20 Favorite Songs of 2011, #11-20
[11] Crystal Stilts – “Shake The Shackles” (from In Love With Oblivion)
Chords as urgent as any you’ll find in pop music (“Ever Fallen in Love,” “Pink Turns to Blue,” etc.), I swear.
[12] Yuck – “Georgia” (from Yuck)
Worst (best) production on their expertly fuzzy debut, resulting in amorphously plural vocals as sweet as a Kaplan-ian ode to Hubley.
[13] Girls – “Alex” (from Father, Son, Holy Ghost)
Inquiry into the utility of rock music (among other things) by way of a perfect rock song.
[14] Exlovers – “Blowing Kisses” (7”)
Amorphously plural vocals (pt. 2), cool guitar that falls away to reveal more cool guitar… and more! in a mere 2:17 (my b-day, I must mention, because the listener demands personal, even occult connections to pop songs like this one).
[15] Big Troubles – “Misery” (from Romantic Comedy)
Here is no frivolous crunch, e.g. “I just want some fun” immediately followed by a wearier “for once.”
[16] Minks – “Kusmi” (from By The Hedge)
They may lack M83‘s bombast but they’re equally proficient in the classic shoegazing technique of cliff-dropping. Wheee!
[17] Lykke Li – “Sadness Is A Blessing” (from Wounded Rhymes)
As a boyfriend, he sounds like an excellent keeper, eminently worthy of her strangely literary love songs.
[18] Destroyer – “Chinatown” (from Kaputt)
Who can doubt after the launch (0:25) that this is one of the most well-considered career moves of all time?
[19] St. Vincent – “Cruel” (from Strange Mercy)
One of her more sensible mixtures of symphonic reverie and guitar blitz, at least until the overload outro… who wins?
[20] Wild Beasts – “Loop The Loop” (from Smother)
And by “people” he means himself. Even on this subdued number they remain rock’s sexiest (most sexed) band.
