the top 5 records of 2011.

Childish Gambino - Camp/EP

Out of all the records that came out this year, both of these dominated my playlist. All of the elements of good flow along with super witty and intelligent hip hop without all the bullshit posturing and posing. Plenty of hip references to things like Tumblr, the movie Amelie and Pete wentz to keep the LOLz rolling all while injecting a sincere vulnerability that is sorely missing from hip hop.

Fireworks - Gospel

You know those people that hate children but love the fuck out of their kid niece? That’s what this record is to me. The current state of pop punk is banal and embarrassing at best. This record cuts though that shit and rises to the top with a two-finger point and a refreshing smiling fuck you. Undeniably catchy with a hardcore mentality, pop backbone and punk sentimentally all bend together to make this the underdog record of the year.

Rotting Out - Street Prowl

Hardcore is yawn-worthy. The idea of screaming words that need to be screamed is now formulaic and has lost all of its meaning. There are very few bands out there who scream because the words need to be screamed and even fewer bands with the intensity to make me believe it. This record has all rage teeth-gritting screams of a Youth of Today record coupled with the mexi-madness of early Suicidal Tendencies. They make me believe it.

OFF! - First Four EPs

The original singer of Black Flag, Keith Morris decided to get a bunch of his old punk friends together and continue where the Nervous Breakdown 7” left off. What sets this apart from the rest of the “old timers” rehashing their glory days is that Keith Morris never lost that rage. He never dropped off or wrote some singer-songwriter bullshit along the way. Dude has been consistently pissed since the 70s and never let up. If I played this for you and said it was side B to the NB 7”, you would never know the difference.

Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones

I challenge you to find a record that came out this year that is more ethically punk than this. And while the word “punk” might conjure images of petulant little kids with bad haircuts and awful fashion sense, there are a handful of true punk innovators out there using their time, love, and art to tear down out-of-touch traditions and stifling social roles. This record is not so much inspirational anthems as much as it is a well-needed kick in the ass, a pink slip of self-expectation, and the acoustic fury of a Black Flag record.