Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Clark's 2011 Favorites

This isn't going to take long... In no particular order:

St. Vincent "Strange Mercy"
She snuck up on me. I didn't really register her prior recordings.

Mogwai "Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will"
A) Awesome title.
B) First cut is just pure gold with a "hook" that haunts for hours.
C) ... I dunno, just dig it.

Fucked Up "David Comes to Life"
I'm kind of a sucker for the punk rock opus ("Zen Arcade" et al).

Los Campesinos! "Hello Sadness"
Like I said in the Favorite vs. Best thread, I have a weak spot for this band. But, even given that, I think this is a mature effort that shows progress.

The Supremes "More Hits by the Supremes"
Total spotify thing. Just a great comp.

Kings Go Forth "The Outsiders are Back"
Okay, not 2011 (it's from 2010 according to spotify), but still new to me. I dig it. Feels authentic, not intellectually retro.

TV on the Radio "Nine Types of Light"
Really the whole TVOTR catalog for me this year. Like I may have said elsewhere, they're our Radiohead (us being Yanks). Fucking creative as all get out AND they can swing.

9 comments:

rootless said...

cool, some stuff I haven't heard of that I want to check out off that list. "Strange Mercy" is a great record, she's blowing up right now.

DC said...

TV on the Radio = US Radiohead.... I feel it.

rootless said...

TV on the Radio = Radiohead is clever, but I don't agree. Radiohead radically evolved and hugely influenced the course of modern music. Ok computer to Kid A, pretty amazing transition. What they went through is more like what the Beastie Boys when through going from Licensed to Ill to Paul's Boutique to Check your Head.

Bill Zink said...

"Radiohead radically evolved and hugely influenced the course of modern music"?

comfortstarr said...

Oh boy, one little quip... All I meant is that I see similar ambitions in terms of pushing creative boundaries within a popular genre.

DC said...

I don't think it is an exaggeration... to say... Radiohead is more influential than 1,000,000 Beatles.

rootless said...

yeah, I think the jump between Ok Computer and Kid A was huge, and that they brought were a big driver of the increased electronic sounds that were part of rock music after that.

blablazo said...

Am I the only person in the world who doesn't like Radiohead? I love music - a lot! I just don't get them at all.

comfortstarr said...

I know I'm late to this Fucked Up party but DAMN this is a great record. Pitchfork TV has a video of them doing the whole thing in New York recently. There's something about really well arranged punk rock that can sometimes go directly to my dopamine receptors. Makes me feel 30 years younger just listening to this. Brings me back to the days of schlupping around Minneapolis for all-ages shows and going nutso for Rifle Sport, the Huskers, et al.