algabor writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2011 (Al Gabor)

Throughout December CHIRP Radio presents its members’ top albums of 2011. The next list (in no particular order) is from Al Gabor.

(Click here to get the complete list of CHIRP Radio members’ picks.)

• PJ Harvey – Let England Shake (Vagrant)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Grim, haunting songs sweetly sung. Next time, PJ, more guitar please.
• Brief Candles – Fractured Days (Guilt Ridden Pop)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Shoegazers from Milwaukee = bowling shoe gazers. Stellar from start to finish.
• Yuck – Yuck (Fat Possum)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  These kids do the 90s better than most 90s bands.
• Wilco – The Whole Love (dBpm/ANTI)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Best since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
• tUnE-yArDs – W H O K I L L (4AD)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Wha? Ukelele-driven African beats? One of the year’s best surprises.
• Little Gold – Weird Freedom (CDBY)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Former Woods guitarist gets his pubrock/psychedelic/alt country freak on.
• Cults – Cults (In the Name of)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Bouncy but creepy take on sixties girl group sound and themes.
• Eleanor Friedberger – Last Summer (Merge)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Stream of consciousness tour of Manhattan and other islands.
• Tom Waits – Bad As Me (ANTI-)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Waits and Nick Cave give aging rockers hope.
• The Decemberists – The King Is Dead (Capitol)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Decemberists get rootsy, release one of their strongest efforts to date.
• Archers of Loaf – Icky Mettle (Merge)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Favorite reissue. 18 years later and still crunchy.