|
User
Reviews 29
Approval 89%
Soundoffs 49
News Articles 5
Band Edits + Tags 3
Album Edits 50
Album Ratings 854
Objectivity 72%
Last Active 09-25-13 2:04 am
Joined 06-17-06
Review Comments 5,865
| International Year Of Forests
I wrote this shit for my school's radio station's website but decided to copy/paste it here cause rrrrI've been dead for a while. Since I copy/pasta'd it it'll probably come off as kind of silly and rrrrpedantic but I'm too lazy to change anything | | 25 |  | Tyler, the Creator
Goblin
There's no doubt 2011 was Tyler, the Creator's year. Or at least the first
half was. The 20-year old made waves through much buzzed about
appearances on Jimmy Fallon and at the mtvU Woodie Awards. His
minimalistic music video for "Yonkers" in which he eats a cockroach,
threatens to murder Bruno Mars, and simulates his own death by hanging
caused just as much controversy. And then when Goblin finally came out,
even more debate stirred around Tyler's alleged homophobia and
misogyny. It was enough to make you forget that Goblin was its own
standalone album, not just some media circus, and it seems by now that
most people have. While Goblin is a fun, twisted foray into the mind of an
angry teenager, at 73 minutes it's a little more than top-heavy. Still the
potential, and swag, is there, so here's hoping that Tyler's next album trims
the fat and earns some staying power. | | 24 |  | Yuck
Yuck
I'm honestly not sure if this album was recorded in 2011. Yuck's debut is full of fuzzy riffs that sound like
they're straight from Dinosaur Jr's garage, downbeat tracks that emanate from Elliott Smith's basement, and
eclectic pop sensibilities that mirror Yo La Tengo. To put it short, the album is extremely derivative, but that
isn't always a bad thing. Yuck is an extremely fun hit of nostalgia that should capture the excitement of
anybody that grew up on 90s indie rock. | | 23 |  | Dirty Beaches
Badlands
I honestly don't believe this album was recorded in 2011. So lo-fi I want to cry. It sounds like it was
recorded on a cassette back in the late 50s, warped five or six times, and recently discovered at the ruins
of an abandoned drive-in, but enough about the sound quality. The music itself channels the atmosphere
of a demented sock hop, like something out of a David Lynch wet dream and, as the album title
references, captures the isolation and beauty of a Terrence Malick film. Ultimately, Badlands is a album
lost in time and space, that decided to make its home in 2011. | | 22 |  | Washed Out
Within and Without
This album is just cool. Like a frozen breeze on a hot summer day. It ended up being my unofficial summer
album, not because I particularly liked it (I did) but because when listening to it I didn't even need to turn on
the air conditioning in my car. Overloaded synths, half-stoned vocals, and a dark, dreamy atmosphere make
this album the soundtrack to waking up in a cold sweat. | | 21 |  | Young Widows
In and Out of Youth and Lightness
On In and Out of Youth and Lightness, Young Widows attempt to advance their sound past the minimalist
sonic barrages that occupied their previous albums. While Settle Down City and Old Wounds thrived on
tightly-wound noise jams that packed a punch, Young Widows attempt to loosen the reins and explore the
space beyond which they previously limited themselves. The results are mixed. Moments are still there,
but often time the songs are too long for their own good. Oddly enough, they finally make the formula
work by killing it on the longest track, closer "In and Out of Youth". | | 20 |  | Weekend Nachos
Worthless
Much like Young Widows, Weekend Nachos have been progressively drawing out their sound since their
debut album. Unlike Young Widows, Weekend Nachos play powerviolence, and they're just as
uncompromising now as they were when they started, perhaps even more so. On Worthless, Weekend
Nachos seamlessly transition from breakneck speeds to militant stomps and unsafe amounts of crushing
distortion. However, the band manages to hit heavy lows without succumbing to the sort of cheesy, floor-
punching breakdowns that are all too prevalent in modern hardcore. Also, the album features one of the
most absurd/fitting cameos of all-time on "Jock Powerviolence? where Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy fame
chimes in "I stopped trying to be cool a long time ago/I laugh to myself as I see you come and go/Make
up rules for your friends to live by/I'll keep doing things my why while you fucking cry". | | 19 |  | La Dispute
Wildlife
This is my guilty pleasure of the year. I really don't want to like La Dispute.
I hated their first album, Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between
Vega and Altair, but they really improved on Wildlife. Vocalist Jordan Dreyer
is still wildly over-the-top, sounding like he'll break down into tears at any
moment and his lyrics could desperately use an editor, but on a number of
tracks his stream-of-consciousness heart-on-his-sleeve technique really
works, specifically "St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Blues" and "Safer in
the Forest - Love Song for Poor Michigan". The rest of the band is
extremely tight, providing a backdrop for Dreyer's vocals that are
interesting and catchy without being distracting. And then there's "King
Park" which is probably the song of the year. Even though I criticize the
band for being over-the-top, and this is the worst offender, I can't help but
love it for it. | | 18 |  | Touche Amore
Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me
Like La Dispute, Touche Amore wear their hearts on their sleeves, but
they're much more direct and concise about it. While the shortest song on
Wildlife is 2:19, the longest song on Parting the Sea is 2:21. Still, Parting
the Sea is extremely diverse and each song packs a punch. While most of
the songs are straightforward in their approach, the band manages to fit in
subtle guitar riffs and drum fills to make each song feel complete. And while
vocalist Jeremy Bolm's lyrics can be hit and miss, when they hit they hit
especially hard, like on "Method Act" and "Home Away From Here", but
when they miss it's just as bad like on "Condolences". | | 17 |  | Panda Bear
Tomboy
In retrospect, Tomboy was kind of disappointing. The first time I listened to it I was floored. Lennox had
taken the incredibly spacious, dreamy, and warped pop sensibilities of Person Pitch and turned it into
something much easier to digest. Just as Animal Collective has been getting progressively poppier and
more accessible I welcomed a more straight-forward Panda Bear. However, after a few weeks I?d lost
interest in the album. Although Tomboy is glossy and fun, it just seems to lack depth and really drags in
the second half after the superb combination of "Tomboy" and "Slow Motion" | | 16 |  | Ash Borer
Ash Borer
It might be weird to hear, but black metal is cool now. Although once
confined to the underworld of Norway and spawning a slew of murders and
church burnings, it's made its way to America as a wave of intellectual
thought: Colleges have taught courses on the subject, Liturgy
frontman/professional douche Hunter-Hunt Hendrix released a so-called
"manifesto", and a number of other bands have started blending black
metal ideas with other genres to create America's own homespun version
of the genre. Ash Borer have been one of the most successful, due to their
commitment to those ethos. Released exclusively on cassettes, Ash Borer
is fast, dirty, and loud. It strips black metal to its core, although it does
stylize it a little bit with a rather dark, gloomy atmosphere, but it comes
organically to the band. If you're interested in metal or black metal, Ash
Borer is a great place to start. | | 15 |  | Ampere
Like Shadows
Ampere have been around for a while, in varying forms. Guitarist Will
Killingsworth was in seminal emo band Orchid and a number of other
projects, and has also worked as a producer for many upcoming bands.
The guy works a lot, which I guess is the main justification for why Ampere
has released less than 30 minutes worth of material in 7 years. 2011
marked the release of their first official LP Like Shadows, and they did not
disappoint. Ampere is a hard band to pin down, as they fit so many ideas
into such little time, but if you can identify all the different ideas, you should
be able to appreciate it. Like Shadows is a cerebral, emotional, visceral
beast, if you're up for the task. | | 14 |  | Atlas Sound
Parallax
Bradford Cox has been extremely prolific in his recent career releasing an
album every year, either under his Atlas Sound moniker or as a member of
dream pop stalwarts Deerhunter, and Parallax continues that trend. With
each release, Cox embraces his pop-sensibilities a little more, while still
harkening back to his outsider pop quirkiness. Each song is undeniably
catchy, yet just slightly off, but that only adds to their appeal. While each
Atlas Sound release is impressive, it still lacks a certain intangibility that
each Deerhunter release holds; however, it's clear who the driving force of
the band is. | | 13 |  | Pulling Teeth
Funerary
Although there was no hint of the fact at the release of Funerary in late
April, the album became a self-fulfilling prophecy last week when the band
announced it would break up after a final show in January. The
punk/sludge/doom/thrash/everything outfit incorporated a number of
different influences into their sound until all that was left in the end was a
heavy riff-laden mass of noise and fury. Their 2009 release Paranoid
Delusions/Paradise Illusions was one of my favorites of the year because it
made perfect use of the LP format by filling the A-side with fast, heavy punk
songs and the B-side with slow, sludgy doom tracks, although at 23
minutes, it was a bit underwhelming. Funerary continues that A-side/B-side
trend, but this time the album clocks in at a sizeable 47 minutes. Still,
Pulling Teeth are just as exciting and fresh when trudging through a ten
minute doom piece as they are shredding through a 90 second riff-fest. | | 12 |  | Chad VanGaalen
Diaper Island
Chad VanGaalen's been around for a while. He's been shortlisted for
Canada's coveted Polaris Prize twice and helped to produce Women's Public
Strain, which I guess is sort of irrelevant except that it's my favorite album
from 2010. Diaper Island finds Chad VanGaalen combining the natural
songwriting abilities and irreverent sense of humor found on his earlier
material with a newer jangle/chamber pop atmosphere that he seemed to
have found while working with Women. Although VanGaalen often likes to
experiment, he's often best when he lets his simple melodies do most of
the work, like on "Peace on the Rise" and "Sara". Although he seems yet
to release a full album that truly capitalizes on his potential, Diaper Island is
another solid release full of hit-or-miss tracks from VanGaalen. | | 11 |  | Laura Stevenson and the Cans
Sit Resist
Laura Stevenson has such a sweet and smooth voice. It works so well with
the brand of Americana-infused indie pop found on Sit Resist. Each song is
full of subtle, yet lush instrumentation that swirls around her frail girlish lilt
and while each song features a resounding swell or upbeat nature, some
somber, indiscriminate tone still remains. Perhaps it's just the lyrics, which
conceal some air of despair or longing. Whatever it is, it's working. | | 10 |  | Grouper
A I A
To be completely honest, I'm not entirely sure I've listened all the way
through A I A all in one sitting. Although as an 80 minute ambient/drone
double album, I'm not sure that was Liz Harris's intention. Grouper broke
through in 2008 with her album Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill which mixed
ambient and folk in a wonderfully ethereal, accessible aesthetic. A I A
(which is split into two parts: Dream Loss and Alien Observer) does away
with the melodic sensibilities of Grouper previous output and focuses on
moods and tones. Dream Loss is much more atmospheric and
experimental, while Alien Observer captures some of the melodies of
Dragging, but moving forward with the ideas. Overall, it's a great album to
fall asleep to, which is why I've never made it all the way through. | | 9 |  | Wu Lyf
Go Tell Fire to the Mountain
Wu Lyf is exuberance personified. They describe themselves as "heavy
pop" and there really is no other simplistic term to characterize their sound.
The songs are incredibly catchy, upbeat, and fun but also heavily layered
and in-your-face. Frontman Ellery Roberts slurs through unintelligible
syllables and sounds in a drunken shout, but lyrics don't matter when the
core of your message is ?We Bros?. Roberts is complemented by a band of
musicians playing a sloppy mix of dream pop, post-rock, and surf rock that?s
just as messy and engaging as Roberts's vocals. When I first heard Go Tell
Fire to the Mountain back in summer, I wasn't sure if it would remain one of
my favorites of the year all the way to winter, because it seemed too
superficial and sweet to stay as fun as it was in the summer heat, but in
the end, it was too infectious to shake. | | 8 |  | Defeater
Empty Days and Sleepless Nights
Defeater just make some great, catchy-as-hell post-hardcore. There's
supposed to be a whole mythology behind each of their albums, a story of
two brothers, their junkie mother, and their deadbeat dad, but to be
honest, they're a lot better if you ignore all that. Due to that, the lyrics are
pretty bad, but if you can ignore them, or at least tolerate them, you can
enjoy ten great post-hardcore tracks that jump all around with plenty of
twist and turns and some really powerful climaxes. Although the album
ends with a 4-track mini acoustic album, it may be best to ignore those as
well, as they're rather generic and focus on lyrics (man, I am really hating
on this a lot to put it in my top 10). | | 7 |  | Pianos Become the Teeth
The Lack Long After
When Pianos Become the Teeth released Old Pride in 2009, I thought their
opening track "Filial" was one of the greatest songs I'd heard in the past
few years. It perfectly blended the mix of post-rock and post-hardcore that
bands like Envy had been searching for their whole career. The rest of the
album fell kind of flat for me, but they became a band to look out for. And
so with The Lack Long After, PBtT became the band they could have been.
Each song soars and falls with grace and each track bleeds into one
another with permeance. Not to mention that the album is also very strong
lyrically as it deals with the death of frontman Kyle Durfey's father subtly
and beautifully. | | 6 |  | The Men
Leave Home
After just one listen, I knew Leave Home was going to be one of my
favorites of the year. It's just a hard hitting smattering of noise rock, punk,
hardcore, no wave mixed and matched into a surprisingly cohesive
collection of songs. Hailing, unsurprisingly, from Brooklyn the Men live up to
their name with 41 minutes of fuzz, cymbal crashes, more fuzz, and
shredded vocal cords. Every track on Leave Home is remarkably different,
making reference to another influence without ever copying any previously
existing band's sound. | | 5 |  | Youth Lagoon
The Year of Hibernation
Youth Lagoon is the moniker of 22 year old Boise, Idaho native Trevor
Powers. While The Year of Hibernation has all the cliches of an indie album
released in 2011 (i.e., recorded in a bedroom, remarkably lo-fi, reverb
heavy vocals, anxiety-ridden lyrics) there's something remarkably sweet
about the album that I can't shake. While other dreamy pop albums are
washed in a sea of haze and distortion, there?s some extremely hooks and
great lyrics on The Year of Hibernation. Songs start slow and disjointed,
but after plodding along a beat drops and the song becomes something
entirely new. It's a tried and tested formula, and it'll be interesting to see if
Powers can make it work in the future, but on these 8 tracks it works
extremely work well, and for 2011 that's all that matters. | | 4 |  | Deafheaven
Roads to Judah
As I mentioned earlier in my Ash Borer write-up, black metal is trending
right now, and nothing makes that more evident than Deafheaven's debut
LP Roads to Judah. The San Francisco five piece has taken black metal as a
jumping point and incorporated a number of other influences from hardcore,
post-rock, and shoegaze to create a sound that is amazingly immersive,
beautiful and powerful. "Violet" kicks off the album with four and a half
minutes of ambient noodling that wouldn?t sound out of place in a Sigur Ros
song and then launches into a furious onslaught of blast beats and tremolo
picking. Each subsequent song follows the formula of loud to soft, brutal to
beautiful, each featuring a wonderful climax. To actually refer to the band
as "black metal" would be to do the band, and the genre, a disservice.
While the sonic influence is clearly there, the album is far too lush and
emotional to be included in such a cold and calculated genre, but Roads to
Judah shows where the genre may be headed. | | 3 |  | Pygmy Lush
Old Friends
During the late 90s to early 00s, Pg. 99 existed as a collective of musicians
making intense, emotional hardcore. Their influence was incredible, but
since breaking up the group has seemed to disperse into factions, still
creating music wholly different from Pg. 99. One of those groups is Pygmy
Lush, formed by Pg. 99's vocalist, guitarist and drummer. While Pygmy Lush
is entirely different from Pg.99 in that they write and perform folk songs,
rather than brash, angry hardcore, there still exists a heavy, gloomy
atmosphere over every song. While it took Pygmy Lush a few albums to
get their sound down and finally decide who they wanted to be, Old Friends
finally finds them comfortable in their new skin. Each song is wonderfully
orchestrated, beautifully written, and mysteriously dark. Almost every trace
of Pg. 99 is gone, save for a crescendo here or there, and for a group of
musicians to be able to make a great album in two very different genres, I?d
say that's quite the accomplishment. | | 2 |  | Giles Corey
Giles Corey
In 2008, Have a Nice Life released Deathconsciousness. A massive double
album filled with some of the gloomiest, heaviest, dreamiest, most beautiful
post-punk/shoegaze/lo-fi ever recorded. (It may sound like I'm
exaggerating, but it's truly one of my favorite albums ever.) Since the
album came out, one of the two men behind the project, Dan Barrett, has
worked tirelessly to create a record label, Enemies List Recordings, to put
out more of the same. Nothing from ELR has quite touched
Deathconsciousness, but in 2011 Barrett put out some of his own solo
recordings under the name Giles Corey and came as close as anybody's
come. Giles Corey is a collection of slowly burning, heavily brooding
acoustic songs about depression and cult leaders from the 1800s. Barrett
has self-described the music as "acoustic music from the end of the
Industrial Revolution" and I haven't managed to come up with a tagline any
more accurate. Each song as a rustic, ghostly atmosphere that seems lost
in space. | | 1 | | Beau Navire
Hours/Life Moves
Beau Navire released an EP (Life Moves) and an LP (Hours) in
2011, and since I couldn't pick between them, and since they both combine
to 38 minutes in runtime, I decided to cheat and name them, collectively, my
favorite album of 2011. Life Moves is a mix of 6 incredibly messy, chaotic,
emo songs while Hours is much more focused and streamlined. The album
channels the intense, calculated chaos of late-90s emo like Jerome's Dream,
Orchid, and melodic sensibilities of Yaphet Kotto and You and I. Every song
is short on time, but undergoes a number of changes and creates a number
of transcendent moments. The vocals are incredibly abrasive and
unaccustomed ears may not be able to discern left from right, but anybody
who's a fan of 90s emo, Beau Navire is a blessing. There's a moment in
"Fitting Pieces" where after about a minute of aimless shouting and riffing a
guitar suddenly enters the fray and sways and jumps in such an awkward
rhythm, but the tone is so perfect and somehow it just fits beautifully.
Despite all the chaos and fury, a lone riff breaks through to offer this
beautiful clarity and understanding. Another moment occurs in "Cloud City"
where after a scattered and messy first half, the song stops and the band
comes together to produce this transcendent guitar riff. For me, those two
to three second moments are what make music great. | |
sifFlammable
12.29.11 | is that you on your prof pic | Yazz_Flute
12.29.11 | IareScientists oshit
11, 13, 16, and 20 are my favorites here. |
|
