My favourite albums of 2011

For me, this year was both good and bad for music.

Good because some of my favourite bands released new music, and I got to see loads of great concerts this year (The Strokes a couple of times, Arctic Monkeys, Delta Spirit, Arcade Fire, The National a couple of times, Beirut, Telekinesis, etc).

Bad because I didn't really get into any new bands this year. Partly because new music tended to bore me and partly because I've been swamped with life, law school and everything which falls in between.

So, without futher ado, here's my list of my favourite albums of 2011.

10. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

my review

Foo Fighters - Rope [mp3]

9. Radiohead - The King of Limbs

my review

Radiohead - Lotus Flower [mp3]

8. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Bon Iver - Perth [mp3]

7. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost

Girls - Honey Bunny [mp3]

6. The Black Keys - El Camino

The Black Keys - Lonely Boy [mp3]

5. Andrew Bird - Norman Soundtrack

Andrew Bird - Scotch and Milk [mp3]

4. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

my review

Fleet Foxes - Montezuma [mp3]

3. Beirut - The Rip Tide

my review

Beirut - East Harlem [mp3]

2. Arctic Monkeys - Suck it and See

my review

Arctic Monkeys - She's Thunderstorms [mp3]

1. The Strokes - Angles

my review

The Strokes - Taken for a Fool [mp3]

video: vital new Julian Casablancas interview

I love how honest he always is.



via TSN

must watch video: The Strokes - New York City Cops (ft Josh Homme)

video: The Strokes - Juicebox (ft Eddie Vedder)

I went to Wisconsin yesterday to see The Strokes, Queens of the Stone Age and Pearl Jam. And it was fucking grand. Eddie Vedder pointed out that Julian and Jesus have the same initials. Good man. There was plenty of man-love around; Julian joined QOTSA for "Sick Sick Sick", Josh Homme played guitar during "NYCC", Eddie came on for "Juicebox" and Julian sang "Red Mosquito" with his heroes.

I can't find any decent video from yesterday, but the video below (from Saturday night) is fucking awesome and is exactly what they sounded like yesterday.

Enjoy.

video: The Strokes - Hard to Explain at Paleo

This might be the greatest song ever written.

I've been binging on Phrazes more than The Strokes lately but when I listen to this song, I remember the early days of becoming obsessed with this band, watching youtube for hours on end and just being filled with so much happiness.

I feel exactly the same way when I watch Strokes videos now. Everything in this stupid world is fleeting but "Hard to Explain" is eternal.

The Strokes - Is This It: a decade of perfection

today marks the tenth anniversary of the greatest album ever released.
the world might be a mess but you can always seek refuge in this record and this band.

























write about what Is This It means to you and enter HERE for a chance to win a vinyl copy of the album. here's my two cents.

video: Slash joins The Strokes for "New York City Cops"

this video, which is seven years old, is awesome:

watch: The Strokes at Paleo

thank the heavens, they're bringing "Alone, Together" back

The Strokes, Paléo Festival Nyon 2011 (concert... by paleo

watching Strokes concerts makes me forget everything else in the world.

video: The Strokes - Trying Your Luck (ACL 2010)

this might be the best song Julian Casablancas has ever written

music video: The Strokes - Taken for a Fool

it's only a matter of time before all the cool kids start wearing American flag tank tops...

Listen: The Strokes cover A Salty Salute (with a hidden bonus)

here is an mp3 from May 19, 2004 of The Strokes covering Guided By Voices' "A Salty Salute". At the end of it, he wishes some of his friends (including Nick's then girlfriend and current wife Amanda De Cadenet) but the very best bit is at the very end, when Julian introduced "Hard to Explain" by revealing that he's getting married

The Strokes - A Salty Salute (Live at Summerstage '04, Central Park, NY) [mp3]

watch: The Strokes' entire set at Bonnaroo

holy wow

head over to The Strokes News to watch the entire gig and download the entire concert (in mp3 form) HERE (I uploaded the zip file, it's safe)

video: The Strokes - Gratisfaction on the Ellen show

must watch video: The Strokes: "You're So Right" on Jools Holland

sweet goodness this song just keeps getting more badass every time I hear it.

NIKOLAI, YOUSE A BOSS.

must watch video: The Strokes perform "Gratisfaction" at Cannes

I love three things about this video:

-the fact that you can really hear Albert

-Julian's lack of shoes or sleeves (never before exposed on stage tattoos!)

-"they said the soldier is a necessity in light of all the failures of man"

whoa.

and here's Taken for a Fool:

and Under Cover of Darkness

and Reptilia

The Strokes bring Angles to Jools Holland

yay!

The Strokes - Hard to Explain at MSG

BONUS:
I had my music on shuffle the other day and this popped up. I love the variation on the opening lyric

The Strokes - Reptilia (Live, 2006.03.08 - Radio One Session, London, ENGLAND)[mp3]

"they seemed depressed when you walked into the room..."

The Strokes - You're So Right on Fallon

I know we've all seen this but Francisco requested that I reupload it, I think it's disappeared off of youtube.

The Strokes - You're So Right (live, Jimmy Fallon) from hanan erikat on Vimeo.

enjoy!

BONUS: Julian recorded a track to an upcoming tribute album to one of the greats...

The Strokes goofing off at T Mobile Launch Party

hahaha this is great. also, UCOD sounds nice =)

Nick Valensi sings for "Real Men Don't Buy Girls" campaign

for all the haters who said Nick can't sing...

sex trafficking is bad, folks. just ask Delta Spirit.