Tastiest of 2011 - Drizzy Drake

As much as I'd like to give more credit to Weezy F .Baby for the work he does and the influence he has, when it comes to hip hop (and even Young Money Records for that matter), my allegiance has to go with Drake. Drizzy released some pretty sick stuff this year and even though I really like a lot of the hip hop that came over the past 12 months, Drake stood out for me as the year's best in this category.

Here's Headlines Drake – Headlines - Explicit Version
Pay close attention to his sweater at the dinner table. Drinking every night cause we drink to my accomplishments

Next up, the namesake to his album from this year, Take Care (featuring Rihanna) Drake – Take Care

Finally, this is definitely mine and my wife's favorite Drake song since Fancy. Here's Make Me Proud (featuring Nicki Minaj) Drake – Make Me Proud

Tastiest of 2011 - Bon Iver

If I was forced to name my number one album or artist of the year, I would be hard pressed to not name Bon Iver's self-titled masterpiece as my choice. This release was the second full album from Justin Vernon (and the band, which is now around 9 member supposedly) under his pseudonym of Bon Iver to follow up his debut of For Emma/Forever Ago featuring the hit Skinny Love in 2007 Bon Iver – Skinny Love. 

My relationship with Bon Iver has always been interesting. On his albums, I initially have one or two songs that strike me right away (such as Skinny Love), but after a few more listens, I find myself completely obsessed with every song. So if your new to Bon Iver, give them a couple chances before you jump to conclusions on your judgments. You'll be glad you did. 

Let's start with the album's first track, Perth, on Spotify Bon Iver – Perth, and live on Jools Holland

Next up, Minnesota, WI   Bon Iver – Minnesota, WI

 

Here's one of the two official videos from the album, Holocene Bon Iver – Holocene...

....and Calgary Bon Iver – Calgary 

   

I think Towers is possibly my favorite from the album, or at least my favorite guitar riff. Bon Iver – Towers

The final song I'd like to showcase is Justin Vernon's cover of Bonnie Raitt's I Can't Make You Love Me. Vernon debuted this on Jimmy Fallon but then released it as a single later in the year. Bon Iver – I Can't Make You Love Me/Nick of Time

Tastiest of 2011 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

This year's awards for best band name and most harmonious band both go to Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. The more I heard from these guys from Detroit as the year progressed, the more I became obsessed with their Pet Sounds-style happy songs and lyrics. 


I first heard and saw Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. on NPR in this epic 42 minute session from KCRW and I fell in love with their songs and their style. Their album Its a Corporate World and their EP Horse Power both dropped in 2011 and both made 2011 a better year musically. 


First, we have to start out with Nothing But Our Love Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – Nothing But Our Love 

Next up, Vocal Chords Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – Vocal Chords

Since I mentioned the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds earlier, I should probably justify that statement. This band does an amazing cover of God Only Knows with vocals that almost match Carl Wilson's from 1966. If you don't believe me, match the two up on Spotify:

The Beach Boys – God Only Knows

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – God Only Knows

I'm going out on a limb and saying this is the best cover of 2011. Enjoy!

 

Tastiest of 2011 - Little Dragon

Maybe it's my Swedish heritage. Maybe it's my new found love of dance-pop-electro-funk (who doesn't love dance-pop-electro-funk??). Maybe it's my love of Game of Thrones (note the dragon reference). I'm not sure what it is, but this past summer I really got into Sweden's Little Dragon. This band became somewhat well known in the U.S. with electronica fans for their collaborations with Gorillaz. However, their album Ritual Union from this year proved they can do it on their own. Lead singer Yukimi Nagano has Swedish, Japanese, and American roots and all three manifest themselves in her soulful, R&B style of Euro-pop. Hells yes!
Here's two of my favorite songs from the album. First, the title track, Ritual Union...

...and Little Man.

Plus, as I mentioned before, Little Dragon is all about the collaboration. This year they appeared on SBTRKT's album (found on nearly every top 50 list of the year). Here's the song Wildfire:

Tastiest of 2011 - Laura Marling

So, I'm not actually expecting to post something to this blog everyday. I was actually planning on taking a day or two off after yesterday's post, but I listened to a lot of this next artist today and I decided to keep the streak going.
In September, English folk singer Laura Marling released her album Creature Fear. The release of this album coincided nicely to my discovery of Spotify, and the two complimented each other nicely.   
I was drawn to the album immediately but I was absolutely blown away when I found out Laura was only 21 years old! 
Here's another case, much like my conundrum with my The Head and the Heart post, where I have difficulty picking just a few songs from the album, but here goes...


First off, here's the album's opener, The Muse. I thought it'd be a good place to start. Laura Marling – The Muse 

Next up, Sophia Laura Marling – Sophia

And finally, the darkest (and my favorite) song on the album, The Beast Laura Marling – The Beast

Laura was definitely not the most talked about young English musician this year, but I don't think she's going away any time soon. She's worked with Mumford and Sons on a separate project and I think she has the potential to do really big things.  

Tastiest of 2011 - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Will 2011 forever be remembered as the year I discovered Macklemore & Ryan Lewis? Possibly. Out of the Seattle's hip-hop scene, Macklemore and his producer Ryan Lewis are a friggin' blast. Although he didn't release an album this year, he did release these two songs. "Let that stage light go and shine on down, got that Bob Barker suit game and plinko in my style. Money!" 
Here's the Spotify studio version Macklemore – Can't Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton)
and the live version of Can't Hold Us from the Rocksteady rooftop. #awesome! 

And one more. Here's Make the Money on Spotify Macklemore – Make The Money and on YouTube

Tastiest of 2011 - The Head and The Heart

One of my favorite albums of 2011 was one of the earliest from the year. The Head and the Heart released their self-titled debut album in the early part of 2011, and it was fantastic. After hearing the song Lost in my Mind for the first time, I went home and listened to the song four times in a row back to back. After downloading their Daytrotter Session, I was totally hooked.

In terms of their songs, I always go back to Lost in My Mind as my "go to" song from this band. I know it's their most popular, but this song has failed to burn itself out for me.  The Head And The Heart – Lost in My Mind 

 

But this album and band are so good that I can’t leave it at that. Here’s Down in the Valley… The Head And The Heart – Down in the Valley

…and Rivers and Roads. I like this song because it really showcases the other band members.   The Head And The Heart – Rivers and Roads 

My picturesque summer barbecue would feature The Head and The Heart playing their music out around my chiminea well into the the night. 

My Favorite Music of 2011 - An Intro

Initially, I was convinced that starting a blog with my top ten songs of 2011 was a great idea. This would allow people to "get to know me" musically and be a great collection of initial posts. However, that doesn't represent me or how I've ever viewed music. I've never been able to answer the following style of question "What's your favorite band/artist/album/song/genre?" Sure, I have preferences and favorites, but I've never been big on saying "This is the one greatest band ever, and all other bands forever will pale in comparison." My friends and colleagues who I've heard say that over the years always seemed stuck in musical ruts and were always closed minded when it came to new and exciting music. I've never wanted to be that person and maybe that's why I've avoided ranking bands and songs. 
Also, I've never seen myself as the final authority on what's good and what's bad. The goal of this blog is not to tell people what's good and what's bad. If that was the case, I'd title this list THE Best Music of 2011. A bit pretentious for my taste. The goal of this blog is to showcase, discuss, and discover. Therefore, starting tomorrow, I will be showcasing and discussing the bands, artists, songs, and albums that I enjoyed over the past year. 
To sign off for the night, I'd like to leave you with a song that I feel represents some of the things I've discussed here tonight (not a song from 2011, remember that starts tomorrow). 


I'm the greatest man (band?) that ever lived
I'm the greatest man (band?) that ever lived
Weezer – The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn) on Spotify

             

Why Pizza??

What's the deal? Why pizza? Well, two reasons... 
1) Pizza is delicious
2) I feel pizza is an apt metaphor 
I have never been locked in to a single genre, style, or era of music. Just like I've never been married to one type, style, or brand of pizza. I'm always looking for new and delicious pizza, but I will always enjoy and go back and enjoy devouring the pizza that made me love the food in the first place. Like music, pizza varies by region and each pie tells a story about its location. As with music, pizza can be prepared, cooked, and presented in many different ways, and all have their benefits and drawbacks. I could go on about toppings, sauce, and thin crusted music versus deep dish music, but I think I've made my point. Either way, I'm hoping to dish out some tasty slices of musical deliciousness during the lifespan of Audio Pizza. 


Take a listen to my relevant song on Spotify (hopefully this works)
Billy Joel – Scenes From An Italian Restaurant   
or watch a hilarious live version where Billy Joel's band drinks wine during the song.

I'm Not Afraid of the Dark - The Audio Pizza Genesis

Over the past ten years, my goal of creating a blog on something, on anything, has been put off, avoided, and ignored. I told myself the blog could be on anything. It didn't have to be music. But no matter how many ideas I had on blog possibilities, I always found myself coming back to music. But it scares me. That's not to say I'm clueless about music and have no thoughts of what to write about or post. But there's a lot out there. There's so many amazing blogs, so many people who dedicate their lives to finding, reviewing, and showcasing music. What chance do I have? But that's just it! Another excuse, another reason not to share and write about the music that plays as a soundtrack to my life. So here we go! It's the official genesis of Audio Pizza and there's no turning back now.
To get me started, I decided I had to begin with Josh Ritter and his Royal City Band. Josh is one of my favorites (you'll hear more about him on Audio Pizza in the future, guaranteed) and he has recently embarked on a new adventure in his career, which also inspired me.  
And so it begins!
I'm not afraid of the dark
When the sun goes down
And the dreams grow teeth
And the beasts come out
Cast their long shadows
Every time that they start
I'll be right here with you
I'm not afraid of the dark