While a lot of the music here won’t show up on the Billboard Top 100 list, there’s still plenty here for most of you to like; you just have to give it a try! As always, thanks for reading. Happy New Year!

1. Bon Iver: Bon Iver

2. Paul Simon: So Beautiful or So What

3. Raphael Saadiq: Stone Rollin’

4. The Twilight Singers: Dynamite Steps

5. The Joy Formidable: The Big Roar

6. The Antlers: Burst Apart

7. M83: Hurry Up We’re Dreaming

8. My Morning Jacket: Circuital

9. Elbow: Build a Rocket Boys

10. Rival Schools: Pedals

11. tUne-yarDs: W H O K I L L

12. TV on the Radio: Nine Types of Light

13. Iron & Wine: Kiss Each Other Clean

14. Foo Fighters: Wasting Light

15. The Weeknd: House of Balloons

16. Cut Copy: Zonoscope

17. The Decemberists: The King is Dead

18. Jay-Z & Kanye West: Watch the Throne

19. Yuck: Yuck

20. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: Belong

The Rest of the Best

21. Foster the People: Torches

22. Seryn: This is Where We Are

23. Adele: 21

24. Manchester Orchestra: Simple Math

25. The Roots: Undun

26. Wild Beasts: Smother

27. Beastie Boys: Hot Sauce Committee Part II

28. Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues

29. The Strokes: Angles

30. PJ Harvey: Let England Shake

]]> http://ngandu.com/2011/12/31/the-best-albums-of-2011-the-complete-list/feed/ 0 nkasuku front front Stone_Rollin Dynamite_Steps Bigroar Burst_Apart-The_Antlers_480 M83-Hurry-Up-Were-Dreaming ULTIMATE3 - Version 2 Front cover Cover Nine Types Of Light front Foo_Fighters_Wasting_Light_Album_Cover 00_The_Weeknd-House_of_Balloons_(Official_Mixtape)-2011-(Front Large)-Djleak.com cover front 00-Front cover front http://ngandu.com/2011/12/31/the-best-albums-of-2011-1/ http://ngandu.com/2011/12/31/the-best-albums-of-2011-1/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:10:02 +0000 nkasuku http://ngandu.com/?p=1940 ]]> Bon Iver: Bon Iver

Bon Iver (specifically lead singer and mastermind Justin Vernon) first entered our consciousness about 3 years ago with the brilliant but sobering debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago. Armed with a guitar, a few mics and a makeshift drum kit, Vernon recorded the album alone in a cabin in rural Wisconsin. Encompassing years of heartbreak and love loss, the album evoked a sense of pain that was palpable and all the while enthralling. A year and a few Grey’s Anatomy episodes later, Vernon’s star was on the rise. Most notably, Vernon took a turn as singer and collaborator on Kanye West’s most recent album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. After touring extensively, Vernon and his mates returned to the studio for a follow-up, resulting in this, their eponymous follow-up.

Back again is the signature ambiance, marked by Vernon’s haunting falsetto vocals.  Except this time, the production is more dynamic resulting in a bigger sound. The opening track “Perth” starts up with a guitar lick that repeats, followed by deeply reverberating vocals and a marching snare; somewhat familiar territory. But then the song picks up its intensity with horns and a double bass drum; perhaps a signal of what lurks next. The dreamy “Holocene” sounds much like something from the previous album, except that it’s far more layered in sounds and textures. The album’s first release, “Calgary” is also the band’s most upbeat song on the album. Essentially straight-ahead rock, it rounds itself out nicely with some carefully placed synth work. The album closes in a peculiar way with “Beth/Rest,” an 80′s styled-ballad that would make Michael Bolton blush. Replete with 80’s keyboards and a sax solo (yes you read that correctly), the song sounds like it was meant to be played during the credits of some random 80’s flick. Don’t worry though, somehow- like the rest of the album- it works.

Learn more about Bon Iver at http://www.boniver.org/

Select Cuts: Perth, Holocene, Calgary

Someone forgot to tell Paul Simon that musicians his age aren’t capable of putting out great albums. After all, it is indeed a rare thing to see a man of Simon’s stature, still striving to put out great work; but that’s precisely what he’s done. In many ways, So Beautiful or So What is part three in a trilogy that began with the splendidly popular Graceland, followed by The Rhythm of the Saints, with So Beautiful striking a slightly different tone. Where the first two were influenced largely by music from other cultures, this latest offering is largely Americana, with mere sprinkles of world music. The lyrics often evoke thoughts of a man that has seen a lot, but still thinks about the world as it is today. And the music (at several points) is downright brilliant. Especially “Love and Hard Times,” which is undoubtedly one of his best, and alone puts So Beautiful or So What near the top of my list.

Select Cuts: The Afterlife, Dazzling Blue, Love & Hard Times, So Beautiful or So What

Perhaps no other genre of music personifies the term “timeless” more than soul. From Sam Cook to Smokey Robinson to Curtis Mayfield, soul music has that rare quality of endurance and accessibility. Thankfully, modern day crooner Raphael Saadiq knows this all too well. As lead singer of the 90′s R&B group Tony! Toni! Tone!, Saadiq helped craft a slew of hits that fit the New Jack Swing style of the day. After departing the group, Saadiq first turned to production and writing before releasing a series of albums as a solo artist. His third album The Way I See It, was critically acclaimed and created somewhat of a coming out party for the artist.  Not wishing to rest on his laurels, Saadiq released Stone Rollin’ in 2011, to equal acclaim; and for good reason. Like its predecessor, Stone Rollin is at its core a throwback soul album, that manages to retain a high degree of originality by blending classic soul with elements of rock n’ roll,  and classic pop music. The production is first rate, and the arrangements on the album demonstrate a high degree of songcraft. Overall, the album has that rare quality of blending the past (you might think you were listening to a Booker T. & The MGs tune on “Stone Rollin”), with the present (see the opener “Heart Attack”). Stone Rollin is truly a great album, and there’s a little bit here for everyone.

Select Cuts: Heart Attack, Stone Rollin’, Just Don’t, Movin Down the Line

“Once you know the way down, the path belongs to you“… So says lead singer Greg Dulli on the track “Get Lucky” from the band’s most recent release, Dynamite Steps.

While Dulli rose to fame as the lead singer of the mighty 90′s alt-rock group, The Afghan Whigs, he’s managed to duplicate that same success as the brains behind The Twilight Singers. Though the makeup of each bands differs, the sound has followed the same formula: dark and evocative lyrics, combined with a gritty rock n’ roll sound with a touch of traditional R&B. And of course, Dulli’s scratchy, slightly-out-of-tune, voice serving as the signature piece. While Dulli’s career has been prolific, Dynamite Steps is indeed his best work since The Afghan Whigs’ Black Love.

What sets Dynamite Steps apart from its predecessors is it’s subtlety. Don’t get me wrong, Dulli’s still eager to flex his muscle as he does on the pulsating headbanger “Waves.” But more often, he’s content showing off his songwriting chops in more subtle ways, as he does on the sublime “She Was Stolen.” On the romp “Blackbird and the Fox” (featuring old friend Ani DiFranco) Dulli shows versatility not seen since the band’s covers album She Loves You. But the gem of the album is the coda- “Dynamite Steps.” Coming in at nearly 7 minutes, the title track encapsulates the album as a whole as it glides through its various movements, only to reach its climactic point as Dulli proclaims a much deserved victory.

Select Cuts: On the Corner, She Was Stolen, Blackbird & the Fox, Dynamite Steps

The Joy Formidable may be the best rock band to come out of Wales since Badfinger. Alright, alright, maybe that isn’t saying much, but seriously this band brings it. Led by the diminutive Ritzy Bryan, The Joy Formidable are a power trio in the most literal sense. This fact becomes apparent, almost from the very beginning of The Big Roar. The album opens up with the “The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie.” A heavy-handed anthem of a song, that takes a bit to get going, but by the 3:00 minute mark is in full throttle. In many ways this opener represents the overall feel of the album. Guitar-driven, shoegazey rock that crescendos into big, bombastic anthems, loud enough to make your eardrums bleed.

Bryan is accompanied by a formidable rhythm section comprised of bassist Rhydian Dafydd and drummer Matt Thomas. Considering how heavy Thomas plays, I have to imagine he replaced at least a half dozen drum heads during the recording of this album. In fact, one could argue (as I do) that Thomas’ muscular drumming is what really makes their sound explode. Certainly Bryan is the showpiece here. With sweet vocals and a blitzkrieg approach to the guitar, she gets most of the attention. But Thomas is a force that makes the difference between The Big Roar being a just decent album and being a great one.

As far as comparisons go, The Smashing Pumpkins and Silversun Pickups probably come to mind. But these guys are heavier than both. What’s more, the rhythms on display here — sometimes in odd meters — offer far more in variety than either (the pulsating “Austere” being a perfect example). In the end, The Big Roar is heavy but complex, angry but also sweet, and worthy of your time; but only if you’re willing to crank it up.

Select Cuts: The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie, I Don’t Want to See You Like This, Austere, Cradle, The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade

Here’s a warning: hide all of your knives before you turn this one on, because it’s a downer. I mean these guys put the EMO in emotion. In fact, this is what emo bands listen to when they wanna’ get more emo. It’s also one of the most blissful albums I’ve heard in a long time. And it’s not all downtrodden. While lead singer Peter Silberman starts out of the gate brooding, proclaiming his wish to not fall in love, Burst Apart moves into more upbeat territory with the appropriately titled “French Exit,” a mid-tempo shuffle, laced with dreamy keyboards and lush guitars. On one of the other uptempo tracks on the album- the angsty “Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out- Silberman sings along to some of the most straight-ahead rock on the album, singing of the desperation that comes with the loss of self-control. But where Silberman & Co. really shine are on the dreamy tracks like “Hounds” and “Corsicana” that are as good as it gets in terms of sheer beauty within a song. Again, this isn’t an album I’d listen to before a run (assuming I actually ran), nor would I play it at a party (well maybe), because it’s not that kind of album. This one resonates, it has layers, and it takes a while to appreciate. But give it some time, I promise it won’t disappoint.

Select Cuts: I Don’t Wanna’ Fall in Love, Rolled Together, Hounds, Corsicana

It says a lot about M83′s new album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming that it made it’s way onto my favorites of 2011. I say that because I generally find double albums unnecessarily long. And while the album’s length ultimately prevents it from being tops, #7 on the list ain’t half bad. But enough about me, let’s talk about the album, which is, well damn good. The music builds upon the heavily synthed 80′s throwback sound of the group’s previous album Saturdays = Youth (a great album in and of itself). But the two are not carbon copies of one another. Where Saturdays sounds like the soundtrack to a John Hughes movie, Hurry Up sounds more like the score to a French action-film.  Don’t worry, it’s not an instrumental album. It’s just that the lyrics and vocals are almost entirely incidental to the music, which is enthralling, grandiose, and oh yeah…very LOUD. Sure, lead singer/mastermind Anthony Gonzalez’ vocals ring through. But mostly, the vocals seem to accompany the music, as opposed to the other way around, which incidentally isn’t a bad thing.  While there are strong moments on both sides of the double album on Hurry Up, the first one is noticeably better, containing a string of great songs to start the album, including the single “Midnight City.” Overall Hurry Up is a little long in the tooth, but the sheer force of the music makes Hurry Up well worth the price of admission.

Select Cuts: Intro, Midnight City, Reunion, Claudia Lewis.

]]> http://ngandu.com/2011/12/28/the-best-albums-of-2011-7/feed/ 0 nkasuku M83-Hurry-Up-Were-Dreaming http://ngandu.com/2011/12/24/the-best-albums-of-2011-9/ http://ngandu.com/2011/12/24/the-best-albums-of-2011-9/#comments Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:10:12 +0000 nkasuku http://ngandu.com/?p=1889 ]]> Elbow: Build a Rocket Boys

Elbow just may be the UK’s best kept secret. That or I’m just (unsurprisingly) very late to the party. Apparently these lads have been banging out records for close to a decade. Heck, they won Britain’s prestigious Mercury Prize in 2008 for The Seldom Seen Kid, yet I knew nothing of them until I discovered this little-known gem of an album. The title is emblematic of one of the central themes of which lead singer Guy Garvey sings: youth, adolescence and his fond reflection of that period in his life. Musically, Garvey counts Peter Gabriel as one of his biggest influences, and it doesn’t take long to hear it in the music, all the way down to the general timbre of Garvey’s voice. But their sound also reminds me of The National in the way that their songs shift gracefully between the bombastic (“Open Arms”) and the sombre (“Lippy Kids”).  Ultimately, Build a Rocket Boys! isn’t all that accessible. Rather, it grows on you slowly until you realize that the music is first rate and the songs endure making it one of the year’s best.

Select Cuts: Lippy Kids, Open Arms, Dear Friends

On Circuital, My Morning Jacket succeeds in bridging the gap between the music of It Still Moves and the ambition Evil Urges. Musically, the album is more focused than its immediate predecessor. Clocking in at just under an hour, Circuital deftly walks the line between progress and familiarity. The opening song “Victory Dance” is a haunting slow-moving tribal movement that starts subtly but ends with a roar. The title track successfully captures the ambiance of the album, but pays homage to classic songs in the MMJ catalog. On “The Day Is Coming,” they channel their inner Seals & Crofts. The track is essentially a mashup of R&B, pop, and alt-rock, with an irresistible chant that starts the song and rings throughout the whole track. On “Wonderful (the way I feel),” the band shows off it’s softer side with a song that brings James’ vocals front and center, unlike some of the other tracks on the album. While surprises on the album are few, if any, the familiarity should serve as comfort food for those fans that felt slighted after Evil Urges.

Select Cuts: Victory Dance, The Day is Coming, Holdin’ on to Black Metal