Top 16 Albums of 2011

Here's my personal Top 16 albums of 2011 list (+ my Top 10 dance tune picks here), accompanied by a song pick. I figured instead of bloating my post with commentary, you can listen for yourself. Check 'em out! I'm sure there were a handful of artists that came out this year that I won't discover until next year. Who did I forget this year?

1. Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx - We're New Here listen

2. SBTRKT - SBTRKT listen

3. Azari & III - Azari & III listen

4. Bombay Bicycle Club - A Different Kind of Fix listen

5. My Morning Jacket - Circuital listen

6. James Blake - James Blake listen

7. Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise listen

8. Tiger & Woods - Through the Green listen

9. Metronomy - The English Riviera listen

10. Cults - Cults listen

11. Jessica Lea Mayfield - Tell Me listen

12. The Weeknd - House of Balloon listen

13. Radiohead - King of Limbs listen

14. The Drums - Portamento listen

15. Walls - Coracle listen

16. Chapel Club - Palace listen

Honorable Mentions:

Craft Spells - Idle Labor listen

Gardens & Villa - Gardens & Villa listen

Siruismo - Mosaik listen

Vostok-1 - Outer Space Disco listen

Previous 'Best Of' lists:
2010
2009
2008

MIXTAPE: Holiday Mix 2011

Before everyone gets caught up in holiday fervor this year and forgets to read my blog :-( but then again, not like people are checking this often / posts are made on the regular--I'd like to gift you one last golden audio nugget of indie/rock & disco chillness for 2011. I've slowed things down a bit, brought in some classic rock favorites (ELO is a given, the other two covers are up to you to figure out), and wrapped things up with a classic soul must.

Until 2012, cheers!

Tracklist:

1. The Drums - Money (Craft Spells Remix)

2. Arthur Russell - How We Walk On The Moon (Youth Return to Base Edit)

3. Para One & Tacteel - A1

4. Friendly Fires - Hurting (Tensnake Remix)

5. ELO - Last Train to London (Blackjoy Re-Edit)

6. Kelley Polar - I'm Not What You Want

7. Metronomy - Everything Goes My Way (Ewan Pearson Remix)

8. Motor City Drum Ensemble - L.O.V.E.

9. Tribute - We Love Dreams

10. Kasper Bjorke - Heaven (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)

12. Bombɐy Bıcycle Club - Shufflǝ (Lǝo Zero Rǝmıx)

13. Dɐlǝ Eɐrnhɐrdt Jr. Jr. - Sımple Gırl (Tıgǝr & Woods Rǝmıx)

14. Poolside - Harvest Moon

15. Delegation - Oh Honey

Stream:
Holiday Mix 2011 by Heavy Accents #3

Download:
Holiday Mix 2011
(32 min | 44 mb)

MIXTAPE: Dilations (Part Two)

Talk about a time dilation since Part One of my Dilations mixtape. I present to you with Part Two. This second half is more homogenous genre-wise (house / electro / techno). Opening (the intro might sound familiar...) and closing things up is Canblaster. I'm a big fan.

Now for the true origin behind the title "Dilations"; I've always been a big sci-fi fan (yes, moment of truth). Lots of times when you have a story (take the original Planet Of The Apes film, for example) about persons traveling through space, there's always the acceleration and time dilation factor of getting from Point A to Point B, since space is super vast and travel takes forever. In a matter of a few Earth years, Charlton Heston's crew travelled 1,000s of years through space since they had the means to move at lightspeed. They barely aged but (spoiler alert) ended up waaaay in the future. You can Google the rest on time dilation; for now check out this Dilations' Point B. 

Dilations (Part Two) by Heavy Accents #3

or

Download Dilations (Part Two)

MediaFire

(43 min | 59 mb)

MIXTAPE: Dilations (Part One)

It's been quite some time, eh internets? Cutting off the radio silence and comin' back at ya with the first part (of two) in my latest mixtape series, Dilations. Part one + part two will eventually fit together to create a cohesive 1 hr 20 min whole (tempo-wise, at least) showcasing the latest beats on my radar, mid-2011.

Check out Part One below; although it might open in a disco direction, the mixtape is really conveying dance music in general. Electro, house and future bass all have a place here. See you soon for Part Two...

Tracklist:
1. B.H.W. - Livin' Up
2. Drop Out Orchestra - Capuchin
3. Blende - One-Sided
4. Cosmic Kids - Reginald's Groove
5. Tiger & Woods - Speed Of Light (feat. Em)
6. Black Van - Moments Of Excellence feat. Holy Ghost! (Aeroplane Remix)
7. Tensnake - Something About You
8. Laid Back - Cocaine Cool
9. Azari & III - Manic
10. SBTRKT - Pharoahs
11. Yuksek - On A Train (The Magician Remix)
12. Metronomy - The Look (Moonlight Matters Remix)
13. The Human League - Night People (Villa Remix)
14. Housemeister - What You Want (Siriusmo Remix)
15. Silver Columns - Always On (Caribou Remix)
16. WIN WIN - Victim feat. Blaqstarr (Gigamesh Remix)
17. L-Vis 1990 - Reprise
18. The Count & Sinden - Future (Canblaster Remix)

Dilations (Part One) by Heavy Accents #2

or

Download Dilations (Part One)
MediaFire

(41 min | 57 mb)

MIXTAPE: Loft Saves The Day (for Dim Mak Studios)

Loft Saves The Day is the first mixtape for the weekly Dim Mak Studios Tuesday party born out of the ashes of Dim Mak Tuesdays at Cinespace. The title is a play on the name of David Mancuso's underground dance party "Love Saves The Day" at his infamous venue/living space, The Loft, back in the 1970s in New York.

This mixtape is only a snippet of some of the sounds you might hear at DMS, but emphasis on the snippet part. Come join us for our special guests and catch me spinning the opening set every week, more info at Dim Mak!

Tracklist
1. Siriusmo - High Together (Album Version)
2. Munk - Violent Love (The Twelves remix)
3. Ali Love - Diminishing Returns (Azari & III Remix)
4. Hercules And Love Affair - I Can't Wait
5. Corinne - Dream A Little Dream (Midnight Magic Remix)
6. Jesse Rose - You Know It
7. Moullinex - Love It Is, Then
8. Adele - Rolling In The Deep (Prince Club House Mix)
9. Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers (The Magician Remix)
10. Breakbot - Shades Of Black
11. Holy Ghost! - It's Not Over
12. Subskrpt - We'll Be Fine
13. Black Rose - Anthem
14. Louis La Roche - Be Brave
15. The Human League - Never Let Me Go (Aeroplane Remix)
16. Bag Raiders - Way Back Home (Club Version feat. Duane Harden)
17. Classixx - Into The Valley (feat. Karl Dixon)
18. Solid Groove - Throwing Stones
19. T.E.E.D. - Garden (Jesse Rose Remix)
20. Round Table Knights - Cut To The Top feat. Reverend Beat-Man
21. Foster the People – Helena Beat
22. Vostok-1 - What Should We Do Tonight (Lovers Song)
23. Cassius - La Mouche (Vostok-1 Remix)
24. Wolfram - Hold My Breath feat. Holy Ghost
25. Tame Impala - Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind? (Erol Alkan Rework)

Download/Stream Loft Saves The Day
Loft Saves The Day - Dim Mak Studios Mixtape (By Heavy Accents) by DimMakRecords

Creme de la Creme @ Foundation Room (House of Blues L.A.) w/ Blaqstarr

I'm spinning the second hour this coming Friday for Dub Frequency's Creme de la Creme party. Here's what they have to say:

Creme de la Creme will take over the Foundation Room on Friday the 22nd for a special performance by Blaqstarr. Blaqstarr keeps bringing that B-more club bounce with his new mixtape dropping April 12th. He has toured alongside Diplo, M.I.A., Rye Rye, and produced and recorded with Mos Def, Switch, and many more. Catch opening sets by Jack Davey, Heavy Accents, and Manboy.

This will be about the 4th or 5th time I've opened for Blaqstarr. Trippy. Don't miss out!

10pm-2am
21+
Free with RSVP
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Top 10 Picks for Coachella 2011

Arranged in chronological order according to each band's first inception. This Top 10 includes several acts that I think are highly underrated and/or may be missed this coming weekend. Scroll down the list and see if any of these fantastic artists float your boat with your Coachella plans:

1. Big Audio Dynamite
Mick Jones' side project from The Clash. He caught hip-hop fever in America in the 80s and (at least what I'd like to believe) pioneered the rap-rock hybrid sound early on (and of course The Clash was dabbling in this new rap craze around then as well)

2. The Chemical Brothers
One of the first groups to hook me into electronic dance music back during the Dig Your Own Hole era (Block Rockin' Beats, anyone?). As far as dance music goes, these guys are high up my list. 20 years of bridging together electro, house, hip-hop, psych rock...the list goes on

3. Leftfield
True legends of techno/electronica from the 90s. One of the first groups I heard incorporating heavy African and dub influences into house music. They've only had two proper albums, but both essential to electronic music history

4. Lightning Bolt
Not that I'd be able to compare them to too many other bands personally, but one of the best noise-punk bands there ever was. A bass guitar & drum duo (much like the next band) playing heavy, loud and hard tunes. My guilty pleasure!

5. Death From Above 1979
A pre-MSTRKRFT duo of two really talented dudes playing what I like to call "dance-metal". Dirty yet melodic and dance-y rock with some synth thrown in. They broke up 5 years ago, then got back together for a special tour this year. Once in a lifetime

6. Thao with the Get Down Stay Down
Recently got hooked to this singer-songwriter and her accompanying band. Catchy enough to attract my pop sensibilities, folk-y enough for me to appreciate like indie/alternative musicians providing great, original music in a realm of shitty mass-produced & manufactured music

7. Odd Future
One of the biggest groups of late getting mad buzz. They've successfully entered into the consciousness of online music fans with their self-released horrorcore and the large personalities of its members, some still high school-aged. Whether or not you believe the hype, Tyler The Creator is one troubled yet talented kid that deserves a hip-hop star

8. Tame Impala
Awesome psychedelic/alternative rock from Australia. Be one stoned, tripping on acid or plain sober, the band mesmorizes with its fuzzy guitars, filtered vocals and layered psych sounds. I'm still deciding which state to be in for them

9. Empire of the Sun
Another Australian group on the bill this year but one highly enigmatic, quirky, weird, surreal, electro and pop rock-y. A supergroup (i.e. members from Sleepy Jackson, PNAU) which barely tours but who I heard has an amazing live stage set-up. Can't wait to see this in front of my eyes

10. Foster The People
A rising indie rock group from L.A. with an electronic pop twist. With only a 3-song EP and already landing a Coachella gig within a year or so, these guys can only move on to take over the world, or implode from all the hype. I'm really hoping for the former

9th Annual Filter Yacht Club Coachella Party @ Corona Yacht Club

I've been going to Coachella for the last three years, but this will be my first year out there spinning for the parties. I'll be opening for the Filter Magazine kick-off event on Thursday night (4/14) from 9-11p along with Dim Mak Studios' own Them Jeans and more. I'll be back out there the following Friday afternoon (4/15) from 3-4p for Filter's daytime party at the same location (but new lineup!).

Make sure you RSVP before the list closes. It's going to be pretty nuts...hosted bar, free food, giveaways and special guest performers & DJs. After that you can find me at the festival all weekend long. Let's do this!