Michael Tatum's A Downloader's Diary: Year 2011 Index

(17) December

  1. James Carter: At the Crossroads (Emarcy) B+
  2. Class Actress: Rapprocher (Carpark) A-
  3. Dessa: Castor, the Twin (Doomtree) B+
  4. Fruit Bats: Tripper (Sub Pop) A-
  5. Note of Hope: A Celebration of Woody Guthrie (429) A-
  6. Pusha T: Fear of God II: Let Us Pray (Decon) B+
  7. Wire: 12 Nov 1978, SO36, Berlin (Pinkflag) A-
  8. Wussy: Funeral Dress II (Shake It) A
  9. Wussy: Strawberry (Shake It) A+
  10. Neil Young: International Harvesters: A Treasure (Reprise) A-

  11. Deer Tick: Divine Providence (Partisan) ***
  12. Wire: 02 May 2000, Great American, San Francisco (Pinkflag) **
  13. Lydia Loveless: Indestructible Machine (Bloodshot) **
  14. Crooked Fingers: Breaks in the Armor (Merge) *
  15. Connie Smith: Long Line of Heartaches (Sugar Hill) *

  16. Kate Bush: Director's Cut (Fish People) C+
  17. Architecture in Helsinki: Moment Bends (Downtown) X
  18. Gabe Dixon: One Spark (Fantasy) X
  19. Dubioza Kolektiv: Wild Wild East (Kool Arrow) X
  20. Iron and Wine: Kiss Each Other Clean (Warner Bros.) X
  21. Man Man: Life Fantastic (Anti-) X
  22. My Brightest Diamond: All Things Will Unwind (Asthmatic Kitty) X
  23. Over the Rhine: The Long Surrender (Great Speckled Dog) X
  24. S.C.U.M.: Again Into Eyes (Mute) X
  25. Veronica Falls: Veronica Falls (Slumberland) X

(16) November

  1. James Carter: Caribbean Rhapsody (Emarcy) B-
  2. DRC Music: Kinshasa One Two (Warp) B-
  3. The Field: Looping State of Mind (Kompakt) D
  4. Givers: In Light (Glass Note) B-
  5. Matthew Herbert: One Pig (Accidental) C
  6. Muppets: The Green Album (Walt Disney) C+
  7. Terius Nash: 1977 (mixtape) C
  8. Nikki Jean: Pennies in a Jar (S-Curve) B
  9. Ashton Shepherd: Where Country Grows (MCA Nashville) B-
  10. Super Heavy: Super Heavy (A&M) C
  11. The Weeknd: Thursday (mixtape) B-
  12. Wire: 17 December 1985, Paradiso, Amsterdam (Pinkflag) C+
  13. Gardens & Villa: Gardens & Villa (Secretly Canadian) X
  14. Junior Boys: It's All True (Domino) X
  15. Leyland Kirby: Eager to Tear Apart the Stars (History Favours the Winners) X
  16. Little Dragon: Ritual Union (Peacefrog) X
  17. Marissa Nadler: Marissa Nadler (Box of Cedar) X
  18. The Men: Leave Home (Sacred Bones) X
  19. Pure X: Pleasure (Alternative Distribution Alliance) X
  20. Sons & Daughters: Mirror Mirror (Domino) X
  21. Tiger & Woods: Through the Green (Running Back) X
  22. Title Fight: Shed (SideOneDummy) X

(15) October

  1. Battles: Gloss Drop (Warp) A-
  2. Clams Casino: Instrumentals (mixtape) A-
  3. Steve Cropper: Dedicated: A Salute to the 5 Royales (429) A-
  4. Girls: Father, Son, Holy Ghost (True Panther Sounds) A
  5. Highlife Time Vol. 2: Nigerian and Ghanian Classics From the Golden Years (VampiSoul) B+
  6. Rave On Buddy Holly (Hear Music) A-
  7. Teddybears: Devil's Music (Big Beat/Atlantic) A
  8. Wilco: The Whole Love (Anti-) A-
  9. Wild Flag: Wild Flag (Merge) A-

  10. DJ Shadow: The Less You Know, the Better (Verve) ***
  11. Death Cab for Cutie: Codes and Keys (Atlantic) ***
  12. SBTRKT: SBTRKT (XL) **
  13. The Rapture: In the Grace of Your Love (DFA) **
  14. Lil Wayne: Tha Carter IV (Young Money) **
  15. Zomby: Dedication (4AD) **
  16. Bootsy Collins: Tha Funk Capital of the World (Megaforce) **
  17. Wiley: 100% Publishing (Big Dada) **
  18. Jimmie Dale Gilmore & the Wronglers: Heirloom Music (Neanderthal) **
  19. Lil B: I'm Gay (I'm Happy) (BasedWorld) *
  20. Eleanor Friedberger: Last Summer (Merge) *
  21. Lil Wayne: Sorry 4 the Wait (mixtape) *

  22. Lindsey Buckingham: Seeds We Sow (Mind Kit) C
  23. Owl City: All Things Bright and Beautiful (Universal Republic) E
  24. Africa HiTech: 93 Million Miles (Warp) X
  25. Atmosphere: The Family Sign (Rhymesayers) X
  26. Cities Aviv: Digital Lows (Fat Sandwich) X
  27. Liam Finn: Fomo (Yep Roc) X
  28. Joan as Police Woman: The Deep Field (PIAS America) X
  29. Ladybug Transistor: Clutching Stems (Merge) X
  30. Amy LaVere: Stranger Me (Archer) X
  31. Listen to Me: Buddy Holly (Verve Forecast) X
  32. Peter Bjorn and John: Gimme Some (StarTime International) X
  33. Ximena Sariñana: Ximena Sariñana (Warner Bros.) X

(14) September

  1. Action Bronson: Dr. Lecter (Fine Fabric Delegates) A-
  2. Bombino: Agadez (Cumbancha) A-
  3. Shabazz Palaces: Black Up (Sub Pop) A-
  4. Terakaft: Aratan n Azawad (World Village) A
  5. Tinariwen: Tassili (Anti-) A-
  6. Kanye West/Jay-Z: Watch the Throne (Roc-A-Fella) A-
  7. Withered Hand: Good News (Absolutely Kosher) A-

  8. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks: Mirror Traffic (Matador) ***
  9. The Chain Gang of 1974: Wayward Fire (Modern Art) **
  10. The Kills: Blood Pressures (Domino) **
  11. Desolate: The Invisible Insurrection (Fauxpas) *

  12. Blondie: Panic of Girls (Eleven Seven/EMI) C+
  13. Pusha T: Fear of God (mixtape) C-
  14. Atari Teenage Riot: Is This Hyperreal? (Dim Mak) X
  15. Black Lips: Arabia Mountain (Vice) X
  16. Bill Callahan: Apocalypse (Drag City) X
  17. Ford & Lopatin: Channel Pressure (Software) X
  18. Jesu: Ascension (Caldo Verde) X
  19. Cass McCombs: Wit's End (Domino) X
  20. Viva Voce: The Future Will Destroy You (Vanguard) X
  21. WU LYF: Go Tell Fire to the Mountain (LYF) X

(13) August

  1. Buck 65: 20 Odd Years (WEA) A-
  2. Drive-By Truckers: Go-Go Boots (ATO) A-
  3. Fountains of Wayne: Sky Full of Holes (Yep Roc) A
  4. PJ Harvey: Let England Shake (Vagrant) B+
  5. Lady Gaga: Born This Way (Streamline/Kon Live/Interscope) A-
  6. The Reatards: Teenage Hate (Goner) B+
  7. Peter Stampfel and Jeffrey Lewis: Come on Board (self-released) A

  8. Washed Out: Within and Without (Sub Pop) ***
  9. Araabmuzik: Electronic Dream (Duke Productions) ***
  10. Blueprint: Adventures in Counter Culture (Rhymesayers) **
  11. Old 97's: The Grand Theatre Vol. 2 (New West) **
  12. Big K.R.I.T.: ReturnOf4Eva (mixtape) **
  13. Kasey Chambers: Little Bird (Sugar Hill) **
  14. The Civil Wars: Barton Hollow (Sensibility Music) *

  15. Bad Meets Evil: Hell: The Sequel (Interscope) B-
  16. Beyoncé: 4 (Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia) C+
  17. Radiohead: The King of Limbs (TBD) C+
  18. Arctic Monkeys: Suck It and See (Domino) X
  19. Bachelorette: Bachelorette (Drag City) X
  20. Bombé and Mr. Caribbean: James Drake (mixtape) X
  21. Nedry: Condors (Monotreme) X
  22. Plan B: The Defamation of Strickland Banks (Atlantic) X
  23. Toro y Moi: Underneath the Pine (Carpark) X
  24. Touché Amoré: Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me (Deathwish) X
  25. Frank Turner: England Keep My Bones (Epitaph) X

(12) July

  1. Sorry Bamba: Volume One 1970-1979 (Thrill Jockey) A-
  2. The Book of Mormon: Original Broadway Cast Recording (Ghostlight) A-
  3. The Caretaker: An Empty Bliss Beyond This World (History Always Favors the Winners) A-
  4. Cults: Cults (In the Name Of/Columbia) A-
  5. Fucked Up: David Comes to Life (Matador) A
  6. Gold Panda: Companion (Ghostly International) B+
  7. Iceage: New Brigade (What's Your Rupture?) A
  8. Jill Scott: The Light of the Sun (Blues Babe/Warner Bros.) A-

  9. The Tedeschi Trucks Band: Revelator (Sony Masterworks) ***
  10. Neil Young/International Harvesters: A Treasure (Reprise) ***
  11. Boubacar Traoré: Mali Denhou (Lusafrica) **
  12. Tinie Tempah: Disc-overy (Capitol) **
  13. The Wave Pictures: Beer in the Breakers (Moshi Moshi) **

  14. Lykke Li: Wounded Rhymes (Atlantic) B-
  15. Pains of Being Pure at Heart: Belong (Slumberland) B
  16. Tyler, the Creator: Goblin (XL) C
  17. Airborne Toxic Event: All at Once (Island) X
  18. Crystal Stilts: In Love With Oblivion (Slumberland) X
  19. Dirty Beaches: Badlands (Zoo Music) X
  20. Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams (Reprise) X
  21. Ty Segall: Goodbye Bread (Drag City) X
  22. Sloan: The Double Cross (Yep Roc) X
  23. True Widow: As High as the Highest Heavens and From the Center of the Circumference of the Earth (Kemado) X
  24. The Vaccines: What Did You Expect From the Vaccines? (Columbia) X
  25. Mike Watt: Hyphenated Man (Clenchedwrench) X
  26. Wild Beasts: Smother (Domino) X

(11) June

  1. Adele: 21 (XL/Columbia) B+
  2. Bibio: Mind Bokeh (Warp) A-
  3. Moby: Destroyed (Mute) A
  4. Thurston Moore: Demolished Thoughts (Matador) A-
  5. Frank Ocean: Nostalgia, Ultra (mixtape) A
  6. Brad Paisley: This Is Country Music (Arista Nashville) A-
  7. Raphael Saadiq: Stone Rollin' (Columbia) A-
  8. Ebo Taylor: Life Stories: Highlife & Afrobeat Classics 1973-80 (Strut) A-
  9. TV on the Radio: Nine Types of Light (Interscope) A

  10. EMA: Past Life Martyred Saints (Souterrain Transmissions) ***
  11. Foo Fighters: Wasting Light (Roswell/RCA) **
  12. Mr. Dream: Trash Hit (God Mode) **
  13. The Lonely Island: Turtleneck & Chain (Universal Republic) **
  14. Art Brut: Brilliant! Tragic! (Cooking Vinyl) *
  15. David Bazan: Strange Negotiations (Barsuk) *
  16. Alison Krauss and Union Station: Paper Airplane (Rounder) *

  17. Katy B: On a Mission (Columbia Europe) C+
  18. Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop) C
  19. The Cars: Move Like This (Hear Music) X
  20. Chancha Via Circuito: Rio Arriba (ZZK) X
  21. The Dears: Degeneration Street (Dangerbird) X
  22. DeVotchKa: 100 Lovers (Anti-) X
  23. Elbow: Build a Rocket Boys! (Fiction/Polydor) X
  24. Gang Gang Dance: Eye Contact (4AD) X
  25. Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers: Teenage and Torture (Knitting Factory) X
  26. Thursday: No Devolución (Epitaph) X

(10) May

  1. An Horse: Walls (Mom + Pop) A-
  2. Beastie Boys: Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (Capitol) B+
  3. Generation Bass: Transnational Dubstep (Six Degrees) A-
  4. Lupe Fiasco: Lasers (Atlantic) A-
  5. Middle Brother: Middle Brother (Partisan) A-
  6. Paul Simon: So Beautiful or So What (Hear Music) A
  7. tUnE-yArDs: w h o k i l l (4AD) A
  8. The Weeknd: House of Balloons (mixtape) A+

  9. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: Belong (Slumberland) ***
  10. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: Here We Rest (Lightning Rod) ***
  11. Nicolas Jaar: Space Is Only Noise (Circus) ***
  12. Buddy Miller: The Majestic Silver Strings (New West) **
  13. Egyptrixx: Bible Eyes (Night Slugs) **
  14. Steve Earle: I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive (New West) *

  15. The Feelies: Here Before (Bar/None) B-
  16. Glasvegas: Euphoric /// Heartbreak \\\ (Columbia) C-
  17. The Strokes: Angles (RCA) C-
  18. Delicate Steve: Wondervisions (Luaka Bop) X
  19. Grails: Deep Politics (Temporary Residence) X
  20. Heidecker and Wood: Starting From Nowhere (Little Record Company) X
  21. Micachu and the Shapes: Chopped and Screwed (Rough Trade) X
  22. Pakistan: Folk and Pop Instrumentals 1966-1976 (Sublime Frequencies) X
  23. Parts and Labor: Constant Future (Jagjaguwar) X
  24. The Shoes: Crack My Bones (Southern Fried) X

(9) April

  1. Cartagena!: Curro Fuentes & the Big Band Cumbia and Descarga Sound of Colombia 1962-72 (Soundway) A+
  2. Cornershop: Cornershop and the Double-O Groove Of (Ample Play) A-
  3. Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Songs From a Zulu Farm (Razor & Tie) A-
  4. Avril Lavigne: Goodbye Lullaby (RCA) B+
  5. Mountain Goats: All Eternals Deck (Merge) A-
  6. New York Dolls: Dancing Backward in High Heels (429) A-
  7. The Rough Guide to African Guitar Legends (World Music Network) A-
  8. Britney Spears: Femme Fatale (Jive) A
  9. The Streets: Computers and Blues (WEA) A-

  10. Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis: Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles (Blue Note) ***
  11. The Sway Machinery: The House of Friendly Ghosts Vol. 1 (JDub) ***
  12. The 1900's: Return of the Century (Parasol) **
  13. Ellie Goulding: Lights (Cherrytree/Interscope) *
  14. R.E.M.: Collapse Into Now (Warner Bros.) *

  15. The Decemberists: The King Is Dead (Capitol) B-
  16. The Joy Formidable: The Big Roar (Atlantic/Canvasback) C+
  17. Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring for My Halo (Matador) B-
  18. Juliana Barwick: The Magic Place (Asthmatic Kitty) X
  19. Beady Eye: Different Gear, Still Speeding (Dangerbird) X
  20. Beans: End It All (Anticon) X
  21. Braids: Native Speaker (Kanine) X
  22. Anna Calvi: Anna Calvi (Domino) X
  23. The Streets: Cyberspace and Reds (mixtape) X
  24. Wye Oak: Civilian (Merge) X

(8) March

  1. The Baseball Project: Volume Two: High and Inside (Yep Roc) A
  2. Hayes Carll: KMAG YOYO (And Other American Stories) (Lost Highway) B+
  3. The Go! Team: Rolling Blackouts (Memphis Industries) B+
  4. PJ Harvey: Let England Shake (Vagrant) A
  5. Todd Snider: Live: The Storyteller (Aimless) A-
  6. Lucinda Williams: Blessed (Lost Highway) A
  7. Yuck: Yuck (Fat Possum) A-

  8. Marianne Faithfull: Horses and High Heels (Naive) ***
  9. Drive-By Truckers: Go-Go Boots (New West) ***
  10. Cut Copy: Zonoscope (Modular/Interscope) **
  11. Fujiya and Miyagi: Ventriloquizing (Yep Roc) **
  12. Cake: Showroom of Compassion (Upbeat) *
  13. Adele: 21 (XL/Columbia) *
  14. Cloud Nothings: Cloud Nothings (Carpark) *

  15. James Blake: James Blake (Atlas) C
  16. Bright Eyes: The People's Key (Merge) B
  17. Destroyer: Kaputt (Merge) C+
  18. Ebo Taylor: Love and Death (Strut) C+
  19. Eisley: The Valley (Equal Vision) X
  20. Tim Hecker: Ravedeath, 1972 (Kranky) X
  21. Lone: Emerald Fantasy Tracks (Magic Wire) X
  22. Jessica Lea Mayfield: Tell Me (Nonesuch) X
  23. Anna Waronker: California Fade (Five Foot Two) X
  24. White Lies: Ritual (Fiction/Geffen) X

(7) February

  1. The Beets: Stay Home (Captured Tracks) B+
  2. Gang of Four: Content (Yep Roc) A-
  3. Ghostface Killah: Apollo Kids (Def Jam) B+
  4. M.I.A.: Vicki Leekx (mixtape) A-
  5. OFF!: The First Four EPs (Vice) A
  6. Weekend: Sports (Slumberland) A-

  7. Kings of Leon: Come Around Sundown (RCA) ***
  8. Wire: Red Barked Tree (Pink Flag) ***
  9. The Radio Dept.: Clinging to a Scheme (Labrador) ***
  10. Baths: Cerulean (Anticon) ***
  11. N.E.R.D.: Nothing (Star Trak/Interscope) **
  12. Foals: Total Life Forever (Transgressive) **
  13. Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles II (Fiction) *
  14. Swans: My Father Will Guide Me to a Rope in the Sky (Young God) *

  15. Wanda Jackson: The Party Ain't Over (Third Man/Nonesuch) C+
  16. Broken Records: Let Me Come Home (4AD) X
  17. Foreign Exchange: Authenticity (Foreign Exchange Music) X
  18. Maroon 5: Hands All Over (A&M/Octone) X
  19. Miniature Tigers: Silent Movies (Modern Art) X
  20. Marc Ribot: Silent Movies (Pi) X
  21. Smith Westerns: Dye It Blonde (Fat Possum) X
  22. Tapes 'N Tapes: Outside (Ibid) X
  23. Tennis: Cape Dory (Fat Possum) X

(6) January

  1. Calle 13: Entren Los Que Quieran (Sony Latin) A
  2. Care Bears on Fire: Girls Like It Loud (S-Curve) A-
  3. Chromeo: Business Casual (Atlantic) A-
  4. El DeBarge: Second Chance (Geffen) B+
  5. Girl Talk: All Day (Illegal Art) A-
  6. Bruno Mars: Doo-Wops and Hooligans (Elektra/Asylum) A-
  7. Nicki Minaj: Beam Me Up Scotty (mixtape) A-
  8. Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday (Universal Motown) A
  9. Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-A-Fella) A

  10. Die Antwoord: $O$ (Cherrytree/Interscope) ***
  11. Rihanna: Loud (Def Jam) ***
  12. Nicki Minaj: Barbie World (mixtape) ***
  13. Superchunk: Majesty Shredding (Merge) **
  14. Badly Drawn Boy: It's What I'm Thinking (Part One: Photographic Snowflakes) (The End) **
  15. R. Kelly: Love Letters (Jive) **
  16. The Black Eyed Peas: The Beginning (Interscope) **
  17. Glasser: Ring (True Panther) *

  18. Bilal: Airtight's Revenge (Plug Research) C+
  19. John Legend & the Roots: Wake Up! (Columbia) B-
  20. !!!: Strange Weather, Isn't It? (Warp) X
  21. Carl Barât: Carl Barât (Arcady) X
  22. Elvis Costello: National Ransom (Lost Highway) X
  23. Curren$y: Pilot Talk 2 (Roc-a-Fella) X
  24. Natalie Merchant: Leave Your Sleep (Nonesuch) X
  25. Jazmine Sullivan: Love Me Back (RCA) X
  26. Usher: Raymond v. Raymond [Deluxe Edition] (LaFace) X
  27. Suzanne Vega: Close-Up: Vol. 2, People and Places (Amanuensis Productions) X