Delivering sing-song verses, that trademark stoner laugh, and a chorus you’ve memorized by the second time you’ve heard it, Wiz Khalifa might be one of the laziest rappers on Top 40 radio. But that’s exactly the point. He’s not some uptight, eccentric, crazy ambitious, domineering figure. He’s that pot-smoking friend who’s down for whatever, and if your down, he’s down. The most casual summer jam of the year.
Thirty of my favorites from this year, unranked, in alphabetical order.
A recent NBC/WSJ poll revealed 76% of Americans consider 2011 to be a “below average” year or “one of the worst” in their lives. Certainly times are tough in the world. Obama is a lame duck, and the competing Republicans are clinically insane adulterers and fundamentalists. The economy remains on the brink of collapse; Congress is a brainless, yelling mob of idiocy. REM broke up. Limp Bizkit got back together.
Musically speaking, do I consider 2011 to be a disappointing year overall? Not really, but I don’t consider it to be a revelatory one either. So I’m indifferent. That said, as is the case with every year, 2011 had its share of disappointments. Maybe in these five cases, my expectations were set unreasonably high. But for at least a couple, I don’t think that’s the situation; some of these albums just flat-out suck.
Radiohead – King of Limbs
This is a good album. Not a great one. And when it comes to Radiohead, “great” is the caliber the world expects. Perhaps that’s unfair, but it’s realistic. It took them a while, but they finally churned out a dud. Is it challenging? Yes. Is it ambitious? Absolutely. Does it sound forced, lost, sometimes even lazy? Unfortunately, but definitely. I look forward to hearing the next great transformation in the sound of Radiohead, because this was obviously a stumbling transition of some sort.
Tyler the Creator – Goblin
It’s incredible how one album can utterly silence an excited mob. Count me as one of the many who saw Odd Future at SXSW, on Jimmy Fallon, and was psyched to hear Tyler’s new solo outing. With the exception of “Yonkers” this is a complete mess from start to finish. It is patently offensive in an auditory, not lyrical, sense. The real disgust lies not within the misogynistic, homophobic verses, but the tuneless, boring dreck that surrounds them. Unlistenable.
Washed Out – Within and Without
Speaking of boring….I guess I should have seen this one coming. Abandoning the fun, infectious, danceable influence evident on the excellent Life of Leisure EP, Ernest Greene conjured up a full-length full of mood, but absolutely nothing that stands out.
The Strokes – Angles
That dreadful, thrown-together album cover says it all, doesn’t it? How bummed were you after hearing this all the way through for the first time? What a sinking feeling. Exactly three tracks here are great, even if they’re not exactly progressive. The rest is uncharacteristically confused. The listener feels the same way the band probably did after finishing this: what?
Justice – Audio Video Disco
It’s generally expected when you take four years to make a follow-up to a critically acclaimed debut, that means you’re taking some risks, trying some new things, and the result will be an interesting one. That’s exactly what Justice did. In fact, that’s all they did. Going the way of MGMT, there’s very little here that sounds even remotely like the 2007 French house duo that isn’t Daft Punk. More prog than anything else, Audio Video Disco throws a lot of spaghetti at the wall, and almost none of it sticks. Props for changing the formula, but I would have preferred a simple Cross Part 2.
Every Saturday, I post a 15-20 minute podcast featuring some tracks I’ve been jamming the previous week, as well as some commentary and random musings from yours truly. Enjoy!
Tracklist:
M83 – Midnight City
Butch Walker and the Black Widows – In Bloom
JEFF the Brotherhood – Something In the Way
Pusha T and Tyler, the Creator – Trouble On My Mind
Run DMC – Ooh, Whatcha Gonna Do?
The Disappointments:
Washed Out – Within and Without
Ernest Greene has made the age-old mistake most sophomore slumps make – he has focused too hard on form, and not on content. Abandoning the sharp pop of the impressive Life of Leisure EP for a bland, boring follow-up, Greene has created a sleepytime comp, but not in a good way.
Tyler the Creator – Goblin
Never since the invention of the good ol’ Internet/blog hype machine has an artist been so lauded and built up to impossible expectations, only to release an irredeemably bad album and lose all that praise.  I mean, man.  What a terrible record.  No one has fallen harder than Tyler the Creator.  At least, not yet.
The Strokes – Angles
This album is a giant mess, with the exception of exactly three songs. Possibly worse than not living up to hype (see above) is watching an established band return after a long hiatus and produce what is arguably their worst effort yet. Â We all know the first two can’t be beaten, but it would’ve been nice to see these guys try.
Radiohead – The King of Limbs
It is apparent that, well inside their comfort zone, Radiohead have settled into trading in hooks for ambient experimentation and a lack of depth or cohesion.  There is nothing memorable here; the group phoned it in for their first mediocre album since Pablo Honey.  Perhaps this is a transformative period, and we can all look back and laugh at this stepping stone record.
REM – Collapse Into Now
At least Radiohead was progressive – most REM albums are always claimed to be a “back to basics” or “return to form,” but this time it’s for real. Â Unfortunately, Stipe, Mills, and Buck forgot to bring the sharp melody and memorable kick back from 1995, and the result is somewhat dated and underwhelming.
The Overrated:
James Blake – S/T
This is a noble debut from an up-and-comer; it shows promise, warts and all. Â Apparently the critics didn’t notice most of the album is not necessarily songs, but experimental sound and structureless production. Â Maybe in the future Blake can rein it in and produce an album worthy of all the praise it’s getting.
Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
I guess I’m missing something here, but the sheer uninspired tone of boredom Vile likes to deliver his songs in is just grating to me. Â I don’t pretend to understand why this album has received the unjust praise it’s received.
Foster the People – Torches
It’s Maroon 5 trying to replicate the hits of MGMT. Â It’s repetitive. Â Its success is uncanny and undeserved. Â “Pumped Up Kicks” is the prime example for an album of one-note structure beating you in the head until it’s stuck in your brain. Â Just because you can’t stop singing it doesn’t mean it’s good.
Juliana Barwick – The Magic Place
I have to give credit here – what Barwick has tried is pretty creative. Â The main instrument here is layers of Barwick’s haunting voice, and the result is original and intriguing. Â Unfortunately, it’s also frankly boring, especially for an entire album.
Bon Iver – S/T
There’s just not enough here to warrant the praise this sophomore slump has been receiving. Â I feel this is a transitional album, that Vernon just needs to get his creative juices flowing again, instead of letting the celebrity status take control and half-ass a disc that only picks up on the last two tracks.
Music, Movies, Television, etc. Pop culture reviews for the short-attention-span Internet age.
The Lonely Island – Turtleneck and Chain
SNL’s Digital Shorts peeps are back with a sharper, funnier, and musically more enjoying album than Incredibad, if that was even possible. Â While there were many highlights and instant classics on the trio’s fake-rap debut, there was a strange amount of filler. Â But Turtleneck and Chain sums things up in less than forty minutes with all gold, save for a weak Santigold track near the end. Â Duets from Akon, Snoop Dogg, and the one and only Michael Bolton (best song on the album for sure) keep things fresh and funny. Â Bonus points for the album cover.
Rating: 8
Once every three months I list the best of what I heard in albums/songs/remixes for the quarter. I do this to personally keep up with all the awesome music I hear, as it ultimately helps me at the end of the year when I do my overall listing for the previous twelve months. I also do it to introduce you cool cats to tunes you may have missed independently.
Every Saturday, I post a 15-20 minute podcast featuring some tracks I’ve been jamming the previous week, as well as some commentary and random musings from yours truly. Enjoy!
Tracklist:
Gold Panda – Marriage (Star Slinger Remix)
Jamie Woon – Lady Luck
Wolf Gang – Dancing With the Devil
Tyler the Creator – Yonkers
