2011: Halfway Through – Best Albums of the First Half of the Year By Andrew Hamlin – UPDATED 8/2/2011

Sorry for the lateness on the halftime update. I met someone wonderful and lost track of time. Below find my picks for the Best Albums Of The First Half Of 2011 (plus links to selected cuts):

Eleventh Dream Day: Riot Now!

New York Dolls: Dancing Backward In High Heels

Bill Callahan: Apocalypse

SYCH (Wally Shoup, C. Spencer Yeh, Chris Corsano, Bill Horist): Lunar Roulette

Joe Rigby Quartet: For Harriet

Low: C’mon

Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams

Gang Of Four: Content

Freddie Hubbard: Pinnacle Live & Unreleased: From Keystone Korner

Faust: Something Dirty

Comments and additions encouraged!

– Andrew Hamlin

Q: The Clash were kind of the whipping boys for post-punkers, weren’t they? They represented the relapse into traditional rock’n’roll and American musical values.

A: Yes, PiL to me made more interesting music than the Clash. I only ever owned the Clash’s first album, as I’m sure many people only ever owned the Raincoats’ first album–that initial splash of energy was very much the signature of the time.

–The Raincoats’ Gina Birch, interviewed by Simon Reynolds for Reynolds’ book “Totally Wired: Postpunk Interviews and Overviews”

UPDATED August 2, 2011:

Two albums I left off my Top Ten and probably should have put on: “Several Shades Of Why” by J. Mascis and “We’re New Here” by Gil
Scott-Heron and Jamie xx.

Late-breaking discoveries I’m encouraging folks to hear: “Silhouette” by Catherine MacLellan and “Out On The Open West” by Frank Fairfield.

Sound mighty good on first listen: “Join Us” by They Might Be Giants, “Sky Full Of Holes” by Fountains Of Wayne, “Standing On The Rooftop” by Madeleine Peyroux.

Look forward to hearing: Paul Simon, Journey, Yes, Emmylou Harris, Cars, Danger Mouse, Richard Youngs, PiL, Viv Albertine, Rush

Keep those cards and letters coming in folks,

Andy