Meet Dead Sara, the Band Who Will Conquer 2012

Upon compiling my list of nominees for Year in Rock, I always come across a handful of bands I'd somehow missed the boat on from earlier in the year, hurriedly familiarize myself with said bands and, in some cases, throw them into an open spot on the list. Sometimes, that throw-in turns out being the band I go beyond merely liking and fall ass over teakettle in love with. It happened most memorably with Mastodon in 2004; I picked up Leviathan on a whim and ended up rethinking metal's entire hierarchy. The reason I tell you this is because in October, I fell ass over teakettle in love with Dead Sara.

So, how the hell did they not make the cut for Year in Rock 2011?

To answer that question is to admit that, even though I fancy myself to be a somewhat modern fellow what with my interweb bulletins and all, I'm still stuck in some of my old ways. You see, even though Dead Sara released two videos last year in anticipation of their debut album's planned October release, said album got stuck in limbo when major label suitors came a-calling. Basically, word got around pretty quickly that Dead Sara was onto something special. One listen to the album is all it takes to be a believer; first tipped off by Antiquiet about its existence before finding a copy online through shameful means, I listened and fell hard. But, because the album didn't see release in 2011, I deemed it ineligible for Year in Rock. But don't worry; it'll be here in full force for 2012.

Emily Armstrong's vocals are amazing on this record; she recognizes the barrier between sweet, soulful crooning and tortured, hellish wails. Then, she obliterates that barrier with one confident scream. Her performance runs that gamut and is flawlessly executed. In doing so, Armstrong delivers an awe-inspiring experience that often has more balls than most male-fronted bands.

Endlessly listenable without compromising heaviness or catering to modern trends, Dead Sara's debut album is what might have happened if, after Zach de la Rocha left, the band changed their name to Rage Against the Time Machine and jettisoned themselves back to 1967 to make an album with Janis Joplin. Okay, that may have been a little over the top. Point is, Dead Sara could have stuck to the Evanescence Expressway to stardom, but opted instead to make music that sounds awesome and taps raw emotion for its power instead of Pro Tools. A rare commodity in our times. Check out these Viper Room performances and see if you fall too; I'll start you off gently with Sorry For It All, but be warned; if you give up after that one song, you've made a terrible mistake.

Weatherman is the album's officially official (and mind-numbingly awesome) first single, and it was just announced that the debut album will finally see release April 10 on Pocket Kid/Universal. After that, they'll be the featured band on the Vans Warped Tour, which is as good a jumping point as any for world domination in 2012.

Year in Rock 2025

Alright, I've got some explaining to do. By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but: a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2013 Nominee: Arctic Monkeys

ARCTIC MONKEYS Do I Wanna Know? From: AM Released: September 10 That Year in Rock 2012's Single of the Year R U Mine? ended up on this album is pleasing, and it fits the motif well enough. But R U Mine? isn't what makes Arctic Monkeys' fifth album an Album of the Year contender. Sweaty, sultry and pulsing with sexual energy, AM is the kind of record that's just as effective whether you're chilling out after a long day, staring into a mirror prepping yourself for a late night clubbing session or setting the mood for some escapades in the boudoir.

Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #10-1

Now we're getting somewhere; the top ten, where there are no duds or mids, only bangers. Also, no more teasing it out; let's wrap this up! What I've learned this year from my ten faves this year is that it is indeed still possible for a dude approaching his fifties to more or less stay up to date on the new school. Of course, there are some listed here that got a boost from playing tribute to the old school, but there is an undercurrent happening in rock that points to the future. But, I'm getting ahead of myself; here come the champs. 10 MILITARIE GUN Life Under the Gun June 23, 2023 • Loma Vista Highlights Very High Will Logic Never Fucked Up Once Rising from the ranks of the still-potent L.A. hardcore scene, the debut record from Militarie Gun (following a trio of EPs) bears a dash of polish that's expected with backing from a larger label; the tension and energy remain, though, resulting in one of the catchiest hardcore albums I can think of in recent years. 9 ...

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