Just stumbled upon this track (via it getting sent to me in an electronic mail message) and I thought it was just great. “A Walk Home” is a track from Wasted Youth Blues, the debut EP from fivesome The Morning Clouds, led by Josh Wambeke. It’s a slower tune with a Beach House-y vibe that swells into a luscious blanket of musical warmth so I’m clearly on board with it right away. And if that wasn’t up your alley, check out the pretty unrecognizable 8+ minute remix from Sad City (which is for some reason called the LA Remix) that gives me a sort of Delorean/The Field-esque happy sunshine dancing feeling in my ears.
So, remember how I said, “In no particular order”? Well, that applies to every album listed below except this one because, as my last.fm stats clearly show, I’ve listened to this album more than any other in 2011. And after my fantastic live experience with SBTRKT this past November, this was definitely the year of SBTRKT for me. If you didn’t already know that, then you shall not reserve the right to call yourself a reader of this site, which I hope is the case because the writing is awful. I still remember my first listen, not knowing that the album would soon become my go to, not to mention my introduction to the world of the UK bass (or whatever it’s called). Also, shoutout to Sampha. Since I’ve already posted 
I knew nothing of Little Dragon until Yukimi Nagano’s memorable guest vocals on last year’s Plastic Beach [via Gorillaz] but after that I definitely took notice. This album is just so interesting to me because it’s kind of minimal and complex at the same time and you can tell I love it because I already posted 
This was the album I never saw coming. In fact, prior to one of my fabulous guest writers turning me on to the band’s 
While we’re on the topic of beautiful albums, let’s talk about Destroyer’s contribution to the music world in 2011, Kaputt. Here’s another musical project that I never listened to once before this year and fell in love with rather rapidly. The silky smooth saxophones and trumpets that weave a web throughout this entire album kind of make it for me. I don’t exactly know what the musical descriptor “yacht rock” refers to, but if they are talking about music that would be nice to listen to on a sunny day on a yacht, then this is it. This album is like the most perfect reincarnation of some post-disco late 70s smooth jams that I can think of. I saw the band solo back in March and as the opening notes of “Chinatown” began, I had to refrain from grabbing the hand of the girl I didn’t know standing next to me because it just kinda felt like it should happen at that moment. But that would have been creepy, so maybe I did the right thing.
I think it’s safe to say that 2011 was the year that I “really got what lo-fi music was all about” and John Maus was a big part of that. This album was another one that I listened to with no knowledge of Mr. Maus except that I’d heard a few people mention the album. Turns out it was right up my alley. I also got to catch Mr. Maus live in concert, aka him on stage alone with beats on an ipod screaming hysterically looking all crazy like his head was about to explode at any second. But I still liked it. And I shall listen to this album many times in the coming days/weeks/months/years. Short songs with big fat synth and lo-fi reverby vocals. All the time. 
Here’s another album that contributed to my newfound love/appreciation of all things lo-fi. While more lo-fi rock than the lo-fi synth above, I still got strangely attached to this album which didn’t sound much like anything else I was in to at the time when it first struck my ears. There’s something so familiar about all of these songs, and the lo-fi vocals matched up against the bright and shimmering guitars are really a match made in sonic heaven. I first heard 
Zola Jesus is my musical spirit animal. No idea what that means, but my point is that I like her stuff a lot and “really feel like I get the tone she’s going for” in her songs. I dig her choice of electronic sounds, which I like to describe as industrial (is that what people mean when they say she’s “kind of goth”?) and her melodies are just so darn interesting to me. Like how the whole album has this dark undertone to it even though most of the melodies are pretty major (is that what people mean when they say she’s “kind of goth”?). This album was a bit dancier than some of her previous tunes (see 
This was an album that sort of snuck up on me throughout the year. I think my first real legit full listen was on one of my famous summer bike rides around the neighborhood. It was pretty much some of the most perfect summer bike ride music in America. I don’t know if this technically counts as lo-fi but I will still include it in my year of lo-fi due to the reverb and the fact that I saw them play with John Maus. The tunes on this album are relatively simple with thoughtful melodies that kind of take you away to another place. They’ve got a real throwback sound, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it’s a throwback to. Either way, a great release from these sisters who I think I want to hang out with all the time. It was also nice to see the sister who wasn’t the lead singer playing all the guitar solos at their show. Can you tell I’m running out of things to say about every album? Don’t worry, I’m almost through.
I think this was also the year that I realized how mega Chris Taylor is, producing tons of albums that I love in addition to Grizzly Bear scheisse. But when he released the CANT album this year as a sort of solo project, it all became clear to me. As it turns out, thinking back on it, the Chris Taylor Grizzly Bear tracks were my favorite ones for the most part. And this album was full of tracks like that, except more raw and more electronic. A lot of these songs didn’t even seem to have much music, aside from the variety of clicks and clacks that made up the rhythm section, but that’s what made them so unique to me. It was kind of like Chris Taylor took his Grizzly Bear melodies and made them all a little darker and then used more of the exact instrumentation that I love. Plus he always reminds me of the oldest son from “Home Improvement” in a weird way. What I’m saying is, Chris Taylor is a man of many musical talents, and I like most/all of them. 
I am even a little surprised that this album made the list because this is the type of electronic music that I usually qualify as “way too heavy for me to ever really like a lot”. But, as it turns out, I liked this album quite a bit. I don’t know what made this album so listenable for me except that maybe the wide variety of sounds and techniques that were used kind of all worked together in a way that wasn’t so scary for me. I guess it helped that “Mosaik” was the first track I heard, which is one of the less potentially scary tunes on the album for someone who doesn’t really like really heavy electronic, but the rest of the tracks kept me coming back for more once I gave them a shot. Back when I sometimes went to the gym, this album was also quite handy in keeping my heart rate up via nonstop musical action and variety. Kind of like muscle confusion for your ears.
And last but certainly not least is Galactic Melt from an artist with perhaps the most controversial name in 2011. I have no problem with his name myself, and at least it’s a hell of a lot better than Mord Fustang. But for real, even if I did, it’s all about the music anyway, and his music is so great because it’s got a totally one of a kind sound where you can hear 5 seconds of a track and know that it’s his. And his gratuitous but appropriate use of only old school synths makes for a modern take on some old classic sounds that we all know and love. I got to see him twice this year, including once with a drummer, and both were pretty fantastic dance inducing sets. Big ups to Com Truise for making some of the doper beats I heard in 2011.
