Best of 2011: The MVPs

All weeklong Everybody Taste will be reflecting and ruminating on 2011 with a series of posts and lists dedicated to celebrating the best (read: our favorite) music of the year.

When you think of the particularly prolific artists of 2011, Cass McCombs and Thee Oh Sees—both of whom somehow released two stunning and critically-lauded full-lengths this year—might come to mind. Or maybe it's Taylor Goldsmith, the star of the Middle Brother supergroup's debut LP and whose own Dawes released their boldest record to date. Or the Orrall brothers, Jake and Jamin. Sure, they only released one album this year, but their label Infinity Cat, which, aside from getting picked up by Warner Brothers, released fistfuls of brilliantly scuzzy rock and punk this year by the likes of Natural Child, Diarrhea Planet, Denney and The Jets, and Peach Kelli Pop. But for me, when I think of the artists that have had the biggest impact on my year, I come up with two names: Shannon Shaw and Gerrit Welmers.

Shaw, who fronts the Oakland-based Shannon & The Clams, has a husky and deeply soulful voice that's a true wonder and easily one of my favorite discoveries of 2011. Shannon & The Clams 12-track LP Sleep Talk is a humour-filled ride through 50s-laced punk and rock gems that boasts two of the year's best tracks, the beach party foot-stomper of a title-track "Sleep Talk" and "The Cult Song"—quite possibly the funniest and most vivid track of 2011 (more on that later in our Best Songs post). Along with the Clams, Shaw was also one of Seth Bogart's Punx, co-writing several songs on Hunx and His Punx' Too You To Be In Love LP, as well as providing the much-welcome throaty thunder to Bogart's nasally pop-punk lightning. And that's not all. The multi-talented Shaw also painted the cover artwork for The Sandwitches' exquisite LP Mrs. Jones' Cookies, a dreamy portrait of the three band members with long flowing hair.

Shannon & The Clams - "Sleep Talk" (from Sleep Talk)
Shannon & The Clams - "The Cult Song" (from Sleep Talk)

As a member of Baltimore trio Future Islands and the sole creative force behind Moss of Aura, Gerrit Welmers had an equally impressive impact on 2011. While Samuel T. Herring's intensely bellowing melodramatic vocals may be the most distinctive and audible marker of Future Islands, it's Welmers' unique and creative synth-splattered atmospheric twists and turns that create the emotional foundation of each track, giving Herring's words the proper setting, tone, and context. While many folks will have Future Islands' superb On The Water LP in their top ten for the year, it's Welmers solo album Wading—released under his Moss of Aura moniker—that has me headed back to the turntable time and again. I'm not particularly drawn to instrumental music—especially not when its centralized around the synthesizer—but as Moss of Aura, Welmers has created his own truly stunning one-of-a-kind Carribean-soaked magnum opus. (Photo)

Moss of Aura - "Jaminal" (from Wading)
Moss of Aura - "Titan" (from Wading)

Nab Moss of Aura goodies from Friends Records and Shannon & The Clams LPs from 1-2-3-4 Go Records.

Future Islands - "Crish" (Javelin Remixxx)

So far, the only fault I've found with Future Islands' soaring LP On The Water is that its vinyl version doesn't include the beautifully put together "Crish," a collaboration between the band and Brooklyn duo Javelin. Here's the story behind the track from Future Islands: "Crish is a song that was recorded for On the Water but the lyrics weren't completed in time to make the cut. We asked Javelin if they would do a remix of it for a bonus track. At this point, we're not sure if our version of 'Crish' will ever see the light of day, but we really love what Javelin did with it... I feel like it's more of a collaboration than a remix." For the record, the lyrics came out pretty fantastic. It's also refreshing to hear a lighter and less dramatic vocal take atop Gerrit Welmers' typically stupendous synth work.

Buy On The Water from Thrill Jockey.

Future Islands - Crish (Javelin Remixxx)

Future Islands feat. Jenn Wasner - "The Great Fire"

Future Islands newest LP On The Water is brimful of great singles—see "Before The Bridge" and "Balance"—and moving moments—see synth-master Gerrit Welmers' cinematic 80s-tinged intro to "Where I Found You"—but no track hits me quite as hard as "The Great Fire." Perhaps it's because frontman Samuel T. Herring's melodramatic and manic vocal work finds a formidable costar in Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner. Not only does Wasner go blow for vocal blow with Herring in this emotive relationship-centered slow-burner, but taking the lead in the latter half of the duet, she momentarily takes control of the track, making the listener forget that this isn't in fact her own band. Though Future Islands knock every one of On The Water's ten tracks out of the park, "The Great Fire" leaves me wanting more from this truly devastating vocal pairing.

Future Islands feat. Jenn Wasner - "The Great Fire" (from On The Water)

Review: Moss of Aura :: Wading

Instrumental music rarely makes a blip on my radar. Sure, I spin the occasional jazz record—the good stuff, classic musicians like Jimmy Smith, Ahmad Jamal, and Miles Davis—but I can't remember the last contemporary instrumental album I played from start to finish. Perhaps that's why I'm surprised how head-over-heels I am for synth maestro Gerrit Welmers' Moss of Aura LP Wading: there's no lyrics, no singing, just one dude playing an assortment of keyboards, synths, and drum machines—and it's one of the most captivating listening experiences I've had all year.