Year in Rock 2011: Honourable Mentions
Having already posted 50 songs that turned my crank in 2011, I realized just before writing this post that I need help. My intention was to give honourable mention to five additional artists that, for various reasons, were omitted from the main list. So, naturally, here are ten more. I think this is the sign I'm a music addict. If you ever see a guy walk into a hotel room on A&E's Intervention to find his family gathered to show concern over his growing music collection, that'll probably be me giving them the stink eye as I back into the corridor.
ELBOW
Lippy Kids
From: Build a Rocket Boys!
Released: March 8
Writers of one of 2008's most infectious and groovy hits in Grounds for Divorce, the English darlings followed up their Mercury Prize-winning The Seldom Seen Kid with a much, much more sombre record. It's still thrilling though; just a different kind of thrilling. The Brits agree: Elbow was nominated for another Mercury Prize this year.
HALESTORM
Slave to the Grind
From: ReAniMate: the Covers EP
Released: March 22
Released as a stopgap (for the layman, that's a release to keep the public's mind at least partially on a band and/or suck a little more money from their pockets while they're slowly going about the work of following up an album), Halestorm's six-song EP of covers turned out to be very enjoyable in its own right. So much so that now, even as Halestorm continues work on their second album, Lzzy Hale said in a recent interview that she's chomping at the bit to do more covers. You and me both, Lzzy.
AWOLNATION
Sail
From: Megalithic Symphony
Released: March 29
I'm still not entirely sure what's going on for much of Megalithic Symphony, but I am sure of two things: it's one of the year's most unique releases, and Sail has been getting stuck in my head on and off for the better part of nine months now. It became a pretty substantial hit in 2011 as well, which means there are likely a host of others just like me who are wondering just how an artist with actual talent and innovation got noticed by so many people.
THE KILLS
Satellite
From: Blood Pressures
Released: April 5
Stepping back to her day job from her ever-stranger endeavors with Jack White in The Dead Weather, Alison Mosshart reunited with guitarist Jamie Hince for the Kills' fourth album in 2011. Released under more scrutiny than past releases, it's no surprise Alison brought a little Dead Weather residue with her back across the pond, as first single Satellite attests with its spooky retro/wonky blues vibe.
MATTHEW GOOD
What If I Can't See the Stars Mildred?
From: Lights of Endangered Species
Released: May 31
Matthew Good is one of a handful of artists in 2011 who caught what I'm going to coin right now as Incubus Fever. It's a horrible sickness that sucks out all of what makes you rock, attacks your brain and makes you want to make lush soundscapes with horns and pianos and orchestras, anything but guitars. Most of Lights of Endangered Species is a lost experiment, a casualty of Incubus Fever. But on Mildred, you see glimpses of how Good could have made the experiment work in his favour. Lesson learned?
BLACK LIPS
Modern Art
From: Arabia Mountain
Released: June 7
Black Lips never stood a chance in 2011. They released their album on the same day as Arctic Monkeys and Fucked Up, guaranteeing myself and many more like me would be paying no mind to what Black Lips were up to this year. Given time to reflect, it appears more of the same: snotty, sneering, spooky garage rock. Modern Art reminds me of Violent Femmes and B-52's simultaneously. I still can't figure out if that distinction is esteemed or dubious.
THE FEATURES
How it Starts
From: Wilderness
Released: July 26
First impressing me with their howling good time Exhibit A in 2004, The Features have flown so far under the radar since that even I completely forgot about them until Wilderness came out in the dog days of summer. On it, they continue doing what they do best, which is creating solid, crowd-pleasing rock that's smarter than the average band. Who else could write a song called Rambo that is a full-blown tribute to Rambo's theme song and have it not come off as a hokey novelty?
BEIRUT
East Harlem
From: The Rip Tide
Released: August 30
As much as I love rocking out, sometimes I just can't help myself from being absorbed in an abnormally unrocking song. Take Beirut, whose brand of wistful, light-hearted indie rock is something I usually plead ignorance on, but from the first time I heard East Harlem it was burrowed into my poor, helpless brain. I honestly never pursued the album further than that (after all, I can't listen to everything), but I felt it apropos to give Beirut mention for sticking a song to my brain this year.
HANK WILLIAMS III
Troopers Hollar
From: Ghost to a Ghost
Released: September 6
History has shown us that being released from a record label to become an independent artist can often result in an unexpectedly diverse record, as the artist relishes its freedom by experimenting wildly. Hank Williams III has always had that experimental streak, though, so when he was released from his long-running contract, he did the completely predictable: released one album of a more "traditional" demeanor (from which Troopers Hollar is taken), a demented and spooky concept piece to act as its counterpart, a separate album of doom/stoner rock, and a fourth album consisting of cattle auctioneer samples over gonzo speed metal. On the same day. Naturally.
NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING BIRDS
If I Had a Gun...
From: Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Released: November 8
Those who know me well personally just saw this post and had their worlds rocked. My hatred for Oasis is so immense that I've completely avoided their recorded output for the past 15 years. However, now that they've broken up and started their own projects, I've realized that I really only hate one Gallagher brother. Thanks for playing, Liam, but I'll stick to the better songwriter and the lesser asshole on this one. Now, whatever you do, don't reunite!
Thanks for checking the list, and remember to come back Thursday to see what takes Song of the Year honours!
ELBOW
Lippy Kids
From: Build a Rocket Boys!
Released: March 8
Writers of one of 2008's most infectious and groovy hits in Grounds for Divorce, the English darlings followed up their Mercury Prize-winning The Seldom Seen Kid with a much, much more sombre record. It's still thrilling though; just a different kind of thrilling. The Brits agree: Elbow was nominated for another Mercury Prize this year.
Slave to the Grind
From: ReAniMate: the Covers EP
Released: March 22
Released as a stopgap (for the layman, that's a release to keep the public's mind at least partially on a band and/or suck a little more money from their pockets while they're slowly going about the work of following up an album), Halestorm's six-song EP of covers turned out to be very enjoyable in its own right. So much so that now, even as Halestorm continues work on their second album, Lzzy Hale said in a recent interview that she's chomping at the bit to do more covers. You and me both, Lzzy.
Sail
From: Megalithic Symphony
Released: March 29
I'm still not entirely sure what's going on for much of Megalithic Symphony, but I am sure of two things: it's one of the year's most unique releases, and Sail has been getting stuck in my head on and off for the better part of nine months now. It became a pretty substantial hit in 2011 as well, which means there are likely a host of others just like me who are wondering just how an artist with actual talent and innovation got noticed by so many people.
Satellite
From: Blood Pressures
Released: April 5
Stepping back to her day job from her ever-stranger endeavors with Jack White in The Dead Weather, Alison Mosshart reunited with guitarist Jamie Hince for the Kills' fourth album in 2011. Released under more scrutiny than past releases, it's no surprise Alison brought a little Dead Weather residue with her back across the pond, as first single Satellite attests with its spooky retro/wonky blues vibe.
What If I Can't See the Stars Mildred?
From: Lights of Endangered Species
Released: May 31
Matthew Good is one of a handful of artists in 2011 who caught what I'm going to coin right now as Incubus Fever. It's a horrible sickness that sucks out all of what makes you rock, attacks your brain and makes you want to make lush soundscapes with horns and pianos and orchestras, anything but guitars. Most of Lights of Endangered Species is a lost experiment, a casualty of Incubus Fever. But on Mildred, you see glimpses of how Good could have made the experiment work in his favour. Lesson learned?
Modern Art
From: Arabia Mountain
Released: June 7
Black Lips never stood a chance in 2011. They released their album on the same day as Arctic Monkeys and Fucked Up, guaranteeing myself and many more like me would be paying no mind to what Black Lips were up to this year. Given time to reflect, it appears more of the same: snotty, sneering, spooky garage rock. Modern Art reminds me of Violent Femmes and B-52's simultaneously. I still can't figure out if that distinction is esteemed or dubious.
How it Starts
From: Wilderness
Released: July 26
First impressing me with their howling good time Exhibit A in 2004, The Features have flown so far under the radar since that even I completely forgot about them until Wilderness came out in the dog days of summer. On it, they continue doing what they do best, which is creating solid, crowd-pleasing rock that's smarter than the average band. Who else could write a song called Rambo that is a full-blown tribute to Rambo's theme song and have it not come off as a hokey novelty?
East Harlem
From: The Rip Tide
Released: August 30
As much as I love rocking out, sometimes I just can't help myself from being absorbed in an abnormally unrocking song. Take Beirut, whose brand of wistful, light-hearted indie rock is something I usually plead ignorance on, but from the first time I heard East Harlem it was burrowed into my poor, helpless brain. I honestly never pursued the album further than that (after all, I can't listen to everything), but I felt it apropos to give Beirut mention for sticking a song to my brain this year.
Troopers Hollar
From: Ghost to a Ghost
Released: September 6
History has shown us that being released from a record label to become an independent artist can often result in an unexpectedly diverse record, as the artist relishes its freedom by experimenting wildly. Hank Williams III has always had that experimental streak, though, so when he was released from his long-running contract, he did the completely predictable: released one album of a more "traditional" demeanor (from which Troopers Hollar is taken), a demented and spooky concept piece to act as its counterpart, a separate album of doom/stoner rock, and a fourth album consisting of cattle auctioneer samples over gonzo speed metal. On the same day. Naturally.
If I Had a Gun...
From: Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Released: November 8
Those who know me well personally just saw this post and had their worlds rocked. My hatred for Oasis is so immense that I've completely avoided their recorded output for the past 15 years. However, now that they've broken up and started their own projects, I've realized that I really only hate one Gallagher brother. Thanks for playing, Liam, but I'll stick to the better songwriter and the lesser asshole on this one. Now, whatever you do, don't reunite!
Thanks for checking the list, and remember to come back Thursday to see what takes Song of the Year honours!
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