2011 Indie 50
Sunday, February 12, 2012 With over a winter's month to mull it over our Indie 50 for 2011 are unveiled.
The focus, as always, is discovering emerging acts, so this list reflects some of the best of that group, i.e. emphasis on obscurity. Most "mainstream arists" deserving of recognition are excluded from the numbered list and included in the footer. Neon Indian, who happens to win the number one spot, is one exception to the rule.
Submit comments below and tell us which overlooked tracks deserved mention.
And awaaaay we go.
49. Lil B - "I Seen That Light"
47. Tim Hecker - "The Piano Drop"
46. Dumbo Gets Mad - "Eclectic Prawn"
45. James Pants - "Every Night I Dream"
42. Thundercat - "For Love I Come"
41. Morning Teleportation - "Expanding Anyway"
40. Gardens & Villa - "Star Fire Power"
37. Chad Valley - "Fast Challenges"
35. Gil Scot-Heron and Jamie XX - "I'll Take Care Of You" (RIP)
32. Waters - "O Holy Break Of Day"
31. Kendrick Lamar - "Fuck Your Ethnicity"
30. The War On Drugs - "Come to the City"
29. Charli XCX - "Nuclear Seasons"
27. Active Child - "Hanging On"
25. Gang Gang Dance - "Mindkilla"
24. AM & Shawn Lee - "Dark Into Light"
22. Toro y Moi – “Still Sound”
21. The Antlers & Neon Indian - "Rolled Together" (vimeo) if you dislike this one i dislike you
20. Penguin Prison - "Don't Fuck With My Money"
19. U.S. Royalty - "Monte Carlo"
18. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - "Thought Ballune"
17. Ducktails - "Art Vandelay"
16. The Weeknd - "Rolling Stone"
15. Holy Ghost! – “Wait and See”
14. Future Islands - "Balance" (Strangely reminscient of Peter Bretter's voice)
12. Dom - "Damn"
10. Destroyer - "Kaputt" (The sax reaches new hipster heights in this eclectic 6 minute jam that seemingly ends too soon)
6. Cass McCombs - "The Same Thing"
5. Ford & Lopatain – “Joey Rogers” (formerly known as Games)
Darkside makes time stop. The side project of Nicolas Jaar, the three-track EP released in late 2011 is a product of a collaboration with guitarist Dave Harrington. With an uncannily captivating sound, "A1" evokes an ominous yet uplifting ambiance throught the six minutes of cloud floating.
2. Real Estate – “Younger Than Yesterday”
In a very close second place, the NJ-based indie pop quartet's debut full-length is gold from beginning to end. The simplistic yet infectious riffs make for a seemingly new listen every time.
It takes all summer long, just to write one simple song
1. Neon Indian
“Halogen (I Could Be A Shadow)”
Lo-fi is the new hi-fi. Era Extraña is a masterpiece. As diverse as the compositions are, its uniqueness during this era of copy cat indie bands makes the album all the more staggering. Listen three to four full rotations (preferably on vinyl) before passing judgment, at which point you'll fully grasp its grandeur as best album of the year.
Mainstream but deserving nonetheless:
Blitzen Trapper - "Fletcher", Cut Copy - "Corner of the Sky" , Justice - "Helix", Childish Gambino - "Freaks and Geeks', Lil Wayne - "President Carter", M83 - "Midnight City", Mutemath - "Equals", My Morning Jacket - "The Day is Coming", The Black Keys - "Sister", The Strokes - "Macchu Piccu", TV On The Radio – “Caffeinated Consciousness
Honorable Mention:
Brasstronaut - "Slow Knots", Blood Orange - "Sutphin Boulevard", The Rosebuds - "Woods", Skai Nine - "Ocean", Teen Daze - "Keep The Girls Away", Theophilus London - "Field of Dreams', Goldroom - "Morgan's Bay"
Remix of the year:
Emancipator - "Black Lake" (Emancipator remix)
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