Best of 2011

Best Albums and Singles of 2011

Singles

Fucked Up – The Other Shoe
Released as a teaser for their album David Comes to Life, Fucked Up blow everyone’s minds (again) and continue their impressive melodic spin on experimental hardcore.

Bloody Beetroots feat. Dennis Lyxzén – Church of Noise
The Italian electro duo has earned both criticism and praise for this banger. Throw in Swedish demigod Dennis Lyxzén for an added dose of revolutionary dance music and adrenaline.

Topless Mongos – Hey My My
The bringers of all things good, this Calgarian garage trio whips up messy riffs that sound like The Sonics on methamphetamines.

Chris Brown feat. Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne – Look at Me Now (No Big Deal remix)
A cheeky hip hop/electro remix by Toronto duo No Big Deal, featuring Saskatoon-raised musician/producer Maxwell Miller, which earned them international attention through a coveted feature on Hype Machine.

Fisticuffs – Would You
Dreamy and dynamic, this jam from local composers Fisticuffs celebrates pop music with a multi-instrumentalist approach and heartening lyrics.

Cities Aviv – Coastin’
Riding swagger and Shirley Bassey samples, Cities Aviv continues to provide some of the most interesting hip hop today. Fans eagerly awaiting new material were not disappointed with this chilled-out single.

Albums

Mind Spiders – Mind Spiders
Fifties pop meets The Ramones in a psychedelic swimming pool.

Iceage – New Brigade
Hyper, gothy post-punk madness that received high praise immediately upon its release from international punk blogs. Pitchfork got a hold of it a couple months later, exposing this masterpiece to an even wider audience.

Chain & The Gang – Music’s Not For Everyone
Ian Svenonius proves he is still hot under the collar while dishing out some snarly criticism in Chain & The Gang’s sophomore release. Stripped down Motown-inspired rock ‘n’ roll, with some blues for good measure. But written for people who hate the blues.

Austra – Feel It Break
Synth-soaked loneliness and a mourning ghost with incredibly controlled vibrato.

Kate Bush – 50 Words for Snow
Ethereal and slightly cheesy – just the way I love my Kate Bush.

The Men – Leave Home
This could be the album of the year for me. The Men benefit from breaking all the rules. Shoegaze, hardcore punk, drone, and noise. It’s all here and sounds incredible.