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.

Best Albums of 2011 (So Far)

This year has been a phenomenal year in music so far. It’s pretty crazy to think that releases such as Okkervil River’s I Am Very Far , Smith Westerns' Dye It Blonde , and Cut Copy’s Zonoscope couldn’t sneak their way onto my list. I also haven’t given some key albums a listen yet, mainly the new Man Man…I know, shame on me. So as I catch up and the staying power of certain albums either grows or fades, this list will change, but as of now, here are my favorites from 2011:

Honorable Mentions
Dawes – Nothing Is Wrong
Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
August Burns Red - Leveler
Curren$y - Covert Coup EP
William Fitzsimmons - Gold In The Shadow
Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean

Yuck on Jools Holland

Another band we talked about earlier this year, Yuck, played their song "Get Away" on Jools Holland last night. Watch the video below!

2011 Review (So Far): Yuck

Yuck are a fairly run-of-the-mill indie rock band hailing from London, England. The difference between Yuck and their contemporaries is that they are capable of delivering in a variety of different ways. On their their self-titled debut, they show off their versatility and meld their different styles into a coherent full-length.

There are songs like "Rubber" and "Get Away" drenched in distortion and feedback reminiscent of early 90s grunge like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. There are other tracks that wander and yearn like a lovesick teenager, while others have a more laid back and detached feel. Anyway you slice it, Yuck are a very talented group of young musicians and I'm excited to see where they go in the future.

Here is a video of Yuck performing an excellent rendition of the laid back "Suicide Policeman" for Pitchfork TV. If you enjoy this, pick up their album.