BEST NEW ALBUMS 2011 so far...

This blog is long over due so my first few posts are going to be my Best Albums of 2011 so far, for now they are in date since they came out not how much I like them.

1. Cults- Cults

I have a friend who once referred to this band as The Cults and if I hadn't enjoyed this album as much as I did I would have corrected her. Cults was unknown until their single Go Outside went vital last spring. While the background music may sound sweet and poppy, the lyrics talk about dystopias and post teenage angst. Band member, Brian Oblivion, says a lot of the songs came from the idea of joining an actual cult. There album mentions past cult leaders Jim Jones, Charles Manson, and Patty Hearst. The first three songs on the album Abducted, Go Outside, and You Know What I Mean make a killer start to anyone's day. Oblivion has come a long away from being in a Slayer cover band.

2. Helplessness Blues- Fleet Foxes

 I just got back from a trip to my friends Canadian cabin where we spent 5 days without internet, cable, or cellphone service. Pure bliss. This album fit in exactly with that setting (soon the new Bon Iver album will as well). Frontman, Robin Pecknold, has a voice I always love listening to no matter what he's saying. Fleet Foxes have continued to define modern folk music and will not stop now. Some songs to for sure take out of this are Montezuma and Helplessness Blues.

3. Nine Types of Light- TV of the Radio

I bought this record on International Record Day and it was well worth it. TOTR keeps coming out with steller albums with catchy singles like You and Will Do, but show their depth with songs like Killer Crane and No Future Shock. They will be headlining Pitchfork this summer and selling out all over the country, sadly without their bassist Gerald Smith who died earlier this year.

4. Belong- Pains of Being Pure at Heart

I was really excited with this album came out because it had such hype around it. They did not evolve much from their first self titled album, but it was still great. Probably the most guitar heavy album on the list, Pains knows how to rock hard and still have a sweet message. Songs to get for sure are Belong, Heart in a Heartbreak, and My Terrible Friend.

5. Zonoscope- Cut Copy

Honestly, Need You Now makes this album amazing. Over all I like Cut Copy's electronic beats with good songs like Take Me Over and This Is All We've Got,  but without Need You Now this album would be nothing.

6. James Blake- James Blake

James Blake, unknown until making three EPs last year, is my breakout artist of the year so far. This album James Blake uses his voice much more than in the EPs, but still keeps the minimalist beats, repetition, and subtle dubstep bass. This whole album is wonderful and I would recomend every song on it, but if I had to choose a few The Wilhelm Scream, Lindisfarne I, Lindisfarne II, and Limit To Your Love would be the best. Did you know Lindisfarne is a small island off the coast of England that occupies 162 people? Cooool.

7. Dye It Blonde- Smith Westerns

Smith Westerns have come along way from singing at Northside College Prep talent shows and drinking milk out of cartons at 21+ concerts. Dye It Blonde, their sophomore album, rocks out with more age and experience than their first album. The songs flow together and the melodies and really catchy and fun. Songs that you should get are All Die Young, Weekend, and End of the Night.