Favorites of 2011: Brandon's Selections

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Year-end lists have always bothered me. There is still so much music I have not heard from this year, I feel it would be impossible for me to judge fairly, or to be unbiased based on other people's opinions. I've read the others' lists, and it's impossible to make one without taking other reviews into comparison. I don't want to spout the same old same old indie band hyping as you've read on every other list, but I don't want to plug a bunch of limited noise tapes no one has ever heard. Not to mention, but my tastes are constantly evolving, and I've discovered love for lots of other bands and styles this year, things ranging from old school rap to classical jazz, and who's to say that hasn't influenced my love of new pop music? So take my list with a grain of salt. The reason I haven't written a four page essay on each thing listed here is simple: these are, in my opinion, the BEST ALBUMS OF 2011. They should speak for themselves.

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Honorable Mentions:
Battles - Gloss Drop (Warp)
Bee Mask/Envenomist - Split (A Soundesign)
Bent Knee - Bent Knee (Self-Released)
Bile and Horseman - The Blood Porter (Self-Released)
Jandek - Where Do You Go From Here? (Corwood Industries)
Radiohead - The King of Limbs (XL)
Mike Shiflet - Sufferers (Type)
Sleep ∞ Over - Forever (Hippos in Tanks)
Toro y Moi - Underneath the Pine (Carpark)
Tyler, the Creator - Goblin (XL)


10. Tom Waits - Bad As Me (Anti-)
2011 Had been enough of a long damn wait, the world needed more Tom Waits, and he delivered everything as expected.


9. Opeth - Heritage (Roadrunner)
It had also been too long for a new Opeth album, and this may be their most honest effort since Damnation. Åkerfeldt's lack of growls made this equally good and disappointing.


8. Yellow Crystal Star - Our Mother Jaguar Tongue (Rainbow Bridge)
Not only one of the coolest and weirdest tapes I've heard all year, but one of the best performers I've seen this year. Long live drone!


7. tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l (4AD)
At a time when pop music seemed boring and dull, this band came out head first with a creative punch in the face! Loved by 'indie kids', bloggers, soccer moms, and music haters everywhere.


6. Blouse - Blouse (Captured Tracks)
Throw the Cocteau Twins in a blender with Peaking Lights, add a dash of dreamy-haze, and you will have the most critically (and dare say I, criminally) underrated band of the year.


5. RxRy - Alpha (Sweat Lodge Guru)
It's no secret that we love this band here at Olive, and for good reason. This band's full-length delivered as promised, and oh so much more.


4. Wolves In The Throne Room - Celestial Lineage (Southern Lord)
I've always joked that WIITR was 'Pitchfork-approved black metal', but damn, this band combines hatred, bleakness, and beauty in a way I've only dreamed of. In nightmares.


3. Bee Mask - Elegy For Beach Friday (Spectrum Spools)
Bee Mask has long been a favorite project of mine, and it's great to see his output this year gain so much attention. With this massive double LP, it's easy to get lost in reverb-heaven forever.


2. EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints (Souterrainian Transmissions)
I had been waiting for this for a long time, being a HUGE fan of Gowns, and I'm glad that EMA has put out such a powerful record. This is certainly her most realized work to date, and I'm excited to see where she goes next with her new found 'indie-cred'.


1. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact (4AD)
Waiting for the newest Gang Gang record has always been like waiting for Christmas, and this year, Christmas came in the summer. This record does not disappoint. Seriously. Fuck the haters. Go. Buy. This. Record.