Best of 2011 part 3

The Residents - "Coochie Brake"

The Residents (if you've never heard of them, look them up on Wikipedia) hit us with a barrage of releases in 2011, most of them revolved around the Talking Light Tour that they were on. This was one of them that was possibly developed after that tour, because they didn't do any of this material, as far as I can remember. Mostly instrumental, spooky, and ambient. I'm really liking the directions they're taking with the later part of their career.

Planet Asia & Madlib - "Cracks In The Vinyl"

As far as I know this was a free download. Planet Asia was always kinda boring to me, but I almost always love Madlib production and can never turn it down.

Vex Ruffin - "Crash Course EP"

Weird lo-fi garage rock, but not shitty at all. I don't know where Peanut Butter Wolf found him, but i'm glad he did. Fits right in on Stones Throw, sounds like a more focused Baron Zen or something.

Tokimonsta - "Creature Dreams"

This almost ended up in the disappointments list, due to how awesome her first full length was, but this EP is still good enough to be one of the year's highlights. I just don't like that there's a couple stabs at some super contemporary, satelite radio electronic station type stuff on here, but everyone's gotta make their $ somehow, and she's definitely poised to be one of the next big names in the music world.

Zackey Force Funk - "Criminal Wave"

I first found out about this dude through his guest appearance on Tobacco's awesome song "Lamborghini Meltdown". I hunted down some of his music, and this is one of the albums I found. How do you even categorize music like this? I just consider it "post-internet" music, because you never saw stuff like this back in the days before the internet got big, and that's not a bad thing. I love all these new sounds that are coming about from people making music in their own free time at home. A lot of true originality shines through when talented people are doing it, case in point with Zackey Force Funk. Your "regular" friends are gonna think this sounds like garbage, but real heads know that music like this is the future. Is it rap? Is it electronic? Is it pop? Is it comedy? Is it serious? Who cares? it's music and it sounds good and puts me in a good mood.

Com Truise - "Cyanide Sisters"

This was a huge year for him. This was the first of his 3 releases in 2011. Great 80's sounding, synth music, perfect for exercise, or anything else really. His music was a lot of my soundtrack to life last year. Puts me in a great mood.

Birdy Nam Nam - "Defiant Order"

I could do without the more poppy songs on this album, but I understand why they're there. The strong songs on this album to me are great though, and make up about 70% of the LP. I'm sure i'll be dropping a lot of these tracks in sets this year.

Rapper Big Pooh - "Dirty Pretty Things"

Lately it seems like i've been diggin everything that him and Phonte have been doing, whether it their solo albums or side projects, or group endeavors.

Sole - "Dispatches From The American Fall"

Who would have thought that Sole would become one of the best if not THE best political rapper of this era? Damn sure not me, I used to hate his vocals on every song he was on and  even considered him to be a song ruiner for the most part. He's either stepped up his writing, or eased back on the forced sounding abstractness, or maybe i've just gotten weirder as i've gotten older and can understand him more. This was a free download collection of mostly previously released songs, but it works great as a stand-alone LP of exactly what the title states.

Tycho - "Dive"

One of the best laid back, relaxing albums to come out in a long time. It's a testament to the broad appeal of this album, the different types of people who ask me what it is when it's playing. Just a really stellar effort, through and through.

The Residents - "Dolar Generar"

Just like the artwork says, pre-show music for the Taking Light Tour. Kinda reminds me of the score work Trent Reznor has been doing for films lately, but more sinister and deranged sounding.

Africa Hitech - "Do You Really Wanna Fight"

Dope single/EP released by the duo of Steve Spacek & Mark Pritchard. These guys are some of the best DJ's i've ever seen live.