Five Songs from 2011

[arch_scrivener]

Not all of them were first recorded in 2011, but that's the year I discovered and/or enjoyed the hell out of them. Here are five of my favorite songs from last year, in no particular order.

• "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele
  
• "The Golden Age" by Asteroid Galaxy Tour
  
• "Wicked World" by Laura Jansen
  
• "Sing" by My Chemical Romance
  
• "Dog Days Are Over" by

Comments

[schroedingerbat]

As you well know, my musical tastes are myriad, so much of what follows won't surprise. I'll apply the same criterion you did: not all recorded/released 2011, but that's when they occupied my headspace significantly for the first time.

1. "Moneygrabber" by Fitz and The Tantrums - This one hit me like a freight train when I heard it on 103.7 FM while driving; arguably one of the tightest new songs I've heard in recent memory.

2. Seconding your vote for Florence + The Machine, but the one that caught me most was "Shake It Out". I hope they persist for a while and develop their sound; I like the contrast forced onto the Auto-tuned Top-40 by their obvious virtuosity.

3. "Lover Lover" by Jerrod Niemann - a mainstream country minor hit that caught my attention for its faithful and talented reinterpretation of an old favorite by Sonia Dada, "Lover [You Dont Treat Me No Good No More]"

4. "Higher Ground" by Playing for Change - this collaborative project has been around for a while now (their version of "Stand By Me" from 2008 is transcendent), and they do a great job with this Stevie Wonder classic.

5. "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" by Ashley Cleveland - the song itself is one of my top 5 favorite hymns of all time; her version of it is a wonderfully different variation on the classic. Seeing her play live at our church was great; she's got a bluesy voice, and, by using to sing spirituals and hymns, she reverses the musical transition that gave the blues structure in the first place.