challenge to heart to create an album that expanded on the ideas of their previous work while maintaining a consistent sound throughout. Helplessness Blues truly is an impressive piece of work, filled with meticulously well-crafted folk-rock that has both immediate appeal and rewards for multiple listens. It has since become known that lead singer-songwriter Robin Pecknold slaved over every small detail in making sure everything was perfect, a practice that often led to tensions in his personal relationships. Though at times this sort of constant self-questioning can leave a work of art in shambles, Fleet Foxes’ care for their songs is clearly evident in Helplessness Blues, which is sure to be a milestone album of modern folk-rock. -ME

Grown Ocean

8. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

In her past work, Annie Clark has always tread a fine line between the elegant and the grotesque, a high-wire balancing act that left her oddly detached from her music. On her third album, Strange Mercy, Clark takes the plunge, filling each song with personality and leaving them stronger for it. “Chloe in the Afternoon” is the perfect introduction to the album, showcasing Clark’s muscular and sinewy guitar alongside a dark evocation of prostitution. This is heady stuff, but Clark fills her songs with enough wit to keep them from getting too bogged down. Case in point: the playful “Dilettante,” where Clark half sighs, half begs, “Oh, Elijah, don’t make me wait/ What is so pressing that you can’t undress me, anyway?” Ultimately, the most endearing part of Strange Mercy is how it positively crackles with energy – from the hair-raising keyboard solo in “Surgeon” to the monumental climax of “Neutered Fruit,” this album is a kinetic thrill throughout. -SH

Surgeon

7. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost

Christopher Owens is simply one of the best songwriters in modern indie rock. Building on the platform set forth by their debut record aptly named Album, Girls’ sophomore effort, Father, Son, Holy Ghost is a compilation of immediately accessible tracks, as if you have been listening to them all your life in the periphery, but only now have taken a real listen. In this sense, there is a certain nostalgia present in each guitar chord and each vocal riff, perhaps attributable to the band’s heavy influence from the likes of Elvis Costello, The Beach Boys, and Fleetwood Mac. With a combination of everything from heavy metal to surf rock, this sounds like it would make a mess of an album, yet all of the tracks blend together wonderfully. To this end, Father, Son, Holy Ghost is an emotional confession of all kinds of love, and Owens seamlessly grounds what would otherwise be a collection of clichés into a spiritual meditation on what it means to be alive. Standout tracks “Vomit” and “Forgiveness” lend to the vast stretches of feeling conveyed to the listener, and “My Ma” and “Jamie Marie” are simple confessions that would tug at any person’s heart. Like “Lust for Life” on Album, “Hunny Bunny” is the celebratory explanation point that underscores the record, and will undoubtedly be regarded as one of the best tracks for the last couple of years. Simply put, this is the most beautiful sounding album of the year and one of the best rock albums in recent memory. This record is believable, and because of that, it makes it all the more personal. -DM

Vomit

6. tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l

Sometimes Merrill Garbus appears in my dreams. It’s always the same scene: we’re sitting in a booth at an Outback Steakhouse with two people across from us who I’m sure in a dream-knowing sort of way are Mr. and Mrs. Garbus. Merrill smiles at me and points to her menu: “Should we order an appetizer?” “Call me Bob,” says Merrill’s father, who now resembles Nicholas Cage. Our waitress, a bearded Sarah Palin, steps over to our booth and says: “Merrill, your album w h o k i l l, released in April of 2011, was appropriately titled because in Sarah Palin’s opinion, you ‘killed it’. It was fantastic seeing your organic vocal philosophy, afro-beat sensibilities, and unwavering sincerity toward your art succeed in a year when most popular music sounded like giant robots shitting their pants. Not only did w h o k i l l demonstrate fantastic contrast between upbeat, danceable tracks like “My Country,” “Gangsta,” and “Bizness” and lower-key folk anthems like “Powa” and “Riotriot,” but you also maintained the integrity of a serious political message no matter the musical construction of the song. A breath of fresh air in a storm of giant robot shit.” Then Nicholas Cage looks at Merrill and asks, “Did you guys decide about those appetizers?” and Merrill opens her mouth to answer but instead she emits the siren noise from the beginning of “Gangsta” and for some reason this makes Nicholas Cage laugh. Sarah Palin then takes Merrill’s arm and hoists her onto a unicorn, and the two of them float together into the night sky. -ER

Gangsta

5. Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch the Throne

Love it or hate it, there is no way to deny the sheer grandiosity of this album. Jay­-Z and Kanye’s dual release this year is not just a self-affirmation of their respective place in the hip hop pantheon, but an attempt to remind the world that, while the likes of a new generation of rappers are rising, they still have a long way to go to reach their level. And the pair do this well, stretching farther into the depths of the prog-rap that West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy reached. Simply put, this album sounds as expensive as it was to make. It’s production was unparalleled; with an influx of today’s best producers with West at the helm, what was created was a vast, booming, all-encompassing sound, which sometimes originates from unconventional places. Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon funks things up in “That’s My Bitch,” Will Farrell and Jon Heder set the thematic precedence for “Niggas in Paris,” and a wide range of samples are used, from Otis Redding to Curtis Mayfield. For crying out loud; they autotune Nina Simone. Beyonce and Frank Ocean lend their talents for arguably the bests hooks on the album, but we should not ignore the work of Jay and West behind the mic. Criticized for their opulence in spite of the current state of national economic distress, the two still impress. They push each other on each track, handing off the mic to one up the former. While the softer moments of the album fail to make the two relatable, it’s the grandiosity of Watch the Throne that makes it great. In the end, these are two best friends having a damn good time making an album, and knowing that they can do it well. -DM

Otis feat. Otis Redding

4. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

It’s easy to listen to Bon Iver and hear everything that’s different between Justin Vernon’s new, fleshed-out sound and his intimate and haunting debut For Emma, Forever Ago. The lonely acoustic guitar has been traded for snare drums, saxophones, and lush arrangements, and yet Vernon maintains the flawless construction and attention to detail that marked For Emma as one of the most memorable albums in recent years. Just listen to the way the guitar plucks at the end of “Minnesota, WI” pull apart from each other almost imperceptibly, or the way the instrumentation in “Michicant” falls away just as a bicycle bell rings plaintively. These are only small moments pressed inside some of the most broadly gorgeous songs you’ll hear this side of post-rock. However, these “songs” actually tend to operate more as tableaus, painting scene after scene awash with surrealistic memories of childhood, holidays past, and drunken stupors, all conveyed through a voice that could imbue even utter nonsense with deeply felt emotion. Bon Iver is the sound of an artist with a fully formed vision who absolutely stuck the landing in his majestic second album. -SH

Calgary

3. James Blake - James Blake

Have you ever been shaken so hard that your body literally paralyzes from the rapid vibrations melting your spine? Have you ever had someone throw punches to the side of your head, and then rub the bruises softly with the back of the hand? Does that sound enticing? Does that sound familiar? If it does, then you’re probably a fan of James Blake. Coming off the heels of a couple EPs released in 2010, Blake ushered in 2011 with a new era of music marked by a sincere regard for artistry, intellect, and outright incredible beats that can launch your brain into another dimension. Drawing from the dubstep phenomenon that shook frat houses the world over, Blake blends in a yearning lyricism and a haunting resonance with the sparse melodies and vocals that have now become signature to his “post-dubstep” style. With tracks like “I Mind” and “To Care (Like You),” it’s hard to imagine how anyone can deny the incredible smoothness with which Blake composes his musical self-portrait James Blake. And I certainly can’t think of any other album released this past year that can make me feel sexy just by putting on my headphones. But in all seriousness, this record has certainly put Blake on the map of artists to keep an eye on in the coming years. There’s certainly something to say about a musician who has essentially redefined electronic music in one fell swoop in a highly memorable debut album. -GK

I Mind

2. Cults - Cults

It happened sometime in March as I was watching Cults play a 23 minute-long set at Johnny Brenda’s. Gazing at Madeline Follin as she performed her signature move, the stomp-trot, while delivering a perplexing vocal performance, I began to understand what the word ‘buzzband’ means within the context of our 2k11 musical economy. I thought I saw this band for ‘what they really were’:

2-3 suspiciously catchy mp3s released via a strong internet presence, preferably mysterious

+

premature contract with major record label run by someone who asks their kids about ‘cool music on the internet’

+

hastily scheduled tour of major east/west coast cities + Daytrotter Session on which to play your ~6 songs for an audience that may/may not consign its own self-agency to the institutions that regulate musical taste-making

=

*Cults*

But then at the end of the show, Brian Oblivion made an announcement: “No encores tonight, but you all can meet us at the bar for some shots.” Was this the sign of a musician in it ‘for all the wrong reasons’, an imposter manipulating unwitting cultural consumers in order to live out a party-laden rock ‘n roll fantasy? Maybe, but I don’t think so. If you disregard the hype and give it a full listen, you’ll notice that “Abducted” and “You Know What I Mean” are two of the most musically substantive pop songs released this year. You may even appreciate Cults’ sinister, layered aesthetic that undoubtedly lifts them beyond simple buzz-hit wonder status [especially after you watch the “Go Outside” video]. Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin made our 2k11 because of the energy they bring as they capture our hearts with retro-sounding twee pop. In 2k12 look out for their rap mixtape, which kind of came out of nowhere. -ER

Abducted

1. M83 - Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

Even after 79 minutes of listening, we still can’t get enough of M83‘s Hurry Up We’re Dreaming.  Inspired by double albums such as The Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, M83’s Anthony Gonzalez decided after touring Saturdays = Youth that he was ready to take on a project of such grand proportions himself- and the resulting Hurry Up We’re Dreaming falls nothing short of just that.  The album is a tour of sweeping soundscapes that feature the talents of Zola Jesus, several choirs, and literally dozens of other artists who contributed skills from monologue readings and hand-claps to mixing and photography.  Yet, the album is remarkably cohesive considering the numerous artists and influences on each track.  Between the atmospheric appeal and epic length, Hurry Up We’re Dreaming is this year’s perfect soundtrack for studying with a built in break every 80 minutes to stretch your legs and restart at “Intro.” -NS

Midnight City

Contributors: Mark Eisen (maeisen@seas.upenn.edu), Shane Humphrey (shaneh@wharton.upenn.edu), Gary Kafer (gkafer@sas.upenn.edu), Dorian Mendoza (dorianmendoza91@gmail.com), Elliot Rambach (erambach@sas.upenn.edu), & Naomi Shavin (nshavin@sas.upenn.edu)