Top Albums/Songs of 2011

[Portia]

I buy few albums, so here are my noms for top songs of 2011.

"Rumour Has It," Adele. I find her to be so much more than just a hearkening back to Motwon/Dionne Warwick/British Invasion. She's a truly modern artist, a gifted singer-songwriter, and apparently kills it live, too.
"Something's Coming," Darren Criss & "Buenos Aires," Lindsay Pearce. After a so-bad-it-was-hilarious sophomore season, Glee has come back with a mostly solid season (hmm, guess Mr. Murphy has discovered something called "writers" and not "Shakespeare-typing monkeys"), with must-download-now music nearly every episode. These two songs illustrate what the show does best: Broadway showtunes filled with longing, anticipation, and white-knuckle ambition.
"Rox in the Box," The Decemberists. One of two bands that got me out to their live show this year. So good I took a stab at translating it into French. Love, heartache, [economic injustice of mining industry], love, wait, what? Yeah, the Decemberists never limit themselves to any kind of predictable genre.
"The Lady Is a Tramp," Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga. I like this Lady Gaga, the Stefani behind the freakin' egg. She can sing, and she interprets the lyrics to make the song have lyrical oomph. And it's Tony Bennett, a legend from a generation that won't be around much longer.
"Living Dangerously," Sondre Lerche. This man can do no wrong in my book. His lyrics are intensely literary, his voice (that voice!) is the perfect acoustic-guitar-pianist-dude's voice, and his albums just make me happy. When people in their mid-twenties complain about a passed era in music, and start acting curmudgeonly, it's THIS genre we miss.

Favorite Christmas Album:
"Joy to the World," Pink Martini. The other band I saw live this year. Schedryk alone would be worth the purchase. This is the kind of classy, jazzy, will-still-sound-good-in-January album to have playing while you serve mocktail martinis in a pencil skirt to celebrate the return of Mad Men in March.

[Katya]

Favorite Christmas Album:
"Joy to the World," Pink Martini. The other band I saw live this year. Schedryk alone would be worth the purchase. This is the kind of classy, jazzy, will-still-sound-good-in-January album to have playing while you serve mocktail martinis in a pencil skirt to celebrate the return of Mad Men in March.

I listened to part of this on iTunes, but I'm not yet sold on it. Apparently I have very strong opinions where Christmas music is concerned.

[Portia]

Favorite Christmas Album:
"Joy to the World," Pink Martini. The other band I saw live this year. Schedryk alone would be worth the purchase. This is the kind of classy, jazzy, will-still-sound-good-in-January album to have playing while you serve mocktail martinis in a pencil skirt to celebrate the return of Mad Men in March.

I listened to part of this on iTunes, but I'm not yet sold on it. Apparently I have very strong opinions where Christmas music is concerned.

I've rather enjoyed your blogs on Christmas music! I definitely prefer jazz-oriented "standards" around the holidays: for instance, "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" is hands down my favorite. Do you like more choral style carols, or do you just not care for China Forbes' voice?

[Imogen]

Adele and Amy Winehouse's albums made my year worth it.

[Katya]

Favorite Christmas Album:
"Joy to the World," Pink Martini. The other band I saw live this year. Schedryk alone would be worth the purchase. This is the kind of classy, jazzy, will-still-sound-good-in-January album to have playing while you serve mocktail martinis in a pencil skirt to celebrate the return of Mad Men in March.

I listened to part of this on iTunes, but I'm not yet sold on it. Apparently I have very strong opinions where Christmas music is concerned.

I've rather enjoyed your blogs on Christmas music! I definitely prefer jazz-oriented "standards" around the holidays: for instance, "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" is hands down my favorite. Do you like more choral style carols, or do you just not care for China Forbes' voice?

I like other Pink Martini stuff well enough, so I don't think it's her voice. I don't know what it is about jazz style Christmas carols; I like them in theory, but I often dislike them in practice. But part of that may be because it takes me a long time to warm up to unusual recordings of songs I know well. So, I love the Vince Guaraldi Christmas album because I know it so well from the Charlie Brown Christmas special, but it's taking me longer to warm up to Dave Brubecks's Christmas album (despite the fact that I love Take Five).