{"id":3423,"date":"2011-12-14T20:04:30","date_gmt":"2011-12-15T02:04:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stylusmagazine.ca\/?p=3423"},"modified":"2011-12-14T20:04:30","modified_gmt":"2011-12-15T02:04:30","slug":"stylus-fav-albums-of-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/2011\/12\/14\/stylus-fav-albums-of-2011\/","title":{"rendered":"STYLUS’ FAV ALBUMS of 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
\nSup, internet? We like music, reviewing music<\/a>, and making lists of our favourite music.
\nThis is the first year we’re putting our year-end lists online, and not in the magazine. Because, you can’t really right-click text that’s in a magazine, now can you?
\nHar har har har–CUE THE LISTS!!!<\/p>\n


\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jesse Blackman
\n<\/strong>– Current Swell \u2013 Long Time Ago<\/strong>:
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/strong>I was lucky enough to review this album for Stylus and I just could not get it out of my head while I was writing about it or since then. There\u2019s something unexplainable about Long Time Ago that just pulls me back every time I search for something to listen too, no matter the situation. The album combines great songs that are creative and exciting musically and lyrically, and is diverse enough that any given song could be a favourite for a different reason. The whole album is playable as something to get into, and as want a background beat to life; the variance in songs and musical abilities of Current Swell make Long Time Ago my favourite album this year. (Warner Music Canada)
\n– Imaginary Cities \u2013 Temporary Resident (Hidden Pony Records)
\n– Dan Mangan \u2013 Oh Fortune (Dan Mangan Music)
\n– SoCalled \u2013 Sleep Over (Dare To Care Records)
\n– Austra \u2013 Feel It Break (Paper Bag Records)
\n– Tasseomancy \u2013 Ulalume (Out Of This Spark)
\n– The Once \u2013 Row Upon Row of the People They Know (Borealis Records)
\n– Twilight Hotel \u2013 When the Wolves Go Blind (Twilight Hotel Music)
\n– Steve Dawson \u2013 Nightshade (Black Hen Music)
\nJ\u00f3hann J\u00f3hannson \u2013 The Miners\u2019 Hymns (Fat Cat Records)<\/p>\n

Sheldon Birnie<\/strong> (Stylus’ <\/em>Assistant Editor)
\n1. Fred Eaglesmith \u2013 6 Volts<\/strong>:
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Fred Eaglesmith is one of Canada’s greatest songwriters and hardest working performers. Grinding out over 200 shows a year, and cranking out new releases every 18 to 24 months, Fred is the fucking MAN. His latest is a short, gritty affair that doesn’t stray far from his trademark territory, but it does offer refreshing insight into the life and times of a hard-luck troubadour in his fifties. If you don’t know who Fred is yet, you’re missing out. Pick up this disc and get into it. (Independent)
\n2. Deep Dark Woods \u2013 The Place I Left Behind (Six Shooter)
\n3. Drive-By Truckers \u2013 Go-Go Boots (ATO)
\n4. Magnificent 7s\u00a0 \u2013\u00a0 All Kinds of Mean (Transistor 66)
\n5. Scott Nolan \u2013 Montgomery Eldorado (Transistor 66)
\n6. Greg MacPherson \u2013 Disintegration Blues (Disintegration Records)
\n7. Those Darlins \u2013 Screws Get Loose (Oh Wow Dang)
\n8. Ron Hawkins \u2013 Straightjacket Love (Independent)
\n9. Hayes Carll \u2013 KMAGYOYO (Lost Highway)
\n10. Bog River \u2013 Hands in the Ground (Independent)<\/p>\n

Taylor Burgess<\/strong> (Stylus’ <\/em>Editor)
\n– Fletcher Pratt \u2013 Dub Sessions Vol. 1:<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/a>
\nIn terms of Winnipeg noise music, there was a lot of hair-brained shit that went down this year. Srsly, I’ve seen a lot of mics brutalized, caressed, dragged, and whatever else you can think of. But, Pratt’s Dub Sessions Vol. 1<\/em> is definitely the odd release out of all them, even compared to his preceding and following releases Deathdubs<\/em> and Pulsar<\/em>, proving Pratt to be one of the most versatile and prolific musicians around. (Honourable mentions to this title definitely include White Dog and Kram Ran\/Mark of Alpha Couple.) Here, “dub” is a misnomer, as the tape’s entirety is really cranked-down hip-hop which could be snuck into any kind of witchy playlist. An entire C40 of this might sound daunting, but every “dub” has got its own flair and personality for you to get lost within. (Dub Ditch Picnic)
\n– Alpha Couple \u2013 Stalingrad (Independent)
\n– White Dog Family Band \u2013 Escape the Mystery II (Prairie Fire Tapes)
\n– Ford + Lopatin \u2013 Channel Pressure (Software)
\n– Tonstartssbandht \u2013 Now I am Become (Arbutus)
\n–\u00a0 Aunty Panty \u2013 AP EP (Independent)
\n– Microdot \u2013 Lamps Not Amps (Dub Ditch Picnic)
\n– Mallory Knox \u2013 Pus Crunk Luv (Independent)
\n– The Men \u2013 Leave Home (Sacred Bones)
\n– Panda Bear \u2013 Tomboy (Paw Tracks)<\/p>\n

Kent Davies<\/strong>‘ top 10 local albums
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n1. Crooked Brothers \u2013 Lawrence, Where\u2019s Your Knife (Transistor 66)
\n2. Mallory Knox \u2013 Pus Crunk Luv (Self Released)
\n3. Rock Lake \u2013 Rock Lake (Eat Em Up)
\n4. Smoky Tiger \u2013 The Flood of Tigrzlove (Self Released)
\n5. This Hisses \u2013 Surf Noir (Transistor 66)
\n6. Romi Mayes \u2013 Lucky Tonight (Self Released)
\n7. Greg Arcade \u2013 In Hawaii (A1)
\n8. Zrada \u2013 Ethnomachina (Self Released)
\n9. The Magnificent 7s – All Kinds of Mean (Transistor 66)
\n10. The Thrashers – Make a Splash (Transistor 66)<\/p>\n

John Iverson
\n<\/strong>1. Secret Garden – Winter Poem<\/strong>:
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/strong>The long-awaited new album from Secret Garden was easily the musical highlight of the year for me personally. \u00a0The duo of Norwegian pianist\/composer Rolf Lovland and Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry, and their ensemble, have once again created a musical tapestry of beautiful melodies that truly define the phrase “heartfelt music at its finest”. \u00a0\u00a0If you are a fan of Secret Garden you will be delighted to add this album to your collection. \u00a0And if you have never heard Secret Garden’s music before, this would serve as a great introduction to their artistry, just as all of their previous albums have. \u00a0Bravo Rolf and Fionnuala on another masterpiece! (Hearts of Space)
\n2. David Lanz – Here Comes the Sun \u00a0(Independent)
\n3. Fionnuala Sherry – Songs From Before \u00a0(Hearts of Space)
\n4. Steve Bell – Kindness \u00a0(Signpost Music)
\n5. Josh Johnston – The Shape of Things \u00a0(Shandon Records)
\n6. 2002 – Damayanti \u00a0(Galactic Playground Music)
\n7. Michael Stribling – Safely in the Arms of Love \u00a0(Leela Music)
\n8. Bill Wren & Frank Ralls – Journey Around The Sun: A Mayan Odyssey \u00a0(Independent)
\n9. Emerson String Quartet – Mozart: The Prussian Quartets \u00a0(Sony Classical)
\n10. Amy Lauren – August \u00a0(Independent)<\/p>\n

Kristel Jax
\n1. Tearist – Living\/ 2009-Present<\/strong>:
\n\"\"<\/a>
\nNot surprised that my top two albums and shows match up. I’ve been searching for urgency and the manifestation of furious, primal, yet deeply intellect-based emotional release in music, and Tearist and Kram Ran lived it hard this year. Living is a patchwork of frenzied live shows; Idiot Prince<\/em> is a patchwork of two years of poverty, geography, cello samples, crashed computers, mental torment in the form of the feminine half of Alpha Couple, Russian novels, broken electric pianos sold for one dollar, old guitar, new guitar, and guilty, clutched, sleepless night hours. I am close to it in the way I demand to be close to artists now. Facebook, and then when I am looking at you I expect to be confronted \u2013 I could be looking at anything or anyone, in 2k11 my options are endless \u2013 and so, often I am at a show and I leave disappointed: emotions turned ugly, angry at performers. Not Kittles and Strangeland. Not Kram. Sometimes Kram. Good shows and bad shows \u2013 this year he played good once and that was enough. The Idiot Prince<\/em> soars to places I can’t go and I appreciate the effort and the way it, and Living, devastate me. Living succeeds because it gives as Kittles gives, alive, and if it looks easy I doubt it is, knowing Kram and knowing myself, and Kram’s sadness mixes with disappointments in a way that comforts and gives life as Tearist’s something \u2013 is it rage? is it doubt? \u2013 does, too, and together they felt like nothing else this year. A live album at number one, think about that in 2k12. [Thin Wrist]
\n2. Kram Ran – The Idiot Prince [Steak Au Zoo]
\n3. Pictureplane – Thee Physical [Lovepump United]
\n4. Angels in America – Narrow Road To The Interior [Ehse]
\n5. SSION – Bent [self]
\n6. \u0421\u043e\u043b\u043d\u0446\u0435\u0446\u0432\u0435\u0442\u044b – \u041a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430 \u043d\u0430 \u043f\u0443\u0442\u0438 \u043e\u043b\u0435\u043d\u044f \u0440\u0430\u0441\u043f\u0443\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044e\u0442\u0441\u044f \u043f\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0438, \u0435\u0433\u043e [self]
\n7. LA Vampires Goes Ital – Streetwise [Not Not Fun]
\n8. Natural Snow Buildings – Waves Of The Random Sea [Blackest Rainbow]
\n9. Destroyer – Kaputt [Merge]
\n10. Grouper – A I A [Grouper]<\/p>\n

Victoria King<\/strong>
\n– Samantha Savage Smith – Tough Cookie:
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Hey friend. Ya know, you\u2019re lookin\u2019 a little rough these days, all mopey-eyed and slump-shouldered, crying in corners at parties and stuff. . . What\u2019s wrong bud? Someone stealing your lunch money? Ah, I get it. Love did a number on you, right? Took your heart for a drive then curb-stomped it? Well, looks like whatever happened she really did a number on you. Whatta bitch. Well here, from me to you, please enjoy – Better than any bar of chocolate, cheap Danielle Steele, or bottle of wine, here\u2019s Tough Cookie<\/em>, Samantha Savage Smith\u2019s debut album. It\u2019s personal and as honest as a diary, recalling high notes of hopefulness and exuberance as well as bitter regrets, anger and lamentation. \u2018Tomorrow\u2019s a new day\u2019, and \u00a0\u2018there\u2019s plenty of fish in the sea\u2019, but she says it all so much better, and even shares a bit of her own junk (hey, we\u2019ve all some). It\u2019s simple and straight foreword, and it seems like you could use it right about now. Feel better bro. (Western Famine\/ Arts & Crafts)
\n– The Liptonians – March into the Sea (Head in the Sand Records)
\n– Dan Mangan – Oh Fortune (Arts & Crafts)
\n– Iron and Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean (Warner Bros. Records\/4AD)
\n– Group Sound – Secret Girlfriend (Totally Disconnected)
\n– The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient (Secretly Canadian)
\n– TV on the Radio – Nine Types of Light (Interscope)
\n–\u00a0 Bon Iver – Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar)
\n– Pat Jordache – Future Songs (Constellation Records)
\n– Bryn Rieger & the Burning Kettles – The Big Fysch (Self-released)<\/p>\n

Kyra Leib
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/strong>– Starfucker – Reptilians (Polyvinyl)
\n– Tonetta – 777\u00a0 (Black Tent Press)
\n– War On Drugs – Slave Ambient (Secretly Canadian)
\n– Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know (Ribbon Music)
\n– Charles Bradley – No Time For Dreaming (Daptone)
\n– Cousins – Secret Weapon (Noyes)
\n– David Lynch – Crazy Clown Time (PIAS)
\n– Lumerians – Transmalinnia (Knitting Factory)
\n– Extra Happy Ghost!!! -Modern Horses (Saved by Radio)
\n– Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Fat Possum)<\/p>\n

Andrew Mazurak<\/strong> (Stylus’<\/em> Artistic Director)
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n1. Panda Bear – Tomboy (Paw Tracks)
\n2. John Maus – We Must Become the Pitiless Versions of Ourselves (Upset the Rhythm)
\n3. Nicholas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise (Circus Company)
\n4. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop)
\n5. Austra – Feel It Break (Paper Bag)
\n6. Kendrick Lamar – Section.80 (Top Dawg Entertainment)
\n7. Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972 (Kranky)
\n8. The Weeknd – House Of Balloons (Self)
\n9. Bill Callahan – Apocalypse (Drag City)
\n10. 13 & God – Own Your Ghost (Anticon)<\/p>\n

David Nowacki:
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/strong>– Zomes \u2013 Earth Grid (Thrill Jockey)
\n– Moon Duo \u2013 Mazes (Sacred Bones)
\n– KEN Mode \u2013 Venerable (Profound Lore)
\n– The Jesus Lizard \u2013 Peel Sessions (Independent)
\n– Grails \u2013 Deep Politics (Temporary Residence)
\n– Earth \u2013 Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light Pt. 1 (Southern Lord)
\n– St. Vincent \u2013 Strange Mercy (4AD)
\n– Skull Defekts \u2013 Peer Amid (Thrill Jockey)
\n– Russian Circles \u2013 Empros (Sargent House)<\/p>\n

Stu Reid
\n<\/strong>1. Frank Turner – England Keep My Bones:<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/strong>It’s nice to think that music can change the world. It’s certainly changed mine. But music that seems to exist specifically to do just that, more often than not winds up an embarrassing pile of self-importance. Fortunately Frank Turner knows all that and polices himself well. How else could a former hardcore punk get away with sincerely covering songs (live) by Wham and Queen? You can’t help but think “Billy Bragg” when you first hear the solo\/electric\/Cockney accent\/lefty politics, but that goes away as soon as you realize this guy is the real deal. (Epitaph)
\n2. Wussy – Strawberry (Shake It)
\n3. Foster & Lloyd – It’s Already Tomorrow (EffinEll Records)
\n4. Hayes Carll – KMAG YOYO (Lost Highway)
\n5. The Warped 45s – Matador Sunset (self)
\n6. Terry Anderson & the OAK Team: More Smooth Jazz & Sweet Sweet Jams (Doublenaught)
\n7. Kevn Kinney – A Good Country Mile (self)
\n8. Scott Nolan – Montgomery Eldorado (Transistor 66)
\n9. Kurt Vile – Smoke Rings For My Halo (Matador)
\n10. Deer Tick – Divine Providence (Partisan)<\/p>\n

Kevin Strang<\/strong>
\n– Self -interest \u2013 Blooming:
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Self-Interest is currently the best band in Winnipeg and this record is proof of that. More people should go to their shows and buy this record as it combines all that is good about grunge, punk and hardcore into a perfect mix for any ear. Self-interest has gotten progressively better and better since they started a few years ago. This record completely kills it and you should give the band money for it. (Pass Judgement)
\n– Condominium \u2013 warm home (Self Released)
\n– Brian Webb \u2013 the provider (Idee Fixe)
\n– Tom Waits \u2013 Bad as Me (Anti-)
\n– Grouper \u2013 Alien Observer (Grouper Records)<\/p>\n

David Tymoshchuk<\/strong> (CKUW’s Music Director)
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n– Brazilian Money – This is Not A Dream (Totally Disconnected)
\n– Odonis Odonis – Hollandaze (Daps)
\n– Bass Drum of Death – GB City (Fat Possum)
\n– The Blisters – Gloves (self-released)
\n– Gardens – Gardens (Alive)
\n– Mind Spiders – Mind Spiders (Dirtnap)
\n– Hypnomango – Hypnomango EP (Nene)
\n– Les Sexy – Les Sexy (Self-released)
\n– Various Artists – Thai? Dai! (Finders Keepers)
\n– Wax Museums – Eye Times (Trouble in Mind)<\/p>\n

Nicholas Van Doeselaar
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/strong>– Bombay Bicycle Club \u2013 A Different Kind of Fix (Island)
\n– Unknown Mortal Orchestra \u2013 Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Fat Possum)
\n– James Blake \u2013 James Blake
\n– Bass Drum of Death \u2013 GB City (Fat Possum)
\n– Foster the People \u2013 Torches (Columbia)
\n– M83 \u2013 Hurry Up Were Dreaming (Naive)
\n– St.Vincent \u2013 Strange Mercy (4AD)
\n– Yacht \u2013 Shangri-La (DFA)
\n– The Vaccines \u2013 What did you expect from the Vaccines? (Sub Pop)
\n– Mother Mother \u2013 Eureka (Last Gang)<\/p>\n

Scott Wolfe
\n1. Frank Turner <\/strong>\u2013 England Keep My Bones
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Every album finds Frank Turner improving his craft even though after every album fans are left wonder how the hell he could possibly do so. This album offers a great diversity of songs, from a cappella, punk, rock and even a little folk, making it a refreshing and fun listen each time you hit play. The music is full of passion and maturity but yet remains fun and enjoyable, Frank has found the perfect balance to make (in my opinion) the best album of year. (Epitaph)
\n2. Fucked Up \u2013 David Comes to Life (Matador)
\n3. Mastodon \u2013 The Hunter (Roadrunner)
\n4. Chad VanGalen \u2013 Diaper Island (Sub Pop)
\n5. Red Fang \u2013 Murder the Mountains (Relapse)
\n6. Shooting Guns \u2013 Born to Deal in Magic: 1952-1976 (Teargas Recording Tree)
\n7. Protest the Hero \u2013 Scurrilous (Vagrant)
\n8. KEN mode \u2013 Venerable (Profound Lore)
\n9. Black Keys \u2013 El Camino (Nonesuch)
\n10. Coliseum \u2013 Parasites EP (Temporary Residence Limited)<\/p>\n

Adrienne Yeung
\n– Beirut \u2013 The Rip Tide:
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/strong>I remember the time I first tried hummus. It was an insatiable, raging instant favourite that made its way into every meal until my taste buds fell just as madly, suddenly, and finally out of love with it. This is what I felt like when Beirut’s The Rip Tide<\/em> was released in August, listening to it every day for a month, while riding my bike, on the bus, and going to sleep. I had to actually delete this album off my iPod for a while, because I knew I was getting close to that crucial point between bliss and revulsion that would determine if I\u2019d be physically able to listen to it within the next year. What I’m saying is, if you haven’t yet, give this incandescent record of measured, tightly composed songs a listen! The Flying Club Cup<\/em>\u2019s tipsy gypsy lover has grown up now and calls an old and beautiful European city home. He writes a column on social issues and one on art appreciation, and gets his gorgonzola next door, but still plays his ukulele in the sun and surf as passionately as ever. (Pompeii)
\n– Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers \u2013 Hans My Lion (Head in the Sand)
\n– Lykke Li \u2013 Wounded Rhymes (Atlantic)
\n– Say Hi \u2013 Um, Uh Oh (Barsuk)
\n– Feist \u2013 Metals (Arts & Crafts)
\n– Hyperpotamus \u2013 Delta (El Molino Music)
\n– Young the Giant \u2013 Young the Giant (Roadrunner)
\n– tUnE-yArDs \u2013 w h o k i l l (4AD)
\n– St. Vincent \u2013 Strange Mercy (4AD)
\n– Greg MacPherson – Disintegration Blues (Disintegration)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sup, internet? We like music, reviewing music, and making lists of our favourite music. This is the first year we’re putting our year-end lists online, and not in the magazine. Because, you can’t really right-click text that’s in a magazine, now can you? Har har har har–CUE THE LISTS!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-features","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3423"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3423\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}