Whoa. What a year.
It's taken me some time, and I must admit I'm not even fully there, but this year wrapping my head around the music of 2011 was (and still is) hard for me to muster. I had several highly-anticipated albums that I didn't connect with AT ALL (Radiohead, Bjork, My Morning Jacket) and a couple of medium-anticipated albums that I didn't connect with (The Drums, Electric Six, Feist, Jay Z & Kanye West) not to mention the stuff that EVERYONE seemed to love that I also didn't care much for (Adele, Bon Iver, Lykke, Li.) So what did I like? I've been asking myself that same question...
There really was only one album that I was truly obsessed with this year. It grabbed me immediately, and I'm still playing the hell out of it. And there really wasn't a close runner up at all... and it wasn't until I did go back and took look at everything released this year that a full list of favorites came together.
There actually was some pretty good stuff, and one huge classic... let me tell you what I liked:
Artist: Penguin Prison
Album: Penguin Prison
I'm not sure exactly how many times I over-used the term "80's inspired" in 2011 but it was pretty fitting as there was a LOT of it out there. And one of my absolute favorites of the year from that mini-get-growing genre was the self-titled debut by Chris Glover, aka Penguin Prison.
More than just a trip down memory lane, this mash up of Prince, George Michael, and Michael Jackson was awash in 80's and yet the best thing about it are the songs; catchy, tightly produced, and pretty thrilling. It's an album that I liked right away, and only grew more and more on me.
And nothing says "2011" to me more than single "Don't Fuck With My Money," and Glover was smart enough to thankfully make an Occupy Wall Street-inspired video for the song. (See below) In general that song title alone sums up 2011, when the most corporate of music flooded the airwaves (some of it I loved in spite of myself) and money in general was on everyone's mind.
If you're a fan of 80's music please do yourself a favor and pick this album up.
Enjoy.
Don't Fuck With My Money
Golden Train
Fair Warning
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