My 2011, Part Two: The Top 50 Albums Of The Year…

First, a thank you for stopping by at but one of the exceedingly minor Top 50 Albums Of 2011 lists; but enough pleasantries, let’s get down to business…

 

50. Wounded Rhymes by Lykke Li

Wanna Listen? “Love Out Of Lust”
Metacritic Score: 83

 

49. Angles by The Strokes

Wanna Listen? “Two Kinds Of Happiness”
Metacritic Score: 71

48. Black Up by Shabazz Palaces

Wanna Listen? “Swerve… The Reeping Of All That Is Worthwhile (Noir Not Withstanding)”
Metacritic Score: 82

47. Anna Calvi by Anna Calvi

Wanna Listen? “Love Won’t Be Leaving”
Metacritic Score: 80

46. The Golden Record by Little Scream

Wanna Listen? “The Heron And The Fox”
Metacritic Score: 79

45. We’re New Here by Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx

Wanna Listen? “My Cloud”
Metacritic Score: 82

44. Watch The Throne by The Throne

Wanna Listen? “H•A•M”
Metacritic Score: 76

43. Making Mirrors by Gotye

Wanna Listen? “Somebody That I Used To Know”
Metacritic Score: NR

42. 4 by Beyoncé

Wanna Listen? “Love On Top”
Metacritic Score: 73

41. Sound Kapital by Handsome Furs

Wanna Listen? “Repatriated”
Metacritic Score: 75

40. Watch Me Dance by Toddla T

Wanna Listen? “Cherry Picking”
Metacritic Score: 67

39. Metals by Feist

Wanna Listen? “Bittersweet Melodies”
Metacritic Score: 80

38. Adulthood by CocknBullKid

Wanna Listen? “Distractions”
Metacritic Score: NR

37. I’m Gay (I’m Happy) by Lil B

Wanna Listen? “I Hate Myself”
Metacritic Score: 73

36. Blue Songs by Hercules And Love Affair

Wanna Listen? “Step Up”
Metacritic Score: 68

35. Ritual Union by Little Dragon

Wanna Listen? “When I Go Out”
Metacritic Score: 78

34. Monkeytown by Modeselektor

Wanna Listen? “This”
Metacritic Score: 66

33. Make A Scene by Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Wanna Listen? “Starlight”
Metacritic Score: 51

32. Purple Naked Ladies by The Internet

Wanna Listen? “She Dgaf”
Metacritic Score: 52

31. Knee Deep by WhoMadeWho

Wanna Listen? “Checkers”
Metacritic Score: 75

30. Wander/Wonder by Balam Acab

Wanna Listen? “Oh, Why”
Metacritic Score: 76

29. The King Of Limbs by Radiohead

Wanna Listen? “Separator”
Metacritic Score: 80

28. Burst Apart by The Antlers

Wanna Listen? “Hounds”
Metacritic Score: 81

27. Go Tell Fire To The Mountain by WU LYF

Wanna Listen? “Heavy Pop”
Metacritic Score: 77

26. Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam by Ghostpoet

Wanna Listen? “Survive It”
Metacritic Score: 78

25. The Devil’s Walk by Apparat

Wanna Listen? “Song Of Los”
Metacritic Score: 76

24. Skying by The Horrors

Wanna Listen? “Still Life”
Metacritic Score: 83

23. Oneirology by CunninLynguists

Wanna Listen? “Dreams”
Metacritic Score: NR

22. Era Extraña by Neon Indian

Wanna Listen? “Polish Girl”
Metacritic Score: 76

21. Conatus by Zola Jesus

Wanna Listen? “Vessel”
Metacritic Score: 79

20. Cinderella’s Eyes by Nicola Roberts

Wanna Listen? “Beat Of My Drum”
Metacritic Score: NR

19. On A Mission by Katy B

Wanna Listen? “Easy Please Me”
Metacritic Score: 76

18. Hearts by I Break Horses

Wanna Listen? “Winter Beats”
Metacritic Score: 69

17. Within And Without by Washed Out

Wanna Listen? “Soft”
Metacritic Score: 70

16. Instrumentals by Clams Casino

Wanna Listen? “Illest Alive”
Metacritic Score: NR

15. Voyage by The Sound Of Arrows

Wanna Listen? “Ruins Of Rome”
Metacritic Score: NR

14. The Year Of Hibernation by Youth Lagoon

Wanna Listen? “July”
Metacritic Score: 79

13. Replica by Oneohtrix Point Never

Wanna Listen? “Replica”
Metacritic Score: 80

12. Bon Iver, Bon Iver by Bon Iver

Wanna Listen? “Holocene”
Metacritic Score: 86

11. Cat’s Eyes by Cat’s Eyes

Wanna Listen? “The Best Person I Know”
Metacritic Score: 79

10. The Book Of Mormon: Original Broadway Cast Recording by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez & Matt Stone

Wanna Listen? “I Believe”
Metacritic Score: NR

9. Take Care by Drake

Wanna Listen? “Over My Dead Body”
Metacritic Score: 80

8. House Of Balloons by The Weeknd

Wanna Listen? “The Knowing”
Metacritic Score: 87

7.  Thursday by The Weeknd

Wanna Listen? “Lonely Star”
Metacritic Score: 80

6. Echoes Of Silence by The Weeknd

Wanna Listen? “D.D.”
Metacritic Score: NR

5. The Most Incredible Thing by Pet Shop Boys

Wanna Listen? “Act One: The Grind”
Metacritic Score: 66

4. Biophilia by Björk

Wanna Listen? “Mutual Core”
Metacritic Score: 79

3. Eye Contact by Gang Gang Dance

Wanna Listen? “Adult Goth”
Metacritic Score: 83

2. Looping State Of Mind by The Field

Wanna Listen? “Then, It’s White”
Metacritic Score: 85

And then there’s my favourite album of 2011, the second release this year from a peerless icon who has always forged ahead on her own path of sonic enlightenment. Though that first LP proved controversial, sparking its fair share of debates with regards to its qualities and merit, the promise of a second album in time for the Christmas did well to assuage any misgivings from those left unimpressed. And with its wintry fables of heartbreak and chilling beauty, featuring a snowman lothario and wayward yeti amongst its cast of characters, it helped to prove just why we fell in love with this enigmatic girl in the first place. So, at the premier point of my chart, I present…

1. 50 Words For Snow by Kate Bush

Wanna Listen? “Snowed In At Wheeler Street”
Metacritic Score: 85

And just to put a geeky pin in this horrid bouquet of chart madness…

My Top 50 Album’s Average Metacritic Score: 76

And that’s all from me this year, peeps!! I’ve attached my Best Of 2011 Spotify playlist below for anyone who wishes to listen a little bit more to some of my choices, but until then, have a Happy New Year!!

Dibder’s Best Of 2011 Chart

xxxo

Grammys, Schmammys!!! Here Are My Vessalis Music Award Nominations 2011…

What with the Grammy nominations due to be released in a few hours, I thought it customary to get my two cents in before the announcement in an effort to get my word out on a few of the finer examples of new music to come our way over the past year, rather than get into the typically blog-centric spirit of things with lengthy Top 50 charts and such. Alas, there will be no live telecast or glamorous awards ceremony at the end of the year in which these awards will be bestowed upon their oblivious recipients, but I’ve always had a thing about the pat-on-the-back pageantry since I was a young boy who used to stay up late and watch the Oscars live early on the last Monday morning of February, and until I marry wealthy enough to make such things a reality, the web will have to do for such inconsequential piffle. But enough already, may I present to you the nominees for the Vessalis Music Awards 2011:

—–

Album Of The Year

TBA

Solo Female Album Of The Year

Anna Calvi by Anna Calvi

Biophilia by Björk

Conatus by Zola Jesus

Metals by Feist

On A Mission by Katy B

Solo Male Album Of The Year

Bon Iver by Bon Iver

Looping State Of Mind by The Field

Replica by Oneohtrix Point Never

Take Care by Drake

Thursday by The Weeknd

Group Album Of The Year

Cat’s Eyes by Cat’s Eyes

Eye Contact by Gang Gang Dance

Oneirology by CunninLynguists

The Most Incredible Thing by Pet Shop Boys (or Tennant/Lowe… as some fans have rather facetiously claimed)

Voyage by The Sound Of Arrows

Debut Album Of The Year

Cat’s Eyes by Cat’s Eyes

House Of Balloons by The Weeknd

Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam by Ghostpoet

Voyage by The Sound Of Arrows

Within And Without by Washed Out

Single Of The Year

“Lights On” by Katy B featuring Ms. Dynamite

“Still Life” by The Horrors

“The Heron And The Fox” by Little Scream

“Traktor” by Wretch 32 featuring L

“Video Games” by Lana Del Rey

Video Of The Year

“Big Bad Wolf” by Duck Sauce – Director: Keith Schofield

“M.A.G.I.C.” by The Sound Of Arrows – Directors: Oskar Gullstrand and Andreas Ohman

“Song Of Los” by Apparat – Director: Saman Keshavarz

“Survive It” by Ghostpoet – Director: UNKNOWN

“We Found Love” by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris – Director: Melina Matsoukas

Live Act Of The Year

Anna Calvi – Bush Hall, London, 27th April

Beth Ditto – Lovebox Festival, London, 17th June

Björk – Manchester International Festival, Manchester, 10th July

Katy B – Lovebox Festival, London, 16th June

The Naked And Famous – Wireless Festival, London, 3rd July

Alternative Album Of The Year

Biophilia by Björk

Cat’s Eyes by Cat’s Eyes

Go Tell Fire To The Mountain by WU LYF

Hearts by I Break Horses

The Year Of Hibernation by Youth Lagoon

Dance Album Of The Year

Blue Songs by Hercules And Love Affair

Knee Deep by WhoMadeWho

Looping State Of Mind by The Field

Monkeytown by Modeselektor

Watch Me Dance by Toddla T

Electronic Album Of The Year

Era Extraña by Neon Indian

Eye Contact by Gang Gang Dance

Replica by Oneohtrix Point Never

The Devil’s Walk by Apparat

Within And Without by Washed Out

Folk Album Of The Year

Bon Iver by Bon Iver

Boots Met My Face by Admiral Fallow

Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes

Metals by Feist

No Color by The Dodos

Hip Hop/Rap Album Of The Year

I’m Gay (I’m Happy) by Lil B

Oneirology by CunninLynguists

Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam by Ghostpoet

Take Care by Drake

Watch The Throne by The Throne (Kanye West, JAY-Z… They did say that The Throne was what the name of their work as a duo was, didn’t they!?!)

Pop Album Of The Year

Adulthood by CocknBullKid

Cinderella’s Eyes by Nicola Roberts

Make A Scene by Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Making Mirrors by Gotye

Voyage by The Sound Of Arrows

R&B Album Of The Year

1977 by Terius Nash (or The-Dream… I mean honestly)

House Of Balloons by The Weeknd

On A Mission by Katy B

Ritual Union by Little Dragon

Thursday by The Weeknd

Rock Album Of The Year

Anna Calvi by Anna Calvi

David Comes To Life by Fucked Up

Skying by The Horrors

Sound Kapital by Handome Furs

The King Of Limbs by Radiohead

Producer Of The Year

BT

Doc McKinney and Illangelo

Justin Vernon

Kno

Richard X

“Where Have You Been All My Life?” Award

Anna Calvi

Balam Acab

Lana Del Rey

The Weeknd

Youth Lagoon

Collaboration Of The Year

“Ego” by Burial + Four Tet + Thom Yorke

“Like Smoke” by Amy Winehouse featuring Nas

“My Cloud” by Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx

“Raindrops” by Basement Jaxx Vs. Metropole Orkest

The score for The Book Of Mormon by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone

Best Bit In A Song Of The Year

Stevie Wonder’s harmonica solo – “Doing It Wrong” by Drake (3:10-4:25)

The best chorus in a pop song this year – “Beat Of My Drum” by Nicola Roberts (0:45-1:02)

The drillcore breakdown finale – “Crystalline” by Björk (3:01-3:45)

The most heartbreaking lyric/bassline combo of the year – “Holocene” by Bon Iver (1:20-2:09)

The “You Wan’ A Key-Change? I’ll Give Your Four!!” finale – “Love On Top” by Beyoncé (1:42-3:06)

“Get On With It Already!” Award

Burial

Villain Of The Year

Jessie J

Hero Of The Year

Foo Fighters

—–

And there you have it; R&B superstar-in-waiting The Weeknd leads the haul with six nominations (not including the production nomination for both of his albums for Doc McKinney and Illangelo), with multiple nods also going to baroque troubadour Anna Calvi, pioneering alt-electro goddess Björk, Kanye West’s new best friend Bon Iver, misunderstood cuddly lothario Drake, R&B/dance upstart Katy B, swoonsome pop duo The Sounds Of Arrows, gothic retro-pop outfit Cat’s Eyes and hip hop music’s very own Eeyore Ghostpoet.

Winners, as well as a breakdown of the awards already announced, will be announced before the year is out. Until then… xxxo.

My 2011 in Playlist Form, Part Four

The end is in sight, my dears!! And in preparation for a busy month ahead, have put together one last quarterly playlist to share with you all. Excuse the bluntness with which I proceed, but I promised myself I’d just get straight to it this time. But don’t worry, there’s more from me to come in December. Until then though…

1) “Snowed In At Wheeler Street” by Kate Bush

Starting off the soundtrack to the winter months absolutely fittingly is the inimitable Kate Bush with a cut from her tenth studio album 50 Words For Snow, an LP that has every right to become the go-to alternative Yuletide album for those who aren’t so easily subsumed by the crudely commercial holiday cheer of your typically superficial Christmas. Playing more like an audio compendium of wintry fables, each of them concerning the awe-striking majesty and destructiveness of one of  nature’s most powerful forces whilst marrying these with magically bittersweet affairs of the human heart, one of the most startlingly emotional examples is this hauntingly spectral duet with Elton John that sees himself and Bush as star-crossed lovers traversing the world and time itself only to fall in love and lose one another again. It’s stirringly beautiful stuff that not only brings out John’s most powerful vocal performance in years, but single-handedly wipes away all doubt that Bush may have left when she came out with the Director’s Cut collection earlier this year.

2) “Anti-Pioneer” by Feist

Easing us back in from the cold now is some slow-burning folk-rock from Leslie Feist, she of the international breakthrough via iPod Nano advert back in 2007. As evidenced by this emotional piece through, gone is the cutesy guitar pop that warranted a still-charming appearance on Sesame Street and in its place is a more muscular, angular norm, her new album Metals featuring work from established cohorts Gonzales and Mocky as well as newfound compatriot Valgier Sigurðsson. Though many have welcomed the rustic, rough-hewn “chaos” that pervades the album’s earlier moments, like that of lead single “How Come You Never Go There“, it’s in the album’s quieter pieces where Feist’s lyrical authority and songwriting talents genuinely shine bright. Not to mention that crystal clear voice of hers, which hasn’t sounded so rapt and true with emotion as it does on this particular track, negotiating the spare opening of snare and bass before the track ascends into a plaintive clash of guitars and strings only to travel back down to its humble sonic origins with typically assured grace.

3) “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye featuring Kimbra

Whilst the rest of the world fell in love with Adele‘s gracious-yet-sad (and very possibly questionably-sane) paean to lost love in her over-played wrought-fest “Someone Like You“, Australia’s biggest unlikely hit of the year was a tale of heartache encased in vitriol and bitterness that saw its protagonist confusedly yelling at the object of his frustrated affections with the kind of toxic pallor that is as immediately relatable as it is affronting. Responsible for this icepick of a lovesong is Wally “Gotye” De Backer, an Australian-Belgian alt-pop musician who’s been coasting breakout success for a good few years now (you may know his last hit “Learnalilgivinanlovin” from its prominent use in movies starring Drew Barrymore), but with this breakout second single from parent album Making Mirrors, he appears to have finally scored, and richly deserved it is too. A natural successor to Peter Gabriel‘s brand of pop that manages to cross folk, rock and soul together into an intoxicating whole (well, when he used to be good anyway), Gotye’s success appeared to catch everyone in Australia by surprise; let’s hope that 2012 has him branch out of his homeland with similar results.

4) “Virus” by Björk

***CAN’T FIND A LINK WITH AUDIO FOR THIS SONG, SO PLEASE JUST TRUST ME ON IT***

Continuing the present theme about the nature of love and its adverse affects on humanity is a cut from perhaps the most polarizing release by a single popstar so far this year in Björk’s Biophilia, though if an album from this particular chanteuse were to elicit anything less than such a reaction, it would roundly be considered by all to be something of a failure. Though much has been made of the LP’s sonic construction as well as its interactive multimedia applications that allow the more adventurous listeners to isolate, manipulate or explode specific elements from each of its ten songs via touch-screen technology on their iPhones/iPads (which also happens to serve as confirmation that even boundary-pushing artists can’t seem to innovate without Apple‘s influence), there’s still more than enough of Björk’s proven mettle as a songwriter of intellectual and emotional velocity for the more Luddite-hearted fan to console themselves with. “Virus” is one of the album’s particular highlights; evoking love’s indefatigable thrall on the human heart by comparing it to a rogue germ’s attack on the human nervous system, it’s a knowingly quixotic metaphor rendered lovingly, bravely and typically true of its maverick progenitor.

5) “Video Games (Omid 16B Remix)” by Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey has been something of an enigma for the music press to categorize since her video for “Video Games” infiltrated the blogosphere with a truly bombastic response of adulation. There are those that flocked to see her on her first European tour last month (which completely sold out… on the back of a mere two songs) and heralded her as 2012’a Princess Of Pop In Waiting, and there are those who have claimed to cracked through her label’s elaborate efforts to package her as an indie starlet in the “brokedown Hollywood” vein, seeing nothing more than a prettily-singing shill out to gain instant notoriety and plumbing extremely cynical depths to do so. Well, after seeing her live in London, I can confirm a few things; she may not yet be the Princess that those who caved in to the hype thought she’d be, but she’s still a mighty fine vocalist with an arresting ear and delivery for heartbroken love ballads, and given the right songs, there’s no stopping her. Plus, “Video Games” is definitely the best song of the year, so the haters can just shut the fuck up.

6) “Vessel” by Zola Jesus

So how awesome is Zola Jesus? Well, if the above video hasn’t confirmed anything for you yet, how’s about comparing her work to that of what Lady Gaga, Florence + The Machine and The Knife would sound like after being thrown into a sonic blender, and you’re about a third of the way there. After courting “Next Big Thing” notices last year for her well received Stridulum EP and album, as well as taking in a handful of well-received festival appearances and support slots with Ms The Knife herself, Fever Ray, Nika Roza Danilova’s solo project retreated back to the studio almost immediately to craft her third LP. Despite not catching fire quite as brightly as the tastemakers predicted last year, Conatus is a more strident, confident album from the 22-year-old(!!) singer-songwriter, reinstating the industrial goth-pop that beguiled everyone last time whilst exhibiting a more mature clarity and authority, effortlessly balancing light and dark to create an at-times marvelous listen that doesn’t alienate either the hardcore or the passing listeners of her sublime vein of electro balladry. Admit it, the song above is truly awesome, right?

7) “July” by Youth Lagoon

One newbie who stands one hell of a chance to inherit Zola’s crown of Songwriter Whom Blogs Will Be Forever In Love With Until Someone Newer Comes Along for 2011 is Trevor Powers, whose debut LP The Year Of Hibernation has managed to catch the wind and spread its audio spoils like wildfire amongst music blogs all over the world (two of his keener champions being Pitchfork and Disco Naivete). And I could be snarky about how vociferous the praise surrounding this young lad (another 22-year-old!) has been if it weren’t for the fact that he has managed to craft an album that is as dense and melancholy as it is bright and hopeful, as much prone to chirpy whistles and effusive guitar lines as it is to laboured moans and discontented malaise. One of the album’s most sterling examples is this track; a song that starts as mournful as they come before ascending a crescendo of gorgeous lo-fi-ness with such beatific simplicity that it warmly blind-sides you with its newfound sense of worldly loveliness, the homemade production (it was recorded in his garage) imbuing the song with an almost alarming intimacy.

8) “Explain” by Oneohtrix Point Never

*Skip to 16:13 for the specific track*

Coming to noted prominence last year with his fifth solo album (in three years) Returnal, one-man-band Daniel Lopatin’s music is credited by many as representing a significant contribution to the ambient drone sub-genre of electronica. His second album to see release this year (the other a collaboration with Tigercity’s Joel Ford, Channel Pressure), Replica‘s ominously soothing symphonies can best be described as the lost soundtrack created for an existentialist urban anime sci-fi noir helmed by Stanley Kubrick, what with the sounds emanating from each of these pieces being so otherworldly, cold, arresting and yet oddly calming and bewitching at the same time. It takes a while to get used to, but the second half of the album in particular is something bewilderingly fascinating, not least this transcendent finale. Admittedly, it is one of the more purely clandestine and easily accessible songs of the collection (reminiscent of a drugged-up, neon-lit version of “1/2” from Brian Eno‘s Ambient 1: Music For Airports), but no less spellbinding for it.

9) “Marvins Room” by Drake

Despite the commercial success of his debut album Thank Me Later last year (propagated probably more by the revolving door of collaborations on other artists songs such as Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and especially Rihanna than any work on his solo endeavour), Aubrey Graham has gone on record saying that his premier LP of self-effacing rhymes concerning newfound fame and complicated booty business wasn’t one that he was entirely happy with. However, on sophomore effort Take Care, Drake not only fulfils the promise made on his 2009 mixtape So Far Gone but goes so far as to deliver one of the most breathtakingly sincere, gorgeous and soulful hip hop albums of the past few years. Much hoo-ha was made in the press on the announcement of Jamie xx and The Weeknd‘s contributions to the album (and both turn in fine work too, particular the former on the title track that samples his work from the Gil Scott-Heron project We’re New Here), but this is Drake’s show. His mixture of the candid and the tender has never been bettered as it has here, a woozily atmospheric VIP-room ballad that goes beyond sexy into something mournful and profoundly moving.

10) “Watch Me Dance” by Toddla T featuring Roots Manuva

And just before you can try to judge me for being a soporific sod music-wise, busting raucously out of leftfield we have British producer Thomas Bell’s title track from his second album, Watch Me Dance. Hailing from the Yorkshire city of Sheffield, Bell’s DJ moniker was bestowed upon him by his fellow local disc-spinners with regards to the prodigious upstart’s youth, manning the decks at clubs and glam parties by the time was just 16-years-old. Since then, not only did he hook up with BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac to form one of the cuter couples in dance music, but he has also forged an impressive oeuvre as a producer for some of the UK’s most successful urban dance acts, some of whom return the favour on his sophomore LP to form a valuable cadre of collaborators from which Bell is inspired to craft some of the best feelgood dance music you’ll hear this year. One such co-conspirator is the one and only Rodney Smith, featured here in fine fetter amidst a rabble-rousing chorus of guitars and whoops that provides an saucily warm invitation to the rest of the album’s head-noddingly fine mix of hip hop, R&B and dancehall.

11) “German Clap” by Modeselektor

And now we follow through with something a little grimier and dirtier, courtesy of the German DJ duo who continue to defy easy genre-pigeonholing more than ever with their third LP, Monkeytown. After a justly-celebrated collaboration with one my last playlist’s featured guests, electronic solo artist Apparat, yielded one of the finest dances of 2009, Messrs Bornsert and Szary have been hard at work on album three, which shares the name of their own fledgling label as well as constitutes as the outfit’s most variedly head-turning collection of dance tunes they’ve yet released, mixing in typically tweaked-out IDM, minimal techno and urban dancehall whilst taking in vocals turns from returning collaborators Apparat and Thom Yorke (an early champion of the duo who has stayed remarkably loyal since) as well as perfs from urban artists such as Busdriver and Miss Platnum. One of the better cuts though is this lyric-less, surging rush of synths complemented by possibly the finest flurry of beat signatures that 2011 has seen fit to listen to; though some of the album sees the talented beatsmiths have a little more irreverant fun, it’s heartening to hear them hit straight through with something galvanizingly awesome when they put their demented heads together.

12) “We Can Make The World Stop” by The Glitch Mob

And the third successive track from a DJ outfit on this list actually comes from a trio (am I channeling Feist with this sequencing??), them being Los Angeles-based party-starters The Glitch Mob, whom after enjoying an incredible 2010 that saw the release of their rather-amazing debut album Drink The Sea have been hard at work slaying crowds on tour as well as working diligently on new material for the follow-up album. Releasing a clutch of new songs earlier this year on their We Can Make The World Stop EP, the most well-received of the troika of tunes was this title track, which as you can surely attest, is just as good as the better moments from the debut LP. We await the second album with baited breath, lads…

13) “Repatriated” by Handsome Furs

And as we hit the home-stretch, there’s still a little more time to dance around, courtesy of electro-rock-punk husband-and-wife duo Handsome Furs and this cut from their third studio album, Sound Kapitol. Written entirely on keyboards both to necessitate tour-bound songwriting sessions that in turn allowed a more instantaneous sense of inspiration from the world around them as well as pushing their prior guitar-driven sound into something a little more vital and eclectic (no worries though, as their customarily crunchy riffs can still be found in generous supply throughout the LP), Kapitol sees the band embrace electronic music far more than they have done previously, but still retains the fierce energy of their previous work, making for engaging results for those willing to take the plunge. “Repatriated” is one the album’s more emotional moments, stopping and starting with its shuddering bears whilst the synths soar overhead and singer Dan Boeckner’s dulcet intonations keep the whole shebang in order.

14) “There Is Still Hope” by The Sound Of Arrows

And despite my miserable protestations, even I couldn’t end this 2011 series on such a downer, so to cap it all off we have this gorgeous epic ballad from The Sound Of Arrows, a duo from Sweden who specialize in wondrous, wide-eyed synth-pop that is so unabashedly bursting with ethereal goodness that even when the children’s choirs come crashing in key moments, you can’t help but grin ear to ear as if you’re the Cheshire Cat’s extremely giddy younger sibling. An enchanting cross between Pet Shop Boys and M83, thematically Arrow’s debut album Voyage has a lot in common with the latter group’s latest album, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, in its sublime journey through its progenitors’ beauteous soundscapes, but steadfastly attaches itself to the dreamy delights of Europop to enhance its nostalgic loveliness rather than hide behind more indie-credible electro leanings. For the record, the M83 album is still fantastic (and is responsible for one of the year’s best singles) but Voyage is an album that manages to explore the same territory with less filler and a more direct emotional appeal. And you can dance to it a lot easier than the other, it ought to be said…

And there you have it! My 2011, is officially over… Or is it!?!? Check back in a couple of days when the End Of Year madness really begins!

Until then… xxxo