Top Albums and Songs of 2011

So, how was 2011? Incredible live gigs were witnessed. Indie legends Sonic Youth and R.E.M. called it quits, while legends-that-never-fully-got-their-due Pulp and Cibo Matto returned for brief reunion tours. Skrillex stripped dubstep of any grace or melody and unleashed a monstrous, kid-friendly corpse that inspired the flooding of YouTube with countless "dubstep remixes" of everything from Rebecca Black to the "You dun goofed!" guy. In terms of new music, seemingly everyone channeled r&b, chillwave became more of a tsunami, and the more grating the synth pop, the more crossover appeal it generated. In regards to the year's best albums, some didn't fit into the trends du jour or get the career-making "Best New Music" tag and were subsequently overlooked by most, and some were hyped to the point of ubiquity and have appeared on every other list. Nevertheless, these are the albums that were dearest to the heart of Simply Fuss Free in 2011

Simply Fuss Free's Guide to Every Top Albums of the Year List

December's here, which means that music critics are taking a break from discovering new music and sorting out what the last 11 months have yielded. Ever get tired of seeing nothing but the same albums in a slightly different order on every blog's end-of-the-year list? Fortunately, the science squad team here at Simply Fuss Free has cracked the formula behind the average annual list of top albums that you will read over and over again in 2011 and beyond. 

Top 20 Live Acts of 2011, Part Two

If you missed numbers 20-11, check out part one before proceeding. How does one rank for a list such as this? For example, the artists that occupy numbers 9-12 were all equally impressive for completely different reasons. The answer lies a combination of factors including everything from emotional attachment to dramatic effect, with attempts at tacking the completely subjective with some degree of objectivity thrown in for good measure. And now that the secret behind lists like these has been revealed, on with the show.

Top 20 Live Acts of 2011, Part One

Seeing bands live is my favorite thing in the world to do. Unfortunately, I have not been able to attend nearly as many shows as I would have liked this year, missing live favorites such as Little Dragon, St. Vincent, and that ball-dropping Arcade Fire Coachella set. Nevertheless, my 2011 gig history includes two stellar festivals and some rare treats, and in any case, Simply Fuss Free is back in business.

Full reviews of Primavera Sound and the Asbury Park edition of I'll Be Your Mirror are available at Consequence of Sound and One Thirty BPM, respectively.