We have no walls here at Connelly Partners. It’s just an open floor plan with desks, tables, and a full bar in the middle. The set up helps support collaboration and creativity, but at the same time it can be hard to do so when Ed – one of our Broadcast buyers – is tearing into a rep that missed a deadline on speaker phone ten feet away. Therefore we require some air cover to create a sense of privacy, and that air cover comes in the form of music.
Twenty-six speakers placed throughout the agency create invisible walls for us, and a stuffed monkey (stick with me here) is passed from person to person to control what we call “Music Day” (how ‘bout that for creativity) on a daily basis.
(We could devote a whole other post on the best and worst Music Day deejays – again Ed’s name would come up often – but I’ll leave that for another time.)
We’re lucky to have a ton of music lovers here at the agency, so as you can imagine great music is discovered, discussed, and shared constantly. Thus, I thought it would be appropriate to dedicate a post to what I think are the best albums of 2011…based on those that have been played here on a consistent basis, but also based on my personal opinion…cause hey, I’m the one writing the post.
And since this is an ad agency blog, I’d be remiss to attempt some sort of industry integration, so in the spirit of the digital age of sharing, I’ve created a Spotify playlist containing all of the albums on the list so you can play along in the fun. After all, there’s no better way to inspire creativity than through music. So without further ado, check out my Best 11 Albums of 2011 and feel free to let me know what I missed in comments below.
In no particular order, and follow along on Spotify here (login may be required).
Real Estate – Days
No “best of” list is complete without an indie rock band from Brooklyn, so why not start out with Days, Real Estate’s sophomore release that dropped in October. This album flows effortlessly from start to finish and more importantly, does not try too hard to impress – a quality I seem to find with many highly lauded indie bands. The vibe is generally laid back and contemplative rock, but the shuffling beat moves the record right along, making this an ideal road trip companion. Check out the tunes “It’s Real” and “Easy” for a snapshot of what Real Estate has to offer. My guess is that you’ll be back for more.
The Wood Brothers – Smoke Ring Halo
People may be familiar with Chris Wood (MMW) and his masterful work with the upright bass, but what impresses me most with the Wood Brothers is the straight-from-the-soul vocals from band mate and brother, Oliver Wood. His voice is confidant and raw, complementing the folksy blues sound that the brothers create so effortlessly. As for the other half, Chris’s bass work brings the instrument to the forefront, treating it like a lead guitar rather than a traditional backbone (or in some cases, playing both parts at the same time). Try not to bop your head to bass line in “When I was Young” or sing along at the top of your lungs to the chorus of “Mary Anna.” A great record to remind us that sometimes all you need is a guitar and couple friends to create something special…or at least something real.
Tedeschi Trucks Band – Revelator
Moving from a folk/blues/soul duo to a folk/blues/soul band of ’11, we have the Tedeschi Trucks Band; a combination of husband and wife Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi’s individual bands to create a truly unique family affair. I’m not sure my words need to prove this record, instead let’s just take a look at the talent involved: Derek Trucks, arguably one of the best guitarists alive today; Susan Tedeschi, a proven and unique voice that has captivated audiences around the world; and a supporting cast of excellent musicians ranging from the Burbridge brothers to vocalist Mike Mattison. Professional to the max, but not overly produced, Revelator is a record that combines soul, passion and expertise with little left to be desired. Take a listen to “Midnight in Harlem” to see how all these pieces come together to make one of my favorite overall tracks of the year.
Dawes – Nothing is Wrong
Dawes is my favorite new discovery of 2011. Nothing compares to hearing a band for the first time and instantly knowing that you will be a fan for life. Nothing is Wrong, the band’s second album (after the excellent debut North Hills), sounds like it could have come out in the late seventies along with Tom Petty and CSNY records, but at the same time is as fresh as its 2011 born on date. SoCal based brothers Taylor and Griffen Goldsmith lead the way with gorgeous harmonies and infections chorus hooks, transporting you to a Venice Beach barbeque at sunset. The songwriting is no joke either, check out ballads “So Well” and “Million Dollar Bill” for heart crushing tales of loneliness and loss….I guess when it comes to love and rock n’ roll, some things never change.
Radiohead – The King of Limbs
Radiohead has the unfortunate challenge of competing against arguably the best band in the world with every new release…themselves. Older instant classics aside (OK Computer, Kid A, etc), the band released The King of Limbs after the widely lauded In Rainbows (2007) and was facing an uphill battle to top themselves (again) from the start. But in typical Radiohead fashion, they offered something entirely different with this album, and while it may not be as accessible as its predecessor, it is so masterfully crafted that the work cannot be ignored. Tight drum patterns, delicately layered guitar leads, and York’s tortured voice soaked in reverb dominate much of the album, creating a rich soundscape that requires multiple listens to truly appreciate. Radiohead didn’t top themselves, they just created something entirely new and different, which is what it’s all about in the end, right?
Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
Gorgeous.
M83 – Hurry Up We’re Dreaming
With Hurry Up We’re Dreaming, M83 (aka Anthony Gonzalez) has created the ultimate cinematic soundtrack to your life. The album’s ethereal sound invites your mind to wander, and to wonder. And like the best dreams, you envision yourself doing the most amazing things, fueled by these aspirational soundscapes molding your personal movie montage. As you listen to fist pumping anthems such as “Midnight City” you see yourself walking past the line at the club, nodding to the bouncer and heading straight in to the VIP section. “Steve McQueen” inserts you in for Gonzalez on the festival stage, controlling the thousands of fans yearning for more. The infectious cuteness of “Raconte-Moi Une Histoire” leaves you smiling as you think about all good times with family and friends, while blocking out all the bad.
Every once and while we all need this type of release in life, and M83 has provides the portal to dream it up with this amazing album. But at the end of the day, we know deep down that this is the soundtrack to the life of the person we dream to be, rather than the person that we are…and that’s totally fine.
Wilco – The Whole Love
No one quite sounds like Wilco. They’ve run the gauntlet of styles over their 17 year career ranging from alt-country sways in Being There and A.M. to the experimental rock bug outs of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Ghost is Born to the more recent pop-friendly records Sky Blue Sky and Wilco The Album. The Whole Love celebrates all the unique styles the band has embraced throughout their career, and arranges them in chapters to create a mood that evolves throughout the album. The trip starts with an experimental journey down the rabbit hole with the “Art of Almost,” and remains a bit dark until more neutral tunes like “Born Alone” and “Capitol City” lift us from the gloom. Then, like an awakening, Tweedy sings “I found a fix for the fits, come listen to this” in “Red Rising Lung” and ushers us into an excellently positive affirmation with the subsequent title track. It’s as if Tweedy is telling the story of his life with this album – how it can so quickly succumb to addiction, and how we can use that pain to become a better person for the future. The Whole Love teaches how to respect the sum of our parts, and to learn from the bad as much as we do from the good.
The Black Keys – El Camino
So enough of this deep insight crap…sometimes you just want to throw on some tunes that will have you pounding the wheel as you head home for the long awaited weekend. And when that time comes, this is the disc to throw in. Guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney currently hold the keys to modern rock – a genre that is losing ground to the candy pop competition with every passing day – and they aren’t looking back. This is a band to be seen and experienced live, and I for one can’t wait to check them out next year as they headline the first US arena tour of their career.
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
By now anyone familiar with good music knows the story of Bon Iver, aka Justin Vernon. It’s simple really: boy meets girl, girl dumps boy, boy spends a Wisconsin winter in a cabin out in the woods by himself and creates one of the best albums of the 2008 (if not the decade) with For Emma, Forever Ago. With the wide critical acclaim, you’d think Vernon would possibly crumble under the pressure when crafting his follow up effort, but instead he storms back with Bon Iver. Bon Iver – a powerful record that retains the emotion from the debut but captures it in an entirely different manner. Where Emma is sparse and raw, Bon Iver is rich and produced – offering up to a dozen instruments on some tracks (not to mention “Sergio” – esque saxophone solos). However, both succeed in isolating the listener from the world around them. Listen to this album with headphones on and you could be in the middle of Times Square and feel like the only person there. It haunts as much as it humbles – in “Halocene” Vernon sings “and at once I knew I was not magnificent / hulled far from the highway mile / jagged vacance, thick with ice / I could see for miles, miles, miles.” Maybe he never left that cabin after all.
The Head and the Heart – The Head and the Heart
Every few years a record comes along that is burned in your brain, and you just can’t get enough, spinning it on repeat till the disc (or tape – yikes) breaks from overuse. For me, a few favorites come to mind. “Ten” and “August and Everything After” arrived as I really started to appreciate music on my own instead of just listening to whatever was fed to me. Radiohead’s Ok Computer literally stopped me in my tracks, allowing me to hear what music could be beyond straight ahead rock/pop. The Strokes’ This is It found me transitioning from college to the real world, and its indifferent garage rock aesthetic was a fitting soundtrack for my life at the time.
Unfortunately in the current digital era, it is increasingly difficult for bands to make a statement with a full cohesive album, as consumption favors charting singles over long form “growers.” Thankfully, The Head and the Heart ignored the trend and put forth such an album with their self-titled debut. The six piece band met at an open mic in Seattle in 2009 and months later were passing out burned copies of an early version of the record to future fans (the final product was re-mastered and officially released by Sub Pop in 2011). The sound captures that exciting newness which must have been prevalent in the studio, probably not unlike that friend of yours that can’t stop texting his new girlfriend. Likewise, the folk tinged tunes echo that feeling, dripping with beautiful harmonies and melodies throughout. Instead of calling out individual tracks do yourself a favor and listen to this one all the way through, and remember what it’s like to fall in love with a record all over again.
Thanks for reading and again, check out and share a Spotify Playlist of all the albums listed above here (login may be required).
Honorable Mentions
Adele – 21
My Morning Jacket – Circuital
White Denim – D
Middle Brother – Middle Brother
Toro y Moi – Beneath the Pine
The Decemberists – The King is Dead
The Antlers – Burst Apart
Ryan Adams – Ashes and Fire
Washed Out – Within and Without