Hey. How are you? I'm good. I graduated a couple weeks ago, and then I went to Italy, and now I'm home and catching up on all the music I've missed; unfortunately, people do in fact release good music while you're on vacation. Go figure. Anyhow, seeing as it's currently June 25 in the Central time zone, which in my estimation is right around the middle of the year, I thought I'd publish a semi-brief mid-year report recounting my favorite albums, tracks, and other stuff of 2011 so far--and also say what I'm looking forward to for the rest of the year. Below you'll find twenty albums; forty songs; four EPs, reissues, and "other"s; and assorted other musical, er, things. Everything is listed in alphabetical order. So, without further ado, here is the best music of the first half of 2011--or at least what I think the best music is...
My top albums of this year come from acts both established and new, from America to Indonesia, from pop to ambient, from one descriptive term to a different descriptive term. Whatever the case, it's all good stuff.
Akron/Family--S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT
Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat dan Singa--Suara Naga
Bon Iver--Bon Iver
Destroyer--Kaputt
Fleet Foxes--Helplessness Blues
Fucked Up--David Comes To Life
Gang Gang Dance--Eye Contact
Grouper--A I A
James Blake--James Blake
Jenny Hval--Viscera
Julianna Barwick--The Magic Place
Liturgy--Aesthethica
Panda Bear--Tomboy
Peaking Lights--936
Psychic Reality--Vibrant New Age
Telebossa--Telebossa
Tim Hecker--Ravedeath, 1972
tUnE-yArDs--w h o k i l l
TV On The Radio--Nine Types of Light
Wu Lyf--Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
Tracks
Many of these tracks come from the above albums. Others don't. Thank you, Captain Obvious. Enjoy, please.
Actress--Gershwin
Adele--Someone Like You
Antony & The Johnsons--Swanlights (OPN Edit)
Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat dan Singa--Baru Limunan
Balam Acab--Oh, Why
Bonnie "Prince" Billy--There Is No God
Destroyer--Suicide Demo For Kara Walker
Destroyer--Kaputt
Fleet Foxes--The Shrine / An Argument
Fleet Foxes--Grown Ocean
Ford & Lopatin--Too Much MIDI (Please Forgive Me)
Funkystepz--Fuller
Gang Gang Dance--Glass Jar
Gang Gang Dance--MindKilla
Grouper--Alien Observer
Jai Paul--BTSTU
James Blake--I Mind
James Blake--The Wilhelm Scream
James Blake--Measurements
Jamie xx--Far Nearer
John Maus--Believer
Junior Boys--Banana Ripple
Maria Minerva--Noble Savage
Nas--Nasty
Nicolas Jaar--Keep Me There
Panda Bear--Slow Motion
Panda Bear--Afterburner
Psychic Reality--Hi High
The Rapture--How Deep Is Your Love
Robin Pecknold--I'm Losing Myself (feat. Ed Droste)
Thundercat--For Love I Come
tUnE-yArDs--Gangsta
tUnE-yArDs--Bizness
TV On The Radio--Second Song
Tyler The Creator--Yonkers
The Weeknd--What You Need
The Weeknd--House of Balloons - Glass Table Girls
Wire--Please Take
XXXY--Ordinary Things
Zoo Kid--Out Getting Ribs
EPs
Andy Stott--Passed Me By
Antony & The Johnsons--Swanlights
Glenn Jones--Even To Win Is To Fail
Robin Pecknold--Three Songs
Reissues
Anthony Braxton--Town Hall (Trio & Quintet) 1972
John Coltrane--At Temple University 1966
Harald Grosskopf--Synthesist
Nirvana--Hormoaning
Other Albums
Clams Casino--Clams Casino (mixtape)
Demdike Stare--Tryptych (reissue/compilation/something)
Scritti Politti--Absolute (compilation)
The Weeknd--House of Balloons (mixtape)
New Artists
Jai Paul
Telebossa
The Weeknd
Wu Lyf
Albums To Look Forward To
Included below are both albums that are out but I haven't heard and albums that are yet to be released. There are twelve in all. (Release info follows title in parentheses.)
Balam Acab--Wander/Wonder (August 30)
Beirut--The Rip Tide (August 30)
Burial--Home Countries (TBD)
Colin Stetson--New History Warfare Vol. 2 (out now)
John Maus--We Must Become... (out now)
The Rapture--In The Grace of Your Love (September 6)
Shabazz Palaces--Black Up (out now)
Sun Araw--Ancient Romans (August 23)
Thundercat--The Golden Age of Apocalypse (August 30)
Washed Out--Within And Without (July 12)
Wiley--100% Publishing (Jule 4)
YACHT--Shangri-La (out now)
2011's turnin' out to be a neat-o year, don't you think? Have a nice day.
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