Top Albums of 2011 (Quinn)

Well, 2011 is over, and that's kind of scary, but I think I'm more thrown off by the fact that my birthday is tomorrow and that day always seems so far away. None of that matters though, because the end of the year really means year-end list time. I think I'm thrown off by this more than anything else because you've got to go over the whole year and decide which albums rank higher or lower than this album and that album. Generally, these lists seem predicated on what album is technically better than a group of others. I'd like to think that it should be a mix of that, but also what you actually listened to and enjoyed throughout the year. So, without further ado, here's my "Top 10 Albums of 2011."

Top Ten Albums 2011 (Simon)

When I finally found the time to start writing again, I realized how close we were to the end of the year. The end of the year at MM (and at pretty much all other music blogs) means choosing our Top Ten lists, and while 2011 had some great records to offer, the theme for this post is going to be, "Challenging". If nothing else, many of the records on this list (I'll note the exceptions) were at first markedly imposing -they were tough to get through the first spin. They're innovative, creative, and in a lot of ways unique, but none of them have the same easy groove of some of last year's picks (see Ray LaMontagne, Tallest Man on Earth, and others). So, without further ado, my top ten albums of 2011.

REVIEW: Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost

Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
MMMM

Buzz is a hell of a thing. It can launch the careers of bands or cripple them before they even make it to that sophomore album. In 2009, singer/songwriter/guitarist Christopher Owens and bassist/producer Chet “JR” White (aka Girls) released one of the strongest debut albums of the year with Album – and the buzz soon followed. But unlike many of their contemporaries, Girls proved that all the critical praise and attention was warranted. The following year, they released the 6-song EP Broken Dreams Club (which might as well have been a full-length), maturing into a seasoned band with songs that played like overlooked gems from decades past. The upward trend continues on the band’s official sophomore LP, Father, Son, Holy Ghost, an album that’s both eclectic and compelling.

VIDEO: Girls - "Vomit"

Girls are set to release their highly-anticipated sophomore LP, Father, Son, Holy Ghost, on September 13th via True Panther Sounds. We've already heard the stellar, chilling "Vomit" from the album, and, now, we have a music video to accompany the track. In my write-up for the song, I said it sounded like something that might be a great soundtrack for a late night drive. What are the odds...

Beautiful and classy.

LISTEN: Girls - "Vomit" (from Father, Son, Holy Ghost)

As previously reported, Girls are set to release their sophomore album, Father, Son, Holy Ghost, on September 13th via True Panther Sounds. After Album and, what might as well have been an album, the Broken Dreams Club EP, anticipation for and interest in this new album has only continued to build and build. Considering their musical maturation and the artistic level the band reached on Broken Dreams Club, Father, Son, Holy Ghost is an album that will truly define the significance of Girls in years to come. Clearly, the new record has been built up quite a bit -- or, rather, has a lot to live up to -- and, after a listen to "Vomit," it's seems that it will truly be something special.

Girls Set to Release Sophomore Album "Father, Son, Holy Ghost"

Photo by Sandy Kim

One of the most highly regarded and consistently great bands of the past few years would have to be San Francisco's Girls. Their debut, Album, was a strong introductory statement that lead many to place it on year-end lists back in 2009. The band only matured into something greater with the follow-up, last year's fantastic Broken Dreams Club EP -- one of my favorite releases of the past 12 months. Now, Girls are set to release their sophomore album entitled Father, Son, Holy Ghost on September 13th via True Panther Sounds. Scope the album's tracklist and cover art, as well as the band's upcoming tour dates, below.

LISTEN: Girls - "Heartbreaker"

Girls released one of the most critically-acclaimed albums last year with their debut, Album. On November 22nd, they'll release a new 6-song EP entitled Broken Dreams Club via True Panther. Even with only six songs, the EP clocks in at 30 minutes, which, by comparison, is longer than X's Los Angeles or the Ramones' self-titled debut. Below, you can hear/download "Heartbreaker" from the new EP.

Girls - "Heartbreaker"
(via Crawdaddy)


With an opening progression carried by a slow-moving phaser effects pedal, "Heartbreaker" initially sounds like a cut of dream pop. From there, it maintains a sense of mid to late-'80s indie pop, with touches of chorus, reverb, and phaser effects. It's a meditative strummer, well-structured and consistently strong throughout. The band recently shared one of their musical obsessions on Twitter: a British alternative rock band from the '80s called Felt. A link was posted for a Felt song entitled "Penelope Tree," and, hearing the song, it's not hard to pinpoint what era, or what style of sound, they were drawing from and inspired by when working on the material for Broken Dreams Club.

Hear Felt's "Penelope Tree" and download "Heartbreaker" after the jump.