Top Songs of 2011 - Volume 1

So I am only a month and a half late getting to this, but all that matters is I am finally here.  It’s time to share my opinions about the year 2011 and the things I enjoyed during its brief time with us.

First up, music, more specifically, my favorite songs of 2011 (my list of favorite albums will be coming soon).  When I started putting together a playlist with my favorite songs, I realized that it would be too difficult to narrow it down to 10 or even 20 songs.  Turns out I liked a lot of music released last year.  I ended up selecting 50 songs, organized into two volumes.  I will make these songs available, as I have in years past.  I'm also including links to Youtube whenever possible for immediate listening.  In most cases, I've selected either official music videos or official recordings; I've selected a few live recordings of which I'm particularly fond.

On we go.

Top Songs of 2011, Volume 1 (in no particular order, for the most part):

1. “Midnight City” – M83.  When I first heard this song played by a friend on turntable.fm, I liked it well enough, but it didn’t strike me as anything extraordinary.  But I kept listening to “Midnight City” and somehow the song got better and better with each subsequent listen until I realized that, after fifty or so plays, it was definitely my favorite song of the year.  It’s catchy, propulsive, surprisingly affective, and the killer sax outro is just icing on the cake.
2. “Bed of Nails” – Wild Beasts.  This song forced me to pay attention to Wild Beasts.  I’d heard one of their earlier songs and enjoyed it, but I never felt the need to delve further into their discography.  When their new album Smother  started getting very positive reviews, I decided to check it out.  This is my favorite song from the album and a top 5 of the year.  Smooth is the best way to describe this song, and not in a Kenny G or Michael Bolton way or anything.  The vocal interlude at the two minute mark gets me every time.
3. “It’s Real” – Real Estate.  Another top 5 song of the year – I promise there will only be 5 top 5 songs of the year on my list.  This song, from the shimmering guitars, the soaring vocals in the chorus, and the simple and unassuming lyrics, perfectly captures the feel of a late summer afternoon at the beach or driving through the countryside with the windows down.  Just one of many amazing songs on one of my favorite albums of the year. 
4. “The Way It Goes” – Gillian Welch.  Hey, it’s the first song on this list that isn’t a top 5 song of the year.  This is still a great little folk song.  (What is it with the term folk that I hate so much and causes me to hesitate in describing a song or artist I like as folk?)  Anyway, this is a straightforward song: two acoustic guitars, female lead vocals with male backing vocals, and nothing else.  Nothing unnecessary, nothing wasted.
5. “The Heron and the Fox” – Little Scream.  I blogged about this song earlier in the year.  This song, the standout from Little Scream’s debut album The Golden Record, captivated me from the first time I heard.  There is something about Laurel Sprengelmeyer’s voice and lyrics that hits me hard in the spot where I feel things and stuff.  I’m not joking.
6. “A Dedication” – Washed Out.  Within and Without is a very good album, and this is its excellent final track.  I love the moment the drums kick in and give this otherwise solemn track a little forward momentum.  This is pretty much a perfect song to end an album and a perfect way to end a day.
7. “Cheerleader” – St. Vincent.  Sometimes Annie Clark’s consistency prevents me from truly appreciating her music, but that’s more a knock against me than it is against her.  This is my second favorite song from her very solid 2011 album Strange Mercy.
8. “Abducted” – Cults.  I first heard this song on NPR and knew instantly that this little gem of pop perfection would be one of my favorite songs of the year.  Cults self-titled album has a number of excellent tracks, but nothing quite as good as this song.
9. “Black Night” – Dodos.  The band Dodos deserves more recognition than it gets, and I definitely should listen to them more than I do.  This is a fantastic album opener that moves forward with unrelenting momentum.  It’s easily one of the most physical songs to make the list.  I think that description will make more sense once you listen to the song.
10. “Repetition”– TV on the Radio.  While I wasn’t able to get into TV on the Radio’s latest album as much as some of their prior albums, this song is easily lumped in with their best work.  One of the better rock songs of the year.
11. “Gangsta”– Tune-Yards.  Nothing on my list up to this point could really be considered weird or different, but this song is definitely not run of the mill.  Merrill Garbus, a.k.a Tune-Yards, is not concerned with conforming to any outside expectations when it comes to her music.  It’s hard to describe her music; it’s a strange hybrid of elements that works far better than it has any right to.
12. “House of Balloons” – The Weeknd.  If there is a glaring hole in my musical exposure, it’s got to be hip-hop and R&B.  I know those genres have a lot of worthwhile music, but when I think about the effort it would take to immerse myself enough to find the artists and songs worth listening to, it seems easier to remain in ignorance.  That being said, The Weeknd is one group I managed to check out, though I mostly just listened to this one song over and over.  It’s an awesome, dark R&B track with a steady beat and fantastic chorus.  That’s all I need.
13. “Remain Nameless” – Florence and the Machine.  This isn’t a typical Florence and the Machine song; in fact, it was a b-side released only on the deluxe version of her latest release, Ceremonials.  Instead of the soaring orchestral pop she’s built her career on, Florence turns in a dark (there’s that word again) electro-pop track that sounds more like Zola Jesus.  Her powerful vocals work so well over the industrial synths and percussion.  I could go for a whole album of songs like these.
14. “Replica”– Oneohtrix Point Never.  This song continues with the darker tone the mix has fallen into.  I don’t really know much about Oneohtrix Point Never, but this somber track is haunting.
15. “Vessel”– Zola Jesus.  Zola Jesus is the stage name of a Nika Danilova, a 22 year-old girl from Wisconsin who utilizes industrial, classical, operatic, and electronic elements to make amazing music.  This was one of my later discoveries of 2011, but I’m looking forward to following this extremely talented artist for years to come.
16. “omamori”– Elite Gymnastics.  As I write this up, I’m reminded how futile it is to try and categorize music.  I could try and call this another intricate and dense electro-pop song, but I feel that doesn’t do it justice.  It’s just an excellent song.  That should be enough.
17. “I Follow Rivers” – Lykke Li.  I’ve been a fan of Lykke Li since the release of her debut album in 2008, and her follow-up, Wounded Rhymes, did not disappoint.  This is just one of many excellent songs worth checking out.
18. “Polish Girl” – Neon Indian.  It really was a fairly boring year in terms of guitar-based rock music.  It just seems like those people making electronic influenced music are more creative right now.  This song, with its undeniable groove, is proof.
19. “Last Minute” – Hooray for Earth.  Sails is an amazing album, and Hooray for Earth is a terrific band that rocks live.  This song has a great melody and epic production.  Best results when played loud.
20. “Some Children” – Holy Ghost.  This song, ladies and gentlemen, is a jam.  Don’t let the flowery vocal intro fool you – just wait for that bass groove and lock yourself in for the duration.  Oh yeah, Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers sings on the track, and that’s pretty cool.
21.  “In the Grace of Your Love” – The Rapture.  The Rapture returned with their first album in 5 years, and it is very solid.  This track, which shares its name with the album, is my favorite, mostly because of the vocals starting around the 4 minute mark.
22.  “Think You Can Wait” – The National ft. Sharon Van Etten.  After releasing one of my favorite albums of 2010, The National spent most of the year touring but managed to record and release a few very excellent tracks.  This song, written for and included in the movie Win Win, shows the band’s more subdued and restrained side.  The inclusion of Sharon Van Etten, my biggest musical discovery of 2011, is the icing on the cake.
23.  “Doubt”– Wye Oak.  Civilian is a very solid album by a very talented duo, a lady playing guitar and singing, and a guy drumming and singing and somehow playing keyboard at the same time.  This song doesn’t show it, but they most definitely rock.  I’ve seen it with my own two eyes/heard it with my own two ears.
24.  “Helplessness Blues” – Fleet Foxes.  Volume 1 is pretty top-heavy with four of my top 5 songs of the year, but I don’t care.  This song is transcendent.  The lyrics (particularly the final verse), the vocals, the harmonies, the entrance of the entire band.  It’s all glorious.  I know it’s cliché to say a song just speaks to you, but I don’t care.  Sometimes it’s true.
25.  “All the Same” – Real Estate.  Hey, it’s the final song for Volume 1.  Real Estate isn’t a band that comes to mind when I think of epic final tracks, but they delivered one with this song.  I figured that if it works so well as the closer for their great album, then it would work just fine closing out this volume of my year end mix.  Enjoy.

So there is the first half of my favorite songs of the year.  You can download my Top Songs of 2011, Volume 1 in two pieces (Part 1 and Part 2).  Volume 2 will be along whenever I can get around to it, as will be my Top 10 Albums of 2011.

Enjoy.

Or don’t. 

But you probably should.

P.S.  I'd love to hear what everyone else enjoyed from 2011.  Feel free to comment.