I love the tone of Sarah P's voice. I like to think Keep Shelly In Athens is a throwback to the sound of 90's indie suits like Portishead, St. Etienne, and Morcheeba.
#30 Bon Iver - Calgary
Justin Vernon could be singing about cell phone data plans and bring tears to my eyes. This was my favorite song off their self-titled album released in June.
#29 Toro Y Moi - Saturday Love
This is a cover of the 1980's groovy hit by Alexander O’Neal & Cherelle.
#28 DOM - Bowl Cut (Aislyn Remix) Feat. Cults
I am always impressed that these guys are from Worcester, Mass. You just don't hear of too many bands coming out of that city. This track features vocals from another great indie acts, Cults. Enjoy.
#27 The Strokes - Machu Picchu
Although I say I am not really a Strokes fan, they end up on my end of year list in some way more often than not. Maybe I need to rethink my stance. In any case, I hope this track brightens your day with it's upbeat sense of fun.
#26 Destroyer - Kaputt
This album was recently voted as one of the top ten albums of the year by NY Mag. The Canadian bands seemed to own 2011 (and 2010 for that matter). I love the smoothness of Dan Bejar's voice and I love the Sax and Trumpet. The sax is back in 2011 and I hope it stays for 2012. Check out the video, too. It's tops.
#25 Gauntlet Hair - Top Bunk
"Gauntlet Hair are a Denver-based band comprised of best friends who go by the names of Craig Nice and Andy R. Compared, in the past, to the likes of Wavves and Panda Bear, their sound is minimal and unrefined, with catchy melodies layered over grungy, twanging guitars." -- couldn't have said it better myself so I didn't.
#24 St. Vincent - Cruel
This was the first single released off her third album, Strange Mercy. While I have always been a fan of St. Vincent's music, I was somewhat turned off by Annie Clark as a person after reading an interview with her in Spin Magazine this year. She is a little too self-indulgent for me to take seriously but hey - she writes a good little indie pop tune. (PS this video is pretty crazy!)
#23 Neon Indian - Polish Girl
Alan Palomo is the mastermind behind Neon Indian, Vega and Ghosthustler. Neon Indian's 2011 release and sophomore album Era Extrana was met with critical acclaim and a virtually sold out tour. I was lucky enough to go to the show in SF and NY (although I didn't stay for his set in SF). Polish Girl is a fun electronic jam.
#22 Mr. Little Jeans - The Suburbs
Aka, Monica Birkenes, a Norweigan singer who took her pseudonym from a character in the Wes Anderson movie Rushmore. The Suburbs is an Arcade Fire song and Mr. Little Jeans does a great job with this cover and making it her own.
#21 Air and Victoria LeGrand - Seven Stars
I was hoping that Beach House would release something - anything - in 2011 so they could be on my countdown list. Well, I got my wish - kind of. This is a collaboration between the French indie pop band Air and Victoria LeGrand from Beach House. This single will appear on Air's new album Le Voyage Dans La Lune, out February 2012. My favorite thing about this song is the pitter-patter drum beat against the melancholy melody of the piano.
#20 PJ Harvey - The Last Living Rose
I am a big PJ Harvey fan and have been since the early 90's. Her 2011 album Let England Shake was one of my favorites of the year and this my top jam off that record. Short and sweet!
#19 Wild Flag - Romance
Wild Flag is a "super-group" comprised of members from Sleater-Kinney, Helium and the Minders. They toured for almost a full year before they released their self-titled debut album in 2011, gaining lots of buzz along the way. Their sound is fun and rockin'. They just look like they are having the best time - because they probably are. Check out this video, too. It's hilarious. And if you recognize the lead singer, it's because she is Carrie Brownstein from the hit TV show Portlandia.
#18 Handsome Furs - Repatriated
I just learned they authorized the use of this song for a Movember ad. You go, Handsome Furs, you go. Poppy and fun - a sound akin to early Arcade Fire. Check it out (no actual video to watch, sorry, just the song).
#17 Jamie Woon - Lady Luck
You will also 'swoon for the woon' after hearing this soulful jam.
#16 Beirut - Santa Fe
Zach Condon (the mastermind behind Beirut) released his third full length album, The Rip Tide, in August 2011. Known for weaving horns, mandolins and other less-traditional rock instruments into their songs, Beirut gained a lot of momentum in the indie scene with their latest album. This is the second single released off the record.
#15 Smith Westerns - Weekend
I love these guys. They are so young but their sound is classic. Smith Westerns hail from Chicago and Weekend is a single released off their 2011 (second) album "Dye It Blonde" - an album for which they gained much street cred in the indie music world. The whole record is worth checking out, especially the song here and "All Die Young".
#14 YACHT - Dystopia
I can't help but rock out to this song, especially because every day I think about the fact that our world is in serious peril. This song makes me dance out my fear. WARNING: there are some clear f-bombs in this song, so don't listen if you're in a cubicle or if there are children present.
#13 Purity Ring - Belispeak
"An ambiguous art project" (DJ J'beau), I love the sound of Purity Ring. We saw them open for Com Truise and Neon Indian back in October and their set was mysterious, and... an ambiguous art project. Check out Belispeak here and also listen to Lofticries (link to that song is below Belispeak on the webpage).
#12 Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers
Lykke Li (pronounced Licky Lee) is a Swedish pop indie sensation, and at the age of 25 has blown up the indie charts with a number of catchy tunes. I Follow Rivers is no exception. The video is great too.
#11 Girl in a Coma - Smart
Inspired by The Smiths (duh), Girl In a Coma hail from San Antonio, Texas, where two *friends* (Phannie and Jen) started a band. Realizing they needed a real singer, they hired Phannie's little sister Nina. After a chance meeting with Joan Jett in 2006 the girls were soon signed to Joan's label and released their first album. They then went on to tour as an opening band for acts such as Morrissey (duh), Tegan and Sara, Frank Black, and The Pogues. Their 2011 album Exits & All The Rest is sweet yet rocking. Check out their first single off the album here.
#10 Class Actress - Weekend
I love this song for its lo-fi synth and pop sensibility, reminiscent of the 80's. The song embodies a catchy little melody and fun lyrics to sing along to (who doesn't like to sing about the weekend??). Class Actress is a Brooklyn based pop-trio fronted by Elizabeth Harper - new to the indie scene this year. Their debut album, Rapprocher, was released by Carpark Records in October.
#9 Washed Out - Amor Fati
After graduating with a Masters in Library Sciences, Ernest Greene couldn't find a job in his field, which led him to focus on his hobby - making sweet sweet chillwave music (chillwave is sub-genre of electronic indie/synth pop music). You may have heard his runaway hit "Feel It All Around" in 2009/2010 from his EP Life of Leisure (also now used as the theme song in the TV show Portlandia). In 2011, he came back with a full-length album (Within and Without), and - much to his surprise - it debuted somewhere near the top of the iTunes chart. The album cover probably got more attention than the actual album itself (google it to see for yourself why that was), but I loved several tracks on the record including this one, Amor Fati. Keep on riding that chill wave, Ernest!
#8 Austra - Lose It (Young Galaxy Mix)
Fronted by Katie Stelmantis, Toronto's Austra blew up the indie scene in 2011 with their first full-length album (and one of my top 5 favorite records of the year) "Feel It Break". This song, Lose It, is a little bit faster on the album (and also fantastic), but I prefer this Young Galaxy remix. Young Galaxy's "Shapeshifting" is another favorite album of mine this year, so it was quite a happy moment for me to see these two incredible Canadian bands join forces to remix this great tune.
#7 Com Truise - Innerfacer
Com Truise (aka Seth Haley) is a master of lo-fi instrumental synth music. When I listen to Com Truise, I can't help but think about cheesy 80's movies like Gleeming the Cube and Real Genius, as Com Truise is most definitley re-writing those soundtracks in the new millennium.
#6 Holy Ghost - Do It Again
This track was the first single released off their 2011 debut album from DFA Records (DFA is headed up by LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy). The whole album is dance-able and upbeat, but this song in particular gets my toe tapping. I am dying for one of my genius DJ friends like Doc Sleep, Cari Campbell or DJdirty Kurty to mash this up with George Clinton's Atomic Dog. Bow wow wow yibee yo yibee yay!
#5 Tennis - Origins
Married duo from Denver, Tennis, released an album in 2010 called Cape Dory. The album was inspired by a sailing trip they took around the Atlantic and had a few songs that gained some traction on the indie charts. In my opinion, I loved Tennis' sound but the thought the album lacked quality production. I was SO glad to see they released a couple of new singles in 2011 (hoping for a new record soon), and this first track, Origins, quickly became a repeated song on my daily playlist.
#4 Hooray for Earth - True Loves
This New York based band (via Boston) released their first full-length album in 2011 after four years of EP's and singles. They have been the opening band for such acts as Surfer Blood, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, A Place to Bury Strangers and Architecture in Helsinki. I saw them at the Bowery Ballroom last month opening for Cymbals Eat Guitars and they were great live (although the weather kept a lot of people home that night). This video is really, really cool and one of my favorites of the year, but the song is even better.
#3 Dum Dum Girls - Coming Down
This is probably the best end of relationship/breaking up song I've heard in a long time, even though the song was written shortly after the death of her mom and is supposedly about that struggle. This song is the slowest and most balad-y off their 2011 sophomore album, Only In Dreams, and it harkens back to the early 90's band Mazzy Star (but with Chrissie Hynde on vocals). Intrigued? Well, check it out. I love her vocals on this track. The whole album is excellent but this song is one of a kind.
#2 Phantogram - Don't Move
#3 Dum Dum Girls - Coming Down
This is probably the best end of relationship/breaking up song I've heard in a long time, even though the song was written shortly after the death of her mom and is supposedly about that struggle. This song is the slowest and most balad-y off their 2011 sophomore album, Only In Dreams, and it harkens back to the early 90's band Mazzy Star (but with Chrissie Hynde on vocals). Intrigued? Well, check it out. I love her vocals on this track. The whole album is excellent but this song is one of a kind.
#2 Phantogram - Don't Move
This song. Wow. I mean. Whoa. I love this song and I love this band. Phantogram is a duo from Saratoga Springs, NY, who blew up the indie charts in 2009 with their album Eyelid Movies. Not only are these two musically gifted, they are also kinda hot. I love this new EP they released in 2011 (Nightlife) and I can't wait for their next full-length record. Listen for the neato transition of this song at 3:12 to "the bass coming from next door".
For the third year in a row, a French band is at my #1 spot. Monsieur Anthony Gonzales (aka M83) hit the nail on the head with his 2011 DOUBLE album "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming" - and Midnight City was the first single released off the record (months in advance). This tune left us in incredible anticipation for the rest of the album, which was not a let down in any way (for me). Not only is Midnight City topping many lists for best single of the year, but he already toured the US to sold out houses in October and November. Don't worry, he's coming back in 2012 - and to larger venues. You will never be able to 'wait in a car' quite the same again after hearing this song. And I've said it before and I will say it again, THE SAX IS BACK! I hope that trend continues in 2012.
Thank you for listening. Can't wait to see what 2012 brings. Happy New Year to one and all!
xo
