2011 Album Power Rankings (Week 3)

Its the third week of the Power Rankings. There's been a little movement and there is a new album making its debut on the list.

10. Big K.R.I.T. : Return of 4eva ( -1 ) [9]

KRIT shows he's got a conscious side on a track like "Another Naive Individual Glorifying Greed and Ecouraging Racism," while still serving up some good ol' "Country Shit" with Southern stars Ludacris and Bun B.

09. Fucked Up: David Comes To Life (-1) [6]

The punk opera is still a solid release, just suffers from the increase play the up-and-comers have gotten over the past week.

08. Bad Meets Evil: Hell- The Sequel (-3) [5]

Em and Royce make for a killer combo the likes we haven't seen since Outkast broke up. Until they reunite, Bad Meets Evil will be the rap duo of choice (yes, that's a challenge to Jay-Z and Kanye to actually try).

07. Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues (---) [7]

Last week's top gainer owed its jump to its awesome grooves and understated production. It stays at #7 for the same reasons.

06. The Antlers: Burst Apart (---) [6]

Its interesting how such a subdued sounding album can reach the great heights Burst Apart does. Just a really captivating album.

05. The Weeknd: House of Balloons (**) [5]

I heard The Weeknd for the first time last weekend (ha ha! See what I did there?). I heard a little buzz about them on Twitter from Joe Budden and Drake. The R&B sound is similar to Frank Ocean in tone and style, and the subject matter sticks to what I love about R&B- women and sleeping with them. Its great stuff and is growing on me by the day. Definitely worth checking out! (free download from their website)

04. Tyler, The Creator: Goblin (---) [4]

Leader of the Odd Future movement, Tyler's sophomore effort shows no sign of a slump, and its not slumping in the standings either.

03. Brad Paisley: This Is Country Music (---) [3]

Still the lone country artist on the list, Brad sets himself apart from the country crowd thus far this year with his unparalleled versatility within the genre.

02. Frank Ocean: nostalgia, ULTRA (---) [2]

Odd Future's elder statesman is finally getting the recognition from his record label (Def Jam) that he so clearly deserves. My favorite new thing in R&B since Melanie Fiona.

01. Adele: 21 (---) [1]

Adele holds the record for most consecutive weeks atop the MFP Power Rankings. All kidding aside, I think she proved with this record she could be a star for the ages. Unless she tragically goes the way of Sam Cooke, I see a prolonged career without the Amy Whinehouse breakdown bullshit.

(Largest Drop: Bad Meets Evil, Hell: The Sequel- #5 to #8)

(Largest Gain: The Weeknd, House of Balloons - unranked to #5)

2011 Album Power Rankings (Week 2)

Its the second week of the Power Rankings. There's been a little movement and there is a new album making its debut on the list.

10. The Lonely Island: Turtleneck & Chain (-1) [9]

The Lonely Island is a pleasant surprise, mixing humor with great music. Successful hip-hop satire no longer belongs solely to Weird Al anymore.

09. Big K.R.I.T. : Return of 4eva ( * ) [8]

Power Rankings debut for KRIT. The southern rapper is easily deserving of this spot once I realized Return of 4eva is more a "free album" than a mixtape. KRIT shows he's got a conscious side on a track like "Another Naive Individual Glorifying Greed and Ecouraging Racism," while still serving up some good ol' "Country Shit" with Southern stars Ludacris and Bun B.

08. Fucked Up: David Comes To Life (-2) [6]

The punk opera is still a solid release, just suffers from the increase play the up-and-comers have gotten over the past week.

07. Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues (+2) [7]

The week's top gainer owes its jump to its awesome grooves and understated production.

06. The Antlers: Burst Apart (+ 1) [6]

Its interesting how such a subdued sounding album can reach the great heights Burst Apart does. Just a really captivating album.

05. Bad Meets Evil: Hell- The Sequel (---) [5]

Em and Royce make for a killer combo the likes we haven't seen since Outkast broke up. Until they reunite, Bad Meets Evil will be the rap duo of choice (yes, that's a challenge to Jay-Z and Kanye to actually try).

04. Tyler, The Creator: Goblin (---) [4]

Leader of the Odd Future movement, Tyler's sophomore effort shows no sign of a slump, and its not slumping in the standings either.

03. Brad Paisley: This Is Country Music (---) [3]

Still the lone country artist on the list, Brad sets himself apart from the country crowd thus far this year with his unparalleled versatility within the genre.

02. Frank Ocean: nostalgia, ULTRA (---) [2]

Odd Future's elder statesman is finally getting the recognition from his record label (Def Jam) that he so clearly deserves. My favorite new thing in R&B since Melanie Fiona.

01. Adele: 21 (---) [1]

Adele holds the record for most consecutive weeks atop the MFP Power Rankings. All kidding aside, I think she proved with this record she could be a star for the ages. Unless she tragically goes the way of Sam Cooke, I see a prolonged career without the Amy Whinehouse breakdown bullshit.

(Largest Drop: Joe Budden, MM4.5 - #8 to unranked)

(Largest Gain: Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues - #10 to #7)

Top 10 Albums of 2011 (Thus Far) (Power Rankings)

Still super psyched from last night-- just sinking in! With my mind at ease I feel rejuvenated-- thus the increase in posting lately. Now, to finish with the 2011 Music Power Rankings:

10.) Fleet Foxes-- Helplessness Blues

It rains far too much in Seattle. Maybe that's part of the reason why its produced so much great music over the past few decades. Fleet Foxes's sound is a brilliant combination of folk, 60s-70s songwriting and Appalachia. If you're a fan of Mumford & Sons, my bets are on you thoroughly enjoying this sophomore effort. It plays out as a quiet folk album that slowly builds into its uplifting final track, "Grown Oceans." An album on the rise in the Power Rankings as it is srtill rather fresh to me and gaining playtime in my rotation.

09.) The Lonely Island-- Turtleneck & Chain

We're now 2/2 on albums I didn't expect to rank so high. I might have downloaded Lonely Island's latest on a lark after seeing "Jack Sparrow (feat. Michael Bolton)" as a digital short on SNL and was pleasantly surprised by how SOLID this album is. Mixes hilarious material with surprisingly great production. It felt perfectly normal blasting this album on a drive to Six Flags as if it were a serious album. "Motherlover (feat. Justin Timberlake)," "I Just Had Sex (feat. Akon)," and "Creep (feat. Nicki Minaj)" pass as real singles-- except you sing along and crack up.

08.) Joe Budden-- Mood Muzik 4.5: The Worst Is Yet To Come

Joey's probably reached the point of being my favorite artist alive. This album would be higher, except it kind of came out last year. Well, most of it did. There are 7 new tracks, which I deemed made it worthy enough to receive 2011 eligibility. While "Follow My Lead" and "Stuck in the Moment" are my favorite carry-overs from 2010, "Down Fall" is my favorite "new" track on Joet's latest.

07.) The Antlers-- Burst Apart

The Antler's are really only 3 people? It makes me wonder how they're able to produce such encompassing music that you can literally get lost in. It sounds so good that you forget to pay attention to the lyrics- which are equally impressive and at times surprisingly serious. Another album on its way up-- grows on me with every listen.

06.) F---ed Up-- David Comes To Life

I am not a punk music guy. I rarely find something I like from what the genre offers (just my personal taste). But when I find something punk that I do like, I really really like it. Enter Fucked Up's punk odyssey/opera. It caught me off guard how such a large group could take on such a maximalistic task and not just finish it, but do so with expert craftsmanship. Need a new bounce in your running routine? Try putting this baby on your iPod.

05.) Bad Meets Evil-- Hell: The Sequel

This came out of nowhere. Just when I expect maybe a new Slaughterhouse album, or a solo effort from Royce or Em, we get the long awaited reunion of Bad Meets Evil. The album is a throwback to the days where lyrically supremacy ruled. Royce gets the best of the white boy on the album-- a really strong statement considering Eminem didn't coast by any means, I just think Royce is better right now. "Fast Lane" and "Loud Noises (feat. Slaughterhouse)" are bangers, while "Lighters (feat. Bruno Mars)" could very well turn into this year's "Airplanes." Listen to it before the radio kills it.

04.) Tyler, The Creator-- Goblin

Tyler, the Creator is a fucked up dude. WAY more than the band

Fucked Up. But damn if he doesn't make fantastic music. I can't tell if he's a genius or just insane (likely both, they do tend to enjoy each other's company). Goblin plays out as a psychological, horror story, complete with murder, rape and Dracula. If you can get by the offensive nature of the work (granted, if its not your thing, you'll hate it) and get over its length (running for 1:15, it risks losing its audience to tell its story fully). Odd Future is a force to be reckoned with. "Yonkers" is a strong contender for song of the year and video of the year. "She (feat. Frank Ocean)" and "Transylvania" are two of my favorite tracks this year, and Tyler's performance on Jimmy Fallon in February was one of the best late-night performance I've ever seen. And "Goblin" is one of the best albums of 2011.

03.) Brad Paisley-- This Is Country Music

We've finally reached the only album I was looking forward to at the start of 2011. Considering its earned a #3 ranking is telling, given my high expectations. Brad Paisley's the best entertainer in country music today-- anytime he's in the area you can bet I'll be weaseling my way into a ticket. This album has expanded his already deep catalog with his usual mix of the serious, heartfelt, hilarious and patriotic (did I mention Clint Eastwood's whistling?). He's an excellent songwriter and an underrated guitarist. And man, does it sound like he means every word he sings. I may not "Drink The Water," but I am drinking his Kool-Aid.

02.) Frank Ocean-- Nostalgia, Ultra

Its been a two album race for the top spot this year. It could go either way and I will likely flip flop a few times before the year ends. The current #2 ranking belongs to Odd Future's R&B stand-out Frank Ocean. His self-released album Nostalgia, Ultra, is the biggest surprise pleasure of 2011 for me. His voice carries so beautifully over every song (this Drake, if he was a great singer and didn't try rapping)-- not a single one warrants a skip.

The album starts with a remake of Coldplay's under appreciated "Strawberry Swings" and takes off. The next track, "Novacane" is a major contender for song of the year, a story about Frank meeting a hooker who aspires to be a dentist (he's far more interested in the latter, which says something). Other stand-outs "Swim Good," and "American Wedding" (a remake of "Hotel California") scream for multiple plays. For lack of a better word, this album is simply "cool."

The album will get an official release from Def Jam in July, though I don't think they deserve this masterpiece after leaving Ocean on the sidelines for years without releasing as much as a single for him...

01.) Adele-- 21

Adele. We haven't heard something like you in quite a while. A singer whose appeal reaches across demographics. You aren't just a Disney product aimed at teenage girls. You aren't one of those R&B artists who get lost in the hipster crowd. She's the kind of artists that people, regardless of age are going to love. The parents of teenagers are not going to complain about them playing you too loudly. In fact, they'll ask to turn you up.

21 is an album produced out of heartbreak from a young artist still realizing her talent, as both a singer who bleeds emotion over every note, and as a songwriter honing their already impressive craft. Do I really need to run through the stand-out tracks? Each one is amazing and has so much to offer. If I must, I'll say "Rolling in the Deep" is the song of the year, "Rumour Has It," "Turning Tables," and "Don't You Remember" are my favorite tracks (most likely because they get the most play being at the start of the album).

If there's one album from the first half of 2011 you should own, its 21.

Top 25 Albums of 2011 (Thus Far)

Sometimes you never know what you're gonna like until you listen to it. There are those albums that come out of nowhere and you fall in love with. I always have a few every year that sneak into my top 10. Well thus far this year, my list is heavily populated with albums I had no initial interest in at the start of the year (and others I had no idea existed). Without further adieu, here are numbers 11-25 (unranked) to hold you over while I prepare the top 10. I've included my favorite tracks from each album as a starting point to YouTube and get your feet wet (if you're into that kind of thing).

The Foo Fighters—Wasting Light:

“I Should Have Known,”

"Walk"

Ben Harper—Give Till It’s Gone:

“RockNRoll Is Free"

“Dont Give Up On Me Now”

Tech N9ne--All 6s & 7s:

“Worldwide Choppers,” (feat. Busta Rhymes, Twista, Yelawolf).

“Am I A Psycho?” (feat. B.o.B. & Hopsin)

[Side-note: Hopsin is worth checkin out. Young Eminem]

Talib Kweli—Gutter Rainbows:

“Cold Rain”

“Aint Waiting” (feat. Outasight)

Lupe Fiasco—LASERS:

“All Black Everything”

“State Run Radio”

Gregg Allman—Low Country Blues:

“Little By Little”

“I Believe Ill Go Back Home”

My Morning Jacket—Circuital:

“Victory Dance”

“Circuital”

Radiohead—The King of Limbs:

The Whole Thing. Really—this one I enjoyed best as one long piece.

Raphael Saadiq—Stone Rollin:

“Stone Rollin”

“Heart Attack”

Parachute—The Way It Was:

“You and Me”

“Something to Believe In”

Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi—Rome:

“Black” (feat. Norah Jones)

“Theme of Rome”

Travis Barker—Give the Drummer Some:

“Lets Go” (feat. Lil John, Busta Rhymes, Twista, Yelawolf)

“Devils Got A Hold of Me” (feat. Slaughterhouse)

Beastie Boys—Hot Sauce Committee Pt. II:

“Make Some Noise”

“Too Many Rappers” (feat. Nas)

Saigon—Greatest Story Never Told

“Clap” (feat. Faith Evans)

“Bring Me Down Part II”

Pharoahe Monch—W.A.R. (We are Renegades):

“Three Assassins” (feat. Jean Grae & Royce da 5"9)

“Clap (One Day)”

“Black Hand Side” (feat. Styles P & Phonte)