Sexta-feira 10 Jun 2011, 15h:37

Middle of the year. Hurricanes about to pop up, time for a review of my past 6 months in music.

1. PJ Harvey: Let England Shake
This is the first time PJ leads an over-months chart. In 2000 she placed "Stories from the city, Stories from the Sea" at n°2 for the year-end chart, and in 1998, "Is this desire?" ended at n°6.
Playcount: 673.
For the record, the track "On battleship hill" takes 235 counts alone.

2. The Weeknd: House of balloons
To be sincere, this album ranks at #2 because of the track "High for this", which I'm hooked to.
Playcount: 121.

3. Nicolas Jaar: Space is only noise
His album is a silent hit, meaning it still has potential for great airplay.
Playcount: 119.

4. Lykke Li: Wounded Rhymes
I'm not convinced, but well, this is easy pop. So it makes the cake when you're up for it.
Playcount: 89.

5. The Caretaker: An Empty Bliss Beyond This World
RECOMMENDED
This is just in. Already n°5, and we must watch him! That is, it is safe to say, a real new-old way to make ambient music. And I like it, I really do.
Playcount: 57.

6. Tim Hecker: Ravedeath, 1972
A nice surprise, ambient is in a very very good shape this year.
Playcount: 56.

7. Desolate: The Invisible Insurrection
Another ambiant undergrounder, anyway closer to Burial than the caretaker.
Playcount: 54.

8. K-S.H.E.: Routes Not Roots
RECOMMENDED
This is DJ Sprinkle behind the scene, with his incomparable house. And I love the album title. When Faithless just left the ring.
Playcount: 49.

9. Big K.R.I.T.: Return of 4eva
Very good rap. Rare enough in 2011 to be mentioned.
Playcount: 45.

10. not relevant yet.

Behind the airplays, what I would recommend you is
The Caretaker
K-S.H.E.
The Antlers
Fleet Foxes (I like this album better than the previous one)

And Burial didn't release a full LP yet, but I really like "Street Halo EP" (150+ plays). I didn't enjoy the track with Thom Yorke. But Burial is definitely my artist of the decade!