jonathanbogart:

Best of 2011 (So Far!) According to Tumblr: An 8Tracks Mix

P.S.

While I was writing this up, I got three more suggestions from Dean, which I’ll have to thumbnail from Youtube listens. But meanwhile, he’s compiling his own similar mix, so go forth and suggest!

32b. Drake ft. Nicki Minaj “Make Me Proud” (here)

Not sure whether my distaste for the condescending “I’m so proud of you” hook is due to my distaste for Drake or my barely-adequate feminism, but this surprised me by how propulsive it is (uptempo Drake songs always do). Nicki is of course the highlight, but she hardly gets to do anything.

32c. Kurt Vile “Baby’s Arms” (here)

Indie rockers too often can’t win for losing with me, as I’m equally likely to turn with a shudder from snotty, snarling punk as I am to roll my eyes at the somnolent classicism they get up to when they’re not being abrasive. I know nothing about Kurt Vile, but I was expecting (and I don’t know why) abrasive punk; while this shimmering country-rock lullaby is much nicer than that, it’s still too navel-gazing and lazy (really, that’s your chorus?) for me to really embrace it.

32d. The Weeknd “Loft Music” (here)

The first three minutes are a nice half-baked version of The-Dream; the ambient, wordless croons of the second three minutes are pretty to listen to, but unless I’m supposed to be engaged in specific activities with this as the soundtrack, he’s kind of lost me.

(Edit: Ugh, this is why I listened to the original mix several times over the course of several days. I’m way too quick to dismiss on first listen.)

My selections were not well liked by Jonathan! I’ll have to stand tall for these songs when I get to my own end-of-year round-up, though on reflection, maybe I overrated ‘Make Me Proud’. Still a good jam though.