Tunes and albums of 2011

As the year tumbles to a close at a frightening pace, as before I've gone and made myself a CDR of my favourite songs released in the last twelve months. It's been a good year for tunes I think, although I tend to say that every year in retrospect. Obviously a lot will disagree and spout on about ' the state of the music industry' but I just don't feel it's my place to join in; at the end of the day there are plenty of amazing songwriters out there, and even if they don't receive the commercial recognition we think they deserve it's very clear great songs are still being written, which is, literally, music to my ears. (sorry). Anyway - managed to squeeze 19 tracks onto my end of year compilation, so for no other reason apart from the fact I'm just a bit chatty, here's my favourite tuneage of 2011:

My favourite songs of 2011 in no particular order:
CHRIS DIFFORD: Goldfish
GRUFF RHYS: Sensations In The Dark
OKKERVIL RIVER: We Need A Myth
JENNY AND JOHNNY: Animal
BILL WELLS & AIDAN MOFFAT: The Copper Top
PAUL GOODWIN: You Won't Break My Heart
THE DEARS: 5 Chords
MATTHEW P: Medicine
GUILLEMOTS: I Don't Feel Amazing Now
THE BEES: I Really Need Love
I AM KLOOT: To The Brink
ELVIS COSTELLO: Sparkling Day
FRED'S HOUSE: Someone Else's Road
PAUL HEATON: Even A Palm Tree
SLOW CLUB: Never Look Back
JULIAN VELARD: Take The Money And Run
EMMY THE GREAT: Cassandra
YOUNG REBEL SET: Precious Days
WARPAINT: Undertow

A pretty awesome compilation, I'm sure you'll agree. What's that? You want to know what my favourite 10 albums of the year are, in order? Oh go on then, if you insist...

My top 10 albums of 2011, in order:
1. BILL WELLS & AIDAN MOFFAT - EVERYTHING'S GETTING OLDER
2. OKKERVIL RIVER - I AM VERY FAR
3. YOUNG REBEL SET - CURSE OUR LOVE
4. SLOW CLUB - PARADISE
5. EMMY THE GREAT - VIRTUE
6. CHRIS DIFFORD - CASHMERE IF YOU CAN
7. JULIAN VELARD - MR. SATURDAY NIGHT
8. THE DEARS - DEGENERATION STREET
9. GUILLEMOTS - WALK THE RIVER
10. GRUFF RHYS - HOTEL SHAMPOO

Normally for me these things are a bit closer, but there hasn't been an album released this year that has come anywhere near 'Everything's Getting Older' - it's beautiful, poignant, witty, it doesn't overstay it's welcome and the whole 40 minutes is virtually flawless. If I read this a year ago I would have been saying, 'what, the new Guillemots album, that you've been looking forward to for sooo long, isn't even in your top 5?' - but I just can't get into it, despite the standout moments. Okkervil River are my favourite live band of the year, and 'I Am Very Far' is a mostly brilliant album that I have listened to virtually on repeat. Saying that, I can see 'Paradise' by Slow Club becoming one of my favourite albums of all time, but in time. Anyway, that's my thoughts, there's certainly been some good stuff released in 2011, and I'm confident I'll be saying the same thing about 2012 when the time comes.