It's getting to be that time of year where we look back at 2011's trends and decide which ones we liked and which we didn't. One musical trend that can't be ignored is the saxophone - it showed up everywhere. Lisa Simpson would be thrilled.
This Week: Wilco fans will rejoice; Twin Sister trumps all the buzz; Gem Club's beautiful tragedy; blog-star Youth Lagoon's much-awaited debut; Mastodon brings heavy riffs and a sense of loss.
This Week: St. Vincent's third and most approachable album yet; Girls' second release is heavy-hearted but even better than their last; Neon Indian expands his 80s crush; Das Racist's first studio effort is smart, though they can still annoy; Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor and Twin Shadow's George Lewis Jr. impress as CANT.
This week: Beirut's Balkan ballads; Widowspeak's downer lover songs; DOM brings in a top producer for their new one; Pepper Rabbit uplifts and haunts; Neil Young's "Lost Tapes" from 1991 are recovered.
Handsome Furs bring anti-establishment synth-punk, John Maus does lo-fi robot disco, Shabazz Palaces push progression (album of the year?), Red Hot + Rio mix Brazil with the indie set, and one of the F*ck Buttons goes solo as Blanck Mass.
This week: My Morning Jacket drops album number six, NYC indie-duo Cults makes a first attempt, Eddie Vedder soundtracks Hawaiian bonfires, and Death Cab For Cutie grows up.