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Year in Rock 2011 Nominee: Yuck

YUCK
Get Away

From: Yuck
Released: February 15

When you hear a throwback noise as glorious and melodic as is found on Yuck's debut album, many places come to mind, from the claustrophobia of Sonic Youth's New York City to Dinosaur Jr.'s rural Massachusetts beginnings to even the sugary-yet-bitter North Carolina that Superchunk calls home.  One of the last places you think of is jolly old England.  But, upon further inspection, the UK makes sense; it rains there quite frequently, and it was the birthplace of punk, after all.  Plus, it's not like Yuck don't have internet access.  Local scenes are quickly becoming a thing of the past as more and more bands draw their inspiration from websites instead of peers.  It may sound a little odd to hear someone say, "our band is influenced by Stereogum", but isn't that what we're coming to?  Not that it's a bad thing; if an afternoon on Limewire eventually results in an album as loud and enthralling as Yuck's, you won't see me complaining.

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