2011

Here we are.  Feels like just yesterday, doesn't it?  I am personally glad I am finally approaching the conclusion here.  This year was defined by a lot of re-invention of the sounds of the 80s and a big return to smoothness, a sound mostly absent for decades.  I am sure there are some classics we do not even know about yet, but the only one I nearly included, but lacked familiarity with was Speed the Plough's Shine.  I am a big fan of what I have heard, but I just have not heard it enough.  Luckily, New Jersey is well-represented anyway.

10.  Blouse - Blouse
Most Portland bands are stuck in some other decade (not just the 90s) often too married to the (more northern) region's links to the garage.  This band is mostly grounded in the 80s, but rather than being mere revivalists they have formed a sound more reminiscent of a ghost of that decade.  The whole album sounds washed in cassette age-damage that actually serves these dreamlike post-goth songs well (i.e. "Ghost Dream).  The production is distinct and the use of echo and other distance-creating effects are as crucial as the song itself rather than a crutch.  Using the studio or some other audio tool as an instrument hits its peak on "Video Tapes" with its beginning warp.  The band's sleepy sound is served by strong mechanical rhythms and guitarist Charlie Hilton's warm voice and very subtle sense  of humor.  The distinctly feminine "Time Travel" is my favorite song on this album designed to make the most of its music.

9.  Panda Bear - Tomboy
After creating one of the most relaxing and positive records of its time and reinventing sample music, Panda takes a new and darker moodier direction with the follow-up.  It is, though not obviously, guitar- based as the artist claims to have been influenced by Nirvana and the White Stripes.  Due to the impossibly high expectations after his laster album and following releases with Animal Collective, this one was largely overlooked.  It is too bad because this spacey record shows just how endless Lennox's range can be and that he can write more traditional pop songs such as the lead single, and one of the album's more upbeat tracks "Last Night At The Jetty."  The title track is a better example of the band's general sound with its hazy and darker atmosphere.  As the title of another great track would indicate, this album has a lot of drone to it and also is Panda's work most in the classic psychedelic rock vein, making the mixing from Sonic Boom a perfect fit.

8.  Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
"I can hear everything.  It's everything time."  Always that band just below the surface of indie popularity, the distinctly Manhattan group's psychedelic disco funk is at its finest on their most recent release.  The Middle Eastern weirndess brought in by front woman/percussionist Lizzi Bougatsos is often the most discussed, but GGD is really an instrumentally focused group, reaching prog-like levels of intricacy, especially from keyboardist Brian Degraw.  Their grooves, while highly danceable have the tendency to change rapidly and get unrecognizable like the best of disco moving into heady territory.  Their live pattern of extending and jamming is cut loose on these generally longer-than-average songs, such as the mesmerizing opener "Glass Jar" featuring Haunted Graffiti bassist Tim Koh.    The dance and highly psychedelic album is one of the landmarks of the sadly under-explored style of experimental disco and is a far cry from both the other disco revivalists of its time and they trippy experimentalists who don't think so much with their hips and hearts.

7.  The Stepkids - The Stepkids
This Brooklyn supergroup, comprised of three seasoned musicians that equally contribute to the vocals and composition, are one of the top examples of the smooth revival.  Some even consider this fulkk-blown yacht rock.  I would not go so far, but it is indeed very smooth and the musicianship is undeniable, particularly from Dan Edinberg for his dual role of bassist and keyboardist.  The band's distinct aesthetic comes from their performance style of having colorful projections in sync with the music on top of the white-clad (including the instruments) and these shows along with a 12" single began to raise anticipation for this record.  Unfortunately the songs from the single "Shadows on Behalf" and "La La" are the best on the LP, but all these soulful and psychedelic songs are strong.  "Suburban Dream" with its funky groove and unforgettable keyboard fills comes close to topping the single, though, and the trio provides music fans with some of the best harmonies of the day.

6.  The Feelies - Here Before
Making good on their live performance promises, the New Jersey heroes come back after twenty years with another great album picking up where they left off.  Though some are put off by the crisp production - especially in the sound of its acoustic guitars, the music herein is as strongly Feelies as ever.  The opening track "Nobody Knows" might be the first example of a re-formed band addressing the expectations placed upon them and shows their intention to simply play their own great music again regardless.  It all comes out well and the tight songs and dynamics, blaring lead guitars, and distinctly New Jersey nostalgia are still what defines this now middle-aged group.  The album cover even fits into the state's aesthetic of shrouded natural beauty and suburban charm this very group created.  Some  of the other best songs are "Morning Comes" and lead single "Should Be Gone," which contain the band's sound that appears laid-back on the surface but has the subtle poetry of seasoned musicians and real people who love their music.  Hopefully it will not be as long for more, but at least all five members are always actively creating the greatest music of all time.

5.  John Maus - We Must Become The Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
This Hawaii-based Minnesotan bedroom artist shares a lot in common with his buddy Ariel Pink, particularly the latter's early work.  It is very self-oriented and Maus performs with merely his own backing track and his vocals, accompanied by one of the most energetic and emotional performances one could imagine.  His sense of humor matches and may surpass Pink's, often in a dry way with "Cop Killer" in particular following similar mold to previous synth-pop protest song "Rights for Gays."  Maus, however is far more emotional such as on "...And The Rain" and the stunning closer "Believer" - one of the most moving songs of the year.  With his rare sense of creation he covers, or perhaps jsut sing-alongs to Swede Molly Nilsson's "Hey Moon," with its gorgeous keys and newly-created harmonies giving the already strong track heartbreaking beauty as far from hipster irony as Maus' adopted home is from Brooklyn.  Maus' use of electronics may give the impression of 80s synth-pop at its best and most dream-like, but his DIY approach and intense sincerity and humor place it alongside the greatest "outsider" music.

4.  Twin Sister - In Heaven
Following their phenomenal (no pun intended) EPs, the best thing out of Long Island ever (sorry, Vanilla Fudge) finally makes a full-length with a name only they could pull off.  It may have fallen a little short of expectations, but their evolution was enough to solidify their place as one of the most interesting bands around.  Their is a much higher emphasis on electronics and keyboardist Dev Gupta may usurp bassist Gabe D'Amico as the band's star for this album, particularly on "Bad Street."  The rhythm section grooves as well as ever though, and these songs are in a smoother vein than their more krauty early work which fits Andrea Estella's innocently seductive, yet unpredictable voice perfectly.  Guitarist Eric Cardona shines at times though with more vocal contributions and dominance on songs like "Spain" and the album's clear winner "Gene Ciampi."  Many of these songs have a lighter and more playful tone like "Saturday Sunday," but "Kimmi in a Rice Field" has so much dark atmosphere it is almost unsettling.  An album  that has certainly gotten better with age, it sounds, appropriately, like 80s Heaven and shows that we have a lot to look forward to from this band.  In fact, their next record  is the (eventually) upcoming release I am most anticipating.

3.  Flash Gilmore and the Funbeatles - Debauchery Playground
This Alameda quintet  led by extraterrestrial Flash Gilmore took the antiquated approach of dressing in uniform and playing as many shows as possible with no goal but free beer and entertaining the Bay Area with real rock and roll.  The summer of 2010 was dominated with this unbelievable group's theatrical yet dance-intensive shows that evolved from classic covers of the likes of the Flamin' Groovies (obvious from the album's cover) and Devo to some of the best new originals of their time.  Unfortunately, by the time their sole album was released the group had grown a lot since its recording and some of their finest songs such as "Earth Girl," "Gundam Driver," and "Junior Prom Dream," did not make it, and the energy here is a far cry from their electrifying live performances.  Still, this short album is phenomenal.  "Drummer Girl" (one of their many songs about girls) may be the best introduction to their timeless sound thanks to the high-seated and hi-hat centric drums of Jerry Ramone, the guitar dynamics of Hazel James and the Glove, and the always-clever lyrics.  Bassist Mick James contributes some of the best songs in the Monks-influenced caveman stomp of "Here It Comes" and live favorite "So Shy."  The Strokes-y "The Top" may be the album's highlight and though not the most hard-rocking song on the record, captures the transcendent quality of their live set best.  The closing title track, the first song Gilmore, Ramone, and Hazel wrote for this project is the big kid party anthem that earned its place as the title track with its energetic chant and the most conviction I have heard in a Bay Area group since Moby Grape.

2.  Real Estate - Days
The current heros of the softer side of Jersey indie rock outdid themselves on their second album.  Aided by much cleaner production, these life-changing songs perfectly capture the lush and lonely beauty of a rainy Summer day in New Jersey long past.  Basically, it is the exact sound of what I see through the window of my childhood home that soon will no longer be a part of my life, nor my family's, or as they put it "Green Aisles."  Like their most obvious influence, the Feelies, the band has a slightly-slow sound that could appear laid-back but in truth is an atmosphere created in search of something other than the tense drama and fear  of life here.  Opening track "Easy" and "Out of Tune" are the best examples, with the latter showing their impressive integration of keyboards into their jangly sound.  Their country influence is also more apparent than ever on the Alex Bleeker original "Wonder Years," with the best harmonies on the album.  Like all the great New Jersey albums it sounds like the picture on its cover or an empty beach on the now-ravaged shore in Winter.  This is an album of rare emotional power that washes over you with a sea of folk power led by Matthew Mondanile's atmospheric lead guitars.  This is the New  Jersey torch being passed from the Feelies to  the younger generation, and this Ridgewood group is certainly deserving.  Their performance November 12, 2011 shortly after this album's release was one of the most affecting experiences of my life.  Minutes after its conclusion Super River first played "Glacier."

1.  PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
If anyone was still under the impression that Polly Harvey was just another angry girl from the 90s this  should have obliterated that idea.  This apocalyptic record, a close examination on the evil of war and imperialism, particularly of the English variety is horrifyingly true to life and haunting.  Upon its release I heard "The Glorious Land" on the radio on my way to work.  It nearly made me stop in the middle of the 405 with its sound reminiscent of both NEU! and the Feelies and that was before the vocals even started off.  With its call and response section is wages the US and England against each other for most Earth-corrupting nation, and of course England is the winner and the rest of the lyrics are enough proof you need for either side.  Shortly after I heard "The Words that Maketh Murder" and it was obvious this was one of the best albums of all time.  I did not hear the whole thing until about a year later, somehow, but could not have been happier to hear resemblance to my own band.  Much like the horror of war, something I have found women to be much better at capturing (another example being Explode into Colors' "Sharpen the Knife") there is no relief with this album.  It is all a nightmarish, unrelenting challenge, but well worth it for moments of beauty like "The Last Living Rose."  That song is one of the few to capture the trouble in the homeland with its bleak portrait of London, and is also one of the best songs of ALL TIME.  Polly does not do all the work herself an in addition to frequent collaborators like Flood,  Mick Harvey, and John Parrish, she uses samples and allusions throughout the record, always effectively on songs like "The Glorious Land," "Written on the Forehead" and the opening title track.  She even lets the other Harvey take over lead vocals on the closing track "The Colour of the Earth," a veteran's lament for his best friend.  This is a monumental record for all the deformed children out there.  Listen.

Wow, almost done!