What Else Is There?

..:: #16 - Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High ::..

With three songs on Only In Dreams almost as good as “He Gets Me High”, the Dum Dum Girls made picking just one of their songs for the list very hard this year. In the end, there was just something about the title track of their He Gets Me High EP that made it stand out from the rest. The girls harmonize over their standard fuzzed out guitars, but there’s also this gritty, warble-tinged guitar that bends and stretches. Forget about the subject of the song, the girls are the ones getting ME high. Best Moment: Every verse (first starting at 0:18) where those descending vocals float down from their lofty heights.

..:: #17 - St. Vincent - Neutered Fruit ::..

St. Vincent’s Annie Clark thrives on minimalism, contrast and a little bit of weird. Luckily, “Neutered Fruit” is ripe with all three. We’ve got a church choir backed by Annie at her most stalker-ish — “Did you ever really stare at me… like I stared at you?” — leading to a creepy and funk-filled breakdown featuring a reverb-laced guitar dancing with a buzzing bass. Sometimes less is more, and Annie’s ability to take us places with only a few simple elements is a gift that seems to just keep getting better. Best Moment: The first time the bass arrives at 1:05 and again when dropping back into things after the bass-a-lude at 2:22.

..:: #18 - The Antlers - I Don’t Want Love ::..

Worn out your copy of Teen Dream? Worry no longer, The Antlers are back with another album and it’s more Beach House than Beach House. The first track “I Don’t Want Love” is soaked in lazy Sunday sunshine. And sure, the song might be about that one girl who you knew was wrong for you but you went against your better judgement and let her ruin love for you anyway, but The Antlers just have an uncanny ability to make feeling hopeless and alone sound so good. Best Moment: Take care that your head doesn’t float away when the guitar first shimmers in at 1:07.

..:: #19 - Portugal. The Man - Sleep Forever ::..

After a listen to “Sleep Forever”, one might not be too surprised to hear that frontman John Gourley was raised in rural Alaska by a pair of dog sled mushers. The lush instrumentation that unfurls behind him seems like it could have been inspired by long stretches of harsh cold and darkness. Yet with each recurring instance of the chorus, Gourley stands confidently and defiant about thoughts of his eventual death. By the time it’s over, I feel as though I could face my end as well, at peace and with a slight smile on my face. Best Moment: The final build up, starting at 5:32.

..:: #20 - DJ Shadow - I’ve Been Trying ::..

While most people just keep wishing DJ Shadow would re-make Entroducing…everyone’s favorite instrumental hip-hop artist has gone on record saying that it just isn’t going to happen. However, it does sound like a little bit of the past has resurfaced on The Less You Know, The Better. “I’ve Been Trying” is reminiscent of The Private Press’ lost-in-time sounding “Six Days” — A lonely guy with a guitar get’s retrofitted by Shadow’s downtempo/trip-hop styled snare, descending chimes and warbled bass. Of course, the most amazing thing is that everything is done so seamlessly, one might have trouble believing that there are no instruments involved here. It’s all just a bunch of samples stitched together. Best Moment: When the chimes join the down on his luck troubadour at 1:02.

..:: #21 - Digitalism - Just Gazin’ ::..

Digitalism is a band known for its neck breaking, bass filled dance tracks. While the Justice-styled stompers are present elsewhere on I Love You, Dude, the most mesmerizing moment of the album turns out to be the combination of intricate melodic strings and fuzzy warbles on “Just Gazin’”. An angelic chorus and a slightly somber female voice top things off, creating an escape that veteran chillout groups like Air or Röyksopp should probably be rather jealous about. Best Moment: The final “easy on me”s that float away into the distance at 2:53.

..:: #22 - Dumbo Gets Mad - Plumy Tale ::..

Recent Italy to LA transplants Dumbo Gets Mad made a resolution when working on their debut album Elephants At The Door: ”No matter what it sounds like, it has to be psychedelic!” And psychedelic it is. The squeaky 60’s-styled organ in “Plumy Tale” sounds as if it was constructed out of bright yellow sunflowers before given a once over by sparkling rainbow paint. Just in case someone thinks we’re actually in the swingin’ decade, a series of 8-bit bleeps and bloops are lightly sprinkled throughout, giving the song a dash of 2011. The summer of love meets the information age? Pass me my LED hula hoop. Best Moment: When that echoing woodblock joins the psych-organ at 0:49.

..:: #23 - Friends - I’m His Girl ::..

Who is this band? Mystical. Funky. Empowering. Provocative. The inflection during the “I’m not just another chick” part. That fucking bell! Argh! Yup. Doin’ it for me. Sure, the whole “girlfriend yet still empowered” trope may be a little played out, but when it comes packaged with so much awesome, it actually works really well. I may not know who Friends are, but I’m definitely keeping my eye out for future releases by them in case any should happen to reach the same levels of deliscoliciousness as this one. Best Moment: That inflection! First appearing at 0:30.

..:: #24 - Azealia Banks - 212 ::..

New York’s newest brat has made a splash this year by asserting her territorial rights. “212″ (the area code for Azealia’s hometown of Manhattan) features plenty of foul mouthed posturing, an MIA sounding bridge and an incredible barrage of assonance. While it’s still only her first song out so far, if she can throw down a couple more jammers even half as good as  ”212″, I’d say we’re in for a treat in 2012. Also, if Azealia and Kreayshawn keep things up, we might get to witness another east coast/west coast hip-hop feud. Although to be hones, I think there’s plenty of room in the buzz-o-spon my hard drive for both of them. Best Moment: Dat assonance, from 0:53 to 1:39.

..:: #25 - Lykki Li - Youth Knows No Pain ::..

While perhaps more known for her tender, breathy voice on songs like “Dance, Dance, Dance” and “Little Bit” from her 2008 debut Youth Novels, I’ve always thought Lykke could have just as much success while getting rowdy. Showing up with an echoing tribal beat and repeated exclamations of “come on get down” on the first track of Wounded Rhymes, Lykke wastes no time in getting our blood moving. Best Moment: The ‘come on get down”s at 0:29 and 1:26.

..:: #26 - Cults - Oh My God ::..

Even though a pre-album EP Cults track found its way onto my best of 2010 list, the NYC duo’s full length has so many gems to choose from, it wasn’t hard to give them another slot in 2011. “Oh My God” rides along with a glimmbering, childlike curiosity. It’s as if someone time machine’d this sparkling electronic track to a 50′s pop group and they realized it was some hotness from the future and just ran with it. Best Moment: When the guitar bursts back in with the “please don’t tell me” at 1:36.

..:: #27 - Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks - Share The Red ::..

“Share The Red” features former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus at his most delicate. I guess he was afraid of losing his dad rock title so he decided to write an actual song about being a dad. Sounds super lame, right? Well, it’s actually quite touching. And while Stephen’s tender crooning isn’t half bad, it’s what he does between the verses that really gets you. Best Moment: Right at 2:01 and 4:14 when that little guitar lick flows effortlessly through his fingers and into the air.

..:: #28 - They Might Be Giants - When Will You Die ::..

Often times we can forget how truly sinister The Might Be Giants can be. Sure, they seem unassuming as they churn out catchy, quirky rock tunes (and even whole children’s albums), but sometimes TMBG are at their best when they embrace their twisted side. “When Will You Die” finds the band considering all the reasons why a particular person really needs to kick the bucket as soon as possible. There’s just something about setting a death wish list to cheerful, poppy guitars and horns that makes me glad to be alive. Best Moment: “And the only way to mitigate would be to know the date you’re scheduled to vacate” at 2:06.

..:: #29 - Justice - On’n’on ::..

It appears Justice has succumbed to the dreaded sophomore slump. Gone are the heavy hitting bass and glitched out beats of Cross. And child choir choruses? Not one in sight. Everything’s been replaced by larger-than-life-styled prog-rock guitars. “On’n’on“‘s stalking throb draws comparisons to “Kashmir,” but while the dark Led Zeppelin song evokes thoughts of impending doom, “On’n’on” elicits feelings of determined hope. Throw in some kazoo-sounding fuzz and a psychedelic flute solo and we’ve got ourselves a banger. Best Moment: When they kick the song into the higher tempo at 0:31 and 1:39.