Sleigh Bells just finished up their POWERFUL live performance at The Bowery. I tuned into the live stream and turned my headphones up to maximum. After seeing this show, I am a Sleigh Bells fan. They have created a precise math-rock/pop formula that no one can touch. The band’s sophomore LP “Reign of Terror” with killer cover art (below) drops Tuesday next week. Stream the whole thing over at NYTimes. Watch the energetic, 80s nodding, mustard shopping video for “Comeback Kid” below. More images of the band can be seen after the jump. If you want to listen to these guys, watch a live show. Then, go home and listen to their albums on full blast which is totally worth the hearing damage. The band performs on SNL tomorrow night…so tune in.

Here are the 2011 songs we hold near and dear that will surely grace our retro playlists of the future. The top 20 + 32 honorable mentions and a Spotify playlist to boot. Happy listening after the jump.

▼20 “The Piano Drop” – Tim Hecker

▼19 “Exhale” – Beacon

▼18 “NYC” – Burial

▼17 “Within and Without” - Washed Out

▼16 “With U” – Holy Other

▼15 “Street Joy” – White Denim

▼14 “Intro” – M83

▼13 “The Grey Ship” – EMA

▼12 “Dirt” - WU LYF

▼11 “July” – Youth Lagoon

▼10 “So Close to Paradise” – Elite Gymnastics

▼9 “Replica” – Oneohtrix Point Never

▼8 “Surfer’s Hymn” – Panda Bear

▼7 “Lotus Flower” – Radiohead

▼6 “Baby Missiles” – War On Drugs

▼5 “Blue Jeans” – Lana Del Rey

▼4. “Grown Ocean” – Fleet Foxes

▼3 “Believer” – John Maus

▼2 “Midnight City” – M83

▼1 “Holocene” - Bon Iver

▼HONORABLE MENTIONS

“Oblivion” – Grimes
“Swerve…The reeping of all that is worthwhile (Noir not withstanding)” – Shabazz Palaces
“Need You Now” – Cut Copy
“Paradise Circus” – Massive Attack v. Burial
“Baby’s Arms” – Kurt Vile
“Libet’s Delay” – The Caretaker
“Yonkers” – Tyler, The Creator
“House of Baloons – Glass Table Girls” – The Weeknd
“Honey Bunny” – Girls
“Somebody That I Used To Know (Feat. Kimbra)” – Gotye
“Numb” – Clams Casino
“Two Rivers (feat. Heems)” Small Black
“Woe Is Me” – The Walkmen
“It’s Up There” – The Field
“Twisted Mirror” – Pure X
“Epigram” – Tycho
“Little Man” – Little Dragon v. Tycho
“Romantic Streams” – Sleep ∞ Over
“Be The One” – Moby
“Perfect Life” – Belong
“Te Amo” – Atlas Sound
“No Widows” – The Antlers
“Hanging On ” – Active Child
“Tender Mercy” – Au Palais
“The Choke” – Austra
“Bed of Nails” – Wild Beasts
“Black Wizard” – Flower Orgy
“Answers” – College
“Abducted” – Cults
“Beaming Husband” – Geotic
“Before the Bridge” – Future Islands
“Cowboys in the Void” – Quilt

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST << as promised.

Thank you for checking out our list!

I’ve recently finished shooting my black and white/black frame film pack. The change from color to black and white film was a welcome variation and the black frame displays the shot beautifully. I’ve also posted some color shots taken by a fellow Polaroider. Head over to the Polaroid page to view the full set.

2011 has been another great year in music. We have compiled our top 20 favorite albums of the year and honorable mentions. Each of these albums are highly recommended and sure to warrant many repeated listens. View our complete top list after the jump.

20. Within and Without – Washed Out

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19. Father, Son, Holy Ghost – Girls

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18. 936 – Peaking Lights

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17. Smother – Wild Beasts

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16. Tomboy – Panda Bear

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15. With U – Holy Other

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14. Black Up – Shabazz Palaces

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13. Parallax – Atlas Sound

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12. Go Tell Fire to the Mountain – WY LUF

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11. The Year of Hibernation – Youth Lagoon

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10. Quilt – Quilt

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09. Helplessness Blues – Fleet Foxes

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08. Smoke Ring for My Halo – Kurt Vile

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07. Ruin – Elite Gymnastics

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06. Replica – Oneohtrix Point Never

Read our previous post on OPN here

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05. Slave Ambient – The War on Drugs

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04. Bon Iver – Bon Iver

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03. We Must Become the Pitless Centers of Ourselves – John Maus

Read our previous posts on John Maus:

John Maus live at the Mohawk

All About Maus

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02. Hurry Up We’re Dreaming – M83

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01. The King of Limbs – Radiohead

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Honorable Mentions

(in no particular order)

The Rip Tide – Beirut

Zonoscope – Cut Copy

Dive – Tycho

Marissa Nadler – Marissa Nadler

John Maus B Sides – John Maus

Strange Mercy – St. Vincent

On the Water – Future Islands

House of Balloons, Thursday & Echoes of Silence – The Weeknd

Before the Sun Sets – Anoraak

Kaputt – Destroyer

Cults – Cults

Looping State of Mind – The Field

No Body EP – Beacon

Making Mirrors – Gotye

You Are All I See – Active Child

Let England Shake – PJ Harvey

Sun and Shade – Woods

Wounded Rhymes – Lykke Li

Electronic Dream – AraabMuzik

Channel Pressure – Ford & Lopatin

Badlands – Dirty Beaches

Lisbon – The Walkmen

Widowspeak – Widowspeak

Hearts – I Break Horses

Street Halo (HDB013) – Burial

Ego/Mirror (TEXT010) – Burial, Four Tet & Thom Yorke

Video Games b/w Blue Jeans – Lana Del Rey

Inni – Sigur Ros

Moon Killer Mixtape – Small Black

An Empty Bliss Beyond This World – The Caretaker

Pleasure – Pure X

The Magic Place – Juliana Barwick

Feel It Break – Austra

Past Life Martyred Saints – EMA

Burst Apart – The Antlers

Ravedeath, 1972 – Tim Hecker

Top 20

20. Within and Without – Washed Out
19. Father, Son Holy Ghost – Girls
18. 936 – Peaking Lights
17. Smother – Wild Beasts
16. Tomboy – Panda Bear
15. With U – Holy Other
14. Black Up – Shabazz Palaces
13. Parallax – Atlas Sound
12. Go Tell Fire to the Mountain – WY LUF
11. The Year of Hibernation – Youth Lagoon
10. Quilt – Quilt
09. Helplessness Blues – Fleet Foxes
08. Smoke Ring for My Halo – Kurt Vile
07. Ruin – Elite Gymnastics
06. Replica – Oneohtrix Point Never
05. Slave Ambient – The War on Drugs
04. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
03. We Must Become the Pitless Centers of Ourselves
02. Hurry Up We’re Dreaming – M83
01. The King of Limbs – Radiohead

I did a DJ set for a birthday bash yesterday. After the jump is a list of tracks that I played. I pulled mostly from releases from 2011, but threw in some spicy oldies. Hit me up to do some DJ-ing if you’re in Waco and want some eclectic audio flair for your next fiesta.

01. Comfort In Nautica – Panda Bear
02. Nuclear Seasons – Charli XCX
03. Too Much – Sufjan Stevens
04. Don’t You Evah – Spoon
05. Woe Is Me – The Walkmen
06. California English – Vampire Weekend
07. People Can Do the Most Amazing Things – Kisses
08. Love Like A Sunset Part II – Phoenix
09. Amazing and Wonderful – Peaking Lights
10. Heaven’s on Fire – The Radio Dept.
11. Head Over Heels – Tears for Fears
12. Warm Heart of Africa (feat. Ezra Koenig) – The Very Best
13. Little People (Black City) – Matthew Dear
14. Blue Jeans – Lana Del Rey
15. Up – Oneohtrix Point Never
16. Raconte–Moi Une Histoire – M83
17. Kim & Jessie – M83
18. Castles in the Grave – John Maus
19. Polish Girl – Neon Indian
20. Burning Down the House – Talking Heads
21. Blind – Hercules & Love Affair
22. The Message – Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
23. Oblivion – Grimes
24. My Girls – Animal Collective
25. Candylane (Bibio remix) – Gonjasufi
26. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
27. January 1979 – mewithoutYou
28. Gobbledigook – Sigur Ros
29. Let’s Go Surfing – The Drums
30. Slow – Twin Shadow
31. Ghost Rider – Suicide
32. Two Rivers (featuring Heems) – Small Black
33. House of Balloons–Glass Table Girls – The Weeknd
34. Lotus Flower – Radiohead
35. Tip of Your Tongue – Porcelain Raft
36. It’s Up There – The Field
37. Midnight City – M83
38. When I Grow Up – Fever Ray
39. Romantic Streams – Sleep Over
40. Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division
41. All My Friends – LCD Soundsystem
42. Believer – John Maus
43. I Remember – AraabMuzik
44. Echoes of Silence – The Weeknd
45. Street Joy – White Denim

>>View the full set here

I zip it up, but it always zips on down.

I’m confused by this.

-jbthiering

Greetings. I have two more mixtapes to share. One comes from Altered Zones, who sadly, will no longer be with us in 2012. The mix is titled “20 Tracks You Might’ve Missed” and features some rare gems AZ felt needed on more breath of fresh air before site shutdown.

The other mix, “Mix for International Tapes”, hails from Upset the Rhythm and features some demos from John Maus and Future Islands. Listen/download below.

Listen to the full AZ mix below via soundcloud. Click through the links below the lix to download most of the songs.

Altered Zones: “20 Tracks You Might’ve Missed“

Tracklist:

1. Castles in the Grave
2. De Torrente In Via Bibet
3. Fantastic Light
4. Fuck the Earth
5. I Don t Eat Human Beings
6. My Hatred is Magnificent, My Hatred is Molecular
7. Night of the World
8. No Title (Molly)
9. Rock the Bone
10. The River
11. The Study

“Quantum Leap” Live @ The Mohawk

“Streetlight” Live @ The Mohawk

“Maniac”