Best of 2011 - EPs

Who cares about EPs, right? Wrong. I got 31 of them this year (Wow!) and many of their songs made it into my list of top songs. I can't leave them out. EP = extended play. Not short enough to be a single, not long enough to be an album. My EPs ranged from 3 - 7 songs this year, let's see which ones are the best.

10. The Color Spectrum: Violet - The Dear Hunter

The Dear Hunter released an impressive 36-song collection known as The Color Spectrum. The music's divided between 9 EPs, one after each color: black, white, ROYGBIV. Unfortunately, I found it tough to connect with this mass of music, and Violet is the only one that made it on this list. Each color has a different theme; Violet is the jazz/string orchestration one. This is the first music of this style I've enjoyed.

9. Yearbook: July - Sleeping At Last

Sleeping At Last's Yearbook EP are at a disadvantage because they only have three songs each. The July Ep, however, is good enough to make it here. Each EP is built to fit the time of year it represents; I think this one did it best. It was extra-summery!

8. The Emergency - Dear Future

This one's so obscure that I couldn't even find a picture of it's cover on Google. I like Dear Future for their lyrics. "We were born to love and not hold back." These words are powerful when mixed with their rock style.

7. Celebrate Love - Michou

This EP is full of what I like to call feel good music. It's music that isn't particularly brilliant and doesn't have too much going on, but that you'd love singing along to with your best friends. See what I mean here. I'll turn to this EP when I'm feeling down.

6. Gemini - Jack and White

I thought Jack and White were annoying when I first heard them...then all of sudden their music was stuck in my head. Turns out some of their tunes are downright gorgeous. Listen here. I don't usually listen to this type of music, but I'll be keeping an eye on these two.

5. Asleep - Green Pitch

Number five comes from Denmark! If you're an acoustic guitar/piano fan, this is worth checking out. I'm also a huge fan of the leading singer. She's amazing.

4. Yearbook: September - Sleeping At Last

Sleeping At Last's year-long journey ended in a sad, yet suitable set of songs. For those who subscribed to the project (myself included), each EP was e-mailed to you on the 1st day of the month. September's EP, however, came out on the 10th, allowing just enough extra time to make it perfect and to say goodbye to the beautiful endeavor. 36 songs...see how it all ended here.

3. Why We Need Night - The Union Trade

There is music out there that you can only listen to, then there's music that you can sink yourself into. This, my most-played EP of 2011, builds an atmosphere that is easier to sink into than most. Magnificent piano, uplifting chords, and a fitting voice give this EP a feeling I'll never stop coming back to.

2. A New Kind Of House - Typhoon

Three guitarists, three percussionists, three trumpet players, and three string players...that's right guys, Typhoon has 12 members. Sweet! I'll show them in action in my songs post, but for now, let me just tell you that this EP puts my song-writing capabilities to shame (let's face it, all of these songs do, but this EP in particular!). Good thing they don't have a violist yet, maybe I can join up!

1. Big Blue Wave - Hey Ocean!

This EP has four songs. All four made it into my list of top songs; that's more than any other band, even my three favorite bands! Basically, this year was flawless for Hey Ocean! The first song is a rock song you'll want to tap your foot to. The next includes some of the best vocal harmonies I've ever heard. The third is a catchy jazz tune you can swing your hips to. It all ends with a touching acoustic tune. This EP is the whole package. Fall in love with Hey Ocean! here (this is an acoustic version of the rock song).

I'm glad I've included EPs here. It allows me to show off some low-name bands, some hidden gems. Remember, each of these is only $3 to $6 on iTunes. Skip lunch and pick one up!