Illustration from the cover of Collier's magazine, February 25, 1933
Here's the top half of my Top 10 of my Best of 2011 list.
#10 Civilian by Wye Oak (Merge)
Every time I see a video of Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner performing one of her songs (or, in the case of her impressive performances for the Onion's AV Club, other people's songs), I'm very impressed with her charisma and magnetism as a performer. However, I don't think Wye Oak has yet made a record that fully capitalizes on Wasner's charm - there are moments on Civilian that are anonymously competent, but nothing more. However, the album really has some great moments, like the title track, and I can't help but think that Wye Oak's next release will be the one where it all clicks.
"Civilian" by Wye Oak
#9 Yuck by Yuck (Fat Possum)
Today's run-down includes a UK band mimicking American '90s indie-rock and an American band mimicking UK '90s indie - it's a formula that is working for me right now, not because I'm especially interested in derivative rehashings of sounds from my youth (I hope), but because these bands use these familiar sounds to deliver some sharp hooks and songwriting. London's Yuck gave us a self-titled album this year that recycled Dinosaur Jr, Elliott Smith, and Sonic Youth - an odd combination of influences, but i can't argue with the highly addictive results. (Original review here.)
"Georgia" by Yuck
#8 Dye It Blonde by Smith Westerns (Fat Possum)
Chicago's Smith Westerns may have done some things this year that revealed them as not-quite-ready-for-primetime teenagers (lackluster live shows, massacring a Tom Petty classic in a widely-viewed Internet forum, Belgian stage-collapse Twitter scandal, etc.) I'll admit that I've wanted to tell this band to "GROW UP" a couple times, but my affection for their dense and lovely Dye It Blonde hasn't diminished. Worshiping at the altar of George Harrison gets you a long way in my book. (Original review here.)
"All Die Young" by Smith Westerns
#7 Colour Trip by Ringo Deathstarr (Sonic Unyon)
And here's the flipside of the Yuck coin, a band from Texas that doesn't seem ashamed at all of their unconditional love for My Bloody Valentine, Ride, and Jesus & Mary Chain. I run hot and cold when it comes to shoegaze, so I wouldn't have thought that this album would worm its way into my brain the way it has, but it's a completely enjoyable listen end to end, with a lot of immediate hooks as well as a layered sound that rewards repeated listens. (Original review here.)
"Do It Every Time" by Ringo Deathstarr
#6 Mysterious Power by Ezra Furman & the Harpoons (Red Parlor)
I wish Ezra Furman's album had caught a little mainstream attention this year, but, because of delays in arranging distribution, the buzz around his previous record, Inside the Human Body had largely died down by the time Mysterious Power got an inconspicuous release in April. This album deserves some real attention, though, as Furman has continued to hone his incisive songwriting skills without losing any of his l'enfant terrible wildness. Mysterious Power is a compelling and intricate concept album about isolation, and it's probably my favorite of 2011's totally-slept-on releases. (Original review here.)
"Mysterious Power" by Ezra Furman & the Harpoons
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