YEAR IN REVIEW: Albums of 2011: 50-41

	50. CANT - Dreams Come True When Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor and musician Twin Shadow decided to work together on a side project, expectations were always going to be high. What came out of it was a dark, complex album which, although didn't feel immediately accessible to the listener, had lots of deeper enjoyment, the more the record grew on you. The production values are second to none. DOWNLOAD: Answer
	49. British Sea Power - Valhalla Dancehall With Valhalla Dancehall, the Brighton band stayed true to their excellent track record and created yet another stellar album, filled with good old fashion rock and roll. With their down-to-earth lyricism and sing-a-long choruses in tow, BSP were onto another winner following the brilliant Do You Like Rock Music? Being released in January, I could have easily forgotten about it, but it sticks out in my mind as one of the finest English rock albums of '11. DOWNLOAD: Mongk II
	48. Johnny Foreigner - Johnny Foreigner Vs. Everything A relatively long time had past since their 2nd, slightly disappointing, album, so Johnny Foreigner had a lot to prove with this one. What they offered was a continuation of the output they had thus far, with a more matured edge. The band show their noise-punk sensibilities while displaying a calmer, more grounded side at the same time, which suits them perfectly. DOWNLOAD: 200x
	47. Times New Viking - Dancer Equired! Lo-fi heroes Times New Viking's third LP Dancer Equired! is exactly what you expect it to be; a fun-filled garage-punk record that goes at full-throttle all the way through. The record has a juvenile mentality that makes it just a joy to listen to. DOWNLOAD: Fuck Her Tears
	46. IceAge - New Brigade IceAge are, without a doubt, my favourite new band from Denmark. New Brigade showed great promise from the band with a raw punk spirit shining so bright, which is rare these days. There are no tracks above the 3-minute mark, and it feels like an assault on the ears that you actually encourage because of the quality of the sounds being thrown at you. DOWNLOAD: Broken Bone
	45. Childish Gambino - Camp Pitchfork be damned, Camp is a really, really enjoyable hip hop record. Childish Gambino's word play is second to none, even if his subject areas might be a little limited. The self-produced commercial debut showed that actor Donald Glover has what it takes to be taken seriously, finally, among his fellow hip hop contemporaries. DOWNLOAD: Heartbeat
	44. Washed Out - Within and Without Within and Without had a lot riding on it, "chillwave" was at the peak of its popularity at the time it was released, and Washed Out was the poster boy for the genre, in a sense. Within and Without delivered on it's promise, in a large sense. It provided the perfect soundtrack for the summer days spend hanging out at the beach and for barbecues. Ernest Greene's vocals flow in and out of pulsing synth rhythms to create quite an atmosphere. All the potential that was on display in EP Life of Leisure is shown here in a large abundance, and then some. DOWNLOAD: Before
	43. James Blake - James Blake Even though James Blake didn't necessarily hold true to the promise that his EP's showed musically, his debut LP was still a wonderful, chilling collection of songs, which highlighted his talent both as an electronic producer and as a vocalist and all-round great musician. His use of minimalism really evokes a feeling of isolation throughout the music, but he makes it feel soulful using his great voice. His performance of The Wilhelm Scream on Jools Holland still gives me chills. DOWNLOAD: The Wilhelm Scream
	42. Total Slacker - Thrashin' Total Slacker are a bratty bunch of hip young musicians who fully embrace the lifestyle their moniker to the full extent. Thrashin' is a bible for those of the "slacker" disposition, tackling all of the issues encountered throughout the typical day of a slacker. The music is a throwback to music of the 90's, and it's played very, very well. For more information, read my feature here. DOWNLOAD: Magical Date Night
	41. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact When an album starts things off with a song that totals over 11 minutes, you know you're onto something special. Eye Contact follows through on the promise by providing one of the biggest roller coaster rides of electronic music that 2011 has had to offer. Searing vocals pervade through every surface of Adult Goth, and intermissions are needed throughout the album just to calm down from what your ears have just experienced. DOWNLOAD: Adult Goth

IN APPRECIATION OF 2011: Total Slacker

Sure, their music might be a little shallow; sure, they may be juvenile, and sure, they are far from original at this point in time. It doesn't stop Total Slacker's Thrashin' being one of the most down-right fun records of 2011. Total Slacker's sense of humour and attitude are what helps make this record stand out in my mind as one of my favourites of the past year.

The Brooklyn trio's grungy garage punk album came out in September to a warm reception, but it gained cult recognition from fans of bratty lo-fi 90's throwbacks, a la Yuck, the world over. With drum beats provided by Ross Condon, little brother of Beirut's Zach Condon, and a big backing from the likes of similar natured Wavves, Total Slacker certainly have a lot going for them.

Thrashin' has the '90's written all over it. From their fuzz-filled riffs, to the many, many references to all things 90's in the lyrics,  Total Slacker try their very best to hold on to those days. Their song "Stuck in '93" is obviously the prime example of their desire to revisit that decade, with a chorus of "I wish that I could be / stuck in 93 / Everyone is so cool / Makes you want to drool". Now, you might look at those lyrics and think that any other band wouldn't be able to sing them seriously, but frontman Tucker Rountree does so in an effortless way that makes it flow by without you even raising an eyebrow.

The album is full of addictive hooks and bouncy bass-lines. An obvious huge influence on the music is that of Weezer, with much of the hooks and guitar work echoing those of the pioneers of the 90's. That being said, the most obvious influence on their music is Nirvana. It's safe to say that Mr Rountree & co. are just a little bit fond of the Seattle grunge legends. Total Slacker is like a more up-beat, poppy version of Nirvana, who have been submerged in an abundance of pop culture of yore, so much that it extenuates through every track of the album.

The whole album tells the story of not caring, and being lazy, but the irony is the fact that the music is played so well that they must care a little bit, otherwise the music would sound like shit. 'No Mo 4Loko' tells the familiar story of waking up in the mid-afternoon after a heavy night drinking, in this case specifying the infamous American alco-pop Four Loko. With the uncanny riff of Smells Like Teen Spirit to carry it along, this song is the epitome of the Total Slacker mantra.

With only just over 20,000 scrobbles on Last.fm, It baffles me why more people don't listen to Total Slacker. Believe me, Thrashin'  is worth your time. Even if the attitude of the band doesn't resonate with you, the music will.