2011 Review: Top 50 Songs (30-21)

We're 20 songs into the top 50 of the year and with some very slight adjustments after a listen to the entire list last night, here are the next 10 songs (30-21). Make sure you check back at numbers 50-41 and 40-31 if you missed them and keep checking back for the top 20!

2011 Review: 25 Great "Rock" Releases (The Honorable Mention)

This year had so many great albums that a singular top 10 was just not quite enough; too many other albums deserved at least a mention. There was the Top 10 hiphop/R&B list posted earlier this week and this here is essentially an extended honorable mention for the other rock albums this year. An overall top 10 is coming later this month with proper write ups and in an effort to preserve the suspense, none of those albums will be included. In the meantime, enjoy this list and give a listen to some of these excellent albums if you haven't already.

Weekly Top 5: Sets at Pitchfork Music Festival 2011

We apologize for the lack of posts recently but the majority of the staff here at A Brief Intermission were in Chicago enjoying the 2011 Pitchfork Music Festival. As such, this weeks first top 5 (there will be another on Friday) will be highlighting the best sets of an incredible weekend of music.

Before I get to the list, I feel compelled to give a big time shout out to a few people. The first is the management and organizers of Pitchfork. The festival was very well run and minus a few time clogs and shortened sets on the Blue Stage, the overall experience was excellent. In addition to excellent organization, the security and safety were absolutely top class. In a year, where music festivals have brought about a slew of injuries and even deaths, its a testament to the staff that there were no serious injuries this past weekend. Finally, big ups to Shabazz Palaces, who played an absolutely incredible show at Lincoln Hall on Saturday night. Because it wasn't a part of the actual festival, it won't be on the top 5, but had it been it would probably be number 1. Their set at the actual festival was great as well but in the outdoor setting the beats didn't hit nearly as hard.

All photos are courtesy of Pitchfork. Click for all of the photos.

Honorable Mention:

Curren$y - Great set but one verse per song just isn't enough. I want more!
Animal Collective - Trippy visuals and stage set-up. Performance was better than the music.
No Age - Rocked it so incredibly hard; even without their sampler.
Twin Shadow - Set got cut short unfortunately. I wanted more of this!
Kurt Vile and the Violators - The drummer was so incredible. Extended jams were killer.
TV on the Radio - Never been a huge fan but the second half of their set made me a believer.

2011 First Half Top Ten Albums (Joey D)

Here's my take on the best of first half 2011's albums. Sorry I didn't post links to the songs, but you can youtube em! Top 10 after the jump.

Honorable Mentions:

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
The Antlers – Burst Apart
Moving Mountains - Waves
Atmosphere – The Family Sign
Middle Brother – Middle Brother

Top 10 Albums of 2011 (So Far)

Please Note: This list will probably look a lot different when the end of the year lists come out but as of today, June 28th, these are my top 10 albums of the year. Top 10 after the break:

Honorable Mention (in no particular order):
Dawes - Nothing Is Wrong
The Decemberists - The King is Dead
Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
Okkervil River - I Am Very Far
Yuck - Yuck

2011 Review (So Far): Cut Copy

The Australian electropop band, Cut Copy, have built on the success of their 2008 album In Ghost Colours and crafted a more ambitious and equally brilliant record. Zonoscope draws even more influence from 80s new wave but retains the pop sensibility that makes listening to this band so damn fun. The album begins with a slow, repetitive synthesizer and as more and more sounds are added to the palette, the anticipation builds. After a couple of false alarms, around the 4:00 mark, Dan Whitford sings "I know we're going crazy, but I need you now," and all is resolved as the beat kicks in.

From the album never loses its enerrgy and only slows again for the instrumental intermission "Strange Nostalgia for the Future," which serves as a beautiful lead-in to album highlight "This is All We've Got." Watch the video for, "Need You Now" below (single version, minus the long intro), pick up the album and then dance away your troubles.