The Morning After

Picking a top 10 list of favourite records is always excruciating fun.  I always think it will be easy until I sit down and start going through my records. I enjoy remembering, but then quantifying and sorting those memories can be a challenge.

The radio consultants at the Zone always say that “your heavy rotation songs should be easy to pick.”  I agree that my number 1 this year (like previous years) was an easy pick.  But then after that… I dunno.

Another challenge is trying to weigh something I listened to heavy in January to something that is bright and new and shiny right now… Generally I figure, if I am not rocking it now, then probably not a top 10 list type of band.  But then… Awolnation I used to listen to all the time.  But couldn’t find a spot on the list.  Also, Destroyer or Fleet Foxes I jammed out for a time…but not on the list.

Lots of bands had songs that I adore, but couldn’t include the record because:

A) I don’t actually have it
B) Not that good, even if I listened to a particular song a trillions time.

Man, I loved songs from Holy Ghost, Atlas Genius, We Are Augustines, Dinosaur Bones, The Strokes, Airborne Toxic Event, Gold Panda, Bell X1… hmmm there are bound to be even more… I jammed out tons of country, metal and electronic this year… but no records that get played heavy.

And then there is The Black Keys.  Record comes out on Tuesday.  It’ll come out in 2011… but I haven’t heard the whole thing yet so.

11) The Black Keys – El Camino

I have only heard part of this record… and I already know I’ll love it. The band dominated the Zone (and rock radio in North America) this whole year.  4 number 1 singles on the Modern Rock Countdown.  My goodness.

I know doing things on margin is what caused the financial crisis but I had to include El Camino on my top 10 list!  Even if its Number 11.

The theme song to my Hockey! segment… “Lonely Boy”

10) By A Thread – By A Thread

Over 10 years I waited for the follow-up to post-whatever band By A Thread’s The Last of the Daydreams.  Over 10 years!

I loved this record when it showed up in the mail back in April.  I put the record aside for most the summer… but once the weather turned, I dunno, but this record has featured tons on my listening habit.  When I walk to the Zone, this record get blasted through the headphones and transports me back to my college radio days.  I love this record because it has both a timeless feel to me, while sounding somewhat modern .  I say “some what” because sometime I get tricked.  maybe you’ll listen to this record and go… “hmmm, sounds like late 90s post-alt rock to me.”

all you need is “Fashion.”

09) Coldplay – “Mylo Xyloto”

Haters gunna hate… but whatever, this is a pretty good record from Coldplay.  I enjoy the singles on the radio, I enjoy them when they pop up in mixes, and I enjoy the record which lives in my van for long drives. Just a plain, good old fashioned well produced mega slick, great big record.

Live to be a 40-year-old virgin listening to “Paradise.”

08) Foo Fighters – Wasting Light

Another big, slick mainstream record that is just good.  I enjoy all the songs we play off this disc on the radio.  The album was so super hyped before its release I was a little concerned I wouldn’t like it. But hitting play on this album is a rewarding experience and is another point on the list of why Dave Grohl is a living legend.

Shower in a truck stop with friends to this song, “Rope.”

07) Arkells – Michigan Left

Arkells are the band that demanded to be on my top 10 list.  The story goes… I knew of the Arkells as a band.  A Canadian rock band like a billion before them and a billion after them… then I saw them open for Tokyo Police Club and rattle the cage that was my brain.  I quickly became a convert and devoured the back catalog.  I was primed for the release of Michigan Left and was not disappointed. A fantastic, front-to-back album of rock & roll music.  This CD lives in my van and I punch it up often.

If I had a friend named Matty that rocked ‘Women and Songs 2’… well I don’t what I’d think about that. “Book Club”

06) Washed Out – Within and Without

Just look at that album artwork… don’t you wanna make-out?

An album of easy listening.  I have a sweet tooth for this type of chill electronic music.  I can’t deny it.  This record is a staple of my lounge set at Veneto.  This record also lives in the Civic and sounded so awesome this summer barrelling up the Pat Bay Highway.

You’ll get to third base if you drop the needle on “You and I”

05) The Naked and Famous – Passive Me, Aggressive You

Tricky… this record was technically released in 2010… but then re-released to a world-wide audience (and on vinyl) in 2011.

A super fun and catchy record that contains a couple of my favourite songs of the year on it.  “Young Blood” and “Punching in a Dream.”

Jon Williams was a big champion of this album and randomly showed up at the Zone one day with a vinyl copy tucked under his arm; which he then gifted to me.  Nice.  This record was the soundtrack to most my summer… and spring… and actually I jam out “Punching in a Dream” during many of my club DJ sets.

its a banger… “Punching in a Dream”

04) The Decemberists – The Kings is Dead

A record that came out in January of 2011… King is Dead is the first Decemberists record that I truly loved…

I went to see the Decemberists in the summer with Simon from the Veneto and his wife.  There I met up with Dan and Laura visiting from France and had one of my great summer nights of 2011. I drank a cocktail that night that tasted like a spicy Chicago Dog! (in the best of ways)

“Rise to Me” would also make my list of top 10 songs of the year.

03) Foster the People – Torches

What do I say about Foster the People?  Their song “Pumped Up Kicks” went sub-atomic on not only rock radio… but a bonafide top 40 jam.  Soccer Moms hum along to a song about Columbining your school.

This record was played all-the-time around my home in the Spring and Summer.  Coral and I don’t really jive on the same bands much anymore.  So I do find it special when we both have a record we could put on and crank.

I swear, I could take any song off this record and play it on the Zone and it would be a hit.  If anything, this record is TOO sugar sweet on the ear drums.

I like the song “I Would Do Anything For You” because I am a romantic (and a dork). Ooh-la-la

02) M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

My top two records both win because they are chill-out records and most my (as in MY) listening… is late at night (what time is now… shit, 1AM).  I put on headphones, hit go… and dream.  So my Top 10 has a lot of records that reflect that as they are the records that I listen to.

M83 is a record I wish came out anytime prior 2006 when I smoked way too much pot.  This is a pot record in the best way.  Lots of weird audio wickedness to pet your ear-holes.  I’ve blogged lots about M83 and could go on all day on why he’s so awesome. You’ve read it and taken it to heart, or you haven’t… so what Imma gunna do is post “Midnight City” again and hope this time… this time it is the time you go… “riiiiiiiiight.”

M83 could and almost should be my number 1, but it doesn’t win for a few reasons.  As much as I love the sonic oddities… sometimes I’m not in the mood.  I do find myself occasionally skipping songs which I never do with…

01) Bon Iver – Bon Iver

I said at the top of my list that picking the number 1 should be easy and this year it was… My end of the day go to record when the weight of the world is pushing me down.

Hot dog, its good.  A front-to-back masterpiece of modern light rock.  I am sure in like 20 years Bon Iver will be the Hall & Oates of this generation… but fuck, whatever.  Hall & Oates is cool again, so maybe that says something?

This is another record that both Coral and I listen to… cute attack!

This album is not a rocker or very pop.  So if you need growls, distortions, tattoos, testicles… this album won’t be for you.  But if you like to strap in and explore time and space in some sort of out-of-body astral projection experience… then you’ve found the soundtrack.

This song is so beautiful, “Holocene”

That’s another list of some of my more memorable albums of 2011.  If I can find the energy, I wouldn’t mind trying to lay down a top 10 songs… but now that would be an even greater challenge.  Maybe top 20?  Top 50?  Zoinks.

As with anything, music is subjective so unless we’re already musically compatible, you might scratch your head at some selections… and that’s cool, maybe it’ll inspire you to write your own list?  Just be sure to post a link in my comment section so I can read your’s too.

Ugh, I always feel like I am forgetting something…. I am sure that I am.

Thank you for reading my blog.  Go with yourself.

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Because lists are fun:

Top 10 Records of 2010
Top 10 Records of 2009
Top 10 Records of 2008
My Favourite Records of the 00s
Top 10 Zone Shows of the 00s

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