Jen Stratosphere Fanzine’s Top 10 Songs of 2011

This was originally going to be a Top 3 list, but I couldn’t resist doing a Top 10 instead.  Too much joy to spread around this year!

10.  Meringue & Malice – “Christmas Covered in Candy”

Leslie Dallion and Ryan Breegle, formerly the duo The Loligags (on Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records out of Athens, Georgia), are back as Meringue & Malice, creating delightfully original, and pastiche, jingles and crafting videos from old-timey found footage.  Just in time for the holidays Leslie and Ryan offer this sweet treat filled with Leslie’s deliciously fine ‘n’ dandy vocals.  A Christmas covered in candy is every kid’s (and kid-at-heart’s) dream and it comes true in aural form on this full-blown piece of ear candy that will stick for a good long while…

Official Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8d7cdRqZ2U&feature=g-all

Official Site:  http://meringueandmalice.bandcamp.com/

 

9.  Jane Hunt – “Vasene”

The EP that this song originates from is titled Violin Venus and it’s an apt description for Jane Hunt, who was trained as a classical violinist, and this lead-off track.  The rapturous “Vasene” sweeps up and away with exquisite violin crescendos that will leave the listener misty-eyed.  Ethereal female vocals sung in a foreign language mix with tantalizing violins, electronics, and a kicky beat, leaving the listener in elated thrall by the end of the song.

Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/search?q%5Bfulltext%5D=jane+hunt+vasene

 

8.  Thursday – “Fast To The End”

Thursday sadly broke up just this past November, but the band members end on a high note with their sixth and last studio album No Devolucion.  On this lead-off track the NJ-based band meld its signature post-hardcore, screamo sound with “dreamo” vocals from frontman Geoff Rickly.  His airy vocals float gently, but forlornly over cycles of rapid-fire beats and distorted guitar turbulence.  Even when Geoff and bandmates Tom Keeley, Steve Pedulla, Tim Payne, Tucker Rule, and Andrew Everding, experimented with their original sound, they stayed true to the end – in the connection to their fans, and in their ideas and ideals conveyed by Geoff’s vivid lyrics, band member interviews, and causes they support.  Thursday will be greatly missed…

Unofficial audio at YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU-mmX5vFk8

Link to Official Thank You (and goodbye) statement from Thursday:  http://thursday.net/thank-you

 

7.  Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy – “Close”

Steve Kilbey of The Church and Martin Kennedy of All India Radio have collaborated again on a captivating second album titled White Magic.  The covertly sinister “Close”, off of said album, features brushed drums and cymbal shimmer that mingle and dissolve like mist under the blazing sun. An unhurried beat, sparse, Western guitar reverb, acoustic guitar strum, and muted keyboards crop up like sagebrush, punctuating the assuredly foreboding tone of the song.

Steve delivers the stark, laconic lyrics of “I hide in the dark…” and “I’m close… / getting closer…” in a sinuous, insinuating sing-talking hush. Does Steve want a love connection or some other type of pleasant interaction? No. The cold, hard fact is that he doesn’t want any of those distractions. He’s “…gonna need revenge…”

Official Video at YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RShpdFuaPow

 

6.  The Boxing Lesson – “Muerta”

“Muerta” is a grand, deliberately-paced, slow-building dirge awash with bluesy slide guitar lines, deep, solemn organ notes, and tense, pained vocals from lead vocalist Paul Waclawsky. Paul’s lamenting vocals arc upwards in airy anguish, as he strings out the words “…waiting to die.”, backed by Jaylinn Davidson’s sweeter-toned vocals. Fomenting guitar licks follow, supported by crests of brighter synth notes and rolling waves of organ. The finale features jags of searing rock guitar and elevating swells of organ notes that create an expansive and uplifting atmosphere.

Official Video at Vimeo:  http://vimeo.com/25685206

 

5.  Lana Del Rey – “Video Games”

Lana Del Rey skyrocketed into popular culture based on her video for “Video Games”, and subsequently has had to endure the hype (over 9 million views on YouTube) and the backlash against her mysterious musical past under her given name Lizzy Grant (an EP was released in 2009 and a debut album was “withdrawn” soon after).

Putting all that info aside, Lana’s music and vocals stand tall on their own and she brings a breath of fresh air to her retro-glam styled tunes.  “Video Games” is a confessional number full of longing and heartache.  A vintage-sounding Lana lingers languidly over her lyrics of “It’s all for you / – everything I do.”, drawing them out with a pensive, lilting introspection and womanly allure.

Official Video at YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO1OV5B_JDw

 

4.  Lana Del Rey – “Blue Jeans”

While “Video Games” is drawing all the accolades, fire, and views on YouTube, “Blue Jeans” is just as noteworthy, if not more so, since it showcases Lana’s self-described “gangsta Nancy Sinatra” style with a mash-up of edgy, short-phrase lyrics on the verses and a sentimental romanticism on the chorus sections.  The “Video Games”/”Blue Jeans” single is out now and the highly anticipated debut album from “Lana Del Rey” drops January 31^st, 2012 on Interscope Records.

Official Video at YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t-I-Lqy06g

 

3.  Princess Chelsea – “The Cigarette Duet”

It’s hard to quit this addictive pop duet sung by New Zealander Princess Chelsea and guest vocalist Jonathan Bree of The Brunettes.  Princess Chelsea and Jonathan’s melodic sing-song refrains give off a nursery rhyme vibe as ebullient music box-like synth notes mingle with the occasional deeper cut of Western guitar reverb.

The innocent nature of the sonics is contrasted by “real world” lyrical content which pits a couple against each other.  One is a smoker, played by Princess Chelsea, who is disinterested in the dangers of smoking and sing-talks sweetly, but dismissively “It’s just a cigarette / and it cannot be that bad.”  Her other half, portrayed by Jonathan, is quick to rejoin in a richly nonchalant voice that “It’s just a cigarette / and it harms your pretty lungs.”  Who will win the fight?

Official Video at YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TV_128Fz2g

 

2.  The Twilight Singers – “Waves”

“Waves”, off of Dynamite Steps, the latest album from Greg Dulli and company, releases a furious onslaught, both aurally and lyrically.  The song seethes unrelentingly with a dissonant, tightly wound turmoil of aggressive guitar distortion and Greg’s gritty, vehement proclamations.  Pieces of menacing lyrics like “What you foresee is what you’ll get.” and “…shattered beyond repair…” surface from the depths as an impassioned Greg fights against, but is ultimately carried away by the savagely thrashing sonic waves.

Official link to song at Soundcloud:  http://soundcloud.com/twilight-singers/03-waves

 

1.  mr. Gnome – “Capsize”

It was a toss-up whether to include this song or “We Sing Electric” by mr. Gnome, but despite the Queens Of The Stone Age spirit of “We Sing Electric”, the edge goes to album-ender “Capsize” because it blazes from the start and never lets up.  Nicole’s anxiously tense, exclaimed vocals are echoed and layered, producing a disorienting atmosphere to the tune.  Guitars and drums accelerate at a furiously blistering pace, creating a fine frenzy of controlled chaos that builds up (or burns down?) in an exhilarating, cathartic sonic assault

Official link to song at Soundcloud:  http://soundcloud.com/mrgnome/capsize

New Single from The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn

Craig Finn, frontman of The Hold Steady, has confirmed the November 25 release of his new 7″ single “Honolulu Blues,” a preview of his highly anticipated solo debut out early 2012. The limited edition 7″ vinyl, released with new b-side “Rented Room,” will only be available in select record stores nationwide on Record Store Day’s “Black Friday” sale. Both songs will be available via all digital retailers on November 29.

Produced by Mike McCarthy (Spoon, Trail of Dead) in Austin, Texas earlier this year, Finn’s solo album features backing by members of White Denim, The Heartless Bastards, Phosphorescent, and Centro-matic.

 

Craig Finn on the Web:
http://steadycraig.tumblr.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/steadycraig

Adrian P’s 3 from ’11

Rick Rizzo & Tara Key – Double Star (Thrill Jockey)

Not content with just releasing creditable albums with their respective mothership bands during 2011, as an inventive and democratic duo Rick Rizzo (Eleventh Dream Day) and Tara Key (Antietam) finally delivered a sequel to 2000’s overlooked Dark Edson Tiger, in the shape of the utterly divine Double Star.  Drawing inspiration from each other, their peer group and past experimental masters of all stripes, Double Star is one of the most meticulously-arranged and intrepid instrumental albums of the year.  Through balmy electro-acoustic mediations, via searing art-rock, across alluring Americana back-porches and inside Eno-esque genre-fusing bubbles, Double Star covers acres of musical ground whilst retaining a homely intimacy that is comforting as well as reinvigorating.  A LP worth every nanosecond of its lengthy gestation.

Rick Rizzo & Tara Key – “Hungry”

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Savaging Spires – self-titled (Critical Heights)

Appearing out of nowhere with little or no back story and a deliberate level of author anonymity, came a debut that presented a mysterious outfit already reaching impressive heights of craftsmanship.  Whilst the influences were easy to spot (Espers, Tyrannosaurus Rex, The Incredible String Band, The Wicker Man soundtrack and every acid-folk frazzled source in-between), the Savaging Spires’ eponymous first outing adroitly refashioned its fandom into distinctive bespoke shapes.  Unquestionably a collection that grows with each and every fertile spin, this opening statement proclaims its enchantments predominantly through layered and breath-taking studio arrangements that are richly-detailed without being over-cluttered.  Recording desk mastery aside, the marriage of abstract and harmonious songwriting reveals great potential for future longevity. In essence, this sublime record manages to pit the sophisticated against the arcane with neither losing the battle.  More soon please…

Wilco – The Whole Love (dBpm)

Whilst there is a slightly off-putting arrogance surrounding Wilco these days, it is forgivable when the band puts attitude aside and fuses its six-heads into a lustrous and colourful song-tailoring machine. Harking back to the rich eclecticism and joyful vigour of 1996’s still brilliant Being There and revisiting many of the sonic strands explored over more recent LPs, The Whole Love is an unpretentious yet imaginative pleasure.  Moving through jagged Krautrock, soaring ‘60s garage-rock, effusive country, creamy ‘70s Steely Dan-isms, punchy power-pop, blissful avant-folk and even playful ragtime, with barely a missed a gear, The Whole Love celebrates the album as an art-form that can package up a wide-range of musical aims into an immensely satisfying whole.

Wilco – “I Might” video:

Brad Tilbe’s Top 3 of 2011

1. Ghost - Opus Eponymous

Ghost have created quite a buzz in the Metal scene since (and prior to) the January 2011 release of their first full length, Opus Eponymous. They’re not necessarily Metal, and they’re technically not a Rock band. Ghost is a melodic, heavy concoction of both. Lyrics boast Satan as their master, God, and taker of life. This Swedish 6 piece of nameless ghouls, led by vocalist Papa Emeritus I bring a sound that is virtually indescribable. A truly thrilling album, Ghost’s lyrical content, stage attire, and anonymity perfectly capture their message. Coupled with a Pop sensibility makes Opus Eponymous accessible to a wide range of fans.

2. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

For me, the June 2011 release of Bon Iver was one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year. 2008′s For Emma, Forever Ago literally changed my life. Folk music had gone astray and I was finding myself turned off from the genre as a whole. Turmoil is too small of a word to properly express what was going on in my life when I first heard Bon Iver. With 2011′s self-titled release, I had reservations and I seem to remember it taking me a few months to latch onto this album. Once I finally “got it”, there was no turning back. Rarely does an artist put out an album where there’s no filler. Bon Iver is 10 individual masterpieces and one hard album to listen to in one sitting. These tracks take time to filter through your soul. But in the end they come out smelling of hope, love, and a longing that perhaps will forever go unquenched.

3. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

Being a fan of Nirvana to the point of obsession, I’m often asked if I like the Foo Fighters. My standard reply pre- Wasting Light was, “I like their first album, after that I just lost interest”. It wasn’t until I purchased the band’s documentary Back And Forth that my interest finally peaked. After watching it religiously at a rate of 1 to 2 times a day I found a whole new understanding and appreciation for the band, which in turn led me to buy Wasting Light. Produced by Butch Vig, Wasting Light was the first Foo Fighters album to feature Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic on bass (“I Should Have Known”). The recording of the album was also a Nirvana reunion of sorts, marking the first collaboration between Vig and the surviving members since 1991′s Nevermind. This in itself held more weight for me and furthered my interest in the album, as well as the songs themselves. The documentary, coupled with Wasting Light, paint a picture of a group I misunderstood for quite some time. A new breath of life was able present itself with the Foo’s 2011 release, one that continues to re-ignite my interest with every listen.

New album and single from Boris

Boris premiere new song on RollingStone.com from forthcoming album, set Australian dates for March 2012

 

Legendary Japanese trio Boris have premiered a new track via Rolling Stone from their forthcoming disc New Album. The MP3 for “Flare” is available to stream/download HERE. New Album will be available via Sargent House on limited edition vinyl and CD at independent retailers on Record Store Day: Black FridayNovember 25th and LP/CD/Download worldwide on December 6th.The band also announces the first few dates of an Australian headlining tour in March 2012. Please see current dates below. Boris has long been celebrated for their rare ability to reinterpret a multitude of esoteric musical genres into a sound uniquely their own. New Album finds the intrepid Japanese trio etching their own post-noise, extreme pop niche with some of their most accessible and melodic music being equally their most subversive. Where their two previous albums, Attention Please and the all new Heavy Rocks — both released by Sargent House on the same day, May 24th, 2011 — offered divergent expansions to their sonic palette, New Album is the culmination of the band’s ongoing experimentation that catapults its ferocious sound headlong into new territory. The 10-track New Album features a handful of revamped versions of songs from both Attention Please and Heavy Rocks (2011), along with a few new tracks, hyper-charged and rearranged with the assistance of radical Japanese producer Shinobu Narita resulting in a sound that could best be described as extreme pop. It shares both the hummable heft of Nirvana‘s Nevermind and the entrancing, droning haze of My Bloody Valentine‘s classic Loveless, run through two previous decades’ worth of electronic exploration and the merging of underground noise with sugary mainstream gloss. Boris usually self-produce their recordings, so working with a popular producer is quite an exception. The disc was first issued as a Japan-only release in March 2011, but this rearranged and remastered worldwide edition features a reorganized track listing and four songs not available on either Attention Please or Heavy Rocks.   Boris formed in the early ’90s as a four piece just-for-fun endeavor with the sonic template of influences like Melvins and Earth. By the time of its 1996 debut as a trio Absolutego (later released in the US via Southern Lord in 2000), Boris had already hit its stride in creating unique ground-rattling heavy, melodic music. The group, bassist/vocalist Takeshi, guitarist/vocalist Wata and drummer/vocalist Atsuo went on to release nearly 20 studio albums, as well as numerous collaborative albums — including projects with Merzbow, Sunn0))), Ian Astbury and Michio Kurihara of Ghost (who also currently tours with the band as second guitarist and frequently guests on albums) — EPs and singles on various labels throughout the world.   These eternal masters of the aesthetic 180-degree shift, Boris prove once again with New Album just how deftly the band can tackle seemingly disparate musical elements and forge new sounds that may seem inconceivable to other artists. New Album will be available on limited LP/CD on November 25th, 2011 in celebration of Record Store Day: Back To Black Friday and LP/CD/Download on December 6th via Sargent House.   BORIS AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2012 03/22 Sydney @ The Metro 03/23 Brisbane @ The Hi-Fi 03/24 Melbourne @ The Corner Hotel

Bryan Sanchez – Top 3 Albums of 2011

3. Jay-Z / The Throne / Kanye West – Watch the Throne (Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam)

Detailing your life for us, blending it all with a kitchen drawer filled with tremendous production and emceeing about the lonely night after, religion, love, family and more, Watch the Throne was a terrific swing of life. There’s the confident swagger of showcasing your strengths (“Ni**as in Paris”) and the sincere honesty and admittance of faults (“New Day”) that both highlight fantastic music. West definitely supplies the jaded and emotional way life is and how easy it is to get lost in it all, while Jay-Z employs the wise, battle-tested guru that ensures each line is heavy and full of promise. Living extremely wealthy, successful and mostly thriving lives, they’re still human like the rest of us. In succinct terms, it’s eleven songs that feature grandiose and now wonderfully typical West arrangements that are neatly juxtaposed with subtle touches: every last song being an absolute banger in terms of craft. There’s the transitions that set up and diminish what was before and it bluntly ends up being the best hip-hop album of the year. It’s crisp, lean and mean: for many and all, what anyone could have hoped for when Kanye West and Jay-Z decided to finally hook up. And still, it could get more talk – it’s that good.

Jay-Z / The Throne / Kanye West – “Otis”

2. James Blake – James Blake (ATLAS / Polydor)
Subtle, dynamic, raw, cold, dark, lush. All delightfully and now overused abjectives to describe this album. There’s a jagged pattern amongst the drums, the beats are overlaying on top of each other and now, Blake’s voice joins in an additional layer of sounds. All the instruments – piling and rounding into and on top of each other – act as small decoys for the synthesizers and keyboards Blake has perfected. For James Blake everything relies on the meshing of both vocals and keyboards/drums/other simply because it is at the forefront the majority of the time. His music always sounds invitingly all-encompassing while possessing the blossoming quality of filling your ears with menacing clouds of sound. Some would make you think he’s got his own style of dubstep and others (like yours truly) would say there’s probably some truth to that. This isn’t electronic as much as it is music for life: openly deduced and entirely free for interpretation, the music is ornate and decorated, a swelling, flourishing layers of gold. It’s simply another new style that Blake is endearingly conquering while keeping everyone closely engrossed into every downright gorgeous sound that is flowing from this, his self-titled debut. I’m sure by the time his next album comes out we’ll have a whole new set of adjectives to cover.

James Blake – “Unluck”

1. The Antlers – Burst Apart (Frenchkiss Records)
Rising above, The Antlers quietly released the best album of the year without much fanfare – as everyone would have wanted. After the bleak strands of life left over from Hospice’s theme (the album itself was one of the best albums of 2009) they join the fragmented life seaming out of Burst Apart and take hold of it, never wanting to let go again. The music transcends with a muscular fusion of rock and pop that clearly marks a stage of alternative music where the band employs various styles – some more metallic (“Parentheses”) and some more freely bumping with bliss (“Every Night My Teeth are Falling Out”) – with sublime results. Beginning with the declaration of “I Don’t Want Love,” grabbing hold of the feelings and realizing the guilt trip (“French Exit,”) ending with the mixed, bittersweet feelings and closure on “Putting the Dog to Sleep,” and somewhere in between the lullingly amazing “Hounds,” this is the album after the breakup. As affecting as it all was effective, Burst Apart marks a great moment for the band. Continuing to progress and develop is key and for The Antlers, their music will surely garner more attention as time passes. Until then, they’ve already made stunning music to behold with Burst Apart shining the brightest.

The Antlers – “French Exit”

Final Top Ten of 2011:
1. The Antlers – Burst Apart
2. James Blake – James Blake
3. Jay-Z / The Throne / Kanye West – Watch the Throne
4. Radiohead – The King of Limbs
5. Atlas Sound – Parallax
6. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
7. Tom Waits – Bad As Me
8. Feist – Metals
9. Charles Bradley – No Time for Dreaming
10. My Morning Jacket – Circuital

Ryan Lloyd’s Top 3 of 2011

For this writer, these top three albums of 2011 transcend their time, with a stake in the past, present and future. This music will not fade simply as the years continue and are not merely a product of a trend or flavor-of-the-month sound, but have the ability to retain their presence and appeal years from now. In the case of the number one album on the list, the music and artist may even attempt to tectonically shift the very foundation of music into something otherworldly and exponentially different.

3. Bon Iver – Bon Iver 

Nothing can be said of Justin Vernon’s latest release that has not already been said this year. Bon Iver may be the most highly praised album of the year, and for good reason. Many wondered how the songwriter would transition from the sparse sound of his debut (which is regarded as an indie classic), and he not only avoided the sophomore slump but effectively established himself as an artist who is here to stay. Oh, and the more expansive style suits Vernon just fine, even when he channels ’80s rock (“Beth/Rest”).

 

 

2. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost 

Stereogum put it best when it said that this album “could’ve just as easily dropped in 1981, 1991, or 2001.” It has that inherently timeless quality and is an unabashed classic rock record that is both spiritual and carefree. The band, just like the composer of our number one album, shoots for a massive epic and ultimately succeeds.

 

 

 

1. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming 

Nobody created a sound quite as big as Anthony Gonzalez this year. It is utterly and completely unique, immune to categorization. Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming has elements of its time, sure, but it exists in a time and place far from the present state. Ultimately, it seems relatively impossible for this record to ever sound outdated, and may not even fully be appreciated for many years. Its celestial sound, pursuit of total grandeur and irresistible rhythms make it a surreal listening experience unlike anything else released this year.

 

New Video from Greenhorse

“The Breathing Machine”
Video: http://tinyurl.com/3fbddqe
Listen: http://bantermm.com/tracks/Greenhorse-TheBreathingMachine.mp3

Los Angeles trio Greenhorse share this haunting video for their new single, “The Breathing Machine.” The track is a preview of what’s to come from the emerging post-pop trio.

Greenhorse is Chris Hackman, Shawn Day and Joel Saur, who first met at an antique music store in Wyoming. Following an online collaboration in 2009, while Day was living in London, Hackman in Los Angeles, and Saur in South Africa, they formed Greenhorse. The LA-based group recently recorded their second EP Happiness at Pachyderm Studios with Brent Sigmeth (Nirvana, Wilco, Polyphonic Spree), which they released on Oct. 4, 2011.

Greenhorse Official Website: www.greenhorsemusic.com

Friends of DOA – Best of 2011

David Armes (Last Harbour / Little Red Rabbit Records label):

Wolves In The Throne Room - Celestial Lineage

In 2011 I saw more live music than heard new albums, so that’s my compass.  From Björk at the god-awful Bestival to John Tilbury‘s Beckett piece in a freezing church to Part Chimp in an old mill to Lanterns on the Lake in Paris, I feel privileged to have seen some spectacular music happen. But nothing quite compares to Wolves in the Throne Room at Supersonic Festival in Birmingham, even if my feet were stuck to the beer-sodden floor the entire set.

I would never claim to know much about black metal but in the case of Celestial Lineage, Wolves’ fourth album and also the last part of a trilogy, the sheer scope and ambition of their music has the power to transcend mere labelling.  Art never occurs in a vacuum but one rare feat is to create an object that seems to represent only its own world.  Celestial Lineage does that.  You sink into it, are held by it, float through it. The record seems to be of one piece – the pace and fades of the transitions are perfectly judged, never breaking the listener’s concentration.  The feeling stays with you long after the record has finished.  Also, I don’t think many records rooted in black metal feature a grand harp.  Celestial Lineage does. More power to Wolves In The Throne Room.

James Nicholls (Fire Records):

Dirty Beaches – Badlands

Cutting room floor noir soundtracked by the as yet disproven collaboration between Roy Orbison and Roland S Howard or just some guy over-dubbing his vocals and overdriven axe onto his parents 1950s inspired record collection?  It’s the sound of something but I still haven’t figured that out and unlike so many records I just can’t see this out-staying its welcome.  I’ve heard people argue that what Alex Zhang Hungtai does is pretty simple to replicate but while on face value that might be true this record gives me something new every time I drop the needle and the impossibly catchy “Lord Knows Best” starts chiming out of my battered old AR18s.  “Speedway King,” like a lot of this album, reminds me of all the best bits of Aussie duo HTRK’s appropriately titled debut Nostalgia and the dense atmospheric Lynchian pulse of “Black Nylon” could be ruined into a hit record if someone got their slutty vocals all over it.  But like the last drink of the night it’s “Hotel” that really sends me into the album’s smoke filled dreamland.  Daunting yet delicate synth over a never ending sample with an appropriate dose of complimentary hiss.  Studied yet chaotic, it’s what holds this relatively short album together.  Apparently he’s been doing this for years without anyone noticing but perhaps it’s all the better for it. Badlands sounds so aged and world-weary that even the more energetic tracks like “Sweet 17” sound like this late night radio show of an album is signing off for the final time.  Dirty Beaches are no doubt here to stay but Badlands is such a beautiful way to say goodbye.

Dirty Beaches – “Lord Know Best”

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Mac McCaughan (Superchunk / Portastatic / Merge Records):

Of course the records I’ve listened to most this year have been albums we put out on Merge, but I disqualify those from year-end consideration in the interest of not coming off as a shill!

A lot of what I end up listening to the most initially grabs me in a moment of “this reminds me of something from 1983/1987/1995″ etc — maybe that’s a function of me just being incredibly old, or my tastes not evolving or something, but usually even when a record reminds me of something I grew up loving, it only stays in rotation if it’s bringing something of its own to the table. Four new albums I’ve enjoyed immensely this year are Yuck’s debut, Real Estate’s Days, Dum Dum Girls’ latest, and for me the most compelling of the four (perhaps because it’s the hardest to nail down) would be War On Drugs’ Slave Ambient album. These are all guitar-driven records with songs that are catchy and engaging but elusive enough to bring me back over and over. The moments that brought me in initially warmed my heart with glimmers of Dinosaur Jr, REM/Feelies, Pretenders, and Go-Betweens/Blue Aeroplanes/something?, respectively, but again if the artists in question were just throwbacks I wouldn’t still be listening to all of these.

The War On Drugs – “Baby Missiles”

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Pete Astor (Ellis Island Sound / The Loft / solo artist):

‘Music is my first love…’ etc.

Whether we like it or not, John Miles’ anthem “Music” will – just like Spinal Tap – comes true for us all in the end (the full, heart-breaking lyric is here).

So, my favourite music of 2011; well, really do you actually want to know? The truth is, not Girls, Veronica Falls, Little Dragon or any number of fantastic new records by beautiful young people, but two things, which mean something to me.

Firstly, it’s my friend David’s compilation Private Press Porn King, where a host of terrifyingly obscure records have been compiled for the listening pleasure of the typically jaded music soul: the guy who has everything.  This, from the sleeve note, makes the point beautifully: “There comes a time when all the rabid oft pointless junkie fix record buy sprees; guilt + shame + penury – when you realise that you HAVE IT ALL – the true Goodies – the Gene Clarks/ Left Bankes/milkshakes of life’s pageantry […]… I was getting desperate man I was even considering JAZZ… but then – hola! PRIVATE PRESS: the BIZARRE + FRIGHTENING WORLD OF!”

Well, what more can I say? As you probably know private press records are those weird things that odd individuals decided that they had to press up themselves (because – of course – no one else would). So, what you get are a whole bunch of very well-wrought tracks, usually echoing rock’s golden age (‘60s/‘70s) in various stages of competence and style.

And the thing that you can’t help noticing is how, when you look at the dates of the tracks, is that they’re all great, but they’re all just a little bit late.  So, Anonymous and his Byrdsy psychedelic garage-folk in 1976?! You get the picture. But the commitment is total, and because there was absolutely no chance that anybody would ever buy it (because nobody gave a shit), it’s mad and lovely.

And the other one is my favourite Dylan album, Love and Theft. I just can’t leave it alone. I’m not going to even try and justify its aesthetic worth or anything; it’s just the one that – with the particular artistic colossus that is Bob Dylan – I’ve completely fallen for. Of course it’s not his best – that’s not the point. It’s his best for me, it’s my Dylan album.  With its ‘old-weird-America’ lyrical kaleidoscope and his shit-hot band playing the same old chords, beautifully.

Yup, we all turn into Harvey Pekar eventually; and this is my year in music.

Second Language Podcast No.12 (featuring Pete Astor discussing his recent Songbox album and more)

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Statik of Collide

Peter Gabriel  - New Blood

I like it because it made me remember how much I liked some of the older Peter Gabriel material, and it wasn’t quite like a remix album. His voice sounds better than ever.

How to Destroy Angels – How To Destroy Angels

I like the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross production. Trent’s still one of the few people that keeps things sounding fresh, with great production value.

Official Site: http://www.collide.net/news/

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