I’m always trying to find new projects and/or artists to listen to, and always trying to find the best new music available. Each year, I take a look back at all the music I’ve heard the past year and compile a list of what I think were the best projects I heard that year. This year has been a great year in the world of music, with a ton of the year’s great music coming in the month of November. The list has plenty of new artists as well as artists that have been around for years and have established themselves as respectable artists. So without further ado, here is my list of the 10 best albums/mixtapes to be released in 2011. You’ll find some stuff on here that you will see featured on many “Best of 2011” lists, and some that you probably won’t, but that’s why you read more than one article, right?
10. A$AP Rocky - LiveLoveA$AP
–This is a mixtape chock full of promise. While rhymes about money aren’t normally my thing, when it’s a rags-to-riches story told as well as Rocky’s, I’ll make an exception. The young MC most definitely made the best of his first mixtape after signing a 3 million dollar contract last year. This is the first of two releases on this list that aren’t known for their club bangers, but more for their superb lyrical content and chill beats. I’m going to say he reminds me of Curren$y, but with a much more polished flow and better rhymes.
Must Hear Tracks – Roll One Up, Peso, Purple Swag
9. Kendrick Lamar – Section .80
– Kendrick Lamar comes from Compton, a place known throughout hip-hop’s history as producing many of the great gangster rappers, Lamar breaks that mold. Lamar trades in hard-hitting club bangers for beats blending hip-hop with jazz and a bit of soul. On Section .80, Lamar makes it clear that not only does he have something to say, he’s got an impeccable flow with which to present his message, a flow reminiscent of early Bone Thugs and the early Southern Rap movement. Definitely a must listen for a fan of lyrical rhymes.
Must Hear Tracks – The Spiteful Chant (feat. Schoolboy Q), Hol’ Up.
8. Patton Oswalt – Finest Hour
– I don’t know how many year-end “Best of” lists are going to throw stand-up comedy albums in with hip-hop and soul, but there will at least be one, this one. If there’s one comic with albums that I laugh hysterically to no matter how many times I’ve heard his albums, it’s Oswalt, and Finest Hour is his best work. Not only is this one of the funniest stand-up albums of the year, but maybe of the last 15 years. His blend of nerd-humor and pop culture references, along with his ability to identify with his audience, make him one of the great stand-up comics around today.
Must Hear Tracks – The Stripper, The Bugged Car, The Circus Is In Town
7. Ha Ha Tonka – Death of a Decade
–Maybe I’m a bit biased, but I LOVE this band. Ever since they first showed up at the old Josie’s in Emporia, then known as Amsterband, Ha Ha Tonka continues to get better and better with each studio album. Ha Ha Tonka describes themselves as “Foot Stompin’ Indie Rock”, and Death of A Decade is nothing short of just that. This record is fantastic from start to finish. This album has something for everyone, from heartfelt ballads to songs that fill your entire body with an energy that’s impossible to explain until you see them live. It helps that not only are Luke, Brian, Lennon, and Brett all fantastic musicians, but every one of them is a stand-up dude. Chalk one up for the good guys, because Ha Ha Tonka gets it. Do yourself a favor and check out their first two albums, Buckle In The Bible Belt and Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South while you’re at it. You’ll thank me later.
Must Hear Tracks – Made Example Of, Usual Suspect, Hide It Well
6. Kyle Kinane – Death of the Party
–This is one for the ages. If you have ever enjoyed stand-up comedy, this is a record you NEED to check out. If you’re not a stand-up comedy fan, listen to this album and you’ll become a fan. I can’t remember a single comedy album that has had me crying with laughter from the intro track all the way until the end. Kyle Kinane makes you feel comfortable, like you’re sharing a whiskey with him while he tells you these stories sitting at a hotel bar. For an hour, Kinane will have you rolling with laughter like you’ve never laughed before. Kinane will be the next stand-up comic I see live. He may be next in the line of all-time greats, at least if “Death of the Party” is any indication.
Must Hear Tracks – The House Is Rockin’ (With Domestic Problems), I Know What I Want, Need Your Love
5. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
–I’ve been a Kanye fan since the beginning; College Dropout is an all-time classic as far as I’m concerned. While I stuck with him through 808s and Heartbreak, I was more than apprehensive upon my first listen of MBDTF. I was wrong, this album is pure brilliance. I couldn’t have asked for more from my all-time favorite MC. You may all have your beef with Kanye, disliking him for whatever reason, but for the Grammy committee to snub him on an Album of the Year nomination is just asinine. Kanye, you may not get any love from the Grammys, but you made my top 5 list, if that’s any consolation.
Must Hear Tracks – All of the Lights, So Appalled, Hell of a Life
4. Mayer Hawthorne – How Do You Do
–White boy soul is back, folks. In a world where R&B has turned into Vocal sexting with hard-hitting bass lines, Mayer Hawthorne is playing his own instruments and making quality soul music. When you listen to How Do You Do, you’ll immediately catch the Hall and Oates and Steely Dan influences. What you also get with this record, is toe-tapping catchy arrangements, quality harmony, and songs you think came right out of the golden age of soul. Almost every chorus on the album is so infectious that your brain will have a hard time choosing which one to stick in your head all day.
Must Hear Tracks – A Long Time, Stick Around, Henny and Ginger Ale
3. Pac Div – The Div
– I was just made aware of this West-Coast hip-hop group in November. My boy Jamel, @DaBlueprint on twitter, put me on them, and I thank him frequently for doing so. The unique thing about this record is, not only is it perfect for those who love hard hitting club bangers, it is also perfect for those who just like to put on some headphones and listen. Pac Div is definitely getting my vote for the best hip-hop group in the game. At least until OutKast makes a comeback, anyway.
Must Hear Tracks – Posted, Top Down (feat. Skeme and Casey Veggies), Brown
2. Adele – 21
–I’m sure most of you are sick of at least a couple tracks off of 21 at this point, given the radio success of “Rolling In the Deep” and “Someone Like You”. I reviewed this album in September for The Unassociated Press, and then I called it one of the best albums I’d heard in the last 10 years; I wasn’t kidding. This album is an all-time classic. It is absolutely full of pure emotion rarely seen in popular music anymore. Adele lays it all out and makes it well known that some piece of shit most definitely broke her heart big time. Adele, a mere 21 years old, takes that heartbreak and turns it into an 11 track masterpiece. Ladies, you know what I’m talking about and fellas, put your man card aside for a bit and give it a listen.
Must Hear Tracks – Set Fire To The Rain, He Won’t Go, Someone Like Yo
1. Childish Gambino - CAMP
–If you read my review of this album for Wheat City, you are well aware of my feelings about CAMP, the debut studio album from Childish Gambino. Gambino is better known as Donald Glover, stand-up comic and actor on the hit NBC comedy Community. I found this album to be absolutely brilliant and not just brilliant for an actor trying to rap. This album is absolutely perfect. While Glover gives beats you can definitely nod your head to, and some you feel throughout your whole body, he also puts his underrated lyricism and unique flow on display. Not only is this my pick of album of the year, the club banger “Bonfire” is my clear pick for track of the year. This is another record with something for everyone. Whether hard-hitting club bangers are for you, or you just want someone to tell you a story for a while, CAMP is the type of record anyone can enjoy.
Must Hear Tracks – Bonfire, You See Me, Heartbeat
Well there you have it, love ‘em or hate ‘em, those are my picks for the 10 best albums of 2011. If you have a differing opinion, fantastic, let me know what your picks are, like I said, I’m always looking for new music to check out. Except Death Metal, I will not listen to Death Metal.
By: A.J. Coffelt
