July 24th Mixtape – 2011 Challenge

This weeks mixtape turned into a challenge set by Marc via twitter. I have two standard responses to challenges. The first is to approach it with an energy & ferocity equal to Keith Moon’s drumming. The second it to approach with a slow pod, calmly confident I will get there in the end much like listening to Guy Garvey. I’ve approached this somewhere in between. I started off whizzing through it but then trying to whittle it down was a plodder.

I was to list my top 25 tracks of 2011 (so far) and although it sounds easy enough to do Marc had put his in order too. Well, painfully I’ve managed to get the list down to 25 after spending 5 days on it. As for showing favouritism, I just couldn’t do it. Every time I tried I felt guilty about placing Anna Calvi before PJ Harvey, or Black Lips over Bon Iver. So, although my list is no way near as cool as Marc’s here are the tracks that have stood out for me this year. Hope you enjoy, click on spotify to listen, the final three tracks are via YouTube.

If you have a playlist challenge for me email me at fromdesktilldawn@gmail.com. ♥

1. Beirut – East Harlem
2. Metronomy – She Wants
3. PJ Harvey – The Words That Maketh Murder
4. Emmy The Great – Iris
5. Bon Iver – Calgary
6. Lykke Li- Sadness Is A Blessing
7. Wild Beasts – Bed Of Nails
8. The Black Lips – Family Tree
9. Friendly Fires – Hawaiian Air
10. Anna Calvi – Blackout
11. R.E.M. – Uberlin
12. Sleigh Bells – Riot Rhythm
13. Cold War Kids – Louder Than Ever
14. Sparrow & The Workshop – Snakes In The Grass
15. The Joy Formidable – A Heavy Abacus
16. Wye Oak – Civilian
17. Fleet Foxes – Someone You’d Admire
18. Patrick Wolf – The City
19. The Strokes – Undercover Of Darkness
20. Foo Fighters – Rope
21. Wu Lyf – Lyf
22. The Go! Team – Buy Nothing Day
23. Little Dragon – Ritual Union
24. The Horrors – Still Life
25. Bjork – Cosmogony

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