Consider my mind blown. I’ve come to expect the unexpected from Jesse Plemons, who has worked his way from Friday Night Lights to Breaking Bad, earning himself some of the wildest meth-infused scenes of the current fifth season. But I’d never heard his band Cowboy and Indian until this morning, and the music they make is definitely worth more than a cursory listen. I submit for your approval “Trouble,” an older song they’ve reworked via a video with The Sessions, wherein the band merges Mumford and Sons with Fleet Foxes, with more than a hint of one of my favorite folk songwriters, Danny Schmidt, in the melody. This is folk music for those of us who more than love the genre … wesoak in it. Consider this band part of my official desert island list.
We are the music makers... and we are the dreamers of the dreams. (vhm-alex, courtesy of deviantart.com)
If you’re still one of the naysayers who believes there’s no good music out there simply because radio doesn’t play good music, or because MTV doesn’t play videos, then 2011’s music probably hasn’t changed your mind if only for the simple reason that you won’t have heard it.
Face it, in this modern era of self-publishing, indie releases on the internet, and a general decentralization of the pop music world, you’ve got to go out and find the best music – it’s not going to knock on your door and hit you over the head. And if you think corporate radio has any interest in helping you find good music, think again: they just want to help spread lowest common denominator music, so they can line their own pockets and keep the “old system” alive.
So what, you might ask, is a listener supposed to do? There’s so much music out there, how do you wade through the junk to find yourself the good bits? Well, you could start by subscribing to this blog. And if you are new to reading here, you may have missed all the great music being discussed so far this year.
Since end of year lists are often arbitrary, and they tend to miss great albums from the first half of the year, here are some mid-year crib-notes to catch you all up and show you the good which 2011 has, so far, had to offer fans of what matters in pop music.
Eponymous albums are supposed to be statements of a band’s new direction, and Augustana’s third album for Epic is definitely that; like an unholy vocal alliance between Crowded House’s Neil Finn and Bruce Springsteen, Don Layus’s powerhouse vocals anchor this album’s ten tracks with an incredible barrage of hooks the likes of which I haven’t heard on a pop album in years, if even in the last decade. With music this brazenly addictive, Augustana deserves to be 2011’s version of 2006-era Snow Patrol, lighting up the radio with hit after hit and selling millions. But if they’re simply destined to remain 2011’s best working band, putting out great music for a loyal audience of converts, maybe that’s just as good.
From the opening eighty seconds of the album, the blistering “Wrecking Bar,” its immediately clear that anything this band writes is going to be fully capable of rocking at Clash-like levels. All my expectations were instantly blown out of the water. From that point it’s a steady succession of radio-ready singles – almost enough to set your mind to reeling. There’s not a weak track in the bunch. It’s clear from the first listen that the Vaccines are destined to become a household name; if radio won’t play them here in the States, it’s time to load up a car with friends, stick the album in the CD player and blast these brilliant pop confections for everyone to hear.
Fleet Foxes’ sophomore album follows a very classically folk-oriented formula, recorded very much in the moment — Pecknold aimed for Astral Weeks’ timeless quality, and while only time will tell whether the album holds up as well, the resulting depth and quality of Helplessness Blues speaks for itself. That much of the album’s vocals were recorded in one take (“even if there are fuck-ups, I want them to be on there,” Pecknold told the Guardian) it’s impressive just how many layers there are in these songs to slowly peel away on repeated listens. This is the kind of album you’d hope Simon and Garfunkel could be producing had the duo ever reunited in this modern musical age.
There may be something in the water in Minneapolis, considering the amazing underground hip-hop scene which has developed there over the last decade. Whatever it is, Sims’ Bad Time Zoo has something to say and gets its points across with beats that blend jazz and world-beat with modern flair that would set radio on fire if anyone had the balls to play these songs. Regardless, Bad Time Zoo is the first must-hear hip-hop album of 2011, and it’s an early contender for my year-end top ten. Here’s hoping Doomtree Records has the push to get this album out to the wide audience it deserves.
The 9513 wrote of a potential 2011 revival of traditional country on the radio airwaves, and if they’re right, true country fans have a ton to rejoice about when listening to Easton Corbin, which is the best traditional meets modern country album I’ve heard since Eric Church’s Carolina. “I’m A Little More Country Than That” is one of the most straightforward, honest country top tens I’ve heard in years, and it sounds like the new traditional country I grew up on in the eighties and early nineties, when artists like George Strait, Keith Whitley and Steve Earle were tearing up country radio. Several cuts on this effort even sound like Corbin spent time in the room with Earle while he put together Guitar Town, the best album to come out of that era. Listen to “Leavin’ A Lonely Town” or “This Far From Memphis” and tell me you disagree.
- – - – -
And now a few honorable mentions:
Hey Rosetta! – “Seeds” — Like Arcade Fire on Neon Bible and Sufjan Stevens with Illinois, Hey Rosetta builds their melodies with garage rock ferocity which is consistently punctuated with stunning bursts of fiery orchestral bliss.
Baby Teardrops – “X Is For Love” — They’ve definitely got the hooks to be successful on radio. “Smooth Sailing Ahead” could have been a top ten hit for the Gin Blossoms in the mid-90s, but here it has a more grunge-oriented sound which is both out of place and wlecome in today’s rock landscape.
The Wailin’ Jennys – “Bright Morning Stars” — In a world where Taylor Swift is a worldwide superstar bringing pop music to so called “traditional” country stations, it’s about time real roots music made a comeback. This album is the most deserving so far of 2011 to get that shot.
Noah and the Whale – “Last Night On Earth” — Fink and his band Noah and the Whale have managed to create the perfect tribute to Springsteen with this album because they’re willing to build on the sounds that came before with a story that is at once their own, while also being one we’ve all experienced. Meanwhile, they’ve taken such a magnificent leap forward that this sound is suddenly new again, and all their own.
Stornoway – “Beachcomber’s Windowsill” – Yes, it came out in 2010, but I didn’t hear it until 2011, so it counts. The bottom line is that even a cursory examination of “Zorbing,” the opening track from Beachcomber’s Windowsill, showcases the band’s incredibly dextrous, multi-layered arrangement, a mindblowing combination of subtle folk and alternative influences that is purely unlike anything else I’ve encountered in pop music in recent years. And that’s definitely worth checking out.
Year of the Album — #030 Fleet Foxes – “Helplessness Blues” (2011, Sub Pop / Bella Union)
Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold publicly said he’d hoped the Seattle band’s second album Helplessness Blues would come off as a “less poppy, less upbeat and more groove-based” effort, and in that regard he’s succeeded better than anyone could have expected. What’s most invigorating about the listening experience, however, is that the album manages to strip away the pop trappings without making the musical quality suffer; this is the kind of album you’d hope Simon and Garfunkel could be producing had the duo ever reunited in this modern musical age.
Fleet Foxes’ sophomore album follows a very classically folk-oriented formula, recorded very much in the moment — Pecknold aimed for Astral Weeks’ timeless quality, and while only time will tell whether the album holds up as well, the resulting depth and quality of Helplessness Blues speaks for itself. That much of the album’s vocals were recorded in one take (“even if there are fuck-ups, I want them to be on there,” Pecknold told the Guardian) it’s impressive just how many layers there are in these songs to slowly peel away on repeated listens.
“The Plains / Bitter Dancer” is one of the strongest classically harmonized melodic folk songs I’ve heard from a contemporary indie band; the multi-layered, texture-rich vocal harmonies transcend anything the band’s contemporaries could produce, hearkening back to the raw beauty of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s strongest songs. That the rest of the album manages to frequently live up to such high musical goals makes Helplessness Blues a truly exceptional album, well worthy of the praise it has been receiving.
Fleet Foxes have managed to defy the sophomore slump any ground on this effort, and anyone who fancies himself a fan of folk or independent music highly charged with depth and originality needs to seek this album out. This is a band we’ll be hearing amazing music from well into the next decade. If you’ve never heard anything from the band prior to this, you’ll surely be a convert from here on.
The Mid-Year 2011 Music Crib Sheet
We are the music makers... and we are the dreamers of the dreams. (vhm-alex, courtesy of deviantart.com)
If you’re still one of the naysayers who believes there’s no good music out there simply because radio doesn’t play good music, or because MTV doesn’t play videos, then 2011’s music probably hasn’t changed your mind if only for the simple reason that you won’t have heard it.
Face it, in this modern era of self-publishing, indie releases on the internet, and a general decentralization of the pop music world, you’ve got to go out and find the best music – it’s not going to knock on your door and hit you over the head. And if you think corporate radio has any interest in helping you find good music, think again: they just want to help spread lowest common denominator music, so they can line their own pockets and keep the “old system” alive.
So what, you might ask, is a listener supposed to do? There’s so much music out there, how do you wade through the junk to find yourself the good bits? Well, you could start by subscribing to this blog. And if you are new to reading here, you may have missed all the great music being discussed so far this year.
Since end of year lists are often arbitrary, and they tend to miss great albums from the first half of the year, here are some mid-year crib-notes to catch you all up and show you the good which 2011 has, so far, had to offer fans of what matters in pop music.
- – - – -
POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Augustana – “Augustana”
Eponymous albums are supposed to be statements of a band’s new direction, and Augustana’s third album for Epic is definitely that; like an unholy vocal alliance between Crowded House’s Neil Finn and Bruce Springsteen, Don Layus’s powerhouse vocals anchor this album’s ten tracks with an incredible barrage of hooks the likes of which I haven’t heard on a pop album in years, if even in the last decade. With music this brazenly addictive, Augustana deserves to be 2011’s version of 2006-era Snow Patrol, lighting up the radio with hit after hit and selling millions. But if they’re simply destined to remain 2011’s best working band, putting out great music for a loyal audience of converts, maybe that’s just as good.
ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The Vaccines – “What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?”
From the opening eighty seconds of the album, the blistering “Wrecking Bar,” its immediately clear that anything this band writes is going to be fully capable of rocking at Clash-like levels. All my expectations were instantly blown out of the water. From that point it’s a steady succession of radio-ready singles – almost enough to set your mind to reeling. There’s not a weak track in the bunch. It’s clear from the first listen that the Vaccines are destined to become a household name; if radio won’t play them here in the States, it’s time to load up a car with friends, stick the album in the CD player and blast these brilliant pop confections for everyone to hear.
HIPSTER ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Fleet Foxes – “Helplessness Blues”
Fleet Foxes’ sophomore album follows a very classically folk-oriented formula, recorded very much in the moment — Pecknold aimed for Astral Weeks’ timeless quality, and while only time will tell whether the album holds up as well, the resulting depth and quality of Helplessness Blues speaks for itself. That much of the album’s vocals were recorded in one take (“even if there are fuck-ups, I want them to be on there,” Pecknold told the Guardian) it’s impressive just how many layers there are in these songs to slowly peel away on repeated listens. This is the kind of album you’d hope Simon and Garfunkel could be producing had the duo ever reunited in this modern musical age.
HIP-HOP ALBUM OF THE YEAR
SIMS – “Bad Time Zoo”
There may be something in the water in Minneapolis, considering the amazing underground hip-hop scene which has developed there over the last decade. Whatever it is, Sims’ Bad Time Zoo has something to say and gets its points across with beats that blend jazz and world-beat with modern flair that would set radio on fire if anyone had the balls to play these songs. Regardless, Bad Time Zoo is the first must-hear hip-hop album of 2011, and it’s an early contender for my year-end top ten. Here’s hoping Doomtree Records has the push to get this album out to the wide audience it deserves.
COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Easton Corbin – “Easton Corbin”
The 9513 wrote of a potential 2011 revival of traditional country on the radio airwaves, and if they’re right, true country fans have a ton to rejoice about when listening to Easton Corbin, which is the best traditional meets modern country album I’ve heard since Eric Church’s Carolina. “I’m A Little More Country Than That” is one of the most straightforward, honest country top tens I’ve heard in years, and it sounds like the new traditional country I grew up on in the eighties and early nineties, when artists like George Strait, Keith Whitley and Steve Earle were tearing up country radio. Several cuts on this effort even sound like Corbin spent time in the room with Earle while he put together Guitar Town, the best album to come out of that era. Listen to “Leavin’ A Lonely Town” or “This Far From Memphis” and tell me you disagree.
- – - – -
And now a few honorable mentions:
Hey Rosetta! – “Seeds” — Like Arcade Fire on Neon Bible and Sufjan Stevens with Illinois, Hey Rosetta builds their melodies with garage rock ferocity which is consistently punctuated with stunning bursts of fiery orchestral bliss.
Baby Teardrops – “X Is For Love” — They’ve definitely got the hooks to be successful on radio. “Smooth Sailing Ahead” could have been a top ten hit for the Gin Blossoms in the mid-90s, but here it has a more grunge-oriented sound which is both out of place and wlecome in today’s rock landscape.
The Wailin’ Jennys – “Bright Morning Stars” — In a world where Taylor Swift is a worldwide superstar bringing pop music to so called “traditional” country stations, it’s about time real roots music made a comeback. This album is the most deserving so far of 2011 to get that shot.
Noah and the Whale – “Last Night On Earth” — Fink and his band Noah and the Whale have managed to create the perfect tribute to Springsteen with this album because they’re willing to build on the sounds that came before with a story that is at once their own, while also being one we’ve all experienced. Meanwhile, they’ve taken such a magnificent leap forward that this sound is suddenly new again, and all their own.
Stornoway – “Beachcomber’s Windowsill” – Yes, it came out in 2010, but I didn’t hear it until 2011, so it counts. The bottom line is that even a cursory examination of “Zorbing,” the opening track from Beachcomber’s Windowsill, showcases the band’s incredibly dextrous, multi-layered arrangement, a mindblowing combination of subtle folk and alternative influences that is purely unlike anything else I’ve encountered in pop music in recent years. And that’s definitely worth checking out.
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July 12, 2011 | Categories: "Year of the Album!", Album Reviews, Commentary, Uncategorized | Tags: album reviews, Augustana, Baby Teardrops, Easton Corbin, Fleet Foxes, Hey Rosetta!, mid-year top albums, music, Noah and the Whale, Sims, Stornoway, The Vaccines, The Wailin Jennys, top albums of 2011 | Leave A Comment »