2011 Top 11: Songs That Got Me Through The Day
By Burgers Rana
Starting with our Reader’s Poll, we’re looking back on 2011 with a series of top 10’s that will cover everything from album covers to music videos, from favorite 7“‘s to favorite LPs, so check back and see what our staff has to say as we make our way to the new year.
My top ten eleven songs that got me through the day a.k.a. more than likely the top eleven records I also enjoyed this year.
1. Kurt Vile - Baby’s Arms, Smoke Ring for My Halo (Matador)
Once you get what it is about Kurt Vile that makes him such a unique crafter of amazing gems, by then you are pretty much hooked. He might as well go by Crack Vile.
Review: Pure X - Pleasure
Pleasure is, well, none other than a pleasure-inducing experience courtesy of Pure X with blissful, soaring guitar reverb and distant vocals at a slow-moving pace. It’s instantly soothing, letting you come down easy from the second “Heavy Air” kicks in. The atmosphere is calming and sublime, a collection of reflections as summer fades. Like a lo-fi sibling of Galaxie 500 or even Spacemen 3, the glimmering pop melodies from this Austin, Texas trio are understated with a subdued, stoned vibe. Genres and subgenres tend to be a little problematic and silly, but in this case “dream pop” is actually the perfect way to describe Pleasure as each track lies beneath a constant peaceful, dreamlike haze. It sounds like a long drive home at sunset, with many of the songs like “Dream Over” echoing Brian Wilson’s famous falsetto in the early days of the Beach Boys, only submerged underwater. The basslines are marvelous, particularly in “Twisted Mirror”, “Surface”, and “Dry Ice” for starters, and powerfully roll underneath the smooth guitar reverb and minimalist drumming.
If there’s a complaint to make, it’s that the title track only lasts a minute and a half instead of going on forever, which is vastly preferred. Pleasure can easily sink you into its trance. It’s gorgeous to space out to, and it creates a world you don’t really want to wake up from. Head over to Acéphale and pick this up.
