2011 soundtrack [songs 16 - 30]
(download songs 16 - 30 here or just click on the individual track titles to play them in youtube.)
16. ungirthed [purity ring]
the way this song plays with ambient sounds is so much fun to me. the electronic noises that the band weaves throughout the track are just completely unexpected and, even in their oddity, almost calming. what the band does really well here, though, is adding some higher, sweet sounding vocals. somehow, the contrast between the heavy noise and the sweet singing lets both of them standout. i also really love the audible tug of war that happens now and again when a sound is played, only to be pulled back half a step and played again. such a nice trick.
17. i'll take care of you [gil scott-heron + jamie xx]
this song is just so illustrative of what happened so often this past year: somebody lays down a track, somebody picks it up and covers it or remixes it and then somebody else adds their own take on that initial collaboration, rinse and repeat. i was talking to casey about this, she said it reminded her of the 60s recording houses and how songs got passed around from artist to artist. whether its a shout out to times past or a new phenomenon, it seems like such a right and perfect use of the technology at hand. it also leads to some amazing results -- i think jamie xx has had a hand in at least 10 of my top 60. this song, of course, is a high point in all of this. scott-heron produced a truly beautiful track here and, if it's even possible, jamie xx was able to shake it up and make it even more enjoyable. i especially love the way that, around the two-minute mark, jamie plays with scott-herons single 'ah-ah-ah' line, looping it in a genius way. drake and rihanna moved this song forward a third time by adding to jamie xx's remix. check it out.
18. painted eyes [hercules and love affair]
a sick, dancey jam of the sort you've come to expect from hercules and love affair. that in and of itself is enough reason to get it on my list, but the addition of aerea negrot into the mix pushes it even higher on the list. i can't get enough of her vocals in this song.
19. midnight city [m83]
it took me a while to get into this song, but ultimately this hommage to retro time filled with neon charmed me like it has almost every music blog i read. there's something about this synthy tune that makes me think of 'bright lights, big city' or 'less than zero.' it seems so joyous in the remembrance of those lost times with the horns and building crescendos. it's a truly difficult song to describe. maybe that's what makes it so good, though.
20. streetz tonight [aarabmuzik]
i'm a sucker for pulsing electronic dance music that sounds just as good at a house party as it does in your car. there's no shortage of that sort of stuff floating around, but hardly anybody does it quite as well as aarabmuzik does here. they've got the staccato beat throughout, keeping the energy up, while letting other parts of the song pull back and then come rushing forward at just the right times.
21. video games (remixed by balam acab) + kinda outta luck [lana del rey]
i don't get all the hate that comes this lady's way. is she really the next nancy sinatra, ganster or otherwise? no, probably not. but she still makes nice music (even if she leaves a little to be desired in the lyrics department). 'video games' is a pretty nice almost-ballad with an immanently catchy hook. i'm not sure why 'kinda outta luck' hasn't got much attention. she picks up the tempo there and lays down a drum-along beat. it was the second song that initially prompted me to give her a listen.
22. into black [blouse]
i put this song on a summer mix i'd made and somebody told me this was clearly a fall song. i said they were wrong. 'into black,' i said, was a song for summer after you've had just enough beer to keep you warm and happy and you find a trampoline to lie on while you watch the sun sink and others jump around. i love the synthy, soothing beat in this song and far-away vocals that seem to compliment it so well.
23. balance [future islands]
there is so much happening in this song from the crazy, almost-horn-like sounds in the background, to the sort-of-surf-rock vibe and the rich, raw vocals. it all comes together so well, too.
24. wetsuit + family friend [the vaccines]
both of these songs are about growing up, sometimes without knowing it, sometimes without wanting it. they became anthems of a summer that came and went way too quickly. perfect hommages to the surf-rock era.
25. how can u luv me? + ffunny ffriends [unknown mortal orchestra]
unknown mortal orchestra is my favorite local-band discovery of the year. they have a truly interesting sound the ropes together twangy guitar plucks and far-away vocals. the songs catch you and hold you all the way through. there's something about them that makes me feel like they were discovered in a shoe box under somebody's bed and brought back in a time they weren't initially meant for.
26. we found love + drunk on love [rihanna]
sometimes a song is just OK and then you see the music video and you're not sure why, but suddenly the song takes on a new life in your eyes ... or ears. that happened with 'we found love' for me. it's a euro dance number at its heart -- penned by a brit, in fact -- that departs from rihanna's usual sound. initially i thought it was a simple dance jam, but after i watched the video, it seemed to be saying so much more. 'drunk on love' is almost the opposite story. jamie xx loaned rihanna one of my favorite backing beats from the xx album. it plays nicely, keeping the song moving while really letting rihanna showcase her vocals. this one you know immediately is good stuff.
27. polish girl [neon indian]
this song, for me, is a little reminiscent of passion pit and starfucker in terms of its electronic beeps and squeaks. that sound is something i've been missing so i was happy to find it resurrected here. the beats themselves actually steal the show from the vocals, though the vocals in their almost-monotone, breathy sound are, themselves, pretty enjoyable, too.
28. dirty paws [of monsters and men]
this is a sweet, folksy song that tells a sweet, folksy -- if not entirely comprehensible -- story. it starts off slow and quiet but builds, and a quarter of the way you get a pay off by way of some group shouting and inviting beats. good stuff all around.
29. i follow rivers [lykke li]
i didn't fall in love with lykke li's most recent album in quite the same way as i did 'youth novels.' still, she had some amazing hits this go around, too. 'i follow rivers' is hands down my favorite. i like the methodical beat -- and the fact that it's composed of so many sounds -- that breaks just about a third of the way through to give way to high-energy chorus only to find it's way back before too long. the song comes in waves and keeps you floating the whole way through.
30. never will be mine (remix) [rye rye + robyn]
i love both of these artists separately. together, they're a surprising, but incredibly strong, duo. here, they each do what they do best. rye rye provides the rap while robyn steps in with her slower and deeper chorus. you wouldn't think the two would blend so well, and yet, somehow they do. plus, of course, the lyrics are universally relatable. the remix is an improvement, i think, on an already great collaboration, accentuating the song's strengths.
16. ungirthed [purity ring]
the way this song plays with ambient sounds is so much fun to me. the electronic noises that the band weaves throughout the track are just completely unexpected and, even in their oddity, almost calming. what the band does really well here, though, is adding some higher, sweet sounding vocals. somehow, the contrast between the heavy noise and the sweet singing lets both of them standout. i also really love the audible tug of war that happens now and again when a sound is played, only to be pulled back half a step and played again. such a nice trick.
17. i'll take care of you [gil scott-heron + jamie xx]
this song is just so illustrative of what happened so often this past year: somebody lays down a track, somebody picks it up and covers it or remixes it and then somebody else adds their own take on that initial collaboration, rinse and repeat. i was talking to casey about this, she said it reminded her of the 60s recording houses and how songs got passed around from artist to artist. whether its a shout out to times past or a new phenomenon, it seems like such a right and perfect use of the technology at hand. it also leads to some amazing results -- i think jamie xx has had a hand in at least 10 of my top 60. this song, of course, is a high point in all of this. scott-heron produced a truly beautiful track here and, if it's even possible, jamie xx was able to shake it up and make it even more enjoyable. i especially love the way that, around the two-minute mark, jamie plays with scott-herons single 'ah-ah-ah' line, looping it in a genius way. drake and rihanna moved this song forward a third time by adding to jamie xx's remix. check it out.
18. painted eyes [hercules and love affair]
a sick, dancey jam of the sort you've come to expect from hercules and love affair. that in and of itself is enough reason to get it on my list, but the addition of aerea negrot into the mix pushes it even higher on the list. i can't get enough of her vocals in this song.
19. midnight city [m83]
it took me a while to get into this song, but ultimately this hommage to retro time filled with neon charmed me like it has almost every music blog i read. there's something about this synthy tune that makes me think of 'bright lights, big city' or 'less than zero.' it seems so joyous in the remembrance of those lost times with the horns and building crescendos. it's a truly difficult song to describe. maybe that's what makes it so good, though.
20. streetz tonight [aarabmuzik]
i'm a sucker for pulsing electronic dance music that sounds just as good at a house party as it does in your car. there's no shortage of that sort of stuff floating around, but hardly anybody does it quite as well as aarabmuzik does here. they've got the staccato beat throughout, keeping the energy up, while letting other parts of the song pull back and then come rushing forward at just the right times.
21. video games (remixed by balam acab) + kinda outta luck [lana del rey]
i don't get all the hate that comes this lady's way. is she really the next nancy sinatra, ganster or otherwise? no, probably not. but she still makes nice music (even if she leaves a little to be desired in the lyrics department). 'video games' is a pretty nice almost-ballad with an immanently catchy hook. i'm not sure why 'kinda outta luck' hasn't got much attention. she picks up the tempo there and lays down a drum-along beat. it was the second song that initially prompted me to give her a listen.
22. into black [blouse]
i put this song on a summer mix i'd made and somebody told me this was clearly a fall song. i said they were wrong. 'into black,' i said, was a song for summer after you've had just enough beer to keep you warm and happy and you find a trampoline to lie on while you watch the sun sink and others jump around. i love the synthy, soothing beat in this song and far-away vocals that seem to compliment it so well.
23. balance [future islands]
there is so much happening in this song from the crazy, almost-horn-like sounds in the background, to the sort-of-surf-rock vibe and the rich, raw vocals. it all comes together so well, too.
24. wetsuit + family friend [the vaccines]
both of these songs are about growing up, sometimes without knowing it, sometimes without wanting it. they became anthems of a summer that came and went way too quickly. perfect hommages to the surf-rock era.
25. how can u luv me? + ffunny ffriends [unknown mortal orchestra]
unknown mortal orchestra is my favorite local-band discovery of the year. they have a truly interesting sound the ropes together twangy guitar plucks and far-away vocals. the songs catch you and hold you all the way through. there's something about them that makes me feel like they were discovered in a shoe box under somebody's bed and brought back in a time they weren't initially meant for.
26. we found love + drunk on love [rihanna]
sometimes a song is just OK and then you see the music video and you're not sure why, but suddenly the song takes on a new life in your eyes ... or ears. that happened with 'we found love' for me. it's a euro dance number at its heart -- penned by a brit, in fact -- that departs from rihanna's usual sound. initially i thought it was a simple dance jam, but after i watched the video, it seemed to be saying so much more. 'drunk on love' is almost the opposite story. jamie xx loaned rihanna one of my favorite backing beats from the xx album. it plays nicely, keeping the song moving while really letting rihanna showcase her vocals. this one you know immediately is good stuff.
27. polish girl [neon indian]
this song, for me, is a little reminiscent of passion pit and starfucker in terms of its electronic beeps and squeaks. that sound is something i've been missing so i was happy to find it resurrected here. the beats themselves actually steal the show from the vocals, though the vocals in their almost-monotone, breathy sound are, themselves, pretty enjoyable, too.
28. dirty paws [of monsters and men]
this is a sweet, folksy song that tells a sweet, folksy -- if not entirely comprehensible -- story. it starts off slow and quiet but builds, and a quarter of the way you get a pay off by way of some group shouting and inviting beats. good stuff all around.
29. i follow rivers [lykke li]
i didn't fall in love with lykke li's most recent album in quite the same way as i did 'youth novels.' still, she had some amazing hits this go around, too. 'i follow rivers' is hands down my favorite. i like the methodical beat -- and the fact that it's composed of so many sounds -- that breaks just about a third of the way through to give way to high-energy chorus only to find it's way back before too long. the song comes in waves and keeps you floating the whole way through.
30. never will be mine (remix) [rye rye + robyn]
i love both of these artists separately. together, they're a surprising, but incredibly strong, duo. here, they each do what they do best. rye rye provides the rap while robyn steps in with her slower and deeper chorus. you wouldn't think the two would blend so well, and yet, somehow they do. plus, of course, the lyrics are universally relatable. the remix is an improvement, i think, on an already great collaboration, accentuating the song's strengths.
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