The 10 Best Americana Albums of 2011
If you ask a critic or music fan to define Americana, be prepared for an avalanche of diverse responses of opinion. Still, superb songwriting is essential.
If you ask a critic or music fan to define Americana, be prepared for an avalanche of diverse responses of opinion. Is the definition found in the pastoral lyrical sensibilities of a song? If so, then Fleet Foxes, Megafaun, and William Elliott Whitmore certainly qualify. Or is the genre better served by songwriters of a confessional ilk? Then welcome Bright Eyes, Mount Moriah, and Tift Merritt to the fold. Some think Americana acts need be of the downtrodden, sad-bastard variety. If that suits your qualifications, check out the Civil Wars and the venerable Will Oldham. However, if you want to keep things on the sunny side, then there are bands for you too: Del McCoury Band, Those Darlins, and Ry Cooder are there to keep the positivity flowing.
The 75 Best Songs of 2011
Nostalgia Alert! Jump back a decade and enjoy the best songs of 2011. They are headlined by a synthpop classic, a massive hit from a hot diva, pristine harmonies of a young band headed for greatness.
75. They Might Be Giants – “Can’t Keep Johnny Down”
They Might Be Giants aficionados might have guessed that co-leader John Linnell had a fondness for the Smiths when the band released their rarity “Save Your Life”, which sounds suspiciously like a Smiths style parody. “Can’t Keep Johnny Down” isn’t quite as literal a Smiths tribute Linnell sings in his own voice, not a fake English accent, and the bouncing keyboard melody is more TMBG than Morrissey but the song’s malcontent narrator, singing about imagined triumphs over imagined slights, hits a similarly sweet-and-sour tone. Then again, marrying catchy melodies to dark lyrics has always been their specialty; this instant classic proves it’s a talent undiminished by time.
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