Best Tracks of 2011!

Lot's to talk about, so let's dig in. Please note tracks are listed alphabetically by artist. My OCD mind (when it comes to entertainment) would not allow me to list them any other way.

Adele: Rolling In The Deep. Probably the most ubiquitous song of twenty eleven and rightfully so… I came for the voice and stayed for barnstomping drum beat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYEDA3JcQqw&ob=av2e

Battles:Ice Cream. First off, I love the wacky slightly ADD video for this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_wKWqKJDfw&feature=relmfu Secondly, the song is a mish mash and all over the map and I love it. PS Check out the drummer’s kit. It be bananas.

Beastie Boys:Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win. While I think this is my favorite track of theirs last year, it looks like I listened to Say It more. Santigold goes with the Beasties like peanut butter and pickles y’all. BONUS: Ad Rock’s flow on Nonstop Disco Power Pack was top’s for me this year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEgduwsINW8

Chemical Brothers:The Devil Is In The Beats. This song is a variation on an earlier track on the Hanna soundtrack called “The Devil Is In The Details.” It’s more funky and technoish. Great cut off of a great soundtrack from a highly underrated film. Check it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKlRD9Wkyw0

Cut Copy: Need You Now. This song would play perfectly over the end credits to a movie or during any part of a John Hughes era 80's film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2xovJyBo-0&ob=av2e

Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi Feat. Jack White: Two Against One. Damn it was tough picking a cut from the Rome album. It is insanely solid and one of my most listened to of the year. This would make the perfect opening track to a Bond film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UibsjY5K-c

Destroyer: Kaputt. Man! What is up with the 80’s synth love that happened this year (See Drive soundtrack success)?? This is another track that feels right out of the 80’s and makes me nostalgic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puu3IvKnSb4&ob=av2e

Fleet Foxes: Grown Ocean. The Fleet Foxes tend to be very mellow and somewhat sad bastard-ish (see album title) but thus cut ends the album optimistically. I dig it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgv6dKV03dA

Jay-Z & Kanye: Otis. During the year of Occupy Protests, it takes balls to make such a song like this where it is wall-to-wall swagger rap. But balls they have and I am thankful for it… otherwise we would have missed out on this wonderful bon mot : “Last week I pulled up in my otha otha Benz.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoEKWtgJQAU&ob=av3e

Lana Del Ray: Video Games. This is song is equal parts haunting and beautiful. It is also a great lesson in how the same internet community that first built you up, will quickly try and tear you down. It was weird seeing all the hate being thrown at Miss Del Ray.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO1OV5B_JDw

Mayer Hawthorne: A Long Time. Another artist that I slept on forever… and was shocked to hear what he sounded like after seeing numerous pictures. This Steely Dan-reminiscent song is catchy, poppy, and modern while feeling steeped in 70’s funk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4iIsE1PBhE&ob=av2n

Okayplayer Allstars (Mos Def): Next Universe (The Bollywood Remake). If I ever get to make a 70’s Blaxploitation flick, this song is going to be all over it. PS Check out Breathe & Stop on this remix album.
http://teasearecords.net/okaybollywood.cfm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O79cWF0Hyr4

The Roots:Kool On. Kinda like a more subdued Roc Boys track from the Roots heavy heavy heavy concept album. The other standout track is Make My whose last half makes me want to sit on my front porch with friends and drink 40’s and make fun of passerbys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGKGgnI1PZc

tUnE-yArDs:Powa. I avoided this band forever cause of the way they spelled their name. I am an idiot. Maybe my favorite song of the year. The first time I heard this song I thought it was incredibly sweet… then I looked the lyrics… and holy shit. It should only be played in the strip clubs. Merrill goes full blown Prince by the end of this gem. Old Prince that is… and by that I mean good Prince.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e31dpx-XGfI

TV On The Radio: Second Song. This starts amazing and then changes up around the 1:20 mark… from there it gets more amazinger.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwYM2t22h_E&ob=av2e

Wilco: I Might. Wilco has this crazy wizard blood magic ability of making their songs sound as if they came from another era yet also sounding completely modern. This is 60’s psychedelia…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POYKND5Dv7Q

I hope I've introduced you to something you haven't heard before and now dig!


This post was written by:
mrbucky