2011 Top 10: Dylan Newell
Posted 01/07/2012 05:04AM by Dylan Newell as Top 10
It’s a sad fact, but this year I’ve been so busy that I really haven’t gotten around to listening to everything I wanted to during the year. Sure, I listen to a lot of dubstep and electronic shit now (I ADMIT IT!), but I still spin everything else I usually do. This list may not be perfect in my opinion, but it’s a nice compilation of what I’ve listened to the most and liked the most this year. It may not be based significantly on the talent or how great a record is, but more so what I’ve enjoyed and continued to enjoy after I liked it.
1. The Wonder Years - Suburbia I've Given You All And Now I'm Nothing
I’m a sucker for The Wonder Years, and it’s no surprise that they took my top spot this year. I instantly loved this record on the first listen and continued to love it more with each listen. It’s enjoyable pop punk that makes you feel good. As they did with last year’s The Upsides, they have made a completely relatable record to my life that makes it easy to connect with how these guys feel about life sometimes. I also loved seeing these guys on Warped Tour and hope to catch them again this year.
2. The Devil Wears Prada - Dead Throne
A solid metalcore record from a band I’ve enjoyed from their start. Hate them all you want, but this is well written music from some talented guys. I’m excited to see where these guys go with their next release.
3. I Am The Avalanche - Avalanche United
A record that’s been in the making for a while (with some leaked demos a few years ago), I instantly clicked with this follow-up to one of my favorite records of all time, their self-titled record. It’s good music, and I’m glad these guys finally have a solid label that’s going to support them. Hopefully the next record will come sooner than later.
4. Letlive - Fake History (Deluxe Edition)
Okay, I cheated on this one. I really didn’t dig this record last year, and I started to listen to it at the beginning of this year when suddenly it clicked with me why it’s so great in everyone else’s eyes. I listened to this record every day for a good month and a half and still jam this new version with the three added tracks. I’m hoping to hear more new music from these guys in the coming year or so.
5. Childish Gambino – Camp
I’ve been riding the Donald Glover/Childish Gambino bandwagon this year and thoroughly enjoyed this release more than anything else he’s done. It’s some good rap music that white people can say they like and not have to be “gangster”.
6. Big Sean - Finally Famous
Okay, now my guilty pleasure of the year. This record was highly anticipated by me after hearing Sean’s mixtapes that led up to this release. At first I thought it wasn’t that great and set it aside for quite a while (except a few select songs that were spot on). Eventually, I learned to enjoy this record more and listened to it quite a bit over the summer and fall. G.O.O.D. Music also saw releases from The Throne (Jay-Z and Kanye) and Common which I also enjoyed, but I haven’t listened to them as much as I did this record.
7. The Black Dahlia Murder – Ritual
I haven’t really listened to this record as much as I usually would as far as these guys go, but I really dig the direction they took with it and thought it was one of the better records they’ve released. A solid effort from these guys, and I hope to hear more from them soon.
8. Bayside - Killing Time
Bayside is one of my favorite bands, and I really liked this record. I just didn’t like it as much as I have their past records. Don’t get me wrong, though; it had some solid tracks, and I listened to it quite a bit.
9. Betrayal – Abandonment
One of my guilty pleasure metalcore records that I jammed every day for a while. Very much along the lines of The Ghost Inside, I instantly dug this record and jammed it during the summer quite a bit.
10. Bury Your Dead - Mosh 'N' Roll
The return of my favorite Bury Your Dead sound that makes this record grab the tail end of my list. Enjoyable metalcore that brings back their old sound and Mat Bruso on vocals.
Honorable Mentions:
Between The Buried And Me - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues
Close Your Eyes - Empty Hands and Heavy Hearts
Counterparts - The Current Will Carry Us
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
Taking Back Sunday - Taking Back Sunday
Comments
Kansas
Reppin Betrayal. That's awesome.
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Fishers, Indiana
A nice list, but no electronic music at all?!
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Reno, NV
He's smarter than I thought. I was surprised by this list Dylan, as I was expecting some sort of dubstep as well. More hardcore and metal than I thought you were into. Nice overall list. Mosh n' Roll for life. Haha. I dug that record too, as well as Close Your Eyes. I still need to give Letlive some more time. I did not like it at all last year, and listened to a couple songs this year and it sounded better. Maybe third time I will get it.
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Illinois
Well electronic music is mostly single tracks or EPs. It's hard to add stuff that isn't full length to a year end list, even though I did consider nero's album to be a pretty decent release. I'd like to make a top 20 electronic tracks of last year thing, but I doubt I'll have the time so no empty promises on that
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Yeah, that Nero album is decent.
I've only just started listening to Betrayal and that album is good. As a long time Bury your Dead fan, I was pretty disappointed with their latest outing. That Letlive album... I still can't understand the hype. There's about one song I like on it. Bayside was great. I'll have to go back to that Devil Wears Prada album to give it another spin...
Columbus, OH
Yeah I listened to a ton of dubstep and progressive house, but I agree the electronic scene is more about songs/remixes than albums.
Also, I loved that Big Sean album over the summer. It has since fallen out of my rotation, but it was a nice surprise.
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One