#20 on the 2011 Musical Bacon Calendar
My Head is an Animal by Of Monsters and Men
We’re breaking into the top 20 of the year with what will probably be a source of frustration for many of you. The #20 album on the Musical Bacon Calendar isn’t available in the States. Yet. Even without an album readily available for purchase, Of Monsters and Men is receiving plenty of hype. And while they’ve released their album in their native Iceland, it won’t come out over here until “early 2012” via Universal.
The 6-person group, with dual lead male / femal vocals, most reminds me of what I’d wished Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros had sounded like. If you shared my feeling that the strength of ESMZ’s single “Home,” which is a great song that reached mass oversaturation, was the complete opposite of the rest of their album Up From Below, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised by My Head is an Animal. (The two bands don’t have any members in common, just a common sound.) Of Monsters and Men have produced a great folk/rock album.
The band was definitely the highlight of KEXP’s coverage of the Iceland Airwaves festival back in October. You should take the time to watch the videos taken during their in-studio performance there. Then you’ll see why they’re worth the hype. I’ll be sure to let you know when the album comes out in your neighborhood in 2012. (According to the band’s Twitter account, they have an EP called “Into the Woods” coming out on December 20, just in time for the cozy winter months.)
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21. Gloss Drop by Battles
22. Showroom of Compassion by CAKE
23. A New Kind of House EP by Typhoon
24. EP by Grouplove
25. Fan Chosen Covers (Best of) by Eef Barzelay
26. TKOL RMX 1234567 by Radiohead
27. Organ Music Not Virbraphone Like I’d Hoped by Moonface
28. Heavy Boots & Underwoods by Ben Fisher
29. The Rip Tide by Beirut
30. Collapse Into Now by R.E.M.
31. I Am Very Far by Okkervil River