2011: Lana Del Rey - Video Games / Blue Jeans

Record of the year time. Well, 11/12 of the year to be precise, because I started this thing in Feb.

In reverse order (altho the title of the post has already given the game away, so I'm not sure why I'm bothering to massage the suspense)...

11. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Death & Rats (March)

10. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (June)

9. Sarabeth Tucek - Get Well Soon (August)

8. Dum Dum Girls - Bedroom Eyes (September)

7. Kurt Vile - Jesus Fever (December)

6. Bon Iver - Holocene (November)

5. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Bats In The Attic (May)

4. Emily Jane White - The Law (April)

3. Ryan Adams - Lucky Now (October)

2. Okkervil River - Mermaid (February)

1. Lana Del Rey - Video Games / Blue Jeans (July)

It was *real* close between this and Okkervil River. I love 'Mermaid', it's one of my favourite Okkervil songs and they're one of my favourite bands. BUT...

'Video Games' stopped me in my tracks last year. And to be backed with the (almost) equally excellent 'Blue Jeans' is just too good a record to overlook.

December: Kurt Vile - Jesus Fever

"If it wasn't taped you could escape this song."

The final rotm of 2011 is here. Late again, but here. 

'Jesus Fever' is the first thing I've heard of Kurt Vile. I'm not sure how many guitars are played on this at times but having seen the live performance it seems to be at least three. All with the delay whacked up, to give a real nice chiming effect. Which reminds me of old school Teenage Fanclub. In fact, the outro solo on this really recalls the outro to one of my all time favourite tracks, TFC's 'Everything Flows'. It's been a while since I heard a song with a great guitar outro.

In fact, the recorded version - as good as I really do think it is - doesn't do justice to the outro in the way the live version does. So I've slotted that in under the promo video. Everything after 2m50s in that live version is my idea of guitar solo heaven. Most of what's before it ain't too shabby, either. Kurt Vile has pretty much nailed my favourite guitar riff of 2011.