Blog Posts by Robert of the Radish

PantherSo far this week, we've done playlists by bands named after lions and bands named after tigers. So in keeping with the big cat, band name theme, the panther was next in line. But let's face facts, although the panther is an extremely cool animal, it takes a back seat to the lion and the tiger. You may be able to make a valid argument on why the tiger should come first over the lion, but you simply can't make the same case for the panther. But third place is not a bad place to be, and the panther has its fair share of followers. The panther is a popular tattoo for those with high levels of testosterone, a mascot for NFL and NHL professional sports teams, and we can't forget about the Pink Panther comedy films and cartoons.

But what most people don't know about the name "panther" is that it's derived from the big cat genus Panthera, which includes the tiger, lion, leopard and jaguar.  So although most people think of a shiny black coat when they hear the word "panther",  black panthers are really just black jaguars, or black leopards.

For this playlist I've selected songs by 10 bands who use the word "panther" in their band name. The end result is admittedly mixed, but there are some real under-the-radar gems to be found here.

And isn't this the reason for such random playlists to begin with?

Are there any other "panther" bands I've missed?

TigerToday we continue the big cat band name theme. Yesterday we published a list of songs by bands named after lions, so the next logical choice was tigers. Both of these big cats represent power and danger, but where the lion wins as the symbol for royalty, the tiger wins as a symbol for masculine sexual prowess. So you can find a great number of bands who have named themselves after tigers.

When it comes to man-eating big cats, tigers stand above all others as they're responsible for more human deaths than any other, by a wide margin. Tigers do not have a taste for human flesh, but scientists believe that as they get older, tigers may turn to humans as prey because we are easy targets. The Sundarbans of Bangladesh is the largest mangrove forest in the world and home 270 Bengal tigers according to a 2011 census. This group of man-eaters was responsible for upward of 100 attacks on humans per year, but this number has been reduced greatly through better wildlife management.

Not sure If I would rather face one of these Sundarban killers, or a full Glass Tiger album. Both are terrible fates.

This playlist includes a dozen songs by bands who fancied the tiger enough to claim them as part of their band's name.

LionI had a fine holiday break and I thought I would start the new year with a series of playlists dedicated to big cats. Some of you know that I'm not a fan of domestic cats. Let's just say I'm a dog person. However, I'm fascinated by big cats. All of them. But no big cat is more impressive than the mighty lion. Not only is the lion the king beasts, and Apple's most recent Mac operating system, he's also a symbol for strength, royalty, masculinity, power, danger and sexual prowess. So it makes sense that many bands have named themselves after the king of the jungle.

For this playlist I've selected 10 bands that have named themselves after the lion. I will leave it up to you to decide if these artists are deserving of the name.

Please let me know who I've left out and what "big cat" lists I should do next.

Another year is almost over and I've been spending many hours putting together this list of the very best albums released in 2011. After much deliberation I've selected what I feel are the top 100. I freely admit that I've probably missed some that deserve to be here. As is true for all people, I have a finite amount of time available. So even with listening to upwards of 400 new albums each year, I simply can't hear them all. So please add your own favorites to the comments if you feel I've overlooked something deserving. All I ask is that you review the whole list first and tell us WHY your favorite album should have made the cut. A comment like, "What! No Lady Gaga!" or "PJ Harvey sucks!" is not an valid argument and will promptly be laughed at and ignored. Additionally, pointing out that you have not heard something automatically disqualifies you from having an opinion about it.

I've included the highest Billboard album chart positions and Metacritic score for each of my selections. Obviously, any list like this is skewed by the author's personal tastes. My hope is that by providing the numbers about how each record charted, and how critically acclaimed each one is, you can get a more rounded view of my picks.

To clarify some of my parameters:

In order to to be considered for my year end list the record had to be a full-length studio album. I did not consider live albums, greatest hits albums, compilation albums, or reissues.  Also, the record had to be released in the U.S. sometime in 2011. Some of my picks may have had a limited release on an small label, or may have come out in a different country in late 2010.

So with those parameters in mind, here are my selections for #1 through #10.

PJ Harvey - "Let England Shake"#1. Let England Shake by PJ Harvey

Released: February 15, 2011
Label: Vagrant
Metacritic Score: 86
Album Charts: #32 The Billboard 200, #7 Top Independent Albums, #6 Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums, #6 Top Rock Albums

I tossed and turned about whether to make Let England Shake #1 over Bon Iver's self-titled album this year. Both are fantastic records, but very different. Ultimately, I decided to go with PJ Harvey because Let England Shake is less of a "one trick pony".  PJ stretches herself here, which I don't think is true for Bon Iver's effort. Harvey has delivered an album that is both a piece of art forging new ground, and an incredibly entertaining listen. That's something incredibly hard to do, but she's done it in a way that sounds effortless.

These are selections #11 through #20 in our Best Albums of 2011 countdown series.

St. Vincent - "Strange Mercy"#11. Strange Mercy by St. Vincent

Released: September 13, 2011
Label: 4AD
Metacritic Score: 85
Album Charts: #19 The Billboard 200, #8 Top Digital Albums, #6 Top Independent Albums, #6 Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums, #9 Top Rock Albums

Strange Mercy is a great title for this third full-length release by St. Vincent. It's a balancing act between creative/challenging weirdness and
merciful song structures/melodies that are easier to grasp. While the songs themselves weave in and out of these very different approaches, Annie Clark's instantly appealing voice gives the record a cohesion that might be absent otherwise.

Fleet Foxes - "Helplessness Blues"#12. Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes

Released: May 2, 2011
Label: Sub Pop
Metacritic Score: 85
Charts: #4 The Billboard 200, #8 Top Canadian Albums, #3 Top Digital Albums, #2 Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums, #2 Top Rock Albums

Fleet Foxes continue to deliver on the unique and critically

These are selections #21 through #30 in our Best Albums of 2011 countdown series.

#21. Kaputt by Destroyer

Released: January 25, 2011
Label: Merge
Metacritic Score: 84
Charts: #62 The Billboard 200, #7 Top Independent Albums, #11 Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums, #19 Top Rock Albums

Dan Bejar brings his music down a notch on Kaputt in a way that reminds me of Al Stewart. The opening track could easily be a cut off of Al's 1976 album Year Of The Cat. But I speak to the overarching feeling, not the individual parts. Dan uses electronic glitches to paint in between the lines of his decidedly AM radio vibe, and his voice is still a dead ringer for Robyn Hitchcock, which is a big plus for me. Despite all the similarities with other artists, Dan is a fierce songwriter, and when it comes right down to it, it's the songs that make this one of 2011's best albums.

The Weeknd - "House Of Balloons"#22. House Of Balloons by The Weeknd

Released: March 21, 2011
Label: The Weeknd
Metacritic Score: 88
Album Charts: N/A

Wow. That's

These are selections #31 through #40 in our Best Albums of 2011 countdown series.

Florence + The Machine - "Ceremonials"#31. Ceremonials by Florence + The Machine

Released:  October 31, 2011
Label: Universal Republic
Metacritic Score: 77
Charts: #6 The Billboard 200, #4 Top Canadian Albums, #1 Top Digital Albums, #1 Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums, #1 Top Rock Albums

This excellent and dark sophomore effort by Florence + The Machine has gotten a lot of people's attention. I really liked their debut record Lungs, but Ceremonials has put them into a whole new league. Florence Welch has an incredibly dynamic voice, but the music that gives it support is now on an equal level of excellence. Florence + The Machine have just launched themselves into megastar status.

The Horrors - "Skying"#32. Skying by The Horrors

Released: July 26, 2011
Label: XL Recordings
Metacritic Score: 83
Album Charts: #97 The Billboard 200, #11 Top Independent Albums, #12 Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums, #18 Top Rock Albums

The Horrors new album Skying displays an

These are selections #41 through #50 in our Best Albums of 2011 countdown series.

Cults - "Cults"#41. Cults by Cults

Released:  June 7, 2011
Label: Itno
Metacritic Score: 73
Charts: #52 The Billboard 200, #12 Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums, #14 Top Rock Albums

Some debut albums are exciting because they introduce a band that has a lot of promise, and once in a while we get a debut that is just perfect, making you wonder how such great songs could have come out of nowhere. Cults formed in 201o and released this stunning album in June 2011. I suppose this is an exception to the rule that a band has to pay their dues. I suppose if you have enough talent, paying dues is not required, especially today when good music can be spread around the world in no time flat.

F***cked Up - "David Comes To Life"#42. David Comes To Life by F***ed Up

Released: June 7, 2011
Label: Matador
Metacritic Score: 86
Album Charts: #15 Top Independent Albums

It's kind of funny, and a bit sad that American culture has moved from a time when a band like the