2011 Odds and Ends

Posted on December 22, 2011 by bgibs122

Today concludes Ranting About Music’s 2011 year-end coverage. For this entry, I thought I’d hand out a few miscellaneous awards, and put down some of my favorite songs this year. If none of your favorites show up, I’m sorry, but consider this a more editorial entry than the past few days. So let’s start!

Let it Rock: 2010 was a bad year for radio rock, but things turned around somewhat in 2011. Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, The Strokes, and The Black Keys all put out decent to great albums with strong singles. The only downside is that it feels like no one’s really crossing over from alt/indie that much, except maybe The Joy Formidable and Foster the People. Either way, this was a good year for rock.

Albums I Wish I’d Digested More:
1. Thurston Moore – Demolished Thoughts: I lost my copy a few days after getting it in the mail, only to find it the other day.
2. tUnE – yArDs – W H O K I L L: I listened to this one plenty, but never found as much to say about it as everyone else. It was weird, fun, and good, but something about it didn’t click with me, kind of like Dirty Projectors in 2009.
3. Atlas Sound – Parallax: I actually wanted to review this one, but circumstances kept getting in the way of listening to it enough to verbalize a solid opinion on it. Despite that, it’s still a personal favorite. On a related note…

Albums I Didn’t Review, but Really Liked Anyway:
P.S. Eliot – Sadie
The Wonder Years – Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing
Flogging Molly – Speed of Darkness
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Sonoio – Sonoio (red)

Albums Given the Most Second Chances
Lady Gaga – Born This Way
Radiohead – The King of Limbs
Angels & Airwaves – LOVE pt. 2
Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver

Songs That Appeared on the Hot 100 at Some Point That I Wish Made the Year-end Hot 100
Taylor Swift – The Story of Us
Selena Gomez and The Scene – Love You Like a Love Song
Coldplay – Paradise
Foo Fighters – Rope
Florence +the Machine – Shake It Out
Lupe Fiasco feat. Skylar Grey – Words I Never Said 

Hit Song I Still Don’t See the Appeal of
Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack, Nayer – Give Me Everything: I guess this was only big because “Party Rock Anthem” hadn’t caught on yet?

Worst #1 of the year: Katy Perry – Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)

Best #1 of the year: Adele – Rolling in the Deep

Most Improved Hit Artist: Ke$ha: She only had two hits this year, neither of which I hated. “We R Who We R” was actually shortlisted for the Best Hits list, and “Blow” was a decent, if not especially memorable, song.

Least Improved Hit Artist: Bruno Mars: I still love “Nothin’ on You”, and the dude helped write “Fuck You”, but hits of his own this year, “The Lazy Song” and “Grenade”, did absolutely nothing for me.

Saddest Songs:
1. Amanda Palmer – Bad Wine and Lemon Cake
2. Adele – Someone Like You
3. The Roots – Sleep
4. The National – Exile Vilify
5. Bon Iver – Holocene

25 Favorite Songs of the Year (in no order)
1. The Mountain Goats – Estate Sale Sign
2. Foo Fighters – Arlandria
3. Arctic Monkeys – Reckless Serenade
4. Flogging Molly – Power’s Out
5. Florence + the Machine – No Light, No Light
6. The Horrors – Endless Blue
7. Candy Hearts – Sleepy Kisses
8. Lady Gaga – Heavy Metal Lover
9. P.S. Eliot – Talk
10. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Everybody’s on the Run
11. Drake – Take Care
12. Radiohead – Separator
13. Atlas Sound – Te Amo
14. blink-182 – MH 4.18.2011
15. M83 – Midnight City
16. Dropkick Murphys -Going Out in Style
17. The Decemberists – Down By the Water
18. Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin’
19. The Roots – Make My
20. Sonoio – Enough
21. The Strokes – Under Cover of Darkness
22. Trent Reznor/Karen O – Immigrant Song
23. Wavves feat. Best Coast – Nodding Off
24. tUnE-yArDs – Gangsta
25.  St. Vincent – Cruel

And thus concludes List Week! I’m taking the weekend off for Christmas, and regular Ranting About Music activity will resume the week after. Wishing you and yours a happy holidays, and looking forward to more great music to rant about in 2012!

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7 Favorite/Best Albums of 2011

Posted on December 21, 2011 by bgibs122

Ranting About Music’s year-end round up reaches its penultimate entry today with my list of what I think are the best/my favorite albums of the year. Such a list isn’t going to be definitive, especially in a year that A.V. Club’s Steven Hyden calls “The Year of No Important Albums”, but I consider each of these a cut above the rest, and albums I listened to/loved the most. Why seven? Why the hell not, let’s begin!

7. Foo Fighters – Wasting Light

The state of rock in 2010 was absolutely dismal; mainstream rock struggled under the air of club pop and Autotune R&B. Leave it to Foo Fighters frontman, and overall nice guy Dave Grohl, to look ahead at 2011 and say, “Challenge accepted”. Recorded in Grohl’s garage studio, and produced by alt. rock veteran Butch Vig (looking forward to that new Garbage record, Butch), Wasted Light is the Foos’ most bare-knuckle album to date. Opener “Bridge Burning” acts as a one-song summary of what the band’s done best over seven albums, and “Rope” is one of the group’s most controlled singles in years. The band never lets up over nine other tracks, including the bone-crushing “White Limo” and the frantic “A Matter of Time”. Vig’s production makes these songs sound simultaneously headphone and arena friendly, and the band rocks as hard in their 40s as they did in their 20s.

6. Candy Hearts – Everything’s Amazing & Nobody’s Happy

New Jersey pop-punksters Candy Hearts sharpened up just about every aspect of their music for Everything’s Amazing, the follow-up to last year’s great Ripped Up Jeans and Silly Dreams. The threadbare production gives the songs more punch without slowing them down; “Lighter Than the Air”, “Jawbreaker”, and “What I’m Made Of” all bristle with energy. Also improved is lead singer/songwriter Mariel Loveland; her lyrics come in clearer, and she sounds more confident in front of the mic. There’s also something about her voice and lyrics that feels immediately relateable whether they’re about a night out, or not knowing what to say. Listening to Everything’s Amazing is like wearing your favorite hoodie; fuzzy, comforting, and best on slower days.

5. The Roots – Undun

Undun is the biggest argument against making year-end lists before December 15th that I can think of. A year and a half after How I Got Over, The Roots are back with undun, their first concept album. Starting with the death of protagonist Redford Stevens (an urban youth) and working backwards through his day-to-day life, undun doesn’t glamorize street light, nor does it really condemn it. Black Thought and his collaborators narrate Stevens’ life and existential anxieties through a lens that, if it isn’t always clear, is always insightful. On the other side, ?love and The Roots crew create a slow grooving background that mirrors the monotony of Redford’s life without losing any of the band’s trademark musical muscle. “Sleep” might be the bleakest song of the year as Redford dies, but the closing four part movement shows a warm side as he dreams, too. A hip-hop stand out.

4. Arctic Monkeys – Suck It and See

2009’s Humbug existed seemingly just to push away fans who wanted to hear “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” or “Fluorescent Adolescent” rereleased every few years. Suck It and See isn’t quite as experimental as its predecessor, and blends Arctic Monkeys’ various elements into a surprisingly solid and enjoyable indie pop/rock album. The first half has rockier songs such as “Brick by Brick”, “All My Own Stunts”, and the top-notch “Library Pictures”, while the album’s second half is a prettier, poppier affair with “Reckless Serenade” and “Love Is a Laserquest”. If Humbug felt like forced maturity, Suck It and See is a more comfortable, delightful surprise success.

3. Florence + the Machine – Ceremonials

Debut album Lungs proved one thing above all else: Damn does Florence Welch have a voice. Ceremonials proves above all else one thing: Hot damn does Florence Welch have a voice. Ceremonials stands a full head taller over the band’s debut; the vocals try harder, the arrangements are more complicated, and the songwriting is tighter. If Ceremonials is a bit more singular, then it just means that it doesn’t misfire where Lungs did. Welch and company enjoy the dark and the romantic, and invite you to do the same. And with the power behind standouts like “Never Let Me Go”, “Shake It Out”, and “No Light, No Light”, it’s one hell of an invitation.

2. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy

Bent, disjointed, and weird, Strange Mercy is one of those records that lends itself to rediscovery upon repeated listens. Some things are apparent: the infectiously dirty riff to “Chloe in the Afternoon”, the demented energy of “Northern Lights”, and the immediacy of single “Cruel”, but other things reveal themselves with time. The beauty of the title track, “Surgeon”‘s many layers, or the complete lack of a bum track only appear if you give them time. St. Vincent operates mostly out of a standard rock band set-up on Strange Mercy, but uses the set to come up with her most original tunes to date. The songs change and shift, but the quality stays high throughout.

1. Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin’

I don’t get why I didn’t see this on more year-end lists. I haven’t meant anyone who has heard this album that didn’t love it immediately. Stone Rollin’ succeeds at doing what every retro-leaning album dreams of doing: using sounds from the past without rehashing them. Saadiq uses 70’s soul as a backdrop to craft ten knockout modern songs; while the production is nothing but vintage, it’s hard to imagine these songs actually being written then. Saadiq has an edge on Stone Rollin’ that’s completely temporary, and an ear for blending the best of the then and now. Whether it’s the pop of “Radio”, “Good Man”‘s traditional R&B bounce, or the sensual blues of the title track, Stone Rollin’ stands as a modern soul class.

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The Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2011 (5-1)

Posted on December 20, 2011 by bgibs122

5. Lady Gaga – The Edge of Glory

For a career marked by big singles, Lady Gaga’s had a flustered year with Born This Way. The title single took off like a rocket, but critical reaction ranged from mild excitement to mild disappointment, and “Judas” (a very likeable song, IMO) was her first flop. Then came “The Edge of Glory”.

“The Edge of Glory” was a turning point for Gaga. A lot of people didn’t immediately jump for “Born This Way” and “Judas” because they were just louder, bigger retreads of what she’d done before, but “Glory” strays from the normal club pop routine for pop charged with 80’s arena-rock energy. The reverb might be just a little much, but the desired effect is achieved; Gaga sounds like she’s effortlessly singing out to millions. And in terms of sounding triumphant and jubilant, the chorus for “Edge of Glory” runs circles around “Born This Way”; the music pushes out in all directions, and Gaga throws herself at the song. And, of course, the bridge completely abandons the usual Lady Gaga Sing-Speak Bridge for a synth and sax (by the late Clarence Clemons of the EStreet band) jam/solo, which just adds to the song’s over the top awesomeness. Fun fact, the only reason this song became an official single was that the fans pushed for it, and I have to say, good work, Little Monsters.

4. Adele – Rolling in the Deep

Perched right atop the year’s Hot 100 is Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”. And I knew as soon as I saw that Billboard put the list up that this was going to be number one, hell, I could have told you that last month. But that’s not impressive considering that anyone with the slightest idea of how a song gets on the Hot 100 could have told you that yes, “Rolling in the Deep” was going to nab the number one. Not since Usher’s “Yeah!”  has a song managed to be this inescapable.

In fact, “Rolling in the Deep” was so inescapable this year that I honestly considered leaving it off the list because I got so damn tired of it. But, upon repeated listens, I just couldn’t; this song’s great, no matter how much it gets played. Adele’s break-up-palooza 21 got wearing eventually, but she sounds truly scorned  on “Rolling in the Deep”, and those soulful vocals are fresh every time. And while Adele sound great, the music behind has some pretty damn strong kick to it as well. The ramshackle drumbeat, disco piano at the chorus, and the expertly deployed backing vocals gave the song enough edge to push it above the competition, and the clapping backbeat on the chorus is absolutely kickass. Way to pick a good one, America.

3. Nicki Minaj – Super Bass

It’s been a weird two years for Nicki Minaj. Her quick delivery and tenacious personality made her the queen of guest verses in 2010, but her own singles never really had the same…bite to them. You’d see her stomp Jay-Z and Kanye on “Monster”, then meander through a snoozefest like “Your Love”.

So thank God for “Super Bass”, which blows any of her other singles out of the water. One of Nicki’s poppiest singles? Probably. But listen to her on the verses, and it’s clear that “pop” isn’t synonymous with “soft”, at least not in the case. In addition to her tight, rapid fire flow, the lyrics border inane in the best possible way: this guy might sell coke, have a boomin’ system, got the right kind of belt, and Nicki’s in love with his tie. It encapsulates that same dizzy “Love the dumb, weird shit you do” vibe that comes with being absolutely into someone. And, of course, there’s no way to resist the head over heels happiness of the chorus with backing vocals from Esther Dean. Sprinkle a distinctly Nicki production behind it, and you have a hit that finally fits her: off-kilter, but deadly.

2. Cee-Lo Green – Fuck You

Fucking FINALLY. Despite being released in August of 2010, “Fuck You” had to fight a long up and down road to finding success on the charts. Some five months after being released, the song finally peaked at number 2 on the Hot 100 thanks to being butchered by Glee, a slew of Grammy nominations, and an utterly hilarious Grammy performance, and it finally had enough momentum to land at number 7 on the year end charts for this year.

Frankly, this song’s hilarious. Oh, don’t get me wrong, the Smeezingtons’ vibrant, old R&B/soul/gospel production kicks ass, and Cee-Lo’s all over this song vocally, but the real reason “Fuck You” took off is because it’s damn funny. Verse lines like “I guess she’s an X-Box/And I’m more an Atari” and “Being in love with your ass ain’t cheap” put a smile on my face, but the real winner’s the chorus. Putting the F-Bomb front and center like that is shocking when you first hear the song’s pitch, but it’s too silly to be taken seriously in context. The song’s just too damn shiny and happy sounding to match the raging bitterness in the lyrics, and hell, who hasn’t imagined telling an ex off like this (and to such a catchy tune!)? I’m glad the dude finally got his recognition.

And now, here it is, my pick for the number one hit of the year…

1. Kanye West – All of the Lights

Guys, you know me. I’m an internet blogger and a college student; I have no idea what being famous actually feels like.

But if I had to guess, it’d be the way “All of the Lights” sounds.

The production values on “All of the Lights” are through the roof. The leading horn part sounds downright regal, and the martial, manic drumbeat gives the song tons of running forward momentum, not to mention putting a new spin on an old sound. Rihanna’s as good a choice as any for the chorus, and the choir of  backing guest stars adds to the song’s size, even if you can’t hear anyone especially stand out. Cudi’s part is great since the dude sounds coherent for once, and the music behind him’s going nuts, and the Alica Keys/Elton John fade out ends the song in just as awesome a fashion as it started.

And that’s not to leave Kanye out, because his verses are stellar, even if the subject matter is a little…obtuse. We get an MJ shoutout before going into custody battles and family troubles, but regardless of what he’s saying, Kanye sounds full immersed in “All of the Lights”, especially during his part of the chorus. In a year that was tough on almost everyone, it’s good to just take a few minutes out to listen to an absolutely awesome song.

Aaaand that’s it! Later this week, I’ll have my top albums of the year, as well as an odds and ends writeup on my favorite non-hits. See you then!

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The Top Ten Hit Songs of 2011 (10-6)

Posted on December 19, 2011 by bgibs122

Ok, after the dealing with the bad, the worse, and the Enrique yesterday, let’s kick today off with the top ten good hit songs of 2011. Again, for it to be on the list, it had to make this list. Maybe it was the gluttony of club pop, or that I was still fairly new to doing reviews, but last year, I had to really stretch to find ten songs for a list. This year, I had more trouble parring down and ranking the best list than the worst list, and I’m grateful for that. So, let’s get started.

10. Mike Posner – Please Don’t Go

Redeeming himself from last year’s worst list, we have one of 2010’s most unlikely pop successes in Duke graduate, Justin Timberlake lookalike, and awkward human being Mike Posner. He was mostly quiet during 2011, aside from a song so bad that I considered booting him from this list for it, but aside from that, he’s been mercifully lowkey. But, before fading away, he released “Please Don’t Go” as a plea to not just be a one-hit wonder (dream on).

I don’t think he’ll get remembered for it, but I still think “Please Don’t Go” is as fine a song as Posner’s ever going to make. I’m kind of a sucker for vulnerable guy songs that don’t sound simpering, and while Posner’s lyrics aren’t the sharpest, the simple chorus of “Please don’t go” works. And, while Posner’s voice isn’t suited for much, this trancey, kind of chiptune production fits him much better than “Cooler Than Me”‘s ever did. That fuzzy bass/twinkling upper synth combo on the chorus is really pretty. And the bridge, too, is something different, unexpected, and surprisingly successful. See ya, Posner. Have fun with that second album.

9. Drake – Headlines

When all’s said and done, 2011 is going to go down as the year where Drake officially overtook Lil Wayne. Not commercially, as Wayne still has a big enough fanbase to put a subpar album like Tha Carter IV atop the charts, but I’ve seen Take Care on year-end lists while Carter is a no-show.

“Headlines” shows why Drake is more interesting than his mentor. Left to his own devices, Lil Wayne seems more content to spend a couple verses just throwing punchlines together, while Drake’s verses are a mix of stream-of-conscious and reflection. “I guess it really is just me, myself, and all my millions” might be the most first world problem line ever, but Drake shows a new sort of rap star: dude might have more money than we can comprehend, but he grapples with issues of self-worth and image, and we can somehow relate to that. Of course, 40 and Boi-1da’s wobbly production and Drake’s improved flow, singing, and general stage presence all help out, too.

8. Adele – Someone Like You

Seeing how this is a top ten hits of 2011 list, it was never a question of if Adele was going to appear as much as a matter of when. And she appears here with the biggest heartbreaker of the year; it might not be as edgy or bold as some of the other songs on this list, but damn if it isn’t the most affecting. Where I think a lot of the song’s emotional oomph comes from is that it hits on what’s possibly the worst part of a break-up: that moment when the other person has moved on, and you fucking haven’t. And instead of letting the guy have it, Adele just shrugs her shoulders and moves on in spite of herself. The first “Never mind, I’ll find someone like you” after the chorus just rips my heart out every time. Sniff.

7. Rihanna – We Found Love

There’s something inherently weird at putting a current hit on the year-end list, like now I really, really hope this song make it or something, but screw it. Hell, the first entry on this list is Mike Posner of all people, so if you made it this far, thanks. Anyway, “We Found Love”‘s success owes just as much to producer Calvin Harris as it does to Rihanna. The main hook manages to sound happy but wistful at the same time, and there’s something about the breakdown that just sounds ruined (and, of course, works as a break build up). Lyrically, a little vague and repetitive, but “We found love in a hopeless place” is a fine lyric to repeat.

And Rihanna seems to have finally realized she can sing about more than sex. Yeah, “Rude Boy” was good, but “S&M” was just too blunt and trying way too hard. “We Found Love”? Not so much. And while sometimes her vocals feel like they’re pushed into the song, the melody to “We Found Love” fits right with the music behind it. Huh, maybe Talk That Talk would be a good album to review.

“Suck my cockiness and lick my persuasion” …or not.

6. David Guetta ft. Usher – Without You

You know what’s even weirder than writing about the main hit right now? Writing about the same song you wrote about 2 weeks ago.

It’s refreshing to hear a song like “Without You”. Greatness of the song aside, it’s also nice to know that even though they mess up (D.Guetta’s “Where Them Girls At” made its way onto my Worst of the Year list the other day), guys like Guetta and Usher who know the game this well can still make a knockout tune. The production just swells and swells to the point of euphoria, and Usher rises to match it. “Without You”‘s an interesting song structurally with how many synths and instruments Guetta can throw in the mix, and never relies on any of the modern pop hit tricks (featured rapper, breakdown, repetitive hook). Aside from that, I don’t have much to say except this is just a great pop song.

Tune in tomorrow (can you “tune in” to a website?) for the top five best pop hits of 2011!

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