no need for a preamble, right? let’s just do it. (no particular order, by the way.)

ALBUMS:

tUnE-yArDs w h o k i l l - out of respect for how amazing this record is, i typed it out correctly based on merrill garbus’ vision. and her vision is massive: afropop, jazz, hip hop, weirdogaze, ukulelecore, exuberence-pop. true story: the very first time i listened to bizness, when the music drops out and she bellows, “what’s the bizness, yeah?” i laughed loudly, a huge smile on my face. it was one of the happiest moments of this year, surpassed only by seeing her do that live. (here’s what i said in april.)

the weeknd house of balloons - this record, man. or mixtape. whatever. good lord, this came out of nowhere, right? (here’s what i said in april. i talked a lot in april.) it’s the perfect blend of r&b, navel-gazing, bullshit bravado masking a hurt little boy, and portishead. i thought this was just good, sexy, watching the sun rise on your sad life music. um, i could be projecting there. [video]

james blake james blake - at first, i felt like something was missing from this record…until suddenly it clicked for me. blake is glitch pop as a close friend; it sits next to you, murmuring in your ear & rubbing your back as you weep over some sort of personal injustice. (here’s what i said in august.) [video]

lykke li wounded rhymes - i totally missed the first lykke li boat, but she kept sending out these great singles early in 2011. the album is a crazy mash up of torch songs, primal rhythms, and 50’s girl groups. and her live show is so great - she’s next level stevie nicks, guys. [video]

cults cults - and more 50’s-influenced pop music! a collection of songs that at first listen seem light & airy but later reveal themselves to be sticky little suckers you can’t stop humming. this was the first band of this year that i saw a random write up about and decided to try it out. very glad i did. (here’s what i said in july.) [video]

childish gambino camp - i was really worried, guys. donald glover released an ep in the spring and i felt it was just okay. so when he signed with glassnote records, i thought he was tapped out & it would be pretty weak. boy, was i ever wrong. the wrongest, even. he means business. i’m starting to love his music so much that i can’t really be objective about it. (here’s what i said in may.) [video]

katy b. on a mission - so i guess we’re doing the 90’s over again, right? well, i’m perfectly fine with that if it means reviving my favorite dance music breaks and having a soulful british chick sing over them. this album really captures the FUN of going out without making you feel old. even the heartbreak song is a toe-tapper. also, the title track is the best case dubstep has for winning over a fogey like me. [video]

danger mouse & daniele luppi rome - there’s no way an actual film could top this imaginary soundtrack. these two (along with jack white and norah jones) made an album so atmospheric, it makes a trip to the grocery store feel like you’re leaving behind mysterious origins and a checkered past to pick up some rotisserie chicken. sounds best at dawn or dusk. [video]

miguel all i want is you - technically this record was released in 2010 so it shouldn’t count and i was also late to it so i was going to put it in a special category but you know what? fuck it. i am rocking this record so HARD in the final quarter. the vocal arrangements are so lush, especially when paired with old school boom-bap beats. or slinky, prince-like sex jams. or even slightly generic dance music. i dare say, this record is timberlake-esque. if you know me, you know that’s HIGH PRAISE. [video]

balkans balkans - first of all, ATL, shawty. all day every day. this is an atlanta band and even though they sound a bit like the strokes, i really responded to their raw weirdness. they end up reminding me of a more angular rock*a*teens. i dig them a lot, is what i’m saying. [video]

wale ambition - wale is my favorite rapper that i always forget. when i do remember to check for him, i’m usually happy. this album may have one of the best starting 1-2-3-4 punch of songs i’ve heard in a while. his rhymes slip & slide around majestic horns and 80’s era synth lines with ease and he sounds like he’s having a blast. it’s not often you hear a smile on a rap album. [video]

“OOH, YOU WERE SO CLOSE” ALBUMS:

st. vincent strange mercy - when st vincent doesn’t make my top ten, you know something’s up. don’t get me wrong, i really really like this record. the beauty is just unfolding in layers and i’m letting it wash over me at its own pace. [video]

jamie woon mirrorwriting - smoothed out goodness. where are all of these soulful dudes coming from? [video]

king krule/zoo kid king krule ep - okay, so king krule is a 17 year old british kid named archy marshall who used to record under the name zoo kid. i clicked on a whim and fell in love instantly. he looks like la roux but he sounds like billy bragg softly filtered through break beats. the only reason this is on this list is because it’s a too short ep. [zoo kid video] [king krule video]

the weeknd thursday - i think on this one, dude switched out the portishead for a dub compilation. not quite as shockingly good as the first mixtape, but still better than a lot of stuff. [video]

C’MON, SON ALBUM:

the weeknd echoes of silence - this mixtape gets a special award because it dropped literally while i was writing this list and it’s fucking AMAZING. if house of balloons was a foray into trip hop and thursday was a mellow dub experiment, then this is the big 80’s sound (with a sprinkle of missy & timbo). i was up at 4 in the morning, yelling at my computer, “are you kidding me with this shit?” so i already know how my post holiday will sound. [ video]

SONGS I LIKED:

biblo anything new - summer jam. [video]

miguel girls like you - too good not to mention. the “ahhh-ahh”s in the chorus are close to perfection…perfection being the pre-chorus. [video]

azealia banks 212 - YO. this shit is straight FIRE. harlem kid, attended the school made famous in the movie FAME, spits flames, and that singing voice! i cannot wait for her debut album, expected sometime in 2012. [video]

childish gambino freaks and geeks - my favorite thing off of his ep from this year. [video]

SBTRKT wildfire - late night jam. special guest: little dragon. [video]

dev in the dark - look, we all have to accept that the ibizafication of america is pretty much complete. but it’s not all bad - you just have to pick your poison. i have decided to go with dev (and the cataracs, since that’s who does the production). [video]

beastie boys say it - that the beastie boys released an album and it didn’t make either of my top lists is CRAZY. and it’s not bad, it’s just not the best thing i heard this year. but this song is a banger, man. hits hard. [video]

k.d. lang i confess - it was a true return to form for k.d. with sing it loud. this song is gorgeous. [video]

elle varner only wanna give it to you - old-school jam that hit all of my buttons. [video]

raphael saadiq day dreams - my checkbook’s theme song. [video]

big sean i do it - i’m not even really sure this kid is any good, but that track is hot. and he has a nice smile. [video]

tv on the radio will do - pretty. [video]