Back to 2011 (Re-Ranking the Best of Lists) • Page 2

I was never over the moon about it so I guess the aging hasn’t played much of a roll.

forgot about yellow card coming back - what a return.

 

Killing Time was def my favorite of that year. Best Bayside album

Neighborhoods hasn't held up much for me with too many tracks that would probably be in my bottom twenty blink songs, but listening to Up All Night debut on KROQ was def one of the most hyped I've been for new music from anyone.

 

I really liked Radiosurgery when it was released, but I think I love it even more now. It was an interesting release for me though because I thought some of the best tracks were the bonus ones included on the deluxe edition.

 

2011 was the first year I properly started listening to music. It was the first year I actively started to seek out new albums and it coincided with my last year of high school, which (somewhat unsurprisingly) was an incredibly stressful and emotionally draining year, so music was a good coping mechanism. I still remember the excitement of coming home from school camp knowing I had the new Foo Fighters record waiting for me. a lot of my top 10 i listened to in the following years, but 2011 is the first music year i remember really well.

1. England, Keep My Bones - Frank Turner
2. Free -Twin Atlantic
3. Wasting Light - Foo Fighters
4. Suburbia... - The Wonder Years
5. Happiness and Surrounding Suburbs - Ball Park Music
6. Ever After - Marianas Trench
7. Neighbourhoods - Blink 182
8. When you're Through Thinking, Say Yes - Yellowcard
9. Sinners Never Sleep - You Me At Six
10. Little Hell - City and Colour

 

I mean it’s pet sounds compared to the new record but in that immediate moment I felt like someone shat in my cereal

 

1. The Wonder Years- Suburbia
2. Bayside- Killing Time
3. The Horrible Crowes- Elsie
4. Fireworks- Gospel
5. Transit- Listen and Forgive
6. Banner Pilot- Heart Beats Pacific
7. Frank Turner- England Keep My Bones
8. Polar Bear Club- Clash Battle Guilt Pride
9. Red City Radio- The Dangers of Standing Still
10. The Swellers- Good For Me
11. The Dangerous Summer- War Paint
12. Yellowcard- WYTTSY
13. Taking Back Sunday- Taking Back Sunday
14. Man Overboard- Man Overboard
15. Silverstein- Rescue

 

extremely important year for me in forming my taste, almost certainly for the worse

 

This year is packed with some of my absolute favorites of all time. Probably not a coincidence this was my sophomore-junior year of college.

Reranking:
1. O’Brother - Garden Window
2. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
3. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
4. Thrice - Major/Minor
5. The Decemberists - The King is Dead
6. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
7. Thursday - No Devolucion
8. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
9. Kanye West & Jay-Z - Watch the Throne
10. La Dispute - Wildlife
11. Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
12. Moving Mountains - Waves
13. Tyler, the Creator - Goblin
14. The Dear Hunter - The Color Spectrum
15. The Horrible Crowes - Elsie
16. Young Widows - In and Out of Youth and Lightness
17. Radiohead - The King of Limbs
18. Drake - Take Care
19. Junius - Reports from the Threshold of Death
20. Doomtree - No Kings
21. Touché Amore - Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me
22. Cave In - White Silence
23. Sainthood Reps - Monoculture
24. Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
25. City and Colour - Little Hell

 

I spent most of 2011 pining after my ex. What a waste. The music was excellent, though

 

I recall 2011 being a weird year for me musically. My new gf got me into more indie and mainstream music. I saw the nostalgic phase of the scene as coming to a close and growing into the next modern era, where each of the scene’s splintering sub-genres became more defined. There were a lot of albums I was disappointed in (city & colour, bayside, emery), some longtime favorites (Thursday, lights, Silverstein), the next wave of post hardcore I loved (la dispute, touche amore, pianos), the next wave of pop punk I liked but didn’t love (fireworks, TWY). Wild time.

 

Just read the full post over breakfast. Fucking LOL at the Transit footnote.

Also, @Jason Tate, I think I just assumed Bon Iver was going to be the top pick here. Wasn't that your end-of-decade number 1? I can't argue with Elsie either, of course.

I think the feeling you're describing, of bad memories of a year coloring the music from that year, is absolutely something that happens. I have a similar issue with 2013, which had a lot of good records, but which I associate with a really shitty job and with kind of floundering around in a shitty economy right after I graduated college. I'll be interested to give that year the re-rank treatment, because I looked back at my list from that year recently and I hate it. A lot of those records just do not hold up, and even some of the ones that I like remind me of this really pretty depressing time in my life. I'm definitely curious how 2020 will feel looking back in another 2, 5, 10 years. I think the music is honestly one of the only things I'll end up looking back on fondly.

Right? I remember writing this, during my exam week right before Christmas during my junior year of college. Probably spent more time on this list than I did studying for any of my exams that semester. Whoops.

 

Wonder years at 30 seems a bit low? I vividly remember your review to that one being glowingly positive. Was 2011 that good lol?

 

Ah, yes, the year of Bon Iver... releasing an album that nearly everyone loved, & I did not.

When I got into "indie" music or whatever, For Emma, Forever Ago was one of my first loves. It's still my second favorite from that era of indie albums, behind only The National's Boxer. What a flawless little album. Then Bon Iver, Bon Iver came out... and, I just couldn't connect with it. There were pleasant moments & no unpleasant ones, but outside of that closer (which is still the only song I really like on it), it all just washes past me without leaving an impression.

Outside of me, the only other posters of the day unimpressed were Vinh ("IWasaCamera," w/ his iconic Pink Moon avatar) & his crew. Which, I remember somehow being asked to write for their Sun on the Sand blog (which both fortunately & unfortunately no longer exists, & who knows where those people are today) & serving as their resident writer who liked pop music. Though one other contributor shared my Selena Gomez love before it was cool. Anyways, I remember getting a kick out of them giving me & my pop tastes a shoutout in their BI,BI first reactions chat they published. Gosh, I wonder what they're doing & listening to these days.

Back to Bon Iver, I ended up loving 22, A Million, which I probably place just a hair below FE,FA, mostly due to nostalgia. Liked i,i less than those two, but still more than BI,BI; a few songs on there are among my favorites he's done. That one album of his, which everyone adores, all these years later, is just this outlier that I cannot get into. So weird, but taste is subjective, blah blah blah, etc.

 

I had enough thoughts & memories for Bon Iver to be its own post, but now to look back at the rest of the year...

Dang, the end of the year list I made that year was weird, lol. The top 10 has three EPs, one of 'em a 2-song EP & one of 'em a Christmas EP by a worship artist. Two Christian rap releases, one of 'em an EP called "Man Up" that I'd surely have some major issues with if I revisited it. Thrice at the top; I still like that album more than most people & could making a fucking dope EP out of the best tracks, but in retrospect, not a strong #1, lol.

This is probably my new, current, revised top 10 of 2011... which kinda speaks to it being a solid-but-not-great music year for me personally:

Daniel Martin Moore - In the Cool of the Day
Radiohead - The King of Limbs
Selena Gomez & the Scene - When the Sun Goes Down
Blindside - With Shivering Hearts We Wait
Beyoncé - 4
Thrice - Major/Minor
Sleeping Giant - Kingdom Days in an Evil Age
Gungor - Ghosts Upon the Earth
Lights - Siberia
Hands - Give Me Rest

Like, I don't think I actively listen to any of those start to finish these days? lol. Lots of cool stuff sprinkled throughout that list, though. Didn't know Daniel Martin Moore before that album & never cared to keep up, but that one album is a charming little folk album of old gospel hymns. Didn't initially love that Radiohead album, but it's become my second or third go to album of theirs. That Blindside album rules. That Beyoncé album might be my overall favorite of hers? And, Sleeping Giant is the one band from that whole "preachcore" community that I got into & is still one of my favorite heavy Christian bands.

 

I found my best and worst of 2011 list from my old FB Note lol....I don't even remember some of this stuff...



BEST MUSIC OF 2011 - I'll be honest, I thought it was a weak year for music and even though certain mainstream artists could have made this list I decided not to add in any for the most part.



27. Dropkick Murphys - Going Out In Style

26. We Are the In Crowd - Best Intentions

25. The Getaway Plan - Requiem

24. The Cab - Symphony Soldier

23. We Still Dream - Chapters

22. City Lights - In It To Win It

21. Balance & Composure - Separation

20. Into It Over It - Proper

19. Company of Thieves - Running From A Gamble

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYTYWKghs1Y&feature=player_embedded

18. The Swellers - Good For Me

17. La Dispute - Wildlife

16. Life On Repeat - Struggle & Sleep

15. The Maine - Pioneer

14. Yellowcard - When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes

13. Taking Back Sunday - Taking Back Sunday

12. Silverstein - Rescue

11. City & Colour - Little Hell

10. Transit - Listen & Forgive

9. The Story So Far - Under Dirt & Soil

8. Blink 182 - Neighborhoods

7. Saves The Day - Daybreak

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sFO56mZqRY

6. The Wonder Years - Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5w8OIsweco&feature=related

5. Bayside - Killing Time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TpFZ8eUGVM

4. Jack's Mannequin - People and Things

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfhaPAGvU8I&ob=av2e

3. Sleeping At Last - The Yearbook Collection

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia0zpRtdBA4

2. D.R.U.G.S. - D.R.U.G.S.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D9tEOXZPBI

1. Christina Perri - Lovestrong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFOKiYnz6h4





Guilty Pleasure Song of 2011

1. Simple Plan - You Suck At Love

2. The Front Bottoms - Anything by this band really





Best Video Games of 2011

1. Batman: Arkham City

2. Mortal Kombat





Worst Of 2011

1. Natural Disasters - Hurricanes, Earthquakes and Tsunami's.

2. Casey Anthony

2. Jerry Sandusky

3. The Spill Canvas Hiatus (which is now over!)

4. Charlie Sheen

5. Arnold Schwarzenegger cheating/bastard child scandal

6. Snooki wrote a book that became a best seller...really? Who the heck bought this?

7. Bills starting 5-2 to finish 6-10

8. My flag football team (Kaiju) failed to make the playoffs for the first time ever in C division...ouch.

 

Great job on all of that you've mentioned in the last paragraph @Jason Tate - these posts rule! and I kinda have similar feelings towards 2011, it's mostly filled with albums that are great, but would not be my favorites from most of those artists, as well as wouldn't compare to my TOP albums selected later (or around 2005-2007 etc.), however, I do love most of the albums you've mentioned here! Especially Major/Minor, which brings me back to some important memories, and while probably my least favorite out of all the newer Thrice catalogue, would still be my TOP in 2011.

I think my most enjoyed album would be "Free" by Twin Atlantic, which to this day would still be my fav album by them on that other instance. Oh, and that might be an unpopular opinion, but "Waves" by Moving Mountains, which firstly struck me as a letdown, but later informed a lot of my band's songwriting, and found a sweet spot with me for a long time!

All the bands going on hiatus or breaking up (The Graduate ;c ;c) sucked so much. I loved "War Paint" by TDS and was immensely happy to have Spencer from Hidden In Plain View drum on it. Later I felt similar about Matt from The Graduate joining the band, it's funny now he consists like a half of the band.

Some of the best new discoveries I now was reminded of were definitely Balance & Composure, O'Brother, Mansions or Bon Iver, Ben Howard

Not that much of a turmoil within that year for me, but I think that's the year I began to go stale, got my final degree, a girlfriend that I was stuck with for too many years, and a job that I got probably stuck with for too long as well.

Also, I remember really well my summer pop punk guilty pleasure was "At War" by This Love. 2011 was the last year I used to carry my mp3 player and it's still stacked with songs from its life span (2006-2011). Before I came back to using it while skating two years ago, but I actually left most of the songs there just as it was, it was so good to revisit that!

 

Sleeping at last are beautiful

 

I can't believe we're approaching the decade mark for Elsie. man i hope he's able to do some shows to commemorate it next year, if he so desires. with his whole tour for LH pushed off I doubt it, though.

I almost expect Frank Turner to do an EKMB tour if he's able.

 

For my money, the best year of the decade for music. So much cool shit happening from just about every corner of music.

1. Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver
2. Bomb the Music Industry - Vacation
3. German Error Message - After the Warmth
4. The Hotel Year - It Never Goes Out
5. The Weeknd - House of Balloons
6. Main Attrakionz - 808s and Dark Grapes II
7. Lil B - Angels Exodus
8. The Front Bottoms - The Front Bottoms
9. Spraynard - Funtitled
10. Kendrick Lamar - Section 80
11. Balam Acab - Wander/Wonder
12. Arrange - Plantation
13. Algernon Cadwallader - Parrot Flies
14. Drake - Take Care
15. A$AP Rocky - Live. Love. ASAP
16. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
17. Laura Stevenson - Sit, Resist
18. Los Campesinos - Hello Sadness
19. Red City Radio - Dangers of Standing Still
20. Danny Brown - XXX
21. Lil B - I'm Gay
22. Guerre - Darker My Love
23. Clams Casino - Instrumentals
24. AraabMuzik - Electronic Dream
25. Action Bronson - Dr. Lecter

I have no idea whatever happened to Guerre, but this remains one of my favorite performances:

 

House of Balloons for sure

 

You're thinking of @Thomas Nassiff, who was always the resident Wonder Years fan/advocate on staff. I wasn't on staff until the following year. I like The Wonder Years, but they were never that band for me. I think I've said on here in the past that, in 2011, I really loved bits of Suburbia (particularly the last two tracks, which I still think are that band's apex), but that listening to that album really just made me want to listen to War Paint instead. It actually did not initially make my list for 2011. I was a bit more onboard with The Greatest Generation (though, it's maybe the 2013 album that is most tainted by that year not being the greatest time in my life.

 

I thought the trilogy albums by TWY were just one of the biggest hits on ap.net, well at least especially The Greatest Generation. I personally got into them on Suburbia and I do love that album (and the accompanying imagery).

 

Easily my overall favorite year of music since I really got into things back in 2008.

I truly can't believe all of these came out that year... so many favorites of mine.

If I had to re rank it would look something like this but still very hard.

1. The Wonder Years - Suburbia
2. Bomb The Music Industry! - Vacation
3. Joyce Manor - Joyce Manor
4. Fireworks - Gospel
5. Balance and Composure - Separation
6. The Story So Far - Under Soil and Dirt
7. Polar Bear Club - Clash Battle Guilt Pride
8. The Swellers - Good For Me
9. Transit - Listen and Forgive
10. Into It. Over It. - Proper
11. The Front Bottoms - The Front Bottoms
12. Touche Amore - Parting The Sea
13. Title Fight - Shed
14. The Hotelier - It Never Goes Out
15. La Dispute - Wildlife
16. I Am The Avalanche - Avalanche United
17. Bayside - Killing Time
18. Basement - Colourmeinkindness
19. Seahaven - Winter Forever
20. All Get Out - The Season
21. The Horrible Crowes - Elsie
22. Defeater - Empty Days, Sleepless Nights
23. A Loss For Words - No Sanctuary
24. Yellowcard - When You're Through Thinking Say Yes
25. Saves The Day - Daybreak
26. Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones
27. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
28. Blink - 182 - Neighborhoods
29. Young Statues - S/T
30. Letlive - Fake History

Some Other Stuff I Loved in 2011:
Mansions - Dig Up The Dead
Red City Radio - The Dangers Of Standing Still
Big D & The Kids Table - For The Damned, The Dumb & The Delirious
New Found Glory - Radiosurgery
Man Overboard - S/T
Reverse The Curse - Hither & Yon
Signals Midwest - Latitudes and Longitudes
Pianos Become The Teeth - The Lack Long After
The Throne - Watch The Throne
ASAP Rocky - Live. Love. ASAP
Kendrick Lamar - Section.80
Childish Gambino - Camp
Tyler The Creator - Wolf
Drake - Take Care
Taking Back Sunday - S/T
Diamond Youth - Don't Lose Your Cool
Daytrader - Last Days of Rome
Turnover - S/T EP
Tigers Jaw / The Sidekicks - Split
Citizen - Young States
Run For Cover Records - Mixed Signals Compilation
Alkaline Trio - Damnesia

What a year

 

This. This this this.

 

dang this was a year for me...was dealing with a first real breakup after a freshman year of college that was really good.

i LOVED Simple Math - it honestly may be my favorite manchester album. Same with war paint, i probably listened to that hundreds of times when it came out.

it's crazy to see where the front bottoms are now from that first record. i loved that record, and now rarely come back to it with their follow ups being even better.

Killing Time is maybe my favorite bayside album still.

I was huge into the swellers and twy, but don't come back to those as much.

asap rocky and kendrick started for me that year too. my buddy dragged me to a kendrick show and i was floored.

I remember the hype around DRUGS. lol