Author: Pure Pop

Pure Pop YearEnders: Shawn Beaulieu

My name is Shawn Beaulieu, I am a sophomore at Clarkson University, in Potsdam New York, studying Biochemistry. Rather than embarrass myself trying to justify each selection, I’ll simply let the music speak for itself. Here is the rest of my list:

6.Lonerism by Tame Impala
7.channel ORANGE by Frank Ocean
8. Luxary Problems by Andy Stott
9. Bish Bosch by Scott Walker
10. Kindred by Burial
11. WIXIW by Liars
12. Clear Moon by Mount Eerie
13. fIN by John Talabot
14. 1999: Mixtape by Joey Badass
15. Devotion by Jessie Ware
16. Beams by Matthew Dear
17. Shields by Grizzly Bear
18. Kill For Love by Chromatics
19. Until the Quiet Comes by Flying Lotus
20. good kid, m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar
21. Celebration Rock by Japandroids
22. R.I.P by Actress
23. Heaven by The Walkmen
24. Cancer 4 Cure by El-P
25. Duality by Captain Murphy

Pure Pop YearEnders: Alan Smith

My name is Alan, I am a former Pure Pop employee. Josh LaClair’s year end list has a lot of the same stuff that I’ve been listening to A LOT, but I left those albums off bc his write ups are already very good, so just look at that. ALSO AWESOME: Wye Oak – Civilian, Machinedrum – Rooms, Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact, Cass McCombs – Catacombs, Zola Jesus – Conatus, Amen Dunes – Through Donkey Jaw, Balam Acab – Wander/Wonder, Oneohtrix Point Never- Replica.

Pure Pop YearEnders: Sean Dunne

I’m a high school student with a great interest and wide taste in music, although my list this year is mostly focused on indie I listen to many different genres, and I enjoy any music with depth. Some other great albums that didn’t make this list include The Morning After Girls – Alone, Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials and Washed Out – Within And Without. To be totally honest, however, I wasn’t overly impressed with 2011 as a musical year, hopefully 2012 will be better, and with time I’ll be able to discover the many releases I probably missed.

Pure Pop YearEnders: Kate Rielly

I’m a high school student from Colchester. I’m really into music – mostly listening and critiquing, though I do play a little guitar and have recently picked up the mandolin. I’m very critical of music and tend to have a more pessimistic view on pop culture and society, which is unusual for someone my age. It’s nice to know that as time goes on, I don’t have to completely lose faith in the current music scene. New bands like Cage the Elephant and the Joy Formidable are refreshing and reassure me that there is someone out there who’s still trying to make music for the sake of music.

Pure Pop YearEnders: Pascal Cheng

My name is Pascal Cheng and have been living in the Burlington area for the past 30 years. I have gotten to hear a lot of great music over the years here, both live and through Pure Pop’s always varied selection of CD’s and lp’s. My top five for 2011 includes artists who I grew up listening to as a teen in New York City and now in their sixties and seventies are still producing vital music. In their 2011 albums, they have drawn on elements of their early work but have recast them to express their current views on life and world events. There are many contemporary musicians and bands like Tune-Yards, Feist, Wilco, Fleet Foxes, and the Decembrists, to name a few, whose albums could easily be in my top five but I have chosen to dedicate this list to these legends of pop music. I should also add that this list is vinyl centric as I have listened to all of these in the lp format.