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Heycoolkid!’s 100 Best Songs Of 2011

Heycoolkid!’s 100 Best Songs Of 2011 (41-55)

What is there not to love when combining key elements of Delta Spirits, Deer Tick, and Dawes?

“Me, Me, Me” is an indie honky-tonk set on fire. Every element from the Jerry Lee Lewis style piano to the Lynard Skynard-esc lead this song comes off as if we’ve heard it our entire life rather than being something new from three relatively new faces.

54. French Films – “Pretty In Decadence”

Somewhere between The Beach Boys and The Cure falls “Pretty In Decadence” the first single from the French Films debut album “Imaginary Future.”

If anything “Pretty In Decadence” has an overall feeling similar to what Robert Smith would have given off if he weren’t constantly obsessing over breaking up with who he’s with or wanting to sleep with who he’s not, which I realize makes as much sense as saying a band sounds like The Smiths if Morrissey had actually gotten the girl (Often I remind myself how lucky we all are that Morrissey didn’t get what he wanted despite how nicely he asked). For the sake of French Films though this is a solidreference point to start with.

The great thing about this song is when you get past the tap-your-feet-and-get-moving vibe and really sink into the lyrics you’ll realize why I get the impression of The Smiths being the cornerstone in the psyche of French Films despite their obvious infatuation with The Cure,

“I went to heaven to get advice, I asked for God but he didn’t have time. Hoped I could be happy, I could be free from the gun they keep pointing at me. Cable TV, pills and afterwork to sleep at night. “Son it’s always worse somewhere else” oh what a wonderful, wonderful life. Everytime I walk through the main street, everytime I know I would rather stay this way baby than wave the flag for the bloodsucking blues,”

and this is probably the most optimistic song on the album. – (Via)

53. Lanterns On The Lake – “You’re Almost There”

“Hazy, elegant vocals, sombre piano keys, percussive echoes and soaring strings all moulded into a beautiful and intricately arranged 3 minutes 16 pretty much guarantees that Lanterns On The Lake’s latest song ‘You’re Almost There’ will find its way to being one of our favourite tracks of the summer “- The Line Of Best Fit

52. Scattered Trees – “A Conversatiion About Death On New Year’s Eve”

Sympathy the absolutely amazing album from Scattered Trees, which was penned after the death of lead singer Nate Eiesland’s father, embodies every aspect of emotion possible; As with some of the greatest art ever created if you give an artist something so powerful they need to find a release, a way to make sense of things uncontrollable, somehow it manifests into something great.

The two stand out tracks from the album are the title track and “A Conversation About Death On New Years Eve,” the later having a somber hook you can’t help but sing along with which shows us that Scattered Trees can channel their own personal turmoil and conflict through lyrics with a rare strength within the honesty. What impresses me so much about this song is that they are able to take those lyrics and show us how creatively talented they are by transforming them into a tangible experience that we’re thankful to share with them.

51. Sleepy Vikings – “Calm”

I realized when I began going over my best album’s and best song’s lists that Sleepy Vikings have become this year’s “sleeper” band for me (no pun intended). Whenever one of their songs comes on the thought never crosses my mind to skip over it and I almost always find myself singing along yet until I started to work out some sort of hierarchy of which songs meant the most to me this year it never crossed my mind how many Sleepy Vikings tracks I have listened to over and over and over again.

Between the perfect vocal workings in “Calm” and what is probably my favorite guitar solo of 2011, there was no way I could exclude this song from the list.

I rarely break down instrumentation but this is one of the few exceptions. The lead guitar in “Calm” is absolutely ideal. Anyone can practice scales and work on finger tricks so they can fly up and down the neck in blazing sixteenth and thirty second notes but it takes a true skilled musician to hold themselves back and play only what is absolutely necessary to make the song better as a whole rather than using distortion and delay to scream out “Hey look at me”. This lead gives the song exactly what it needs to elevate it at the precise moment necessary, people with horrible tastes can have their Eddie Van Halen I’ll take Julian Conner any day.

50. Absofacto – “80844264@81 (Love Song)”

I’m a lens broke in two to the tenth power
even through facets i can see, over a kaleidoscopic scene,
your head, your arms, your teeth, your necks,
your rubber checks, your evil eye

I’m still on your side, but out of sight and out of mind

I’d actually forgotten about this song until I looked over Birp!‘s Best of 2011 list. For some reason I was thinking this one came out last year, February feels like a lifetime ago, in a way I guess it was, we’re all in different places now and that’s kind of what this song is about.

49. The Rural Alberta Advantage – “Stamp”

“It is not a small-sounding song, so start mentally preparing yourself for the inevitable full-venue singalong.” – P4k

I feel like 2011 was a strong step forward for The Rural Alberta Advantage. Putting out a perfectly crafted album helps, putting on an extensive tour, which included a stop in INDY of all places, didn’t hurt either. This was my favorite song from Departing. If you haven’t given them a chance yet pick the album up for yourself… your life will be better for it.

48. Summer Camp – “Better Off Without You”

I’m still not completely sure how I feel about Summer Camp.

One thing that I am sure about though is how damn good “Better Off Without You” is.

It’s not the music that keeps me with one toe in the water, they’ve definitely got that under wraps, it’s how they act in interviews and their whole approach to how they put this album out. They seem to almost be TOO “cool,” ya know, I scratch my head in wondering how contrived is this entire process. As with most bands the truth almost always unfolds rather quickly, there are too many camera’s and microphones hanging around to keep who we really are out of the spot light.

I would never put this song up if I didn’t have the utmost respect for where Summer Camp are at this very moment, creating ideal music, so please don’t misinterpret what I’m saying. I just don’t want to put it out there that I’m one hundred percent on board with these guys until we’ve come to know who they are and what they are really about.

47. Future Islands – “Balance”

I’ve been sitting on this album for a month or so now and if you look at my listening habits in that month, Future Islands are way up there in the upper echelons.

I’ve only been a fan of the Baltimore band since early last year after arriving late on their scene, but being completely enamored with their passion, their sound, and their songcraft I’ve been a huge supporter since.

Now just over a year since their excellent second album “In Evening Air” they’ve followed it up with “On The Water” another stunning listen, and if you’ve heard the songs released from it so far in “Before The Bridge”, and “Balance”, you know I speak the truth. - Listen Before You Buy

46. A Little Nothing – “White Hill”

A Little Nothing make ideal headphone music. There is a very one-on-one vibration to there songs. Although I’ll concede that the idea of listening to this song on vinyl while hanging out with some crush would probably be one of the better musical experiences since I made-out to Enter Sandman in seventh grade.

“White Hill” is an ideal soundtrack song, I can’t believe I didn’t include this one on the Perks Of Being A Wallflower post a few weeks ago… it is more than fitting.

45. Gem Club – “Twins”

Gem Club’s “Breakers” LP comes out at the end of September, and “Twins” is the second early release from what is shaping up to be a highly enjoyable album, I’m kind of getting obsessed already. The interwoven strings and piano are so fitting with each other that you barely even notice their coexistence, everything blends so well that the thought of one without the other would seem off-balanced.

The vocals that Christopher Barnes gives us are complete and at the same time undemanding, coming across passively as he sings “just your touch could cure my lonesome blood.You let go of everything you had and everything got left here waiting for what comes next. The state of things leaves time to me and I’ve been careless, I think too much, I want to lie still near you. The wind shook the kiss from your mouth before I could learn whose twin I was.”

Such a heavy song to feel so weightless, yet it lingers and reminds us that there is something more to this than simple longing if only we ask “what’s he longing for”. (Via)

44. Cookies – “Wilderness Tips”

I was not prepared when I pressed play on this Cookies track, to say that “Wilderness Tips” is addicting would be a huge understatement, this song is like one giant hook, ever shifting, so catchy, club ready, scene approved, a song so good we’re likely to be sick of it in four months.

The New York based cookies are Melissa Metrick, and former Mobius Band guitarist Ben Sterling.

I’ve downloaded a handful of cookies songs and they each deliver the same sugary goodness as on “Wilderness Tips.” I love it when a band’s name actually fits with their sound and there is not a band that comes to mind as more aligned with their name than Cookies which are delicious , sorry I had to say it, lame+true=FACT. (Via)

43. Dark Mean – “Happy Banjo”

Simply put Dark Mean could be good enough that they’re songs will bare significance for the rest of our lives.

“Happy Banjo” remains as my favorite track from these guys whose entire sound embodies everything I look for when heading out on a road trip with friends.

42. Absofacto And 10k Cities – “Kiko (103 Words)”

Absofacto wrote some of the best lyrics I heard this year. “Kiko” is my favorite example.

Yesterday I wrote everything I know down in a notebook as a person of the past for future hands to flip through while scraping all the dirt from myincisors
paying more attention to the fine details of the here and the now than anyone who’s actually here now

and one hundred and three words is not enough to get me over that chasm
(that chasm, it’s keeping here from there)
if I can’t fold ‘em over I want to smash ‘em together

Scurrying around like the ant I am viewed through the window of the first class seat you undoubtedly lucked into .All that extra elbow room is being made poor use of by the boardroom bombshell sitting right next to you,
while counting the weeks till the future comes.

and one hundred and three words is not enough to get me over that chasm
(that chasm, it’s keeping here from there)
if I can’t fold ‘em over I want to smash ‘em together till they’re just dirt

41. Old Tapes – “Farewell”

“Farewell” is one of the most honest and necessary break-up songs ever recorded. I would not be surprised one bit if it ends up on some shitty teen reality show on MTV or some fade out ending on the WB. “Hate the show not the song,” I’m just going to have to repeat that over and over when it happens.

“I only miss you because you left before I did”

Let that sink in for a second…some things just need to be said and sometimes other people have to say them for us to realize just how true they are. (via)

All songs are for promotional use only. If you or an artist you represent would like content removed email me at Heycoolkid@yahoo.com

Tags: 103 Words, 10k Cities, 80844264@81, a conversation about death on new years eve, A Little Nothing, Absofacto, Balance, Better Off Without You, calm, Cookies, Dark Mean, Farewell, French Film, Future Islands, Gem Club, happy banjo, Kiko, Lanterns On The Lake, Love Song, Me Me Me, Middle Brother, Old Tapes, Pretty In Decadence, scattered trees, sleepy vikings, Stamp, Summer Camp, the rural alberta advantage, Twins, White Hill, Wilderness Tips, Youre Almost There

Categories Best Of ..., mp3 mix

Heycoolkid!’s 100 Best Songs Of 2011

22 Dec

Heycoolkid!’s 100 Best Songs Of 2011 (56 – 75)

75.Oregon Bike Trails – “Cayucas”

Oregon Bike Trails has created the ideal soundtrack for any summer. If “Cayucas” doesn’t get you in the mood for warmer weather, open air, some polluted water-way, and good friends I can’t help but wonder what is wrong with you.

74. Oupa – “Forget”

After seeing Yuck play Radio Radio this year I’m at a stalemate between an intense love for songs like “Automatic“/ Oupa’s “Forget” and the absolute energy of the more upbeat songs like “Cousin Corona” and “Georgia” which develop into a whole other animal on-stage.

This song stirs emotions hiding in the back of my consciousness that occasionally need to be brought to the surface like a realized musical accompaniment to Bukowski‘s “Bluebird“. There’s a time and place for every great song. When the moment comes for this one to be fitting you’re thankful as you listen that a friend has created something to sing along with which aligns perfectly with those feelings.

73. Bright Eyes – “Jejune Stars”

The People’s Key is an album that grew on me gradually this year. I’m not sure what I was expecting but what at first felt like a let down developed into an absolute returned love for an artist that will always seem underated to me. Conor Oberst is the catalyst for an entire shift from mainstream to indie in the collective psyche of all things brilliant and “cool.”

The way he expresses himself in each song on The People’s Key was fashioned more along the lines of Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band than it was traditional Bright Eyes in that the lyrics are personal yet more metaphoric than personally descriptive but the same message is there, “Jejune Stars” is probably the best example.

72. 1,2,3 – “Riding Coach”

“[Riding Coach] further expands the band’s musical palette. They’ve rocked out plenty thus far, and they’ve done the retro-soul vibe remarkably well, too. With ‘Riding Coach‘, Sickels pounds out a slow, steady beat and Nic Snyder’s near-falsetto vocals massage the ears with rhythm and soul. About two-thirds of the way through, there’s a funky little guitar riff before the pair chill out again. Absorb the cool … “- The Wounded Jukebox

71. Messy Sparkles – “Newblessings (Selfish Ghost)”

“Catchy melodies blend and come apart in a swirling psyched-out pop frenzy. Seeing two colors together and apart at once. Happy, frustrated, and sad all at the same time. Messy Sparkles not only make sense of such calamity, it seems to be their essence.” – Zen Tapes

70. Lana De Rey – “Video Games”

If Lana Del Rey sticks with the sound she’s given us in 2011 I confidently believe our generation may have it’s new Sinatra. She’s got the sound, she’s got the look, and she followed the ideal format this year in laying the groundwork for a shift towards huge commercial success. Who knows how we’ll feel about Lana Del Rey in a few years time but for now it’s hard to find anyone whose opinion I appreciate that doesn’t respect the songs she put out this year. “Video Games” was the song that took me from listening timidly to becoming a fan.

69. Nathan Bell – “Rust”

Unless it’s Merle Haggard there isn’t much “country” that I get into, which is what caught me off guard with “Rust“. I’m not even sure which blog I picked it up from when I downloaded this track yet I clearly remember when it came up on shuffle just stopping what I was doing and listening so intently that I played it three times in a row. There’s no doubt in my mind the place Nathan Bell was at when he wrote this song, although I may be wrong, I get the feeling that this song must have been a huge release for him when it was finished.

“Rust” reminds me so much of coming home from shows I’d play six hours away and driving all night to make it to work at 8 in the morning, wondering about the kind of things you wonder about on rides like that. One show in Michigan in-particular stands for me.

Late night, the window down, I had a cigarette lit and Blake Skidmore‘s “August Breeze” was playing on my 5th generation. I remember being overwhelmed by that feeling of age and time, the way those things feel when you are young, and just wondering if anything we ever do is worth the effort. It was one of the best shows I’d ever played and still there was an emptiness in me that I thought a show like that would dissolve. Each time I hear this song I’m so vividly transported back that I can feel the fall night wind and the uneasiness inside all over again. There’s definitely a reason for songs like this to be important…that’s mine.

68. Scott Orr- “Nobody’s Someone”

When I posted the Best Albums Of 2011 list I added a link to it on Scott Orr‘s Facebook page he left a comment saying ” Thanks, very honored. But there’s no way I should be ahead of that Real Estate record. “

This was my response, ” If you go by lyric content and which artist feels more honest you should.”

For the same reason as the Nathan Bell track “Nobody’s Someone” deserves a place on this years list. Although this song is much more present than “Rust,” like a snapshot of the here and now looking towards the future as a response to the past rather than the inverse.

67. The Tao of Con – “Yr Memory”

“More beauty in minimal pop simplicity courtesy of Boston’s Conor Maier who recorded his debut Memory EP under The Tao of Con moniker.

There is an unmistakable stripped-down fragility which pours through both his music and his vocals — an element that takes this bedroom pop to an entirely new wavelength. It’s sincere, it’s raw and it comes across as completely genuine. While the EP may play on the short side, it’s best to enjoy this as a single entity as the tracks all flow seemlessly together as one.”- Birp!

66. The Submarines – “Shoelaces”

There’s something about songs giving an upbeat feeling to downbeat lyrics that gets me every time. This song makes me think of the Lewis Black skit about George Jr. always talking about the war with a smile on his face. Only in the case of “Shoelaces” it’s a welcome alignment of mixed feelings.

The Submarines deserve much more accolades for what they’ve done this year. I can only hope that 2012 is the year they finally reach a level of recognition fitting for their ability. They are so talented (and catchy) that it’s hard for me to grasp how little buzz has gone their way this year.

65. Princeton – “Clamoring For Your Heart”

Princeton continues to give us new music two tracks at a time. This is the title track from the 7″ they just put out. I love their style of minimalistic brit-rock, especially since they sound like they could be Morrissey‘s younger brothers and yet they are from Santa Monica.

Princeton has always had a sixth sense about knowing how to keep from doing too much and everything fits and falls into place without it feeling empty. This is my favorite Princeton track as far as lyrics go but in all honestly it would be worth the listen just for the use of the word “clamoring” in a song.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that it’s long overdue for Princeton to give us a full length. Don’t get me wrong, having this as the second 7″ this year has been nice but it’s been nearly three years since “Cocoon Of Love,” and that’s way too long. – My post on Listen Before You Buy

64.Dawes – “Little Bit Of Everything”

My father was always a big Jackson Browne fan growing up which has carried over into a life long love on my part for his music. Each time I listen through one of Browne’si songs I find myself asking, “Why isn’t anyone doing this NOW,” thanks to the new Dawes album I can confidently say someone is.

There’s a big shift in music going from that folk sound that’s been up front over the last few years to a more seventies sound; Bands are bringing in larger sounding solo’s and traditional storytelling lyrics are making a comeback. Outside of being a great stand alone track, “Little Bit Of Everything” is a prime example of what I’m saying. Change is always good… even if I did hate the new Blitzen Trapper album Dawes has shown us the sound can be done well.

63. Hi Ho Silver Oh – “Showers Without Warning”

Hi Ho Silver Oh brilliantly wrote Showers Without Warning based on the Friday The Thirteenth moves. I’m both a huge fan of this song and those movies (half of them anyways, some are unwatchable ie Jason X). So if the lyrics seem a bit psychotic it’s good to understand what they are about.

62. Fleet Foxes – “Helplessness Blues”

If I didn’t hear this song everyday at work would I think higher of “Helplessness Blues” and for Fleet Foxes In General?

I ask myself this often. I mean, it’s not like the band has control over who does or does not like their music. Yet we live in a time when the reality is that your current fans and the amount of radio play you get is just as important as the music itself. It’s the masses that want a single song played ten times a day for months on end and unfortunately the same people who destroyed Kings Of Leon, The Black Keys, Mumford And Sons and Florence And The Machine have been swaying towards Fleet Foxes.

Kings and Florence brought it on themselves so I have no sympathy for them, I’m not sure about Mumford until their next album comes out, but Fleet Foxes and The Black Keys haven’t really done anything other than play a lot of shows to get where they are. Hard work should work for you not against you, unfortunately that’s not how things go anymore. So for those of us who still want to stay on board we might as well get use to getting chaffed at their shows from rubbing against Hollister polo’s and being asked if we’ve ever heard of Arcade Fire.

61. Real Estate – “Out Of Tune”

“Out Of Tune” is by far my favorite Real Estate track. It’s the perfect balance between chill-wave surf rock and early 90′s garage alternative. This song is one of the main songs I plan on listening to next month when I leave Indiana behind and finally move out to Austin. This is a side-one track one when soundtracking that sort of moment.

60. Beirut – “East Harlem”

“This is a new song slash really really old song, because I think I wrote this when I was 17,” Zach Condon said when introducing “East Harlem” during a 2009 performance at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg. Of course, the songs Condon makes as Beirut, while fresh and new to most audiences ever since he debuted with 2006′s Gulag Orkestar, also happen to be at least partly rooted in European folk traditions reaching back to who knows when. What’s been more interesting to watch, though, is how the handful of years since 2007′s The Flying Club Cup have made that still relatively recent record’s songs come to sound like old, familiar friends, even to those of us who didn’t quite know what to make of them at first.

As recorded for a new Beirut single, “East Harlem” looks poised to undergo a similar sort of ripening as it becomes more and more familiar. The lyrics are sparse and rooted in classic, instantly communicative tropes: “Another rose wilts in East Harlem,” Condon croons, as he wastes no words in vividly describing an intra-Manhattan relationship that feels like it’s separated by “a thousand miles” (have you tried getting from downtown to East Harlem lately?). The stately backing is what we’ve come to expect from Beirut, with swaying accordion, rich brass, lively piano, and trebly strums, all in all more like a 2010 Williamsburg performance. By the time Condon switches things up, repeating, “Oh, the sound will bring me home again,” over wordless backing vocals, he might as well be describing the warm, cozy but still distinctive feeling “East Harlem” has achieved. – Pitchfork

59. Yourself And The Air – “Sickdays”

… It seems every time I’m about to go out I’m throwing this on the playlist to set my mind right. YATA’s the first band coming out of Chicago in quite some time that has impressed me. I think what is so damn attractive about Yourself And The Air is that they come across like a band that allows themselves to just play and are solid enough to do it anywhere.

Their being from the midwest does get me excited since it makes it much more likely for us in Indy to get a chance to sweat with them, my fingers are crossed. (Via)

58. Bright Eyes – “Shell Games”

“Shell Games” is the first Bright Eyes song I can ever remembering wanting to hear while around other people. Normally the music is so personal the idea of experiencing it without headphones on while participating in my own existence just feels off, maybe “Lover I Don’t Have To Love” comes close but it’s a different kind of collective cognizance when that one comes on.

The Guitar/Key combo throughout this song is such a change of pace for Conor and company it’s still hard for me to believe the shy emo kid I fell in love with years ago has developed into a presence and confidence that is put on display in “Shell Games.” Not to mention, for how epic sounding this song is the lyrics are more revealing than just about every other song on the album… you just have to follow along.

57. Netherfriends – “Full of it (Nillson Cover)”

I could easily pretend like I’ve been a lifetime fan of Nillson, that his influence over modern music is constantly in the back of my mind with every new band I hear, but that wouldn’t be true. What’s the point of what I’m doing here at Heycoolkid! if I’m not being honest. If it hadn’t been for the documentary Who Is Harry nillson (And Why Is Everyone Talking About Him), and if Dodge over at My Old Kentucky Blog hadn’t posted a link for it on facebook I would still be as clueless as I was a year ago, more importantly I never would have given the Netherfriends cover album as much of a chance as I have.

As a huge Netherfriends fan I feel almost ashamed about this being my favorite song he has put out, I’m not though and one listen through you’ll understand why.

56. Hurricane Bells – “Possibilities”

Certain songs just hit home and this is a perfect example. Having the days pile up one on the other, the looking back and seeing where I thought I would be at this point in my life, remembering the friends and the hope, feeling that weight and stepping back from the moment and just saying there’s still a chance, there’s still possibilities, let’s live for tonight, let’s live for a change and forget about the past, I understand this, I connect with it. Hurricane Bells definitely did this one right. (Via)

All songs are for promotional use only. If you or an artist you represent would like content removed email me at Heycoolkid@yahoo.com

Tags: 123, arcade fire, august breeze, Beirut, Best Songs 2011, blake skidmore, bright eyes, Bukowski, Cayucas, Clamoring For Your Heart, conor oberst, Dawes, Download, East Harlem, fleet foxes, Florence And The Machine, forget, Full Of It, Helplesness Blues, Hi Ho Silver Oh, Hurricane Bells, jejune stars, Kings Of Leon, Lana Del Rey, listen, Little Bit Of Everything, Merle Haggard, Messy Sparkles, nathan bell, netherfriends, Newblessings, Nillson, nobody's someone, Oregon Bike Trails, oupa, Out Of Tune, Possibilities, princeton, Real Estate, Riding Coach, rust, scott orr, Selfish Ghost, shell games, Shoelaces, Showers Without Warning, The Black Keys, the submarines, The Tao Of Con, Video Games, Yr Memory, yuck

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Categories Best Of ..., mp3 mix

Heycoolkid!’s 100 Best Songs Of 2011

21 Dec

The Best Songs Of 2011 (76 – 100)

Making the Best Albums list was relatively easy compared to nailing down the 100 best songs of 2011. The level of incredible music to surface this year is unbelievable. What’s more difficult is trying to create some sort of order when laying these songs out, what makes one great song better than another great song? Nothing. Keep that in mind as you go through this list, hopefully there will be a few new tracks you haven’t heard before and if a song stands out to you which should have been included, make use of the comments section If I haven’t heard it before or haven’t given my full attention to a song that may have been lost in the midst of the unorganized shuffle that is my “new music folder” know I will take full advantage of the opportunity to check it out.

I’m going to space these out in hopes that the artists get more of a focus per song than if I put them all up at once, with art as good as this they deserve it.

100. Lord Huron – “She Lit A Fire (Rollo And Grady Session)”

This Rollo And Grady Session was the first I’d ever heard of Lord Huron. These Michigan via L.A. natives are killing it with potential, I can’t imagine anything other than HUGE things from these guys in 2012.

99. White Denim – “Street Joy”

The strength of “Street Joy” lies in the fact that it’s a nice change from what we’ve come to expect from an A-typical White Denim track which is precisely why it stands out as being worthy of this year’s list over the other solid tracks off of “D” .

98. Real Estate – “It’s Real”

Real Estate seem poised for scene domination in the wake of the incredible “Days.” Without a doubt they’ve got the sound and talent yet it’s the band’s universal acceptance from every demographic other than mainstream that allows me to write that with full confidence, which would probably seem blasphemous to the hipster crowd but they seem to be staying loyal which is a feat in itself. “It’s Real” was the first single from the new album and is just chill enough to remind us these guys are from Brooklyn but clean enough to make those of us in the mid-west not feel neglected by their coolness.

97. Biblio – “K Is For Kelson”

“K Is For Kelson” sounds like a dance party taking places in a Swiss Family Robinson style treehouse. -I Guess I’m Floating … Exactly!

96. Cicero – “Barely Legal (The Strokes Cover)”

I’ve always felt the conviction that if a band or artist is going to do a cover it should be an entirely new take on it. Any thirteen-year-old with some free time can learn to play a song identically with the original, if you need proof just look at forty percent of the videos on youtube.

Needless to say this take on “Barely Legal” may go down as my favorite cover of the year. Brazil’s Cicero strips this song completely back and has rebuilt it in a way that feels as if I’ve never heard it before. For some it may seem blasphemous but I truly like this version better than the original, sorry Julian.

Real Estate put out there own version of this track earlier this year and although the two re-envisioned versions are similar Real Estate was able to keep the arrogance that IS The Strokes still slightly attached where Cicero is able to discard it completely and make this song actually sound like a soul baring piece of acoustic indie. As a fan of The Strokes the fact that they never wrote a song that didn’t sound pretentious is basically the underlying theme of the band we once loved, for someone else to take the exact same song and deliver a feel that is anything but impresses me.

( Via )

95. Parenthetical Girls – “A Note To Self”

The line “these places your therapist fears to tread, well I bet you knock em dead” is an ideal example of the clever and surprisingly original lyrics that set this song up for necessary repeat listening. (Via)

94. Jhameel – “Waves”

There have been a few times this year when I’ve had to ask myself whether I’m writing music reviews or heading the Jhameel fanclub (Example 1, Example 2) . If you haven’t noticed lately, I’m not the only one getting all band-crush on his music either. “Waves” is the more “pop” style track he’s put out this year and shows why it’s the title track from his most recent project.

93. YACHT – “Dystopia”

“…Dystopia is their supercharged, post-apocalyptic anthem, virtually a warrior’s cry warning of the impending inferno of mother earth; all the while beating the drums of self-empowerment in the face of doom and leading the listener towards the kinetic potential within. It’s a tall order, but these dance-punk emissaries have an intergalactic belief system to back up their call to the altar of their disco floor…” – My Old Kentucky Blog

92. Oh Land – “Perfection”

“I caught a video a few weeks ago from Oh land and immediately was attracted to what this band is doing. Like a chill Florence and the Machine or Coco Rosie with pop sensibility. Each song breathes exceptionally well ‘Perfection‘ is a solid example of that.” (Via)

91. Blood Diamonds – “Dreams”

“Mike Tucker is Canadian video game design student who goes by the name of Blood Diamonds when he turns to music production in his spare time. Recent track, “Dreams” is an explosive cocktail of R&B-inspired high pitch vocals, dreamy synth melodies and repetitive beats that sounds something like Beach House with a hint of The Weeknd and a little Animal Collective” - Onomatopoeia

90. Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan – “Girls Gatther ‘Round”

Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan (a.k.a. The Milk Carton Kids) have made one of the most sing-alongable songs with Girls, Gather Round. This one shows what strengths these two troubadours are working with. A tinge of classic bluegrass that makes you want to swing a mug and belt along with the chorus and what’s even better is that such a full sound is created by two guys playing live. (Via)

Although I think for most people “Girls Gather Round” is the more worthy songs for this list, I’m starting to think I should have included the haunting “Michigan” higher up on the list, here’s a video for it if you haven’t heard it yet.

89. The Rural Alberta Advantage – “North Star”

And while some of the imagery has drawn specifically on Alberta, from where frontman Nils Edenloff hails, Cole loves the universality of the music. “I’m from a small town, too, and I feel an emotional connection to the themes cause I think it’s something everyone goes through,” she says. “Like, you leave your small town and move to the big city, leaving things behind, ending relationships. You don’t have to necessarily come from Alberta to understand it.”

“North Star” finds Edenloff singing about driving in a friend’s car, with the north star guiding them home. He croons over sparse electric piano and a skittish drumbeat, before the song finally swells into a organ-led crescendo that comes on like the first hints of a sunrise after an all-night adventure. – Spin

88. Destroyer – “Kaputt”

“Kaputt“ has shown us once again how phenomenal Dan Bejar is. It’s not like he had anything left needing to be proved but he took his art to a whole other level this year. He’s so relaxed in his delivery we can’t help but turn the volume up in awe of the ease he portrays.

87. Active Child – “When Your Love is Safe”

Pat Grossi first came onto the scene last year with his highly praised “Curtis Lane EP” that bloggers couldn’t get enough of, myself included. When Active Child’s debut album “You Are All I See” came out it basically perpetuated what he started a year ago. This is how good electro-pop can be and indie at it’s finest.

86. Kites With Lights – “Cosmonauts”

Every day this week when riding my bike to work I have started off with “Cosmonauts”. This may not seem like something worth mentioning but it really is because I never repeat listen. My ride to and from work is the only time I get to relax while listening to the songs that i’ve enjoyed each day, the only chance I get to really experience them. I noticed on day one that this song gives off that eighties movie vibe that is in the action/music scene which is a great way to get you motivated about going into work (think Iron Eagle when Pappy gets told to shove his rules “I’m doing it my way” and slips the cassette in, the opening scene with the feet from footloose, or I’m trying to think of a good dirtbike/bmx scene from a movie but have drawn a blank- you get the idea though). I guess what i’m trying to say is Kites With Lights have created a song which is a perfect track for doing shit.(Via)

85. Glowbug – “The Shows”

With how incredible Mr. Plastic was I’m practically offended by the lack of hype going towards Glowbug. The album was the most addicting of any to come out in 2011. Secrets aren’t always good to keep and Glowbug is the ideal example, so quit keeping them to yourselves and start mixing up some cd’s for your friends, these guys are too good to be floating this low under the radar.

84. Library Voices – “Generation Handclap”

Try “Generation Handclap” — a track from Canadian indie-poppers Library Voices. It features just the right doses of New Order guitar freakouts, surfy drums, power pop harmonies and even those saxophone accents that make you do a twisty dance without caring what others think. – Rcrd Lbl

83. Slothpop – “Kokoro”

Slothpop are the best local export we have here in Indy. As with most great bands you really need to see them live to grasp the fire to understand all the smoke surrounding them in this town. “Kokoro” comes close very close to delivering on the hype but given the chance to see them sweat on stage in the coming year make it point number one not to pass it up.

82. Generationals – “Greenleaf”

If the feel-great lyrics and handclaps don’t bitchslap a smile across your face, perhaps the punchy piano and crip-walking bassline will. This is like that random Cults song meets Panda Bear’s collab with Atlas Sound, except not something you’re ridiculously sick of hearing at Urban Outfitters. Savor it, folks, before it winds up in a Nissan commercial. - I guess I’m Floating

81. Mother Falcon – “Fireflies”

Like an upbeat Quick Said The Bird, Mother Falcon are incredibly talented musicians who understand the importance of being part of a whole. Nothing escapes from the ether yet at the same time every note in this song is astonishingly fitting. The vocal round-about does me in more than any other aspect of “Fireflies” reminding me of a mature Lydia who at one point in time I was obsessed with. (Via)

80. Elvis Depressedly – “Crazier With You”

The best news I’ve heard in the last few weeks is that Mat Cothran will be continuing on with his recently acquired Elvis Depressedly moniker.I’m a huge fan of artists who place art before self. By putting out music under a band name it throws all pretensions aside and allows us to take in the music without the unnecessary distraction that comes with solo artists.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from following Cothran’s musical endeavors is that this guy has absolutely no clue what he’s going to do next. One day Coma Cinema is done the next day he’s saying it’ll be around until his death and pretty much copying the same format at the same time with Elvis Depressedly.

His work as Elvis Depressedly feels more truthful than what he’s given us before reminding me immensely of early Bright Eyes with its raw honesty and unrelenting emotional heart-on-sleeve sound.Wherever Cothran chooses to take his music I’m sure we’ll be thankful for it and thoroughly enjoy whatever sounds he gives us, I’m hoping for much more Depressedly it’s too real to just throw to the way side. (Via)

79. Inspired And The Sleep – “While We’re Young”

“While We’re Young” is the new single from Californian musician Max Greenhalgh, who has recently finished the recording of a solo album dubbed ‘Teenager’. Yeah, there’s a bit of a trend here. Naturally, the song is a melodic lofi pop number, but instead of being cliched it’s actually a fantastic example of summer music done right. With the warmer weather obviously on its way, we could all do with a bit more music like this. -And Pluck Your Strings

78. The Speed Of Sound In Seawater – “The Huge Wheel”

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The Speed Of Sound In Seawater is one of the bands that, after taking some time to grasp, have worked their way into just about every personal playlist I’ve made this year. Something about their Maps And Atlases meets early 2000′s emo mixture elevates them from being merely another overly talented band to one of the key lines of defense I use to defend the state of music when combating friends who believe there hasn’t been instrumental talent since the seventies, those friends are also idiots.

77. Teenagers – “Let’s Take a Ride”

For how much I enjoy promoting new songs and great bands I feel a confession is called for; I have a secret stash . With the ease that artist get tossed around and discarded (I’m part of the problem), with terms like “buzzband” often times doing more damage six months down the road than it helped, and the way that “great music” can become “generic music” just through album sales and the amount of people we are crammed between when going to a show I feel justified in having a few secrets.

I love the feeling of having a band to myself as much as anyone else, to know that a song I love is “my” song instead of everyone’s song. That amazing feeling that lingers all night after standing in some small sweaty basement with thirty-five people when there is only room for about ten with that constant fear of knowing if there is one spark, one faulty wire in an amp, we will all burn to our death before we have a chance to react. These are the things that I love about music and sure it’s not fair to the bands I choose to keep to myself but I need that personal connection and sometimes I make a conscious effort to keep certain bands that way.

I got nervous when the whole surf rock thing started trending that Teenagers would get chewed up and spit out by the hype machine (the actual machine and not the blog) so I kept my mouth closed. Unfortunately/fortunately the music which Travis Keymer creates using the Teenagers moniker is far too great to keep hidden beneath a bushel…. (Excerpt from my Listen Before You Buy post)

76. Ducktails – “Killin’ The Vibe (feat Panda Bear)”

The opening guitar lick to this track just radiates sunshine, immediately transporting me to the top of a sand dune watching a hazy sunset fade away into the horizon. Featuring Mississippi’s premiere ukulele-maestro Dent May and Woods’ Jarvis Taveniere as guests, this song is a case of beer and a few mermaids away from a summertime blast. If you’re suffering from seasonal depression or need a good soundtrack to watch sea turtle babies crawl back to the ocean, spin “Killin The Vibe”! – I Guess I’m Floating

All songs are for promotional use only. If you or an artist you represent would like content removed email me at Heycoolkid@yahoo.com

Tags: 2011, A Note To Self, active child, Barely Legal, Best Songs, Biblio, Blood Diamonds, Cicero, Cosmonauts, cover, Crazier With You, destroyer, Dreams, ducktails, dystopia, Elvis Depressedly, Fireflies, generation handclap, Glowbug, greenleaf, Inspired And The Sleep, It's Real, jhameel, K Is For Kelson, Kaputt, killin the vibe, Kites With Lights, Kokoro, Let's Take A Ride, library voices, Lord Huron, Max Greenhalgh, Michigan, Mother Falcon, north star, oh land, Parenthetical Girls, Pat Grossi, perfection, Real Estate, She Lit A Fire, Slothpop, Street Joy, Teenagers, the generationals, the huge wheel, The Milk Carton Kids, the rural alberta advantage, The Show, The Shows, the speed of sound in seawater, The Strokes, Waves, When Your Love Is Safe, While We're Young, White Denim, yacht

Categories Best Of ..., playlists

Heycoolkid!’s Best Albums Of 2011

17 Dec

If you haven’t been downright impressed with the overflow of incredible genre crossing music this year you are either a huge Nickleback fan or you are Amish, there’s no other logical excuse to complain about the status of music.

Last year when I put the “Best Albums” list together it was one of the first Heycoolkid! posts ever and with all honesty I was ill-prepared. This year I’m putting these albums up with complete confidence. Sure there’s an album or two that should have the made the cut and somehow was overlooked but all excuses aside here are the albums which I thought were the best of 2011:

29 Real Estate – Days