Cougar Microbes

 It feels like it was only yesterday that we started hearing about The Decemberists. It amazes me to think that the band has released six official studio albums earning a spot amongst indie rocks biggest success stories. Cougar writer Emily added them to her list describing ‘The King Is Dead‘ as “A folky album with well-crafted song after well-crafted song; it is the quiet and beautiful dark horse in my collection this year“.

Jazmin mused that ” Something that makes The Decemberists one of my favourite bands is their ability to make each of their albums so very different but yet distinctively Decemberists-esque. The folk undertones of ‘The King is Dead’ are absolutely no exception.

Perhaps their best album since ‘Your Majesty’, ‘The King is Dead’ is the perfect mix of beautifully crafted acoustic melodies such as ‘June Hymn’ and singalong anthems such as ‘This Is Why We Fight’. If the best bands are those that keep evolving, The Decemberists’ 2011 outing is a case study in why they’re already a step ahead of the rest“.

TRACKS:

The Decemberists – This Is Why We Fight

A double album in this day and age is perhaps a tad over ambitious but if anyone could have pulled it off it had to be monsieur Anthony Gonzalez of M83 fame.

For his sixth album outing Gonzalez succeeding in making an album that would satisfy his loyal internet following as well as imprinting itself on the minds of causal listener. The result is a flurry of vaguely related genres delivered with majestic quality.

Our boy Thom said that “the sound of M83 can both rush me back to my eighties upbringing whilst harmoniously keeping my spirits high for the whole of the music industry. ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming‘ was as epic as the title suggests. ‘Midnight City‘ was my favorite single of the year“.

Olivia then concluded sweetly saying she “could go on and on about this album but I’ll make it short : it simply is my favourite for this year and probably one of the most breathtaking album I have ever listened to. Anthony Gonzalez at his best!’

TRACKS:

Midnight City by M83

 With “Swag” seemingly chosen as the buzz word for 2011 it was appropriate that Jay-Z and Kanye West‘s long rumored collaboration had tons of it. . Having set the bar very high with last year’s ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy‘ it seems anything Kanye touches turns to gold and Jay-Z also has the midas touch again reminding us how much better than everyone else he is. ‘Watch The Throne‘ gives the rap megastars an opportunity to make as many outlandish and likely true boasts as they possible can over a tight production.

Cougar scribe Olivia said: “Take Jay Z and Kanye West, you expect something epic, huge and over the top ( just like the massive promotion around the album ), a mix of Kanye‘s creativity and Jay‘s flow , so something perfect basically. Indeed it is a great album. Considering the amount of talent in this twosome have that’s not too surprising“.

TRACKS:

Jay-Z & Kanye West – Ni@#as In Paris ft. T.I. (Remix)

 Metronomy‘s 3rd release seems distant from the discopop the band first made their name for. Frontman Joseph Mount re-imagines his home town of Totnes in Devon as a sun kissed and hip destination where people come to relax and forget about their troubles.

It may be slightly removed from the truth, global warming permitting, but this thematic idea acts as the pillar upon which the band build their pop gems.

Cougar writer Olivia said of ‘The English Riviera‘ that “Metronomy‘s style keeps on changing or rather ‘evolving’ as band members come and go, so sometimes it’s quite difficult to follow. ‘The English Riviera‘ sounds nothing like their previous albums, but rather resembles something Hot Chip or Phoenix would cook up.

The music encompasses both dance and indie music building on a basic beat and catchy vocals. It’s a simple formula but it definitely works“.

TRACKS:

Metronomy – The Bay

Metronomy – The Look

Alex Ebert‘s dedication to writing music showed no signs of slowing down in 2011. Having wowed us with THAT Magnetic Zeros album and resurrected Ima Robot recently he also found time to release his solo album named simply ‘Alexander‘.

Recorded in his off time from touring this album sounds like the stripped down extension of his Edward Sharpe persona. Ebert dips into and mixes different influences from Dylan to Springsteen in what is a spontaneous mix of ideas all loosely linked under the folk umbrella.

Cougar writer Thom said “although Alexander Eberts solo effort didn’t quite match the epic ‘Up From Below‘ of his dayjob, what it did deliver was painfully pretty and haunting concise pop songs. It is modest, timeless and irresistible“.

TRACKS:

ALEXANDER – Truth

Bon Iver‘s much awaited sophomore album did not disappoint warranting a spot on numerous “Best of 2011″ lists including a handful of Cougar Microbes types.

Nicole justified its selection saying “Bon Iver continues to carve out his niche, and the deeper he goes the better. If the listener follows as he continues his subterranean exploration, they will find many heartfelt and triumphant moments; ultimately proving that things don’t have to be conventional, but just the opposite”

Jazmin added “Bon Iver’s self titled second album is one of those records I haven’t been able to stop playing all year. Each song is beautifully crafted, layered in different musical elements and building further on the vocals that made ‘For Emma’ so wonderful. It feels hard to say anything that a hundred positive reviews haven’t already said this year, but it’s a testament to Bon Iver’s emerging brilliance that album so simple and basic can be so unbelievably breathtaking“.

Finally Cole said “‘Bon Iver’ by Bon Iver is very simply a lovely album. It swells and swoons in a dreamscape that never falters. I am personally guilty of repeating “Perth” and “Calgary” exclusively for the complete duration of my commute to work. The album just works from beginning to end“.

TRACKS:

Calgary by boniver

considering Jamie Hince‘s extended stint in the tabloid papers and Alison Mosshart‘s largely enjoyable The Dead Weather project The Kills may have been forgiven for losing focus once it came down to the business of recording music again. Instead with the release of ‘Blood Pressures‘ the duo returned with a bag full of attitude and some of their sharpest tracks to date.

Our girl Olivia added them to her Top 10 describing them as “One of the hottest, most sexual rock duo at the moment, the mix of Mosshart‘s moan and charisma and Hinge‘s guitar riffs still works wonders. This album actually sounds quite like 2008′s ‘Midnight Boom‘.

Perhaps it’s not their best work to date but remains quite the empowering album, with great tracks such as ‘Satellite‘, ‘Future Starts Slow‘ and ‘DNA‘ demonstrate particular flair“.

Nicole further discussed that “it should come as no surprise that a band named The Kills gravitates towards dark, gritty sounds on their latest album, ‘Blood Pressures‘. 

I can picture the title displayed in classic horror movie-style font. It seems a perfect combination of words for the duo, and certainly confirms their fascination with macabre subject matter.

Mosshart goes goth with lyrics like, “Baby says if ever you see skin/as pale or eyes as deep and as black as mine/ I’ll know you’re lying”, and it’s never been hotter. Meanwhile, Hince lays down such cool guitar riffs that you’ll feel like you’re part of The Brat Pack (see tracks “Baby Says” and “You Don’t Own The Road”).

I’ll also divulge that I found my musical soul mate on this album – “D.N.A” is one of the catchiest and most rhythmic songs I’ve heard all year. It had me at “hello” (i.e. when I saw them perform it at Emo’s during SXSW ‘11)“.

TRACKS:

The Kills – Future starts slow

Annie Clark‘s return marked the continued metamorphosis of her St. Vincent project. ‘Strange Mercy‘ see’s the Texan mix eerie instrumentation and crystal clear vocals into a delicious concoction.

Cole included the album in his year-end list adding “Annie Clark, performing as St. Vincent, has crafted a spellbinding third album. Perhaps it’s her serene vocals (or are they haunting?). Maybe it is the modern experimentation mixing with her undeniable guitar chops. It could even be her commitment to cerebral lyricism.But somehow…

Somehow, ‘Strange Mercy‘ is an experience. It is an album that was meant to be listened to, alone in a room with the most expensive headphones you can find“.

TRACKS:

St. Vincent – Cruel