THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2011: 30-21

[Honorable Mentions]

This year was an odd year for music to say the least. The rise of post-dubstep, indie-R&B (both terms are inherently trite), and youth-centered hip-hop acts paved the way for a new scene of artists to move through. But while many fresh faces occupy our Top 30 albums of the year, a number of veterans have also done their usual magic. This list was no walk in the park by any means, as each album that made it vied for our attention in nearly equal amounts. Regardless of rank, however, all of these albums are tremendous, and they deserve your attention and appreciation.

Without further ado, OTIOBR’S TOP 30 ALBUMS OF 2011, 30-21:

30. LIL B (Yeah, just him. The person.)

We couldn’t leave out Lil B in a discussion of this year’s best music, and perhaps the best person to summarize his impact is friend-of-the-blog Pierce Watson. Here is a sneak peak of his piece “Based Revelations”, which is set to appear in the Bronx-based “The Paper.”

“…I couldn’t help but to think about the countless times I’d heard people react to their first Lil B listen with confusion and obscenities. In some respect, their reactions are warranted. But before you become a full fledged Basedgod hater, writing him off as another not-to-be-taken-seriously, foolish rapper, momentarily set down your rap elitist chalice. The one filled to the top with haterade. He isn’t just icey chains, No Limit Records jocked mixtape covers, bad bitches, tiny pants and wonton soup…

…Lil B’s music is an absolute reflection of his conscious thought. His songs are literally testimonies of the moment in which he wrote it. Was he feeling angry? Silly? Sad? Hopeful? Confident? Based music comes right out and tells you—it is the one of the most honest forms of music that I’ve come across thus far in my life.

Because of this, Lil B transcends sub-genres of rap… It’s truly an unintentional ode to literary naturalism, which uses empirical descriptions of social setting and physical setting to show the progress in a characters nature. It is essentially voyeurism of the mind…. If Lil B isn’t a legitimate artist, then neither is James Joyce. The comment may seem startling, but it couldn’t be more apropos…

So the next time Lil B is playing, pay close attention. In between the uproarious talk of cooking and sexin’ ladies, you may just hear something profound.”

-BN

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29. HEADBANGERS IN ECSTASY by PURO INSTINCT

LISTEN: “Stilyagi (Ft. Ariel Pink)”

Puro Instict is made up of two young sisters (one who is 16, which like, if she is a full-blown artist, it’s totally cool to tap that, right?) who have already worked with Ariel Pink and other indie giants. Sometimes these connections ended up backfiring on them this year, as they received the unfortunate placement of playing after labelmate, and one of the most emotional and top live performers of the year, John Maus. Regardless, these girls are learning quickly. Headbangers In Ecstasy is a very cohesive piece, song to song. The KDOD skits are fun, make sense for the whole album, add to the experience, and are short, as skits should be. And let’s not forget “Stillyagi”. That shit is so dope. All they need is a little more direction from Papa Pink, and they are bound to have a lustrous career.

-BN

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28. NEW HISTORY WARFARE VOL. 2: JUDGES by COLIN STETSON

LISTEN: “Home”

Colin Stetson’s wonderful follow-up to his debut, New History Warfare, Vol. 1, is a hauntingly dense collection of experimental jazz. Thriving on his mastering of “circular breathing”, which allows him to continuously play the sax with his mouth while breathing in through is nose, Stetson created unfathomably vivid jazz. The album’s troughs and crescendos showcased a very enthralling and vibrant mastermind, as Stetson was able to record the entire album without the use of instrumental layering. The walls of clicks, humming, and drenching sax notes were amazingly recorded on single takes, a product of Stetson’s work with the “circular breathing” technique. Whether it’s “A Dream of Water” and its frantic beauty, or the head-bobbing “Red Horse (Judges II)”, New History Warfare, Vol. 2: Judges is an engrossing album. For just one man and one instrument to make so much noise, you’d have to wonder what he could do with a band at his disposal—or even an orchestra.

-AR

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27. GOBLIN by TYLER, THE CREATOR

LISTEN: “She (Feat. Frank Ocean)”

Oh man, I have to write the review for Goblin. We looked at OFWGTKA for last year’s Best Of, and I pulled hard for them then. And now here I am, having to sum up everything that happened to Tyler & co. since then. 2011 has been great for OF, and I really couldn’t be happier for them. Goblin is not “What the devil plays before he goes to sleep,” but it still hits the note Tyler has been striking for a while now, while bringing in a lot of followers, too. Last week, Tyler tweeted about how his 15 minutes of fame are almost up. I’m not too sure about that, however. Goblin showed that Tyler is as malleable as he is twisted. Also, it doesn’t hurt that OFWGTKA is the live act of the year. By far. The fact that Goblin supported many of the best live shows put on this year shows how versatile the OF sound is.

-BN

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26. KING OF LIMBS by RADIOHEAD

LISTEN: “Separator”

When Thom Yorke said “recording a new album would kill us” back in ‘09, I felt disappointed. Sure, my mind was still recovering from being blown to pieces by In Rainbows, and I always had OK Computer an Kid A to knock me off my feet every once in a while, but I honestly don’t know what post-Radiohead would be like. Is the human life force not the striving to stay alive long enough for the next Radiohead release?
Then Radiohead came out with TKOL. It sounds more like a Thom Yorke solo effort, especially with the accompanying “Lotus Flower” video, but there is still that thread of amazingness that only Radiohead can produce. I mentally prepared to be destroyed by this LP, but it never really happened to the same degree as previous releases. But perhaps that’s all we can handle now, as well. Radiohead can be too good sometimes, and it’s nice to see them playing on the same field as everyone else every once in a while.

-BN

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25. WATCH THE THRONE by JAY-Z AND KANYE WEST

LISTEN: “Gotta Have It”

So, what happens when hip-hop’s two biggest stars combine forces on an album? It’s simple, really: private jets, planking on absurd amounts of money, and quite possibly the phrase of the year (“That shit cray”). But as flashy as Watch The Throne is, it’s backed by incredible production, infectious bangers, and a truck-load of lyrical gems. The best aspect of the album is simply how Jay-Z and Kanye attempt to out-do each other, all the while having fun along the way. Jay-Z, who’s now 42, brings out some of the best lines he’s delivered in years (“At 42, be better than 24s/ I carry the 4-5, master 48 laws/ Still wearing my 23’s, they can’t fuck with the boy/ Far as them 16’s, I’m 23 of it all”). And Kanye, while creating some amazing productions (“Lift Off”, “Why I Love You”), also displays his verbal talent: “No disrespect, I’m not tryna belittle/ But my dick worth money I put Monie in the middle/ Where she at? In the middle.” These two stars balance their powers equally, and deliver on an album many thought would simply not work.

-AR

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24. IN HEAVEN by TWIN SISTER

LISTEN: “Bad Street”

Last year, Long Island’s Twin Sister released the Color Your Life EP, which garnered a well-deserved spike in hype. After months of build up, the group released their debut album In Heaven, and it’s as holy as the name suggests. Andrea Estella’s airy, delicate vocals float above tremendous instrumentation, which ranges from 70’s funk to electronic dream-pop. With upped vocal duties by guitarist Eric Cardona, Twin Sister’s musical range has reached a new level. For example, “Kimmi In A Rice Field“‘s 8-bit-laced melody shows a band willing to step outside of their comfort zone, and “Bad Street” displays the group in its most pop-sensible form. As infectious as it is keen on pathos, In Heaven showcases Twin Sister in varyingly delectable degrees.

-AR

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23. XXX by DANNY BROWN

LISTEN: “Outer Space”

Danny Brown is a Detroit-based MC whose awkward, freestyle-like flow is as captivating as his out-there lyricism. His ability to change vocal pitch is also another wondrous feature, but it’s the content of his raps that really sparked Brown’s hype. No stranger to the business, Danny Brown released his critically acclaimed debut in 2010, The Hyrbid. But it’s his follow-up, XXX, that lit the minds of the blogosphere on fire. His Flock of Segulls-esque hairdo and his skin tight jeans seemed to go against the traditional style of mainstream hip-hop, which is a microcosm of the burgeoning underground that rose to the surface this year. In XXX, we see Brown at his finest. From his witty humor (“You softer than Flanders’ son/ Don’t make me put hands on son”), to his downright love for cunnilingus (“I Will”), Brown covered a seemingly endless array of topics—including the decaying confidence of his hometown. One of the best hip-hop releases of the year, XXX is relentless in its attempt to make you think, disgust you, and make you laugh. But it’s biggest success is making you believe that this guy is one of the faces of the future of hip-hop.

-AR

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22. GOODBYE BREAD by TY SEGALL

LISTEN: “Goodbye Bread”

2011 wasn’t that bad for Bay Area Garage Rockers. Thee Oh Sees came out with two more-than-solid releases this year, and many of us were introduced to the historical Ty Segall with his singles collection released in November. But the most outstanding release from any of these folks in 2011 is by far Goodbye Bread. It’s heartfelt honesty and straightforward message is so refreshing in a year as murky and confusing as this one.

-BN

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21. CHANNEL PRESSURE by FORD & LOPATIN

LISTEN: “Emergency Room”

2011 was a huge year for Games—er, I mean Ford & Lopatin. After changing their name due to a potential lawsuit (curse you, The Game!), F&L released a wonderfully vibrant album in Channel Pressure. Their appreciation of 80’s synth-pop was evident in their 2010 debut EP, That We Can Play. But on Channel Pressure, they enhance that 80s, ‘Weird Science’ feel of their debut, while focusing heavily on their vocal duties. Entirely danceable and thought-provoking at the same time, F&L’s latest finds that perfect middle ground of having fun all the while being innovative. (And let’s not forget how goddamn sexy “Break Inside” is.)

-AR

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[Dec. 15: 20-11 | Dec. 16: 10-1]

Listen to more from these artists over at our End of The Year Spotify playlist.