10 Favourite Albums of 2011

Here we are again. Before 2011 comes to a close, I'd like to present 10 of my favourite albums this year. As an added bonus, skip to the end for my favourite EP. Happy New Year everyone!



10. Wild Flag - Wild Flag

Here's one record that psyched me up before its release because of the pedigree of the band members. Bringing together Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss, Helium's Mary Timony and the Minders' Rebecca Cole, Wild Flag is the eponymous release from the prominent indie-punk rockers. "Romance" kicks things off with swagger and exuberance that embodies the entire record, but my personal favourite has to be "Electric Band", with its lazy, heady sound that harks back to a bygone era.


Download:
Wild Flag - Romance [MP3]



9. Washed Out - Within and Without

Elegant yet subtle, Within and Without's sensual and refined sound is an evolution from Ernest Greene's earlier material. "Eyes Be Closed" is the lead single and one of the album's stand-out tracks. Soft, gauzy synths are glazed over with a hazy feel, and the beats are crisp and clear. "Amor Fati", or Latin for "Love of Fate", sounds blissfully sweet (read the full review here).

Download:
Washed Out - Amor Fati
Washed Out - Eyes Be Closed



8. Radiohead - The King of Limbs

At 37 minutes long, Radiohead's eighth studio album is their shortest record to date. When it comes to dishing out an exquisite record, Radiohead knows that brevity is the order of the day. Savour the tunes like fine wine: Soak up the smells. Take a sip here and a swig there, and you'll be duly rewarded in the end.








7. Marissa Nadler - Marissa Nadler

After being dropped from her record label, folk singer Marissa Nadler turned to Kickstarter, a fan-driven platform, to fund her fifth album. This fuelled arguably her best and most frank LP to date. Lead single "Baby, I Will Leave You In The Morning" is a pleading song about forgiveness, but my top pick is "Puppet Master", a quiet composition about lost love.

Download:
Marissa Nadler - Baby, I Will Leave You in the Morning
Marissa Nadler - In Your Lair, Bear



6. Katy B - On A Mission

Nominated for this year's Mercury Prize, On A Mission is a solid record that combines elements of dubstep, dance and pop. The album bursts to life from the get go. Katy B's (Kathleen Brien) vocals are deliciously sensual. I was smitten with songs like "Witches Brew", "Go Away", "Broken Record" and the witty "Easy Please Me". Moreover, midway through the album closer "Hard To Get", Katy acknowledges those who have supported her on her musical journey. Kudos to a truly grounded star-in-the-making.


Download:
Katy B - Broken Record



5. Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials

Florence Welch has been on a roll since the release of her brilliant debut Lungs and she just keeps getting better at her game. Her sophomore effort Ceremonials is a pompous and grandiose affair, captivating and spellbinding, lyrically and vocally stunning.

Download:
Florence + The Machine - What The Water Gave Me





4. Thievery Corporation - Culture of Fear

Culture of Fear, Thievery Corporation's sixth studio album, is one of the most underrated records of the year. Sure, the electronic DJ duo continue to take on their socio-political stances, but like they say: If it ain't broken, why fix it?

Download:
Thievery Corporation - Culture of Fear







3. Metronomy - The English Riviera

Metronomy blew me away with The English Riveria, the most laid-back and fun record I've heard all year. Shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, it's chock-a-block with shimmery tunes that wouldn't sound out of place on mainstream radio. Lead singer Joe Mount's falsetto is intriguing and charming, and he's backed by brilliant musicians like bassist Gbenga Adelekan and former Lightspeed Champion drummer Anna Prior. It's interesting to see where this band will go next.





2. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

Lykke Li has come a long way since her Youth Novel days. Wounded Rhymes, her second album, is a work of art. It's defiant, darkly hypnotic, yet deeply passionate, you just get sucked into the swirling vortex. There's a whole lot of emotions going on, but you have to give it to the lady (and producer Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John fame) for pulling it all together into one neat, minimalist package. Certainly one of the best Swedish exports yet.

Download:
Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers
Lykke Li - Jerome



1. Feist - Metals

The fourth studio album from Canadian chanteuse Leslie Feist tops my list. It's pretty much the most cohesive and perfect record I've heard this year. Recorded in Big Sur, California, Feist smartly eschews lavish production for a cool, melancholic soundtrack that somehow becomes warm, comfort food for the soul. Sublime.

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...and my favourite EP:

Florrie - Experiments EP

Florrie (Florence Arnold) is one hell of a beautiful and talented woman. She's a singer-songwriter, drummer and model. And she's really in it for the music, given that she has adopted the grassroots strategy with her tunes, choosing instead to self-release her EPs instead of signing on to a record label. Experiments EP, her second after the excellent Introduction EP (you can download the latter for free off her website), is a thumping, synth-pop packed record that's fun, catchy and energetic.





Honourable Mentions:
Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know
Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest
Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
Austra - Feel It Break
Cults - Cults
Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Daily Randomness

Video roundup for the week:

Florence + The Machine: "No Light, No Light"



"No Light, No Light" is easily one of the best tracks on Florence Welch's second album, Ceremonials. Now it has this stunning, epic and haunting video to boot. I get the chills just watching it.

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Feist: "How Come You Never Go There"



Leslie Feist gets hair extensions and steps into the forest in this oddly enchanting video for "How Come You Never Go There", the first single taken off her fourth studio album, Metals.

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CSS: "City Grrrl" ft. Ssion



Taken off La Liberación, "City Grrrl" sees Lovefoxxx prancing round town and going through a dizzying array of outfits.

Florence and The Machine: "Shake It Out" Video

I love nothing better than watching Florence Welch dance. So it's great to see the epic new video for "Shake It Out" in all its Technicolor glory. "Shake It Out" is the first single off Florence and the Machine's new album Ceremonials, which will be released in the UK at the end of October.

Here's the very brilliant "What The Water Gave Me" for comparison.

Florence and the Machine: "What The Water Gave Me" Video

The blogosphere is abuzz today with the release of Florence and the Machine's "What The Water Gave Me", one of the tracks off her as-yet-untitled new album, which is due in November this year. I am stoked!

Concert Review: Florence and The Machine + The xx

2 weeks ago, Florence and The Machine and The xx played at the Esplanade Theatre. It was fantastic to enjoy a double bill by two critically-lauded British acts, though I suspected that, judging from the cheers, a greater portion of the audience was there to see the latter. Having enjoyed their albums in recent times, I was elated that for the price of a single ticket, I could savour the beauty of both bands. Talk about killing two birds with one stone.

They were, however, as different as chalk and cheese. The xx kicked off the show with nary a shout or an attempt to engage the audience, but they immediately swept their devotees up in a vortex of sound.



When you see The xx play, you must know that they sound exactly as they do on record, the same understated chic and the same coolness amplified. The booming speakers send shivers running down your spine and they give you goosebumps, but of the good kind. That night, the trio played most of the songs in their repertoire. Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft let their music speak for itself, and Jamie Smith -- one hand on the synthesizers, the other on drums -- constantly worked his magic throughout their short set, sending their fans into overdrive. These youngsters, clad in black, were so dedicated to their craft. Before the end of their set, Oliver urged the crowd to keep an eye out for Florence and The Machine. They obliged.



For Florence's set, the stage was decked with drums, keyboards, and most ostensibly a harp. The orchestration was lush, though at certain times the sound was a let down: I couldn't hear Florence Welch enunciate her words distinctly. Nonetheless, Florence bantered endlessly with the audience. She got the concertgoers to clap, sing, dance and jump, among other things. She even borrowed a Polaroid camera from an audience member to take snapshots of the event. The 23 year old was deeply entranced several times and fan-girly in others, and it was rather amusing to watch. Florence and The Machine put on an emotional and enthralling show. At one point, the sold-out crowd even stood up to give her a standing ovation, which she and her band graciously acknowledged.

10 Favourite Albums of 2009

(Very late, I know.)

No Merriweather Post Pavilion, Bitte Orca nor Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix here. Just 10 albums that were on constant rotation in 2009 (and check out the end for my favourite EP). Not necessarily critics' picks. Enjoy.


10. Jenny Owen Youngs - Transmitter Failure

Transmitter Failure is by no means the perfect pop record, but it is certainly one of the better ones that I have heard in a while. Jenny Owen Youngs preserves much of her lyrical wit and emotional depth on her sophomore album, but she amps up and delivers more delectable and accessible tunes that touch people at an emotional level and gets them to boogie at the same time.

Download:
Jenny Owen Youngs - Led to the Sea [MP3]






9. A Fine Frenzy - Bomb in a Birdcage

Like Youngs, Alison Sudol also upped the tempo from her debut to create a chirpier and feistier follow-up. Upbeat harmonies and arrangements are audible here, but Bomb in a Birdcage still retains some of that poignancy and fragility that Sudol is known for.











8. Little Boots - Hands

Hands is a collection of dance-floor friendly electropop hits like the oft-heard "New in Town" and "Remedy". "Mathematics" is particularly memorable for its lyrics, since matters of the heart are broken down into mathematical formulas and equations. Some occasional misses but on the whole a delightful record for dancing to. Kudos to the talented Ms. Hesketh for writing and playing her own material.

Download:
Little Boots - Meddle





7. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

With Humbug, Alex Turner and his friends threw the headiness of their previous records out the door. Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme helped them churn out a set of wryly dark rock anthems, which grows on you after repeated listens.











6. Passion Pit - Manners

Cambridge, Massachusetts natives Passion Pit crafted this catchy indie dance-pop album. Manners sounds extremely coherent and solid when you listen to the entire album in one sitting.

Download:
Passion Pit - Moth’s Wings [MP3]









5. Miike Snow - Miike Snow

Swedish group Miike Snow consists of Andrew Wyatt and producers Chris Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg (aka Bloodshy & Avant, co-writers of Britney Spears' "Toxic"). With this type of pedigree, you would think their self-titled debut is loaded with commercial pop. However, nothing here is shrouded in excessive gloss. Injecting a dollop of Scandinavian twee-ness into the mix, this makes for a highly engaging indie-electro pop record indeed.








4. Metric - Fantasies

Fantasies was not one of those LPs that I loved right from the start because I was accustomed to their older material. However, after a couple of plays, I was sold. It is consistently good from start to end. Lead singer Emily Haines' debonair personality and vocals shine through in most of the tracks, especially singles "Help I'm Alive" and "Gimme Sympathy".

Download:
Metric - Help, I'm Alive






3. The xx - xx

The London quartet's (now trio) self-titled eponymous album is probably one of the best debuts of 2009. xx is minimalist chic, chill music. The underrated instrumental opener "Intro" sucked me in when I first heard the album, and I knew I had to have more. Best to listen to when alone: this is contemplative stuff.










2. Florence and The Machine - Lungs

Florence Welch makes it all look so effortless. Lungs, the stunning debut from the London songstress and her band, features Welch's powerful voice and a medley of quirky yet intriguing songs.

Download:
Florence and The Machine - You've Got The Love









1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!

Though the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have moved away from their original garage rock sound and embraced electro rock, It's Blitz! still lives up to its hype, buoyed by the collective talents of frontwoman Karen O, guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase. Synthesizers make this album extremely energetic and appealing. Not to mention the album cover is pretty kick-ass too.

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...and my favourite EP:


Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP

Fans of Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago will love this follow-up EP. Justin Vernon is the same tortured soul here, deeply introspective, but the 4th and last track on the album, "Woods", surprises everyone with the presence of the vocoder.

Download:
Bon Iver - Blood Bank

Daily Randomness

A look at who's coming to town:



Word's out: St Jerome's Laneway Festival will not be coming to Singapore next year. However, thanks to Chugg Entertainment, you can still catch headliners Florence and The Machine and Echo & the Bunnymen in action.

Along with The xx, Flo performs February 7 at the Esplanade. The Bunnymen's show is on February 9. Additional details will be released soon.

Download:
Florence and The Machine - You've Got the Love (The xx Remix)

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Imogen Heap will be in town on March 29 for a one night only show at the Esplanade. Tickets are at $68, $88, $108, $128 and $148. Limited student tickets at $48 are also available.

Download:
Imogen Heap - Can't Take It In

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Tickets have already gone on sale for next year's installment of the Mosaic Music Festival. The Kings of Convenience are back, and the likes of 65daysofstatic, The Go! Team and St. Vincent are coming [link].

Download:
Kings of Convenience - Mrs. Cold [buy Declaration of Dependence]

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Get your fix of chinese indie music at the Huayi Festival 2010 [link].

Florence and the Machine: "Drumming Song" Video

Florence + The Machine - Drumming Song

Florence and The Machine | MySpace Music Videos

I know I am a little late to the game since "Drumming Song" was released as the fourth single to Florence and the Machine's critically lauded Lungs earlier in September. But for the benefit of those who have been living under a rock somewhere (and have no idea what they are missing out), please, do yourself a favour and watch this video. "Drumming Song" is gorgeous and intense, and I am obscenely jealous of Ms. Welch's legs that seem to go on for miles.

Download:
Florence and the Machine - Drumming Song [MOV video]