2011 Best Albums by RJD

11. City And Colour - "Little Hell" (Vagrant, 6/6/11)

For fans of Jeff Buckley, Elliott Smith, Travis
Choice cuts: The Grand Optimist, Weightless, Silver And Gold


10. Chris Cornell - "Songbook" (UMe, 11/21/11)

For fans of Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple Of The Dog
Choice cuts: As Hope And Promise Fade, Scar On The Sky, Black Hole Sun


9. In Solitude - "The World, The Flesh, The Devil" (Metal Blade, 5/23/11)

For fans of Iron Maiden, King Diamond, Ghost
Choice cuts: Serpents Are Rising, Dance Of The Adversary, On Burning Paths


8. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - "Scandalous" (Lost Highway, 3/15/11)

For fans of The Blues Brothers, James Brown, Otis Redding
Choice cuts: Black Snake, You Been Lyin', Booty City


7. The Black Keys - "El Camino" (Nonesuch, 12/6/11)

For fans of The White Stripes, John Spencer Blues Explosion, R. L. Burnside
Choice cuts: Little Black Submarines, Gold On The Ceiling, Mind Eraser


6. Sean Rowe - "Magic" (Anti-, 2/22/11)

A voice comes along once in a blue moon that grabs your attention at first listen. Sean Rowe has one of these voices. Penned as sounding like Leonard Cohen, Gil Scott-Heron and Al Green, this man from up-state New York croons with his baritone growl throughout his debut Anti- records release "Magic." The album opens with 'Surprise,' a song that showcases Rowe's voice over a simple guitar riff and an ambient background chime. The first three songs retain a slow, relaxing vibe allowing one to soak up his gravely swagger before segueing into the upbeat 'Jonathan.' 'Jonathan' is reminiscent of an Andrew Bird-style tune with great melody and lyrics dealing with angst as he sings "I lit the dash I took my sunglasses off, I like to see that fucker glow." Truly bad ass!
Choice cuts: Wet, Jonathan, American


5. Opeth - "Heritage" (Roadrunner, 9/20/11)

Sweden's greatest band ever (sorry ABBA) return with an album entirely void of "cookie monster" vocals. "Heritage" is much different than any prior Opeth album and the progressive rock influence of bands like King Crimson, Genesis and ELP are heard throughout. Mikael Akerfeldt's vocal transitions from gutteral roars to singing has always been one off my favorite attributes to Opeth's unmistakable death metal sound. However, I have always been more of a fan of his great singing voice and this album showcases it brilliantly. Despite the change in tempo, metal brilliance remains on songs like "The Lines In My Hand" with its blastbeat drumming and pummeling bass lines. Plus any band who dedicates a song ("Slither") to the late/great Ronnie James Dio deserves props on any (and all) year end lists. I also dub this album the coolest album cover of 2011.
Choice cuts: The Lines In My Hand, Folklore, Marrow Of The Earth


4. William Elliott Whitmore - "Field Songs" (Anti-, 7/12/11)

Keokuk, Iowa's prodigal son continues to create authentic folk music from the fields of Lee County with his fifth studio release "Field Songs." As the title suggests, "Field Songs" is a folk-opera dealing with hard-working, blue-collar, rural farmers and the days they endure. There is a simplicity to the music in both the lyrics and the hooks surrounding them, however, upon repeated listens, his craft is much more complex. The man who looks like he could grace the cover of Lowrider magazine's tattoo edition, sounds like a bluesman from the deep south in the 30s and his music is just as timeless.
Choice cuts: Not Feeling Any Pain, Bury Your Burdens In The Ground, Everything Gets Gone


3. Tom Waits - "Bad As Me" (Anti-, 10/25/11)

One of the greatest American singer/songwriters has returned with a new album of folk, alternative, Calypso, metal and carnival music all enrolled into one sweet package. Mr. Nick himself continues to incorporate many different instruments and effects creating songs that sound like theme music to a David Lynch film ("Raised Right Men") and others heavier than most modern thrash ("Hell Broke Luce".) This man is a legend and has influenced almost everyone on this list. And with this modern masterpiece, he plans on continuing to do so. At the ripe ol' age of 62, "Bad As Me" is arguably his best album since "Rain Dogs."
Choice cuts: Raised Right Men, Chicago, Hell Broke Luce


2. Primus - "Green Naugahyde" (Prawn Song, 9/13/11)

Primus sucks. Typically an endearing term from Primus fanatics, however their last few LPs were somewhat close to the literal meaning. The first album I ever purchased was Primus' "Sailing The Seas Of Cheese" on cassette. I have thought "Primus sucked" since watching "Jerry Was A Racecar Driver" on Headbangers Ball with Riki Rachtman. Since that time in the early nineties, Primus has not been able to muster up the funk-rock mastery created on their first three studio releases; "Frizzle Fry," "STSOC," and "Pork Soda." Until now. Green Naugahyde is Les Claypool, Larry LaLonde and Jay Lane at their best and sounding like their late 80s self. Lane was an original drummer before "Herb" joined and picks up the skins right where he [may have] left off. Claypool's voice has always been unmistakable and his bass unmatched. While Ler's guitar is yet again the perfect compliment to Les' frantic slapping bass. Primus is back in a big way and they suck more than ever on this little slice of lime pleather.
Choice cuts: Tragedy's a' Comin', Jilly's On Smack, Eternal Consumption Engine


1. Graveyard - "Hisingen Blues" (Nuclear Blast, 4/19/11)


Sweden has three of the best artists creating music today; Opeth, The Tallest Man On Earth and Graveyard. Hailing from Gothenberg, also known as the epicenter of Swedish Death Metal, Graveyard is not your typical Gothenberg act. Their music sounds like it comes directly from the pipes of Roger Daltrey and the strings of Richie Blackmore. Even more impressive, the songs on "Hisingen Blues" are better than a lot of music the band obviously used as inspiration. Songs like "Ain't Fit To Live Here" bring to mind old Zeppelin glory with Joakim Nilsson's voice sounding like a youthful Robert Plant and "Uncomfortably Numb" (possibly the worst song title of the year) is actually one of the best songs of the year with it's melodic chorus and guitar outro reminiscent of Skynyrd's "Free Bird." Fans of 60s/70s classic rock should feel comfort in that excellent music is still being produced in a world filled with Lady Gaga and Daughtry pop-shite. Despite the quality of albums this past year, "Hisingen Blues" is still easily my "best" album of 2011 (and the best I've heard in half a decade!) Rocka loss lägga Graveyard!
Choice cuts: Uncomfortably Numb, Ain't Fit To Live Here, RSS, The Siren, Buying Truth



Best songs of 2011:
1. Opeth - "The Throat Of Winter"
2. Primus - "Tragedy's A' Comin'"
3. Graveyard - "Uncomfortably Numb"
4. The Black Keys - "Little Black Submarine"
5. Tom Waits - "Raised Right Men"
6. Man Man - "Shameless"
7. William Elliott Whitmore - "Bury Your Burdens In The Ground"
8. Megadeth - "Never Dead"
9. A Pale Horse Named Death - "When Crows Descend Upon You"
10. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - "Black Snake"
11. Florence + The Machine - "Lover To Lover"