2011 End-of-Year Celebrations: Artists' Best Of 2011

There's been so much great music this year that there was no way that AMR was going to get to all of it, so what better way to represent the broader spectrum of the year's sounds than by asking the great artists who make it? Reaching out to a bunch of cool people/acts/shakers and makers, the Rant simply asked what their picks for 2011 were. Here are their respsones -  in vaguely alphabetical order

Melbourne's Alpine are as fresh as the snow that caps those same mountain ranges, their axeman Christian (second from left) chooses his top 5 tracks of 2011. 

Grouplove - Colours

"I heard this track in the van on our way to a show and it was the most perfect song for how brightly the sun was shining that day. They played after us at Splendour In The Grass, and they were incredible. They’re like a combination of Pixies and Modest Mouse, but with better diets."

Radiohead - Lotus Flower

"I actually saw the parody of this video before I saw the real one. I loved this track so much. Thom Yorke has the best falsetto ever, and it’s so cool to have an entire song that sits in that range again."

Lana Del Rey - Video Games

"This song is incredibly cool, its over the top orchestration, the pouting and how it just plods along and repeats that amazing chorus over and over. Love. Real love."

Kimbra - Cameo Lover

"I had to work out how to play this song for a student recently and it is an incredibly intricate, well-written bunch of chords. We love Kimbra. She’s going to take over the world."

Jay-Z & Kanye West - Lift Off (feat. Beyoncé)

"This song is so cool and it's in 6/4! I can't think of a hit in 6/4 since Sheryl Crow's Strong Enough. Great Song."

The UK Adventures of [ME]

You may know the story, excellent local band sets off to foreign shores seeking fame and glory.

While many bands find success by touring our not unsizeable nation relentlessly, earning tags like 'hard-working' or 'live instituion,' there are many more who find Australian acceptance by first 'making' it overseas. Think of talents like Lisa Mitchell, Sarah Blasko who blossomed from their journeys in London and America respectively, or the old big in America - big at home idiom that beset INXS and Silverchair. It's a strange thing, but one that many burgeoning bands must face.

In fact, in my talks with bands like Alpine and Big Scary they touched on the limitations of touring Australia, and more specifically with Kins' trek to the UK to record, whose own Thomas Savage put it best: "big landmass, not many people."

Which brings us to [ME]...

Wrangling The Heard: May

Dads - Man of Leisure

...is the side-project for Big Scary strummer Tom Iansek, who recorded a handful of ideas on some newly purchased recording equipment at the tail-end of last year. The result is Dads, which clearly certifies Iansek's abilities and serves as a testament to one of Australia's brightest new talents. Both as an arranger in its lush textures and production and as a songwriter with some heart-rending moments (oh, and further evidence that he is the vocal re-incarnation of Jeff Buckley). For the time being, Man of Lesisure is serving as a stop-gap while Big Scary finish recording their debut album, but this is no collection of offcuts, Dads is a worthy project all of its own and a fine, fine record.

Dads - Life, Oh Life

We Have A Weiner!

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner for the first ever competition on Al's Music Rant.

A recap. A few posts back, I unveiled a new section that looks at what's been spinning on my CD player and playing on the iTunes lately. Saddled with the rather unispiring and obvious title of What I Have Been Listening To Lately, with the intention of asking readers to come up with a new name for the segment.

Congratulations then to Jake Davies, who receives the prize of two EPs and the glory of coming up with the new title, (which is rather pun-ishing). I give you...

Wrangling The Heard

Got a nice ring don't you think? Let's give it the maiden voyage treatment with a batch of new Aussie music. 

The Savladors - Misspent Youth

Now I'd be the first to put my hand up and say that there really is enough 'The' bands in the world, but how once you hear the summery indie pop of The Salvadors you too may think there's room for one more exception.