What Else Is There?

..:: #1 - Man Man - Dark Arts ::..

The five person, warpaint wearing troupe Man Man is back with their fourth album and it is absolutely their best one yet. “Dark Arts” is the standout track on Life Fantastic and it is frantic, sinister, and utterly brutal. Organ and bass stride along urgently, marimba mallets go flying through the air, all manner of dishware are smashed. Frontman Honus Honus recounts his latest vision quest, brought on by a drug fueled motorcycle accident and if you’d like to go along for the ride, you’d better make sure you’re strapped in. As each chorus brings us closer to the edge of the cliff, Spanish guitar fills and frenzied yelps separate Honus’ repeated call and response query of “Can you feel it?” If you heed any advice in 2012, do yourself a favor and catch these guys the next time they come through your neck of the woods so you can answer him back with your own shout of ”I can feel it!” You’ll be glad you did. Best Moment: “Mister dagger meet mister BAACK. Inseparable, together at LAAST!” at 2:19.

..:: #2 - tUnE-yArDs - You Yes You ::..

Everything about Merrill Garbus’ “You Yes You” is pretty much perfect. The funky swagger she sets up with nothing more than swiftly clicking drums and a simple bassline. The way her ukulele tumbles and dances, advances and recedes. And, of course, her incredible voice, as it swings, snarls and serenades so deftly, changing her mood from sweet, to soulful, to gritty and back again, all within the same line. There’s a reason this girl has been getting heaps of praise this year, and “You Yes You”s heartwarming, affirmation of life and love is my favorite one. Best Moment: While the whole song is brimming with amazing moments, the best part might be the circular yelp that sprouts up at 1:38.

..:: #3 - Purity Ring - Lofticries ::..

With the death of electroclash in recent years, I’ve been craving some dark, hard hitting, electro-hop. Luckily, I may have found what I’ve been looking for in Purity Ring. While the band still only has a few singles out so far, “Lofticries” is a lush slice of perfection. The chilling, creep-out jam sounds like something The Knife might have put together (assuming they had a non-Karin Andersson vocalist), but the normalcy of the singer only adds to the unsettling vibe. What is that poor girl doing in a song like this? Surely she must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. Isn’t anyone going to save her? Best Moment: Every time the screwed voice effect drops down twice in quick succession like it does at 0:07, 0:24 and 1:50.

..:: #4 - My Morning Jacket - The Day Is Coming ::..

While My Morning Jacket has a reputation for being a band that thrives in a live setting, “The Day Is Coming” is one of their studio cuts that stands up on its own. Even though we’re not told exactly what day is coming, Jim James’ assurance that it’s near fills me with excitement all the same. The music itself sounds like an impending event slowly creeping in our direction while the band gingerly urges it along with echoing vocals and shimmering strings. Trust me when I say, this is one mysterious journey you don’t want to miss. Best Moment: When the echoing “bah-bah”s resume their dance with the glimmering strings at 1:55.

..:: #5 - Washed Out - Eyes Be Closed ::..

Let’s face it, the eye widening powers of that triple-delayed opening wave on “Eyes Be Closed” is undeniable, and shows us why Washed Out is still the leading the pack of 2009′s most bloggable new genre. Just in case you’re still wondering if chillwave is just a trendy buzzword, consider this: Fred & Carrie even used “Feel It All Around” for the opening to their new show Portlandia, and they could not have picked a better song. On “Eyes Be Closed,” Ernest Greene employs his signature strategy of layering fuzz on top of sparkles and driving the whole thing along with synths and snares dipped in yesterday. Best Moment: The moment when that second wave of synths cascades over the first one at 0:42 and then they hang out and shimmer together is probably the single greatest musical moment of the year. Turn it on, turn it up, and let Washed Out bathe you in it.

..:: #6 - Kurt Vile - Puppet To The Man ::..

I’m not sure if Kurt Vile could have picked a more fitting title for his newest album. Every song on it feels like it was conceived inside somewhere dark, smoky and mysterious. On “Puppet To The Man” guitars burble, creak and wash over each other while Kurt’s voice shape-shifts through many forms. One minute he sounds like Lou Reed, but then out of nowhere his voice stretches out and reverberates inside my skull. I don’t know how the guy manages to make so many sounds out of his voice and guitars, but as long as he keeps on doing it, I’ll be happy. Best Moment: Kurt’s final request of “will you help me doooo it? Will you help me do it?” at 3:08.

..:: #7 - Yuck - Get Away ::..

So we’ve already heard all the comparisons ad nauseam: Dinosaur Jr, Pavement, Sonic Youth, blah blah blah. Sure, Yuck’s 90′s revival sound might be their defining characteristic, but it’s not the reason they’re good. The reason their self-titled debut’s opening salvo “Get Away” has been so lauded is because it’s executed perfectly. The dirty guitar starts things up, only to be supplemented by the second guitar’s slow whine. Then a quick taste of the main riff before Daniel Blumberg breaks things down. But where most bands would be content with the song so far, rinse/repeat it a couple times and call it a day, Yuck ups the ante and drops into a third part that really brings it home. Best Moment: “Summer sun says get out more, I need you, I want you” at 1:43.

..:: #8 - Teams vs. Star Slinger - The Yes Strut ::..

Chillwave artist Teams and instrumental hip-hop-ist Star Slinger have joined forces to create sexiest slow jam of 2011. ”The Yes Strut” includes the ‘digging through record bins’ sampling quality of DJ Shadow or The Avalanches and combined it with a lazy, fuzzed out sheen. That said, there’s really only one thing left to do: Find your crush, lead them to the bedroom and let this song do the rest. Best Moment: The first time that sparkle washes over everything at 0:50.

..:: #9 - Tom Vek - A Chore ::..

They come in one at a time. First the stammering, echoing synths. Then a lonely drumset. Next creeps in the bass, mirroring the path forged by the keys and kickdrum. Finally Mr. Vek himself shows up, filling the gaps in the syncopated rhythm with his somber realization that sometimes life isn’t always sunshine and roses. But when everything comes seamlessly together, it feels good. Best Moment: When the guitar bursts in on the lead up to the chorus at 0:56, 1:45 and 2:56.

..:: #10 - Elzhi - It Ain’t Hard To Tell ::..

2011 is the year former Slum Village member Elzhi decided to release an impressive project: A remake of Nas’ breakout album Illmatic in its entirety. For the final track, “It Ain’t Hard To Tell,” the 90’s style beat gets a 21st century update while Elzhi takes Nas’ boasting and transforms it into tales of growing up and learning to write and spit rhymes in Detroit. Dare I say, the fresh take on this classic track is as good as the original, and if you’ve ever known someone who fancies themselves a NaS fan, you probably know this is no simple feat. Best Moment: “Born with this (A)rm, (L)eg, (L)eg, (A)rm (H)ead like a Quran line” at 0:33.

..:: #11 - Phantogram - Don’t Move ::..

The best track on Phantogram’s newest EP has a little of everything that makes the band so enchanting. Syncopated drums, Sarah Barthel’s dreamy voice and plenty of swirling synths and guitar. But it’s the chopped up electronic horn and vocal sample that keeps bringing me back. The way it wraps itself around that beat before letting Sarah and her Korg weave in and out makes it pretty hard to keep my body still. Sorry Phantogram, if you’re going to keep writing songs like this, you’d better get used to our “shake, shake, shake.” Best Moment: When all the parts unite at 2:19 and dance together.

..:: #12 - Toro y Moi - Go With You ::..

My second favorite of the “big 3″ chillwave acts, Toro y Moi separates himself from the pack by adding a bit of funk to his hazy bedroom pop. “Go With You” kicks off with a wicked syncopated organ and eventually melds into a dreamy soundscape filled with echoing xylophones, funky bass and shimmering synths. The end result is a track as tasty as a perfectly ripe pomelo. Best Moment: While the drop into the driving chorus at 1:43 is really good, I still think my favorite part is when the organ and guitar play off of each other at the very start.

..:: #13 - Thee Oh Sees - I Need Seed ::..

Although slightly sunnier than most Thee Oh Sees tracks, “I Need Seed” retains some of the band’s signature weirdness with the addition of a creepy vocal effect. It sounds as if a team of zombies stumbled upon some guitars and a tambourine on the beach and decided to put their quest for brains on hold so they could kick out a jam. The result is the perfect soundtrack for a summertime apocalypse. Best Moment: Every time John Dwyer’s undead counterpart repeats a line back at himself.

..:: #14 - The Joy Formidable - Whirring ::..

Aggressive, yet dreamy. Assailing, yet transcendent. “Whirring” is nothing if not an intense ride. The first half of the song has Ritzy Bryan belting out curses to an unknown being — “You make me sleep so badly, invisible friend” — while the rest of the band chugs along beside her. However, the real treat is that the first half of the song is but a launchpad for the 4 minute path of destruction that follows. The Joy Formidable hitch themselves to The Smashing Pumpkins “Rocket” but instead of landing on Neptune they don’t stop until they’re firebombing alien planets in another galaxy with layers of guitars and a barrage of drums and bass. Best Moment: Pretty much the entire final salvo, starting at 2:49 and continuing through the end of the song.

..:: #15 - Unknown Mortal Orchestra - How Can U Luv Me ::..

Unknown Mortal Orchestra is one of those groups that likes questioning what year we’re in. ”How Can U Luv Me” is equal parts funky falsetto, washed out guitar jangle and lo-fi snare. When these three are combined we’re left with a mash up of hazy 60’s psychedelia and groovy 70’s disco. Everyone knows music is more fun when you can’t pin down what decade it’s from, right? Best Moment: The first time the vocals and guitar join forces at 0:42.