Best of 2011
Nov 21
As usual, I was part of administering and a voting member of the Fids & Kamily Awards this year. Follow the link for a full description, but basically: a bunch of people who pay attention to family music vote on their favorites with a weighted ballot, and the albums with the most points win. It’s based on the Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll. Wayne Brady didn’t get any votes.
As you know if you listened on Saturday, Recess Monkey‘s Flying! won the top spot. But I thought I’d also share what my picks were. More than most years, I had a lot of ties, and relatively few huge spreads, so I’m just listing my top ten in alphabetical order by artist (though I’ll name my one favorite down below):
- Alastair Moock: These Are My Friends
- Billy Kelly: In the Family Garden
- Cat & a Bird: Cat & a Bird
- Dan Zanes: Little Nut Tree
- Deedle Deedle Dees: Strange Dees, Indeed
- Frances England: Mind of My Own
- Lunch Money: Original Friend
- Papa Crow: Things That Roar
- Recess Monkey: Flying!
- ScribbleMonster: Look Both Ways
My overall favorite CD of the year was the Deedle Deedle Dees’ Strange Dees, Indeed. Anyone who’s paid attention knows that I love the Dees (and, full disclosure, have hosted them in our house and consider them good friends). Their live shows have always been ridiculous fun. Now they’ve got a record that matches up with those shows, thanks to the producing talents of Dean Jones.
