Daughter - Still

Like so many of their other songs, this one hurts your heart, and of course is just as beautifully woven as those other Daughter songs we've come to love. This is the first single off their debut album, If You Leave, due out March 18th.

2011: Favorite EPs

There were so many good EPs this year that they deserved their own list, although they easily could have competed with my top spots for albums. Bands, especially new bands, blew me away with their three to four flawless songs time and time again. The fact that these songs aren't getting lost in the shuffle of a mediocre 10 song album made a lot of bands shine brighter than more seasoned groups with LPs out this year. Here's what stood out the most for me.

1. Pickwick - Myths [Buy]
I'm letting Myths count for all three volumes (six songs in total) that were released this year, because I don't know how I'd ever choose. Pickwick is my most posted about band of 2011 and for good reason; they're going to be huge in 2012 when their LP is released. That's all you need to know. 

2. Daughter - The Wild Youth EP [Buy]
Both of her EPs left me feeling crippled and overly emotional. Her voice and those lyrics cut through everything, even on the worst of days. I've felt guilty for selfishly wishing she still has a broken heart for her LP because these are the most honest and gut wrenching break up songs I've heard in a long time, maybe ever, and I wouldn't mind hearing some more of those from her.

3. TV Girl - Benny and the Jetts [Buy]
"Lizzy Come Back to Life" paints the laziest of summer pictures: a girl laying poolside, topless, in an indian headdress. It's an impossible image to erase. This was the most constant soundtrack to the late august nights and the most memorable sound of summer.
TV Girl - Lizzy Come Back to Life

4. Alabama Shakes - Alabama Shakes EP [Buy]
What can be said that hasn't been said already?

5. The Wooden Sky - City of Light [Buy]

I've wrote about my penchant for dancing in the dark with a glass of wine to this EP before. This music and that end of day glass of wine is the best recipe for comfort I know.


6. Cotton Jones - Sit Beside Your Vegetables [Buy]
This is the most underrated husband/wife duo of indie rock. This EP gives you smiles for days, weeks, and if you're me, for a year and I'm sure more years to come.
Cotton Jones - Egg On A Sea

7. Milo Greene - The Hello Sessions [Buy]
At first, their bandcamp page only had 1957 and as they slowly added more songs I fell more and more in love with their gorgeous harmonies and every single tambourine jangle.
Milo Greene - 1957

8. Peter & Kerry - Clothes, Friends, Photos EP [Buy]
"It's as much a sigh of relief as it is a breath of fresh air" was what the first review I read of Peter & Kerry and that's what I feel with every listen.
Peter and Kerry - Knees

9. Hip Hatchet - Coward's Luck EP [Buy]
Hip Hatchet played our first house show and was one of the most memorable nights of the year.  I specifically remembered this song and getting goosebumps. So when this EP came out, not only did I listen to it over and over, but I knew it was list worthy.
Hip Hatchet - Just Like An Old Friend

10. High Highs - High Highs EP [Buy]
This is the outlier on the list, it doesn't sound quite like the others. It's a daydream of an EP. I've never felt grounded when I listen and my mind wanders for the entire 13 minutes and often that's just what I want from music.

High Highs - Open Season

11. Big Snow Big Thaw - Winter [Buy]
They've since combined their Winter and Spring EP into one eight song album but these songs are addictive. You'll be stomping and clapping your way back for more.
Big Snow Big Thaw - Damn Allegheny 

Honorable Mention: 
Of Monsters & Men - Into the Woods [Buy]
I had an Icelandic acquaintance ship me their LP which won't be available in the US until the Spring of 2012, but I've included it on my favorite album list anyway because I played the shit out of it and everyone should know about the band. However, on December 20th they released an EP with four of their best tracks from the Icelandic LP release (so no new material), it confused me as to how to fit it on the lists, but deserves to be mentioned here as well since it's now widely available for purchase. Get their song "Little Talks" as the free itunes download of the week.
Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks

**Note on 12/30/11: Took me a few days but I realized I forgot 3 very important EPs. I'm an idiot. This makes a nice round 15 EPs worth buying.

Jens Lekman - An Argument with Myself
Jens Lekman - An Argument With Myself

Frightened Rabbit - Tour EP



Aunt Martha - Bloodshot
Aunt Martha - Bloodshot

My blurbs haven't told you anything of use nor was it eloquent writing about how the music sounds, and I honestly doubt my writing is either ever of those things. I debated about this but decided blurbs were best used to tell a bit about my personal relationship to the music because after all that's why it's a list titled "Favorite EPs". I only hope that through all of that you can find a song or an artist for you to attach yourself to because it's one of the most rewarding experiences for a music listener. The personal connection and musical love affairs I have with these EPs has made an inexplicable difference in the enjoyment of my year. Happy listening.

50 Favorite Songs of 2011 [50-26]

Compiling the "best" songs of the year is one hell of a daunting task so I decided to tackle it the easiest and most honest way I knew how. I wrote down 50 of my most listened to songs from 2011, without repeating a band, based on my last.fm account. The only flaw is that some songs had the advantage of spending more time in my library than others. There's plenty I've left out, and frankly a "best of" list would look a little bit different. However, looking at the list, I love that I can vividly remember playing these songs non-stop at certain points during the year. I hope you can enjoy it and maybe find some favorites too. Download the zip of all 25 songs.

50. Jens Lekman - An Argument with Myself
49. Daughter - Youth
48. Good Lovelies - Old Highway
47. Bill Callahan - Drover
46. Typhoon - Summer Home
45. Kurt Vile - Baby's Arms
44. Real Estate - It's Real
43. Vandaveer - Concerning Past & Future Conquests
42. TV Girl - Lizzy Come Back to Life
41.  Milo Greene - 1957
40. Joseph Giant - Out in the Breeze
39. James Vincent McMorrow - If I Had a Boat
38. The Wooden Sky - City of Light/Dancing By My Window
37. Allo Darlin' - Wu Tang Clan
36. Emma Louise - Al's Song
35. Aunt Martha - Bloodshot
34. Chamberlin - Dust
33. NewVillager - Lighthouse
32. Francois Peglau - One Minute to Midnight Dream (So Sad)
31. The Rosebuds - Woods
30. Portugal. The Man - Once Was One
29. Penny & The Quarters - You and Me
28. Fruit Bats - WACS
27. Beat Radio - Beautiful One
26. Claire Denamur - Bang Bang Bang

Daughter - Youth

It was just the other day I posted Daughter's songs "Landfill" and "Love", but the more I listen the more I need to insist that people listen to her two breathtaking EPs. I've been hesitant to call 2011 the year of breakup albums, but it's starting to look like my ipod is overflowing with gorgeous songs of love lost, and Daughter is no exception. Turn it up really loud, you can thank me later.

  Daughter - 'Home' (Taken from 'The Wild Youth' EP) by ohDaughter

Daughter - Love

Here is the official first single titled "Love" off of the forthcoming EP from Daughter (Elena Tonra) titled The Wild Youth EP to be released on November 21st . A few months ago I was enamored with the His Young Heart EP, and now I'm looking forward to hearing even more songs that stem from a vicious heartbreak. The gentle yet stirring build in "Love" is a thing of beauty, working up towards painful questions you'd never have the courage to ask someone who did you wrong. 

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  Daughter - Love (taken from 'The Wild Youth EP') by ohDaughter

  Daughter - Landfill (taken from the 'His Young Heart' EP) by ohDaughter