Big Talk is the debut album from the band fronted by The Killers drummer, Ronnie Vannucci. Not since Dave Grohl (drummer for Nirvana) formed Foo Fighters have I been more excited about a drummer taking on the daunting task of lead singer. I have held Ronnie Vannucci in very high regard for many years, but this proves that he is not only an incredibly talented drummer, but he can shine just as bright as a lead singer. The only reason why I would want Big Talk to fail as a band would be because I don't want The Killers to have any reason to ever break up. Big Talk has, however, held me over during the painfully long amount of time the Killers have been working on their next album. There is not a bad song on the CD and there are at least 3 or 4 potential radio hits including their first release "Replica" which has a really cool and original music video. If this is what Ronnie Vannucci is doing during his Killers breaks, then maybe a little hiatus for the band every now and then is not the end of the world, which is how I often act upon discovering they are taking a break.
Such an awesome video. Ronnie Vannucci oozes coolness. If there was a pill I could take to be as cool as Ronnie Vannucci I would take twice the recommended dosage. I would overdose on coolness.
Another killer video. This song screams Nirvana to me. There is no reason this song should be ignored.
"A Fine Time to Need Me" is pretty impossible to not sing along to. After hearing it one time I felt like I have heard it for years.
14. Adele, 21
It may have taken me a little longer to jump on the Adele train than most people, but I am certainly happy that I boarded. 21 has been a record breaking commercial success and deserves all of the hype it has received. Every track on the album could be a radio hit. "Rumor Has It", a summertime staple at the Windjammer patio bar, was not even officially released as a single and it was still huge. I am pretty sure all of the tracks were on the top 200 best sellers on Itunes at some point this year. Old people love Adele, young people love Adele, women love Adele and men love Adele. Unfortunately for Adele most of 21 is about her heartbreak and depression after a devastating breakup with her boyfriend. I am only half kidding when I say that I hope Adele has the worst year of all time in 2012 and suffers even more heartbreak and anguish in order for her to make 23, which I am assuming will be the title of her next album.
"Someone Like You"
"One and Only"
How crazy is it that a song like this is one of the least known tracks on her album. That is a testament to how classic this album is and how talented she is. This track has one of the nicest vocals I have ever heard. Flawless.
13. The Decembrists, The King is Dead
The King is Dead is the Decemberists sixth studio album and the bands first to reach the number one spot on the Billboard charts. The wildly popular "This is Why We Fight" propelled the album to the top of the charts back in February. The track was by far the song that I heard the most this summer while bartending at the beach. Anytime anyone was even remotely annoyed at anyone else at work I would say "This is why, this is why we fight." For me, it never got old. The folk rock music that The Decemberists are known for has been gaining quite a lot of popularity thanks to last years release of Mumford & Sons album. Just about all the tracks on The King is Dead are fun and catchy. The entire album flows smoothly from one song to the next and listening to the album track by track is almost reminiscent of watching a movie; a really, really good movie.
"This is Why We Fight" - the soundtrack to our lives.
"Down by the Water"
12. Red Hot Chili Peppers, I'm With You
These guys can do no wrong. The Chili Peppers have been around for so long that each time they put out a new album I am convinced that it will be the one that shows their age. I'm With You did the opposite of that. It proves to me that the Chili Peppers will continue to release great music until they are dead. I have to admit that it took me a while to really start liking I'm With You, but once I gave it a fair chance it was obvious to me that they are still the Chili Peppers that I love. This is not my favorite Peppers album of all time, but very solid nevertheless. The first single "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" is probably my favorite tune on the album, but songs like "Monarchy of Roses" (their next single), "Police Station" and "Even You, Brutus?" have the potential to be big hits. All in all I definitely recommend I'm With You, I am pretty sure you will not be let down.
"The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" - I pray that I am that cool when I grow up.
"Police Station" - I am sure all of the members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers have plenty of first hand experience at police stations.
11. M83., Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
I have just realized how eclectic my music taste has been this year. I am an obsessed alternative rock fan, but in just the first nine albums on the countdown I already have 2 female pop rock albums (Gaga and Adele), folk rockers (Decemberists and The Head and the Heart), singer-songwriter (Nathanson), and rockers (Coldplay, Big Talk, Red Hot Chili Peppers and OAR.) I will also have many country songs on my end of the year Best Songs of 2011 Countdown. M83., however, is in a league of its own. The "band" M83. is simply one very talented French man named Anthony Gonzalez. Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is an almost unprecedented double album. Gonzalez has said that he has always wanted to make a double album since the Smashing Pumpkins released Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness back in 1995. Each of the songs on the albums has a sister or brother song on the opposite album. It is quite remarkable and in my opinion is the best double album since Red Hot Chili Pepper's 2006 release of Stadium Arcadium.
If you are unfamiliar with M83 I strongly suggest you give them a listen. I pretty much despise dance and electronic music, but for some reason I completely fell in love with this album in just a day or two. Hurry Up, We're Dreaming makes you feel as though you are literally in another world, very far away from Earth, and a very long time from now. I can't ever remember an album mentally transporting me to another time and place as much as Hurry Up... does. Every time I hear the track "Train to Pluton" I get a mental image of me chilling on a train to Pluton, whatever the hell that is. Also, "Raconte-Moi Une Histoire" may be the coolest thing I have ever heard on a CD. It is a little girl reciting a messed up poem set to a killer track. Don't give up after listening just once. The reward for your perseverance will be 22 brilliant, mesmerizing, and unforgettable tunes.
First single off the album, "Midnight City"
My personal favorite track, "Year One, One UFO"
"Raconte-Moi Une Histoire" - If you are not riveted by this, something is wrong with you. So creepy, so beautiful. It is pure genius.
10. Switchfoot, Vice Verses
Not only are the members of Switchfoot incredibly cool and nice (I won a contest a few years ago and got to eat dinner with them) they keep releasing one amazing CD after the other. I have to admit, I did not enjoy Vice Verses as much as their last album, Hello, Hurricane but it certainly was good enough for me to place in my top 10 albums of the year. Vice Verses also came with a live version of Hello Hurricane so it was 12 solid new tunes and 12 more than solid old tunes. The first single off of the album, "Dark Horses" is not even in my top 5 songs on the album.
Many people think of "Meant to Live" when they think of Switchfoot. "Meant to Live" is a great song, but much more "pop" than the Switchfoot as of late. My favorite track off of Vice Verses is probably "The War Inside" and it could not be much more opposite of "Meant to Live." Switchfoot is incredibly diverse and deserves to be in consideration when discussions turn to best bands in the last ten years.
I am in love with "The War Inside." I think it is one of the best tracks on any CD released this year.
"Vice Verses" - This song is SO different from "The War Inside" but just as powerful. Jon Foreman is very, very talented man.
Go get this CD, and every other Switchfoot CD for that matter.
9. Dawes, Nothing is Wrong
My biggest apology to anyone in 2011 has to go to Dawes. After hearing "Time Spent in Los Angeles" for the very first time I went to the CD store and bought the album. I played "Time Spent..." about 30 times and listened to each of the other songs for about 30 seconds and threw the CD into the back of my car, where it remained for the entire summer. I even went as far as to say that the CD wasn't good when people asked who sang "Time Spent.." If I could go back in time and change one thing I did this year it would be me saying how bad the CD was. I recently decided to give the CD one final shot before I alphabetically filed it away in my CD collection, and more than likely never listened to it again. Upon re-listening I realized how completely trashed my body is during the summer months. The lack of sleep, the excessive drinking, and the stress of bartending must have overcome my body and prevented my ears and/or brain from working properly. I don't even listen to "Time Spent in Los Angeles" much anymore. Listen to these next few songs and you will understand why December Ryan is so disgusted and angry at Summertime Ryan.
"How Far We've Come"
This song is nothing short of a masterpiece. The only way I can forgive myself for talking badly about this album is to find these amazing clips and tell the world how very wrong I was back in the summer of 2011. "How Far We've Come" Lyrics
Stars please shine the way for me
Show the one that I have followed
To see how far I’ve come
Sun that slowly sets on me
Be the same to rise tomorrow
To see how far I’ve come
These are the days we swore upon
So barman keep the TV on
To see how far we’ve come
Peak to peak and shore to shore
This is all love was ever for
Is to see how far we’ve come
California’s greenest parts
I reach out for my brother
To see how far he’s come
For the girl that came to break my heart
I call on her new lover
To see how far she’s come
Why your mother keeps a record of her child’s height
Why we all are here tonight
Is to see how far we’ve come
The only point of clocks and maps
The only point of looking back
Is to see how far we’ve come
Ooh Ooh Oh Oh Oh…Ooh Ooh Ooh…Ooh Ooh Ooh Oh Ohhh
Ooh Ooh Oh Oh Oh…Ooh Ooh Ooh…Ooh Ooh Ooh Oh Ohhh
Stars please shine the way for me
Show the one that I have followed
To see how far I’ve come
And sun that slowly sets on me
Be the same to rise tomorrow
To see how far I’ve come
"A Little Bit of Everything" - Warning. This song could make you start hysterically crying, and you may not even know why. Show the one that I have followed
To see how far I’ve come
Sun that slowly sets on me
Be the same to rise tomorrow
To see how far I’ve come
These are the days we swore upon
So barman keep the TV on
To see how far we’ve come
Peak to peak and shore to shore
This is all love was ever for
Is to see how far we’ve come
California’s greenest parts
I reach out for my brother
To see how far he’s come
For the girl that came to break my heart
I call on her new lover
To see how far she’s come
Why your mother keeps a record of her child’s height
Why we all are here tonight
Is to see how far we’ve come
The only point of clocks and maps
The only point of looking back
Is to see how far we’ve come
Ooh Ooh Oh Oh Oh…Ooh Ooh Ooh…Ooh Ooh Ooh Oh Ohhh
Ooh Ooh Oh Oh Oh…Ooh Ooh Ooh…Ooh Ooh Ooh Oh Ohhh
Stars please shine the way for me
Show the one that I have followed
To see how far I’ve come
And sun that slowly sets on me
Be the same to rise tomorrow
To see how far I’ve come
"Time Spent in Los Angeles"
8. Blink 182, Neighborhoods
I have been a very huge Blink 182 fan for just about half of my life. A few years ago I thought that they were done for good. Neighborhoods was a personal slap in my face by Mark, Tom, and Travis. I am ashamed that I did not have more faith in the band. Tensions were so high between the guys for so long and it seemed highly unlikely that the friendships could be mended. Not only were they mended, but the time apart helped them make this album, which I think is their best in a very long time. They are obviously much more mature than they use to be (which is not saying too much) but Neighborhoods, while sounding nothing like Enema of the State reminds me of Enema in the fact that you can pop in the CD and listen to it from front to back with the thought of skipping a song never coming into your mind. Welcome back Blink!
"Up All Night"
7. Cage the Elephant, Thank You, Happy Birthday
This CD could simply be an EP with "Aberdeen", "Around My Head", and "Shake Me Down" and it would still be one of the best CD's of the year. The three radio hits are just a sample of the amazing tracks on Thank You, Happy Birthday, which was released way back in the second week of January. Cage the Elephant is really starting to make a name of themselves in the world of Alternative Rock and this album proves that their last CD, Cage the Elephant was not just a fluke. These guys are here to stay and could have a very long future on Ryan's Countdown's end of the year countdowns.
"Shake Me Down"
6. Young the Giant, Young the Giant
I have to admit that I used to have a very difficult time knowing the difference between Cage the Elephant, Portugal the Man, and Young the Giant. As the year went on Young the Giant started to stand out to me and is now my clear favorite of the three bands. The smash hits "My Body" and "Cough Syrup" are two of my top twenty songs of the year and both have a very decent chance at being my favorite song of the year. Young the Giant is chuck full of potential radio hits and I wouldn't be surprised if next year's list of favorite songs has a few tracks off of Young the Giant. As embarrassing as it may be, I only got the entire CD a few weeks ago, however, I pretty much instantly fell in love with it. Besides the two radio hits, the song "12 Fingers" stands out to me as a very strong front-runner for the next hit song by Young the Giant. Whatever they decide to release as their next single I am very confident that it will be loved by the public as much as the other two.
"My Body"
"Cough Syrup" - Oh no, I think I am in the beginning stages of becoming obsessed with them; just what I need.
"12 Fingers" - Is this their next huge hit? I sure hope so!
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