Some people don't watch Saturday Night Live -- and for those who don't: This is what you're missing. But many of these "Digital Shorts" are available on this 2011 album, so your ear buds will be satisfied even if you've never seen any of these clips and/or you live under a rock.
9. Blitzen Trapper, "American Goldwing"
These guys find a great balance between rock, country, and folk. There's a lot of talk about Portland's music scene -- but these guys seem to embody the entire essence of Oregon... a little urban, but mostly independent and rustic. It's tough to pull off a sound like that and stay relevant, but they get the job done -- especially on American Goldwing.
8. Adele, "21"
If you haven't heard "Rolling in the Deep", then you're literally living in a hole deep within the Earth. Kudos to Adele for naming this album -- and her first album -- the age at which she recorded it; most people in America are itching to have their first legal beer... she created a blockbuster album. So that's cool, too, I guess.
7. Cake, "Showroom of Compassion"
Whatever you think of Cake, you're probably right. But Cake doesn't care, and they're still plugging away despite letting seven years pass since they produced a good album (Pressure Chief). On Showroom of Compassion, they keep with their classic sound -- "Long Time" & "Mustache Man (Wasted)" (the video in which I may ending up having a cameo) show you that some things never change, in a good way. Since it seems like most aging bands are getting introspective and nostalgic these days, it's nice to see Cake keeping true to what they do best.
6. Fleet Foxes, "Helplessness Blues"
It's tough to follow up on their debut album, but the sophomore effort certainly didn't disappoint. I saw them live at McMenamin's Edgefield this summer, and I'm just sad that I didn't seem them while floating on a cloud instead. A line from the title track is bold: "And now after some thinking/I'd say I'd rather be/A functioning cog in some great machinery serving something beyond me." It's that kind of humility that will keep them and their music great.
5. Portugal. The Man, "In the Mountain In the Cloud"
It's hard to believe that this is the band's seventh album -- but to their credit, it's the seventh album in five years. It's got as much diversity as it does consistency. The Alaska natives seem to be finding a groove in The City of Roses -- they tweet constantly, much of it Portland-based. And despite an equipment setback at Lollapalooza earlier this year, they continue to gain momentum. They made the Top Five this year -- hopefully they'll crack my top three with their next album.
4. Black Keys, "El Camino"
This duo shines in its simplicity: One guy on drums, the other playing guitar. What else do you need? They could play bigger, louder, more complex -- but it's the restraint that makes them as awesome as they are. Their latest album is all rock... which I think is a step back from their 2010 album Brothers that showcased their range. But they're the best lifeline between 1972 and 2011, and for that, they're easily one of the best albums of the year.
3. Charles Bradley, "No Time for Dreaming"
The best song of 2011 might just be "The World (Is Going Up In Flames)". And who better to deliver it than the 63-year-old Bradley, on his debut album no less. He's got all the flare and sound of a modern-day James Brown -- and the look of a man who's seen it all in his lifetime. Hopefully we can all be lucky enough to find new success at his age.
2. The Decemberists, "The King Is Dead"
The Decemberists might be the best writers in modern music -- it's a blend of storytelling, polysyllabic phrasing, and on top of it all... a dark sense of humor. And if that's not enough for you, they maximize the best of both worlds in "folk rock" with The King Is Dead. "Rox in the Box," "Down By The Water" and "This Is Why We Fight" are all songs that hold their own in the modern rock circuit -- while songs like "January Hymn" and "June Hymn" satisfy listeners looking for something a little more folk. It probably influences my decision somewhat that I saw them on the last leg of their tour... and it was one of the best concerts I've ever seen.
1. My Morning Jacket, "Circuital"
In the spirit of seeing a group live, I was fortunate to be able to watch MMJ in a venue of a few dozen people. And it was only by dumb luck that I was watching them play selections from the best album of 2011 -- not even fully realizing it; most songs I was hearing for the first time (see below).
The first song, "Victory Dance" starts off with the strike of a gong -- a bold beginning, and it builds from there. Then it seamlessly transitions to the title track, another tune that starts slow and gets bigger at just the right speed. The album has it all: "Wonderful (The Way I Feel)" and "Movin Away" will make you smile and simultaneously pull at your heartstrings; "Holdin On To Black Metal" sounds like a School of Rock project gone awry in all the right ways; and "Outta My System" has the wisdom of someone who's been through it all but isn't too proud to acknowledge it.
This album will stand the test of time because it mixes great music with lyrics that seem almost cathartic -- it's as if lead singer Jim James has faced his demons, has forgiven them, and wants to find a state of musical nirvana. If Circuital is any indication, MMJ is on its way to finding perfect harmony.
Below is a live version at the Bing Lounge, a small venue in Portland -- where I was fortunate to be able to see them perform some selections from the album:
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