10 of my favorite LPs and 3 of my favorite EPs of 2011 so far!

Here are ten of the best (in my opnion) albums of the year, and three of the best EPs of the year! Hopefully you hear something you like, and if you do be sure to support the artist! … And my show because I play stuff like this, Wednesdays at 9 🙂

Edit: I was going to include embeds of videos, but I am limited to one. So I hope you don’t mind links 🙂

Sleep ∞ Over – Forever
Like cillwave with more Winter vibes, and more ambient and experimental moments

Grimes – Geidi Primes
Kind of experimental pop: she is like a Female, French Canadian version of Ariel Pink, but with more pop star aspirations

Julianna Barwick – The Magic Place
A capella mostly, she layers and loops herself singing with occasional instruments, it sounds really beautiful, like you are surrounded by fairies in a forest

Grouper – A I A
Two short albums released together, not as hype as her 2008 ‘Dragging a Dead Dear Up a Hill’; paradoxically though, this release is more melodic and more droney at the same time.

Pure X – Pleasure
It’s like nothing you’ve heard before, but simultaneously like a lot of things you’ve heard before; hazy, slowed down, rock, has a lofi shoegaze vibe

Balam Acab – Wonder / Wander
One of the most beautifully textured albums I have heard in a long time; it sounds like you stumbled upon a cave filled with sparkling crystals of every color, and in the distance there are spirits slow dancing.

Powder! Go away – Laika still wants go home.
Russian post rock concept album about the Soviet space program adopting an orphaned dog named Laika and sending her into space for testing, knowing fully she would die; really good, sadder than My Dog Skip.

Shabazz Palaces – Black Up
Really dynamic and smart hip hop with almost a psychedelic vibe; a lot of emphasis on the instrumentals and how they interact with the rapping

Death Grips – Exmilitary
Aggressive and harsh hip hop with shouted vocals and live drumming (done by Hella’s Zach Hill); almost has a hardcore vibe

Clams Casino – Clams Casino Instrumental Mixtape
New Jersey producer who makes hip hop beats for the likes of Soulja Boy and Lil B. He released some of his instrumentals on this mixtape, but they sound so good without rapping over them; very rich in hazy textures.

And now for the 3 EPs:

Autre Ne Veut – Body EP
Described as Prince but from space and on acid, it has despairing, very human vocals but with futuristic and alien sounding synth

How to Dress Well – Just Once EP
How to Dress Well took 4 tracks from his 2010 ‘Love Remains’ LP and did orchestral versions of them. It is really sad but beautiful.

Guerre – Darker My Love EP
Very cold and distant sounding, melodramatic R&B/neo-soul. And I mean all of those things in the best way possible

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