As some of you know I'm a pretty obsessive Fleet Foxes fan and have been swept away in the sea of 'Helplessness Blues' and it's pure awesomeness since its release in May (or a little before because surprise, surprise, it leaked on the interweb). After listening to this gorgeous piece of work at a ridiculous level of frequency, which still hasn't lessened, I remembered that I discovered this band through this forum (thank you whoever that was). And remembered how close minded I was to the possibility of less commercial music actually being better than the commercial stuff. I believed commercial music today was rubbish but also had the misconception that if music was good enough it would automatically hit the headlines of popular consciousness, which obviously isn't the case.
And so, this past week or so I've been spending a lot of time looking at new stuff that might have passed me by this year. I've gone through a few 'best of 2011' lists to give me indicators and thought to ask you lot for the same.
My favorite, unsurprisingly, is Helplessness Blues. This album has struck such a cord with me that I never knew was possible from music (except for their first album possibly). The songwriting is extremely introspective which appeals to me a great deal and their music is delivered with as much intricate detail as honesty and simplicity.
Bon Iver was another one I listened to quite a lot this year. Definitely like Justin Vernon's way of putting songs together which involves a lot of rich sounds and artistic elements, but as I've said before half this album is excellent and the other half is a disappointment. Still the good parts are really good.
The King is Dead by The Decemberists is probably my second favorite album of the year (out of the small lot I've listened to). It's definitely not as delicate and rich in it's sound as the above two but for me the consistency of the album is better than Bon Iver's. They've stuck to a simple formula but delivered it excellently using quality melodies which don't tire. It might not be something I'd hold on to for years but a good, solid and enjoyable listen.
House of Baloons by The Weeknd. I don't really like this genre (R & B if you can call it that), but I actually found this to be mildly enjoyable which is more than what I can say about most music of this nature.
Kiss Each Other Clean by Iron & Wine. Had heard lots about this band prior to downloading this album. Utter nonsense.
Apart from that, Tamer Animals by Other lives has impressed me but I'm only just getting into it so it will take me longer to form an opinion.
Let England Shake by PJ Harvey seems to have created a lot of buzz this year but I can't find myself quite getting into it.
And on first glimse, I'm liking The Harrow & The Harvest by Gillian Welch but the less said right now the better.
Right, so that's my take on music this year. I hope I haven't bored the living daylights out of you. I'd appreciate you guys to give your opinion as I think it's a great way to discover new material that demands more attention. Also, I'd suggest providing a list (I only didn't because I haven't heard enough albums in their entirety to form one). And finally, if you name an artist, do write a line or so about the kind of music it is so it's easier for others to know which album from your list they'd want to further look into.
And so, this past week or so I've been spending a lot of time looking at new stuff that might have passed me by this year. I've gone through a few 'best of 2011' lists to give me indicators and thought to ask you lot for the same.
My favorite, unsurprisingly, is Helplessness Blues. This album has struck such a cord with me that I never knew was possible from music (except for their first album possibly). The songwriting is extremely introspective which appeals to me a great deal and their music is delivered with as much intricate detail as honesty and simplicity.
Bon Iver was another one I listened to quite a lot this year. Definitely like Justin Vernon's way of putting songs together which involves a lot of rich sounds and artistic elements, but as I've said before half this album is excellent and the other half is a disappointment. Still the good parts are really good.
The King is Dead by The Decemberists is probably my second favorite album of the year (out of the small lot I've listened to). It's definitely not as delicate and rich in it's sound as the above two but for me the consistency of the album is better than Bon Iver's. They've stuck to a simple formula but delivered it excellently using quality melodies which don't tire. It might not be something I'd hold on to for years but a good, solid and enjoyable listen.
House of Baloons by The Weeknd. I don't really like this genre (R & B if you can call it that), but I actually found this to be mildly enjoyable which is more than what I can say about most music of this nature.
Kiss Each Other Clean by Iron & Wine. Had heard lots about this band prior to downloading this album. Utter nonsense.
Apart from that, Tamer Animals by Other lives has impressed me but I'm only just getting into it so it will take me longer to form an opinion.
Let England Shake by PJ Harvey seems to have created a lot of buzz this year but I can't find myself quite getting into it.
And on first glimse, I'm liking The Harrow & The Harvest by Gillian Welch but the less said right now the better.
Right, so that's my take on music this year. I hope I haven't bored the living daylights out of you. I'd appreciate you guys to give your opinion as I think it's a great way to discover new material that demands more attention. Also, I'd suggest providing a list (I only didn't because I haven't heard enough albums in their entirety to form one). And finally, if you name an artist, do write a line or so about the kind of music it is so it's easier for others to know which album from your list they'd want to further look into.
Exactly. What a weird overreaction.