Space Dust #2

So we have entered 2012 and the world has not sadly blown up, as most people have said when starting out entries like this. That aside, each year I like to do a semi-loose not really overly comprehensive listing of the 6 albums I enjoyed the most over the year. So without further ado, here is a list of that with words, pictures and numbers!

6 great albums to put into your ears from 2011:

St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

A damn sexy album about self destruction, worry and madness. All set to amazingly rough guitar riffs, insane drumming and odd distortions that work together swimmingly. There is just too much to love here and after 3 solidly good albums, I look forward to her next outing.

Memory Tapes - Player Piano

Clunky, strange and flawed, I am still surprised how much this album grew on me. It has a very dark, slow electronic sound to it but with each listen I found myself more entranced by it. It lives in it's own weird, odd universe that I've come to appreciate and highly enjoy.

Washed Out - Within and Without

Perfect fuck music. A++

Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo

Essentially it does sound like another Super Furry Animals album (which is great in it's own right) but Gruff Rhys does a fine job of putting his own nostalgic spin on it. It plays like a lost pop album from the 70's smashed together with a more modern sound. Also to be noted that the track Christopher Columbus is one of the most amazing songs I've heard in awhile.

Omodaka - Sanosa

Not many things earn the saying, "This shit cray" but this shit cray. Over the top electronic beats taped up with chip tunes and a geisha style singer; it is honestly a delightful train wreck of music that is super enjoyable and super bizarre. It might be grating to a few but something about it's hyperactive existence is insanely lovable.

Destroyer - Kaput

Dan Bejar is a lot like Gruff Rhys to me. Both of them are part of bigger bands I enjoy as much as their personal work and both of them put out amazing solo albums this year. Sultry saxophones mixed with synthesizers and dance tracks should be horrible, or even worse, ironic, but on this album it is tactfully executed and amazingly lush. This album got the most plays out of me this year, considering it was released in January but it never left my playlist. A perfect album and amazing last track.