End of year best albums list.

Poor Johnny, too dim to realise that I see that as a massive compliment.

You strange little man.

Johnny, your heart is in the right place but at the end of the day, you're a bit of an oaf.

You forgot to mention you know it cos you're a renowned doctor...

"Oaf" is not a medical diagnosis Barny. I'm just a good judge of people.

Dr, is there any kind of color blindness related with bold black?

You know what I love?
Spending a lot of time on a post to make it interesting and exciting to read and then see it vanish in pages of utter bullshit posts.

Makes it feel so worthwile.

I must say this evening while working I've heard every song you posted

aww

10. Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See

'Moved Your Chair' is, hands down, the worst single the AMs have ever released. It's not even good enough to be classed as AMs by numbers. Pub rock bands wouldn't bother with that riff. 'Brick by Brick' is worse than accidently pishing on your hands. By their high standards, this album is conservative and a definite step backwards. But it does contain a couple of moments of bona fide Alex Turner genius - namely Black Treacle and She's Thunderstorms. In an ideal world, Turner would ditch the rest of them and form a hard rock outfit based around Matt Helders' drumming.

9. Adam Stafford - Build a Harbour Immediately

www.wisebloodindustries.com/bands/adam-stafford/



8. Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding

This is an infinitely better album than Dig Out Your Soul. It's infinitely better than whatever Oasis album was before that. And it's a million miles better than the laughably predictable effort from Dwayne. BDI might never sell out Wembley, they might never be invited to headline a big festival. But I couldn't give a fuck about all that. I was never an Oasis fan because they were successful, like some people on here make out. Following a band is not like fucking supporting Man Utd. 'OOOOOH NOEL HAS SOLD 8 MILLION TICKETS' yeah, and most of them to a cloth-eared, middle-aged arseholes who gave up on music years ago, and still class Kasabian as a 'new band'.

If BDI keep this standard up, I'll happily stick with them. Liam is the hardest working man in rock n' roll. He's much better off working with Andy Bell and Gem Archer, two musicians that will get the best out of him. Better that than being stuck with some lazy, dull millionaire in his 40s who enjoys giving interviews to glossy magazines more than playing gigs. You really can tell so much about a person depending on which album they preferred this year, BDI or Dwayne.



7. The Strokes - Angles

I think most Strokes fans our age have accepted that they'll forever be portrayed as that 'good-looking band that got really hyped in 2002'. The press around Angles just centred around the bad blood between them. No one seems to want to talk about the music anymore, which is a shame - as it's still a cut above the rest. No band out there plays guitar like Albert and Nick. No band has a frontman as compelling as Julian. And no band could write songs like Machu Picchu or Under the Cover of Darkness.



6. British Sea Power - Valhalla Dancefloor

I've banged their drum for years and included every album they've released in every end-of-year list I've written on The Soapy. I'm pleased to see a few people on here rating this album highly. I don't think it's their best, but it's another step forward and an extremely rewarding listen. Best band in the UK, easy.

Key Track: We Are Sound



5. Gruff Ryhs - Hotel Shampoo

A really first rate album from Gruff. He's found a focus in recent years that he previously lacked. He really is an artist at the top of his game. Look at his run of LPs in the past 4 years - it's incredible, from Neon Neon to the past two SFA albums. 'Rubble Rubble' is the finest love song I've heard in years : happycry:

Key Track: Rubble Rubble



4. Three Trapped Tigers – Route One Or Die

I’ve always been a believer that the best way to get into a new band is to see them live before you hear them on record. I saw TTT play at an art school festival in May without knowing their name or anything about them. I was blown away. Their drummer alone is incredible. Easily the most exciting new guitar band I’ve heard this year, although ‘new’ in the sense that no one outside of TCOTU knew about them – they’ve been around for three years. The record is very good – captures their live sound well, keeps your attention all the way through and lays it on thick when things get their most HUGE sounding.

Key track: Creepies



3. Tyler, The Creator – Goblin
Yonkers is the undisputed single of the year for me. As a statement of intent, it’s unmatched. I’ve listened to other OFWGKTA albums more this year, Radical in particular, but this solo effort is a different proposition. It’s a difficult and challenging listen, but as Sam said on here – it’s the record he had to make before he could move on. I expect big things to come.

Key track: Yonkers



2. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

It’s a rare thing these days when you often get an entire new album before hearing one particular track, but I was so excited about this album after hearing the lead single. I downloaded ‘The Words That Maketh Murder’ and was hooked. The lyrics are what sets this record apart, you can tell the years of work it’s taken her to get them right. Talking about war can easily make you sound like an arse – especially if you have no experience of it yourself. But she captures the horror, and the humour, and sets it to a stunning musical backdrop. I’m still gutted I missed the opportunity to see her play it live in September.

Key Track: The Words That Maketh Murder



1. Action Bronson & Statik Selektah – Well-done

Like most people I first heard about AB through Super Johnny’s post earlier this year. I was hugely impressed with ‘Shiraz’ and, of course, was blown away at the prospect of a white Albanian rapper-chef from NYC with a keen sense of humour and a love of good food. I enjoyed Dr Lecter, but this collaboration with Statik Selektah ticks a lot more boxes for me. It’s crammed full of tunes, great beats and brilliant rhymes - smokin’ like a pork shoulder as AB puts it. It’s the breakout record that AB had to make - no more playin’ the sidelines. I’ve had more enjoyment out of this record than any other, which means I’ve got to put it at number one, ahead of PJ Harvey – just.

Key Track: Time For Some

Been a Whitmore fan for years, backstreets. Forgot he put out Field Songs. Thanks for the reminder. Jamming now.

I'm glad you came around to the monkeys album Chrissie. I remember you not being much of a fan of it when it was released. I'm not sure how I feel about it next to their other records, I'm a bit bummed out on them now after not enjoying them at the 02. I'm sure when I return to them after a long break I'll be monkeyforit once more.

Great to hear. Everytime I put on Field Songs on my vinly player it feels like I'm transported to the harsh landscapes of the US.
As portraying a feel and plant images in your head it might be the best of 2011.

Gotta take back what I wrote about Fucked Up not being mentioned. David drops the name all over the place at the start of this thread. Sorry about that David, but then again, it's hard to see through all the rubbish you post these days. So I blame you.

Whitmore's a fun, crazy dude. The shit he describes are the places I'm from. He makes them sound so, fuck, I dunno, desolate. Great place to live. He is from Lee County. I'm from a county north, Henry. I now live in Polk county with a Turk.

Last time I saw Whitmore he bought me a shot of Jack Daniels. Legend.

Yeah, I think it's the desolate emotions that he portrays that speaks a lot to me as well as I'm born in a very small town. Sweden can be very desolate but in a different way, in the tons of thick forests we have compared to your open landscapes.
But it's the same feeling of desolation I think.

Anyway, he was the support when I went to see Gaslight Anthem but of course I didn't know that so I went inside after he had played. Still hate myself for it..

srk's top 10 albums of the year

10. Ryan Adams - Ashes and fire

I guess I'm the opposite of most around here, in that I prefer his stuff with the Cardinals to the solo stuff. That said...I liked this. Nice 'n mellow.

9. The Streets - Computers & Blues

Nice swan song. I hated the last album, so this was a good little comeback. Interested to see where he goes from here. "I see alice in wonderland, I see malice in sunderland" never fails to make me laugh.

8. Wilco - the whole love

I don't really like wilco, but the first half of this album, which sounds nothing like normal wilco, is masterful. The other half, which sounds like normal wilco...isn't.

7. The Black Keys - El Camino.

If this is them going commercial, fine by me. Nice and catchy.

6. Elbow - Build a rocket, boys!

Not as good as 'the seldom seen kid'. Still really good.

5. Sloan - The double cross

Canadian power pop. Their 20th anniversary year (hence the "double XX"), and some of their best work in years.

4. REM - Collapse into now

They'd been dull for years, but their last two albums were great. Shame to see them break up before I got a chance to see them live.

3. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Love it. Though I hatehatehatehate what that cunty bearded producer did with record machine.

2. Arctic Monkeys - Suck it and see

Their best since their first.

1. PJ Harvey - Let England shake

Never heard anything else like it. I hesitate to use the word 'masterpiece' but this pretty much deserves it. Remarkable work.


Biggest disappointment of the year - radiohead - the king of limbs. They put nothing out for 3 years and then they come out with an 8 song album, 3 of which can barely be classified as "songs". Fuck 'em.

srk's top 5 gigs by old people in 2011

1. Paul McCartney. Saw him twice on back to back nights. Totally worth it. And he played 'the night before' and 'things we said today'.
2. Justin Townes Earle. He's not old, but he might as well be. In a small tent at the ottawa folk festival, just him and two girls on stand-up bass and fiddle, and he tore the place down. Brilliant.
3. Beady Eye. Saw them about 10 hours after we buried my grandfather. Had to change flights and pay $300 more just to get there, but the moment Liam walked out in the union jacket parka totally made it worth it.
4. The Soundtrack of our lives. Tiny club in toronto to see the last great rock'n roll band out there.
5. Prince. Paaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrt-ay!
Bonus minnesota content:
5. Bob Dylan. He's been shit the last few times I've seen him, but out of the blue, the old man pulled out a great show.

Saddest gig: Levon Helm. His voice is fucked. (And yes, I know that's ironic putting this right after I said a Bob Dylan gig was good, so no need to point it out.)

Lol, abs got owned owned pretty hard in this thread. Kinda funny to see he travels all across the world to try and convince people he's a happy man when others only need to listen to the wonderful Different Gear, Still Speeding to realize that life is beautiful.

A big compliment for all the people who have put so much effort in making in these lists. Top notch!

Yeah, that's why I do it.

Your life is such an eternal drudgery it probably helps you a great deal to pretend people like me are secretly unhappy

I would imagine if it wasnt for that you'd probably struggle to even get out of bed.