Even by 2011, the music for young ‘uns wasn’t intended for this… let’s go with not quite old one. When I look back at the eight albums from that year that made the best 1,000 albums ever, I’m struck by several things.
For example, I was digging some of the newer electronica and indie sounds by way of releases from Foster the People (you couldn’t get away from “Pumped Up Kicks” that year, but wildly you didn’t really want to, either), Moon Duo, and Wolfgang Gartner. And then my obsession with art punk band Le Butcherettes was starting to take root as well.
But I also leaned heavily into bands with new releases that I discovered in my youth days from the likes of Duran Duran and the Beastie Boys. And above them all stood Collapse Into Now, the brilliant final studio album from R.E.M., and one that nearly cracked the Top 100 of the best 1,000 albums ever.
Here they are – eight great albums you should check out when you’re feeling of a 2011 state of mind.
1) R.E.M. – Collapse Into Now (#106 of the best 1,000 albums ever)
What’s also truly wonderful is that R.E.M. also finds the time to have fun on their way out. In fact, “Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter” – featuring the dynamite vocals of the artist known as Peaches along with Michael Stipe – is an absolute blast and might be the most fun you’ll have listening to R.E.M. this side of “Stand.”
2) Le Butcherettes – Sin Sin Sin (#190)
It’s tracks like “Bang!” that really melt my brain in the right kind of way: thrashy garage punk with great lead vocals from Teri Gender Bender and Alejandra Robles Luna, plus Meg White-esque drums.
3) Duran Duran – All You Need Is Now (#391)
All You Need Is Now is a throwback to the band’s “classically” infectious ‘80s synth pop sound but with a modern and even mature twist that makes for a consistently great listen end to end. I have no problem stating that the album as a whole stands up with Duran Duran’s very best work.
4) Foster the People – Torches (#488)
I’m wildly open to pushback on this further point, but Torches seems to represent a hipster-y, indie rock vibe that was in vogue in the late 2000s and early 2010s. I also associate this with the aesthetic and tone of the great 2009 movie (500) Days of Summer, starring Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
5) Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee (Pt. 2) (#757)
If any of this is interesting to you, I guarantee you will love the entire part [in the Beastie Boys Book] about the making of Hot Sauce Committee (Pt. 2). I could not have been more impressed with the meticulous effort the guys made in creating their own samples for the album, for which they created wild (and, once again, hilarious!) fictional backstories for, part of which plays out on the album’s liner notes.
6) The Black Keys – El Camino (#785)
El Camino is where the band puts it all together for me, at least as much for my very specific peculiarities and tastes. It’s a tight album both in terms of the number of songs (11) and in terms of how each song trucks along like a finely oiled machine. Or maybe “vans along” is more appropriate, given the wood-paneled automobile on the album cover?
7) Moon Duo –Mazes (#954)
Moon Duo and Mazes occupy an unusual musical locale that’s kind of hard to nail down – and if for no other reason Mazes is an appropriate album title.
8) Wolfgang Gartner – Weekend in America (#993)
On top of exceptionally exciting beats, it’s crystal clear that he has an innate sense of musicality, craftsmanship, and – importantly – a sense of humor. It’s all there from the jump. Over the years, Gartner has become one of my most favorite electronic artists.