Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Best of 2011 Part 4

Hard to believe but we're already half way through the list. We have some really divergent stuff for you today, so let's get to 'er!

#12
DJ Cam
Seven


Laurent Daumail is our next contributor to the list, and does so with his latest solo effort. I'm a huge fan of the stuff he's done with his group, simply called the DJ Cam Quartet, and while this album doesn't stray too far from the lo-fi jazzy trip-hop style beats that he's known for, it offers a few more intricate and less loop-based jams that are an evolution from his previous material.

This is really a champion of chill-out tunes we're listening to, and this album is as intimate as you could ask for, pulling you in with some brilliant, soulful, almost haunting tracks while at other times just gently tugging with bright, fleeting artsy jazz rhythms. The only question now is when can we hear more?

Swim


California Dreamin'


Ghost


#11
Kraak & Smaak
Electric Hustle


After hearing the really crunchy sounding single "Dynamite" I figured the rest of the Dutch's trio's new album would be a similarly sounding house album. I'm happy to say I was proven wrong. I loved the single, but the album just had so many surprises and so many layers that any of my preconceptions were totally off-base.

This album has elements of soul, blues, jazz, R&B, but really at it's hard is a sort of synth-pop nu-funk awesomeness that should be listened to in its entirety. The whole thing just really makes you want to get up and boogie. They also tour as a live act to rave reviews and are now on my list of bands to see before the world blows up. Might have to make a little European tour to catch them.

Let's Go Back


Hold Back Love


Wasted With A Smile


#10
The Black Keys
El Camino


Into the top 10! This is an interesting selection for me, because I actually have mixed feelings about this album. With their follow up to last year's wildly successful "Brothers" album, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have put together another fine album of bluesy rock that anyone who liked last year's record would love as well. Starting with the single, "Lonely Boy", it's full of the same catchy hooks and nearly every song is a winner, but is that really a good thing?

For music aficionados this album just sounds like an extension, some left over songs from the same writing and recording process. In this essence I'm not as excited about it, but that doesn't mean it's not a very good album. In fact just about any other rock duo in the world would be ecstatic about releasing an album of this calibre, but we've come to expect so much from these guys that I was just hoping for something really different this time. That said it's still good enough to make my top 10, which maybe says something about how good these guys are.

Gold On The Ceiling


Dead And Gone


Mind Eraser


EP #4
Com Truise
Fairlight


Seth Haley really likes his synths, drum machines, and really likes 80's video games. Probably loves robots too because that's what I think of when I listen to his music. This EP was my first exposure to his weird audiotronic world, and I was impressed. Even though his choice of instrumentation is limited, there is emotion and versatility exposed in a strange robotic kind of way. Even though I was ultimately underwhelmed by his later LP release, this EP is definitely worth checking out.

Fairlight


Polyhurt


Beta Eyes


Tomorrow we move deeper into the top 10.

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