SHORT INTERVAL from all this raging discussion for my top 10 singles of 2011 (a proper list of singles is FAR too much effort so this will have to dooo)

 

01. Jamie xx - Far Nearer

02. Hooray For Earth - No Love

03. M83 - Midnight City

04. Bon Iver - Holocene

05. Calvin Harris - Feel So Close

06. Azealia Banks - 212

07. The Weeknd - The Birds Part 1

08. Lana Del Rey - Born To Die

09. Jay-Z and Kanye West - Niggas In Paris

10. Martin Solveig ft. Kele - Ready 2 Go

 

(I KNOW I just said that No Love (eternal love to Dandy*) was my favourite song of oheleven but that was before I remembered the 7 minute steel drum WONDER of Far Nearer which just pips it to the post) I guess 2011 wasn't THAT bad. If you pretend half of it didn't happen.

This top 10 is practically PERFECT. At least 6 of those would feature in my top 10 and another couple in my top 25 of the year (which will be posted soon). 'Ready to Go' sadly isn't one of my favourites though. :( As for the albums, looking rather wonderful at the moment! I'll write proper comments when it's complete.

No love for Ready 2 Go? :(

 

i am back in the country so shall probably get back on this TONIGHT

Edited December 29, 201113 yr by 152chris

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25. Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

Rano Pano, Letters to the Metro, George Square Thatcher Death Party

 

 

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24. Little Dragon - Ritual Union

Ritual Union, Crytalfilm, Summertearz

 

 

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23. The Horrors - Skying

Still Life, Endless Blue, I Can See Through You

 

 

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22. Neon Indian - Era Extraña

Polish Girl, Fallout, Future Sick

 

 

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21. SBTRKT - SBTRKT

Wildfire, Pharaohs, Right Thing To Do

 

 

Mogwai in general are an incredibly recent discovery but I fell in love with this album almost instantly. I'm not usually one for instrumentals (largely) but the atmosphere and feel of Hardcore.. is more than enough for a fantastic album. Elsewhere we have Little Dragon and The Horrors who have had albums that I loved to begin with but that slowly fell out of favour... Ritual Union and Still Life respectively remain incredible though and I still regularly revisit both albums. The Horrors at Leeds this year were an abolute highlight if you ignore the 20 minute power cut/lack of breathing space on the front row so they forever hold a place in ma hearttt. IN CONTRAST, Neon Indian and SBTRKT (I still love it when people spell that out) won't stop growing and just seem to get better every time I listen. How SBTRKT isn't massive I will never know...

Edited December 30, 201113 yr by 152chris

TOP TWENTY INCOMING

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20. Jamie Woon - Mirrorwriting

Night Air, Spirits, Lady Luck, Spiral

 

 

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19. Friendly Fires - Pala

Live Those Days Tonight, Hawaiian Air, Blue Cassette, Pull Me Back To Earth

 

 

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18. The Weeknd - Thursday/House of Balloons/Echoes of Silence

The Birds Part 1, Initiation, High For This, Rolling Stone

 

 

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17. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

Cruel, Surgeon, Northern Lights

 

 

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16. Youth Lagoon - The Year Of Hibernation

Daydream, Afternoon, Cannons

 

 

It only clicked with me fairly recently but Jamie Woon really did make one beautiful album in Mirrorwriting, if you want some haunting tunes to brighten up your day there really is no better option than this. Pala was pretty much my album of the summer this year and The Weeknd's TRIO of albums (for the purpose of this countdown/my sanity they're being treated as one entity) has been a rather exciting addition to my life this year. Strange Mercy is an album that just KEEPS giving and The Year of Hibernation is, quite unexpectedly, a pretty great album (if a little short) and certainly one of my favourite new discoveries of this year.

Edited December 30, 201113 yr by 152chris

Loving your countdown.

 

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19. Friendly Fires - Pala

Live Those Days Tonight, Hawaiian Air, Blue Cassette, Pull Me Back To Earth

 

Chimes 4eva

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20. Jamie Woon - Mirrorwriting

Night Air, Spirits, Lady Luck, Spiral

 

22-17 is EXEMPLARY, this obviously being the best of them all. (Spoilers for my own countdown OH WELL.)

 

:heart: for the gif accompaniment to Mogwai also.

 

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15. Foster The People - Torches

Call It What You Want, Helena Beat, Houdini

 

 

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14. Drake - Take Care

Take Care, Lord Knows, Crew Love, Marvin's Room, Headlines

 

 

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13. Metronomy - The English Riviera

The Bay, The Look, She Wants, Everything Goes My Way

 

 

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12. Yuck - Yuck

Holing Out, Get Away, Shook Down, Rubber

 

 

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11. Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam

Cash and Carry Me Home, Gaaasp, Survive It

 

Two mercury prize winners that SHOULD HAVE BEEN are here accompanied by Foster The People with a great album that I really didn't expect to like as much as I do. Pumped Up Kicks may have aged a bit but the rest of the album really is infectious. Drake came back brilliantly this year after a rather disappointing debut last year and Yuck provide a blast from the past while simultaneously making a genre that has fallen out of favour hugely sound fresh and a little bit exciting.

Edited January 1, 201213 yr by 152chris

Chimes 4eva

oh no no. such a strange choice of favourite track ha!

 

and thanks mr. furlong! glad you approvee

Edited January 2, 201213 yr by 152chris

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10. Lady Gaga - Born This Way

Government Hooker, Heavy Metal Lover, Bloody Mary, Americano, Scheiße, Bad Kids

 

Well here it is, the INEVITABLE inclusion for pretty much any rate this year. After a dodgy start (mainly caused by a pretty terrible string of singles; still ongoing) I really thought it was a no-go of an album and failed to understand the hype around it. It's still largely failing to capture the hearts of most of the public but has grown on me more than any other album this year, and has certainly overtaken The Fame/Monster in my affections. Not exactly a solid album with its equally vast array of good and bad songs but when it's good, it delivers like no other.

Edited January 2, 201213 yr by 152chris

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09. James Blake - James Blake

I Never Learned To Share, The Wilhelm Scream, Limit To Your Love, Unluck, Lindisfarne

 

Certainly the most critically acclaimed of my top 10, and with good reason! It really was love at first sight with this album, ever since I first heard Limit To Your Love I was hooked and could not wait for the LP. Packed full of emotion and effortless brilliance, it's an album that represents the true power of understatement.

 

Some brilliant albums in your chart Chris.

 

In particular I loved those from SBTRKT, The Horrors, Friendly Fires, Yuck, Metronomy and Foster THe People.

 

I wasn't much impressed by James Blake's but I do ADORE "THe Wilhelm Screm" (finished at No2 in my Top 100 of 2011 - shameless plug!). :D

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08. Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx - We're New Here

I'll Take Care Of U, NY Is Killing Me, I'm New Here, Home

 

Jamie xx. What a hero. Everything he's done this year I've loved to pieces and this is certainly no exception. The whole thing just works brilliantly and breathes modern life into the work of an icon. Proof that even when something may not need changing, it doesn't hurt to give it a go.

 

RIP and all that as well :(

Edited January 2, 201213 yr by 152chris

"We're New Here" is really good, it was such a shame that we lost Gil Scott-Heron this year. My favourites from the album were "I'll Take Care Of U", "NY is Killing Me" and the Rui Da Silva sampling "Ur Soul And Mine". Jamie xx could do no wrong this year I agree.

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07. Active Child - You Are All I See

Hanging On, Playing House (ft. How To Dress Well), High Priestess, Ivy

 

This was on course to just miss out on my top ten a few days ago before I had another listen and it all came rushing back. If there's something I liked about music in 2011, you'll find it somewhere in this album and it works brilliantly. All my favourite bits in one place. Amazing stuff.

Edited January 2, 201213 yr by 152chris

CALL ME TONIGHT

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06. Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch The Throne

Niggas In Paris, Otis, No Church In The Wild, That's My Bitch, H.A.M

 

What could really go wrong when you get the two greatest names in hip hop on one album? I've always been a Jay-Z fan but it took a while for me to get over Kanye's personality and just appreciate his music and just how cool he really is. Good news is my flatmate blasts this out at all hours of the day so I've been able to appreciate it almost non-stop since it came out. Yes flat bonding.

Edited January 2, 201213 yr by 152chris

CALL ME TONIGHT

OK BUT I'M BUSY RIGHT NOW SO LATER

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05. tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l

Bizness, Gangsta, Es-So, My Country

 

So strange yet so compelling and drawing from so many different and apparently conflicting influences, this is an album like no other but just WORKS, and Merill Garbus is an absolute hero. Her uncompromising self belief and pure power make the album not only great musically, but a believeable piece of work. And that voice. Full volume blasting compulsory.

Edited January 3, 201213 yr by 152chris

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04. Washed Out - Within And Without

Eyes Be Closed, Amor Fati, Far Away, You And I

 

My and my friends listened to this pretty much non-stop on holiday this year and it has definitely become the album of my summer, if not quite my year. It was my first delve into the perfectly named (if easily mocked) chillwave genre and still remains the best. What more could you want on a relaxing summer's day than this? Happy memoriesss.

 

TOP THREE PREDICTIONS PLEASE. SO PREDICTABLE. NO PRIZES.