She looks me in the eye and says,
“Would you prefer the easy way?
No? Well, ok then, don’t cry.”
Joyful Girl is such a wonderful song. It’s so smooth and fluid, with an icy touch.
According to my last.fm ‘Top Artists’, my top 2 artists of 2011 were Bright Eyes (1,098 plays) and a very close Wilco (1,084 plays). Although, my top artists for the past 6 months, Wilco beats Bright Eyes by roughly 500 plays.
Anyway, my top 10 artists of 2011 (according to last.fm) are as follows:
10.) Dawes - I have fallen in love with this band this past year. I saw them in November of 2010 without having heard of them prior to the show, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Taylor Goldsmith is an absolute wonderful writer, and that’s what hooks me in music. If you don’t have fascinating, believable, effortless lyrics, then I most likely won’t be enjoying you and tolerating your fans at shows.
9.) Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues is my complete favorite record of 2011. I listen to it on vinyl more than any other record I own. It has a natural fluidity, but is never boring. It’s easy to listen to, relatable lyrics, and The Shrine/An Argument is spotless. Nick and I saw them in September at Mountain Park and it was just as great as you could imagine.
8.) Yeasayer - Their videos always seem to sufficiently creep me out, but besides that their music is very unique. It doesn’t sound like anything I’ve ever heard before. Odd Blood is super, but the lyrics to Tightrope are what really got me to explore the band.
7.) Sufjan Stevens - I love banjos. I could listen to Seven Swans for the rest of my life and not get bored with it. The freshness in Sufjan’s music is, well, refreshing. He’s been a favorite of mine since 2006, junior year in high school. Nick and I would drive around after school or during lunch listening to him, and we finally saw him together November 11, 2010 in Boston. It was magical. Best show I have ever been to. No question.
6.) of Montreal - The longer Kevin Barnes creates music, the weirder it gets. Hissing Fauna is one of my favorite albums of all time, but I can’t connect with their newer stuff. I enjoy it, but it holds little to no meaning to me. Although, I did see them twice this year, and listened to them approximately 312 times. So last.fm says, anyway.
5.) Ani DiFranco - What girl doesn’t love Ani DiFranco? Seriously. Find me a girl who especially dislikes her, and I’ll show you someone with terrible taste in music. Period.
4.) Devendra Banhart - PLEASE GO ON TOUR ALREADY. Cripple Crow could most likely be enjoyed by anyone. His voice is so pleasant. It’s delicate, but strong. His songs go between being casual and upbeat, to a completely spot-on story that unlocks you emotionally.
3.) The Tallest Man on Earth - 3 words: Voice. Lyrics. Guitar. That’s it. That’s what I love. That’s all I need.
2.) Wilco - If it doesn’t work out with Nick and I, I’ll probably go after Jeff Tweedy. His voice is wonderful. The lyrics are fantastic. The music is simple, but not monotonous. I personally enjoy Being There more than any other album of theirs. It’s everything I need in an album, musically and lyrically. Nick and I went to Solid Sound this year and it was so much fun. We also saw Jeff Tweedy solo in Portland, Maine a few months beforehand. The wonder and charm found in Being There is effortless and organic, adding to it’s beauty. I will be listening to this band for the rest of my life. Although they’re trailing Bright Eyes by several hundred Overall Plays, I’m sure they will soon take the #1 place in my last.fm’s Top Artist… but for now…
1.) Bright Eyes - has the most plays for 2011. The People’s Key came out this year, it was a great album, but that’s it. It was just great. I would have preferred something a little more personal. Maybe something a little more natural. Silence is an instrument, a good amount of it in any song/album is necessary for me. There wasn’t enough silence in The People’s Key. Aside from that, Nick and I saw Bright Eyes 5 times this year. Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Hopefully Conor Oberst will be coming out with something a little more centered next time, with or without Bright Eyes.
Fin!
