« Newer | Older »

11 Best Songs of 2011
Mike McKinley
January 17, 2012
1. Wilco - "One Sunday Morning"



The Whole Love's epic closer. One of the most beautiful‚ poignant songs Wilco has ever written.

* * *

2. The Barr Brothers - "Beggar in the Morning"



Everything works on the opener of the eponymous debut from the Barr Brothers: the beautiful instrumentation‚ the lyrics‚ and the space they create and build off of -- yes‚ the vibe: "… we may capsize‚ but we won't drown/hold each other as the sun goes down."

* * *

3. Tristen - "Battle of the Gods"



I fell in love with Tristen's Charlatans At the Garden Gate -- each track is an enjoyable ride. "Battle of the Gods" has it all: it sounds minimalist‚ yet orchestral; her delivery is spot on‚ both fragile and big. The ending is immense. So classic… like Phil Spector got his hands on it.

* * *

4. Nathan Moore - "In the Basement"



There are two or three different lines in this song that give me chills every time I hear them. A gem from Nathan's Dear Puppeteer…but I went easy on you this year. If you really want a good kick in the nuts from this record try "Hollow."

"In The Basement" by Nathan Moore by Royal Potato Family

* * *

5. Akron/Family - "A AAA O A WAY" -> "So It Goes"



A little bit of sonic mindfucking‚ some great sounding guitar (and bass and drums for that matter)‚ a nod to Vonnegut‚ and the human circle of being compassionate, then coming to grips with being naïve, and then becoming compassionate again‚ and/or so it goes. You know‚ Akron/Family‚ as beautiful as ever.

* * *

6. Gillian Welch - "The Way It Will Be"



Gillian and David have been playing this one for years -- glad to see it finally recorded properly. Simply put‚ it's crushing.



7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - "We Almost Lost Detroit"



Just about any track on Dale Jr. Jr.'s It's A Corporate World could make this list the album is so strong‚ but they owned this Gil Scott-Heron cover. Check out this live version.

* * *

8. My Morning Jacket - "Wonderful (The Way I Feel)"



This tune is a great example of how MMJ keeps evolving in a healthy way. With every record they put out they expand their sound a bit‚ but in this case they take a huge leap (and risk!) in songwriting. They sound vulnerable here -- the premise of the song could be perceived as naïve or even like a bunch of hippie utopian nonsense to salty fans. But that's what works. They go for it and it sounds sincere. And it sounds like they're challenging both their audience and themselves to dig deeper.

* * *

9. Stephen Malkmus - "Brain Gallop" and "Share the Red"



Malkmus' Mirror Traffic is filled with great songs. So much so‚ that I couldn't pick one. So here are two -- "Brain Gallop" has that classic Malkmus delivery and his awesome‚ blissed-out guitar work. "Share the Red" is all about the sentiment of the lyrics. Malkmus rules.

* * *

* * *

10. American Babies - "Streets of Brooklyn"



In addition to writing great hooks and interesting sounding music‚ Tommy Hamilton of American Babies has blossomed into a songwriting voice that provides powerful insight about everyday life for everyday people. Shit‚ don't we need that? This song came out months before the Occupy movement happened‚ but has a verse that taps into the frustration so poignantly.

* * *

11. Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey - "Black Wall Street"



JFJO hit it out of the park with Race Riot Suite -- in all its ambitiousness to tell the story of the Tulsa race riots of 1921 through instrumental compositions‚ they vividly paint the story of the event -- it swings‚ it struggles‚ it haunts‚ it prays. You hear life on this record -- jazz at its finest. Here's one of Race Riot Suite's gems.

2. Black Wall Street by jfjo Listen: Jenny Scheinman - "A Ride with Polly Jean"
Mike McKinley
January 15, 2012
Violinist Jenny Scheinman's upcoming record Mischief & Mayhem is fantastic. Here's a little taste‚ the opening track "A Ride with Polly Jean."

Jenny Scheinman -- "A Ride with Polly Jean"


Yeah‚ they don't waste any time getting into it -- they're immediately in a dream-like‚ beautiful space together. And it makes sense considering the musicians in Jenny's band: guitarist Nels Cline‚ bassist Todd Sickafoose and drummer Jim Black -- an incredibly talented group. But it's all about the chemistry‚ and this group has it. "A Ride with Polly Jean" sets the tone for the rest of the record -- each one of Jenny's compositions taking you on an interesting ride.

Mischief & Mayhem is out March 6th and Jenny and her band will appear at Le Poisson Rouge on February 20‚ 2012 for their NYC CD release party.

SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS at Sundance
Mike McKinley
January 12, 2012
Film Synopsis via SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS - plus Sundance dates
On April 2nd 2011‚ LCD Soundsystem played its final show at Madison Square Garden. LCD frontman James Murphy had made the conscious decision to disband one of the most celebrated and influential bands of its generation at the peak of its popularity‚ ensuring that the band would go out on top with the biggest and most ambitious concert of its career. The instantly sold out‚ near four-hour extravaganza did just that‚ moving the thousands in attendance to tears of joy and grief‚ with NEW YORK magazine calling the event "a marvel of pure craft" and TIME magazine lamenting "we may never dance again." SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS is both a narrative film documenting this once in a life time performance and an intimate portrait of James Murphy as he navigates the lead-up to the show‚ the day after‚ and the personal and professional ramifications of his decision.

Win Tickets to Rubblebucket at Higher Ground‚ January 27‚ 2012!
Mike McKinley
January 11, 2012
The contest is now closed and the winner has been selected

We're giving away a pair of tickets to Rubblebucket's show at Higher Ground in Burlington, Vermont on Friday‚ January 27th -- just fill out the form at the bottom of the page, and we'll pick the lucky winner on Wednesday, January 25th.

Bonus: Superhuman Happiness, Ryan Power + DJ Disco Phantom are playing too.


photo by Brent Harrewyn

Here's Rubblebucket's upcoming tour:

01.26 - Ithaca, NY - Castaways
01.27 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
01.28 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom

02.07 - Roanoke, VA - Martin's Downtown
02.08 - Knoxville, TN - Cider House
02.09 - Macon, GA - Cox Capital Theatre
02.10 - Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits
02.11 - Tampa, FL - Crowbar Live
02.12 - Miami, FL - Virginia Key Grassroots Festival
02.13 - Orlando, FL - The Social
02.15 - Charleston, SC - The Pour House
02.16 - Asheville, NC - Asheville Music Hall One Stop
02.17 - Raleigh, NC - The Pour House
02.18 - Charlottesville, VA - The Southern

naked musicians - Rubblebucket from Matt Day on Vimeo.

Download "Downward Facing Dog" from moe.'s WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LA LAs
Mike McKinley
January 11, 2012
moe.'s new record WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LA LAs is a rocker, in that classic way. You don't hear too many slower moments or even subtle ones -- in a raw and unbridled way, the songs are what you get. And with that you get some great shit-kicking twang, some big choruses and guitars, a 4-minute "Lazarus" (didn't think that was possible!) and just enough weirdness sprinkled throughout to keep it all a little more interesting.

LA LAs comes out January 24th on Sugar Hill Records. Grab a free download of "Downward Facing Dog" below.

And just to revisit where the band was at with their last studio record Sticks & Stones, check out our conversation with Chuck Garvy from 2008.

And check out the promo video.

« Newer | Older »