Best Tracks of 2011

"What is that shit?" was one of my dad's favorite questions to me when I played the tunes from my youth. Perhaps, in an era where genres like chillwave and post-dubstep claim the latest rising successes, I was finally succumbing to the cynicism our parents felt for our music. After all, tunes are now being created by kids 5, 10, even 15 years younger than me. Do I have anything in common with this generation? As we get older I think we all relate to that question a bit more; we can sense ourselves falling into that same cyclical pattern as the next generation dominates the arts. But isn't that a cop out? An excuse for indifference? If I'm being completely honest with myself my cynicism stems from envy -- envy that I'm getting older, and these kids are writing great music while my participation wanes.

November came. I wanted to make a playlist for my daily commute and found myself adding song after song from 2011. I was actually shocked by how many tunes I had collected, and how many of them were fucking phenomenal. We have the tried and true putting out some of their best material to date, and some of the most intriguing newcomers of recent memory. As the list pushed thirty tracks I realized something; I will always be a loving consumer of music. Occasionally my pride will be tested -- the majority of new music coming from twenty-somethings while the rest of us grow old -- but it will never mean I give up my lifelong hobby.

2011 has been a great year, and I hope you enjoy these songs as much as I do.

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Real Estate - "It's Real"



Kavinsky - "Nightcall"



Bon Iver - "Minnesota, WI"



Yuck - "Shook Down"



Beach Fossils - "Face It"



Cities Aviv - "Coastin'"



Fucked Up - "The Other Shoe"



Destroyer - "Blue Eyes"



Kurt Vile - "Runner Ups"



The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Heart in Your Heartbreak"



Caveman - "Decide"



Cass McCombs - "County Line"



Fleet Foxes - "Helplessness Blues"



St. Vincent - "Northern Lights"



Unknown Mortal Orchestra - "Nerve Damage!"



WU LYF - "Cave Song"



Shabazz Palaces - "Are You... Can You... Were You? (Felt)"



Clams Casino - "Motivation"



James Blake - "The Wilhelm Scream"



The War on Drugs - "I Was There"



Wilco - "Black Moon"



Black Lips - "Family Tree"



Toro y Moi - "New Beat



Tom Waits - "Bad as Me"



Women - "Eyesore" So it was late 2010...sue me.



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