Underneath the Pine/Smoke Ring for My Halo/Share the Joy/Yuck

Underneath the Pine - Toro y Moi (Carpark, 2011)
In 2010, Toro y Moi mastermind Chazwick Bundick released Causers of This, a fine debut LP that easily fit under the chillwave subgenre. Apparently, didn't want to mess around, for he has already released the follow-up, Underneath the Pine, which just might be the best record to be released so far in 2011. While there are definite similarities between the two albums, Underneath the Pine is advanced in all the right ways, thus making it superior. The chillwave title has been shed from these songs, as they sound more like slightly psychedelic, smooth, midtempo and upbeat R&B jams. It seems like Bundick assembled a band for this recording, and they are very good musicians putting on great performances to tape. Every song here is good, but "New Beat" is one of the three best songs I've heard so far this year.


Smoke Ring for My Halo - Kurt Vile (Matador, 2011)
The Kurt Vile hype unsuspectedly caught me in its grasp, and I am glad for it. I started with last year's Square Shells EP, which featured one lengthy psych jam session amongst several gorgeous folk ballads ala a grittier Nick Drake or maybe even what I imagine Springsteen's Nebraska might sound like. Smoke Ring for My Halo, Vile's fourth full length, doesn't sound much different from that, aside from the fact that songs are even better. The production on these songs is both warm and eerie, which adds up to perfect. Vile's melodies are insanely good, and his flawed voice makes them even cooler. Smoke Ring for My Halo presents a brand of folk music that I can really get behind, especially with an album opener like "Baby's Arms," which is also one of the three best songs I've heard in 2011.


Share the Joy - Vivian Girls (Polyvinyl, 2011)
2009's Everything Goes Wrong was the album where Vivian Girls truly arrived, in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, their 2008 self-titled debut features some of their greatest moments, but Everything Goes Wrong was a real album's album. On Share the Joy, their Polyvinyl debut, the gals go back to simply releasing a collection of songs that may or may not all work together (I'm still on the fence about this). There are a number of details on the album that prove that it is a transitional one. That some of the songs have taken an even more 50s doo-wop twist is interesting. Unsurprisingly (though not necessarily a good thing for a band like this), the production has gotten even better. The reverbed guitars are the best on a Viv Girls album yet. Most of the songs are good if not great, but there are some corny moments that I have a hard time getting over. Also, Cassie Ramone's voice sounds like it has gotten worse, which is another problem for me. It sounds like the gals are having a difficult time deciding which direction they want to go in, and Share the Joy suffers a little bit from that. But, I still enjoy it, and at the very least, it turns out that "I Heard You Say" is one of the absolute greatest tunes the Vivs have composed.


Yuck - Yuck (Fat Possum, 2011)
It's weird to me that an English band like Yuck is so blatantly inspired by American alternative rock from the 1990s. On their self-titled debut LP, there are pretty obvious nods to the likes of Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins, maybe even The Lemonheads, The Vaselines or even Gin Blossoms at some points. When a really good band also happens to be full of shameless revivalists, I don't usually mind one bit, and that stands with Yuck. Here, there is absolutely nothing challenging or original, but the songs are so good, it doesn't even matter. I could have done with a few less ballads, but that is made up for with all the badassery presented on tracks like "The Wall" and "Operation." And, as for that third song to make the list of the three best songs I've heard from 2011 thus far, it is Yuck opener "Get Away."