2011 in music.

[RPS]

Radiohead, Drake, Tyler the Creator, PJ Harvey, Jay Z & Kanye West, Lady Gaga, TV On the Radio, Tom Waits, Beyonce, Kate Bush, James Blake, Coldplay all released well received albums this year. PJ Harvey seems to be the critical darling of the year and will probably come out on top at the EOY lists.

It was a very strong year for electronic music - James Blake made it huge, Little Dragon seemed to break through after appearing with Gorillaz, SBTRKT made it huge when Drake appeared on a verse of their track Wildifre, The Field produced a strong third album in Looping State Of Mind, and Jamie XX reworked Gil Scott Heron's I'm New Here album and turned it into a bass heavy masterpiece.

In terms of rock music, PJ Harvey reigned supreme with critics. Girls released their second album and it was received pretty well. Bon Iver followed up their debut album with their self-titled album that a lot of people seemed to really like. Fucked Up released a hardcore inspired rock-opera that I actually surprisingly really dug.

In terms of hip hop and R&B, Odd Future was a big success with Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean both getting lots of press attention. Drake followed up his debut album with a flawless album, Take Care. Jay Z & Kanye West teamed up for a collaboration that was met with big sales and critical acclaim. Lil B went controversial, named his album I'm Gay (I'm Happy) and the critics went wild for it. Lil Wayne released an album to critical ho-hums but huge sales.

In terms of pop music, it was definitely the year of the female. Adele released 21, which sold like crazy and people seemed to really connect to it. Lady Gaga released Born this Way, an interesting pop album influenced by electronic and hard rock music. Rihanna's seventh album was filled to the brim with club songs that were bound to go #1. Beyonce released without a doubt her best album yet, 4, and besides the last track of the album, was filled with songs that were influenced by Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson rather than Daft Punk and David Guetta.

There was also some arguable flops - Metallica & Lou Reed and Jane's Addiction were two relatively acclaimed bands who seemed to fall from grace with less than stellar albums. Critical punching bags Justin Bieber, Nickelback and Susan Boyle also all released albums. Other artists, like Justice, Lupe Fiasco and Red Hot Chilli Peppers all seemed to stumble with less than perfect releases.

10 top albums

1. Frank Ocean - Nostalgia, Ultra

2. SBTRKT – SBTRKT

3. James Blake - James Blake

4. Azari & III – Azari & III

5. Beyonce - 4

6. Little Dragon – Ritual Union

7. The-Dream – 1977

8. Tiger & Woods – Through the Green

9. Toro Y Moi – Underneath the Pine

10. Lil B - I'm Gay (I'm Happy)

10 top songs

1. Beyonce - Countdown

2. Cut Copy - Need You Now

3. Gang Gang Dance – Glass Jar

4. Adele – Rolling in the Deep (Jamie XX remix)

5. James Blake – To Care (Like You)

6. Bon Iver – Calgary

7. Teams vs. Star Slinger – Say Please

8. Frank Ocean - We All Try

9. The Rapture - How Deep Is Your Love?

10. Spank Rock - Car Song

Edited November 26, 2011 by RockPaperScissors

[jimbiz]

Wow, I'm so out of a loop that I didnt know that The Dream released a new album.

What is your opinion on Florence and the Machine new album?

[RPS]

Wow, I'm so out of a loop that I didnt know that The Dream released a new album.

What is your opinion on Florence and the Machine new album?

He released it under his real name Terius Nash and was released for free. It's based on his break up with Christina Millian. Really great break-up album and a departure from his more up-beat stuff. Really great song writing - dude knows how to convey what a break up is like. Lines like "Halfway decent for me, but you dress up for your girlfriends/Listening to what they say, "Got yo' ass without a husband!"" hit close to home for people who have gone through a bad break up

I'm not a huge fan of Florence and the Machine, but I did enjoy their new album more than their debut. I think Florence is a band who has moments of brilliance surrounded by lots of moments of filler. Good for a few listens, but can get tiring wading through moments that feel forced. That's just my opinion though.

[Quom]

Bon Iver is a band not a person.

[RPS]

Fixed. That's what not sleeping and working while sick does to you.

Edited November 26, 2011 by RockPaperScissors

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

PJ Harvey's album was by far the best thing that was released this year. Taking war and conflict as a major theme and tying it in with wistful, loving looks back towards an England that she knows is a dusty, dirty place was brilliant. Reminiscent of The Kinks album "Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)". She sang about the horrors of war in such a tender, heartfelt way. Haunting and beautiful.

It's interesting as my other favourite album of hers is "Tales From The City..." which is pretty much the opposite and her poppiest release.

I've liked her music for quite a long while now and she was around during early Britpop in the early 90s so she's definitely "paid her dues". She deserves all the acclaim she gets.

But then this has also been another year where I've been stuck in Japan and so haven't followed up-to-date music.

[Skummy]

Album of the year for me was Eliza Carthy's "Neptune". Absolute masterpiece, and so far removed from her usual work, just utterly unique and exciting, and witty, and brilliant. Wonderful stuff. I'll try and put together a proper list at some point...

[DFF]

With regards the more metal end of he musical spectrum, Devin Townsend, Opeth, Wolf, White Wizzard, Mastodon, Alestorm, Arch Enemy, Turisas, Dream Theater and Criminal all put out albums varying from average to excellent.

For me, it's probably a dead heat between the Turisas and Mastodon albums, closely followed by Alestorm and Criminal.

[Steeb]

SBTRKT made it huge? News to me.

EOY's go, off the top of my head, to Tyler, The Creator, Jay Z & Kanye, Jamie XX/Gil-Scott Heron, Childish Gambino and Foo Fighters. All brilliant, in very different ways. Probably between Jay Z/Kanye and Jamie XX/GSH for #1, showing how well collaborations can work when done well.

[SRN]

2011 has been an extremely good year, honestly. PJ Harvey was already mentioned, SBTRKT as well, and on that note, might as well throw in James Blake and Nicolas Jaar also; I've really loved "that kind" of electronic music that has gone big this year. For AOY's though, it is going to be hard to decide for me; so far, I'm torn between Devin Townsend's Deconstruction, Dirty Knobs' massive 8-hour drone epic Field Recordings from the Edge of Hell, Mary Fahl's take on Dark Side of the Moon or WU LYF's Go Tell Fire to the Mountain.

I'm going to chirp in some metal as well, although I've been a bit out of the loop; Mastodon's "The Hunter" didn't sit well with me, but on the sludge metal side of things I'll recommend people to go listen to Rising's "To Solemn Ash", it is in the same vein as Mastodon but a lot more heavy and a lot less dodgy. Weedeater, Esoteric, 40 Watt Sun, Black Pyramid (who broke up ), Disma, Krallice, Light Bearer, Sólstafir and Primus also released solid album, although Green Naugahyde (the Primus effort) was a bit on the stale side, honestly.

So yeah, 2011 has been a great year for music, at least for me.

[RPS]

SBTRKT made it huge? News to me.

Wildifre was a pretty big hit in the indie circles, than Drake versed on the track, the album got rave reviews, did some high profile remixes, and made his live review to fan-fare, with an appearance by Drake. I think that's pretty huge for an electronic musician who isn't releasing crappy house songs with pop and hip hop stars (cough... cough... Calvin Harris, David Guetta and Martin Solveig.)

Edited November 26, 2011 by RockPaperScissors

[METALMAN]

There's been plenty, so I might update this later, but I can only remember a few off the top of my head. Those are Yuck's debut; that Gregg Allman one; the Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX one.

Actually the Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX album was my favourite. Although I don't like the XX.

Other good ones:

The Donkeys

Frankie & the Heartstrings

Cher Lloyd (fuck off it's fun)

Little Roy

Metronomy

really enjoyed the Horrors album, having not really cared for them before

Toro Y Moi

lots of other stuff I can't remember

[YI]

Just quickly. Will likely expand at some point.

Best albums:

[YI]

Best songs:

[Matt]

There's not been much I've really liked released this year. Wasting Light is my favourite album of the year , NoelGal and Frank Turner's albums were pretty good. That's about it.

[Lowerdeck]

Does anyone else here think Beyonce is terrible?

[RPS]

Yeah, she is the worst.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Unfortunately, as much as I wish I really didn't like Beyonce (and never used to have any time for her at all) her recent stuff has been more creative and therefore more interesting.

Even "Run The World" which most of me hates BIG time there's still a little part of me that likes some of the beats. That's the problem with being an electro fan - sneakily good samples and beats sneaking into otherwise annoying songs.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Though I tell you what I like that has been shown on Fox Japan a few times recently...

[METALMAN]

Beyonce has the odd good song here and there. Her new album is almost entirely terrible. OOAA