twentyeleven

 

2011.  As all good things do, it has come to an end.  But it was a good year. A really good, really hard year.  I’m going to spend this week doing five “Best of 2011” lists.  Of, course it will start (and probably end) with music…because all good things do. (You can click the link to buy them)

FIVE(ok 6) BEST ALBUMS OF 2011

Rise Ye Sunken Ships by We Are Augustines

Their sound, their story, their stage presence…We Are Augustines absolutely stole my heart this year.  Daniel and I saw them live twice in the spring, once at the Bowery Ballroom and then a few nights later at Williamsburg Music Hall in Brooklyn.  In a word: incredible.  Our dear friend Eddie Rogert was guitar-teching with them and The Boxer Rebellion so we got a sneak peak at their sound check in Brooklyn.  There were guitar problems and sound problems and it seemed like the expectations of their hometown show might explode.  But WAA are men. As real as their frustration was their kindness and humility.  They stole my heart.  A few hours later, the lights came on and Billy McCarthy put on his Indiana Jones hat, and I think he left every ounce of himself on that stage.  Because he is a master of the stage.  Because he has the best “hey” in rock and roll.  Because his band is really, really good.  Do yourself a favor and let them steal your hearts too.

   

Live in Tennessee by The Boxer Rebellion

This concert happened in my hometown. It wasn’t well attended. I sat in a box seat in the Clayton Center on a folding chair next to Eddie Rogert’s grandmother who brought a blanket for her lap and cotton balls for her ears. I wasn’t very familiar with their music, but Daniel was and loved it.  The opening band was a total train wreck.  I was getting nervous.  But the lights came on, and the drums kicked in, and I found myself leaning forward in my chair, spending the next two hours trying to find my breath.

This year, the album of that show came out.  Maybe because I was there.  Maybe because it blew my mind.  Maybe because I never liked a live album until this one.  Maybe because I think that The Boxer Rebellion is the greatest band of all time.  Maybe because it is a tiny glimpse of what it is like to see them live. (If you have any regard for your ears at all, you should see them live.)  Whatever the reason, this album is just so good.  But the whole thing and buy it now.

Nothing is Wrong by Dawes

Dawes is unreal. The kind of band that sings with an angst you have to have experienced to begin to understand.  They might be some of the best songwriters in the game right now.  And people are paying attention.  You should too.

The Cold Still from The Boxer Rebellion

I’m not sure I can say more about this band.  I feel like my favorite band of all time should be plenty.  “Organ Song” should be part of your day.  So should “The Runner”. Really, the entire thing should be a daily part of your life.

Last Night on Earth by Noah and the Whale

I wasn’t so sure about this one at my first listen.  I was used to the somber and melodic Noah and the Whale that I found in The First Days of Spring.  And, like the rest of the world I worried about a post-Laura Marling Charlie Fink.  But Charlie Fink won me over with his happiness in the same way he did in his misery.  It is an album full of permission to chase your dreams. I hope that “Give it All Back” is my boys anthem in high school, when they are in a band that practices in our garage.  For me, “Tonight’s the Kind of Night’ has been a way to give life and words to mine and Daniel’s quest for something more and something different. I find a new favorite song with every listen. I hope you will too.

Build a Rocket Boys by Elbow

Elbow is just fantastic. Always.  I never thought it possible to top Seldom Seen Kid. And many don’t believe they did it in this album.  But, for me, the whistling on “Lippy Kids” was all I needed to seal the deal.  Buy the album. Google the videos.  You are welcome.

Honorable Mentions to: Helplessness Blues (Fleet Foxes), The Whole Love (Wilco), The Mirror (Jill Andrews), Barton Hollow (The Civil Wars) and the absolutely amazing Eponymous—EP (Eddie Rogert)