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 2014: And the Winners Are...

It's been a long year, and another great one for rock n' roll. While the pop charts were overrun with barely legals obsessed with their asses, rock soldiered on undeterred even as pundits (hell, in some cases even rockers themselves) mourned the genre. Sure, rock didn't dominate the money game in 2014, but that shouldn't evoke sad nostalgia and eulogies. Even for as little perceived impact rock music made, a hell of a lot happened if people had only paid attention. From grizzled vets adding jewels to their crown (Springsteen, Petty) to new beginnings (Against Me!, Antemasque) to happy returns (Faith No More, The Tea Party) and all points in between, rock continued to thrive, evolve and thrill in 2014. Enough talk. It's winning time. Your Year in Rock winners for 2014 are...

Hear Me Out: Why Do A Greatest Hits Album?

So, Silversun Pickups announced a "singles collection" today. Now, I'm no expert on "singles" or "hits" compilations; even so, I've got to say this announcement threw me for a loop for a couple of reasons. For starters, isn't it a bit early for a band like Silversun Pickups to be given the "greatest hits" treatment? I know, I know, it's a "singles collection". But, come on; it looks like a greatest hits album, it smells like a greatest hits album, so on so forth. More importantly, though, are these really necessary entities in 2014? I mean, who is this album for? Casual fans who've already downloaded the singles they like or established fans who are expected to shill out $15 for one new song?

SOUND BITES

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