Year in Music 2011: Top 3's

Various Top 3's.

This is sort of filler, because Top 20 Moments in Music was going to be published today. This is due to the fact that I forgot how many days are in December. I'm smrt.

On with the random, pointless, straight off the top of my head lists.

Spotify, Grooveshark, and YouTube links when I can be arsed to edit them in.

Top 3 Albums I Loved Last Year But Didn't Really Care About This Year

3. Spoon - Transference
I still like this one, I just didn't really listen to it very much this year. It didn't age nearly as well as Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.

2. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Last year, I said that it "grew on me with every listen", and that was definitely the case. This year, I listened to the album in full maybe twice.

1. Best Coast - Crazy For You
I probably saw this coming. She just has a very temporary sound. Now her work with certain U.K.-based indie dance artists, though... that's a matter for a little later this week.

Top 3 Album Covers

3. Washed Out - Within and Without

  
I know it's a photo from a magazine (Cosmo? Some other late-teens girls mag that gives out horrible sex advice?). It doesn't matter, this album cover gives off the exact feeling that the album itself is trying to convey - dreamlike intimacy.









 
2. Cut Copy - Zonoscope

I don't even care for this CD all that much, but I loooooove the album artwork. I'd buy this on vinyl, and frame the cover.










1. Klaxons - Surfing the Void

What's that you say? This one came out in 2010, and is therefore ineligible for "Best album art from 2011"? Bah. When 2011 can come up with something as awesome as "cat in space suit", we'll talk. "Waterfall in city" is pretty cool, but I think we can all agree that it's no "cat in space suit".







Top 3 Songs I Stopped Listening To After Burning Myself Out on Them Last Year

3. Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension (11th most listens last year... 5 listens this year, due in large part to the fact that I stupidly made this my ringtone around August of last year)


2. American Fangs - Le Kick (14th most listens last year... 3 this year)

1.  Rosefield - Save a Bullet (18th most listens last year... 2 this year)

Best Video Game Soundtrack of the Year

Yeah, you know what? I didn't really listen to that much video game music from this year. I fell in love with both the Scott Pilgrim and Super Meat Boy soundtracks to the point that I bought both, but those both came out in late-2010. I also bought the Final Fantasy VI soundtrack (finally found it for less than $20 on eBay in good condition) and Chrono Trigger soundtrack (my wife was kind of appalled at how much I spent on that one). I guess I'll link you to tracks from those games instead.

Anamanaguchi - Another Winter (Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game: The Soundtrack)
db Soundworks - Ballad of the Burning Squirrel (Super Meat Boy Soundtrack)
Nobuo Uematsu - Terra (Final Fantasy VI Soundtrack)
Yasunori Mitsuda - Yearnings of the Wind (Chrono Trigger Soundtrack)

Best Mashup of the Year

Tie.

1a. Gnarlo - "The King of Assmilk Flowers" (Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt rapping over "The King of Carrot Flowers" by Neutral Milk Hotel)
1b. Wugazi - "Sleep Rules Everything Around Me" (The Wu Tang Clan rapping over "I'm So Tired" by Ian MacKaye)

Top 3 Albums I'm Excited For Next Year

3. New The xx Album
I almost put the Hold Steady album in this spot, but I think this one is actually going to be better. Feel free to laugh at me in 12 months when Craig Finn has put out his magnum opus, and The xx has put out the future garage equivalent to Lola.

2. New P.O.S. Album
Favorite album of 2009. Been killing it on guest appearances. Hasn't diluted his style a single bit. This album will be great.

1. New Sigur Rós Album
I'm excited as hell about this album. They'll probably never reach the heights that they're 2nd and 3rd albums reached again, but this one ought to be amazing.