Our top 10 favorite albums of 2011 thus far – Nr. 9

This is our favorite albums of 2011 so far countdown! So just us saying which albums have been doing it for us in the first half year of 2011. I love scouring lists like these as there is so much music coming out I find it impossible to keep track of everything. And these lists indicate what people really have been enjoying, and sometimes you agree, sometimes disagree, and sometimes it tips you on a future favourite. So hence this list, and hope you find some stuff to enjoy in there!

Our previous entrees: Nr. 10

Nr. 9. Battles – Gloss Drop (Warp Records)
Interestingly enough, Washed Out has been asked to perform at the Nightmare Before Christmas ATP in Minehead this year, curated by (among Les Savy Fav and Caribou) the next band on my list: Battles. It’s been four years since the release of their debut album ‘Mirrored’ and seeing vocalist Tyondai Braxton left the band last year to focus on his solo career, it wasn’t certain there would even be a next one. However, the new album ‘Gloss Drop’ is here, and the problem of not having a vocalist was solved by inviting guest performers. Not the very least of guest performers I should say, as the song ‘Sweetie & Shag’ features fellow New Yorker Kazu Makino, of Blonde Redhead, and closing track ‘Sundome’ has Yamantaka Eye of Japanese noise rock band Boredoms lending his vocal chords. The title of the track ‘My Machines’ was taken from Gary Numan’s lyrics, hence John Stanier thought it would be cool to have Gary Numan himself singing on the track, which they oddly enough managed to succeed in organising. All in all, it’s difficult to say whether Braxton moving on, along with his distinctive vocals, is going to leave its marks on the band’s success in the long run. But for now this new album is working out fine. Perhaps for some, the shifted dynamics within Battles is obvious and some might consider Braxton’s departure as a loss of the creative mind behind the music. However, I think this album should be celebrated for its experimentation: ‘Gloss Drop’ is an ambitious effort of Battles’ remaining band members showing they’re not giving up and are creating a different, more poppy direction for their music, without losing their great energetic and somewhat weird sound.

Random track to listen to: ‘My Machines’

Nr. 9. Ringo Deathstarr – Colour Trip (Club AC30)

I like it when a band has put some thought in their band name (or stumbled across a brilliant idea quite unexpectantly, as might rather be the case here). I think Ringo Deathstarr has by far been my favourite this year. Their album might be described as a paint by numbers copy of My Bloody Valentine, but I’ve never been much into the latter, so call me ignorant, but I really love Colour Trip. Most tracks sound like they’re being played on a soon-to-be-retired phone on a noisy train, but even so the catchiness manages to reach the surface. Live they were amazing too. Amazingly loud mostly. My love for them might be somehow related to them playing the last ever gig at my favourite London venue the Luminaire (caught some of my favourite gigs ever at that place, not to mention the brilliant warnings written on the wall in that venue telling people to shut while the bands are playing). Maybe I ought to just listen to MBV and likes a bit more, but to be honest I never really loved the likes of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (cringeworthy band name BTW) and countless others so this band must be doing something right.

Random track to listen to: ‘Two Girls’

Nr. 9. Ssion – Bent (self-released)

So what about the bitches in Vietnam? Ssion can definitely be labelled as queer music. The delivery, the choice of words, the almost ode to Fleetwood Mac in one of the songs: people into queer culture can find enough to recognize. Not that the mega moustache and the dramatic clips were trying to hide the message into hard to crack codes only signifying to people in the know. By the way, just to avoid confusion, this is definitely not an album that excludes people from listening to it. It rather has a certain pop sensibility even, which makes most songs rather easy on the ear. The album opens with ‘Listen 2 the Grrrls’,  and that is the best first track I’ve heard in yonkers. So spunky. The rest of the songs are a bit more pop oriented, but with Ssion you always get the feeling he is doing whatever he at that point wants to do. Kind of punkish attitude it all has, without the music sounding like 70s punk by the way. And it is sexy. Something like ‘Luvvbazaar’, his vocals there have this sex thing going on, and the track itself is also a rather sultry affair. This album is self-released, it can be downloaded for free, an amazing decision. Not sure where that came from, but it does allow me to say that you can go and legally get it from his site and see for yourself how fun and sexy this album is.

Random track to listen to: ‘Luvvbazaar’