In its inaugural year, John Elliott's Spectrum Spools imprint repeatedly impressed. From must-have records by Fabric, Mist and Forma, we were forking over our hard-earned cash again and again to pick up everything the label dropped this year. But the Spectrum Spools release that left the biggest impression on us had to be the sprawling double-LP Elegy for Beach Friday by Chris Madak's Bee Mask. Hands down, this kosmische-loaded epic was both one of the darkest/most frightening records we heard all year, as well as the most strikingly gorgeous. Rarely do artists capture both ends of the spectrum (no pun intended) so well, and despite countless listens, we're still left trying to wrap our heads around this one. And that's always a good thing.
This is the kind of party-starting melodic hardcore that's well worth endorsing. Calgary quintet Sabertooth are secretly a bunch of scrappy kids playing rough-around-the-edges punk, so it comes as a slight surprise that these songs are so poppy. Still, don't expect Making Light of a Shitty Situation to win them FACTOR grants in the future. This is pop punk with an emphasis on the punk, made that much more grin-worthy with ample Simpsons sound bites. They've probably even shot-gunned some beers in your city, too, as Sabertooth made a respectable lap around the continent this year. There's really no excuse to ignore them any longer.
Last year, Japanese pop experimenters Ogre You Asshole took a prominent spot on our Top 10 EPs of 2010 list, and while it may look as if we're playing favourites by including them here, the band deserve some serious props for this year's Homely LP. Like so many great things Japanese, the trio's charm comes in the way they take a bit from everywhere, throw it together, and come out with something distinctly their own. In the case of Homely, that's art-damaged Talk Talk pop, electronic-minded Animal Collective experimentalism, Destroyer-tinted soft rock and sugar-coated J-pop, not to mention a whole mess of other musical influences. On paper, it may all sound like a complete mess, but Ogre You Asshole somehow turned this into a stunningly fluid listen on record, making for one of the year's most ambitious and cerebral pop records -- even if it never crossed your radar.
Posted by Nameless Poseur On 2011-12-21 12:47:41The City Streets put out the best overlooked album of the year in my opinion. It is called Peacemaker and it is a really a shame the world never picked up on it.
Posted by Nameless Poseur On 2011-12-21 13:51:22Jesus....that Hygiene track is just garbage. My 10 year nephew could write a better song. True hygiene would be to flush that shit.
Posted by Nameless Poseur On 2011-12-21 14:21:29i agree. it wouldn't take much sifting through an 80s new wave/post-punk compilation or two to find a song that sounds exactly like it. yawn.
Posted by Nameless Poseur On 2011-12-21 14:33:38why does every music blog/website/magazine always get taken over by hipster tools who are terrified of anything remotely catchy or upbeat? I'm sick of being told about how amazing something is, then when I check it out, it turns out to be the same droning, instantly forgettable elevator music. Bon Iver: yawn. Arcade Fire: yawn. Broken Social Scene.YAWN. Radiohead: FUCKING COMA. Lighten up folks, tapping your foot will not harm your indie cred.
Posted by Nameless Poseur On 2011-12-21 14:38:35Did you actually listen to any of these suggestions? Bats and Ogre You Asshole are definitely upbeat and catchy.
Posted by Josiah On 2011-12-21 14:39:37Nameless Poseurs 2 and 3 -- fair enough. As a whole, the album really got under my skin and I enjoyed it much more than the over-hyped post-punk on the Iceage record.
Nameless Poseur 4 â€" did you read this list? There's no Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Bon Iver or Radiohead on here. And much of this list is very, very poppy. But the purpose of it was albums that fell under the radar, so you're not going to find mainstream pop music here if that's what you want.
Posted by Nameless Poseur On 2011-12-21 14:41:18Exclaim commenters all sound like they are spending the holidays alone.
Posted by Nameless Poseur On 2011-12-21 22:07:47#1 totally missed album is: Portugal. The Man - In The Mountain In The Cloud
Posted by Nameless Poseur On 2011-12-24 14:30:53They got it right with #1
Posted by Nameless Poseur On 2012-01-03 19:48:48I have to say Low Roar - Low Roar, just brilliant music and hauntingly beautiful.
Dec 21 2011
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Posted by Nameless Poseur On 2011-12-21 12:47:41The City Streets put out the best overlooked album of the year in my opinion. It is called Peacemaker and it is a really a shame the world never picked up on it.
Posted by Josiah On 2011-12-21 14:39:37Nameless Poseurs 2 and 3 -- fair enough. As a whole, the album really got under my skin and I enjoyed it much more than the over-hyped post-punk on the Iceage record.
