I write for about 5-8 hours every day, and for about 95% of that time, I’m listening to music. People like to complain about how new things aren’t as good as old things (music, films, books), so I like to remind everyone that every year, morsels of goodness can be found, not matter how much bad stuff may have come out.
By Your Hand - Los Campesinos
Energetic, infectious, catchy, fuck-shit-up music. It manages to be funny and heartfelt, like most of the Welsh band’s stuff. The new album is a little less explosive than their previous records, but this gem has tons of replay value and will have you dancing.
Became - Atmosphere
A rap song about going camping in the snow and werewolves. But it’s a metaphor. For what, I’m still not entirely sure. No matter how many times I listen to the lyrics, I’m still trying to decipher the message at the end. I have an inkling of an idea, but I haven’t been able to fully express it. Atmosphere does that a lot.
Estate Sale Sign- The Mountain Goats
In this song, John Darnielle goes back to doing what he does best: songs about couples falling apart at the seams. And it’s of the sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs variety.
Always Gold - Radical Face
This is a mellow songs that builds and builds into something really quite beautiful. Perfect for driving or walking down the street. Or montages of a road trip in a movie. Something like that. It’s a beautiful song about old friendship and life’s fleetingness.
Michicant - Bon Iver
One of my favorites from an album that’s full of absolutely wonderful songs. The opening lines hooked me right away: “I was unafraid, I was a boy, I was a tender age.” It’s about sex and drugs and how can you resist that?
Post-Break Up Sex - The Vaccines
Oh, what did you expect from post break up sex? Catchy song with great lyrics, what more do you need?
Abducted - Cults
Don’t get fooled by the quiet opening. This song explodes quickly and never lets go. It’s short and fast and you feel it. Great song off a great album.
Weekend - Smith Westerns
This is a song that never fails to get me dancing. A guitar riff that has probably caused orgasms.
The Rose with the Broken Neck - Danger Mouse & Daniele Lupi w/Jack White
The title alone is better than entire songs, entire albums, entire careers. Half western film score, half…um…I don’t know what the other half is, but it’s lovely. And it’s a comforting reassurance that despite the end of The White Stripes, Jack White is not done rocking the music world.
Never Quite Free - The Mountain Goats
Yes, I have already discussed my crush on Darnielle’s songwriting many times before. This song has a bigger sound than most of his earlier stuff, and it makes for great driving music. The thing that gets me is how close this gets to being an uplifting song. He usually doesn’t write a lot of happy songs. And then you realize this is a song about getting really close to forgetting your sorrows before they drag you back down. That sounds harsh, but it still somehow manages to be a positive song.
Pushing Onlys - Woods
This is a band that I haven’t found many other fans of, because their sound is definitely not for everyone. No bass to speak of, all treble, and I love it. They have great, dual guitars, lovely harmonies and sharp songwriting.
Longing to Belong - Eddie Veder
I loved his album, Ukulele Songs, and this is just one of the many gems on it. Sweet and raw. Eddie Veder should marry his ukulele.
So Beautiful or So What - Paul Simon
Again, a fantastic title. Starts off with a lesson in cooking and ends as a lesson for life. I play this song for my nephew so that he’ll learn. “Gonna tell my kids a bedtime story, a play without a plot/ Will it have a happy ending?/ Maybe yes and maybe not/ I say life is what you make of it/ so beautiful or so what.”
A Real Hero - College ft. Electric Youth
If you’ve seen the movie Drive, you already know why.
Other notables from 2011:
- Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men
- Helplessness Blues- Fleet Foxes
- Sta. Fe - Beirut
- Will Do - TV on the Radio
- Smile, it Makes it Easier- Fire is Motion
- Chugjug- Family of the Year
- Black Night- The Dodos
- Ignite- The Raveonettes
- We Will Never Have this Night Again- Dudes Die
Obviously there’ve been tons more great songs released this year, and I will undoubtedly come back and edit this post to include something else (Andrew Bird’s version of It Ain’t Easy Being Green, anyone?). Especially once I finally get to listen to the new Slow Club record and spend some more time with the just-released Black Keys album. If you want to recommend any songs, I’m more than happy to build up my music collection.
