ONE. thank you. happy holidays.
talons’ - songs for boats [“catamaran”]
(via radiantknowing-deactivated20120)
(0 plays)TWO.
accordion crimes - songs to drive wives away [“ouray”]
THREE.
creepoid - horse heaven [“hollow doubt”]
(Source: theheirapparent)
(0 plays)FOUR.
widowspeak - s/t [“harsh realm”]
(Source: lets-get-happy)
(20 plays)FIVE.
true widow - as high as the highest heavens and from the center to the circumference of the earth [“jackyl”]
(via unimpressedviking)
(636 plays)SIX.
wavelets - athaletics [“we’re really jazzed about the gig”]
(Source: jimmyprobablyhatesyou)
(41 plays)SEVEN.
real estate - days [“green aisles”]
(Source: ashleyrolandxo)
(50 plays)EIGHT.
seapony - go with me [“i never would”]
(Source: craigz)
(63 plays)NINE.
restorations - s/t [“neighborhood song”]
(Source: sheerhellishmiasma)
(0 plays)top ten, GO! TEN.
daniel striped tiger - no difference [“no reverse”]
(via guiltregret)
(0 plays)2011 [batch four]
pygmy lush - yellow hall [from old friends]
becoming one of the best. more!
buildings - invocation [from melt cry sleep]
minneapolis duders get better with each round.
ampere - escapism pt ii [from like shadows]
as if we needed more proof.
algernon cadwallader - preservatives [from parrot flies]
figured they’d have a follow-up in ‘em, didn’t realize it would be so solid!
kite party. philadelphia was on fire this year!
senders. brothers from the south, they manage to make everything else seem weak.
horse marriage. a sleeper; listened a bunch but didn’t think much about. great band!
LOCAL LOVE:
i’m biased as %&$*#, but these need to be given so much credit:
jowls. if you pay attention to the underground musics, notably the punk side of things, you’ll likely be hearing about this band in ‘12. do pay attention. with the recent addition of a bass player, the writing for their upcoming full length has taken a brilliant turn.
2011 [batch three]
still can’t fathom how much goodness there was this year.
and how much i probably missed. [batch five] will be my top ten!
gem club - twins [from breakers]
i met this album at the most perfect time to meet an album like this.
memoryhouse - quiet america [from the years ep]
an ep and sort of a reissue, but needs to be here. can’t wait for the lp in early ‘12.
papercuts - do you really wanna know [from fading parade]
i’ll get away from the sup pop family in a second, i promise.
cass mccombs - county line [from wit’s end]
cass mccombs - the same thing [from humor risk]
seriously, it’s hard to bitch about anything in a given calendar year in which cass mccombs delivered two of his best records to date.
little wings - how come [from black grass]
i truly hope he never ever ever stops making records.
kurt vile - baby’s arms [from smoke ring for my halo]
i wonder at which point he will make a record and it won’t be on my list?
cymbals_eat_guitars - another tunguska [from lenses alien]
i did not expect this record to have an impact on me. then it did. but it’s more or less been on the shelf ever since.
witches - creature of nature [from forever]
highly anticipated. delivered. crush on cara beth continues.
wooden wand. oh, the money i spend on wooden wand records. this year, the kickers were the “my week beats your year” lp, and the soon-to-be-shipped 6xLP box set. here is “may”:
josh t pearson. don’t know much about this one yet, as it was a late joiner. probably about as sad bastard as it could get! here is “woman when i’ve raised hell”:
LOCAL LOVE…
i’m biased as %&$*#, but these need to be given so much credit:
mat churchill.
2011 [batch two]
here’s some more. top ten still has to wait!
tw walsh - make it rhyme [from songs of pain and leisure]
we’re all getting older, and better.
rob crow - sophistructure [from he thinks he’s people]
this album is highly schizophrenic, but when it’s on, it’s ON.
spectrals - get a grip [from bad penny]
the voice, the familiar melody. i’m a sucker for it.
low - witches [live kcrw session] [original found on c’mon]
quite a pleasant return to form. somehow, low & i work like this: the more interesting they try to be, the less interested i am, and vice versa.
grooms - tiger trees [from prom]
we got to play a handful of shows with them before this was released, and after hearing the songs live a bunch, the sound of the record blew me away. unfortunately, music and time connect for me in ways that they probably shouldn’t, and this time was the worst i’ve been through. someday i’ll come back to this record and it’ll be amazing all over again.
masters of the hemisphere - belushi [from maybe these are the breaks]
least expected release of the year. incredible! LP did not come with download code. i know this may seem trite, but really, magic marker? pull your head out of your ass.
small talk. yet another in the senders/little league family. everything these dudes touch is gold. fans of the uber squirly sad boy kinsella rock take note. this is possibly your favorite record this year that you haven’t heard.
speedy ortiz. my favorite female singer steps out from her band and puts out an ep and a full length’s worth of lo-fi brilliance, and i am in love like high school.
2011 [batch one]
this year was incredibly overwhelming. i’ll get to a top ten later, but in the meantime, here’s the rest of the records that caught my attention, one handful at a time.
-b
crash of rhinos - distal
crystal antlers - two-way mirror
arches - wide awake
grouper - A/A
graves - summr bummr
boilermaker - slow down
pull back my lip, while i watch my step. spitting words hurts me.
facing backwards might cause you to slip, to slow down.
watch your step, take a little trip down.
who knows where to land?
your broken hand scratched my back.
mend me now.
my chance to move on, who’s to know?
the outer side, the outside might glimpse.
a glimpse, gather my sense.
sit back and mend myself, take a walk outside, too bored to sleep.
not enough time to get anything halfway done.
that’s all for now, followers. hopefully some of you got something out of this page—i know i surely did. it will likely be back at a much later date, in some form, with a different name. i love this music too much. but in the meantime, i’m off to breathe in the summer, and find new ways to exhale it. keep it simple. -brian
