Caitlin Lavin writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2011 (Caitlin Lavin)

Throughout December CHIRP Radio presents its members’ top albums of 2011. The next list is from Caitlin Lavin.

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

• Belong – Common Era (kranky)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Considering where you read the reviews for this release (ahem, Pitchfork) This was one of the most underrated releases of the year. This album features some of the best elements of 1980’s shoegaze, synth-pop and noise from the echoed drums of Jesus & Mary Chain to the lurking bass lines of early Cure
• Earth Girl Helen Brown – Story of an Earth Girl (Forest Family)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  A side project of Sonny “and the Sunsets” Smith, set up as a guise of unearthed recordings from “Earth Girl” Helen Brown, a girl who grew up in a cult outside of Athens, GA, that was recorded in the early ’90s. Featuring SF mainstays Kelley Stoltz, John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees and Grace Cooper of the Sandwitches as Helen – it’s beach Pop w/ the dark humor story-telling one has come to expect From Sonny & the gang.
• Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings – Soul Time! (Daptone)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Ms. Jones and her guys squeak another record in at the end of the year to again make my top list! (Even though I’m sure they didn’t have me in mind.) Yet again, I am floored by sultry soul revival from this group, but this time there is much added funk to the mix. I don’t think there is anything this group can do wrong.
• Ty Segall – Goodbye Bread (Drag City)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  The garage-pop master from San Francisco is back again, this time with is first full length from Drag City. While last year’s “Melted” had lean, economical fuzz-pop; this record invokes the likes of John Lennon and Marc Bolan to create a cleaner sound while still maintaining his punk intensity.
• Mikal Cronin – self-titled (Trouble In Mind)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  It might be a little unfair to cast Mikal Cronin under the shadow of his colleague Ty Segall by calling this his debut self-release as the “Melted of 2011,” but the comparison is apt, and by no means negative. Full of layered garage pop tunes with sunny Beach-boy esque harmonies. Please keep releasing records like this, I just eat it up.
• Shabazz Palaces – Black Up (Sub Pop)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  WHAT?! A hip-hop record on Caitlin’s Top Ten list? Why, yes. This record, thanks to the influence of my boyfriend and CHIRP radio helped me to expand my mind a bit and let me know that – hey, remember you like hip hop? “Clear some space out so we can space out”
• Shannon & the Clams – Sleep Talk (1-2-3-4 Go!)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  I think I can honestly say this was my favorite record of the year. or at least it’s the record that received the most spins from me. Do you remember that scene Back to the Future, when Marty McFly plays “Johnny B. Goode” at the 1950’s prom, and then ends up tearing up the stage? Take that image, mix it with a little bit of Ramones, Ronnie Spector and Beth Ditto – you get a sense of what Shannon & the Clams are all about.
• Thee Oh Sees – Carrion Crawler/The Dream (In the Red)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  This SF group is one of my favorites over the past couple years, but their prolific recording doesn’t always rub me the right way – case in point, “Castlemania” from earlier this year. Carrion Crawler/The Dream is different, it encapsulates the band’s live sound – which is I’m glad to know they realize that’s the best part about them. Killer intensity, rockin’ sound.
• tUnE-yArDs – W H O K I L L (4AD)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  Merrill and the gang deserve to have much praise of their record this year. It is eccentric, funky, soulful and downright infectious. Their penchant for face paint is also delightful.
• Wild Flag – Wild Flag (Merge)
  BUY: Insound / iTunes
  My most anticipated record of the year turned out to be what I had hoped for, as I was a fan of both Sleater-Kinney and Helium. I first saw Wild Flag this year at the SXSW NPR day party and they rocked my socks off. Pure, fun-loving rock n’ roll.

Honorable Mentions

• Girls Names – Dead To Me (Slumberland)
  Lady Gaga – Born This Way (Interscope)…SERIOUSLY.
  Low – C’mon (Sub Pop)
  Razika – Program 91 (Smalltown Supersound)
  Sex Church – Growing Over (Load)
  JEFF the Brotherhood – We Are the Champions (Infinity Cat)
  Terror Bird – Human Culture (Night People)

Craig Reptile: Your Sunday Sonic Sundowner writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2011 (Craig Reptile)

Throughout December CHIRP Radio presents its members’ top albums of 2011. The next list is from DJ Craig Reptile.

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

1. Veronica Falls – Veronica Falls (Slumberland)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   
2. Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (Sub Pop)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   
3. Acid House Kings – Music Sounds Better With You (Labrador Sweden)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   
4. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Belong (Slumberland/Collective Sounds)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   
5. Belle & Sebastian – Write About Love (Matador)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   COMMENTARY
6. Asobi Seksu – Fluorescence (Polyvinyl)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   
7. Wild Flag – Wild Flag (Merge)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   
8. Surf City – Kudos (Fire UK)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   
9. Paul Simon – So Beautiful or So What (Hear Music)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   
10. Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears – Scandalous (Lost Highway)
    BUY: Insound / iTunes
    COMMENTARY

And one More…

1. Papercuts – Fading Parade (Sub Pop)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   

Michelle Nadeau writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2011 (Michelle Nadeau)

Throughout December CHIRP Radio presents its members’ top albums of 2011. The next list is from DJ and Assistant Fundraising Director Michelle Nadeau.

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

1. Yuck – Yuck (Fat Possum)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   It almost makes me feel yucky how much I’ve listened to Yuck in 2011, pun not intended. But why should I? They’ve earned their place on my playlists! Maybe it’s their delicious 90’s throwback garage rock sound or perhaps it’s Daniel Blumberg’s amazing fro that instantly reminds you of Sideshow Bob (not in a super creepy way, though). I cannot wait to hear what this London group does next.
2. James Blake – James Blake (Universal Republic)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   Staying with the theme of amazing UK-ness, but completely changing, well, everything, the music of James Blake has had a huge impact on 2011. Not only has he stretched the genre of dub-step into a calmer territory, much more accessible to all, but the kid is brilliant! At the time of the release in February, he was 21! And now, he’s a household name. Well, a household name in my shabby apartment.
3. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy (4AD)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   To start, I’ve always liked Annie Clark. Not only does she have a beautiful voice, but the sounds she creates in her music are wonderfully obscure, albeit sometimes out of place in my life. That was until…she released the beauty that is Strange Mercy. Incredibly eerie and at times makes you feel awkward (“I’ll make a living telling people what they want to hear”, “If I ever meet that dirty policeman who roughed you up”), Annie Clark has found a permanent place in my heart and my Google Music.
4. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (Mute)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   Perfect. Epic. Thank you Anthony Gonzalez for bringing this gem into my world. Snowboarding film soundtracks around the world rejoice!
5. Wilco – The Whole Love (dBpm/ANTI)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   Yes, I’m from Chicago. Of course I like Wilco. And I love Jeff Tweedy (did you see the YouTube video of his renditions of The Black Eyed Peas at the Hideout? Priceless). So I’m automatically inclined to own this album on vinyl, cd and mp3. But, the best part about it all? This album rocks. Amazing. All I will say is…the bookend tracks changed my fall. But no, I don’t have a Wilco sticker on my car, thanks for asking.
6. Cut Copy – Zonoscope (Modular Interscope)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   I’m proud to say that Cut Copy is responsible for my nominee of “Most Fun Show of the Year” at the Pitchfork Music Festival. These Aussies sure know how to get the crowd going! It also doesn’t hurt that this 2011 release oozes of new wave-ness and pop, both sounds are core to my heart.
7. Bibio – Mind Bokeh (Warp)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   I’ll be honest, before this release, I didn’t exactly know a ton about Stephen Wilkinson. Well, if I’m being honest, I still don’t quite know much about him. But I do know that I have continually been recommending this incredible mix of pop and ambient to listeners and friends worldwide.
8. The Decemberists – The King Is Dead (Capitol)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   This album received a lot of press. And why shouldn’t it have? This album hit #1 in the charts and brought The Decemberists to an almost untouchable level. They probably won’t be doing much touring in the likes of Schuba’s anymore. But in other cool news, I heard on NPR that one of the tracks is literally about nothing. Absolutely nothing. The words don’t even make sense. Shoot, The Decemberists don’t need to make sense to make glorious music. They just do.
9. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop)
   BUY: Insound / iTunes
   I was slightly saddened to have Fleet Foxes headline Saturday at Pitchfork this year. Especially because the 2010 headliner was LCD Soundsystem. ‘Nuff said. But, I was pleasantly surprised to see how well they performed under that pressure and the sparse Chicago stars. I found the album getting more and more playtime in my collection and it turned out to be the perfect not-quite-so-much pop album that was perfect in more that 13 different moods.
10. Cave – Neverendless (Drag City)
    BUY: Insound / iTunes
    Psych-prog-rock from Chicago. Need I say much more? Smooth, deep, guitar, bass or drone, these guys have got it figured out. These tracks bring you somewhere deep in your brain and leave you there for anywhere from 6-15 minutes.

Honorable Mentions

• The Drums – Portomento
  Zola Jesus – Conatus
  tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l
  Kanye West & Jay-Z – Watch the Throne
  Seapony – Go With Me
  Starfucker – Reptilian
  Katy B – On A Mission