ALBUMS YOU MAY HAVE SLEPT ON IN 2011

Year end album lists always get me thinking. For the most part I agree with an author’s top ten albums or even top ten videos from the past calendar year. What makes me scratch my head the most is when people completely look over new titles giving them little to no mention at all. Here are five albums from last year that I feel didn’t get the attention they deserved. None of these albums are listed in any particular order.

Atlas Sound- “Parallax” (November 2011)

Alternative/Electronic/Indie
Standout tracks: ‘Doldrums’, ‘Terra Incognita’, and ‘Flagstaff.’

We all know Bradford Cox. The thing about “Parallax” that bothered me was that no one seemed to have an opinion on it. “It’s good.” or “I’ve heard [of] it” but no one really said what they thought about the album as a whole. For me the songs were a bit more straightforward and enjoyable than those released on “Logos.” I would also list the album’s second half as the stronger of the two.

Animals As Leaders- “Weightless” (November 2011)

Progressive/Metal
Standout tracks: ‘Somnarium’, ‘To Lead You To An Overwhelming Question’, and ‘David.’

Not the type of music I generally listen to but this album is just so good! I was lucky enough to see them as support with Thursday for Underoath’s first leg of touring in promotion of “Ø (Disambiguation).” What impresses me the most isn’t necessarily the technical side of the music but how layered and exciting the album presents itself. Everyone regardless of genre preferences should sit down and give this a listen.

The Internet- “Purple Naked Ladies” (December 2011)

Electronic/Funk/Soul
Standout tracks: ‘She DGAF’, ‘She Knows’, and ‘Fastlane.’

Sydney’s vocals are perfect for this project. It’s also nice to hear more from her directly other than production and beat credits as on the other Odd Future releases. The duo describes the album as a “music induced trip” and I think the description is fairly accurate especially on tracks such as ‘Gurl.’ Shame this album came out right at the end of 2011. With Syd undergoing vocal lessons and the progress she’s already shown over time with recording and audio engineering I can’t wait to see what she does in the next few years. Her work with Frank Ocean on ‘Wheels 2’, listed as ‘Analog 2’ on the second Odd Future tape, boldly states her capabilities. (secretly hoping for some sort of collaboration with Frank in the near future)

BADBADNOTGOOD- “BADBADNOTGOOD” (November 2011)

Instrumental/Jazz
Standout tracks: ‘Electric Relaxation’, ‘Hard In The Paint’, and ‘Bastard – Lemonade – Orange Juice – AssMilk.’

Unique take on some well known Hip Hop tunes. Obviously I’m a fan of Odd Future but I like these tracks for the alternate takes they showcase on songs. To date the trio has released a handful of EP’s and singles and plan on releasing another full length album during the first week April. http://badbadnotgood.tumblr.com/

*Honorable Mention. Kendrick Lamar- “Section.80” (July 2011)

Hip Hop
Standout tracks: ‘Fuck Your Ethnicity’, ‘Keisha’s Song (Her Pain)’, and ‘Blow My High (Members Only).’

Several of my old housemates told me about Kendrick. While well produced what should most command your attention is the albums subject matter. Enjoyable guest features and Lamar’s vocal delivery are not to be overlooked either. I have to respect a man that can rhyme terrorist with asparagus.

[testimonial company=”Social Media & Forum Admin” author=”Austin” image=”https://hasitleaked.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/austin.jpg”]

Austin

Austin is responsible for creating our Last.fm group and acts as an admin over at our Facebook page as well as on our site forum. He likes history, Connect Four, and most of all orange juice. On a majority of days you can find him listening to vinyl or eating soy yogurt.

Austin’s profile page and Last.fm account.
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