My Top 10 for the Baltimore City Paper for 2011.

1 Sigur Rós, Inni (XL)
2 She and Him, A Very She and Him Christmas (Merge)
3 Beyoncé Knowles, 4 (Columbia)
4 M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (Mute)
5 Steve Reich and Kronos Quartet, WTC 9/11 (Nonesuch)
6 YEVETO, Remote Unelectrified Villages (self-released)
7 Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues’ (Sub Pop)
8 Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials (Island)
9 Foster The People – Torches (Columbia)
10 INFINITE HONEY, Infinite Honey (self-released)

1. Angela Desveaux – The Mighty Ship (it’s just beautiful and great on vinyl)
2. The Arcade Fire – Funeral (if you don’t respoond to ‘wake up’ you could be lifeless and dead)
3. Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham – L’avventura (again, it’s a beautiful record)
4. The Dismemberment Plan – Change (my dc friends make their perhaps last and greatest record)
5. Mike Doughty – Rockity Roll (no over-thought tunes. i wish this was longer.)
6. Duffy – Rockferry (what a voice!)
7. Eno and Byrne – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (two of my favorites yet again on a record together this time writing great songs)
8. Godspeed You Black Emperor – Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven (the soundtrack to the first have of the decade for me)
9. Kanye West – Late Registration (that kanye certainly has something to say)
10. Kadman – Sing To Me Slower (if dave never wrote another song other than diesel and honeymoon’s end, we’d be ok)
11. Keane – Perfect Symmetry (stellar pop)
12. The Killers – Hot Fuse (see above)
13. Leisure Icons – Leisure Icons (angular mathy locals that has been in heavy rotation here)
14. Low – The Great Destroyer (dave fridmann + low = happy mat)
15. Luna – Rendezvous (i used to put my daughter to sleep to this record)
16. Mouse On Mars – Idiology (Mmmm, stomp pedals)
17. N.E.R.D. – In Search Of… (more drums please)
18. The Octopus Project – Hello Avalanche (my band opened for them this summer. i can’t stop playing this record)
19. Parts and Labor – Stay Afraid (new york’s finest)
20. Saint Etienne – Finisterre (sarah cracknell’s voice is to die for)
21. Sam Prekop – Who’s Your New Professor (i love the beats on this record)
22. Katy Perry – One of the Boys (good production, songwriting and a pretty face don’t always equate to crappy pop music)
23. Prince – The Rainbow Children (prince did have some good records this decade, and this is his finest)
24. Rod Lee – The Official (rod is a genius and you’ll be hearing more about baltimore club very soon)
25. Shakira – Fijación Oral Vol. 1 (that shakira can do anything)
26. Sigur Rós – Takk (birthing sounds)
27. Austin Stahl – The Things You Carry (austin can write about heartbreak like no other)
28. Radiohead – I Might Be Wrong (one of my favorite live albums ever and i am not a huge radiohead fan)
29. Rilo Kiley – More Adventurous (jenny lewis.)
30. Justin Timberlake – Justified (pharrell williams is one sick drummer, JT is someone who i’ve yet to get sick of)
31. Tokio Hotel – Schrei (they were everywhere in europe. who cares if they play their instruments.)
32. Trans Am – TA (my dc favs… they can do no wrong)
33. Wendy and Lisa – Girl Bros. (see above, they can do no wrong)
34. John Zorn – Live at Tonic 2001 (john zorn would be in the supergroup in my head. acharei mot is my jam in this set.

1. 1. Angela Desveaux: The Mighty Ship – I played a show with a band a few weeks ago. We opened for them. And they had their record on vinyl. It’s insanely good. The drummer is mind blowing. I’ve not seen a drummer lean in to his hits in forever. I’ve never seen someone so expressive. Oh and the music is beautiful. And Angela’s voice is wonderful.
2. 2. MGMT: Oracular Spectacular – While the album does fall apart after “Time To Pretend,” the record is totally a stand out for what’s on the radio these days. And their beats are super fun and spacey.
3. 3. Dennis Wilson: Pacific Ocean Blue- Why it took this long to be re-mastered is beyond me. This is such a gem of a record. I use it as a reference CD at the studio. If you don’t include Brian Wilson’s SMiLE it’s my favorite solo Beach Boys record. Hands down.
4. 4. The Felice Brothers: Adventures of The Felice Brothers Vol. 1- Listened to heavily on our trip to North Carolina this summer. Fit the ride tremendously. While we only listened to it once. It was listened to and not simply heard. I need to listen again.
5. 5. David Byrne & Brian Eno: Everything That Happens Will Happen Today- Just breathtaking. Also this record solidified the fact that I am no longer a kid. I liked the record after a few listens. But I didn’t begin to love it until I got a note from my friend that he was going on tour with David playing keys. Once I saw the show I got it fully. It’s been in heavy rotation since.
6. 6. Eureka Birds: s/t- Local kids gone awesome. Yet they are still unsigned. I was supposed to see these guys open for a friends band, but just got to talk with them right after their set I missed. I did get to eventually see them a few weeks later. Their record is awesome and so un-Baltimore. It’s a record to listen to on headphones.
7. 7. The Ting Tings: We Started Nothing- I think I first saw them on the European MTV Awards at my parents house because they have cable TV. I think I like them because they are different. And catchy as hell. Women singers who don’t sing slow sad songs with a lot of acoustic guitars really stand out for me. Not that I don’t like women who sing slow sad songs.
8. 8. Vampire Weekend: s/t- The record really should have been called “As Indie As You Wanna Be”. But whatever, I really liked the record as much as I want to punch them all in the neck.
9. 9. K-Swift: K-Swift Club Queen Jump Off Vol 10- Baltimore Club queen. RIP. Solid club. And my little girl loves dancing to her.
10. 10. She & Him: Volume One- This record was non-stop for a long while. Then it stopped to breathe and now it’s back again. Such a sweet and fun record. Completely looking forward to Volume Two.
11. 11. E. Joseph and The Phantom Heart: All The Medicine In The World- A total stand out record. Awesome production from the Starflyer 59′s Jason Martin. And incredible songs that pull from a lot of the best bands of the 1980s with out being derivitive or cliché.

1. 1999 (1982) – Without this record, Purple Rain never would have happened the way it did. It was the springboard for the serious synths to come in Purple Rain and beyond. As a rather obvious [to me] nod to Kraftwerk, there is a strange element of cold dancy kraut in this record. Prince really pushed the envelope [for 1982] with the funk drums overlaid with the Linn Drum in “Lady Cab Driver.” If you get a chance to hear the extended mix, it’s a treat. Dance on, sister.
2. Prince (1979) – Here we have Prince’s second record based around R&B and funk with all songs sung in falsetto. This self-titled album was definitely an extension of his first record but with much better songs. His songwriting grew exponentially on this record, and perhaps he learned about how an edit of a song can make a serious difference by cutting the fluff, etc. Songs like “I Wanna Be Your Lover” and “Bambi” begin to show his strengths in his songwriting abilities. And, by the way, you can’t beat a record cover like that. Those words become an ongoing theme with Prince’s record covers.
3. Sign ‘O’ The Times (1987) – While I did much more prefer the track listing for The Dream Factory (dated June 3rd. 1986), not to mention the involvement of Wendy and Lisa (and the rest of the Revolution) – Prince did eventually decide to ‘disband’ the Revolution and more or less put out The Crystal Ball (a three record – six sided album which included a few cuts from the album from the same time, Camille) by himself and rerecorded a lot of the songs solo. Prince was amazing if not equally frustrating in that respect. Luckily Wendy and Lisa’s influence had already been set in motion and he couldn’t avoid that. The record was rejected by the label due to it’s sheer volume and eventually got cut to two records or 4 sides and was released as Sign ‘O’ The Times. Songs like “Hot Thing” and “Housequake” brought back a lot of the funk that had been lost in previous records. “Housequake” was probably a nod to the growth of hip-hop during that time. Songs like “Starfish and Coffee”, “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man”, “Sign ‘O’ the Times”, & “Adore” solidify the fact that Prince was the most versatile and talented songwriter of the 1980s. This was also a notably political record. Not since Controversy had Prince been so openly political. The stark production of “The Cross” is breathtaking and highly effective. This was also the last real double record of the 1980s. With record meaning vinyl. 4 sides, etc. The end of an era, some say. A remaster of this disc with the outtakes from Dream Factory and Crystal Ball would rule.
4. Purple Rain (1984) – Yes, this record is clichéd but with good reason. It’s badass! “Take Me With U”, “Baby I’m A Star” and “Purple Rain”. Please note this was the only use of a sequencer, up to this point, serving as the bassline to “I Would Die 4 U”. The synth was synched up with the Linn Drum that was MIDI retrofitted. How’s that for a factoid?! Also noteworthy is the fact that “Purple Rain,” as well as I Would Die 4 U” and “Baby I’m A Star,” were all recorded at Wendy’s first show when she was just 19. That hot and humid August night in 1983 at First Avenue will forever been remembered. You should also realize that at that show was the first time Prince covered a song publicly. He covered “A Case of You” by Joni Mitchell. Oh yeah, and it sold something like 13 million units domestically. This era also was one of his most prolific. He was also writing, producing and performing on records by Sheila E., Apollonia 6, The Family and the Time. My favorite B-sides, “Another Lonely Christmas” and “17 Days”, come from the era. Note: the extended mix of “17 Days” is great and clocks in over 10 minutes.
5. Parade (1986)- While not the critics’ favorite, this record is chock full of funky goodness. Songs like “Anotherloverholenyohead” “Kiss” and “Mountains” – Again the 12″ mix of Mountains is superb. If you can get it, do it. This was also the last record with the Revolution. There was still a little bit of left over psychedelics from the Around the World In A Day record, but it’s less obvious here. This record is becoming a favorite of mine. Oh, and don’t even bother seeing the accompanying movie, Under the Cherry Moon. It’s trash. But interesting to see Kristin Scott Thomas in it. Jerome Benton is however in excellent form, a la Purple Rain.
6. Batman (1989) – Definitely not a favorite amongst fans and critics, but it was one of the first records that really spoke to me by Prince. I was 12 when I first heard this record on a cassette. What really got to me was the simplicity of the drum programming. Songs like “Vicky Waiting” and “The Future” still hold a special place in my pop life. And while “Batdance” did use the sampler to a sickening degree it was pretty innovative for the time. The breakdown groove is still to die for. That funky guitar is the sickness. And yes, we can all do without the Scandalous songs. Make sure to not buy the Scandalous Suite which has 18 minutes of that song. Yikes!
7. The Love Symbol Album (1992) – All you need to do is make out to this album one time and it’s forever ingrained in your mind. Yeah, I made out with a girl from senior year of high school to this record the first time I heard it. The production is sickeningly good. Like Ocean Way good. It definitely gets interesting once you get to the deep cuts like “The Continental” and “7″. Speaking of “7″ – that is perhaps the best cut on the record and despite its seeming simplicity. Acoustic guitar. Drum machine. Finger cymbal. Whip. Bass tones. And stax of vocals. Ok, maybe it’s not that simple, but compared to other music of that time, it sure sounds like it.
8. The Gold Experience (1993) – The first record released under his new unpronounceable name. ( O(+> ) – Yes, it was a weird stunt, but it also got him out of a Warner Bros. contract. Genius if you ask me. This record was a response to his love of rock music and guitars that had been put to the side for the past few years. It’s not as funky and soulful as his other records, however it’s definitely an interesting one. It just reiterates how diverse his influences are. “Endorphinmachine” and “319″ are standout tracks for me, but this whole album sans “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” is a keeper. “Gold” also has a great guitar solo, but the song itself borders on cheesy most of the way through. As a whole it’s pretty cohesive in a similar vein as the The Love Symbol record. Less pop and more rock, however.
9. Lovesexy (1988) – This record as a whole sounds rushed and not well put together, but there are songs like “Dance On” and “Alphabet Street” which bring it all home for me. His drums on “Dance On” are funky as ever. It might be worth it based on that alone. You decide. A simple beat ganked from Sheila E. goes a long way. Also notable is the record cover, very Georgia O’Keeffe a la Penisville.
10. Around the World In a Day (1985) – To release this record after Purple Rain‘s success was ballsy as it was so different from its predecessor, and definitely was not the Purple Rain II that everyone expected. That would have been the “smart” and safe thing to do, at least from a record label’s perspective. Prince wouldn’t have any part in it. He clearly was making a statement above and beyond. He decided to do something 180 from what was expected. Songs like the title track, “Paisley Park” and “Tamborine” are keepers and “Raspberry Beret” is quite possibly the greatest pop song ever written. Note the slight dis to Jesse Johnson for leaving The Time to pursue a solo career with the lyrics “And we went riding down by old man Johnson’s farm.”

Honorable Mention: the 3rd disc from The Hits 3-Disc set. Those B-sides are incredible even if they are the edits of most of the songs. A lot of those B-sides are better than the A-sides they mirror.

Thanks for humoring me with my obsession. And thanks to Feets for playing the role as Editor to save my writing from a seriously derailing train wreck.