Best Top Tracks Songs 2011 Part Two

Song: Christopher Columbus
Artist: Gruff Rhys
Album: Hotel Shampoo &nbap;    Click here for full album review
Year: 2011


Song: Noc-a-Homa
Artist: The Black Lips
Album: Arabia Mountain
Year: 2011


Song: Alice
Artist: Johan Agebjorn
Album: Casablanca Nights &nbap;    Click here for full album review
Year: 2011

Best Top Tracks Songs 2011 Part One

Song: Second Chance
Artist: Junior Boys
Album: It's All True       Click here for full album review.
Year: 2011


Song: Tell Me Now
Artist: The Generationals
Album: Actor-Caster       Click here for full album review.
Year: 2011


Song: Looping State of Mind
Artist: The Field
Album: Looping State of Mind       Click here for full album review.
Year: 2011

Top Album Covers: Rock & Roll Submarine by Urge Overkill

Urge Overkill had one of the best album covers of 2011 on their Rock n' Roll Submarine full-length.    The title track was a highlight.


Song: Rock & Roll Submarine
Band: Urge Overkill
Album: Rock & Roll Submarine
Year: 2011
Rock&Roll Submarine by UrgeOverkill

Urge Overkill on Bandcamp

Urge Overkill home page

Top Tracks of 2011: Reasons by She Wants Revenge from Valleyheart LP

Despite strongly disliking She Wants Revenge's Valleyheart LP, their track 'Reasons' contains every characteristic of a great band.



For Full Album Review of Valleyheart click right about here.



Artist: She Wants Revenge
Song: Reasons
Album: Valleyheart
Year: 2011

Album Review: Parallax by Atlas Sound

Deerhunter vocalist's solo project Atlas Sound delivers some technical and musical magic on his newest full length Parallax.    Each track arrives and departs with maturity and patience, traversing a route not unlike The The in its heyday, replete with erudite vocals from Bradford Cox that quietly mutate from Death From Above 1979's Sebastien Grainger to U2's Bono.    Closing the album with one of the best tracks, Lightsworks, assures repeated plays and signal that this cat knows what he is doing.    For those parts of the planet with discernible changes of season, Parallax is a welcome record for our darkening days.

Changes from Parallax by Atlas Sound


Amplifiers from Parallax by Atlas Sound


Parallax from Parallax by Atlas Sound


Praying Man from Parallax by Atlas Sound


Lightsworks from Parallax by Atlas Sound




Atlas Sound on 4AD website.


Parallax by Atlas Sound Tracklist

01. The Shakes
02. Amplifiers
03. Te Amo
04. Parallax
05. Modern Aquatic Nightsongs
06. Mona Lisa
07. Praying Man
08. Doldrums
09. My Angel Is Broken
10. Terra Incognita
11. Flagstaff
12. Nightworks

Album Review-Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds LP

After several similar artists, including brother Liam's new band Beady Eye and the clueless Kasabian, tried harvesting the magic that Oasis mustered in their heyday, it is satisfying that the elder Noel made something satisfying with his resurgent High Flying Birds LP.    Where Beady Eye's ineffective song-writing and Kasabian's desperate mix of disparate sounds failed them, High Flying Birds gets your attention with simply clever songwriting and honest musicianship.    An airtight album from brother Gallagher to be enjoyed at any altitude.

If I Had A Gun... by noelgallagher

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Dream On


Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - The Death of You and Me


Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - If I Had a Gun...


Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - AKA... What a Life!


Noel Gallagher - Press Conference 6th July 2011

Top Tracks of 2011-Stone Rollin' by Raphael Saadiq from Stone Rollin' LP

Raphael Saadiq exhumes the musical spirit of Sam Cooke and Muddy Waters on the title track to his 2011 Stone Rollin' LP.


For full album review of Raphael Saadiq's Stone Rollin' click right about here.

Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'

Top Tracks of 2011: Black Night by The Dodos from No Color LP

The Dodos' Black Night evolves from a Love & Rockets' Yin and Yang and the Flowerpot Man template on this terrific track.


For Full Album Review of Dodo's No Color LP, click right about here.


Song: Black Night
Album: No Color
Artist: Dodos
Year: 2011

FREE Download of Black Night
Click on down arrow below Info at right of Soundcloud object
The Dodos - "Black Night" by orchardmktg

Top Tracks of 2011-Santa Fe by Beirut from The Rip Tide LP

'Santa Fe' is easily the best track from Beirut's 2011 album 'The Rip Tide' and one of humankind's best tracks of the year.


For Full Album Review of Beirut's The Rip Tide click right about here.


Beirut - Santa Fe (from The Rip Tide)

Top Tracks of 2011-Dixie Fried Chris Isaak Beyond the Sun

Impeccable source material with self-assured crooning from Chris Isaak makes Dixie Fried a great success.


Click here for full review of the album Beyond the Sun by Chris Isaak.


Song: Dixie Fried
Album: Beyond the Sun
Artist: Chris Isaak
Songwriter: Carl Perkins
Year: 2011


Chris Isaak - Beyond the Sun Samples by ChrisIsaak

Top Tracks of 2011: Let It Go The Liberators with Roxie Ray The Liberators LP

The inordinately instrumental band The Liberators invite guest vocalist Roxie Ray who helped refine classic funk on Let It Go.


For Full Review of the The Liberators' self-titled album, click right about here.


Track: Let It Go featuring Roxie Ray
Album: The Liberators
Band: The Liberators
Year: 2011
THE LIBERATORS - Let It Go feat. Roxie Ray by The Liberators - Afrofunk

Top Tracks of 2011-Please Turn by Little Dragon Ritual Union album

One of the harbingers of 21st century synth pop was Sweden's Little Dragon on their track Please Turn.
Click here for full album review of Ritual Union by Little Dragon.

Song: Please Turn
Album: Ritual Union
Band: Little Dragon
Year: 2011

Top Tracks of 2011-Better Lie by The Get Up Kids There Are Rules

Among all of the Top Tracks that I've found for myself this year, few are as potent as The Get Up Kids' Better Lie.
Click here for full album review of Better Lie by The Get Up Kids