we’ll just call this charmingly retro

Guess what! It’s time for rambles on albums I bought/frequently Spotify’d in 2011. At least, I’m pretty sure all these came out last year.

Every review except for the top ones in each category was purposely kept to Twitter length (140 characters). Yes, this was done in response to this news, which I definitely want to talk about in a future post.

Categories were here. The Year in Fives:

Five Excellent (Or Very Good) 2011 Albums From Artists I Already Loved

1. The Whole Love — Wilco
May have gotten a competitive advantage by showing up on my doorstep on day one of what turned out to be a four-day back injury and thus getting many, many repeat listens. Undivided attention is easy when you can’t move from the couch.

Even without that, though, this probably still would’ve wound up being my second-favorite Wilco album. Mumbly, dense, weird, memorable lyrics? Check. Gorgeous slow folksy songs? Check. Sing-along pop-rockin’ songs? Check.

(Song-by-song review was here. Most of that still stands.)

All the ones below were very good or very, very good, but not quite up there with each artist’s best. In my opinion. Obviously.

2. The Grand Theatre Vol. 2 — Old 97’s
Like Volume 1, which isn’t a bad thing. Y’know, rock-country-punk-pop-etc., with characteristically dark/funny lyrics. Super-catchy: “I’m A Trainwreck,” “Perfume.”

3. Circuital — My Morning Jacket
Cool psychedelic touches. Seems to lag a tad in the second half. Maybe would’ve loved this more if I’d hated Evil Urges (like everyone else). Which I didn’t.

4. Sondre Lerche — Sondre Lerche
Read he was going for a “sparser” sound. Think I like lots of instrumental layers better. Still has definite winners (“When The River,” “Go Ahead,” for example.)

5. The King Is Dead — The Decemberists
Listened over and over, and then partially lost interest. “Rise To Me” is still beautiful, and the rootsy/R.E.M.-ish sound (for obvious reasons) is cool.

Five Excellent 2011 Albums From Artists I Didn’t Yet Know Or Love

1. Bury Me In My Rings — The Elected
Can’t get enough of the rich, dreamy 70s pop sound (strings, swoon), beach-y almost-Hawaiian instruments, and sad-slash-defiant lyrics on here. Went back and re-listened to their back catalogue (which I vaguely remember playing on the radio during college but never liking that much) after this.

The AllMusic review of this album really plays up the “hey, Blake, way to go, finally getting out of Jenny Lewis’ shadow and showing that you’re awesome” angle. And yes, that’s probably another reason it’s such a satisfying album to listen to.

1. Nothing Is Wrong — Dawes

Pure roots rock lives! The overall impression is, “I feel like I’ve heard this before, but in such a good way.” Comforting familiarity, maybe? Also, Benmont Tench, Hammond organ

This music would be so perfectly at home on an early 2000s Trampoline Records compilation. Certain bits also sound, yes, Wallflowers-esque, which will always make me warm and fuzzy.

Also features what just might be the best enunciation of any rock album, ever. Very unusual and notable. No “ants are my friends” here.

3. Evening Tapestry — Brown Recluse
So not poisonous spider-like. Kind of the opposite, actually: gentle, summery, slightly psychedelic, catchy. Don’t quite get some of the lyrics.

4. Last Summer — Eleanor Friedberger
Tried for years, but I always found Fiery Furnaces too inaccessible. This is quirky in such an intriguing way, though. Also love all the New York-themed lyrics.

5. Burst Apart — The Antlers
This one is somewhat instrumentally restrained, but it packs a sad punch and always draws me in. Hospice never quite had that effect.

Five Albums That Were Supposed To Be Excellent, But I Couldn’t Quite Love (Yet?)

1. Civilian — Wye Oak
2. Wild Flag — Wild Flag
3. Relax — Das Racist
4. Shangri-La — YACHT

[there isn’t a fifth… hooray!]

Also suspect I’ll finally, suddenly latch onto at least one of these, as well as some others from last year that weren’t mentioned here, at some point in 2012.

Five Artists I Discovered This Year
1. [Everyone under “Five Excellent Albums From Artists I Didn’t Know Or Love] plus…
2. Real Estate
3. The War On Drugs
4. Nicole Atkins
5. David Wax Museum

Five Artists I Re-Discovered This Year
1. Rilo Kiley (I guess because they “officially” broke up)
2. Ryan Adams (New [very good!] album and all)
3. Feist (She wanted to fall off the radar for a bit, and it worked!)
4. The Smiths (I have no idea why)
5. Electric Light Orchestra (I feel like I should be ashamed of this, but I’m not)

Five Great Ways To Find New Music
1. Band Of The Day iPhone app. (I am not being paid to plug them.)
2. Openers for artists who have a track record of picking good ones.
3. Established favorite artists’ recommendations (usually via Twitter)
4. eMusic editorial features — can still read without being a member anymore
5. Music critics’ reviews/features/tweets. No, really?

Five Fun (i.e., Nerdy) In-Progress Mixes
1. Opposites (inspired by a friend)
2. Trains
3. Songs with key changes
4. Songs with counting
5. A top secret playlist (eventually want to turn it into a quiz)…

Five Reasons Amazon MP3 > iTunes Music Store
1. Higher bit rate.
2. No DRM.
3. Sometimes/often cheaper.
4. No accidental Ping-sharing worries.
5. If you decide you want the physical CD/record instead, it’s just a click away.

Five Songs From 2011 That I Listened To Incessantly
1. “Have You Been Cheated” — The Elected
Everyone go watch this video. And this one for a different version.

2. “I Might” — Wilco
From hearing it live in June to listening to the recording over and over, to listening to the free mp3 after pre-ordering the album, to finally hearing it in the context of the CD…

3. “It’s Real” — Real Estate
SiriusXM radio was reactivated free for a couple weeks, and this song was always, always on XMU. Eventually listened to it (and the rest of the album) voluntarily, too.

4. “Statue Garden” — Brown Recluse
Sounds like it’s straight out of the piped-in music in Paradise Pier, at Disney’s California Adventure. Or maybe from a Donovan album.

5. “I Don’t Want Love” — The Antlers
Packs such a punch, despite its somewhat restrained sound. One of those songs that I’ll tell myself I shouldn’t listen to, because I may cry, and then I listen anyway.

Five Songs I Listened To Incessantly In 2011 That Didn’t Even Come Out That Year
1. “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” — Arcade Fire
By far the most listens of any song. My theme song of 2011. So many philosophical ponderings while driving past the “dead shopping malls” every day.

2. “I Wish I Was The Moon” — Neko Case
Ultimate sad cowgirl song — made for late drives home after nights out that turned sad.

3. “Strange Magic” — Electric Light Orchestra
Lush and addictive. Delicious synths. Has been sung along to on more than one occasion.

4. “American Girl” — Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Especially while standing alone on the balcony and hearing the cars roll by out on the local equivalent of the 441.

5. “Let Go” — jj
A favorite from last year, and still going strong. Leader in the “auditory Xanax” playlist.