It’s freaking gorgeous out today. And it’s supposed to be a gloriously pleasant Philadelphia weekend the whole way through kiddies. And you know there’s no better way to celebrate it than to head outdoors, sip a cocktail filled with coconut rum and such, and let the smooth grooves take the stress away.

So here’s a list of some personal favorites out of the Yacht Rock genre very near and dear to my heart–

IRONY ALERT!!!!!
Please don’t bother listening to these sweet grooves if you love to hate this music. Or if you consider it a “guilty pleasure.” I’m with Chuck Klosterman in thinking that there’s no such thing. These are finely crafted pop delights. If you have a problem with the overpolished production, then I beg of you: Have another drink and focus on the melodies.

Also, I cannot put this list forward without acknowledging its major inspiration: Yacht Rock, the Channel 101 series created by JD Ryznar and Hunter Stair. It’s a loving homage to the interwoven careers of a group of musicians in the late 70s/early 80s that created incredibly smooth sounds. While many of the stories and musical connections portrayed in Yacht Rock are true, Ryznar takes them to a whole other level. For example, many music fans know that Toto played the music on Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature,” but did you know that they had to enlist Vincent Price’s paranormal expertise to pry a rock-twisted Jackson from the clutches of bad boy Eddie Van Halen and back to the sounds of Smooth?

Such tales are the meat of this series that centers around the relationship of frenemy singers Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins as they attempt to “keep the fire” of Smooth Music burning despite the temptations of hard rocking. It’s a must watch. Check it out on the above Channel 101 link or on this YouTube playlist.

And without further ado–

Smooth… It’s Got To Be Smooth from arodmcfoolish on 8tracks.

Or listen to this FishMixing on Spotify.

1. I Keep Forgetting – Michael McDonald

2. Breezin’ – George Benson

3. Eye in the Sky – The Alan Parsons Project

4. Don’t Fight it – Kenny Loggins & Steve Perry

5. Steppin’ Out – Joe Jackson

6. FM – Steely Dan

7. Sailing – Christopher Cross

8. Rosanna – Toto

9. I Can’t Go For That – Hall & Oates

10. Even The Nights Are Better – Air Supply

11. This Is It – Kenny Loggins & Michael McDonald

12. Human Nature – Michael Jackson

13. What A Fool Believes – Doobie Brothers

14. Shattered Dreams – Johnny Hates Jazz

15. Ya Mo B There – Michael McDonald & James Ingram

16. Rikki Don’t Lose That Number – Steely Dan

17. Harden My Heart – Quarterflash

18. Penny Lover – Lionel Richie

19. Africa – Toto

20. Regulators – Warren G and Nate Dogg

As those in the Dylan know know, covers of our own Shakespeare In The Alley could be considered an entire genre of pop music. The homages, sendups, reimaginings and interpretations are endless, and were going on as soon as he started writing songs. I’m happy to say that while I am an absolute Dylan junkie (read: I even think Self Portrait is brilliant), I’m not a stuffed-shirt purist when it comes to The Bard’s tunes. I welcome covers, and am thrilled to hear somebody succeed in putting their own stank on an established Dylan anthem. It’s the same with film remakes–a lot of people get their panties in a bunch when someone does this, but I’m happy to watch. It’s somebody else’s take on something they (in many cases) love, and hey, if it ends up sucking, guess what? The original is still committed to film (or tape, DVD, Betamax, etc.) No big loss.

So Amnesty International put together a 76-song collection of Dylan covers, which I knew I would have to go through and evaluate. Overall, I’d say it’s a mediocre collection, mostly due to boring, cliched studio production glossiness, but there is definitely a collection within the collection of fun, surprising and inspiring covers.

Check it out here on Spotify, or pick it up.

But before we delve into this behemoth compilation, I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up the best collection of Dylan covers I’ve ever heard, and indeed the measuring stick by which I would judge all collections that came after it: the soundtrack to I’m Not There, the abso-fucking-lutely BRILLIANT Todd Haynes Dylan biopic. I mean, for serious, I could watch this film 15 times in a row and not tire of it.

A word of warning though about this film: I don’t know exactly what you’ll get out of it if you’re not A) a supreme Dylan nut, or B) you can’t grasp the idea of a man assuming different archetypes/identities in his life and that a film might attempt to express that by literally having different characters play the same subject. The majority of the criticism I heard flung at the film boiled down to “But why are there different people playing one guy? I don’t get why you would do that. This is artsy-fartsy,” or some such nonsense. It seemed a pretty obvious way to explain such a chameleon to me. Plus, Cate Blanchett. Jesus.

Anywho, whether or not you enjoy (or even see) the film, the soundtrack was without a doubt the best collection of Dylan interpretations ever set to wax. Listen to it here, or buy it. A lot.

So without further ado–

1. One Too Many Mornings – Johnny Cash featuring The Avett Brothers
Just remove the Avett Brothers karaoke track on here and you’ve got something.

2. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat – Raphael Saadiq
Not a Saadiq fan, but was pleasantly surprised with his choice of Grateful Dead-ish interpretation. Still, pretty meh.

3. Drifter’s Escape – Patti Smith
Not a surprise that Patti brought it into the Street-Legal era, not a bad choice but still too reverent. I want ragged, all-or-nothing days Patti!

4. Ballad of Hollis Brown – Rise Against
I like the energy and the build, but that late 90s/early aughts sheen is a bit much.

5. Blind Willie McTell – Tom Morello The Nightwatchman
A travesty.

6. Corrina, Corrina – Pete Townshend
A charming rendition. Thanks Pete. I needed that after that Tom Morello business.

7. Most of the Time – Bettye LaVette
One of my favorite latter-day Dylan tunes, it totally works as a Soul ballad. Props to LaVette for giving it the Mavis Staples business.

8. This Wheel’s On Fire – Charlie Winston
Winston’s Antony-like wobble fits the original Rick Danko vocal well, but the arrangement is to glossy for something penned in Big Pink.

9. Simple Twist of Fate – Diana Krall
Too, I dunno… uptight.

10. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere – Brett Dennen
Now this is the laid back fun vibe this song needs. Perfect fit.

11. Love Sick – Mariachi El Bronx
Spanish arrangements usually work well on Dylan tunes, as in this case, along with the orchestration and choral vocals.

12. Blowin’ in the Wind – Ziggy Marley
Aside from the guitar tone, a really solid minor-key version. Ziggy’s voice is best during its roughest moments.

13. Changing of the Guards – The Gaslight Anthem
The all-American, rollicking Bruce sendup makes sense, and Gaslight pulls it off, although I really miss the horns on this. The Clarence sound would have nailed it.

14. Not Dark Yet – Silversun Pickups
I think I like this one. Pretty sure. I think it’s the vocals that are throwing me.

15. You’re A Big Girl Now – My Morning Jacket
Jim James and Co. are excellent at covers (his “Going To Acapulco” cover on I’m Not There was show-stopping), and this is no exception. His sweet voice evokes Dylan’s during its least smoke-corroded Nashville Skyline days. Reverb and boom and slide, oh my.

16. Boots of Spanish Leather – The Airborne Toxic Event
Didn’t love it; didn’t hate it.

17. Girl from the North Country – Sting
Sting plays it smart sticking to the solo acoustic fingerpicking. Solo Sting is usually bad news, but he scores a serene win here.

18. Restless Farewell – Mark Knopfler
Dylan’s old friend Mark does a lovely Pogue-sey rendition.

19. Outlaw Blues – Queens Of The Stone Age
Finally, somebody rocks that shit! Wicked gutbucket guitar and the vocal distortion is a great touch. Out. Of. The. Park.

20. Rainy Day Woman # 12 & 35 – Lenny Kravitz
Ugh. I’m sorry; I’ll never forgive you for “American Woman.” You’re not allowed to cover songs anymore. Nice sax solo though.

21. One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below) – Steve Earle & Lucia Micarelli
Good buildup, violins and mandolins are a great touch. Chest-heavingly well done.

22. Heart Of Mine- Blake Mills
Another with an 80s Springsteen feel, with Bonnie Raittish harmonies, and it works for this song. Nice to hear something from Shot of Love.

23. You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go – Miley Cyrus
#WhoIsBobDylan #RoyalUglyDude #ZOMG
Seriously though, other than some minor processing and effects on the vocal, she sings this in true country style, with some aged raspiness in her voice. Pleasantly surprised.

24. Lay Down Your Weary Tune – Billy Bragg
Billy’s one guy who can handle a Dylan cover, although I’d rather her it in old-school heavy accent Bragg. Really dig the choral vocals.

25. License to Kill – Elvis Costello
What sounds like an awful start on a starter Casio keyboard eventually fills out with a nice Costello arrangement, complete with the old-school reggae bass. Wonderfully strange arrangement, excellent high harmonies.

26. Lay, Lady, Lay – Angelique Kidjo
Overproduced. Would’ve been so much better if they went with an African field recording feel.

27. Ring Them Bells – Natasha Bedingfield
Can’t anybody get this cover right? The original usually reduces me to tears. Sufjan shockingly screwed it up on I’m Not There (that and Vedder’s “Watchtower” were the only negatives in that collection), and Bedingfield reduces it to an Amy Grant ballad.

28. Love Minus Zero/No Limit – Jackson Browne
Meh to fair enough version, but I still say fuck this guy for laying his hands on Darryl Hannah.

29. Seven Curses (Live) – Joan Baez
I give Joan a lot of flack (usually just to annoy my mother), but I’ll be damned if she still doesn’t sound as unbelievably angelic and strong as she did 50 years ago. As far as singing ability and looks, Joan had the last laugh over Dylan, that’s for sure. One of the few artists to truly earn Dylan covers.

30. No Time To Think – The Belle Brigade
What is this? Get rid of this.

31. Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You (Live) – Sugarland
See #30. And #5.

32. Mr. Tambourine Man – Jack’s Mannequin
OK, I guess we’ve hit a lull here. Who’s gonna get us out of this?

33. 4th Time Around – Oren Lavie
Nice Israeli touches and atmospheric trumpet on this arrangement. Thanks for bringing us back on to the level Oren.

34. All I Really Want To Do – Sussan Deyhim
We’ve gone world music! Not sure about this Iranian Adult Not-So-Contemporary version (it grew on me as the song progressed), but I kind of wish Sade was singing over this. That would be smoooooooth son.

35. Make You Feel My Love (Recorded Live at WXPN) – Adele
Yup. Still don’t like Adele, nor do I find her the least bit interesting. But even her Soul-pablum can’t ruin this incredible song. It always makes me think of my friends Jay and Michele’s wedding. Much love.

36. With God On Our Side – K’NAAN
I absolutely love the rhythm K’NAAN gives to the verse lyrics. This guy’s a Somali-Canadian rapper. What? I’m glad that’s a thing. Great modernizing of this tune.

37. I Want You – Ximena Sariñana
Not the kind of song you want to sing like pouty widdle girl. This isn’t “Santa Baby.”

38. She Belongs to Me – Neil Finn with Pajama Club
Sounds like they applied the Daniel Lanois-produced Oh Mercy treatment to an older Dylan tune, which is nice to hear, but a little too much of that Adam Clayton Joshua Tree bass treatment.

39. Bob Dylan’s Dream – Bryan Ferry
I always loved this song, but I expected Bryan Ferry to be much more inventive than this. Too many of these covers have that reverent, “THIS IS AN IMPORTANT BALLAD” stock production. Also, mouth harp?

40. Tomorrow Is A Long Time – Zee Avi
Like the minimalism of this one.

41. Just Like a Woman – Carly Simon
Who’s playing piano on this? Excellent, sultry arrangement. I’ve never heard Carly sound this dark and night-clubby (in a good way). Wow.

42. The Times They Are A-Changin’ – Flogging Molly
Love putting the Irish treatment on this anthem, but I’ve never been huge into the Irish-Polished-Punk sound of Flogging Molly. If this was The Chieftains or The Clancy Brothers (God rest their immortal souls), I’d be much happier.

43. Buckets Of Rain – Fistful Of Mercy
One of my favorite Dylan tunes, and for my money nobody covered it better than Neko Case. The group vocals and bass drum thump carry this version along nicely though.

44. Man Of Peace – Joe Perry
OK, in all seriousness, can somebody just put Aerosmith out of their misery? These guys all share a career that is about 37 years too old. And WHO told Joe Perry to sing?

45. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue – Bad Religion
Not a Bad Religion fan, and this cover doesn’t help matters. I can’t help but think of all the other, better, more original covers out there of this tune.

46. Desolation Row (Live) – My Chemical Romance
Not a huge fan of these guys either, but this is a great anthemic punk take on Dylan’s rambling, surrealist poetry. This one works for me, whereas Bad Religion’s doesn’t. Dunno why exactly.

47. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door – RedOne featuring Nabil Khayat
This song needs to be retired. It was seriously dead, then Antony breathed wondrous, macabre life back into it on I’m Not There, but that was it. No more of this song please.

48. Abandoned Love – Paul Rodgers & Nils Lofgren
Ultra commercial Neu-Country arrangement. Boo.

49. New Morning – Darren Criss featuring Chuck Criss and Freelance Whales
Aw man, they took all the joy and bounce out of one of my favorite Dylan tunes and turned it into open mic night pap.

50. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll – Cage the Elephant
I think this just needs to be a strummed protest song; the keyboard and effects-driven arrangement is just distracting from the story here. Dylan covered this one best on the Rolling Thunder Revue anyhow.

51. It Ain’t Me, Babe – Band of Skulls
Nice, minimal recording, driving yet subtle acoustic, lilting slides, harmonies that dole out the heartbreak in the lyrics. Aces.

52. Property of Jesus – Sinéad O’Connor
Wow. She’s still got it. I may need to dig into her catalogue. Her delivery of the chorus is the balls. Jesus, Dylan even made born-again Christianity badfuckingass. I think this is my favorite of the whole lot.

53. Shelter From The Storm – Ed Roland and The Sweet Tea Project
This song deserves much better.

54. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right – Ke$ha
I’ve never heard Ke$ha before, because I’m a grown-ass man. I assume she’s trying to mimic some major league depth because it’s Dylan, but she totally misses the point of the song while fake cry-singing. If I was a betting man, I’d wager that she recently heard Amanda Palmer’s “Creep” cover.

55. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right – Kronos Quartet
I like to think Kronos Quartet were all, “Who the fuck is Ke$ha? Did I just speak a dollar sign? No, we’re doing that song.” Pretty much the weird arrangement that you’d expect from them.

56. I Shall Be Released – Maroon 5
I don’t think we need to say anything here, right? Let’s just just move right along…

57. Political World – Carolina Chocolate Drops
This is what this song would have sounded like if it were written in the 1860s with Tammany Hall as the backdrop. The vocals are lackluster, but the arrangement drives shit home.

58. Like A Rolling Stone – Seal & Jeff Beck
Couldn’t we find a smoother Dylan song for Seal? And does Dylan have any “smooth” songs? Why did they give the quintessential Dylan anthem to a duo that only the Grammy Award producers would assemble? Yikes.

59. Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream – Taj Mahal
I want to like this cover; it’s got a Booker T. and the M.G.’s-like arrangement, but it’s 80s Booker T. and the M.G.’s, and Taj Mahal’s vocal delivery is just too much.

60. Senor – Tales of Yankee Power (Live) – Dierks Bentley
Lively bluegrass arrangement with some excellent mandolining, but once again the vocals don’t rise to the occasion. Another song that should have been retired after it was knocked out of the park on I’m Not There by Willie Nelson.

61. One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later) – Mick Hucknall
Great Dylan vocals by “the Simply Red guy.” it’s about time someone did a Dylan vocal homage.

62. I’ll Remember You – Thea Gilmore
So far, my favorite part about this compilation is hearing people doing Dylan’s forgotten and vastly underrated 80s material. The guy’s absolute worst was still pretty damn remarkable. Gilmore handles this tune with aplomb.

63. John Brown – State Radio
I take it The Black Keys weren’t available and Amnesty International had to settle for the fifth-rate version.

64. All Along the Watchtower (Live) – Dave Matthews Band
See #56. Aw, and they had to put a version from Philadelphia didn’t they? Bad form Amnesty International.

65. Subterranean Homesick Blues – Michael Franti
We’ve hit another lull.

66. Mama, You Been On My Mind – We Are Augustines
S’all right.

67. Tryin’ To Get To Heaven – Lucinda Williams
Poignant tune, especially coming from Williams. She sounds like a female Springsteen on this one.

68. Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn) – Kris Kristofferson
Kris still gots it.

69. Gotta Serve Somebody – Eric Burdon
Not bad.

70. I’d Have You Anytime – Evan Rachel Wood
Love this Dylan-Harrison collaboration, and can totally dig it in this lounge cover. Marilyn Manson’s ex nails the sultry chanteuse on the piano. Oh those actresses-turned-singers.

71. Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Live) – Marianne Faithfull
I know it’s now fashionable to hate the ukulele (as opposed to last year when it was fashionable to love it), but it is a perfect instrument for this song. Marinane Faithfull, on the other hand, just scares me.

72. Forever Young – Pete Seeger
Way to still be alive Pete. I think if he still had the strength, he would’ve taken an ax to the glossy studio production on most of this collection and made everybody go it with acoustics and footstomps.

73. Chimes Of Freedom – Bob Dylan
“Sometimes there’s a man… I won’t say a hero, ’cause what’s a hero? But sometimes, there’s a man… Sometimes, there’s a man, well, he’s the man for his time and place.”

74. Outernational – When the Ship Comes In
75. Silverstein – Song To Woody
76. Daniel Bedingfield – Man In The Long Black Coat

All the rest is bad, especially in the shadow of The Man.

In honor of the midseason premiere of The Walking Dead tonight, I present you with Zombocalypse, the soundtrack to the Zombie Film that has been going on in my brain ever since I sat enraptured with and horrified by Night of the Living Dead as a child who sneaked downstairs to watch on Halloween night. I have provided some stepping stones; I recommend you listen and fill in your own movie. And remember to always scout out nearby locations for possible escape routes, weapons and safe haven; you never know when the shit’s gonna hit the fan.

Zombocalypse: Original Soundtrack from arodmcfoolish on 8tracks.

Or listen to Zombocalypse (minus the opening song) on Spotify.

1. Prologue

“Z-Day” – Arod McFoolish

…in which all hell breaks loose

2. Opening Credits

“Demon Host” – Timber Timbre

…in which those left alive realize the severity of the situation

3. Rising Action

“Someone Chasing Someone Through A House” – Umberto

…in which our heros are made to flee the hoards surrounding them

4. Temporary Rest

“Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues” – Skip James

…in which those who can find temporary respite bed down, but get little sleep

5. Cities On Fire

“Deerslayer” – Black Math Horseman

…in which our group of rag-tag survivors discover the futility of traveling to the city

6. Migratory Patterns

“The Cold Part” – Modest Mouse

…in which the survivors cross a cold and desolate tundra in hopes of finding civilization

7. Sorrow, Agony

“Death Don’t Have No Mercy” – Reverend Gary Davis

…in which in-fighting and death threatens the group’s morale

8. A Love Affair, Amidst The Walking Dead

“Trust Me” – Zola Jesus

…in which human beings turn to each other in desperation

9. The Facade Crumbles

“Only You Can Break My Heart” – Team Ghost

…in which the delusion of security is eliminated and the group flees, losing members

10. Regrouping

“Black Celebration” – Depeche Mode

…in which the few who remain examine the few choices they have

11. Preparation, The Final Countdown

“In The Air Tonight” – Phil Collins

…in which our heroes prepare for a showdown of epic proportions and travel to meet their fate

12. We Make Our Last Stand

“You Keep Me Hanging On” – Vanilla Fudge

…in which the group fights with everything it has to survive one more day

13. Death

“Sunlight, Heaven” – Julianna Barwick

…in which those who have lost slip away from apocalypse

14. Closing Credits

“Sleep Walk” – Santo & Johnny

Sure, I love hoarding a hard drive full of digital music treasures, as well as the Spotify streaming behemoth, but it’s true when they say that nothing beats a trip to the record store. Here’s another post in a continuing series of vinyl hunts.

Amoeba Music

1855 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA

In late January, I went to visit my good friends Dan & Mandy (Dan’s blog, Public Transportation Horrors, is the tits.) in Oakland, where it rained for three straight days. It wasn’t that upsetting; luckily, my friends are very entertaining and you don’t need good weather to play pinball, eat good foodstuffs, go see comedy shows, witness art, watch a Jaws/The Taking of Pelham 123 double feature on a projector and drink beer in bars. Anyway, not running into Hammer on the streets of Oak-Town was far more of a letdown.

The one site I had my heart set on seeing was Amoeba Music, the music geek emporium about which I had often read. I was able to check it out with Dan while our ladyfriends adjourned to vintage clothes shopping. Amoeba was a magnificent site to behold. It would have taken me a couple days to properly explore its nooks and crannies, but with only an hour to spare, I decided to focus on Soul, my current record-buying obsession. I usually stick to old records of the cheaper variety, but I walked away from Amoeba with some choice reissued and new vinyl cuts.

1. McLemore Avenue / Booker T. & the M.G.’s / Stax Records

I was very excited to spot this record, having read about it years ago before its reissue. It’s Booker T. & the M.G.’s version of Abbey Road, McLemore Avenue being the street on which Stax Records is located. I’ve recently been on a mission with a friend of mine to put together a master playlist of The Beatles covering soul tunes and Soul acts covering Beatle tunes (the compilation will culminate with “Get Back,” of course, because it features The Beatles playing with Soul great Billy Preston), so this record plays into that theme perfectly.

Highlights include the organ hits on the “Here Comes The Sun” reprise that follow the rather tame verse/chorus interpretations; the jam thrown into “Something” that has nothing to do with the original, as if the boys just got tired of playing straight pop music and had to drop a funk bomb; and the funky Shaft-like lead-in to “You Never Give Me Your Money.” The grooves laid down on “Come Together” and “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” are the real standouts, the latter reminding me of a similar rendition done by West Chester Soul gents The Sermon!, who recently wowed our wedding crowd with their sweet licks and deep grooves. Check’em out, pronto.

2. Doing It To Death / The J.B.’s / People Records

It’s great that Soul Brother Number One (referred to on this sleeve as “JAMES BROWN – THE HIT MAN – THE GODFATHER OF SOUL”) did a series of records highlighting his blazing dynamo of a band. Right off the intro, “Doing It To Death” lays down the sickliest of bottoms that never lets up once in 10 minutes, and we’re all off to have a funky good time. If I were to witness anybody listening to this record without an expression of pure bliss (or at least the onset of a neck twitch and an overbite), I may feel the need to dropkick them in the solar plexus. Fred Wesley and his J.B.’s blow it up on this record, as they did anytime they ever picked up their instruments to play, in my guesstimate. And then there are the “You Can Have Watergate Just Gimme Some Bucks And I’ll Be Straight” interludes… Apparently, S.B.N.O. did some work with The Dark One, but I’ll just assume, as was the case with Elvis, it was just the drugs talking.

Wow.

Other highlights on this stellar album include Fred Thomas’s blistering bass solo and Brown asking his drummer if he can play in the key of F on “More Peas,” and the jazz odyssey that is “Sucker,” complete with bongo solo. All in all, yet another James Brown record I could listen to on infinite repeat.

3. The Stepkids / The Stepkids / Stones Throw Records

I recently named this #1 in my favorite jawns of 2011, and needed to experience it on vinyl. It’s such a lovely amalgam of Soul (60s and 70s) and Psychedelia with a healthy dose of Zappa ambiance, at its strongest in the vocals. Definitely a record that benefits from the vinyl treatment. Also, watch this again, for it is great:

The Stepkids – Legend In My Own Mind from Robert Hatch-Miller on Vimeo.

4. Telling the Truth / Willie Wright / Numero Group

Willie Wright and friends deliver gentle tempos and piano flourishes that evoke the serenity of Nick Drake by way of Bill Withers. Lots of “Folk Soul” here (the sweetest song being “Son, Don’t Let Life Pass You By”), a bit too dragging at times, but the record picks up on “I’m So Happy Now” and “Love Is Expensive.”

Numero Group put together a lovely rerelease package here, one in a line of excellent Soul reissues, complete with gorgeous packaging, additional notes, studio rap sheets and a 7″ single. The original sleeve, included on the inner sleeve in this package, lists an awesome set of warnings:

-This is not a disco record.
-It’s designed for ADULTS of the world.
-TEENAGERS, this album may be too lyrically heavy for you, especially if you’re into fast music.
-YOU WILL, however, enjoy this record if you’re into GUITARS!

The sleeve also describes him as “One of the greatest singers of all times, and one of the most relaxed.” If you’re not a vinyl person and don’t get the appeal, let me say that old-school liner notes are always worth the purchase. If I ever started a record label, I would insist on writing all liner notes in the style of those written between 1955-1976.

5. The House of the Rising Sun / Santa Esmeralda / Casablanca

I reveled when I discovered a sequel to the Santa Esmeralda disco odyssey “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood / Esmeralda Suite,” and that it was a regular dollar-bin record! For their second album masterpiece, of course they decided upon “House of the Rising Sun / Quasimodo Suite.” It’s got just as much flavor, latin sass, hand claps and flamenco guitar hits as its predecessor, and I am am thankful to Quentin Tarantino for introducing me to this disco inferno in Kill Bill.


All in all, a wonderful trip to the record store. Now that I’m back home in Philly, I want something of the same magnitude to spend an entire day digging through. I think my next record store entry may involve the great Princeton Record Exchange. Stay tuned!

Ugh… It’s been some time since I walked that walk. That Duck Man walk. I was married just shy of three months ago to my my Good Lady Wife. She’s a wonderful lady, and she bandaged and tended to that gaping, gory wound in my chest quite nicely. But before that, well, let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.

Another friend of mine with whom I was in the trenches recently heard me talking about this mix and looked uneasy, as if it was bringing on a flashback of the one hundredth girl dropping the “my boyfriend” bomb into our unsuspecting foxhole of angst. “Why would you do that?” he asked. I guess I’m just a sucker for nostalgia.

Regrets? Sure, I have a few, but as I look back, for the most part, my horrendous track record with the opposite sex brings to mind the invaluable lessons it brought to bear, such as “your friends are what’s important,” “there’ll always be a song for that,” and “fuck that bitch, who wants to watch The Warriors?”

And of course, there’s the consummate patron saint of unrequited love, Phil “Duckie” Dale. He doesn’t get the girl as Hughes so badly wanted (Erase that walking away with Kristy Swanson scene at the end by the way, that shit never happened. That was some dumb focus group bullshit right there.), but he was such a cool cat that I didn’t really mind. The guy had impeccable fashion sense, was funny as all get out, performed to Otis Redding like no white man ever has, and had a great nickname. In the end, that bitch didn’t even deserve him. I mean McCarthy? Seriously, that shitheal’s name was Blane! The Duckman deserves so much better! Let’s see, do I go with the guy who performs Stax tunes for me in the middle of a record shop, or the feeb who unironically buys a Steve Lawrence record? Duckie actually empowers those of us who wander (or wandered) through single life with zero game. It’s kind of like the romantic equivalent of running into the captain of the the football team, the guy who pantsed you that time in gym class and dubbed you “fat-tard,” pumping your gas. You know you won out in the end. This set’s for you Duckman; here’s hoping you get off that shitty Ashton Kutcher show.

Just A Friend: The Duckie Mix from arodmcfoolish on 8tracks.

Or listen to this FishMixing on Spotify.

1. Is She Really Going Out With Him? – Joe Jackson

Sure, it’s an obvious choice for this subject, but Joe Jackson sums it up pretty succinctly, and lovingly cushions the heartache with super-catchy pops and skanks. But his eyes become murderous daggers as those classic Joe Jackson piano hits bring in the bridge, and all of us sad sacks imagine a glorious end to gorilla domination.

2. Boyfriend – Best Coast

And here’s one for the duckettes. This candy-coated pop jones makes me sympathize, then think of Some Kind of Wonderful, John Hughes’ angry answer to the Pretty In Pink producers who wouldn’t let Duckie win out out over Andrew Fucking McCarthy.

For me, this tune is sung from the perspective of Watts, the female Duckie, the obvious-to-any-sane-man perfect woman in Some Kind of Wonderful, in that she is steaming hot, cooler than everyone else, plays drums, and could fix your car when it breaks down. I mean at least Hughes writes a fuller character for Lea Thompson than he did for McCarthy, but even though Watts gets her man in the end I always walk away thinking he didn’t deserve her anyway. I mean, she plays the drums! Did he not realize that? Did he not even get her Charlie Watts nickname? Stupid art guy. You, sir, are no Marty McFly.

3. Fall in Love With Me – Iggy Pop

The dorkiest loser is ten times cooler than the coolest of cool–in his daydreams. Here’s a song to encapsulate all that daydreaming that takes place, of wowing the girl with all your heroin chic and talk of cocaine and Berlin. “A bottle of white wine, a cigarette and you… I really wish you would/fall in love with me.” Who am I kidding, I still wish I possessed the Iggy Pop swagger. Damn.

4. Please, Please, Please Let Me – The Smiths

I had to, right? The epitome of heartwrench, with the perfect dash of snottiness to compliment the teenage experience. This song is a retroactive addition, as I never knew anything of The Smiths or Morrissey in my teen years. And I thank god for that. Every day of my life. Who the hell knows what would have come of that. Now that I think about it, probably the same amount of heartwrenching angst, but maybe some mascara.

5. Unrequited Love – Lykke Li

A new song via the retro melodrama of the Brill Building days, Lykke and the Lykkettes lay it all out on the table to a beat that sounds like me pounding my palm against my floor in despair. And what an eloquent word to describe the deafening phrase “You’re like a brother to me!” Good times!

6. Oh, Lonesome Me – Neil Young

Now here’s one that gets to the core of my early Sad Bastard years. Ol’ Neil was to me what Tori Amos was to most girls my age–music to brood to. Nothing like a little Neil late at night, alone in your bedroom, to break down your waterworks and reduce you to blubbering like a little girl with a skinned knee. The entire After The Gold Rush cassette was nearly worn out in my boom box, especially after painful school dances.

7. A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off – The Magnetic Fields

In my older incarnations of pining, I had to inject a bit of sugar to help the medicine go down, and Stephin Merritt presented the perfect concoction to drown in whilst still snickering and finding myself better than everyone else in that Diane Chambers sort of way. Merritt’s Wildean wit distracts just enough from the melancholy of his Steven Wright delivery so that you don’t find yourself banging your head against the wall at two in the morning.

8. Just My Imagination (Runnin’ Away With Me) – The Temptations

Barrett Strong’s lyrics reflect my years of anguished romantic daydreaming, but Norman Whitfield’s music is one of the best examples of the glorious musical juxtaposition I would always experience, even at my lowest, listening to these perfect pop symphonies. At the very least, there was always the music.

9. In Dreams – Roy Orbison

And then there was the man who could project every young lonelyheart’s agony in a single crooning trill. In my perfect musical world, he is the guy known as “The King.” I almost went with “Crying” here, but “In Dreams” captures the Duckie mood a bit better. Also, Elder Statesmen-Orbison could be the Duckman in his twilight years.

10. I Want You – Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Let’s get dark! The obsession that creeps out of this song is troubling and sinister. Luckily I’ve never quite gotten to this stage of pining before, but I sure as hell felt like I had a couple times. And I must admit, there are some tough-to-watch moments in Pretty In Pink when you think Andie may need a restraining order. As sinister as these lyrics are, it’s the slow-chase rhythm, tense organ and especially the two-note guitar solo that really get under my skin.

11. I’m Not In Love – 10cc

Denial! It’s a hum-dinger! It’s that stage when you insist that you simply have erased all feelings and will be cold and shallow regarding all women who cross your path from this moment forth. That is until Janice comes over all teary-eyed and wants to tell you all about how Robbie is an asshole, and if he could only be as wonderful as you, but, ya know, appealing to the opposite sex. DAMN YOU JANICE!

12. I Don’t Want To Get Over You – The Magnetic Fields

Had to have another Merritt song on here, and I’ll just let his lyrics speak for this one: “I could listen to all my friends and go out again and pretend it’s enough / or I could make a career of being blue / I could dress in black and read Camus / smoke clove cigarettes and drink vermouth / like I was 17 / that would be a scream / but I don’t want to get over you.”

13. It Makes No Difference – The Band

Is this the greatest “You’re gone and I’ll never be the same” song ever written? Perhaps. Out of the three amazing voices in The Band, Helm provided the growl, Manuel the angels, and Danko the agony. A tune to lament and cry into your beer to. Remember that one lonely guy in the crowd at Bob’s Country Bunker when The Blues Brothers sang “Stand By Your Man”? This one’s for him.

14. Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

One last, desperate plea to the one that got away.

15. I’d Much Rather Be With The Boys – Reigning Sound

You didn’t think your old pal was gonna leave you with such a downer, did ya? Hells no. For at the end of any session of moping and pontificating over your sorry love life or lack thereof, hopefully your mind will redirect itself toward what is really important: your friends who will assure you that she’s a bitch that doesn’t deserve the likes of you. After all, look at all of your trivial music and film knowledge! You’re a goddamned genius! When someone asked her about music the other day, didn’t she say that she “likes everything”? You know what that means. Fuck her. Let’s go to 7-11 and fill a 64-ounce cup with nacho cheese. It says “free cheese” on the sign. They HAVE to give it to us!

This Stones tune* was done to perfection by legendary garagers Reigning Sound. Go listen to all of their stuff.

*Ladies, make sure to listen to your version by Donna Lynn. Keith Richards wrote the tune for The Toggery Five before she recorded the ladies’ version. The Stones demo eventually saw the light of day on 1975 compilation Metamorphosis. That’s right, ladies. I know my stuff. How was I not a stud?

I obsess. About music, film, comedy, a clean kitchen counter, the precise folding of my laundry and tying of my shoes… I’m not well. While some of these are a window into much deeper problems relating to my upbringing, others are those joys in which I’ll never mind being enveloped. My obsessions this past year, whether they be new releases, trends or writings, old habits, better-late-than-nevers and I’ll-never-get-overs.

Soul, Soul, Soul!

I was raised on the music of the 60s, in nearly all its vibrant forms, including the dueling camps of Hitsville and Soulsville USA, and its sounds have always commingled with all the traffic in my brain. But in the past year, Soul has taken a firm stance at the center of my musical world, prompting me to ask a question in 2011: “Is ‘Funk & Soul’ music the best music?” And after voraciously ingesting every possible type of recorded sound over nearly 30 years, I am currently of the mind that the answer is Yes. I realize that by the end of 2012 it is possible that I’ll say Tibetan Scream-Singing is the world’s purest tonal expression, but something from within tells me I’ll be sticking with my answer.

While I’ve been obsessing all slack-jawed over the grooves of James Brown over the past few years, this year I absorbed Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971, The Complete Stax/Volt Singles: 1959-1968, the Standing In The Shadows of Motown and Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story documentaries, and the vital Stax/Volt Revue Live In Norway 1967 concert film all countless times. And expanding past the the big studios, I discovered the Wheedle’s Groove documentary and compilation of Seattle’s hidden gem of a Soul scene during the 60s and 70s, as well as the utterly unbelievable and essential-for-all-lovers-of-Soul Downtown Soulville, the weekly WFMU program featuring DJ Mr. Fine Wine’s seemingly bottomless stack of Soul 45s. If I could recommend only one thing to you this year, it would be this show. Listen live on Friday nights from 8-9 EST on WFMU or in podcast form.

All of this authentic, raw soul may or may not be the reason for my

WTF? of the Year

I award the WTF? to a record that gets critical acclaim for reasons I cannot understand. In 2011, it’s Adele’s 21. I listened and listened, and all I could hear was a bland, boring, American Idol-influenced recording of commercially palatable R&B-for-WASPS. I mean, even Patti Smith raved about this record! What gives! But even people who reflect some of my opinion in their reviews will champion her vocal talent and rest the accolades firmly on that talent. But technical prowess does not a great record make. Two words folks: Yngwie Malmsteen. Emmiright?

R&B, Meet Indie!

As I mentioned in several of my best jawns of 2011 blurbs, there was a lot of R&B/Indie crossover in the last year. While a popular blogster trend is to shit on musicians trying new things or taking steps outside of their wheelhouse, these amalgams are just the product of cultures commingling because of a much broader, technology-bolstered playing field and the the lowering of “The Irony Curtain” that was my focus in 2010, the idea that musicians can explore sounds they dig that are considered lame foreign or nostalgic purely out of love and not some ironic, winking gesture (Thanks, Bon Iver, GAYNGS and Chromeo!). For a much better take on the “PBR&B” sect, check out Nitsuh Abebe’s New York Magazine article and list. And speaking of Nitsuh…

Rock Journalism Highs!

Many have claimed and continue to claim that rock journalism is dead. But for me, two men showed us in 2011 that such claims are bullshit. Christopher Weingarten made waves in 2009 by launching his @1000timesyes project and giving a speech at the 140 Characters Conference called “Twitter and the Death of Rock Criticism,” shown in its entirety below:

If you use Twitter, you may share my opinion that once you start following over a hundred folks or so, it can be a daunting task to follow. Sometimes I’ll just need to take a break from it and non-virtually play with my dog. But I couldn’t stop following @1000timesyes, and would often bring up Weingarten’s tweets and just read those. And the funny thing was, fifty percent of the time his opinions infuriated me (LINKIN FUCKING PARK?!LOLZOMFG!?). I didn’t agree with a hell of a lot of what he was digging (or hating on) musically, but he is passionate, and his writing always reflects that passion. Weingarten has often spat bile at sites like Pitchfork.com, a site I got into in around 2002-2003. And while I still use it as a source for finding records to sample, their reviews don’t really do it for me anymore. In a recent Nitsuh Abebe article (I’ll get to him soon!), he references an old Pitchfork review by Brent DiCrescenzo, who was one of my favorite writers at Pitchfork. These irreverent reviews, often written from the perspective of a fictional character, were what drew me to the site. They were smart but fun, and even when I didn’t agree with the argument, I loved reading them. But as Pitchfork’s readership grew, its editors began to clamp down on such “nonsense,” emphasizing “serious,” scholarly-sounding reviews that often seem to go on and on. There is still some excellent writing on the site, but a lot of the fun has faded. It got to be that I thought I couldn’t write an acceptable record review if it wasn’t at least 2000 words and void of humor.

Weingarten’s Twitter reviews were such a welcome breath of fresh air, proving, as he set out to do, that good music writing could be concisely edited down to 140-character bursts. And with the momentum he gained on Twitter, he went on to become SPIN Magazine’s senior editor, and just last week launched @SPINreviews along with a plan to review much more albums in this 140-character fashion while focusing the print side on longer, “think pieces” about less, more carefully selected fare. And I gotta say, this music dork finds it absolutely thrilling to be this excited about music writing again!

In addition to his Twitter and SPIN work, I highly recommend Weingarten’s contributions to the Village Voice’s Yes In My Backyard blog, featuring NYC band free mp3 downloads and interviews.

And now, to Mr. Abebe. I first discovered him over at Pitchfork through his masterful aughts-decade wrap-up “The Decade in Indie” (both this piece and Weingarten’s Twitter speech transcript can be found in Da Capo’s Best Music Writing 2010. Please check out Da Capo‘s annual series.) His take on music and pop culture has a knack for eloquently expressing my scattered thoughts on pop music in American society. His work reminds me a lot of Chuck Klosterman’s essays (another of my favorite pop culture sociologists), though Abebe is not quite as aggressively contrarian. For some of the most intelligent takes on pop music, check out his columns in Pitchfork (Why We Fight), New York Magazine, Vulture and his home base Tumblr agrammar. You will not be disappointed.

Tom Scharpling!

If you happen to be both a music AND comedy dork like myself, then you owe it to yourself to check out WFMU’s Best Show with Tom Scharpling. Billed appropriately as “Three hours of mirth, music and mayhem,” Scharpling’s call-in show is the most unique blend of music and comedy this side of The Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection. I’m someone who has a huge comedy podcast appetite, but it still took me a little while to get over the hurdle of the show lasting three hours. It didn’t take long for me to become an addict though, and this past year was one of the show’s strongest, especially with the unveiling of Vance, the prog-rock loving puppet that I cannot get enough of. The show airs Tuesday nights from 9-12 EST on WFMU, but you can also listen to the podcast form on iTunes.

In addition to The Best Show, Scharpling recently found his second calling in music video writing and directing. It’s been a while since I’ve been remotely interested in music videos, but his contributions to the medium for groups like Titus Andronicus, The Stepkids, The New Pornographers, The Ettes, Wild Flag and noted apocalypticist John Hodgman have awakened my love for it. Here is his most recent video for Real Estate:

and his video for The Stepkids, maker of my #1 record of 2011:

LCD Soundsystem

As someone who obsessively seeks out new music, it’s always extremely frustrating when you get stuck in one obsession and totally miss the boat on something else. “Better Late Than Never” is a phrase I’ve had to turn to all my life, like last year when I finally got around to checking out LCD Soundsystem. I was focused on indie pop/rock for so long and it was a while before I got into a lot of dance music. In the early/mid aughts I was a single sad bastard, and had little going on that warranted dancing. I loved This Is Happening, and when I dove into their other work, I was knocked off my chair. I spent a lot of 2011 listening to “Yeah (Crass Version)” and kicking myself in the ass for not jumping on the ride in 2005. “But hey, it’s cool, now I know and I’ll catch them live at – what? Last concert?” To quote Napoleon Bonaparte, “Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit!” At least I’ll be able to watch this when it comes out, and it looks ridiculous:

The Who’s Live at Leeds

While Tom Scharpling has been championing the Led Zeppelin side of the English Juggernaut Coin, I’ve spent a lot of 2011 revisiting this unholy gutbucket masterpiece, whether it be the original vinyl or the 2001 deluxe rerelease with the live Tommy included (I just started tackling the 40th Anniversary Box Set with the Hull show). It’s such a guttural, violent assault that forces you to stomp your feet to the Keith Moon cacophony. The Who are one of those bands that is a completely different animal live, and much of that has to do with The Ox being turned up to 11, distorted and given the lead instrumental role. Jesus, that guy was inhuman. Listening to this record, it’s almost impossible to imagine him tearing out those lines while standing motionless with that “Keep Calm and Carry On,” bored look on his kisser that he shares with Charlie Watts. Also, besides his monumental drumming, Keith Moon is one funny sonofabitch, and his humor is all over this record.

The Bombay Connection: Funk from Bollywood Action Thrillers 1977-1984

My old boss came into the office one day with this nugget from the local library. Kids, visit your local library, and learn about other cultures’ extreme funkatility, for serious. We could not stop listening, and it has become a mainstay on my playlists. The past few years have seen quite a few extensive compilation releases of African Funk & Soul, But India will not be ignored! This collection is a treasure trove of 70s funky TV theme music and some 80s spacey electro-funk excursions. Hey Indian readers of this blog (Greetings!), is there an equivalent to Baretta-era Robert Blake over there? Because this album channels him. Also, did he end up killing anybody? I hope not! Anywho, I highly recommend you pick this release up from Bombay Connection, and check out some of their other offerings, as I know I will be in 2012.


and finally,

My Good Ladywife’s Jame Blake Impression

Much was written about young Jimmy Blake in 2011, but nobody sums up his embodiment of raw emotion quite like my Good Ladywife, a master impressionist who is said to stare into an artist’s very soul to gain his or her essence for her interpretations. See for yourself:

My Favorite Reissues of 2011

in order of release:

What’s Going On (40th Anniversary Edition) / Marvin Gaye / Motown

The Smile Sessions / The Beach Boys / Capitol Records

Satan Is Real / Louvin Brothers / Light In The Attic

Tago Mago (40th Anniversary Edition) / Can / Mute

Siamese Dream / Smashing Pumpkins / Virgin

My Favorite EPs of 2011

in order of release:

He Gets Me High / Dum Dum Girls / Sub Pop Records

Trimming of Hides / Norwegian Arms / Self-Released

Strange Cacti / Angel Olsen / Bathetic Records

Darn Your Best Frock / Moon Bounce / Self-Released

In Tension / Light Asylum / Mexican Summer

Just Once / How To Dress Well / Love Letters Ink

Atlantic / Southern Shores / Cascine

A Silent Planet / Teen Daze / Waaga Records

Freaking Out / Toro y Moi / Carpark Records

Total Decay / The Soft Moon / Captured Tracks

Tarot Classics / Surfer Blood / Kanine Records

The King Khan Experience / The King Khan Experience / Free Release

All the other records I enjoyed from 2011

in order of release:

Zonoscope / Cut Copy / Modular

Shapeshifting / Young Galaxy / Paper Bag Records

Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will / Mogwai / Sub Pop Records

Ravedeath, 1972 / Tim Hecker / kranky

The King of Limbs / Radiohead / Self-Released

Best of Gloucester County / Danielson / Sounds Familyre

Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light I / Earth / Southern Lord Recordings

Desert Etiquette / Floating Action / Park the Van

Return To The Ugly Side / Malachai / Domino Recording

936 / Peaking Lights / Not Not Fun Records

Mosaik / Siriusmo / Monkeytown Records

No Color / The Dodos / Frenchkiss Records

Helioscope / Vessels / Cuckundoo Records

Mind Bokeh / Bibio / Warp

Creep On Creepin’ On / Timber Timbre / Arts & Crafts

Some Cold Rock Stuf / J.Rocc / Stones Throw Records

Mirrorwriting / Jamie Woon / Polydor

Take Care, Take Care, Take Care / Explosions In The Sky / Temporary Residence

Terra / Julian Lynch / Underwater Peoples

Helplessness Blues / Fleet Foxes / Sub Pop Records

Life Fantastic / Man Man / ANTI-/Epitaph

Past Life Martyred Saints / EMA / Red Eye

Casablanca Nights / Johan Agebjörn / Paper Bag Records

Attention Please / Boris / Sargent House

Circuital / My Morning Jacket / ATO Records

Goodbye Bread / Ty Segall / Drag City

Watch The Throne / Jay Z & Kanye West / Def Jam Recordings

Hearts / I Break Horses / I Kill Love/Bella Union

Coastal Grooves / Blood Orange / Domino Recording

Green Naugahyde / Primus / ATO Records

Wild Flag / Wild Flag / Merge

YT // ST / Yamantaka // Sonic Titan / Psychic Handshake Recordings

XXX / Danny Brown / Fool’s Gold

You’re Never Going Back / Coasting / M’lady’s Records

All Things Will Unwind / My Brightest Diamond / Asthmatic Kitty

Megafaun / Megafaun / Hometapes

The Clearing / Locrian / Fan Death Records

Humor Risk / Cass McCombs / Domino Recording

Take Care / Drake / Cash Money Records

Purple Naked Ladies / The Internet / Odd Future

Actually, that is not me. Most can only wish for the smoothness and panache possessed by that inimitable comic genius and all-around groovy guy Freddie “Boom Boom” Washington and, alas, I am one of those masses, simply getting by and trying to hold my own amongst such stallions.

My nom de plume is Arod McFoolish, and here you will find news and pigheaded commentary on the many “Things What I Like.” My residence in the Land of the Fish is now over three years old (that’s enough time for “lifer” status, right?), and I wish to share with you, my loyal legions of readers (Hi Mom!), my musings on musics, flicks, design jazz, the neighborhood, its haunts, stomping grounds, watering holes, wares and such, as well as my usual brand of thoughts on all things.

So relax. Sit on your stoop. Have a cup ‘a joe. And subscribe to my blog, so I can feel better and more self-important about myself. You’ve stumbled onto this site, and therefore owe me as much. Seriously. Please.

I have begun posting my Year of the Rabbit: Things What I liked in 2011 series with the Best Jawns, #50-26 and #25-1. Stay tuned for more such nonsense.

Take a browse through some of my old posts from The Pennypack Beer Distributor Times, and anxiously await the upcoming Fishtonian features, such as:

• The Fishtonian Repository – Home of Fishtonian Merchandising Merchandising Merchandising: where the REAL money from the blog is made!
• Fishtonian Foodstuffs – Reviews of the best eateries and drinkeries in the land
• Albums of the Week – Weekly reviews of new music releases
• Hardcore Barely Legal Videos – Watch Tawny and her friends get into some naughty business at her first sleepover when an impromptu pillow fight blossoms into a filthy fest of felching and fist–

Ignore that last comment.

Anywho, let’s on with it! And remember…

Check out Fishtonian.com’s Spotify Playlist for The Best in The Year of the Rabbit.

25

K-Holes

K-Holes

Hozak Records

Hark! Is that the saxophone of Hawkwind I hear? No, but it’s the fucking K-Holes. Laying down a bed of Doom & Gloom lo-fi mirth, these NYC toughs deliver pure, straight-up punker creep rock. Musical brethren with the aforementioned Dirty Beaches, but with a fuller band sound, the K-Holes play music to hunt for gasoline to during our imminent, inevitable Ragnarök.

24

Yuck

Yuck

Fat Possum

Now here’s a 90s rock revival record I can get behind! Some artists’ efforts to rehash the more brooding music of that flannel-maligned decade usually fall short with me, but the happier stuff, especially when sounded out by the kids (yeesh…) in Yuck, comes off as pure fun and an unbridled expression of love for this ultra-melodic pop-rock sound. Whenever I listen to this record I’m transported to the hallowed halls of Liberty High in My So-Called Life, where the sweet sounds of Buffalo Tom, Yo La Tengo, Pavement, The Grays, Hum and Frozen Embryos rang righteous and true. I call her Red. Fast-forward back to the future though for the realization that this record was recorded with fucking GarageBand, and get a taste of the wonderful, inevitable death of the lumbering Dinosaur Music Model. Most Fun Record of 2011. There I said it.

23

Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.

M83

Mute

If young Tom Cruise, Mia Sara and that creepy-voiced elven fellow rode those unicorns into the sunset through a vaseline-blurred lens whilst the flowers of all the trees in the forest gently fell to the ground, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming would have to be the soundtrack. More epic and sprawling than its predecessors (but not necessarily better than them; I still hold the biggest torches for both Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts and Saturdays = Youth), this record is sonically joyful and mesmerizing. I highly recommend blasting it while driving along a country road through a pastoral scene. It is so choice.

22

Nostalgia, Ultra.

Frank Ocean

Free Mixtape

Where the hell did this guy come from? Seriously, the last thing I would ever expect to fall out of the Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All collective is smooth R&B. But Frank Ocean brings poignant, lush grooves with the some of the frankness (pun INTENDED!) of OFWGKTA infused in his lyrics, those very obviously written by a guy in his early twenties. Ocean told his label that was ignoring him to fuck off and released his first record as a free mixtape in one of the great “Fuck Big Labels” moments of 2011. The record shares some the darkness of The Weeknd’s 2011 releases, but Nostalgia, Ultra is much lighter in comparison, especially with his excellent sample choices (Coldplay, MGMT, Radiohead, Eyes Wide Shut, The Fucking Eagles) and production. Also, way to rewrite “Hotel California” and actually make it interesting! I like to think Ocean took his name from Billy and we’ve got ourselves a new ambassador of Smooth.

P.S. This record gets the My Good Lady Wife’s #2 Release of 2011 Award.
P.P.S. I also hate it when bitches be trippin’ about Radiohead.

21

Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens De Couleur Libre

Mantana Roberts

Constellation

2011: Year of the Experimental Concept Saxophone Album. Really? Apparently. I was turned on to this record through Christopher Weingarten’s excellent contributions to The Village Voice’s Yes In My Backyard Blog. Roberts’ improvisational, emotionaly naked portraits of female African-American characters throughout history are both heart-wrenching and startling, and her methods of mixing standard western notation with visual scoring is fascinating. It is equally fascinating to hear what the 16-piece ensemble makes of her fevered visions. The narrative snippets that Roberts weaves throughout this performance, in the style of walking through a character’s scattered memories, is truly inspired, as are the emotional responses delivered by the musicians. Coin Coin is slated to be just the first in a 12-part series, and I can’t wait to hear more.

20

Underneath the Pine

Toro y Moi

Carpark Records

Chaz Bundick of Toro y Moi got caught in the middle of a lot of “Chillwave” arguments last year, in which a lot of critics either praised the “scene” of reverb-drenched, murky artists or tore them a new asshole with a constant barrage of insults.
But Bundick is a prime example of the obvious error of slapping a broad label across a bunch of dudes just trying to record some tunes. Last year’s Causers of This was clearly (even to many of the critics deriding the “chillwave sound”) a step beyond offerings from prime targets like Neon Indian and (gasp!) Salem, but on this year’s Underneath the Pine, Bundick steps up his game, spotlighting his musicianship and delivering a wonderful record that seems to say, “Fuck the haters. Toro y Moi son!” These jams are Bachelor Pad Aphrodisiac, featuring slinky, danceable grooves and blistering basslines. His follow-up EP Freaking Out is equally enjoyable. Buy them both, and chill.

19

Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Fat Possum

One of my favorite aspects of music in 2011 is the exciting marriage of indie rock to Funk/Soul/R&B. Ruban Nielson’s one-man project under the UMO moniker was one of my most frequent listens of the year. Incredibly catchy and fun weirdo Psych-Funk featuring straightforward, raw drum grooves reminiscent of later-period Beatles Ringo Starr, funky bass breakdowns, strange vocals and well-written, highly dancable tunes. This record emits a heavy analog haze of pot smoke and tape hiss. Go take a stroll around the city with this on your headphones. Seriously . I’ll wait until you get back.

18

Harbors

All Tiny Creatures

Hometapes

It’s rare to hear “Prog,” “fun” and “upbeat” as descriptors for the same record, but All Tiny Creatures pull it off with this positive, Post-ish Proggy-Pop album that invokes the spirit of the 80s synth-driven incarnations of The Who & Rush. ATC is the brainchild of Thomas Wincek, a member of the Collections of Colonies of Bees/Volcano Choir/Bon Iver/Megafaun collective of exciting, adventurous musicians exploding out of the Midwest. Many of these musicians, including indie-Starchild Justin Vernon, contribute. Highly recommended for the prog/post/instrumental/experimental contingent, as are previous records from Collections of Colonies of Bees and Volcano Choir.

17

We Are The Champions

Jeff the Brotherhood

Infinity Cat Recordings

JEFF the Brotherhood is another hook-heavy, melodic psych-rock outfit with 90s DIY influences, whose We Are The Champions is top-of-the-heap, fuzzed out, Sabbath-leaning (in its best moments) stoner rock that goes good with weed smoked through a beer can. Not much else needs to be said here.

16

Strange Mercy

St. Vincent

4AD

Annie Clark’s 2011 release Strange Mercy reveals an artist at the top of her game. I was blown away by her debut, liked-but-didn’t-love her sophomore release, but this record has it all: it’s both melodic and angular, inviting and isolated, a display of Clark’s role as righteous guitar shredder, warm, chilly, and weird. Hey, prog dorks who’ve actually managed to land girlfriends – this may be your happy medium with that special someone who has tired of hearing your diatribes about Robert Fripp’s cascading, superfluous guitar theatrics ad nauseum. And to all of you indie hipster shmoes holding a candle to the quirky cuteness of Zooey Deschanel–your dumb annoying crush is so five minutes ago. Le sigh…

15

House of Balloons / Thursday / Echoes of Silence

The Weeknd

Free Mixtapes

Probably the most shining example of the 2011 marriage of Indie and R&B (is this R&B’s answer to the Alt-Country scene?), Abel Tesfaye and producers Doc McKinney, Illangelo and Zodiac create a dark, almost-Goth version of R&B records, going beyond surface-level sexual innuendo and delving into a much darker, carnal dungeon of substance abuse and debauchery while still maintaining mainstream sounds. Had these mixtapes been albums released on a big label, House of Balloons’ “Wicked Games” may have been the biggest selling and charting single of 2011. And what cover song better suits Weeknd’s style than Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana”? I hope this trend of flipping off the Mega-Ultra-Gi-Huge-ic Three-Headed Conglomerate and reclaiming music for the people continues. Who could have guessed that Toronto (also home to Drake) would host the true resurrection of smooth R&B?

P.S. This record gets the My Good Lady Wife’s #1 Release of 2011 Award.

14

Let England Shake

PJ Harvey

Vagrant Records

Hearing music that could be attributed to Man Man in the opening bars of “Let England Shake” was definitely an indicator that Miss Polly Jean had once again strayed pretty far from the farm, with stunning results. Naturally, after focusing on the piano on her previous album , Harvey would choose autoharp for her followup, right? So, a concept album largely about England’s disastrous battle of Gallipoli in World War I set to autoharp-driven music, playfully referencing songs like “Istanbul (Not Constantinople),” “Summertime Blues” and the “Regimental March” bugle call. I know what you’re thinking, and Ian Anderson is nowhere to be found here. Nor is Rick Wakeman available to produce it on ice. Instead of overblown and ridiculous, Harvey and her usual cohorts send up a haunting, blunt portrait of political violence. Leave it to PJ Harvey to put out the best anti-war record in the past 30-odd years. Also, count the rash of strong female artists producing prog-tinged records another pleasant surprise of 2011.

13

Smoke Ring For My Halo

Kurt Vile

Matador

Local boy done good! Local boy done good! OK, OK, I swear there’s no bias here, despite the excitement that much of Philadelphia is feeling that this shining talent is being recognized far beyond our borders since signing with Matador and becoming “a puppet for the man.” Both Vile’s wonderful acoustic fingerstyle playing and his hard Violators edge break through on this record, but the former dominates, often through a sheen of more modern sounds that push Vile’s sound forward instead of steeping it in the past. His stoned vocal delivery is enough to put anyone into a state of Zen, and clearly illustrates how he and War On Drugs’ Adam Granduciel got together in the first place. The pastoral, sun-drenched “On Tour” followed by the anthemic “Society Is My Friend” is a fine example of this record’s reach; Smoke Ring For My Halo is truly a culmination of all the excellent Kurt Vile releases that preceded it.

12

Relax

Das Racist

Self-Released

“I’M FUCKING GREAT AT RAAAPPING!” This much is true Heems. Das Racist tore Hip Hop two new assholes last year with mixtapes Shut Up Dude and Sit Down Man, and did not disappoint in 2011 with their first “official” release. Some people have slapped that useless, empty “hipster” label on Heems, Kool A.D. and Dap, criticizing them for apparently being too intelligent, but those people don’t know much about anything. If all you want to hear in Hip Hop is “I’m so rich; let me explain how rich exactly” or “I’m the best, everyone else is not, etc.” then by all means, avoid Das Racist. For brilliantly satirical insights about race, fame and popular music in America; rhymes that flow but are equally enjoyable read with a reference guide; and ridiculous, infectious beats; listen no further. Their Merry-Pranksta Rap (I need to trademark that shit) walks a thrillingly fine line, as some would consider songs like “Girl” and “Booty In The Air” jokes, solely poking fun at dance music, if they weren’t such good dance songs. Add a comic hypeman who operates behind the scenes as Das Racist’s spiritual and political advisor, and you have sealed the deal.

11

Horse Heaven

Creepoid

ian records

While listening to Philly upstart Creepoid’s Yellow Life Giver EP last year, I found myself digging the record but wanting something more. When I heard them live for the first time, I received it, and couldn’t get enough. And when they emerged from the studio with producer Kyle “Slick” Johnson and their debut LP Horse Heaven, the earth moved. All the essential elements collided, and the sound was that of a psych-rock-freak-folk juggernaut, relaxed yet kinetic, both the unstoppable force and the immovable object, poised to destroy any walls attempting to harness it. Their songs are skillful in their seduction but not afraid to clobber you in the head when going in for the kill. I’d love to hear more of the poppier tunage of The G, an earlier project featuring most of the Creeps, seep into future work, but either way, my guess is that Creepoid has been fed after midnight and will soon spread to infect the rest of an unsuspecting populace. Be ready.

10

Let It Beard

Boston Spaceships

GBV Inc

After the heartbreaking disbanding of Guided By Voices (who will NEVER reunite unfortunately), many wondered if Bob Almighty’s solo output would ever again retain the focus it did under the GBV moniker. After his first proper post-GBV release, the excellent From A Compound Eye, his projects steadily declined in quality (for me anyway). But while many rallied around his Boston Spaceships band as a true return to form, I just couldn’t feel it. With Let It Beard, I finally heard the light. In true classic rock form, this double LP is the perfect interweaving of all the best elements of GBV (catchiness, perfectly crafted rock anthems seemingly pulled right out of the air, both the lo-fi hissy nuggets and the polished latter-day productions), along with assorted snippets of Circus Devil weirdness, proggyness of the Pollard/Tobias collaborations, and the gentle pluck of an elder statesman occasionally taking it easy and kicking a back porch vibe. As I’m sure Tom Scharpling would agree, Boston Spaceships have earned their beards on this record. “Let it beard. And get all weird.”

9

W H O K I L L

tUnE-yArDs

4AD

Not gonna lie here, it took me a few listens to get past the some of the vocals on W H O K I L L, but the African polyrhythms yelled at me to persevere, and now I listen to this record and can’t imagine having ever been turned off by it. It’s filled with Merrill Garbus’ quirky yet sonically soaring vocals, rich rhythms and lo-fi-via-studio arrangements, plus the welcome addition of Nate Brenner’s rubber band basslines. There isn’t much else that sounds like this. Each listen introduces you to something new, and the marriage of complexity and fun is infectious.

8

Slave Ambient

The War On Drugs

Secretly Canadian

I recently got to listen to this record on a road trip, which is really the way to go. As if “Americana” wasn’t expected to be frozen in a certain era, of Guthrie’s dust bowl and the subsequent Dylan-led revival, as if it was able to move with time and technology but still keep its core. Slave Ambient is also wonderful accompaniment while surveying our fair city, especially the scrap yards. On songs like “Come to the City,” listen as the bass line and drumbeat echo the voices trapped in the abandoned factories. The ramblin’ spirit of early Dylan and the sonic space-under-water exploratory spirit of Pink Floyd mesh in an increasingly unique way through War On Drugs’ work. Who knows what’s next? I can’t wait to find out.

7

Civilian

Wye Oak

Merge

Wye Oak, the Baltimore duo of sultry-voiced Jenn Wasner and is-he-drumming-AND-playing-organ? wunderkind Andy Stack, play songs full of dark, reflective and moody songs that build towards cathartic release. Much like Family Band’s 2010 release Miller Path, Civilian is music to cross the wasteland to. The AMC trailer creators sensed this when they featured the album’s titular track in their The Walking Dead second season sneak preview, and I’ll be damned if I don’t project to some migratory post-apocalyptic fantasy whenever I listen to it now. But this record has quite a few songs that paint such a picture, and I’m pretty sure Civilian would have conjured these daydreams regardless of the trailer. Wasner’s song craft has matured over the past couple years, and her gift of making haunting dirges out of any guitar part she plays is remarkable.

P.S. If you are not watching The Walking Dead, then what the hell is wrong with you? Get on that for Christ’s sake.

P.P.S. Wye Oak also get my Best Cover of 2011 award for their A.V. Club rendition of Danzig’s “Mother”:

Wye Oak covers Danzig

6

Ex Military

Death Grips

Mixtape

AAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHHH! AGGRESSIVE RECORD OF 2011! When you open your mixtape with the insane ranting of Charles Manson, your ass is on the line to deliver, and Death Grips does so with the rawest mixtape of the year. Out of nowhere samples from Black Flag, Link Wray, Bowie, Syd-Barrett-freakout Pink Floyd, early Beastie Boys and (Holy Shit) The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, paired with the screaming-in-your-face, PCP-riddled delivery of MC Ride, Exmilitary is a shipment of old, damp dynamite, and it feels like you could get your hand blown off at any moment for fucking with it. If you injected Death Grips with a full political agenda to go with its already Public Enemy fury, the streets of America would be smoldering within weeks. And now…

5

Wit’s End

Cass McCombs

Domino Recording

…for something completely different. WARNING TO LISTENERS: Please do not listen to this record if you are suffering severe bouts of depression or are operating heavy machinery. Wit’s End is a warm blanket wrapped around a NyQuil-induced calm. But Cass McCombs works so deftly within it, crafting gorgeous sad-bastard pop songs, that you can’t close your eyes and let the record’s atmosphere knock you out cold. Finally, a Nilsson for MY generation! Best listened to whilst looking out a window at a gently falling rain. Worst listened to after a heartwrenching breakup. Seriously, don’t do that. Just give me a call, we’ll talk shit on her and go see a comedy. It’ll be fine. Stay away from the McCombs.

4

The Golden Age of Apocalypse

Thundercat

Brainfeeder

In a year full of sweet, funky, nimble bass grooves, none brought it more furiously than Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner, a GIANT in the realm of bass. Having spent most of his career playing for the likes of Erykah Badu, Suicidal Tendencies, Snoop Dogg, Bootsy Collins, and myriad others, he’s recently come into focus for lending his supreme chops and vocal talents to last year’s Flying Lotus masterpiece Cosmogramma, and he dropped The Golden Age of Apocalypse to acclaim this year. Oh, and he’s only 25. Jesus. For those of you who got way into Fusion through Miles Davis, the Weather Report, Return To Forever, et al., it’s your lucky day, because ol’ Thundercat has rescued the genre from the depths of its Kenny G dungeon and brought it up to date with the help of Flying Lotus’ production. Evoking the best elements of albums like Marvin Gaye’s I Want You and Mile Davis’ In A Silent Way, tGAoA is the kind of exciting artist debut that reveals more with each listen, and leaves musician-dorks like myself begging for followup after followup.

3

Apocalypse

Bill Callahan

Drag City

I was introduced to Callahan’s work by I Wish I Were An Eagle, his 2009 sparse, song-forged monolith of humanity’s cloying life questions. I loved it more with each listen, and it gradually rose to the tippy-top my favorite records list for that year. His followup is just as engaging and inquisitive, leaving behind the meticulously structured musical arrangements of its predecessor for looser, improvisational grooves and vamps which give this album more of a Tales of the American Road vibe, effectively rolling back the wave of Manifest Destiny to examine the American in its wake. Callahan has stated his meaning of the word “apocalypse” in the context of a revelatory awakening, which certainly comes across on this record. He is both critical of and empathetic toward this “wild, wild country / It takes a strong, strong / It breaks a strong, strong mind.”

2

New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges

Colin Stetson

Constellation

Seriously, there is more than one experimental saxophone record out this year? Stetson builds an epic Apocalyptic Fever Dream out of saxophone sounds, both played and incidentally created, circular breathing and the spoken word contributions of Laurie Anderson. When one hears about this record and how it was built, he or she cannot accurately imagine what it will actually sound like. Stetson’s interweaving and looping of sax playing, popping and striking creates the myth of some other captivating world, and Anderson’s apocalyptic poetry on tracks like “A dream of water” and “Fear of the unknown and The Blazing Sun” is chilling, adding a voice to the feelings and fears projected throughout Stetson’s layers of mirth. I sat slackjawed listening to this record, and it continues to block all else out and amaze me with each subsequent listen. The most thrilling and intriguing album of 2011 by far.

1

The Stepkids

The Stepkids

Stones Throw Records

As usual, my Number One slot was ever-changing, as it will be after I post this list. But this album, more than any other, best captures the music I was into this year: Funky analog Soul grooves peppered with psychedelics and featuring accomplished musicianship. Also, fun. There’s a Zappaesque vibe to a lot of the vocals that adds the weird fun vibe that always pulls me in for the kill. I’m also of the mind that all current Soul music recorded with “analog” sounds and that sweet style that was born in the 60s does not deserve this “retro” label that so many attach to it. Yes, there are some artists that try to put it on like a flashy coat, using the style in an empty or gimmicky fashion (Raphael Saadiq comes to mind), but the fact is this style, slow-cooked to perfection by the likes of the Funk Brothers, Booker T & The MGs and the Memphis Horns, will always be a valid genre because of how earth-shatteringly good it is. Why feel the need to distance yourself from it because somebody didn’t come up with it on a laptop last week? Sure, add to it, mix it up, make endless permutations, but don’t abandon that incredible core. The Stepkids isn’t a perfect record, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s fun, it grooves, it has room for growth and improvement and the musicians that can rise to the task. I hope to hear a lot more from these guys in the very near future.

Click here for The Best of The Year of the Rabbit, #50-26.

Check out Fishtonian.com’s Spotify Playlist for The Best in The Year of the Rabbit.

50

Empros

Russian Circles

Sargent House

Instrumental outfit Russian Circles does a bang-up job conjuring an amalgam of epic sludge metal, post rock pacing and meticulous Prog arrangements in the fiery cauldron of doom known as Empros. Truly worthy of scoring a fierce Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

49

Conatus

Zola Jesus

Sacred Bones Records

In the past few years, there has been a grand resurgence of material with which I can soundtrack the oncoming Zombie Apocalypse that lives in my head. But nobody nails it quite like Zola Jesus. Nika Roza Danilova’s opera background informs the dark drama of her gothic, sullen anthems. A lateral move from 2010‘s top-of-the-heap EP. Good Goth for non-Goths, or perhaps just fans of Near Dark.

48

Eye Contact

Gang Gang Dance

4AD

When earth-bound people like myself have fun little daydreams about blasting off into space and floating around and eating space ice cream and being invited to dance parties with aliens and such, this is our soundtrack. “Hey, friendly pulsar! Excuse me Andromeda, coming through! This is awesome! Make me another space Mai Tai Gleep Glop!” What can I say? Gang Gang Dance is my Gleep Glop in an otherwise dreary terrestrial existence. Go take a rocket ride, Eye Contact-style.

47

The Wanting

Glenn Jones

Thrill Jockey

In the wake of acoustic fingerstyle guitar “Takoma School” god John Fahey, there is his young-apprentice-turned elder-master Glenn Jones. I’ve been a huge fan since Jones’ Cul de Sac days (check out China Gate for a very different surfy-post-space rock side of his earlier work), and when he went on to experiment with Fahey, guitar megadorks like myself listened all wide-eyed as they journeyed together, each teachng the other. Now, with The Wanting, Jones offers the kind of mesmerizing acoustic guitar and banjo work that can only come with embracing the instrument for close to 45 years. With the passing of Fahey, and more recently Jack Rose and Bert Jansch, it’s comforting to know someone like Glenn Jones has taken up the reigns and is riding adventurously forward.

46

Portamento

The Drums

Frenchkiss Records

I’ll be damned if this record doesn’t contain some of the catchiest tunes of 2011. The straight-ahead rhythm, synth flourishes and super-fun theremin riffs on this record lend themselves to lead singer Jonathan Pierce’s high, whiney vocals, delivering them from probably-unbearable to perfect accompaniment. The Drums are poppy earworms personified, and their sophomore LP contains twice the sugary joneses of its predecessor. In fact, the only song that can compete with the addictiveness of “Money” is probably…

45

The Double Cross

Sloan

Yep Roc

…”Unkind” from Sloan. These Canadian power-pop bruisers have been slugging it out for 20 years, and are still releasing gems. This record quenches the thirst of all those still foot-stomping to Big Star and early Cheap Trick. In my fantasy world, this is the record playing during last call at every bar in the country, whilst we all drink beers and fist pump. No wait, that’s Guided By Voices. Well, it’s up there on that list.

44

The Pl3dge

Killer Mike

SMC Recordings

The Pl3dge shouts to light the political/societal grievances of the “99%” that so many other Hip Hop artists are ignoring in favor of languishing in the “misery” of immense wealth. In doing so, he brings the Public Enemy vibe for 2011 while still maintaining playfulness and cockswagger by letting the great Ric Flair handle his boasting.

43

Magic Place

Julianna Barwick

Asthmatic Kitty

When I discovered Julianna Barwick through the Free Music Archive’s Live Dublab “Sprout Session” (P.S. PLEASE check out the FMA’s treasure trove of free content), I was floored by the angelic otherwonder that filled my head. “Angelic” is a tired and overused adjective, but it applies to her music like no other word can. This record sounds like heaven caught on strange looping recording cylinders. Her introduction of instruments other than her own voice is sparing and not at all overpowering. Music to fall from a tall building in slow motion to.

42

Badlands

Dirty Beaches

Zoo Music

Startling, jarring and haunted by dead greasers. “A Hundred Highways” is Little Peggy March’s “I Will Follow Him” hollowed out and reused in a rust sculpture, slowly enveloped by madness. A primordial Cramps vibe filtered through early Aerial Pink production, the record descends into horror by its closing, invoking the macabre playing on the tape recorder they lowered into the pit in House Of 1000 Corpses. Dirtysexycool.

41

No Time For Dreaming

Charles Bradley

Daptone Records

Another home run for the always-outta-sight-dyn-O-mite label Daptone Records, Charles Bradley and the stellar Menahan Street Band deliver with a record that should NOT be lumped in with other “retro R&B”-labeled stuff. Daptone is working hard to remind everyone that the sounds and recording methods of the past aren’t just a throwback campaign but a way of life, a circuit running straight to The One. Bradley’s strained, soulful yawp takes over, reminding all who listen of the rough soul that once ruled the airwaves. The recent rerelease also contains covers of Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” and Nirvana’s “Stay Away” that are not to be missed. Hardcore musicians/music nuts make sure to check out the instrumental release as well.

40

You Are All I See

Active Child

Vagrant Records

White-boy indie R&B that strangely delivers. This year heard quite a few indie acts indulging in the swerve that is sultry-smooth R&B, and this record often walks a fine line but ultimately pulls it off while adding Tangerine-Dreamy landscapes to the mix. (PBR&B indeed.) Standout track “Playing House,” recorded with fellow pale R&B enthusiast How To Dress Well, is hot as fuck, and may be the Between-The-Sheets-Freak Jawn of 2011.

39

Bon Iver

Bon Iver

Jagjaguwar

Now here’s a guy… talk about setting critics against each other with bubbling frenzy over the “Ironic?” argument, among other things. While just about anybody who digs acoustic music and melancholy found his debut LP (sickly… cabin… yadda yadda yadda…) magnificent (including myself), Justin Vernon has surprised many with the eclectic path he has wandered since. His interesting work with Volcano Choir, “Guilty Pleasure”-embracing GAYNGS, and of course the Yeezy excursion, is a long way from For Emma. And as much as I loved that record, I’m thrilled it is. It’s great to listen to an artist dive into so many sounds like an excited kid. But while I originally found the new record brilliant, the luster has worn with repeated listens. Largely indecipherable lyrics (Shake and bake and stick with her?) and dated guitar effects take away from an otherwise lovely collection of tone poem feels. “Beth/Rest,” the most divisive song on the LP, attempts to elevate the 80s “Adult Contemporary” sound to high art but falls rather short. Vernon’s on his way to finding something very special, but he’s not quite there yet.

38

Return Of 4Eva

Big K.R.I.T.

Free Mixtape

Return Of 4Eva hails to the musical Hip Hop that made me fall in love in the first place. Not what I expected from the MC who dropped “Country Shit” last year. Laid back beats and rhymes that make me yearn for barbecues. Easily the most spins out of all the Hip Hop I dug on this year. And it’s FREE people. Check it out.

37

Instrumental Mixtape

Clams Casino

Free Mixtape

This ridiculous producer’s mixtape of previously used beats seems to glide along a glacier, emitting uncharacteristically tranquil energy. It becomes hard to imagine MCs rapping over these soundscapes while you become caught up in their hissing loops. Definitely evocative of DJ Shadow’s Entroducing. I hope this Jersey boy continues to put out work as his own in addition to laying tracks down for the likes of Lil B and Main Attrakionz.

36

Wounded Rhymes

Lykke Li

Atlantic

This Swedish chanteuse has taken all of the obvious 60s-Phil-Spector-Girl-Group sounds that have become so retro-chic these days and used them to put forth a solid record. Did she lay the twisted groundwork for Lana Del Ray? Perhaps, but she owns it, and when critics deride her broken English lines like “Like a shotgun needs an outcome” it’s the same as shitting on “You can syndicate any boat you row.” The album is a bit too dependent on that 60s formula, but near the end she crawls out from under that blanket on “I Know Places,” hopefully giving us a peek at where she’s headed.

35

Kaputt

Destroyer

Merge

Being a huge New Pornographers fan, I have tried several times to get into Dan Bejar’s Destroyer to no avail, perhaps for the same reason I don’t care for the Mountain Goats: I’m not reading a book, and I’m not the suave epitome of literary sophistication. But Kaputt makes me feel like I’m the most sophisticated motherfucker in the room (word). Destroyer took the rusty Adult Contemporary tools Vernon & Co. left lying around after the Bon Iver sessions, polished them to a glowing sheen and meticulously chiseled Kaputt. And when Bejar lays down his enigmatic, SNL-era-Robert-Downey-Jr. lyrics, it’s like you’re lost in one of Patrick Bateman’s fever dreams.

34

Hot Sauce Committee Part 2

Beastie Boys

Capitol Records

It amazes me that these wiseasses have managed to age like a fine wine (Brass Monkey 1987 was a very good year). And on top of that, they bring youthful twentysomething swagger to this disc, along with irresistibly funky dance beats and even the rocking, fuzz-bass-heavy instrumentation that came in with Check Your Head. All I can think about when I hear this record is cardboard thrown down on a hot summer day and challenges being served. Speaking of which, the short film that Adam Yauch directed and released to coincide with this release, featuring a sequel to the events of “Fight For Your Right,” is perhaps the greatest thing I’ve ever seen. If you don’t watch it, I will dance battle you.

33

Rolling Blackouts

The Go! Team

Memphis Industries

One day I was wondering aloud, “What happened to The Go! Team? I miss those guys.” And sure enough they heard me, and put out a record in my honor. At least that’s what it sounds like. Nothing but joyous, cheerleading beats and horns at the pep rally of my life. Great guest spots too, and very fitting (especially Beth Constantino on album standout “Buy Nothing Day” and Deerhoof’s Satomi Matsuzaki on “Secretary Song”). If this record doesn’t make you feel good, congratulations; you’re dead inside.

32

For The Glory

Nacho Picasso

Free Release

Nice, way-laid-back rap grooves like your Nana likes. This very generous, double-album length mixtape features half rap record and half instrumental versions that in no way disappoint on their own. Also winner of my own coveted Best Album Cover of 2011 and Best Artist Name of 2011 awards, For The Glory was co-produced by Raised by Wolves and Blue Sky Black Death, a production duo whose 2011 release Noir was equally impressive with its spacious, extra-terrestrial, M83-ish beats (and Stand By Me sampling).

31

Shangri-La

Yacht

DFA

A dance record for the end of the world, in true DFA fashion, much more so than that Britney Spears track my Good Ladywife keeps spinning. Also, a positive record about kooky dance-punkers starting a new world. For someone who got into LCD Soundsystem too depressingly late, records like these are a sigh of relief. And like LCD’s ultimate This Is Happening, contains a lot of sounds that remind me of the Revenge of the Nerds soundtrack, which is always a good thing. These guys also make me want Oingo Boingo back. Not sure I know what this means. Dance!

30

James Blake

James Blake

Universal Republic

Critics batted many opinions back and forth about this young James Blake character and “OH! What’s to be done with this Jimmy Blake and his bleeps and bloops!” and so on. It seems to me the general consensus is scorn from many “Dub” lovers who feel he’s applying an open mic singer stench to the genre. However, as someone who has been exposed to very little Dub, I fell in love with the record’s glitchy mantras, and especially with Blake’s minimal lyrics as they were processed and looped, through equally sparse sound collages, to expose the raw emotional nerve of their subjects and moods. Blake made mostly electronic, instrumental music before this record, and said his apprehension and inexperience in lyric writing led him to these minimalist phrases, which shine as this album’s strength. When considered along with the rest of his catalogue, Blake’s adventurous experimentation (much like Bon Iver’s) becomes more obvious, and I hope to see him branch off into 1000 different directions as time unfolds.

29

Mikal Cronin

Mikal Cronin

Trouble in Mind Records

Acoustic strumming (especially the 12-string lines), along with charming harmonies, Leiber-and-Stoller drum hits make this a garbled, psyched out, modern Everly Brothers record. Also, props for throwing saxophones and Jethro Tulling flutes into this lo-fi pop-punk affair. Winner of the “Where Did THIS Guy Come From?” award for 2011, it turns out he’s friend and sometimes-bandmate of fellow garage-punker breakout Ty Segall. And while I really dug Segall’s Goodbye Bread, I was far more impressed by Cronin’s artfully crafted tunes. The best of the basement jams, or music to be 16 to, or for cronies like myself, music to remember being 16 to.

28

Several Shades of Why

J Mascis

Sub Pop Records

2011 turned out to be the year J Mascis finally nailed folk, and with the assistance of local-boy-done-good Kurt Vile to boot! That golden ol’ alternative spirit lives and breathes in these songs, like a much older, road-weary Jordan Catalano reflecting on all those Frozen Embryos. And despite the folky feel and all-acoustic output (transporting me to recording bedroom tunes into a busted karaoke machine at 16), Mascis sets aside time to actually shred on his steel-string. Seeing him live this year in support of the album at World Cafe was a highlight of a year that also bore TWO(!) Original Lineup GBV shows in Philly. To see the man slam a stompbox and acoustic-Maggotbrain a roomful of innocents in person was jaw-dropping.

27

Parallax

Atlas Sound

4AD

I’m a late arriver to the indie darling that is Atlas Sound/Deerhunter. Hearing all the hype surrounding Bradford Cox, I was leery of tuning in for fear I’d be frustrated yet again by those hipper-than-hip tastemakersandbreakers (I’m still struggling with the “What are those hep cats sayin’?” bubble surrounding Animal Collective). But when I gave in and checked out both Deerhunter’s Halcyon Digest and Atlas Sound’s treasure chest free release of Bedroom Databank, Vols. 1-4 last year, I was comforted by the fact that sometimes a band is popular simply because the music is that good. Cox has embraced his gift for writing lovely pop songs, and is prolific in output and scattershot in influences as Robert Pollard. But while Pollard’s proggy influences come out more rock-heavy, Cox transmits Pink Floyd’s post-Syd, pre-Dark Side mellow haze. Hey, give an awkward skinny dude a guitar and a tape recorder and lock him in his bedroom. Then wait for the goods.

26

Black Up

Shabazz Palaces

Sub Pop Records

Bleep-Bloop Hip Hop has found its voice in Seattle, from an alumnus of the un-fucking-believable Digable Planets no less. And Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler manages to make futuristic robot beats jazzy. There’s a reason critics are fawning all over this record; it takes the futuristic reigns that have flowed throughout Hip Hop since Afrika Bambaataa injected Kraftwerk into breakbeats, brushes away the glitter of busier artists like Janelle Monae to reveal a sleek and curvaceous monolith, emitting sonics from a Solar Babies dystopia, that is if Solar Babies was 1000 times cooler than Jason Patric and Lucas Haas could ever hope to make it.

Click here for The Best of The Year of the Rabbit, #25-1.

50

Pickin’ Up The Pieces

Fitz & the Tantrums

Dangerbird Records

49

Fields

Junip

Mute

48

Dark Night Of The Soul

Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse

Capitol Records

47

How I Got Over

The Roots

Def Jam Recordings

46

Le Noise

Neil Young

Reprise

45

Disconnect From Desire

School of Seven Bells

Vagrant Records

44

12 Step Program

Panacea

Neosonic

43

Stars Have Shapes

Exploding Star Orchestra

Delmark Records

42

Book of Angels: Ipos Vol. 14

The Dreamers

Tzadik

41

Head First

Goldfrapp

Mute

40

All Day

Girl Talk

Illegal Art

39

Miller Path

Family Band

Unsigned

38

7AM

Teengirl Fantasy

True Panther Sounds

37

Travellers in Space and Time

The Apples in Stereo

Yep Roc

36

Mimicking Birds

Mimicking Birds

Glacial Pace Recordings

35

Have One On Me

Joanna Newsom

Drag City

34

My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky

Swans

Young God Records

33

Forget the Mantra

Nightlands

Secretly Canadian

32

Pigeons

Here We Go Magic

Secretly Canadian

31

Crystal Castles (II)

Crystal Castles

Motown

30

In Tension (EP)

Light Asylum

Self-Released

29

Future Weather

The War on Drugs

Secretly Canadian

28

Four More Years

Teen Daze

Arcade Sound Ltd.

27

She Was Coloured In

Solar Bears

Planet Mu Records

26

I Learned the Hard Way

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

Daptone Records

25

American Gong

Quasi

Kill Rock Stars

24

Mare

Julian Lynch

Olde English Spelling Bee

23

You Never Did Anything Wrong To Me (EP)

Team Ghost

Sonic Cathedral

22

Warp Riders

The Sword

Kemado Records

21

Maniac Meat

TOBACCO

Anticon

20

Grinderman II

Grinderman

ANTI-/Epitaph

19

Halcyon Digest

Deerhunter

4AD

18

Blurry Blue Mountain

Giant Sand

Fire Records

17

Broken Dreams Club (EP)

Girls

True Panther Sounds

16

Astro Coast

Surfer Blood

Kanine Records

15

The Budos Band III

The Budos Band

Daptone Records

14

Clinging to a Scheme

The Radio Dept.

LABRADOR

13

Prophecy of the Black Widow

Umberto

Not Not Fun Records

12

The Suburbs

Arcade Fire

Merge

11

Crazy For You / Something In The Way (EP)

Best Coast

Mexican Summer

10

Cosmogramma

Flying Lotus

Warp

9

Shut Up Dude / Sit Down Man

Das Racist

Self-Released Mixtapes

8

Business Casual

Chromeo

Atlantic

7

Castle Talk / Singles (EP)

Screaming Females

Don Giovanni Records

6

Forgiveness Rock Record

Broken Social Scene

Arts & Crafts

5

Sir Lucious Left Foot…The Son Of Chico Dusty

Big Boi

Def Jam Recordings

4

The ArchAndroid

Janelle Monae

Bad Boy/Wondaland

3

This Is Happening

LCD Soundsystem

Virgin

2

Relayted

Gayngs

Jagjaguwar

1

Before Today

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti

4AD