It’s freakin’ December, man. Not only is it December, it’s the last half of December. This year has gone by extremely fast (oh, hi clichés), I don’t even believe it. Despite the relative speed at which this year has seemed to pass, I’ve experienced a butt load. Let me break down all the crap I’ve been privy to this year, starting with my passion: music. I’m musical to the core. I love music, all kinds of music. Scroll through my Zune (yeah, buddy—no iPod here), and you’ll jump from ACDC to AKB48, from Eminem to Erasure, from Taylor Swift to Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Okay, some of that is exaggerated, I don’t actually have any TSO on my mp3 player, but you get the point. There have been some great releases this past year whether you’re into Idol pop (especially if you’re into Idol pop) or rap or anywhere in between.
15 Doors by moumoon
If you’re looking for breezy, light-hearted, pop music, then look no further. moumoon has recently been climbing my list of favorite pop groups and the duo’s 2011 release was one of my favorite albums of the year. Their sound is fun and whimsical, lacking the over-production and saturation of more popular Idol pop. Yuka’s vocals are shiny and sweet with a playful singsongy-ness (Webster look for my email) that doesn’t cross that line into saccharin and cloying. And though Masaki Kousuke isn’t a name you probably know, he’s just as talented as that Akimoto fellow.
Bon Iver by Bon Iver
This is one of those albums that simply embodies music. I don’t really know what I can say about this album to make you want to listen to it, because it’s so utterly fantastic that I can’t even describe it. All at once chilling, haunting, beautiful, stirring and imaginative, Bon Iver’s self titled second album is possibly the best piece of recorded music to come out this year, and perhaps for the last and next couple of years.
STRAIGHTENER by STRAIGHTENER
You can read my full review of (recently) 4-piece rock powerhouse STRAIGHTENER’s self titled album here. But the short of it is it’s amazing. I felt like every song on this album was just waiting to be listened to. With this album the guys really found their stride and only cemented their place in my favorites list even more. One of the top 5 acts I would love to see live, STRAIGHTENER continues to impress year after year and I cannot wait to listen to their next release.
Take Care by Drake
Drake released his sophomore album this year and though it’s a step from his debut Thank Me Later, his 2nd effort is still getting a record number of spins on my playlist. If you thought Drake was versatile before, blending rap, hip-hop and r’n’b with relative ease, you’ll trip over the silky crooning and distinguished raps on this album. With great guest spots from the likes of label mate Nicki Minaj and rap game powerhouse Rick Ross, Drake swings for the fences and keeps fans pleased.
Love Alone by miss A
This is my favorite song of the year. I absolutely love it. It’s simple and earnest, reeks of talent both from the girls’ vocals and Park’s production, and is a breath of fresh air on the K-pop scene. I sing this at the top of my lungs in the car, put the cheap montage music video on repeat on youtube, and chair dance to it with my headphones plugged in. Gold star.
Happiness
The 7 girl sister group to Japan’s blockbuster EXILE is probably my favorite new artist of 2011. They remind me so much of SweetS (OH GOD SweetS I MISS YOU) that it’s almost painful. The girls are great dancers and not half-bad singers. I hope they stick around for a while and fill that loli-dance-r’n’b-pop niche that is so horribly lacking in my life. With 3 singles released this year, I can only hope an album and more promotion is on the horizon for these girls. They deserve a spotlight as their potential is overflowing. Nopedo.
ONE OK ROCK
The rock group formed 6 short years ago has to be the breakout artist of 2011 for me. I’ve been a fan for a few years now, but this is the first year that I’ve really seen these kids take off. Their album Zankyo Reference sold 100k copies this year and landed them the number 2 spot on the Oricon charts, along with two top ten singles. I have no doubt that these guys are only going to get bigger. And with NEWS taking a nose dive after the removal of 2 of their most popular members, I think lead vocalist Takahiro made the right decision.
And those are just some of my thoughts on the music scene this year. There were plenty of hits, more than enough misses, and all kinds of crap in between. Particularly this has been a strong year for Idol pop and both myself and boykun have separate posts on what we thought about Idols this year (read his here). Without the gift of music, life would be extremely hard to live. Every year I’m astounded at the new music, the emerging talents, the resolved veterans, and simply one of life’s best pleasures.
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