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The Best Music of 2011

Here are the discs of 2011 you should own

1.) ’21′ - Adele

Adele Laurie Blue released her second disc “21″ and (much like The Foo Fighters) proved that American Idol and Glee are not the only ways to hear music. On “21″ Adele uses her soulful vocals to deal with the pain and passion of love lost and won. Adele combines her soulful vocal prowess with an organic sound. From piano to acoustic guitars Adele’s vocal emotions take center stage as she takes on infidelity (“Rumor Has It”), love gone awry, (“Turning Tables”) and forgiveness and acceptance (“Someone Like You”). Adele’s heartfelt songs made their way on to modern rock, hip-hop and pop stations once again proving that true artists don’t need genres, they just need listeners who appreciate music from the soul. By combining an ear for melody and soul with true power and emotion and lyrical depth, Adele has redefined pop music and what it means to be a pop star. She has proven you don’t need auto tune, contests or a flashy TV show in order to reach the masses. Here’s hoping Adele has a speedy recovery from her throat surgery so she can get back out on the road and spread her gospel of classic soul and pop to the masses.

2.) ‘Wasting Light’- Foo Fighters

“Let’s change the subject to someone else, you know lately I’ve been subject to change” sings David Grohl on “Wasting Light”. Grohl maybe the most humble frontman in modern rock but the fact remains he and his band The Foo Fighters released their best, most cohesive disc in their career since their first two albums. On Wasting Light the formula seemed to be big guitars, big drums, big vocals, and big melodies. Sonically this combination worked on all levels. The Foos have a three guitar sound with Pat Smear rejoining Chris Shiflet and Grohl. Lyrically, Grohl touches on his days with Nirvana and his friendship with Kurt Cobain. The spirit of his past band weaves its way onto the disc thanks to the production by Butch Vig and guest bass player/ex-Nirvana member Chris Noveselic. The Foos play triumphant sounding rock as Grohl reconnects and comes to grips with his past while living in the present and heading towards the future. In an age filled with Glee (the show), American Idol and auto tune it’s refreshing and hopeful to hear a real rock band put out a record that’s both celebratory and introspective. Congratulations Foo Fighters, you have reaffirmed everyone’s faith in rock.

3.) ‘El Camino’ – The Black Keys

The Latest release by the Black Keys finds the duo’s garage rock/blues soul sound given a bit of a spit shine by producer Danger Mouse. While D.M. might be the catalyst behind the hand claps, the glam feel and guitar talk box, its Auerbach and Carney who make sure the 10 tunes on the disc shake, shimmy and groove. What you have to love about The Black Keys is the outstretched appeal the duo now has. They may not have expected to become darlings of the hipster set, blues fanatics and indie rockers alike but their heady mix of influences (Howlin’ Wolf, Albert King, Led Zeppelin, The Small Faces) has brought them a diverse fan base and they have only their groove oriented selves to blame.

4.) ‘Undun’ – The Roots

With their stint on the Jimmy Fallon show as the house band, you would think The Roots would rest on their laurels and be ok with just being one of the tightest and snarkiest ( eh Michelle Bachman) bands in the industry. “Undun” proves this is not the case. The latest disc by The Roots is a concept record. The songs tell the fictional story of Reford Stephens, a young man who gets caught up and eventually becomes a victim of the drug trade in his neighborhood. The songs on the disc flow into each other as Reford’s story gets told (from his tragic end back to his birth) by rapper/poet/philosopher Black Thought. On past efforts Black Thought’s skills as a rapper have been undermined by too many guest mc’s but on “Undun” the skills of Dice Raw, Phonte and Big K.R.I.T actually help tell this tale of both tragedy and hope. The different voices represent the different struggles and choices Stephens has to deal with. Musically, The Roots do what they do best. The disc is a mix of hip-hop, 70′s soul, rock and gospel. There’s a cinematic quality to what the band has produced and there is even a four song classical suite at the end of the disc. As usual The Roots have destroyed any preconceived notions about what a hip-hop band should be or sound like. When it comes to making thought provoking music “Undun” proves that The Roots are far from done.

5.) ‘Nine Types of Light’ – TV On The Radio

TV On The Radio released their own version of a “love” album with Nine Types of Light. The band seems to be in a somber yet celebratory mood as they deal with love in the only way they can with their heady mix of electronica, post punk, modern rock, and doo-wop sound can. The one thing music listeners have to admire about TVOTR is the fact that the band is not just content on doing new and inventive things within the genre of indie rock. The Brooklyn based band seems hell bent on deconstructing this thing called rock in order to create something deeper and bolder within the genre, and that’s precisely what you want in a forward thinking band. Tunde Adebimpe croons plaintively and soulfully on “Will Do” but on “You” one can’t help wondering if he’s talking about a soulmate or his love of deconstructing modern music. On “Repetition” the band showcases that they have the skills to rock with the best of them. TV On The Radio suffered the loss of their bass player Gerard A. Smith this year. Let’s hope they are able to pick up the pieces from their tragic loss and continue to challenge preconceived notions of what rock music can be and ultimately become.

6.) ‘Stone Rollin’ - Raphael Saadiq

Raphael Saadiq hates being referred to as a throwback artist. While this might be understandable you can’t help think throwback or retro on his latest disc and truth be told, it’s a compliment. Saadiq combines the feel of chitlin circuit r&b, and sixties rock and roll. Its retro, its classic and it’s just plain good. Saadiq lays down simple Stax inspired soul grooves on “Good Man” and “Go to Hell” but he shines best when he is rocking on tunes such as the title track, “Heart Attack” and “Radio”. Saadiq had an impressive showing on one of the smaller stages at last year’s Coachella music festival. His knack of mixing the past and the present should put him on the main stage in 2012.

7) ‘No Kings’ - Doomtree

If you have not heard of the hip-hop collective Doomtree you can think of this power house hip-hop meets punk rock outfit as a combination of The Wu-Tang Clan and Fugazi (hint, hint; check out their mash up disc!). On their latest release Doomtree hit their stride with heavy beats, heavy music/production (thanks to Paper Tiger and Lazerbeak) and heady introspective lyrics. Even when Doomtree fly their braggadocio flag high you have to give them credit. An indie hip-hop crew that has been able to hold it down for ten years is allowed to brag a bit. Rapper POS might be the best known mc in the group but don’t count out Mike Mictlan, Sims and vocalist Desa. The Twin Cities hip-hop community can rest easy; Doomtree is representin’ in fine form on “No Kings”.

8.) ‘The Hunter’ - Mastodon

The Atlanta based band Mastodon represents the new school of heavy metal and they go the extra mile on their latest disc. The Hunter represents heavy metal at its best with serious musicianship, intricate time changes, powerful vocals and harmonies and quirky lyrics. On previous discs the band’s songs tended to revolve around specific concepts. This time around the idea was simply to have no concept at all so in lieu of a concept Mastodon gives their metal audience songs dealing with meth heads in the woods “Curl of the Burl”), sex in space (“Stargasm”) and video games (“Blasteroid”). Production wise the band hooked up with producer Mike Elizondo who is best known for his work with hip-hop artists. The band shortened up their songs, concentrated on a bit of melody and in the process gave metal something to be proud of. The result is a cohesive metal disc that can already be dubbed a classic.

9.) ‘Give Till It’s Gone’ - Ben Harper

Many artists will cop to the fact that sometimes tragedy can bring out the best in a singer/songwriter. This may ring true with the latest Ben Harper solo disc. “Give Till It’s Gone” might be Harper’s most focused work since his first disc. Much of the disc seems to be dealing with the loss of his marriage to actress Laura Dern. On the disc Harper yearns for one last chance (“Don’t Give Up On Me Now”), hopes for the best (“Pray That Our Love Sees The Dawn”) and takes one last emotional stand (“Do it For You, Do It For Me”). As compelling as his tunes of loss are, Harper does take a time out to get down on the psychedelic “Spilling Faith” (featuring Ringo Starr on drums) and he comes up with a powerful anthem about the spirit of rock and roll with “Rock and Roll Is Free”. Harper has always been a compelling singer/songwriter/performer but has struggled to make a truly consistent disc. On “Give Till It’s Gone” Ben Harper goes for broke and gives it his all.

10.) ‘Worship Music’ - Anthrax

It goes without saying that no metal band has had more lead singer drama than Anthrax. Despite all of the confusion and changes, Anthrax released not only one of the best metal albums of the year but quite possibly the best disc of their career since 1991′s Persistence of Time. Worship Music makes two clear, bold statements. The disc solidifies Anthrax’s place as one of the godfathers of heavy (thrash) metal. It also sheds light on the fact that after all is said and done; Joey Belladonna is indeed the true voice of this band. Go ahead and side step the metal clichés (ominous strings, fake news report of zombie attacks; metal bands just can’t help themselves). Musically the band is firing on all cylinders but the icing on the cake is Belladonna. His vocal range has not suffered a bit and his melody meets banshee styled vocals is a perfect fit for the intensity on tracks like “Earth on Hell”, “The Giant” and the blistering track “The Devil You Know”. This is the way heavy metal is supposed to be played and the elder statesmen in Anthrax make it look and sound easy.

11.) ‘The Spade’ - Butch Walker and The Black Widows

For his latest record “The Spade”, Butch Walker cranked up the amps and energy to 11 and cranked out a disc filled with wit, charm, style and grace. Walker is at his snarkiest on “Synthesizers” when he claims that he doesn’t have friends at Pitchfork or NME but he can still get down like, Frank Poncharello on a motorbike and like Duran Duran from 1985. Musically Walker once again wears his influences on his sleeve so the nods to Tom Petty, McCartney and Wings and Dexy’s Midnight Runners are prevalent and he even out “Mumfords”, Mumford and Sons on the folk rave up “Dublin Crow”. More often than not on his latest record, Walker reminisces and reflects on growing up, getting older, his father and the good times he had in his youth. All over the disc Walker musically strolls down memory lane and contemplates where he has been and where he’s going. In the industry Walker is known as a hit making producer. On past records Walker has been known for his candid take on the Hollywood scene (check out his first book “Drinking with Stranger”s for more of that). “The Spade” showcases Butch Walker for the insightful and thoughtful songwriter he has become.

12.) ‘Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes’ - Social Distortion

Mike Ness and his current lineup of Social D. came back strong at the early part of last year with a disc filled with triumphant and tragic tales filled with punk rock attitude and old school rock and roll swagger. Social Distortion probably weren’t trying to out “stone” The Rolling Stones with their latest release but that’s exactly what happens on the opening track “California Hustle and Flow“. “Machine Gun Blues” is a story of pinstriped, carnation wearing gangsters and you better believe that only Mike Ness could create a ballad about Bakersfield California and make both the song and place feel inspired. Ness is at his creative peak on this disc with stories of both surviving and thriving and that’s exactly what you want in your old school punk. Social D. makes you believe that old school punk rockers never die, they simply just keep on keepin’ on.

13.) ‘When Fish Ride Bicycles’ - The Cool Kids

Rhymes like that can only mean that The Cool Kids are back with another disc of bass heavy, funky beats and intricate rhymes. The “Kids” will definitely remind you of EPMD and that’s ok. Their style of rap is a throwback to the golden era of hip-hop. While they may need to shorten up their track listings (14 songs is a bit of a stretch) this hip-hop duo is proving that they have the capacity to move hip-hop forward by looking back.

14.) ‘Bright Lights Big City’ - Gary Clark Jr.

It’s probably been a while since you have had to use the phrase guitar hero. Introducing Gary Clark Jr. Clark is a young blues rock (dare I say) prodigy. On his latest ep Clark demonstrates just how adept he is at the blues, rock, garage rock and everything else under the sun. He makes his guitar squeal and yell with defiance on the title track and his soulful voice is a brilliant compliment to his guitar prowess but it’s on the two acoustic numbers where Clark really shines a light on just how much of a bad ass he is. The ghost of Jimi Hendrix is always the Black man’s burden in the world of rock but Clark takes it in stride and makes it look easy as he interprets Jimi on the track “When My Train Pulls In”. At the end of the title track on the disc, Clark repeats over and over again the line “you gonna know my name, you gonna know my name”. If he keeps up this type guitar work and gutbucket soul, everyone will indeed know Gary Clark Jr.

15.) ‘Eraser’ - The Knux

The hipster party just does not seem to end on the sophomore disc by The Knux. Rappers (and brothers) Krispy and Joey expand on their White Stripes meets Outkast sound and truly push both hip-hop and indie rock over the edge. The duo do a good job lyrically laying out the nonsense and trappings of living the party lifestyle as Krispy raps, “You can’t lose if you ain’t playing at all.” Musically the Knux are playing for keeps on tunes like the breezy pop anthem “1974″ and on the single “Run”. The brothers Knux are adept rappers but it’s their keen sense of melody that keeps the party going and keeps the listener thinking about the after effects of said party.

16.) ‘Thank You, Happy Birthday’ - Cage The Elephant

Cage The Elephant is still living in the 90′s on their second full length disc and it’s a good thing for modern rock fans. Whether they are paying homage to Kurt Cobain’s hometown (“Aberdeen“) or channeling The Pixies (“Right Before My Eye’s”) Cage The Elephant make it clear their agenda is to bring alternative rock back to the masses. The band defies the dreaded sophomore jinx by doing what they do best; rock tunes with a punk edge and alternative feel. If Cage The Elephant can keep the momentum going, they will become exactly what alternative rock needs; a promising young band with staying power.

17) ‘LASERS’ - Lupe Fiasco

You have to give Lupe Fiasco credit for trying to be everything to everyone. On his third disc Fiasco valiantly tires to do it all. He’s a club banger on “I Don’t Want to Care Right Now” an indie radio savior on “State Radio” and he even becomes an Afrocentric rapper on “All Black, Everything“. Fiasco is at his best when he combines his passion and love for hip-hop with his knack for storytelling and melody. He gets this combination right on the cuts “Till I Get There” and “The Show Must Go On” This is where Lupe Fiasco’s star shines brightest and it’s hopefully where his next musical outing is headed.

18.) ‘Nocturnes’ - UH-HUH-HER

The indie, dynamic duo of Camila Grey and Leisha Hailey came back with strong with another dose of infectious melodies on their latest disc. Critics enjoy calling Uh-Huh-Her an electro-pop duo but the duo’s sound is a broader mix of melody, new wave with serious rock underpinnings. The duo has a seductive new wave sound and dream like vocals all done with a rock feel and attitude. It has been too long between discs for Uh-Huh-Her. Let’s hope they keep the music coming. And let’s also hope the folks at Southwest Airlines grow up (wink).