Joey's Top 10 of 2011 (#4)

So Jessica and Danny asked me to be "Guest Blogger Guy" for this week and post my Top 10 songs of 2011 and I jumped at the opportunity. I LOVE music and I think the concept of this blog is awesome. I'm thrilled to be able to contribute! So, without further adieu, my Top 10 and a little something on why I like each song or why it's special to me... #10 Louder Than Ever, Cold War Kids The Cold War Kids are one of my favorite bands. They've had a pretty distinct sound that is gritty, messy, and a bit bluesy at times so I was worried when I heard they were going for more of a "polished" sound on their 3rd album. My fears were calmed when I heard this! Great song. #9 Make Some Noise, Beastie Boys There is no deep thinking involved with this one. This is just a super fun track with a funky beat by three Hip Hop pioneers from Brooklyn. Word homies... word. #8 I Follow Rivers, Lykke Li I was first exposed to Lykke Li last year when she appeared on the "Twilight, New Moon" soundtrack. She is Swedish, which is awesome because this is exactly how I picture Swedish Pop music sounding. Lucky Swedes!!! #7 Satellite, The Kills I love it when songs take on physical characteristics and mimic things like machines or animals. This song almost has a chugging effect, like it's a train barreling down on you. It is a brooding rock song that has a certain haunting quality to it. Alison Mosshart leads the way on vocals and the tone of her voice compliments the mood of this song perfectly. I love it. #6 Blood Pressure, Mutemath Like my brother, Mutemath is probably my favorite band. These guys are constantly looking for fun, fresh, and innovative ways to make records. You can hear an evolution from album to album, and while that's not always a good thing in this case it is. It's refreshing. Mutemath has fine tuned their sound and on "Blood Pressure" they flex their muscle. #5 Helena Beat, Foster The People Foster The People is an interesting band. In 2011 they gained enormous amounts of fans and popularity, yet there are those in the music industry who hate them and view them as everything that's wrong with Indie Music. They're an invasion of cheesy pop and cliched gloss that takes direct aim at the masses with safe and catchy songs. It doesn't help that they are lead by a former commercial jingle writer. One write up marks Foster' as the official tipping point for Indie Music from subculture to marketable commodity... Insecure much? To hate on a band just because your little sister also likes them, or God forbid your parents (GASP!!!) is just plain childish. KDWB and every other "Top 40" Pop farm did get their hands on "Pumped up Kicks", but maybe that's because it's just a good song. Either way, "Torches" is a fantastic album. "Helena Beat" is my favorite, but you could just throw a dart at the track list and hit gold. #4 Simple Math, Manchester Orchestra If you have ever wondered what it meant for a song to "soar" just give this one ride. I remember the first time I heard it. I was in my car in the parking lot outside my work. I was so desperate to hear the new Manchester that I pulled it up on my phone via a Youtube clip. Yikes! Add that to the fact that my expectations were sky high and you have a recipe for disaster... By the end of the song I was engulfed in goosebumps and giggling like a little boy. It is a rare and special thing when a song has that kind of immediate impact on you. "Simple Math" literally blessed me that day. #3 Calgary, Bon Iver Bon Iver was an enigma to me. They were one of those bands that everyone else seemed to love and I just didn't understand. I don't know if it was Justin Vernon's voice or the pacing, but something never quite clicked with me. When their self titled "Bon Iver" album dropped earlier this year I decided I would give it a couple spins and see if anything stuck. It would be on in the background while I was hanging with the fam or cleaning. Then, suddenly, I loved it. I truly, genuinely loved it. It was like one of those "Magic Eye" puzzles where you stare at a blurry page for a couple of minutes and then all of the sudden a Humming Bird jumps out at you! "Calgary" is patient and rewarding. SO happy I found it. #2 Abducted, Cults Cults, along with Foster The People, are my favorite new acts of 2011. Cults is a unique and retro band with a throwback sound. I was first turned on to them by their breakout hit "Go Outside" but was pleasantly surprised when this track jumped out and slapped me across the face! "Abducted" starts off with a whisper but quickly bares it's teeth and erupts! For maximum listening pleasure turn the volume up as loud as you can handle..... then turn it up just a little more. #1 Helplessness Blues, Fleet Foxes For my list I apply just a few basic rules. One rule is I won't put more than one song in from the same band. If I didn't apply this rule to myself things could've very easily spiraled out of control and turned into my "Top 10 Fleet Foxes songs of 2011". This album is packed with gem after gem , but the crown jewel here is the title track "Helplessness Blues". Society preaches "Individualism", "You! You! You! It's all about YOU!!!", and "Survival of the fittest" where lead singer Robin Pecknold hints that there might be a better way to live. A more communal way, where I can rely on you and you can do the same of me. A simple way of life where I can just go to work on my freaking orchard, enjoy the fruits of my labor, and provide for my loved ones. When the rest of the world is telling you to dream big, Fleet Foxes dares us to dream small, and I love them for that.


2011 was a SUPER good year for music and 2012 looks very promising! There are multiple heavy hitters, and personal favorites due to drop albums in the next 365 days. Allow me to get your musical mouth watering... Mumford & Sons, The Shins, The XX, Muse, MGMT, Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer, Andrew Bird, Gnarles Barkley, and Sigur Ros all have new material due! Happy New Year indeed!!!