Red Cat Staff Picks Of 2011

We cannot believe it is already almost time to celebrate the end of another year at Red Cat.  As always, there hasn’t been a dull moment around here- awesome in-stores, upstairs reno’s, exciting new releases, skunks under the building, kids being born, loved ones passing… I guess life at Red Cat is pretty much an extension of everything that happens around us, so from our big-slightly-dysfunctional-but-happy family to yours – Happy Holidays!

As always this is the part of the year we (and you, too, we’re sure) start reflecting on the music that we loved (or loved to hate) and like any good obsessive we start making lists.  These are our top 10 lists for 2011.

Dave:

Psychic Ills – Hazed Dream
- Laid back & less noisy than prior releases, but a person does caught up in the swirl and the intentional space

PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
- Hands down a masterpiece, proving that is ok to seclude yourself in a castle on the foggy shores of northern England to make a record

Davilla 666 – Tan Bajo
- Turn up this one & enjoy the ride, a great record to get you going in the morning, pour some gasoline in your coffee & hit the road.

Mountains – Air Museum
- There is not much going on during this record, but the textures stand out & I have no idea what they are doing

The Field – Looping State Of Mind
- this record captures some great rhythms, If JJ Cale was born in a different decade, needed a bowl of soup & dabbed in electronica, loops and late night designer drugs he may have sounded like this …

Austra – Feel It Break
- On the edge of the mainstream, on the edge of cold-war synth era darkwave, ignore all that polaris bullshit, this is a stand alone release.

Future Islands – On The Water
- I’m not quite sure what is wrong with the singer, but I love him. He takes community theatre & high school drama class quite seriously. The band locks in with the sweeping keyboards & Peter Hook plucked bass.. but most importantly, the songs are charming!

Kathryn Calder – Bright And Vivid
- Love hearing a record that has some synth influences played by an actual keyboard player who understands space, melody, can sing and does not hitting you over the head with a variety of pre–set sounds.

Chad Vangaalen – Diaper Island
- Nice laid back indie slacker/ Neil & Crazy Horse Greendale era tunes, with a touch of Reactor (minus the horrible storyline & forcing a great rhythm guitarist to sit down and play a shitty sounding organ… I felt for you Poncho Sampedro)

Teeth Of The Sea – Orphaned By The Sea
- If you can believe it a more cinematic & brooding version of Do Make Say Think & “Come On Die Young” Era Mogwai. Haunting, Morose & Essential.

Lasse:

Caretaker – An Empty Bliss Beyond This World
- Take an antique phonograph, set it in an abandoned warehouse, play a series of ballroom ’78s and record it.  Add more (!!!) reverb and ambience.  There is no good reason for this to exist, but it does and it is brilliant.

Future Islands – On The Water
- Combine the worst of Grade 12 drama class with arty lyrics, synthesizers and whip sounds. Add singalong melodies and Jack Black. Mix well.  Drink deeply.

Nicolas Jaar – Space is Only Noise
- Electronica with a strong sense of space and silence.  Collage music that sounds like a band.

PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
- At her otherworldly best.  Feathery, Ethereal, Spooky and Genious.  Transports the listener immediately to her quirky and strange world.  I think this is her best work.

Master Musicians of Bukkake – Totem III
- Drone chant metal music, dressed like desert Allahs led by a black mirrored devil mask.  Don’t be put off by the skullwork album art, it’s beautiful, ambient, meditative. And noisy.

White Denim – D
- Still Edgy-punk-mathy but with a decidedly pop bent. Barely in control but masterfully done.

Wooden Shjips – West
- In the Olden Days you’d roll a huge joint, jump in your mom’s woodpanelled station wagon and head to the bush party.  These days you put your kids to bed, pour a glass of wine and think about the Olden Days.

Austra – Feel it Break
- Great beats, soaring melodies and a serious set of lungs.  You can hear Katie Stelmanis’ opera training at work, adding choral elements to a pop dance throb.  Live they are 4 strong women bookended by 2 manthings obviously hired more for their looks than skills.  It totally works.

War on Drugs – Slave Ambient
- A simple and great all round rock album.  Elegant and scrappy.

Deerhoof – Vs Evil
- If I could drum like Greg Saunier I would live in bliss.

FORD:

LADIES! LADIES! LADIES!

With apologies to:  Steve Cropper, Peace, Ralph Dumas, White Denim, Tom Holliston, Wilco, Bry Webb, Jeff The Brotherhood, and Sonny Smith, who are not ladies,
and honorable mentions to: The Pack A.D., Dum Dum Girls, Drawn Ship, and Wild Flag, who are…

MICACHU AND THE SHAPES Chopped & Screwed

CHRISTINE FELLOWS Les Femmes De Chez Nous

PJ HARVEY Let England Shake

KATHRYN CALDER Bright And Vivid

GREAT AUNT IDA Nuclearize Me

TUNE-YARDS w h o k i l l

DEERHOOF vs. Evil

ST. VINCENT Strange Mercy

BELLRAYS Black Lightning

DIRTY PROJECTORS & BJORK Mount Wittenberg Orca

5 Must-have Reissues:

VOID Sessions 1981-83 (Not, strictly speaking, a reissue)

RICHARD THOMPSON Strict Tempo!

MELVIN DAVIS Detroit Soul Ambassador

THE LOUVIN BROTHERS Satan Is Real

THE LEFT BANKE Walk Away Renee / Pretty Ballerina

For some reason, I bought almost no classical or world records this year. Whaddayagonnado?

Ellis Sam’s top 10 of 2011

Andy Stott – Passed Me By/ We Stay Together 2CD

Dixies Death Pool – The Man With Flowering Hands CD

No Gold – No Gold LP

Ducktails – Arcade Dynamics III

Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo

Sun Araw – Ancient Romans

War On Drugs – Slave Ambient

Kode 9 & Space Ape – Black Sun

James Ferraro – Far Side Virtual

Zomby – Dedication

Top 5 shows:

Shabazz Palaces @ Fortune  (Paradoxes in the modern rap show.)
Cibo Matto @ Fortune (Supreme sample based euphoria.)
Mount Kimbie w/ Babe Rainbow & No Gold @ the Biltmore (Top to bottom.)
Specter & Marcellus Pittman – New Forms Festival @ the Waldorf (Dancing forever.)
Duzheknew & Cousins @ the Mansion (Halifax’s finest.)

Evan:

Peace – My Face

Destroyer – Kaputt

PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

Andy Stott – Passed Me By/We Stay Together

Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972

Boston Spaceships – Let It Beard

Shabazz Palaces – Black Up

OFF! – First Four EPs

John Maus – We Must Become The Pitiless Censors…

Iceage – New Brigade

Five Great Reissues:

Nick Nicely – Elegant Daze

Talk Talk – Laughing Stock

Beach Boys – Smile

Left Banke – Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina/Too

These Trails – S/T

Colin’s Top 10  Albums, EPs + Mixtapes Of The Year
————————————————————————

1. The Weeknd – House Of Balloons (XO)
2. Jamie Woon – Mirrorwriting (Polydor)
3. Kastle – Time Traveler (Seclusiasis)
4. Nguzunguzu – Timesup EP (Fade To Mind)
5. Young Galaxy – Shapeshifting (Paper Bag)
6. SBTRKT – S/T (Young Turks)
7. Monolithium – Simon & G-Funk (Error Broadcast)
8. Frank Ocean – Nostalgia, Ultra (Independent)
9. Tycho – Dive (Ghostly)
10. Martyn – Ghost People (Brainfeeder)