Our 10 Favorite Albums of 2011 - Nr. 08

And so its the end of the year again (or the start) and we have listened to an awful lot of music, the people here. And two of us managed to churn out some words on what we consider as our favorite albums of 2011. So enjoy, hope it proves to function both as a tip sheet and as a salute to good music.

Stef:

08. Reverso 68 – Well Heeled Vol. One (Special Interest)

You know what, I always forget how good of an album this really is. However, I generally need to actively remind myself to put it on once in a while, so where do you put an album like that on the list? But this is just a collection of fabulous tunes. Chances are you are hooked by the time miss Izma herself, Eartha Kitt, gets her vocals in on ‘Earthy Powers’ (and yes, that is a pun I reckon), and otherwise the instrumental tracks will get you into hooked mode soon enough. 

Some of those starts are just amazing, like for ‘Sensational Dub’, and especially for ‘All Things in a Dream’, which gets me to physically stand up every time I hear that because it is simply so awesome. I do, however, love my vocals, and maybe there aren’t quite enough of them on here which bumps it down a bit. This album is full of tuneage though, and it just rolls on like a you-know-what. Some awesome vintage sounds in there, and it all runs soooo very smoothly. And that’s a skill, ya know?

Well Heeled Volume One - by Reverso 68

Linda:

08.    YACHT – Shangri-La (DFA)

I managed to miss out on this one last time I had a go at cataloguing 2011’s best music. Perhaps it was because I didn’t really expect YACHT to be as amazing on record as they are live, and anyone who has listened to their previous attempts at capturing their live enthusiasm on an album  will probably agree with that. Therefore, it wasn’t till I had the actual pleasure of seeing this album being performed live that it really hit me that the tracks themselves were at least as good as the crazy but fantastic live routine (and accompanying powerpoint presentation). 

With their former label pals LCD Soundsystem retiring, there is an enormous gap to be filled, but with DFA coming up with bands like this, I don’t think many people will notice that James Murphy and friends have left the stage.  The album is off to one of the best openings of the year with the combination of ‘Utopia’ (best bass line of the year!) and ‘Dystopia’, which combined with a nifty video ought to be compulsory viewing/listening for anyone pretending to love music. But however much you might like, or even love the album when listening to it, the live experience is nothing like it and only to be recommended.

Dystopia (The Earth is on Fire) by RADIO YACHT