In Rotation : Gotye - "Somebody That I Used to Know"

Sultry, sexy, seductive.  Gotye has created a modern day tango in his new single "Somebody That I Used to Know" featuring Kimbra.   The song starts out quiet, almost distant in nature, with Gotye hung up on a past love.  The tension builds up to the entangled confrontation with his present lover, who cannot live to up the idolized version of what he remembers and leaves him wanting a future they can never live up to.

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In Rotation : Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - It's a Corporate World

There's an easiness to the music from new band Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr that comes off really organic. "Nothing But Our Love," originally from their Horse Power EP, showcases the simplicity that can go into making a transportively beautiful song. Filled with dreamy vocals and upbeat indie-pop beats, the group's first album, It's a Corporate World, envelopes the listener like a warm blanket. Making sure not to suffocate the listener with said blanket, "When I Open My Eyes" brings a nice relief to the album with a bit more aggressive tones, while "We Almost Lost Detroit" goes into a blues-funk bender which really livens up the mood. Both additions show the exporative side to Daniell Zott and Joshua Epstein's music, adding dimension to the album without going too far outside the sound of the other tracks.


Notable Tracks:
1."Morning Thought"
2. "Nothing But Our Love"
5. "When I Open My Eyes"
11. "We Almost Lost Detroit"
12. "The Fisherman"

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In Rotation : Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi - Rome

One of the most influential musician/producers, Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) teams up with Italian cinematic composer Daniele Luppi, the result of which is a retro contemporary homage to 1960's Italian Western cinema - Rome.  Rome is a collection of instrumental tracks portraying a hauntingly scene of isolationism such as a lone tumbleweed on the vast open dusty landscape.  The landscape is interrupted by storied moments of featured vocals provided by Jack White and Norah Jones, providing the listener/observer a momentary insight into the lives of those who inhabit this dreamlike world.  The album is intoxicating, a derivation where the cinematic musical composition precedes the filmed picture.

Notable Tracks:
2. "The Rose with the Broken Neck"
4.  "Season's Trees"
7.  "Two Against One"
10.  "Black"
11.  "Problem Queen"

         
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Music of 2011

As the end of 2011 approaches, "Best of Lists" are inescapable. While its enjoyable to sort through and compare your favorites with others, it can be so difficult reducing a year's worth of music into a simple list. With so many great artists, where to begin? After much listening and deliberation, the following is a collection of our favorite albums for the year.

	10. Foster the People, Torches  Upbeat, dance-worthy music. Standout song: "Pumped Up Kicks"
	9. The Cave Singers, No Witch Blues Americana making a comeback. Standout song: "Swim Club"
	8. The Kills, Blood Pressures Thick sexy beats. Standout song: "Satellite"
	7. Portugal. The Man, In the Mountain In the Cloud  Intellectual psychedelia group sing-a-longs that rock out live.   Standout song: "All Your Light (Times Like These)"
	6. Feist, Metals Pictorial soundscapes, adding vision to sound. Standout song: "How Come You  Never Go"
	5. St. Vincent, Strange Mercy Hard-edged in a pretty package. Standout song: "Cheerleader"
	4. The Dodos, No Color Purity found in a guitar and drum. Standout song: "Good"
	3. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues Mother Earth approved instant classic. Standout song: "The Shrine / An Argument"
	2. TV on the Radio, Nine Types of Light Urban art rock poetry. Standout song: "Will Do"
	1. The Antlers, Burst Apart Epic transcendence. Standout song: "Parentheses"

In Rotation : Feist - Metals

Four years after the single "1 2 3 4" was showcased in an Apple commercial, propelling Feist to become one of 2007s biggest indie pop artists, her newly released follow-up album Metals brings a more matured perspective.  The cheery playfulness present in former albums has been paired back, replaced with an underlying heaviness and measured introspective thought.  The result is a visually stimulating album that creates atmospheric environments which Feist uses to give a sense of place and emotion within each lyrical vignette.

Notable Tracks:
3. "Caught a Long Wind"
4. "How Come You Never Go There"
9. "Undiscovered First"
11. "Comfort Me"

In addition to the original, check out Beck's remixed version of "How Come You Never Go There".



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In Rotation : The Antlers - Burst Apart

One of the year's brightest, but most underrated albums is The Antlers' Burst Apart.  Beginning to end, the album has a concise point of view. With its heady East Coast neuroses, there is an unnerving, yet intoxicating dream state quality to Burst Apart  that is ideal for 2AM listening sessions.  The record begins in a fragmented tone - searching for answers, not quite content in its state of being.  By the end, a transformation takes place, bringing a resolution and feeling of being at peace with itself.

Notable Tracks:
3. "Parenthesis"
4. "No Widows"
5. "Rolled Together"
6. "Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out"
10. "Putting the Dog to Sleep"

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In Rotation : Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History

A fresh young band from Northern Ireland, Two Door Cinema Club, is introducing their energetic indie dance pop sound with the group's first full release, Tourist History.  The album is full of short, upbeat songs perfect for some lighthearted fun.  Akin to their UK counterparts such as The Wombats, Bloc Party, and Foals, they share the signature odd-timed drum beat prevalent in British/Irish music of the same genre, but differentiate themselves with a more concise blending between rhythm and lyrical syncopation.

Notable Tracks:
2. "Come Back Home"
3. "Undercover Martyn"
5. "This is the Life"
8. "What You Know"

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