CUCKOO'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2011

People keep saying new music is crap but I don't believe it. Out of the 50 albums or so that I reviewed this year, I can honestly say I'd recommend atleast 80% of them which is pretty good. Granted I did do some digging to find some of this stuff...but it's worth it when you find it.

It wasn't that tough a decision to narrow down my top 10 seeing as I awarded only 10 albums with 5 "stars".

(click on the names for the mini-reviews)

10. BLUE SKY BLACK DEATH / Noir

9. THE CURE / Bestival Live 2011

8. PJ HARVEY / Let England Shake

7. THE WAR ON DRUGS / Slave Ambient

6. VESPERTINA / The Waiting Wolf

5. TOM WAITS / Bad As Me

4. ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD / Knife Man

3. LYDIA LOVELESS / Indestructible Machine

2. LYKKE LI / Wounded Rhymes

1. FRANK TURNER / England Keep My Bones


Some honorable mentions go to:

BANG DATA / Maldito Carnaval
BLINK-182 / Neighborhoods
DIRTY BEACHES / Badlands
DOOMTREE / No Kings
DUM DUM GIRLS / Only In Dreams
DAVID LYNCH / Crazy Clown Time
JEFF MARTIN 777 / The Ground Cries Out
PUSCIFER / Conditions Of My Parole
ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS / Songs Of Man
VARIOUS ARTISTS / Drive (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

TOM WAITS / Bad As Me [2011]

Most artists would be treading water in the dinosaur pool of rockstardom when they're 40 years into their musical career. Not Tom Waits.
Sounding just as fresh as he did on Rain Dogs and Swordfishtrombones, Waits' 2011 album Bad As Me captures that bourbon soaked, bat-shit crazy attitude that still remains untouched by the sands of time. A fine little collection of 13 short songs, Bad As Me charges by so quickly and with such fierce, heartbreaking demeanor it demands back-to-back repeat listens a plenty.
This is Waits at some of his best songwriting in over a decade and easily one of the best albums of the year.

5 swings down from the gallows out of 5

Songs Of Note: Talking At The Same Time; Pay Me