This is a Listener's Poll based upon user ratings from Jivewired Radio and at Jivewired.com for the period of January 1, 2011 through January 31, 2011 inclusive. Listeners can rate songs through an application on our radio player. A minimum of 10 spins for the month is required to qualify.
- You can listen to the monthly Top 25 Spins each Wednesday evening on Jivewired Radio beginning at 8 PM EST.
Our mission at Jivewired Radio: Promote indie artists and their music. The music we play on Jivewired Radio (powered by Live365) is made available to you by artists and labels. If there's a particular artist or band you really dig on, show some love; click a link, buy a LP, go to a show and spread the word. You can listen by clicking on the following link: Launch Jivewired Radio
Songs and/or albums can be purchased by clicking on any album artwork and you can use the mini-reviews as a guideline. We've notated outside sources for content, and we hope those writers are cool with that. If not, going forward, we'll write up something for each artist.
***** PROGRAMING DISCLAIMER: Our first option is to purchase music directly from the bands included in this list and for all music played on Jivewired Radio. Jivewired buys secondarily from iTunes and Amazon where albums are not available on a band's home website or designated choice for purchase.
All linkage redirects to Amazon because we grab album art form their website. Where you purchase your music is your choice. We encourage you to visit each band's website to purchase music from their designated online storefront.
Listener's Poll Top 25 Spins For December 2011
01. Black Tiles by Wild Flag
from the album "Wild Flag"
Label: MERGE RECORDS
The considerable contrast between the two singers gives Wild Flag a somewhat predictable ebb and flow, with a song-by-song trade-off between Brownstein's rambunctious, locomotive rockers and Timony's more quirky, complex compositions. Credit Weiss and Cole for effectively mediating between these disparate sensibilities: Wild Flag never sound more together than when they're being led off the rails by Weiss' Keith Moon-worthy breakdowns and Cole's wandering "Sister Ray"-style organ lines, as they push the wiry "Short Version" and charmingly cheeky "Racehorse" into joyous full-band jams and sing-along chants. For all the ideological intent fuelling the Wild Flag mission, the band rarely sacrifices the rock'n'roll fun-- they no doubt deliver that elusive black-and-blue, but it's a hit that feels like a kiss. -- Pitchfork
02. Lonely Boy by The Black Keys
from the album "El Camino"
Label: NONESUCH RECORDS
The Black Keys "El Camino" - wow. This is their mainstream breakthrough album and I'll go as far as to compare it to U2's "Joshua Tree" in as much that it's the band's mainstream launching pad. Don't be sad, hipsters, your precious Black Keys have grown up. Though we'll never admit it, we secretly always wanted this just as much as we hate that they are no longer our secret. Honestly, how long did we intend to keep our love for these indie darlings to our uber-pretentious selves? Those of us who have been fans since the release of "The Big Come Up" in 2002 will have to settle for being credited with simply discovering this great band. And you know what? That should be enough. That, and knowing that most of the new fans will probably never listen to anything before 2010's "Brothers". -- Michael Canter, Jivewired.com
03. Come Visit Me by The Rosebuds
from the album "Loud Planes Fly Low"
Label: MERGE RECORDS
Yes, The Rosebuds look back with some traces of regret and even bitterness, but they also look forward to acceptance and rejuvenation. They have spilled their guts here, but they are fascinating, beautiful guts to behold. For her part, Crisp is just as contemplative and reflective. “I need you to save me, even if it makes it worse,” she sings on “Come Visit Me.” The song, along with the track, “Woods,” offers a bouncier touch that is very much needed. -- Atlanta Music Guide
04. Balance by Future Islands
from the album "On The Water"
Label: THRILL JOCKEY
Their third and latest LP, On the Water, is more invested in wide-open spaces. The opening (and title) track gives all the elements of the band's sound more leg room: Herring's unhurried vocals, epic, smoldering synths, and the steady churn of a not-too-choppy tide on a sample that begins the song. Recorded in a friend's house in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, overlooking the Pasquotank River, On the Water draws from the imagery and movement of the sea. It's less intent on bringing the drama or the fury than In Evening Air was, but its reflections on aging and memory accumulate into something surprisingly moving. ~ Pitchfork Magazine
**Jivewired review pending**
05. Cough Syrup by Young The Giant
from the album "Young The Giant"
Label: ROADRUNNER RECORDS
On the surface, Young the Giant’s eponymous debut juggles a few curious contradictions. The album art looks a West Coast jazz LP circa 1966 and they’re signed to Roadrunner Records, a label specializing mostly in heavy metal. Yet from the first song “Apartment,” it’s evident that the Irvine, California quintet plays the kind of handsome and finessed indie rock that fans of Fleet Foxes and Kings Of Leon are sure to enjoy. The following standout “My Body” unleashes some harder-rocking guitars that compete with singer Sameer Gadhia for catchiest melody. Even the anthemic, fist-pumping chorus is loaded with barbed song hooks. The breezy “Cough Syrup” contrasts moody cellos with some shimmering keyboard work by My Morning Jacket’s Bo Koster, but it’s the winding guitars here that jump out. The similarly arresting “Your Side” features another notable guest on keyboard – Roger Manning Jr. of Jellyfish fame. Gadhia croons like Coldplay’s Chris Martin throughout save for “St. Walker” where his register stretches up into his own tone. -- iTunes Review
06. Romance by Wild Flag
from the album "Wild Flag"
Label: MERGE RECORDS
The considerable contrast between the two singers gives Wild Flag a somewhat predictable ebb and flow, with a song-by-song trade-off between Brownstein's rambunctious, locomotive rockers and Timony's more quirky, complex compositions. Credit Weiss and Cole for effectively mediating between these disparate sensibilities: Wild Flag never sound more together than when they're being led off the rails by Weiss' Keith Moon-worthy breakdowns and Cole's wandering "Sister Ray"-style organ lines, as they push the wiry "Short Version" and charmingly cheeky "Racehorse" into joyous full-band jams and sing-along chants. For all the ideological intent fuelling the Wild Flag mission, the band rarely sacrifices the rock'n'roll fun-- they no doubt deliver that elusive black-and-blue, but it's a hit that feels like a kiss. -- Pitchfork
07. Record Store by Broncho
from the album "Can't Get Past The Lips"
Label: COP FRIENDLY RECORDS
BRONCHO are one of alternative rock's big new hopes and they quickly live up to that hype with their debut album "Can't Get Past The Lips", an energized collection of garage and alternative rock anthems that bode well for a promising future. The album deserves classic debut status and is a strong and hugely likeable release that’s worthy of the hype now surrounding them. "Can't Get Past The Lips" is not a bulky record by any means, but it is certainly not a token gesture either. In fact, Broncho's debut demonstrates a strong songwriting acumen and stubbornly heightened emotions that feed their collective energies. ~ Read Our Review!
08. Hipster Kids/Sexy Beards by Dr. Pants
from the album "The Trip, Side 1: Illusion & Truth"
Label: LITTLE WEASEL RECORDS
Before I get into specifics, let me tell you how absolutely addictive "The Trip, Side 1: Illusion & Truth" is. The song "Hipster Kids/Sexy Beards" is but one example. It's a song that will figuratively grab you, tie you down, beat you silly, hit on your sister, eat your lunch, steal your milk money and then have you begging for more" -- Read Our Review!
09. Sunglasses by Crown Imperial
from the album "Crown Imperial EP"
Label: SUNDAE RECORDS
Not much more than a year-old, Norman’s Crown Imperial already proves it’s a force to be reckoned with, on its self-titled debut. In just 16 minutes, the band flexes a knack for versatility, an eye for cohesiveness and an ear for massively addictive melodies. It’s a sleek, stylish and polished effort that showcases a great deal of upside and maturity, ready to go places. Crown Imperial’s disc is not only one of the best from an Oklahoma act this year, but one of the best EPs of the year, period. -- Joshua Boydston, Oklahoma Gazette
10. Soft by Washed Out
from the album "Within And Without"
Label: SUB POP RECORDS
Washed Out's music will envelop and then swallow you, and shy of using words like ethereal and ambient, which are far too easy descriptives, just know that listening will make you feel like you are a better person; lights out, thoughts and soul cleared, headphones on. "Within and Without" is truly transcendental. ~ Read Our Review!
11. One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley's Boyfriend) by Wilco
from the album "The Whole Love"
Label: ANTI/EPITAPH
Amiably skronky, seven-minute kitchen-sink opener "Art of Almost" aside, there is a concerted effort to mothball the experimental tangents of recent years in favor of laconic twang, organ-driven garage pop, and tempered balladry. This is not to say there aren't moments of dissonance -- "I kill my memories with a cheap disease," goes the psych-lite lament "Sunloathe" -- but now Tweedy's showing off his journal, not his record collection. Dad's never cooler than when he's not trying to be. ~ Spin Magazine
12. Awkward by San Cisco
from the album "Awkward EP"
Label: ISLAND CITY RECORDS
(Expected Release: Feb 03, 2012 --The Single is available on Amazon & iTunes)
A simply effective song from Australian Indie Rockers San Cisco that almost feels like the Apple Publicity Department penned it for them. Simple, but catchy, and a decent enough video that I had to give it proper due. Not top ten worthy, but it makes the team photo in the honorable mention category and will help Apple sell a jillion more iPods in 2012. That is, if Apple is smart enough to sign San Cisco to a promotional deal. ~ Read Our Review!
13. Traitor by OK Sweetheart
from the album "Home"
Label: SELF RELEASED
OK Sweetheart has roots in Oklahoma, Texas, New York and just as evidently, pop music. Their debut album, Home, explores all those places and many more. Kicking off with disappointment (“You Let Me Down”), arching with illusions (“Forever and Always”) and rounding out with satisfaction (“Before You Go”), the album is a symbol for how singer-songwriter Erin Austin feels about home: you may not always love it, but in the end, you love it for all those reasons you thought you originally didn’t.-- Elmore Magazine
14. Raw Meat by Black Lips
from the album "Arabia Mountain"
Label: VICE MUSIC
Arabia Mountain's chiseled production and considerably tighter songcraft provides a better forum for showcasing the band's subversive sense of humor. The best songs here play up the dichotomy between their retro sound and modern preoccupations: bad acid trips at the Louvre (the Yardbirds-ish freakbeater "Modern Art"), exotic fad diets (the breezy Beach Boys-via-Ramones romp "Raw Meat"), and post-recession survival tactics (the spot-on country-Stones send-up "Dumpster Diving"). And in anticipation of those old-school fans who might view Arabia Mountain as a calculated act of careerism, the Lips throw a late-game curveball with the queasy closer "You Keep on Running", a creepy haunted-house trawl that finds Cole Alexander issuing the title's warning in a high-pitched squeal that's equally unnerving and silly. Its inclusion sends a none-too-subtle message to anyone who thinks they've got Black Lips all figured out: Arabia Mountain may be poised to push this band further over-ground, but they're not going up without a fight. Pitchfork
15. Ever Changing Spectrum Of A Lie by The Joy Formidable
from the album "The Big Roar"
Label: CANVASBACK/ATL
Love is "the ever-changing spectrum of a lie," sings Ritzy Bryan on her band's full-length debut. It's a fascinatingly jaded notion. But the 27-year-old frontwoman could be praising gas chromatography for all it matters when her guitar erupts, its bee- swarm noise blasts careening into multi-orgasmic crescendos. The Big Roar recycles and magnifies tracks from Joy Formidable's 2009 EP, A Balloon Called Moaning: The multi-tracked vocal attack of "Austere" is transformed from pub brawl to arena prizefight; "Whirring" gets expanded into a six-minute-plus epic of face-melting, Sonic Youth-ful jamming. The riffs are more memorable than the songs, you say? Does it really matter? ~ Rolling Stone Magazine
16. The Clap Hands Song by T-Bird & The Breaks
from the album "Never Get Out of This Funk Alive"
Label: T-BIRD & THE BREAKS
Proper funk – where you been you hussy? Mainly hiding out round at T Bird’s place seems to be the answer on the strength of Never Get Out Of This Funk Alive. This is the second full length album from Texan heavy funk and soul outfit T Bird & The Breaks and giant middle finger to all that jazzy noodling that’s been coming out of the contemporary funk scene. What we’ve been missing are dirty, blues-based soul grooves that reek of sex, combined with big-ass breaks. This delivers all of the above in a breath of stank, whiskey-soaked air. -- monkeyboxing.com
17. Es-So by tUnE-yArDs
from the album "w h o k i l l"
Label: 4AD
Back in 1983 Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon wrote an essay for Art Forum that suggested that when we go to rock performances, we pay to see other people believe in themselves. A lot of what makes w h o k i l l and tUnE-yArDs' excellent live performances so compelling is the degree to which Merrill Garbus commits to her ideas and displays a total conviction in her personal, idiosyncratic, high-stakes music. This, in and of itself, is very inspiring and empowering. This unguarded, individualistic expression encourages strong identification in listeners, so don't be surprised if this record earns Garbus a very earnest and intense cult following. -- Pitchfork
18. Black Candles by Crooked Fingers
from the album "Breaks In The Record"
Label: MERGE RECORDS
Breaks in the Armor is the sixth release under the Crooked Fingers moniker for former Archers of Loaf leader Eric Bachmann. For consistency, depth, and lasting power, this one ranks with 2003’s Red Devil Dawn as being among his best work. The album’s flow is impeccable, beginning with two driving, stripped-down rockers before the tension is released with the hauntingly beautiful “The Hatchet.” This push and pull continues through spare ballads like “Heavy Hours” and “War Horses,” the rhythmically jagged “Black Candles,” and the raw and intense “Went to the City” and “She Tows the Line,” both of which build to emotional finishes. Bachmann’s vocals are riveting whether he’s belting it out or quietly growling, and the subtle tempo shifts from song to song keeps the drama high throughout. He’s joined here by frequent collaborator (and niece of Vic Chesnutt) Liz Durrett, who makes significant contributions on backing vocals and various instruments. ~ iTunes Review
19. Dirty Sex by The Bloody Hollies
from the album "Yours Until The Bitter End"
Label: ALIVE RECORDS
I’ll leave questions like where Bloody Holllies‘ fifth release, Yours Until the Bitter End, could be filed (Punk/Metal? Garage? Hard-drinking music?) to you. In any case, there’s little in the way of excess here, and nothing in the way of catering to trends. There’s lots in the way of digging sharpened fangs into classic forms (see filing possibilities above) for sounds that would go great with glasses being slammed back down onto bars. Blasting it while stuck in gridlock could start something dangerous. -- My Old Kentucky Blog
20. The Dream by Thee Oh Sees
from the album "Carrion Crawler / The Dream"
Label: IN THE RED
Scratching away at his strings with bloodthirsty ferociousness, Dwyer's guitar playing is best described in terms usually reserved for feral cats. His solos are not as much foot-on-the-monitor, spotlight-capturing moments as they are products of primal instinct. This is particularly evident on the album's two longform tracks, the two songs that combine to make up the album's title. Much like last year’s "Warm Slime"-- the audio equivalent of a pro-wrestling iron man match-- "Carrion Crawler" and "The Dream" experiment with what happens when you tighten things to a breaking point and then let go. Short blasts of distortion leave their mark throughout the album, guitar tones evoking the image of exploding paint cans in a mid-size room, adding to the unruly spirit of the band's albums and live sets. See, Thee Oh Sees understand the intrinsic value of making a huge mess. ~ Pitchfork Magazine
21. Heart Attack by Raphael Saadiq
from the album "Stone Rollin'"
Label: COLUMBIA RECORDS
Saadiq was born in 1966 but his music sounds like it is right out of that era. His timeline spans the golden era of soul music, a territory well mined in recent vintage by the likes of Amy Winehouse, Adele, Daptone Records, et. al., but few can match his range or talent. The following songs are all favorites of mine for 2011: "Radio", "Stone Rollin'" and "Heart Attack". -- Michael Canter, Jivewired.com
22. Spinning In Circles Is A Gateway Drug by Red City Radio
from the album "The Dangers Of Standing Still"
Label: PAPER & PLASTICK
"The Dangers Of Standing Still" is the aptly-titled, full-length debut from Oklahoma City quartet Red City Radio which has earned them comparisons to the likes of the The Gaslight Anthem, Polar Bear Club and Hot Water Music. It's a hard-rocking and emotive punk/anthemic hardcore hybrid that brings to mind a descriptive or four: Lupine fury. Ravenous ferocity. Muscular relentlessness. Controlled chaos. "The Dangers Of Standing Still" is an unwavering call to arms that jerks the wheel into oncoming traffic and dares you to duck out. Good luck with that. ~ Read Our Review!
23. Shoot Down by Yuck
from the album "Yuck"
Label: FAT POSSUM RECORDS
Late-‘80s and -‘90s indie and alternative rock acts ranging from Smashing Pumpkins to Pavement to Dinosaur Jr. are among the many touchstones of this British quintet. Granted, the members were still in diapers when those bands were in their heydays, so it’s interesting to hear how they absorb that time and sound into their own marriage of squalling shoegazer pop and jangly post-punk. “Get Away,” “Holing Out,” “The Wall,” and “Operation” represent the loud side of the band as distorted vocals, fuzzy guitars, and a wide variety of effects pedals are cranked into the red. These noisy numbers are balanced by “Stutter,” a gauzy, reverb-laden ballad, and melodic and melancholy mid-tempo tracks like “Shook Down,” “Suck,” “Sunday,” and “Suicide Policeman,” the latter featuring sweet harmony vocals by guitarist Daniel Blumberg and his sister Ilana. The album closes on an intriguing note with the hypnotic seven-minute feedback drone of “Rubber.” A fun, self-assured debut by a young band that knows how to channel their musical influences while honing their own sound. ~ iTunes Review
24. Our Day Will Come by Amy Winehouse
from the album "Lioness: Hidden Treasures"
Label: UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP
Amy Winehouse's 12-song compilation is slight on new insights — but it's still an amazing retrospective on a past musical era as well as a tribute to a performer who tragically died far too soon. And, as vault-emptying collections go, “Lioness” helps rebut the tabloid qualities of her life and death, and return some of the focus back to what won her such allegiance — her voice. Her version of "Our Day Will Come" is absolutely breathtaking and a sad inference as to what might have been. -- Michael Canter, Jivewired.com
25. Shake It Out by Florence + The Machine
from the album "Ceremonials"
Label: UNIVERSAL RECORDS
Sometimes the toughest challenge for a singer like Florence Welch is to learn how to wield the kind of pulmonary power that can make the heavens quake. On Florence + the Machine’s 2009 debut, the fittingly named “Lungs,” the flame-haired countess of theatrical art-pop voraciously tore into songs with her throaty wail. In wide-screen vistas like “Dog Days Are Over,” Welch would chew scenery while the Machine valiantly toiled to get a musical word in edgewise. For all her prodigious talent, it sometimes didn’t seem Welch was listening to the very song she was singing, she was so busy filling it with noise.
On her follow-up, “Ceremonials,” Welch has struck a fantastic and necessary balance. She’s found a way to honor her Bjorkian appetites for lavish orchestral spectacle while finding the depth and subtlety of her voice. She’s become a better actor, a keener listener and still manages to let it rip on occasion. But she also knows when to hush up, like at the close of “Spectrum,” when Tom Monger’s harp gorgeously flutters and dips around her. ~ LA Times
Fifteen That Just Missed:
26. Volcanic Vacation by Anton Mink
27. Generation Handclap by Library Voices
28. Hell Of A Season by The Black Keys
29. Can't Change Me by Lydia Loveless
30. Hey Love (Clean Edit) by Nappy Roots
31. Damn These Vampires by The Mountain Goats
32. Love Buzz by Nirvana
33. Amor Fati by Washed Out
34. Radio by Raphael Saadiq
35. Clutching Stems by Ladybug Transistor
36. Dear Avery by The Decemberists
37. Until You Remember by Tedeschi Trucks Band
38. Nothing Left To Prove by Chuck Ragan
39. Peg O' My Heart by Dropkick Murphys
40. Ain't It So? by PAPA
Previous In This Series: Jivewired Radio Top 25 Songs For December 2011
See Also: Mike's Picks For 2011
*Note: Listening statistics are provided by Live365 as part of our contractual agreement as a Pro Station Broadcaster. Jivewired currently has a total of 27,461 songs in our library that are played randomly at any given time, with about 2,500 songs programmed for airplay in any given month.
0 comments:
Post a Comment