Late Sounds of 2K11 Mixtape

These are the late sounds of 2k11, it has been a great year for music, from the nostalgic Beach Fossils, to the greatness of Girls, from riding on the chillwaves of Neon Indian and Washed Out to the underground psycho-billy echoes of Dirty Beaches, from the dream pop of Grand Resort to the always coming New Order's babies like Craft Spells, last but not least the psychedelic improvised summer of Real Estate's "Days" among a lot of new and awesome bands. We shall remember them.

Tracklist
1. Grand Resort - "Microscopic"
2. Girls - "Honey Bunny"
3. The Drums - "Money"
4. Cults - "Abducted"
5. Craft Spells - "After The Moment"
6. Beach Fossils - "What a Pleasure"
7. The War on Drugs - "Baby Missiles"
8. Dirty Beaches - "Sweet 17"
9. Neon Indian - "Polish Girl"
10. St. Vincent - "Cruel"
11. Washed Out - "Soft"
12. Yacht - "Utopia"
13. Puro Instict - "Slivers of You"
14. Metronomy - "The Bay"
15. CANT - "The Edge"
16. M83 - "Year One, One UFO"
17. Battles - "Ice Cream"
18. Real Estate - "It's Real"

Late Sounds Of 2K11 (SFTW Mixtape) by SoundFromTheWalls

Early Sounds of 2011 Mixtape

Hello there once again, it took me a while to decide what to do this time, would I just keep reviewing?, get you some news?..most importantly I wanted to give you new music to discover and the easiest way of doing that is putting it just one click away. Enjoy it, download it, share it.

In this mixtape you will find my so far favorite acts of 2011, starting with one of the first bands to light up the year Smith Westerns, and through the evolving dub emotions from James Blake, to Toro y Moi's futuristic upbeat vibes and modern psychedelia, to the Dom.Rep/Boston based band Dead Young Friends as a reminder that the Rock & Roll souls are still out there, to the incredible folk vibes from Fleet Foxes, to Tyler the Creator and his SWAG .. Eclectic tunes from the Tune-Yards, the greatness of the new Radiohead, among others, and finishing with the new and powerfully echoed Death Cab For Cutie.

Here's the tracklist:

1. Weekend - Smith Westerns
2. Wait and See - Holy Ghost!
3. Morning Mr. Magpie - Radiohead
4. Killin' The Vibe (Feat Panda Bear) - Ducktails
5. Grown Ocean - Fleet Foxes
6. Limit to Your Love - James Blake
7. Jesus Fever - Kurt Vile
8. Real - Dead Young Friends
9. Taken For A Fool - The Strokes
10. Yonkers - Tyler the Creator
11. Heart in Your Heartbreak - The Pains Of Being Pure at Heart
12. Get Some - Lykke Li
13. Kaputt - Destroyer
14. How I Know - Toro y Moi
15. My Country - Tune-Yards
16. Surfer's Hymn - Panda Bear
17. Caffeinated Consciousness - Tv On The Radio
18. Operation - Yuck
19. Stuck on the Puzzle - Alex Turner
20. You Are a Tourist - Death Cab For Cutie
Early Sounds of 2011 (SFTW Mixtape) by SoundFromTheWalls

Top 30 Albums of 2K10 (Reviews from 10th-1st)

1st..LCD Soundsystem - "This is Happening"

This is a two year piece of work, and my favourite album of 2010, their third and possibly not yet confirmed last LP. With a highly noted influence by the 1980's New Wave movement, specifically Talking Heads and some Robert Smith vocalization, James Murphy takes this production very seriously, with new recording strategies, sound ideals and a synthetic comprehension. The whole tracklist is just amazing, you won't be able to decide which one is better, and be aware that they'll get stuck in your head.

“Dance Yrself Clean” opens the record with a mellow, thuddish synth that teeters between a basic key line and Murphy’s creamy vocals before exploding into a boisterous electronic break. Murphy later jumps in with his familiar howl that blares intermittently until the nine minute track fades into the record’s aforementioned teaser, “Drunk Girls.” “One Touch” follows with a series of erratic industrial squeals which twist into a spiraling electronic bubble before developing a fluttering loop that looms below Murphy’s weighty vocals. The first significant shift in the record comes with “All I Want.” The near-seven minute song finds its stride early on with Murphy quietly crooning over a bass, guitar, and drums.But just as the ear begins to blend each unique component into one churning sound, “I Can Change” chimes in and once again illuminates with Murphy’s voice, something that translates as oddly refreshing given the development of the record. This Is Happening continues with the unapologetic track “You Wanted A Hit.” At over nine minutes the song is clearly far from radio-friendly in its delivery, but Murphy repeatedly confirms the concept throughout, “You wanted a hit, but we don’t do hits”. The bongo-fied “Pow Pow” follows, tailed by the oddity “Somebody’s Calling Me” which blares uncomfortably harsh synth along with Murphy’s soft vocals and an unusually basic piano line.

If This Is Happening does end up being the final LCD Soundsystem release, Murphy certainly picked the right way to end it. “Home” hints at lyrical retrospection while adopting a musical collage that sums up the album, if not LCD’s three full-length releases, fittingly. Give it a listen to this incredible track that might be my favourite from the album "Home" here.

#2nd..Broken Social Scene - "Forgiveness Rock Record"

The Canadian supergroup has returned under the production of Tortoise mastermind John McEntire and emerged with the leanest, most straight-ahead rock record of their career. With Forgiveness Rock Record the listener is finally able to pin down the influences of bandleaders Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. On the Canning-fronted numbers “Water in Hell” and “Highway Slipper Jam,” classic rock elders (or near-contemporaries) hold commanding sway. Drew, half dirty-talking-ladies-man, half world-weary-scholar, writes songs that go straight for the gut. Penning slow-building rockers like the excellent first single “World Sick” and the super-tight “Forced to Love,” Drew is in full command as a band leader, his voice acting as a voracious instrument itself, emotionally transparent and incredibly expressive. Give it a listen to the beautiful voice of Lisa Lobsinger on "All to All" here.

#3rd..Tame Impala - "Innerspeaker"

Imagine this: John Lennon has been reincarnated. His new birth name is Kevin Parker, a co-founding member of Australian trio Tame Impala. This band is the closest thing to how The Beatles would sound if they had been cryogenically frozen for the past thirty years and had decided to modernize their chops upon thawing out. And yes, that’s a compliment. It is fresh and stunningly original considering the obviousness of their influences, which is a welcome rarity given the infinite number of bands claiming identical inspirations. Starting with one of the most infectious bass-lines in recent memory, the band immediately grabs your attention with “It Is Not Meant to Be”, give it a listen here.

#4th..MGMT - "Congratulations"

Cosmic vibrations through serious minded harmonies, with an early Pink Floyd (Syd Barret era) touch, this colourful and adventurous album that the guys are releasing is totally a new proposal for old listeners because it's certainly not a second part of Oracular Spectacular. They have entered a whole new world of music making, voice echoes, sounds alterations, neon lights, retro-vibes, synth-innovations, madness and cure, the album is for entire appreciation. Give it a listen to the incredible opener "It's Working" here.

#5th..Sufjan Stevens - "The Age of Adz"

Sufjan Stevens is an American musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Petoskey, Michigan. He is known for his lyrically focused and instrumentally rich songs that often relate to faith and family. On "The Age of Adz" the genesis on the songs are based in sound exploration, experimentation with different kind of gear and devices. It's like Sufjan Stevens gave his soul into white noise. Melodic sensibilities and an unconditional love to the world with refferences to science fiction, astrology, religion, sinfonic madness, volcal games, and the decay of the human race and the eternal living. Listen to one of the several celestial songs from the record "I Want to be Well" here.

#6th..Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffitti - "Before Today"

Ariel Pink is a Los Angeles based experimental/pop musician. Ariel Pink blends Lite FM and warped lo-fi pop into something by turns beautiful and confusing. Some may find his personal yet detached approach highly addictive, while others may be instantly turned off by the obvious lo-fi production and the vocal drumtracks. Pink’s tours have generally been met with much negativity, primarily because his music was never intended to be performed live for commercial audiences. Ariel Pink grew up absorbing throwaway pop from the 70s and 80s, finding a way to make it all fit into his cracked worldview. But the brilliant thing about Before Today is that no prior knowledge of his catalog is required. Newcomers can dig into this record and absorb all of these weird and wonderful songs now, and save the backstory for another day.And then there's "Round and Round", one of indiedom's most unifying and memorable songs in 2010. Give it a Listen here.

#7th..Gorillaz - "Plastic Beach"

Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett certainly did it again with their virtual british band "Gorillaz". So welcome to the world of the plastic beach. This record has everything; from orchrestras, hip hop anthems, awesome melodies, samples, incredible synths and percussion, an incredible production, and a lot, lot more. Has everyone; from Snoop Dog to Lou Reed, Little Dragon, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon. I wish I could, but I really find the right words to describe this awesome record so you'll have to find them for yourself. Give it a listen to one of my favourite songs from Plastic Beach "Empire Ants (ft. Little Dragon)" here.

#8th..Twin Shadow - "Forget"

George Lewis Jr. was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Florida, before eventually relocating to Brooklyn and adopting the Twin Shadow moniker. "Forget" it's an album to never forget (cheesy line, I know). Produced by Chris Taylor (from Grizzly Bear). The sound of this record is steeped in 1980's new wave, building from streaks of haunting synth textures with hazing melodies upon each one of the songs. Listen to "At my Heels" (this song won't get out of your head) here.

#9th..Best Coast - "Crazy for You"

What do you get if you put together music, weed, cats, beach, summer, broken hearts, colours and McDonalds? This band is the answer.
Bethany Cosentino might be the female artist of the year with her so beloved cat "Snacks" and her boyfriend Nathan Williams (Wavves), some kind of the indie couple of the year, right? However this talented artist brings us all these garage surf rock songs intended for a perfect summer. In my opinion Best Coast is one of the most original bands from this year and everyone should be "crazy for (it)". Listen and enjoy by yourself to the track "When I'm With You" here.

#10th..Arcade Fire - "The Suburbs"

This canadian orchestral indie rock band never aim for anything less than grand statements. That quality has played a huge role in making them very, very popular; it's also their greatest weakness..then they released "The Suburbs" --proof that Arcade Fire can still make grand statements without sounding like they're carrying the weight of the world. Win Butler describes the overall sound of The Suburbs as "a mix of Depeche Mode and Neil Young", stating that he wanted the album to sound like "the bands that I heard when I was very young, and wondered what those crazy noises were". It focuses on this quiet desperation borne of compounding the pain of wasting your time as an adult by romanticizing the wasted time of your youth. As bleak as the lyrics are, though, they're buoyed by the band's leanest, loosest songwriting yet. The Suburbs is a record that seeks to build, and it reaches a monumental peak at its closure. Give a listen to one of the most powerful songs from the album "Empty Room" here.

Top 30 Albums of 2K10 (Reviews from 20th - 11th)

#11th..Caribou - "Swim"

Caribou is the canadian musician Daniel Snaith who formerly recorded under the moniker Manitoba. Known for altering his sound with each subsequent release, he incorporates electronic psychedelia, krautrock rhythms, and breakbeat drums and creates a swirling, lush, musical panorama. This record was created from the idea of making dance music that sounds like it’s made out of water. See how all of this holds up after listening to the opener, “Odessa” here.

#12th..Deerhunter - "Halcyon Digest"

The musical genious did it again. Bradford Cox brings out this new record with his band, after releasing some experiments as Atlas Sound. This is in some ways the band’s most accomplished record to date. This album has the ambition of fusing the lulling hypnotic states induced by ambient and minimalist music with the klang and propulsion of garage rock. Their live performances almost always leave audiences polarized, as bordering on a religious experience. If you've heard these guys before you know what I'm talking about, if you haven't, I really hope you enjoy them. Check out one of the greatest songs from the album "Helicopter" here.

#13th..Charlotte Gainsbourg - "IRM"

This is the beautiful daughter of the French jazz icon Serge Gainsbourg. With almost all songs written and produced by Beck, she gives us a great example of what she can do with both french and english language. This record is a swirling mess of sounds and signifiers tied together in how irresistible it all is. We can call this a modern folk music for french cafes. Listen to the nouvelle-vague sensibility of "Heaven Can Wait" here.

#14th..El Guincho - "Pop Negro"

This is a cosmic space-age exotica band formed by the spanish synth-head Pablo Diaz-Reixa. His musical style relies heavily on the use of sampling and incorporates elements of afrobeat, dub, tropicalia and rock, almost like a Spain version of Animal Collective. One of the most vanguardist albums of the year, getting a more mature sound from his last work "Alegranza!". The single "Bombay" is the song that represents this whole record with a very trippy video.Check it out.

#15th..Local Natives - "Gorilla Manor"

This group just knocked our windows for us to listen their unique music. With some familiarities like: Band Of Horses, Fleet Foxes. The album expresses mature sounds around delayed guitar riffs, high harmony on voices, nice percussion and a white background that colours up with their music as you listen to it. Check out "Camera talk" here.

#16th..Harlem - "Hippies"

Harlem is a band from Austin, Texas. This album is genious and happiness with a bit of sarcasm. Can we get any more garage-thrash-trash-punk band covered in barbecue sauce and feathers? It is an ode to irony and old-style broken hearts. Highly influenced by the late 50's and 60's. Drunk crews singing along procrastinating. I'm sure you'll enjoy listening to "Hippies". Check their tunes out, my favourite "Friendly Ghost" Click here.

#17th..Belle & Sebastian - "Write about Love"

One of the greatest returns of the year was undoubtly Murdoch's band. They really are an ensemble, even now, after a nearly five-year break since The Life Pursuit.
Write about love brings out great melodies, joy and vintage organs, without leaving out the colaborations with Norah Jones and Carey Mulligan. If you're already a B&S fan, you'll know that their sound remains untouched, and if you're a new listener, this record can open you a door of awesome songs from these indie gods. My favourite song from the record is "I Want the World to Stop" Give it a listen.

#18..The Radio Dept. - "Clinging to a Scheme"

So in a short description: Sweden fellas, known through the soundtrack of the film "Marie Antoinette" back in 2006, just released their full length album "Clinging To A Scheme". Reminds me a lot of "Pains Of Being Pure at Heart". And what's more to ask than Thurston Moore talking (From interview '94 "The Year That Punk Broke") for the intro of one of their best songs "Heaven's On Fire" Give it a listen.

#19th..Avey Tare - "Down There"

This is a solo proyect by David Portner aka "Avey Tare" also known from Animal Collective, and it is as experimental as it can get. If you're familiar with Animal Collective, you'll know the guys are always innovating, taking this iniciative previously we got Panda Bear on it's own proyect, and now Avey Tare. The album explores new sounds, samples, tempos, filters, vocals, it is sort of a way of expressing his past experiences with the band and how they managed to give the world a new kind of Modern Art Music. One of my favourite songs from the album is "Lucky 1" Click here to listen.

#20th..Twin Sister - "Color Your Life"

This EP sets your mind into some kind of filter, not telling the difference of what's real, dreamy up-beat synthesizers, some samples here and there and Andrea's unique voice that defines this rising band. It is a great start, you can find it a little psychedelic, some dream-pop, and you'll believe me when I say that everything's feeling just fine just when she sings "All Around and Away We Go" highly recommended. Check them out.

Top 30 Albums of 2K10 (Reviews from 28th - 21st)

#21st..Dum Dum Girls - "I Will Be"

What if the Bangles and the Cure had mated in 1982? well probably we would have this band as a result. A new wave and post-punk with the teenage heartache of girl-group pop. "I Will Be" is certainly a blistering half-hour of menacing. But in the end it's ultimately Dee Dee's show, her voice often deeply mysterious and feminine and other times coy and a little perilous what gives the album the greatest touches. Give it a try and listen to one of my favourite songs "Jail La La" (click here)

#22nd..Rita Indiana y los Misterios - "El Juidero"

The first lines in Rita Indiana’s novel La Estrategia de Chochueca reads “Habían matado a alguien afuera. Podía oír los gritos y el correteo de la muchedumbre. Loca por saber algo, yo también corrí.” Add Rita Indiana Hernandez to the list of extraordinary individuals who carry transcendence in every step of their creative spectrum. Rita, a visionary, dances around its own dialect, yet reveals her visceral experiences through universal language. She is a unique voice and one of our generation’s most creative personas. Always drawn to apply her vision to new narratives, she found the monster that would allow her dialect to fully blossom, music, the kindest, most accessible medium. “La Sofi” was the first exercise of this newfound channel; it offered her the possibilities of reaching hysteria through her own terms, it was the start of her colloquialism, the start of the Rita Indiana narrative.

This review continues at "Club Fonograma on "El Juidero"
Click to listen "El Juidero"

#23rd..Alex Ferreira - "Un Domingo Cualquiera"

Alex Ferreira es un cancionista postmoderno melodramatico, nace en Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana. Vivió su infancia y adolescencia entre Nueva York, Miami y Santo Domingo. Empezó tocando la guitarra y escribiendo canciones a los 16 años de edad. El Britpop de los 90s, el folk anglosajón de los 60s, el rock Argentino, los boleros y la trova cubana, es un mero resumen de sus influencias.
"Un Domingo Cualquiera" es el resultado luego de dos EPs "Serenata de Plastico" y "Paginas", influencias y experiencias viviendo en Madrid, dandole una muy buena reputacion y diversidad a la musica que se crea en Republica Dominicana. Una gran cancion del album "Dije lo que Dije"
(Had to do it in spanish guys)

#24th..Wild Nothing - "Gemini"

Wild Nothing is the solo project of Virginia born Jack Tatum, whose music is the product of an unhealthy obsession with nostalgia. Equal parts teenage wasteland and inexplicable regret, his songs are the kind that could only be made by the young at heart.
Listening to this record, I realized it transports you.. warped interpretations of Johnny Marr’s guitar work and The Cure’s careful synth arrangements, the dreamy feeling and the 80's influence, the voice echoes, and an incredible melody that embraces you up and gives the album a sort of signature, it's amazing. Listen to my personal favourite "Live in Dreams"

#25th..Wavves - "King of the Beach"

Nathan Williams, under the name Wavves, is a noise pop musician based in San Diego, California. He released his self-titled debut LP in 2008 and has since gained notable media attention from the internet, and other areas including Pitchfork and ABC News. Currently signed to Fat Possum Records, he released his second full-length album, Wavvves, in 2009 and his third album, ‘King of the Beach’, on August 3rd 2010. King of the Beach features a complete rhythm section comprised of Stephen Pope and Billy Hayes, both formerly of the late Jay Reatard’s touring band.
"King of the Beach" also features a huge influence on surf and punk music, and you'll probably get into an electronic feeling on some songs, it's about baseball cards, love, cats, the beach, summer and weed among other drugs, this album is totally worth listening, one of its greatest songs "Green Eyes" give it a listen

#26th..Warpaint - "The Fool"

This is a jammy, psychedelic dreamy riffage indie all-girl quartet from Los Angeles. Just released their debut album “The Fool”, and let me tell you one thing, you get caught in it, you get so caught.. it’s almost like entering to a different state of mind. Live, each one is in her own zone, often with eyes shut and head loose. It's almost like watching them make up songs in real-time at every show, the tangling highs and darting lows frothing to a natural climax only to dissipate just as easily.
Their greatest song so far (for my opinion) is “Undertow” a particularly smoky mid-tempo cut from the record. Eventually the record itself will ask you to “Turn off your mind, relax and flow down stream” (quoted from Beatles’ Tomorrow Never Knows).Take a listen

#27th..Vampire Weekend - "Contra"

Contra is the 2nd album from the baroque pop band, we an notice that in sort of way Vampire Weekend evolved, new kinds of sounds, interesting lyrics and the shadow of negative comments because of the commercial success it had earlier this year. I also went surprised with the kind of celebrities on the music video from "Giving up the Gun" but I tend to forget about it listening to the other great songs on the album like "Horchata", "Holiday", "Cousins", "I Think Ur a Contra" and my personal favourite "Run" (click here to listen) and judge for yourself.

#28th..Dr. Dog - "Shame, Shame"

After some albums, the band went through some bad state for a while, in songwriting terms, seems like they recovered and became sort of better, the album still sounds like what you’re used to, that sort of 70’s rock vibe that’s been channeled through a Beach Boys filter of poppy-ness. For me, most songs of the album are nice stuff, but there are others that become redundant and lazy-feeling to listen. Powerful tunes include: "Mirror, Mirror", "Shadow People", "I Only Wear Blue" and various others. Click to listen "Mirror, Mirror".

Top 30 Albums of 2K10

So, as I said couple of weeks ago on twitter, the whole month of December will be for reviewing all those great albums that we got this year, I couldn't wait to start, so here's a preview of what's coming.:

#29th..Tv Girl - "Tv Girl EP"

This is a pop duo from San Diego, with highly energetic songs that somehow gets you into a glamurous partying feeling (licor licor licor) synthetic sounds that are constantly moving around your head, and softly written lyrics with great care. While you're through this four-song extended play, you'll probably get the lo-fi rock influenced by surf music. Favourite song:

If You Want It

You can either stream or download the EP from the band's Bandcamp, enjoy.

#30th..She & Him - "Volume Two"

Throwing the shyness out from their first album, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward have approached a nice listening sound from Beach Boys' 60's era, a worth-the-listen album to hit on tough days to cheer you up a bit, take a listen:

Haven't You Heard?

there's a huge post on the way..keep tuned