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Despite a number of band breakups and the decline of radio and MTV, quality music is still alive in 2011, thriving in the social media sphere or by word of mouth. Though we can't elude the music of Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber or Katy Perry every day, it is still a delight that genuine musicians have produced great albums for us to enjoy.
Sadly, if you're an old soul like me, chances are you won't get a CD of these albums in your suking record shop. However, the albums mentioned here can be heard via video sharing site YouTube and on popular social networking sites.
Here are the top albums of that rocked the world in 2011, in no particular order. A friendly reminder, though: Piracy is stealing.
5 – Lamb
Eight years after their last release, the pioneering English electronica duo Lamb reunited for their latest album 5, a double-disc offering of ethereal trip-hop and drum-and-bass beats and remixes. This is a must-listen album especially if you are a genuine electronica and indie fan, since 5 is highly experimental yet maintains a pop sensibility that appeals to the non-electronica fan (particularly if you can't stand dubstep or house music). Singer songwriter Lou Rhodes may sound like Tori Amos in this album, but i'll take her anytime over overrated dubstep artists simply because of her songwriting skills. Producer Andy Barlow delivers loads of pulsating (but not noisy) bass beats balanced with soothing synths and crisp percussions in this album, making it one of the best releases of 2011.
Revelator – Tedeschi Trucks Band
When you have the best female blues vocalist and the best slide guitarist together, you'll get nothing wrong. In their debut album, seminal bluesman Derek Trucks, rock angel Susan Tedeschi, and the rest of the band deliver a sound so heavenly, it's like you could hear God speaking through their compositions. Trucks' licks may not rival rock's supersonic shredders, while Tedeschi may not rival the likes of Adele in terms of awards and popularity, but with songs like “Don't Let Me Slide,” “Midnight in Harlem”, and the slow killer “Until You Remember”, Revelator is not only a great album, but an important one as well, particularly in an era of auto-tuned and canned mainstream music.
SuperHeavy – SuperHeavy
In rock music, superbands such as Audioslave and Velvet Revolver come and go. In 2011, another superband was formed, this time composed of an aging rock legend, an upstart soul diva, a reggae royal heir, a veteran pop producer, and a world music icon. SuperHeavy, despite its stellar lineup, is no cut-and-paste music from their members' genres—it's an eclectic concoction of roots reggae, soul, Indian traditional music, electronica, and good 'ol rock 'n roll. If you think superband music is overrated, this one is definitely true to its hype, and once played simply listen to its good vibrations wherever you are—from Argentina to Zanzibar.
The King is Dead – The Decemberists
The album name may instill a hype—it is almost the namesake of The Smith's third album, which, in my opinion, is the most important album of the '80s. In The King is Dead, the Decemberists veer away from producing concept albums with lengthy songs, dizzying rhythm, and high-falluting lyrics, instead regaining their pop sensibility with simpler and shorter songs and breezy melodies. According to Spin Magazine, the best thing about this album is its lack of concept, which was the center of previous albums and which, for me, alienated casual listeners from genuinely appreciating their music, which, in this album, is a fresh derivative from the earlier sounds of R.E.M. and to some extent, Pink Floyd. Which means that making new music does not mean exerting effort to sound too original—musicians take off from their common influences and it is delightful that The King is Dead is no pastiche but a product of having been effectively influenced by great bands.
Playing for Change 2: Songs Around the World - Various Artists
In their second DVD of Songs Around the World, the Playing for Change Foundation (PFC) assembled the world's best unsigned musicians, recorded and shot their music on location, and produced music that preach world peace and understanding. With covers of the great Bob Marley's “Redemption Song” and “Three Little Birds”; The Rolling Stones' “Gimme Shelter”; John Lennon's “Imagine”; Carlos Vives' “La Tierra del Olvido”; and the tearjerking original song “United,” PFC 2: Playing Around the World is beyond being an album for a cause. It is an album of utmost importance, a product of the collaborations of unsung artists, and an assemblage of different cultures. With its utter sincerity lies true peace through music.
Album cover used here for purposes of review. Image copyright is believed to belong to the graphic artist or the album's distributor.
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