Garagerator: Best 11 of '11

2011 did not blow me away as far as "great" albums - for awhile it was just the Real Estate album, and everything else seemed a tier or two below in the good-not-great category... For 'quiet'-ish stuff (I tend to lean loud), I also found Kurt Vile and Junip to deserve 'exceptional' status, Thurston Moore too.
For the more rocking sibling of this list, check out Best 11 of '11 - Loud Version.

The following order isn't so much my ranking as much as what I think goes well together as a playlist/mixtape. You can stream all the songs in this post using the ex.fm player at the bottom of the page OR you can just download individually, (right-click the song title, save as, etc.) and play them using a digital media player of your choice. Or you can download the full mix here. There's also a Spotify playlist.
*Note - the ex.fm player works way better in browsers other than IE - Chrome is pretty ideal.

1. Radiohead The Daily Mail (mp3) from The Daily Mail & Staircase single

Despite many listens I found King of Limbs to be one of those good-not-great records. What did it for me much more was seeing their From the Basement session where the band, aided by horns and most notably the Portishead drummer, did the whole KoL album along with two non-album tracks.

And then late this year they release those non-album cuts as a single and I like 'em more than any specific track on the full album. So, I'm bookending this mix with those two; for this one, listen all the way thru - a couple minutes in it kicks into a gear you might not initially expect is there... And below is the From the Basement video - all I could find online has the video inverted, so you can watch 'em all play lefty. Official vids avail now on iTunes, DVD/Blu-ray in Feb. 2012.

2. Real Estate Green Aisles (mp3) from the Days album

I thought their previous recordings were good, very promising. But with Days, everything came together to a level far beyond what I could have expected. Pure and effortless gold, top to bottom. Hands down my favorite album of 2011.

This unique and nicely-filmed live video is worth a look-see.

3. Junip Rope & Summit (mp3) from the Fields album

Technically the full album came out in late 2010, but I didn't get wind of it til Spring 2011, when Sweden's Jose Gonzalez and company were promoting it in the US. Kicking myself for missing the live show...

Here's a great live version of the other album track I thought of using:

4. Kurt Vile Puppet to the Man (mp3) from the Smoke Ring For My Halo album

Admittedly, the least 'quiet' tune of an otherwise pretty mellow album - a record I found entirely and immediately enjoyable. Personally not yet completely sold on young Mr. Vile, but this album has me expecting that's more likely to happen.

Here's a live rooftop version of another of Halo's tracks:

5. Boston Spaceships Minefield Searcher (mp3) from the Let it Beard album

You wouldn't normally see Robert Pollard's side-trio listed in the 'quiet' section, and I wouldn't call the album as a whole mellow at all. Bob calls it "a subconscious concept album about the sorry state of rock and roll." Or, "The White Album meets Quadrophenia meets Jesus Christ Superstar."

I dunno...but you'll hear the Who influence on this track for sure. I would at least call Let It Beard a top-5 Pollard album of the post-2004-GBV-breakup period. Honorable mention to his Mars Classroom collaboration with Gary Waleik from Big Dipper. Terrific little record!

6. Wilco I Might (mp3) from The Whole Love album

A band I really like and an album that though it has many good moments, hasn't yet struck me as at the 'great' level overall. This tune, though, adds to the big heap of all-time Wilco songs.

Here they are ripping thru it on Letterman:

7. PJ Harvey In the Dark Places (mp3) from the Let England Shake album

Another of those 'grower' PJ albums, and one which I enjoy as a whole if I'm in the right mood. Not a lot of tracks that for me standout as ones I'd reach for and put on repeat.

They did a series of 'short films' for each song on the album -- this one is interesting...

8. Destroyer Chinatown (mp3) from the Kaputt album

Who thinks it's a good idea to take their obtuse indie songwriter cred and make a slick, 80's-sounding, dance-y/disco type of album? And then pulls it off convincingly - and dare I say (gulp), tastefully? Dan Bejar did just that. If you're feeling a little Sade-as-done-by-scruffy-Canadian, this delivers.

This 'unofficial' video is amusing -- captures the era perfectly...

9. Mogwai Letters to the Metro (mp3)

from the Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will album
These fellows are known for the punishing volume of their live shows. But this one's sweet and purty.

Here's some fine filmwork from the guy that did the album art, with a remix of another track from the record.

10. Thurston Moore In Silver Rain With a Paper Key (mp3)

from the Demolished Thoughts album
A subtle, moody, gorgeous, grow-on-you record where you gotta give Beck credit for tasteful production. Seems exactly the kind of record Thurston should have made at this point in his life & career. When listening to these songs, I can't help thinking about his split with Kim. <sigh...>

Of all the videos on this page, this might be my favorite - bits of interview and real nice, intimate performance footage of a couple Demolished tracks: