Best of 2011

It's time again to pause, reflect and remember what we enjoyed listening to the most this year. My friend and co-blogger Fletcher again introduced me to terrific new bands, including Dawes, and Wye Oak, I also enjoyed new music from bands I've enjoyed for years, and I have a new band to introduce, Girls, that I think is terrific. In my 2010 post I mentioned that I was looking forward to new Decemberist and Damnwells albums. Both made it to my top 10 list this year.

Here's my list of my favorite albums of the year. Fletcher's post and list follows mine. Fletcher and I would love to see your comments, both pro and con, about our lists and we invite you to share your favorite music for 2011 in the comments section.

Top Albums of the Year (alphabetical by band)

The Damnwells, No One Listens to the Band Anymore-- This is one of my favorite bands. Alex Dezen's songwriting just continues to improve. Alex recently received an MFA from the University of Iowa and the results can be heard in his writing.
Dawes, Nothing is Wrong--Thank you Fletcher! What a treasure.
The Decemberists, The King is Dead-- Another unexpected and wonderful musical turn from this band. They prove time and time again that they can play any style of music. This album came out last January and still made my top ten. That says a lot!
Deer Tick, Divine Providence--Young, wild, innocently (or not so innocently) Dyonesian. This band has an incredibly high energy. Their music is terrific for working out.
Destroyer - Kaputt-- I love the tapestry of sounds on this album. One can hear a venerable smorgasbord of diverse forms of jazz and rock influencing the songwriting and performing on this album.
Drive By Truckers, Go-Go Boots-- More terrific stories from DBT. Sadly, I just learned that Shonna Tucker is leaving the band. I wish both her and the band the best as they move on.
Girls, Father, Son, Holy Ghost-- I love listening to this San Francisco band as they create a new sound from various vintage rock sources.
Tedeschi Trucks Band, Revelator-- I reviewed this amazing band earlier this year. I've enjoyed this album numerous times.
Wilco, The Whole Love-- Great songwriting returns, the band members are performing as rock-n-roll virtuosos, and the band is incredibly tight. Note: This has also been a terrific year for guitarist Nels Cline and Drummer Glenn Kotche. Nels Cline has rightfully claimed his place among Rolling Stone's top 100 guitarists of all time and Glenn Kotche was featured playing amazing original compositions on a Radiolab concert.
Wye Oak, Civilian-- Quiet, yet forceful with delightfully unexpected musical turns. This album was selected as the best album of the year by AVClub.

Honorable Mentions:
The Jayhawks, Mockingbird Time-- Old friends, Gary Louris and Mark Olsen and writing and harmonizing again. Enough said...
Nikki Jean, Pennies in a Jar-- Terrific debut by this songwriter. Her debut includes several guest performances and a song that she co-wrote with Bob Dylan.
Fountains of Wayne, Sky Full of Holes-- FOWs lyrics always bring a smile to my face. Their songwriting is solid throughout.
Amos Lee, Mission Bell--This singer/songwriter's 4th studio album highlights Mr. Lee's folksy bluesy sound.
Portugal The Man, In the Mountain, In the Cloud:--Signing with Atlantic has not changed this band. Sonic landscapes abound.
Lucinda Williams, Blessed-- My favorite LW record in years. This album is blessed with strong songwriting musical performance.

Best Musical Moment
Rhett Miller and Alex Dezen put on an amazing show in front of a small but highly enthusiastic audience at Fizgeralds in Houston. I filmed them performing American Girl together.



Looking Forward to 2012
Esperanza Spaulding will be releasing Radio Music Society during the first quarter of 2012. I can't wait to hear where her musical muse is taking her. She's so eclectic that it could be almost anywhere.

Fletcher's Best

It is my favorite time of a musical year. It is the time when we get to go back and remember and reflect on all the great music, bands, songs, and moments. 2011 was a fantastic year musically. We saw a growth in the readership of our blog from both the US and other foreign countries. Larry and I both really appreciate your readership and will always try hard to try to turn you on to our favorite bands and music. We both take this responsibility seriously. It is a joy to just be able to write about bands that we care about and want you to learn about if you haven’t already. I really appreciate all your comments that you sent to me personally. Well let’s get on to the reason you read this.

I loved 2011. It brought back some great bands that I love and it brought some remarkable new bands. This year some of my favorite songs came from my favorite albums. So here is my top five albums with my two favorite songs from each one.

Fletcher's Best of 2011 Picks

Top Albums of the Year (listed alphabetically by band) I have spent a lot of time putting in links for every song, so please take a while and enjoy them. I want this to be interactive and you to be able to spend some time with this great music!!

The Damnwells, No One Listens To The Band Anymore-- Coming back after a few years, Alex Dezen is one of the best songwriters and voices in the business. "Heart beats on the fault line of love and doubt and wasted time"are the opening lyrics to "Werewolves". Whole album is full of these type of lyrics. Doesn't get better than this. Listen to “Werewolves” and “The Great Unknown”. You won’t be disappointed.

Dawes, Nothing Is Wrong-- A great sophomore album. Strong from top to bottom. Taylor Goldsmith is at the top of his game and is going to have a long career. Listen to “Time Spent in Los Angeles” and “If I Wanted Someone”.

Givers, In Light-- This band kills it live and has earned a well deserved reputation. I loved their debut album. Their time changes and syncopation draws you right in. Very young band out of Louisiana and very very good. Listen to “Saw You First” and “Up,Up,Up”. I love everything about them. Potential to be huge.

Ha Ha Tonka, Death of a Decade-- This band out of Missouri also kills it live. A bunch of really nice guys who are talented as hell. Listen to “Usual Suspects” and “Westward Bound”. Do not miss the opportunity to see them live. They also have my favorite t-shirt ever!!! Sell a ton of them whenever I work their merch table.

Portugal the Man, In the Mountain, In the Cloud-- This under rated band just keeps putting out great music. This album is simply breathtaking. So much going on. Listen to “Got it All” and “Head is Flame (Cool with it)”. Brings you back to the psychedelic 60’s.

Top Songs of the Year (listed alphabetically by band)

Nicole Atkins, Vultures-- This opening track must be talking about her troubles with her former major label. After a few years dealing with those issues, it is great to have her songs and marvelous voice back.

Birds and Arrows, Mountain Air-- More great harmonies from this North Carolina husband-wife team. I love their sound especially with the depth of a cello in a folk rock band. Not to mention they are the nicest and kindest people. Check them out.

Decemberists, Calaminty Song---A great roots album from this band. Really went out on a limb and it all worked.

Dirty Guv’nahs-Baby We Were Young- A Southern rock and blues based band out of Knoxville. Lots of guitars and strong songwriting. Great voices. Great guys.

The Head and the Heart, Lost In My Mind--This Seattle bands album was a real surprise. Love the way this song builds. My idea of a perfect song.

The Jayhawks, She Walks in so Many Ways-- It is so great to have this band back with their beautiful harmonies and melodies.

Vandeveer, Dig Down Deep-- It is stunning what a guitar and two hauntingly gorgeous voices in perfect harmony can do. Stark and striking. Become familiar with them, please.

We Are Augustines, Chapel Song-- Just a great song from this high energy band. They leave everything on the stage live. Joe Strummer would be proud.

Wilco- Art of Almost- I have been a huge Wilco fan from the beginning. Haven’t really liked the past two albums. After hearing this opening song I knew they were back in form. One of the best opening tracks to an album I have ever heard. Wow!!

Wye Oak-Civilian- A great song from the musical pride of Baltimore. This album made a ton of critics year end lists and deservingly so. They had an amazing year. Don't miss this band live if you ever get the chance. Will blow you away.

Best Musical Moment

I had the honor and privilege of working the merch table for a series of East Coast dates with two of my favorite bands- The Damnwells and Harper Blynn. Had a blast with all these great and talented guys. Would do it all again in a heartbeat. Thanks for making me feel like I was 29 again.

Thanks to all the bands who trusted me working their merch tables this year. Always great meeting you and your fans. Always grateful.

Looking forward to in 2012

New albums dropping from Heartless Bastards, Delta Spirit, and Harper Blynn. Have had the fortune to hear a lot of the new Harper Blynn songs. It won’t disappoint.

The Band That Changed My Life- The Jayhawks

This is the band that changed my life musically. I am not overstating the significance and impact that this band had on me personally. Most of my life I had only had access to Top 40 or Alternative radio stations. Therefore my music taste was decided by radio programmers who played music based on what would bring in sales income to the station. So I had not been exposed to music out of the mainstream. I moved to New York City and had the privilege of being turned on to WNEW which at the time was playing what would become AAA (Adult Album Alternative) music. WNEW is the station Lou Reed referred to in his classic song “Rock and Roll”. One day I was listening to the legendary Scott Muni and heard a song by The Jayhawks. The song was “Waiting for the Sun” from their 1992 Hollywood Town Hall album. I was frozen in awe. I couldn't move. The music had so much depth and absolutely the most beautiful harmonies I had ever heard. The lyrics had meaning and really spoke to me. A few weeks later the station sponsored a free live outdoor show and I went to see what they were all about. After seeing them I first learned about what was going to be known as indie music. I was again in total admiration of this amazing band. The moment I purchased the album it changed the way I listened to music up to this day. From them I learned of many other amazing bands that radio stations were not playing and to this day continue my quest for bands that I can write to you about and hopefully turn you on to. Bands who craft intelligent music that speaks to us as individuals in a variety of ways. Bands who are talented and are playing music that motivates them, not driven purely by sales.

The Jayhawks were formed in 1985 in Minneapolis out of some other local bands. They had a strong roots and country rock influence led by the dynamic songwriting/ singing team of Gary Louris and Marc Olson. They released two albums on smaller labels and were at the forefront of what was going to be known as alternative country. They were then signed to Def American which has become American Recordings label and in 1992 they put out the album that changed my life. Just when I thought that I couldn't hear anything better, they released Tomorrow the Green Grass in 1995. To this day it is still one of my favorite all time albums. Its perfect songwriting and beautiful soaring vocals still sends chills up my spine today. “Blue” is also one of my favorite all-time songs. At the end of 1995 Marc Olson announced that he was leaving the band. They spent the next few years with a revolving cast of members, but in my opinion without the Olson/Louris combination, the band was a shell of its former self. By 2003 and three more albums they realized this also and called it quits.

What a surprise it was to me in September of this year that they released a new album called Mockingbird Time. I was skeptical at first and then I learned that Olson and Louris were back together again with some of the original members and the best of the previous formations. I had to give it a listen. While it may not be the best Jayhawks album it is certainly the best since Green Grass. To me personally just hearing the exquisite harmonies once again is worth the price of the album. Please enjoy the video and harmonies of “She Walks In So Many Ways” from the new album:

I am so pleased to be able to re-introduce this band to you. They are more than worth finding out about and listening to both their old and new music. They are a band that many current bands refer to as being a major influence on. If you listen to them, you will see why this is true. Just maybe they will change your life.

Larry Adds: I love learning how transformative The Jayhawks were in Fletcher's musical journey. When Fletcher introduced me to the band in 2000 they had a profound influence on me as well. In my case I had first listened to alternative music (called progressive music at the time) on Georgetown University's WGTB. When that station was sold for $1 in 1979 I lost my source to new music and gradually over time, lost touch with progressive music.

Like Fletcher I was drawn to the Jayhawk's harmony and intelligent lyrics. I also like the way that the Jayhawks can pull unexpected turns in their music so effectively. For example, they turn a lament into an anthem in "Blue".

I respectfully differ with Fletcher about one album without Olsen. I really enjoy 2003's Rainy Day Music. While I miss the Olsen/Louris harmony I think Louris exhibited extremely strong songwriting on this album. To me all of the songs on this album are excellent. From the lament, "All The Right Reasons" to the sadly humorous "Save It For A Rainy Day" I think this album is quite good. That said, I strongly agree with Fletcher that the Jayhawks best album is Tomorrow the Green Grass.

I've had the pleasure of seeing the band live 3 times. Most recently I caught the finale of their 2011 tour at the House of Blues, Houston. I can happily report that their live sound is still tight and terrific.

I'm forever grateful to Fletcher to introducing me to 21st century alternative music and the Jayhawks for being the band I first listened to when I started listening to new music again.

If you have been hesitant about listening to new music I strongly encourage you to give The Jayhawks a listen.

Nothing is Wrong-Dawes

Nothing is Wrong is the latest album from the Los Angeles based band Dawes. This will be on my top albums of this year's list and I believe that the title of this album accurately describes the music. There is not a bad song or moment on the album. I have been encouraging all my music loving friends to go out and immediately buy it. They released the album during the summer of 2011 and I still listen to it almost daily. I usually will tire of albums after a few weeks, but this Dawes album keeps me engaged with their beautiful hooks and pertinent lyrics.

Dawes has a very Laurel Canyon sound in its music. When I first heard them I thought it sounded a lot like Jackson Browne. It evokes that sound, feel, and spirit from people like Browne, Joni Mitchell, and early country-folk Neil Young.To my surprise Jackson Browne is a guest on the new album. I would classify their sound as folk-rock. They will thrill you with their beautiful harmonies and earthy tones. Taylor Goldsmith is an amazing songwriter who is wise beyond his years.

Dawes includes brothers Taylor (vocals, guitar,songwriter) and Griffin (drums,vocals) Goldsmith. Wylie Gelber plays the bass and Tay Strathairn has just joined them on keyboards. The Goldsmith's father was in the Bay area legendary band Tower of Power. Taylor formed a band in high school named Simon Dawes which put out one album. After they broke up they formed the current band out of the ashes. They were signed to ATO Records which was co-founded by Dave Matthews. They released their first album North Hills in 2009. It created the Laurel Canyon sound and it resonated with a lot of other bands who took them out on tour. Langhorne Slim and Delta Spirit (both bands I have written about) were two of the bands who were impressed with their sound and presence and took them out with them as openers. As more people saw and heard them, they became the headliners. Enjoy the video “Time Spent In Los Angeles” from Nothing is Wrong:

The new album deals with a lot of their past two years in which they have been on the road. It was also recorded the old school way on analog equipment. I found the sound has a lot more depth than a lot of the newer albums have. It really brings them back to the Laurel Canyon sound. If you like what you hear from the video, run out to buy the CD. You won't regret it.

A Marriage Made in Rock & Blues Heaven

Imagine that one of Rolling Stone's top 100 guitarists of all time married a rock/blues singer who has been nominated for multiple grammy awards.  Imagine that after years of nurturing successful careers on their own that they worked together on an amazing project.  Stop imagining:



Derek Trucks and Susan Tedechi have formed the Tedechi Trucks Band.  It's an incredible union.
I love the sense of joy I feel from the music on Revelator, the Tedechi Trucks Band's joint venture. Independently, both Tedechi and Trucks work with terrific musicians. Just because two headliners, who happen to be married to each other, got excited about a joint project didn't mean that the members of each of their bands would share that excitement. The question of how well all of these musicians would collaborate begged to be asked.  Fortunately,  everyone involved in this project seems to be having a terrific time making great music.  Gary Louris of The Jayhawks (one of my and Fletcher's favorite bands) wrote several of the best songs on the album and I'm delighted to report that the Tedechi Trucks Band does beautiful justice to his writing.  It doesn't get much better than this.
I first became aware of Derek Trucks several years ago when I attended the World Guitar Congress at Towson University in 2004. In front of an audience of serious guitar mavens, Derek Trucks and his band put on a show that literally had several members of the audience bowing down in homage to them.

Derek Trucks was born in 1979.  His uncle, Butch Trucks is a drummer and a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band.  Derek starting playing the guitar at age 9 and by the age of 12 was sitting in with his uncle Derek's band.  Derek formed his own band in 1994.  Derek met Susan Tedechi in 1999.

Susan Tedechi was born in 1970.  She graduated from the Berkelee College of Music at age 20 and formed her own band in 1994.  She and Derek married in 2001 and they have two children.

While it is quite a feat in itself that two rock musicians have maintained a marriage for 10 years it is even more impressive that they have been able to let go of their egos to produce such a fine album together.  My co-blogger Fletcher saw the Tedechi Trucks Band this summer in Baltimore.  Fletcher reports that "they slayed the audience.  They had their audience from their first song". I hope they continue to collaborate on future projects.

Elsewhere in the music world, there are two new releases that both Fletcher and I are both excited about:

Wilco:  The Whole Love
The Jayhawks: Mockingbird Time

I Knew Them When- Wye Oak

I can’t tell you how many times I have had people come up to me at the merch table and ask “How does so much sound come out of just two people?” It is part of the amazement of what makes the band Wye Oak.

I must profess to you a lot of bias on my part for this band. They are a Baltimore based band that I have worked the merch table for too many times to even count. I have even traveled with them outside of Baltimore. Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack are two of the most talented people that I know. Beyond their talent also lies two of the nicest people I have ever met in the music business. I consider them to be friends, so I must let you know this as I write this piece. However I will also tell you that most people I have told about this band, have also fallen in love with the music. This would include my co-blogger Larry. This band has blown up the past year with two fine albums. This is a band that I can truly say that I knew them before they blew up and it has been a pleasure to watch the rest of the country fall in love with them.

Jenn and Andy started the band as Monarch. They put out an album titled If Children. It created a lot of instant buzz with their unique sound. I call it controlled chaos. The songs build to a point that feels uncontrolled with sounds and guitar rising over each other. Jenn’s voice wails through the distortion and the next instant it all falls out to a quiet and gentle sound. I am always mesmerized by this perfect songwriting duo. So were many others. Merge Records signed them immediately to their label. Because there were some other bands named Monarch they asked them to change their name and Jenn and Andy settled on Maryland’s famous tree The Wye Oak. Merge is the perfect label for them because it is a company that gives control to their artists and nurtures them. They released If Children in 2008 under the Merge label. Wye Oak went back into the studio and then released The Knot in 2009. This album showed a lot of maturity both in musicianship and songwriting. Many others also found this to be true. They were now performing in bigger clubs across the country. They could see their own rise as they criss-crossed the country playing in venues where they had played a few months earlier but were now playing to many more people. All of a sudden they were opening for some of the most well known indie bands in the world. From December of 2010 through February of this year they opened for Spoon, The Decemberists, and Cold War Kids , which are bands we have written about in this blog. They have recently released their new album in 2011 titled Civilian. It once again shows a lot of growth.

Through all of this they remained committed to their music and sound. As I said in the opening they are the only two people on stage. Jenn plays guitar and sings with her hauntingly beautiful and passionate voice. Andy plays the drums with one hand and the bassline on keyboards on the other hand. It is something to watch. Please enjoy this video of “Holy Holy” from their network television debut on the Jimmy Fallon show.

This new album Civilian has continued to bring in many new fans not only here in the States but they have also toured through Europe. It has been great to watch this meteoric rise from this band with modest roots in Baltimore. We are happy to claim Wye Oak as our hometown heros as is Wye Oak proud of their Baltimore roots. Through this ride Jenn and Andy have remained humble as ever and I couldn’t be happier for their success.