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

2012 Singapore St. Jerome's Laneway Festival

Mark your calendars for February 12, kids!

Yeah that's right, Laneway Festival is returning to Singapore. It's happening at Fort Canning again, and we have 14 acts this time, running the gamut from rock to folk to pop and shoegaze.

Here's the full line-up:

Anna Calvi
Austra
Cults
Feist
Girls
Laura Marling
M83
The Drums
The Horrors
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Toro Y Moi
Twin Shadow
Wu Lyf
Yuck

Public sales start on November 28. Tickets are at $135. For more information, head on over to the official site.

Downloads:
Austra - Lose It
Feist - So Sorry
Girls - Laura
The Drums - Days
Twin Shadow - Slow [Removed]
Wu Lyf - We Bros
Yuck - Get Away

Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:

Labrador's latest signing is a precocious talent from Stockholm, Sweden. Amanda Mair, all of 16, was picked up by the label when they discovered her by chance in 2010. Her second single "Doubt" just popped today, and I am absolutely smitten by the song, and really impressed by her level of maturity. "Doubt" is a smart tune, achingly modern with a dose of girlish charm mixed into the fold.

Her debut single "House", on the other hand, starts off as a piano-driven song before it culminates in an emotive, triumphant pop song. I absolutely can't wait to hear her album.

Download:
Amanda Mair - Doubt
Amanda Mair - House

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Anti-folk pioneer Jeffrey Lewis returns with A Turn In The Dream-Songs. On "Cult Boyfriend", the first track off the album, Lewis' wit and dry humour shine through. It's cute to hear the man poke fun of himself.

Download:
Jeffrey Lewis - Cult Boyfriend

Seyra

Homegrown singer-songwriter Seyra's self-titled debut EP has an easy charm about it: Pleasant and soothing, the acoustic folk-pop songs are a breeze to listen to. It's a commendable effort for a fledging young band made up of Seyra, Khidir (Guitar), Rupak (Bass/Guitar) and Zack (Percussion/Guitar). In fact, the band has garnered a couple of positive reviews since they played at Baybeats last month.

Their sound is fairly reminiscent of Zee Avi and Feist. "You Make Me Go" opens the EP in a jaunty, twinkly manner. The remaining tracks glide along before getting a proper closing with "Goodnight", an ambient number that's a personal favourite of mine. At 22 mins and 5 tracks long, it's worth your while checking it out.

Download:
Download Seyra's digital EP for free via Seyra's Bandcamp page.

Otherwise, check out "Skinny Lips" and "You Make Me Go" below.
Seyra - Skinny Lips
Seyra - You Make Me Go

Album Review: CSS - La Liberación

When Brazilian band CSS emerged in 2006, their infectious melodies and provocative lyrics made people sit up and listen. By cleverly merging indie, rock and dance music with a whole lot of quirkiness, they created a fresh new sound that set them apart from their contemporaries.

Unfortunately, they suffered a sophomore slump in 2008. While it wasn't a devastatingly bad LP, Donkey essentially stripped away all the brashness and quirkiness of their first, leaving an album that was more meh than marvellous.

It seems like they have found their footing again with La Liberación (Spanish for The Liberation). Those sex-laced songs are intact. That brashness and swagger is back. And there is a bunch of mellower stuff, as if to tell the world, "We have grown up."

The most memorable part on La Liberación is frontwoman Lovefoxxx's collaboration with Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie on "Hits Me Like a Rock", a head-bobbingly good reggae-funk number.

"City Grrrl" has been compared to Ke$ha, but CSS carry it off with more aplomb and street-cred, so much so that you honestly believe they don't give a shit at all.

There's no telling what they are exactly singing about on the song "La Liberación". They play on like a broken record for 2 minutes, but it's just so charmingly addictive that you want to scream 'grita, grita, mami!' (whatever the fuck that means) along with them as well.

Album closer "Fuck Everything" probably has the message that the band wants to send out to everyone: They are a young, fun-loving bunch and if you're a detractor, they won't hesitate to flip you the bird.

Download:
Exchange your email address for a free download of "Hits Me Like a Rock".

Edda Magnason

The Swedes have a knack for making great music. Swedish/Icelandic singer-songwriter Edda Magnason is one of their latest exports, a talented young woman who's going to charm the pants off you with her brand of orchestral pixie pop.

Check out "Blondie" to see what I mean. "Blondie" is taken off her soon-to-be-released second album Goods.


Edda Magnason - Blondie from Adrian Recordings on Vimeo.

Download:
Edda Magnason - Blondie [buy Goods]

Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:



Brooklyn indie-rock band Extra Arms just released the video for "Powerlessness", which you can check out above.

The video 'showcases a different side to the band and provides great rewards as they continue to challenge the boundaries of depth and sonic structure'. Their debut album In Parallel drops October 11 via Bibliotec Recordings.

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Phoenix frontman Thomas Mars and Sofia Coppola finally wed [link].

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The Pallers' debut album The Sea of Memories will be released September 27. "Come Rain, Come Sunshine" is the second single off the album.

Download:
Pallers - Come Rain, Come Sunshine

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Reading Festival 2011 playlist from RCRD LBL has songs from Cults, Best Coast, Smith Westerns, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and White Denim. Whee. Go on and download it here.

Rachael Yamagata: "Starlight" Video

Rachael Yamagata
Get More:
Rachael Yamagata, MTV Hive

Regular readers of this blog (yes, all 2 of you) will know that I'm a big fan of the very talented Rachael Yamagata. She's returning October 11 with Chesapeake, her third LP after 2008's Elephants...Teeth Sinking into Heart. The video for the lead single "Starlight" was released today. Interspersed with grainy video footage of people (at weddings for instance), objects and nature, the grungy rock number has an old-school vibe to it.

Chesapeake is self-released on Rachael Yamagata's own Frankenfish Records. She is also working with PledgeMusic, the leading direct-to-fan site for musicians, to help fund her new record. Pledgers enjoy online exclusives, such as a digital download of the new album before its official release.

Download:
Rachael Yamagata - Starlight [MP3]

Album Review: Washed Out - Within And Without

Before Ernest Greene aka Washed Out released his Life of Leisure EP in 2009, he only had a few laptop-concocted songs to his name. But he quickly won plaudits from reviewers and bloggers, and almost single-handedly birthed the genre 'chillwave', thanks to Hipster Runoff.

(In any case, chillwave is "supposed to sound like something that was playing in the background of an old VHS cassette that you found in your attic from the late 80s/early 90s.")

Fast forward 2 years, Greene is still going strong, having just put out his first full-length album, Within And Without. Elegant yet subtle, its sensual and refined sound is an evolution from 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.

With Within And Without, Greene has certainly proven that he is no one-trick pony.

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

Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:

Word! Lykke Li is coming to Singapore on September 21. Tickets will be priced at $40, $68, $88, $108 & $128 (excluding SISTIC fees). Stay tuned as to when the tickets will go on sale. (Update: Tickets go on sale August 24!)

Download:
Get your Lykke Li songs and remixes here.

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In a performance commissioned by Loomstate, Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner (along with Hisham Akira Bharoocha and Ben Vida) led an orchestral ensemble of 41 strings in an originally composed performance celebrating the 41st anniversary of Earth Day. Read about the 41 Strings project and download the individual tracks through The Creators Project page.

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Folk duo The Milk Carton Kids' (Kenneth Pattengale & Joey Ryan) first official release Prologue is available for free.

Download:
The Milk Carton Kids - Prologue [ZIP]

Best Coast: "Our Deal" Video

Get More: MTV Supervideo, Music, Best Coast

It's amazing what big budgets can do. Drew Barrymore made a mini movie out of Best Coast's "Our Deal" (taken off 2010's Crazy For You). Starring Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass), Donald Glover (Community), Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf), Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly) and Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development), it's a tragic love story between two members of rival street gangs. Think modern day Romeo & Juliet.

Download:
Best Coast - Our Deal [buy Crazy For You]

Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:

Lollapalooza celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and SPIN has a free digital download of songs from 14 top Lollapalooza performers. Visit the website and exchange your email for a copy of SPIN Presents Park Life: A Lollapalooza 2011 Mixtape.

Tracklist
1. Foster the People, "Pumped Up Kicks (Hood Internet Remix)"
2. The Chain Gang of 1974, "Undercover"
3. Ratatat, "Party With Children"
4. Lykke Li, "I Follow Rivers"
5. Patrick Stump, "This City"
6. Black Cards, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Fame"
7. Skylar Grey, "Dance Without You (Monsta Mix)"
8. Ximena Sarinana, "Different"
9. Phantogram, "As Far As I Can See"
10. Jay Electronica feat. Jay-Z and The-Dream, "Shiny Suit Theory"
11. Black Lips, "New Direction"
12. Titus Andronicus, "A More Perfect Union"
13. The Mountain Goats, "High Hawk Season"
14. Beirut, "East Harlem"

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Pre-order Loney Dear's Hall Music and download the first single "My Heart" for free here.

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Rachael Yamagata shares "Starlight" from her upcoming new album.

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Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner is on the market again after his split from Alexa Chung [link].

Stockholm Belongs To Us - A Labrador Records Compilation

Who says the best things in life aren't free? Labrador, one of my favourite indie labels, recently put out a free compilation album. Stockholm Belongs To Us - A Labrador Records Compilation is a collection of 22 brilliant tracks from their releases from 2008 to 2011, containing names like the The Radio Dept., Club 8 and Acid House Kings. You can get it here or download using my link below.

Tracklist
1. The Radio Dept. - "Heaven's On Fire"
2. Sambassadeur - "Subtle Changes"
3. Pallers - "The Kiss"
4. Club 8 - "Dancing with the mentally ill"
5. Det Vackra Livet - "Viljan"
6. Acid House Kings - "Would you say stop?"
7. The Legends - "Something strange will happen"
8. The Mary Onettes - "Puzzles"
9. Pelle Carlberg - "1983 (Pelle & Sebastian)"
10. The Radio Dept. - "Never Follow Suit"
11. Club 8 - "Western Hospitality"
12. Suburban Kids with Biblical Names - "1999"
13. Acid House Kings - "Are We Lovers Or Are We Friends?"
14. Club 8 - "Jesus, Walk With Me"
15. [Ingenting] - "Halleluja!"
16. Sambassadeur - "Days"
17. The Legends - "Seconds away"
18. Little Big Adventure - "Happiest Times"
19. Pallers - "Humdrum"
20. Pelle Carlberg - "I Love You, You Imbecile"
21. The Mary Onettes - "Once I Was Pretty"
22. Amanda Mair - "House"

Download:
Stockholm Belongs To Us - A Labrador Records Compilation [ZIP]

R.I.P. Amy Winehouse

Troubled singer Amy Winehouse has been found dead at her home in London. She was 27 [link].

While her passing is sad (and a great loss to the music industry), it's not entirely surprising, considering she has been battling alcohol and drugs for a while now.

I'm just going to miss this talented lady.



P.S. I was a fan after I heard her song, "Fuck Me Pumps".

Download:
Amy Winehouse - Rehab
Amy Winehouse - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:

Shortlist for Mercury Prize '2011 Albums of the Year' has been released. 12 albums gunning for the top prize include:

Adele - 21
Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys!
Everything Everything - Man Alive
Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam
Gwilym Simcock - Good Days At Schloss Elmau
James Blake - James Blake
Katy B - On A Mission
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine
Metronomy - The English Riviera
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
Tinie Tempah - Disc-Overy

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Warpaint return to Singapore for a one-night only show at Powerhouse, St James Power Station on August 2. For $65, you get one free drink plus admission to all the St James Power Station Clubs after the show. Talk about killing 2 birds with one stone -- get your tickets via Sistic.

Download:
Warpaint [MP3]

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Fancy some Priscilla Ahn? On August 2, she will play at the Esplanade Recital Studio. Tickets at $98 via Sistic.

Download:
Priscilla Ahn - When You Grow Up [MP3]

Rilo Kiley's Breakin' Up

Anyone who thought that Rilo Kiley might be on hiatus can give up hope: The band is splitting up for good.

In an interview with Spinner, a surly Blake Sennett says:

I just felt like there was a lot of deception, disloyalty, greed and things I don't really want to submit myself to. I had related that frustration to music but I just thought, 'I'm not going to put myself in that position again,' so I said, 'Fuck that, I can't do this anymore.'

With the split, Sennett also adds that there might be a possibility of putting out some unreleased Rilo Kiley songs:

I think we're going to try and release a two-disc set of 40 songs, or something. I think that can be more considered like our last release, to me. But I don't know.

P.S. I suppose I will miss the band, for sentimental reasons. More Adventurous was one of the first few records that I listened to when I was moving away from sugary, manufactured pop songs. Even after 7 long years, "Portions For Foxes" still sounds superbly fresh to me.



Download:
Rilo Kiley - Science Vs. Romance [buy Take Offs & Landings]

Daily Randomness

A look at some recent and upcoming releases:

Virgin Records finally released the artwork and tracklist for Laura Marling's new album, A Creature I Don't Know. The album is due September 12, so in the interim, do yourself a favour and watch the lovely teaser if you haven't.

Tracklist
1. The Muse
2. I Was Just A Card
3. Don't Ask Me Why
4. Salinas
5. The Beast
6. Night After Night
7. My Friends
8. Rest In The Bed
9. Sophia
10. All My Rage

The album is the follow up to 2010's I Speak Because I Can.

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Blonde Redhead offers a collection of remixes of tracks taken from their last album, Penny Sparkle. They will kick off their European tour in August.

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Los Angeles-based band Snow & Voices take on The Cure's "Disintegration".

The band covered Red House Painters' "Mistress" in their third album, Anything That Moves (read my review of the album), and the recording inspired many conversations between Lauri Kranz and Jebin Bruni about the different ways a song could be interpreted or reinterpreted. The duo decided to record a series of cover songs and release them one at a time. "Disintegration" is the second installment in their covers project, with the first being Tir Na Nog's "So Freely" (released fall 2010).

Download:
Snow & Voices - Disintegration [MP3]

Sleeping In Airports - If the Bombs Start Dropping

Established in 2009, Sleeping In Airports is the Finnish collective of Tapio Ahola, Laura Ahonen and Pekka Vanajas.

Tapio and Pekka were initially part of an alternative rock group called Dawn Delayed, before they ventured out and roped in vocalist Laura to start their own band. While Tapio pens most of the lyrics, they write the songs together and have flexible roles.

Their debut, If the Bombs Start Dropping, is a 3 song digital EP released in February 2011. Their sound has been described as 'electronic, melancholic indie-pop with a certain Northern European flavour'. It feels raw to me, so they could well do with a bit more pizazz and take a cue from contemporaries like indie-electro duo Röyksopp.

What's reassuring though is the fact that the band is really in it for the music. They are not hunting for a record label at the moment and they intend to keep it that way. As Tapio proclaims, "To express ourselves through music and to have fun while doing it is enough for us."

Download:
Sleeping In Airports [MP3]

Album Review: See Green - Violet EP

On the cover of the Violet EP, See Green frontwoman Courtenay Green is lying in a bathtub, her modesty covered with flowers and foliage. I wonder if the image is a play on the band's name, or if they are trying to prove a point. Either way, it intrigues. And for some reason, Courtenay reminds me of flame-haired indie songstress Neko Case (Middle Cyclone, anyone?).

Inside though, the 5 track EP has a boatload of references and fun nods to the 80s. In Courtenay's own words, this is "vibrant alternative pop is grounded in the past, but very much of the present" and it features "catchy hooks, clever lyrics, and quirky interludes". She wrote and arranged almost every song and co-produced all of her recordings as a drummer, guitarist and pianist. Talk about multiple talents.

Expect short but punchy songs. "Think Twice" is one of those perky ones -- it sounds like a cartoon soundtrack! As a kid of the 80s, it certainly brings back good memories. However, if you are looking for a standout track, I would recommend "Get What I Want". Rollicking fun tune.

The guitar takes center stage on album closer "Fade away". While vaguely different from the rest of the album, it is a neat way to wrap up the album.

See Green sure knows how to create a pompous affair. Their first full-length album is still in the works, but in the meantime you can indulge yourself in this EP. Go ahead and purchase Violet from the iTunes store.

Download:
See Green - Think Twice [MP3]

Bonus:
See Green - I Can Change (LCD Soundsystem Cover) [MP3]

Album Review: Sheila Nicholls - Songs from the Bardo

Life is full of surprises. Sometimes it throws up unexpected little gems, like Sheila Nicholls.

Essex-born Sheila Nicholls has come a long way. After moving to the US in the 90s, she performed with NY-based group Sheila Nicholls and the Splendid Frock, recorded 3 solo albums and started her own label, Essex Girl Records. Songs from the Bardo, her third and latest album, arrives 7 years after her last.

On this record, Sheila weaves together an interesting mix of genres, ranging from pop, folk to trip-hop. The versatile singer-songwriter proves that she can handle almost any kind of music.

The album kicks off with "Where None Are Afraid". It is a gorgeous, dreamy piano-driven song which endears itself to the listener from the get-go. Comparisons have been drawn with Ani DiFranco, and there are also shades of Fires-era Nerina Pallot here.

The album’s general mood is breezy and chill, especially on songs like "Bardo" and "Old Friend". The former, with its rousing 'liberate liberate liberate' refrain, is a discourse on the liberation from relationships which have now soured. On the other hand, the latter brings to mind Emily Haines with its calming and pleasant vibe.

Elsewhere, Sheila tackles heavier stuff like political and social commentary on "Natural Law", and matters of the heart on the trip-hop tune "Celery Bay".

Anyone who appreciates a good sound should find Songs from the Bardo a worthwhile investment. While it doesn’t exactly break new ground, it still makes for a pretty compelling listen. You'll see there's plenty of oil left in her engine yet, even after 7 long years.

Songs from the Bardo is available from iTunes.

Download:
Sheila Nicholls - Bardo
Sheila Nicholls - Natural Law

Bonus:
Sheila Nicholls - Mighty Love (Live at The Hotel Cafe) [All MP3s Removed]