ten albums for 2011

i have a hard time committing to listening through entire albums. i'd rather make a mix of singles i love than have to sit through background noise while waiting for a hit. so take this list with a grain of salt. it is, by no means, comprehensive. these are just 10 albums, in alphabetical order, that gripped me from beginning to end:

alright you restless [agesandages]
more really is more for agesandages, a seven-member ensemble band. they hail from portland and definitely have that northwestern folk vibe going on. but they play with that familiar sound by layering voice upon voice, producing a really rich sound that hits you like a wave, over and over again. that quality is underscored by strong beats -- and occassionally some hand claps -- that'll get your feet stomping. the number of people in this band just adds to the sheer infectiousness of the music. check out: no nostalgia, so so freely, souvenir and navy parade. 

cape dory [tennis]
there's something more than a little bit annoying about an attractive couple who spends months sailing around the seas, only to return with an album full of sweet sounds describing their adventures. the fact that i can get past that back story speaks to the album's genuine sweetness. tennis has embraced that far-away sound, but i've seen them in person, minus the haziness, and the music is maybe even more dreamy without that added layer of nostalgia. i will say, the songs on this album tend to run together. still, even as one extended song, it's something i'd happily listen to on repeat. check out: long boat pass, marathon, south california, cape dory and take me somewhere. 

cults [cults]
the cult's 'go outside' became a huge rallying cry for me during early spring and into summer. it's simple indie pop, but i'm a sucker for stripped down, upbeat sounds. that song was just the first of some really great tracks to be found on this album. like cape dory, cults can start to blend together, but in way that doesn't get monotonous. still, the fun comes when you start to listen to individual tracks with some concentration. 'abducted' is one great example. Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin trade back and forth on some sweet vocals while playing with lyrical repetition in a really satisfying way. also check out: never heal myself, you know what i mean, and rave on. 

feel it break [austra]
i've never felt quite the same way during a live show as i did when austra passed through town. i remember just standing in the middle of a crowd of folks, eyes closed, swaying and jumping to the music. it really felt like it had found its way into my bones. there's something about how katie stelmanis uses her voice in that quasi-operatic way, that really pulls me into her songs. she flits between simple notes and complex lyrics with amazing control. add to that the strong, euro-dance-club beats and you wind up with really catchy, if haunting, music. check out: the future, beat and pulse, lose it, spellwork and shoot the water. 

my head is an animal [of monsters and men]
hat tip to amanda for telling me i'd love this band and being so damn right. i don't know what it is about scandinavia, but it always turns out quality sounds (see: 'oh land' below). i don't know that 'my head is an animal' breaks any new ground. it's some pretty standard indie folk -- reminiscent, maybe, of mumford and sons. but even so, the album is consistently good and surprisingly varied. the band does some great, slow burn bits that ultimately erupt, but they also embrace some simpler constructs that let the two lead vocalists play around. check out: dirty paws, kind + lionheart, love, love, love, your bones, and little talks. 

oh land [oh land]
as i put this list together, i'd go through the albums' discographies and try to tease out four or five songs to feature. with this album i had a list of eight. that's not to say that this is the best album of the year, only that nanna Øland is really consistent. there's hardly a song on this album that i don't love listening to. she takes the record in several different directions: slow, synthy ballads and high-tempo, bass-heavy club hits. it would be a stretch to call her rapper, but she doesn't mind taking on a few lines of complicated dialogue in between her hooks. son of a gun and white nights were clear hits for her, but you should also check out: wolf + i, we turn it up, rainbow and human. (she also covered 'bloodbuzz ohio' beautifully.) 

parallax [atlas sound]
this is probably the most varied album to make the list. bradford cox really stretches himself here, hitting notes both high and low, up tempo and down. it's probably that variety, which most of my other picks are lacking to a certain degree, that makes this album stand out for me. i love his timeless voice, and the way he plays on each and every word, holding some, clipping others. i also love the dreamy, ambient sounds that he weaves throughout his tracks. they never overpower his vocals, instead just adding to the general feeling of nostalgia, which, if the album cover is any indication, was his goal. check out: light works, my angel is broken, amplifiers, mona lisa and the shakes. 

what did you expect [the vaccines]
i don't know if there's a single collection of songs that sound more like summer to me than this one. it didn't do very well with critics, who felt the vaccines hadn't hit on anything new with this sound. but even if that's true (and it probably is), they've turned out a perfect summertime tribute to the surf-rock era while incorporating decidedly more modern lyrics (post break-up sex, anyone?). the band also seizes on the theme of growing up, which i'd be lying if i said hadn't been on my own mind this summer. take their last track, family friend: 'you wanna get young but you're just getting older/ and you had a fun summer but it's suddenly colder.' also check out: wetsuit, all in white, if you wanna, and norgaard. 

w h o k i l l [tune-yards]
i picked up 'w h o k i l l' on a whim at a record shop in seattle after having only heard 'bizness.' i'm glad i made the leap. merill garbus has an incredibly powerful voice and she uses it to really amazing effect. for a while i was little uncomfortable with all the press the album was getting for being so unique, when, in fact, she'd pretty much cribbed her signature whoops and beeps from Central African tribes. it's hard to hold that against, her, though, when she basically makes note of it in 'gansta' (what's a boy to do if he'll never be a rasta?/ singin' from his heart, but he'll never be a rasta). she feels it, so she uses it. it helps, too, that smart lyrics abound. also check out: my country and powa. 

the year of hibernation [youth lagoon]
short and sweet, apparently because singer trevor powers had done some creative recording and re-recording of the vocals in a friend's garage and didn't want to add any songs that hadn't been subjected to that method. it lends a dream pop/ reverb sound to the album that might bother some, but i think it suits the wistful lyrics. more than anything, though, this album ranks as on of my favorites because i can remember listening to 'afternoon' while driving through the sunny, hazy streets of north portland the morning after an especially awful night and feeling like everything would be OK. check out: 17, cannons, daydreams and montana.