Here is my list of the songs I liked best in 2011, which will be the last one we offer here. I only adhered to three rules with this list, really: 1. The song had to be officially released in 2011, 2. I could only select one song for any artist, and 3. The list must be 60 songs. There are mp3s and videos available here where appropriate. Thanks for visiting The Wounded Jukebox in 2011 — we’ve got some awesome stuff planned for 2012… you know, before the world ends. Happy New Year!
[Spotify Playlist!]
59. Boat To Row – “A Boat to Row, to Row to You
58. Hue – “The Bump”
57. Alastair Ottesen – “Life Is But A Dream”
56. To Kill A King – “Fictional State”
55. White Arrows – “Get Gone”
54. The Heavenly States – “Model Son”
53. Seapony – “Blue Star”
52. Adam Taylor – “Jazzonia (Silver Tree)”
51. Young Yeller – “It’s Enough”
50. Foster The People – “Houdini”
49. Rogue Valley – “Blueprints”
48. Manchester Orchestra – “April Fool”
47. Dum Dum Girls – “Bedroom Eyes”
46. Canon Blue – “Chicago (Chicago)”
45. Cults – “Never Heal Myself”
44. The National – “Exile Vilify”
43. Milo Greene – “1957”
42. Saint Motel – “Puzzle Pieces”
41. The Barr Brothers – “Beggar In The Morning”
40. Grouplove – “Tongue Tied”
39. The Black Hand Gang – “Bricks & Mortar”
38. Fucked Up – “Queen of Hearts”
37. Hey Sholay – “Dreamboat”
36. Jhameel – “Shut Up”
35. St. Vincent – “Cruel”
34. Mathieu Santos – “I Can Hear The Trains Coming”
33. The Antlers – “I Don’t Want Love”
32. Son Lux – “All The Right Things”
31. Apparat – “Ash/Black Veil”
30. 1,2,3 – “Work”
29. Jay-Z & Kanye West – “Ni**as In Paris”
28. Thao & Mirah – “Rubies and Rocks”
27. Snowmine – “Penny”
26. Team Me – “Dear Sister”
25. Bon Iver – “Holocene”
23. Radical Face – “Ghost Towns”
22. Little Scream – “Cannons”
21. Evening Man – “29″
20. The Hit Back – “Me and the Kid”
19. Vetiver – “Wonder Why”
18. First Aid Kit – “The Lion’s Roar”
17. Tune-Yards – “Powa”
16. Tyson – “Love’s On The Line”
15. Deportees – “Islands And Shores”
14. The Rural Alberta Advantage – “Tornado ’87″
13. Keegan DeWitt – “Thunder Clatter”
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – “Morning Thought”
11. Florence + The Machine – “Shake It Out”
10. Generationals – “Ten-Twenty-Ten”
9. Shabazz Palaces – “Swerve… the reeping of all that is worthwhile (noir not withstanding)”
8. Bombay Bicycle Club – “Shuffle”
7. The War On Drugs – “Baby Missiles”
6. Youth Lagoon – “Cannons”
5. Wye Oak – Civilian”
4. PAPA – “I Am The Lion King”
3. Feist – “The Bad In Each Other”
2. Fleet Foxes – “Helplessness Blues”
1. M83 – “Midnight City”
The crown jewel of TWJ’s No. 1 album of the year didn’t grab me immediately. But before I knew it, I was repeating it in my car with the windows down, volume turned to 25 and bumping along to it whilst probably swerving all over the road. And then I put the headphones on and absorbed all of “Midnight City”‘s layers — the fantastic drumming that’s a glorious assault on the ears, the blending of synths and echoing vocals and lazer-gun sound effects — and my affection only grew. It’s not always easy to choose one’s favorite song from a favorite album, but when the saxophone outro tickled my eardrums and I only wanted to play it again and again and again, it was clear: “Midnight City” isn’t just my favorite song on Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, it’s my pick for the best of 2011.
[Spotify Playlist!]
–Sean
