ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Panda Bear - Person Pitch.
I love this record on every possible level. The album, like the artwork, evokes refined sentiments of pop nostalgia, liberation from construct, etc. Panda Bear creates a world that is as humanistic as it is digitized and manipulated. It is simultaneously experimental and immediately approachable. I found it strange that the latest Animal Collective record is not a nominee in this category, and Panda Bear's solo record is. (To initiate the uninitiated, Panda Bear is an elemental member of Animal Collective.) I'm a big fan of both records, and my vote for Panda Bear is just as much an attempt to voice my unrelenting support of the equally amazing Animal Collective record.
I also felt compelled to vote for Battles' "Mirrored." On a conceptual level, this record bears many similarities to the Animal Collective's "Strawberry Jam." Both are refreshingly original approaches to pop music, though Battles' approach is decidedly more experimental in form and content.
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Deerhunter
They hardly seem new anymore, but I've been a fan of "Cryptograms" since my first listen, not to mention the more sensibly refined "Fluorescent Grey" EP. Battles loses because I don't think they're all that new, really. And I almost voted for them for best record. I also really wanted to vote for No Age. You know, to show some LA loyalty. But that record gets some love a little later on...
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Sally Shapiro
I got really into Itali-disco because of this record. I've read, though, that most credit for the beats go to some unknown dude she works with, and that she only writes the lyrics. So maybe she shouldn't get all the cred, and maybe I should have voted for Annie Clark (St. Vincent) because she's super cute and she actually rips on guitar.
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Jens Lekman
Hands down. He gets a big push because I just saw him in concert last week at Bimbo's 365 Club in SF, and it was amazing. I spared Noah Lennox a vote, because I already hit him up earlier. Ya, I'm trying to diversify.
INDIE ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
So the categories are appearing more arbitrary, and at this point I'm just going with my gut. I also dug the Sunset Rubdown record.
AMERICANA ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Angels of Light - We Are Him
WTF? Is Americana a fancy word for 'folk'? The Angels of Light record is great, and this gives me the chance to put in a word for Akron/Family, who backed up Michael Gira on the record. Also gets the prize for most.. umm.. thought provoking album art...
METAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Om - Pilgrimage
I rarely scout "metal" tracks, but I've been listening to this a bit lately, and it's pretty good.
PUNK ALBUM OF THE YEAR: No Age - Weirdo Rippers
This record is great. I'm a big fan, though not as big as some... cough cough wink. It's hard poignant noise/punk, and watching this band develop over the past year and a half has been entertaining and rewarding. They're the leaders in my book of this new-ish LA scene, which is also shooting bands like Mika Miko and HEALTH to new levels of notoriety. As a side-note, I also really enjoy the Black Lips record.
ELECTRONIC/DANCE ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Justice - (Cross)
This category was really tough, partially because I largely don't give a shit. I'd rather just vote for the DJ category... That said, I can't deny all the good times I've had dancing it out to the Justice record. As a caveat, I'm thoroughly sick of it, and don't find it particularly gratifying anymore. Maybe I should have voted for the lush and hypnotic The Field's "From Here We Go Sublime." I'm also not that interested in calling the Caribou record electronic/dance music, though I like it a lot as well.
DJ ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Ricardo Villalobos - Fabric 36.
I love the general vibe of this record. It's equal parts ambient, dub, minimal, and world. It's a continuously rewarding listen. Shout out to Lil Weezy, a very recent favorite...
AVANT ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Dirty Projectors - Rise Above
I thought I already covered this category like six times previously, but I'll jump at the opportunity to cast my Dirty Projectors love into the blogosphere. This is definitely one of my favorite records of the year, for its sheer musicality and the utterly brilliant use of the most organic of all instruments - the human voice. Dave Longstreth's voice is one of the most original voices I've heard in a long time, and he is complimented to great effect by two enormously talented fems. Ya, and the album is a reconfiguration of Black Flag's "Damaged," composed from memory. Eric Copeland's "Hermaphrodite" is also a really great listen, if you're into a lot of everything all at once and on hyper repeat.
Other votes:
LIVE ACT OF THE YEAR: Animal Collective. I haven't seen all the nom's in concert, but the Animal Collective show at the Fillmore was better than a snooz button.
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR: Bat for Lashes, "What's a Girl To Do?"
Tres creepy. Check that one out...
MUSIC WEBSITE OF THE YEAR: elbo.ws. Somehow, terrigenus escaped a nomination... Elbo is a great resource, though, for making the internet just a little smaller and more easily navigable.
ONLINE RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR: KCRW, because I still love it. KEXP is a more recent favorite.
That's it! Go vote for yourself at www.plugawards.com.
