Anyway, I'm mostly a rock dude. This isn't exclusively a rock list, but that's where I come from in the first place. I've heard that rock has been getting pretty mellow, and based on my list I have to agree. We're due for a revolution, though. Some kinda 1991-esque shaking off of all this Rihanna and Bieber glut. Here's hoping the Mayans were just predicting Grunge Part 2.
For my money--thrones and Glee compilations aside--2011 was a fantastic year in music, much better than 2010 and easily as good as 2009, which I thought was one of those 1977/1994 once-in-a-generation lightning blasts. So much good music, in fact, that I'm breaking with tradition. I'm going to list the good and great albums first (and for the first time ever I'm going to tell you what I consider the best album of the year, plus some honorable mentions.) I'm also going to give you a list of other albums, the lessers I encountered, shall we say. Some were okay, some were disappointing. I'm not saying they were all bad, necessarily, but they just weren't what I thought they would be. Except for the unforgivable Black Keys and Dream Theater. Th'hell, guys, th'hell?
Onward:
The Good and Great of 2011
Collider by the Sam Roberts Band.
This was honestly a bit of a surprise. His last album was good, but had that feel of the slow slide down after two brilliant first albums. It happens. A band knocks it out of the park once, twice, misses a step with their third, and then for the rest of their career just sort of mails them in. So, imagine my delight when this gem showed that Sammy-Boy not only still has his chops, but is also willing to use them on all new meat. (I don't understand idiomatic language well enough to know if I mixed m'metaphors there). Still firmly a folk-rock act, SRB throws some stellar work on here featuring unusual time signatures, some horn sections, and good ol' rock outs.
Choice track: Yikes this is a hard one. I hope the rest of this list doesn't take me so long to find that one song, that beautiful image. I'm gonna give the nod to the head-bobber "Let It In," but please don't lead that to cause you to ignore the opening gem "The Last Crusade."
This was a trend for me this year: a band that's been around for years that I've never totally appreciated. Man, am I glad I picked this sucker up. This was my favorite wake-up album of the summer. Nice and mellow, yes, but also gets you singing along to the "Oo-oo-oos" in the confusing opener "Second Song." This was one of the most fun albums I heard this year.
Choice track: Yeah, let's go with that one. "Second Song."
If you've followed Trent lately, he's been a little less angry and a little more experimental with sound, even letting his supermodel wife sing on an album in a Yoko-esque move that I also file under NIN. In fact, if you've listened to Reznor's instrumental Ghosts I-IV, you've got a good sense of what this album is about. Some of the same arrangements appear on this as on Ghosts, which should have compromised Reznor's chances of winning the Oscar for Best Original Score, but it didn't. (Shh.) Certainly a case where the music is vastly better than the film it was recorded for.
Choice Track: This is an album to listen to late at night, all at once. It's not about single tracks. But if you have to get an appetizer, try out "In Motion."
Yes, it's two years old. However, I, like many, many North Americans, did not discover this stellar UK folk group until 2011. So sue us. Yes, you knew about them first. Congrats, you're smart or something. Sorry that I have kids and a job and so if I hear something, sometimes it's not on its release date. It's a little formulaic, yes, with nearly every song starting as a soft ballad until beating itself into a banjo-friendly folk frenzy, and yes, there's a lot of singing the unusual "har" syllable, but this is good, uplifting music. I have not tired of this at all yet. Good music, and happy.
Choice track: "The Cave" is my favorite sing-along of the year.
When sat next to In Rainbows (and its collection of bonus tracks), King of Limbs is a little disappointing. However, it's still Radiohead doing what they do best, with simplified sounds and complex drum tracks, understated guitar work, and great lyrics. They took a lot of heat for this one, mostly because everyone but me and the missus doesn't like trees I figure, but I've got to say following up In Rainbows was a near impossible task for anybody but the band who overpowered OK, Computer with Kid A. My only real complaint is it's far too short, but this was somewhat improved by the four extras songs they released as the year wore on.
Choice track: And it's one of these non-albums I like the best. "Supercollider."
This is me eating some crow. A big Soundgarden and Audioslave fan, me, the recent performances of Cornell's I'd seen on TV and online had caused me to declare that he was washed up, that his voice was not up to the nickname he'd once earned as "The Robert Plant of Grunge." Okay, I don't know if anyone besides me ever called him that. Point is, I'm sorry. Dude can still sing. This collection of live acoustic performances from his recent tour has proven that he has come through his many transitions of the past decade and is still one of the most talented post-Seattle musicians going. I lucked onto this thing, and it was one of the most pleasant surprises of my year.
Choice track: Hear what he does on the stripped-down Audioslave rocker "Doesn't Remind Me."
Let's pause for moment to consider that three of Canada's best guitarists re-formed their blues fusion bands . . .
In March, I saw him in a teeny auditorium in Airdrie, playing this new album with a new band that, like all of his stuff since The Tea Party, sounds just like The Tea Party. In November, I saw him at Flames Central with the reunited Tea Party, playing mostly the same set lists as ten years ago and promising a new album in 2012. Sorry Jeff and Stu, but Jeff Martin was The Tea Party, and this album (his third solo-ish venture) shows it. He's a bit of a douche, sure, but Jefft Martin plays mean-ass guitar, and is one of the more philosophical songwriters in our nation's history.
Choice track. "The Cobra." Yes, it's about sex. Whaddya expect, it's Jeff Martin.
Apparently Reggae is like the red onion in the fusion-sound salad, because they've always sampled it in the past but on this disc it's all I can taste. I mean, this is BIG Sugar, the loudest band I ever saw live. Gordie Johnson could make a six-string roar and introduced a lot of us to the purity of the blues. This is a fun album, sure, and I throw it on a lot because it's got great melodies for which to make my kids breakfasts in the morning. There, you hear that? MELODIES! The guitar, the Big Sugar sound, has taken a bit of a back seat to all out Marley-channeling. It's good, it's solid, but if you like Big Sugar for the reasons you should, it'll surprise you.
Choice track: "Roads Ahead."
Yay, Saskatoon! What a year for your bands! I thought these guys broke up. What, they did? And Gordie Johnson is playing bass for them? Then they toured with Big Sugar and Gordie played the whole shows for both bands? What, was he worried Jeff Martin was showing him up, work-ethic and band-compromise wise? Hmm, maybe that's why the guitar is so toned-down on BS's own release, because Gordie was too damn tired to solo. Or maybe because Shaun Verrault is intimidating, because that young lad is the best Canadian blues guitarist this side of Colin James. This is probably the most overlooked album of the year you need to hear.
Choice track: "Only the Young Die Good"
The Rest of the Good
Here's another of those groups I've heard about for a long time that I finally decided to get into. It's maybe a sign that it's a touch mellow for me that the best track is the one where they rock out a little, but this is good late night music. And I mean that in the 30-something sitting in your chair reading a book at 11:30 sense, not the dorm room after the bar sense.
Choice track: "Perth"
My, I guess I'm feeling mellow. Okay, it's not The Reminder, but it doesn't fall that short of it. It is what you have come to expect from this talented former Calgarian. Clever lyrics, one of the only good whisper voices in the game, and it's something you don't get in trouble for listening to when your wife's in the room. She has some of the best song titles out there, too.
Choice track: I've only had this album a little while, but I like "The Bad in Each Other" thanks to Newsboy.
This is part of the Dean trilogy. Three albums (the other two were Mumford and Sons and Fleet Foxes) that were introduced to me by my pal Dean on a visit to Seattle. This is by far the weirdest, but I like it. Even much more than Radiohead, this is an acquired taste. It sounds really good on high-quality bass systems, or expensive headphones. He does some weird stuff with his voice, but it all works. In this age of minimalism (where combining the White Stripes and Black Keys all you get is ONE full keyboard), this one works.
Choice track: The improperly-conjugated "I Never Learnt to Share" will give you a proper sense of his shiver-inducing simplicity.
Yeah, I have Graceland, but this is the first Paul Simon album I ever went out for. Yeah, forty years into his career. Yeah, I know he's talented, but this is my mom's music. But my mom has good taste. I saw him perform last spring on Saturday Night Live, and I was stunned at how unbelievably refreshing his songwriting is, and he's been doing it since the 60s! It also doesn't hurt that he surrounds himself with some of the best musicians he can find (any Paul Simon album is a lesson in bass guitar). Some of the best selection of sounds, that is the actual composition of music, all year.
Choice track: "Rewrite"
I've already written about these guys: http://vikingpaul.blogspot.com/2011/09/this-whole-sheepdogs-thingy.html It's a cool enough album with amazing dual-harmonic soloing and these funny little transition mini-songs.
Choice track: "I Don't Know." It's the song.
I do not care if you're sick of hearing about her, she's amazing. My GAWD what a voice. And what fantastic arrangements! Blues, R and B (the good kind, not the booty kind), and the kind of vocals that make you wonder why anyone listens to Kei$ha.
Choice track: "Rumour Has It." Yeah, I know how good "Rolling in the Deep" is, but "Rumour" here needs to be concentrated on to listen to. Listen to how those tracks are used. Two vocal layers "Oo"ing, the drums, the lead vocals, then the bass. Wow, what she can do with layering.
Again, never bought anything by him before (no, not even Mule Variations). Much more aware of his work than I was with Bon Iver or TV on the Radio, but still hadn't taken the time to actively listen. He's like scotch. You've gotta be in the mood, but, son, if you're in it, there's not much better than a dram. That voice, those thumping sounds that pass for rhythm. Pure passion.
Choice track: "Hell Broke Luce"
I still haven't seen the movie because I'm waiting until m'boy Arjay has a free night, but the second half of this "soundtrack" is as good as the first. A&A is one of those rare bands (Audioslave was the only other one I could think of) I like better than the original. When I heard Blink-182 was back together singing its "I wish I was 19 forever" nonsense rock, I thought this stuff was gone for good. Thanks A&A, for still pumping out good tunes. Hope the movie is worth seeing.
Choice track: "Saturday Love"
A year ago I had no idea who this composer was, and I listen to a lot of movie scores. Why do I even have these? My kids. I watch these movies with my kids. HTTYD struck me as good enough to buy after seeing it, but Rio has to be mentioned just because it is in the van. And it was one of the first things our 1 1/2 year old could sing. "Rio, Riiiiiiooooo." Every damn time we get in the van.Choice tracks: HTTYD: "Test Drive". Rio: "Real in Rio." Play this last one a thousand times straight and you're in my hell. Even my dad knows the words.
What a year for these boys. Yes, I'm a fanboy, but I had to make note of the amount of good music (much of it live) my boys have been churning out after twenty years. Awesome, just awesome. And if "Ole" is any indicator of the new album, things are gonna be just fine in 2012. Oh, and see the movie.
Choice track: I dig the cover of Neil Young's "Walk With Me" performed with Neil Young on PJ20.
The Meh
They don't all suck. In fact, some are okay--they just fell way short. You disappoint me, I don't put your picture. That's the rule.Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes
A lot of people like these guys. I don't not. I just don't like the whole Beach Boys meets Simon and Garfunkel thing as much as I thought I would. Considering the number of mellow albums I was into this year, I can't totally tell ya why I found this less than foxy. Just doesn't have a sound to me.
Hope and Ruin by The Trews
This one hurt my feelings. These guys are by far one of my favorite Canadian bands, and they've run pretty parallel to Sam Roberts. Ask me which I thought likelier to produce a sub-par album, I wouldn't have chosen the Trews. This isn't good no matter how hard I want it to be. The strong vocals and guitars are still there, but after three straight albums of constant hooks, it's hard to believe they could release one with none. I just hope they have a better one in them for next time, because I won't give up on them.
Megalithic Symphony by AWOLNATION
When I heard "Sail," introduced to me by a kid I teach, I thought this was the next big thing. But the rest of the album couldn't sound less like that awesome track. Funny enough, this kid also introduced me to Owl City's one song. Shoulda seen it coming.
Ukulele Songs by Eddie Vedder
See, I can be biased! Well, no. It's still pretty good. I like every song on it, just not all in one sitting. A whole album of ukulele is a little hard take, even when delivered by my musical hero.
Revolutions Live at Wembley by Biffy Clyro
First rule of recording a live album: screw around. Don't play the songs exactly as they appear on your albums, or it's just a greatest hits. Maybe an okay thing for those of you who have never appreciated this great band before--a little boring for me.
Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 by the Beastie Boys
If you're my age, you can remember when a Beastie Boys release was the event of the year. What the hell is this thing? I got through it twice, before realizing it was only getting worse.
El Camino by The Black Keys
I have to admit that I may have been the only person who didn't think Brothers was the Second Coming, just a really good album. Still, this falls way short. No, what it does is expose this band for what they are: uncreative. Simple, repetitive sounds are only further exposed as mediocre when they are this overproduced. Oh, and fellas, a song that sounds like Anthony from the Red Hot Chili Peppers singing for the Who ("Little Black Submarines) is like musical gender confusion. Just sayin.'
And THE most disappointing album of 2011:
A Dramatic Turn of Events by Dream Theater
Okay, maybe this makes you go "Who?" If so, choose that Black Keys shitstorm as numero uno. If you do know these guys, though, follow along. I was once obsessed with this band. Their last album Black Clouds and Silver Linings was okay, but it showed that they were starting to spin their wheels a bit. Even though Mike Portnoy was my favorite member, when he left, leaving a gap in half their songwriting and taking one of the best drummers in the world, I thought Dream Petrucchi would take advantage of this and . . . well I hoped they wouldn't use the Dream Theater name anymore. But since they did, I hoped they would go in a bold new direction. This . . . thing is nothing but a declaration that the new band has no idea where to go. Sounds like someone trying to sound like DT's first few albums. So bad, from now on I'm going to start spelling their name the Canadian way. Screw you, what remains of Dream Theatre.
There, 2011, you're assessed.
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