11/21 – 11/25:

Das Racist, Shut Up, Dude

 The first DR mixtape still has some of my favorite songs on it, but over all, it’s truly impressive to me how quickly they evolved and improved. The strength of this body of work was a pleasant surprise after the goofiness of “Combination Pizza Hut And Taco Bell,” but like most mixtapes, it ran a little long, and the stuff they’ve done since has only gotten stronger. Still, though, “Who’s That Brown?” “Chicken & Meat,” “Rainbow in the Dark,” their take on the beat to the Ghostface classic “Nutmeg,” there’s great stuff on here.

 Das Racist, “Rainbow In The Dark”

 Royal Bangs, Flux Outside

 Royal Bangs offer up a 3rd helping of electrifying, hard-to-categorize music on Flux Outside, their 3rd record. The band has really found their sound by now, and while I have trouble describing exactly what that is, I can't get enough of it. One of my favorite albums of 2011, no question.

 Royal Bangs, “Back Then It Was Different”

 Fiona Apple, When The Pawn...

Still my favorite of her albums. This is another one that seemed to constantly be on in some one’s apartment or car for months. More coherent than her first (and, sadly, 3rd) album, moody but not too moody, it makes a good soundtrack for a surprising number of situations.

 Fiona Apple, “Fast As You Can”

 Thao & Mirah, Thao & Mirah

 From the first listen, this was in contention for my album of the year. Folk singers Thao & Mirah bring their very different approaches to a true collaboration, each bringing 5 songs to the table and working with the other to push them in directions they wouldn’t choose on their own. They are aided and abetted by Merril Garbus of the frustratingly-named tUnE-yArDs (Welcome to the internet circa 1999) as producer, who wrote album opener “Eleven” to finish the recording session. This is deeply infectuous music, bringing the skittery, energetic sound of Thao and the dreamy, intimate music of Mirah together together in an unlikely but engrossing set of songs (Garbus’ influence on the sound and in the percussion is so prevalent, powerful and welcome that the record should probably have been called Thao & Mirah & Merril.) Every track is a winner. Can’t recommend this album enough.

 Thao & Mirah, “Teeth”

 Hail Mary Mallon, Are You Gonna Eat That?

 Hail Mary Mallon is Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz. This is quite a record. Aes and Rob trade typically complex, engaging verses over some unique and inventive production. The three seem to inspire each other to keep upping the ante, and the album crackles with energy throughout.

 Hail Mary Mallon, “Breakdance Beach”

 TV on the Radio, Nine Type Of Light

Nine Types of Light continues TVOTR’s fascinating, rewarding evolution. After revealing a new level of complexity and emotional resonance their (quite good) previous material didn’t even hint at on Return To Cookie Mountain, they made about as close to a straight up rock record as their sound will allow with Dear Science, and now Nine Types of Light sort of synthesizes all of those experiences. By turns fragile, haunting, defiant and energetic, Nine Types of Light is a broader album, seemingly less focused on a cohesive atmosphere or mission statement and more on just recording great songs. The sequencing makes the album something of an emotional rollercoaster, giving you pensive, introspective music before hitting you with a banger or two and then receding into the ether again. It’s another homerun from one of the most reliable bands of the 21st century.

 TV On the Radio, “No Future Shock”

Yup.
--D