Last week I posted a poll asking you KSPC listeners/blog readers about some of your musical favorites of the year, and since then I’ve been pulling in results via the comments here, email, and personal interview. Overall, the consensus has been that 2011 was a great year for music. Find out about the most-loved song, album, new artist, KSPC in-studio, concert, and more after the jump!
Love, your Fall 2011 KSPC Executive Staff
BEST NEW SONG
Winners: Bizness–tUnE-yArDs, Dystopia–YACHT, Black Night–The Dodos
Other favorites: Don’t Fuss with my Money–Penguin Prison (WARNING: NSFW version), WHALE–Yellow Ostrich, various tracks from Real Estate’s Days
BEST NEW ALBUM
Winners: Kaputt–Destroyer, Mikal Cronin (s/t), w h o k i l l–tUnE-yArDs
Runners-up (tied): Strange Mercy–St. Vincent, Black Up–Shabazz Palaces, James Blake (s/t), Sleep Talk–Shannon & the Clams, The Mistress–Yellow Ostrich
Other favorites: The Head and the Heart (s/t), Gardens & Villa (s/t), Parallax–Atlas Sound, Unknown Mortal Orchestra (s/t), No Color–The Dodos
BEST KSPC-PRESENTED SHOW
Winner: largely uncontested–Mikal Cronin at the Wash 12/02
Runners-up: TOKiMONSTA and Gavin Turek at Art After Hours 09/15 (review here); ACL, So Many Wizards, and Cosmonauts at Art After Hours 11/03
BEST SHOW ELSEWHERE
Winners: James Blake at the Music Box 09/18 (review here), tUnE-yArDs at the Music Box 11/02 (review here)
Runner-up: St. Vincent at the Music Box 10/18 (review here)
We love the Music Box!
BEST IN-STUDIO
Winners: So Many Wizards on Lost @ Sea 11/29, Kitchen Hips on Flowerhours 10/25
Other favorites: Nora and the Brights, Cab 20, Mike Luery (CBS 13 Sacramento), Bleached, Palm Reader
BEST NEW ARTIST
Winners: Mikal Cronin, Peter Pants
Other favorites: Yellow Ostrich, Lana Del Rey, Cosmonauts
ESTABLISHED ARTIST WHO JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER
Winner: Ty Segall
Other favorites: Destroyer, Bill Callahan, James Blake, YACHT
FAVORITE MAINSTREAM HIT
Winner: Otis–Jay-Z and Kanye West
Other favorites: Pumped Up Kicks–Foster the People, Call Your Girlfriend–Robyn, We Found Love–Rihanna
BEST BAND THAT’S ABOUT TO BLOW UP
Winners: So Many Wizards, Yellow Ostrich
Other favorites: Gardens & Villa, War on Drugs, the mysterious Bro Tanx
MUSIC BUZZWORD OF THE YEAR
Winner: chillwave
Runners-up: witch [house], dubstep
MISCELLANEOUS/WRITE-INS
“A little worried that people are hiding generic/mediocre music behind a layer of noise or chillness. Also, hip hop is alive and well!”
Best song featured on SNL: Someone Like You–Adele
“Lana Del Rey is good. Long live Pitchfork. [expletive] Robyn.”
Best movie soundtrack: Drive
“Music was good this year. I like electronic music more now.”
Best Local Album: tie between New Psychic Denim–Cosmonauts and Princess–Geoff Geis
Photo courtesy of Erica Tyron. Budget MS Paint job courtesy of Julia Ringo.