Office by Alex Penny
5 Favorite Albums of 2011:
1) The 4onthefloor - 4x4
What really won me over, was this band’s live performance. Never seen a show with so much energy and the fact that they were able to capture that energy on record is amazing. This has easily been my most listened to record of 2011 and I was even late in discovering it, but sure am glad I discovered it none the less. Local Minneapolis band that deserves every bit of credit they get.
2) Bon Iver -Bon Iver
I was skeptical about Bon Iver’s follow up album after his debut album which took the indie world by storm. But after his many collabs with numerous bands, we finally got to hear his follow up and in no way did he disappoint or fall into a sophomore slump. This time he has a full 9-piece backing band which creates a wide spectrum of lush sounds that layer Justin Vernon’s voice amazingly well.
3) Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch The Throne
We all knew this album would be great, with 2 of the most prominent and skilled lyricists rhyming on it and Kanye producing or assisting with all of the beats. But did we expect it to be this good? I don’t know, but I was certainly of the latter category. Kanye’s producing is at his best in my opinion, strong on the soul samples, James Brown samples to be specific.
4) Childish Gambino - CAMP
Completely unaware that Childish Gambino was Donald Glovers alter-hip/hop ego until a friend showed me one of his songs and ever since then I have been completely hooked on him. Though he is strong on the metaphors which can get old fast, his vast variety of genres and types of beats on this album are astounding. You hear hints of opera to indie folk and even gets gangster on the album, any rapper who can pull that off with out sounding corny deserves some credit.
5) The Black Keys - El Camino
The Black Keys return with their follow-up to their grammy winning and highest selling album to date with an album that just proves they aren’t slowing down anytime soon. With the move to the same 4-piece band as their last album they are able to create much more vibrant and groovier sounds than their earlier albums. They are slowly becoming one of the seminal rock bands out there.
