2011 Top 10: Finds of the Year
Starting with our Reader’s Poll, we’re looking back on 2011 with a series of top 10’s that will cover everything from album covers to music videos, from favorite 7“‘s to favorite LPs, so check back and see what our staff has to say as we make our way to the new year.
2011 is officially over! Looking back, it was a year of exploration for me. I turned up on Nashville’s doorstep on New Year’s Eve last year, and hardly a week went by over the past twelve months where I didn’t find out about some new awesome people who were contributing something amazing to the music world. So here are ten finds that really stuck with me as not just interesting but truly exciting.
1. Streaming
Pandora and Last.fm have been around for awhile now, but 2011 marked more sites gaining ground in the streaming music market. While Spotify may be the most obvious and controversial of the lot, there’s also 8tracks and turntable.fm, both of which move away from established databases and complicated memetic algorithms like the internet radio stations in favor of user created content. In short, it allows for members to upload and share literally any mp3 ever, without advertising or subscription fees. Labels and artists may still balk at a loss in royalties, and I’m sure there are many kinks to be ironed out in the long oncoming legal battle with streaming, but what people shouldn’t overlook is what these services provide that is unique and irreplaceable. These websites are like your favorite local record store, where you go in and you know all the regulars, where you can build connections with like-minded cultural rebels, but instead, fans across the world can meet and interact, recommend bands, geek out about shows, show off their obscure rare collections, and more. Hell, half of GET BENT started with a Last.fm post in the Garage Social Scene group, and it just goes to show that the way we interact with music is ever-evolving.
2011 Top 10: Rock and Roll Experiences of The Year
Starting with our Reader’s Poll, we’re looking back on 2011 with a series of top 10’s that will cover everything from album covers to music videos, from favorite 7“‘s to favorite LPs, so check back and see what our staff has to say as we make our way to the new year.
Anyone who has an intense personal relationship with music will tell you that while breaking down a year’s worth of records into a neat list of ten favorites can be difficult, it’s much easier to recall the music that accompanied their experiences in any particular year. Rock and roll, for me, is an entire web of social, cultural, political and personal experiences set to one beat. So, with that in mind, here are the records, tunes, and happenings that made up my 2011.
1. Pangea - Living Dummy (LP: Burger Records/CD: Lauren Records)
Bubblegum punk is for the people, so why have the people yet to catch onto the awesomeness that is Pangea? To nick a phrase from my favorite band of all time, I’ve always been a gal with a sweet tooth and Pangea’s just like a king-sized candy bar. Not only are they one of the tightest groups currently playing around L.A., but “Living Dummy” is an absolute cracker of a record, chock-full of good humor and catchy songs. Plus, Pangea’s live show never disappoints, with Erik Jimenez demonstrating why you can’t have a great band without a great drummer. Pangea have a new 7” EP coming out on Lauren Records in January, and they’ll be recording their second full-length in the springtime, so 2012 looks to be a big year for ‘em.
2011 Top 10: Staff Poll
Starting with our Reader’s Poll, we’re looking back on 2011 with a series of top 10’s that will cover everything from album covers to music videos, from favorite 7“‘s to favorite LPs, so check back and see what our staff has to say as we make our way to the new year.
It’s a good sign when it’s this hard to choose our favorite albums of the year. So much great music from so many great bands! But when push came to shove and the days ticked away, we put it to a staff vote, and these ten LPs proved to be the best of the best. It’s not to say there aren’t plenty of other albums worth mentioning, and you can find more GET BENT recommended listening here, but we’d be listing off albums for weeks if we didn’t restrain ourselves just a little bit. (Cause in the meantime, I’m sure there’s already been a dozen more great records released while I typed this sentence.) So here’s our collective two cents. Feel free to disagree in the comments!
2011 Top 10: Foreign Albums
Starting with our Reader’s Poll, we’re looking back on 2011 with a series of top 10’s that will cover everything from album covers to music videos, from favorite 7“‘s to favorite LPs, so check back and see what our staff has to say as we make our way to the new year.
2011 has been a great year for all that is garage and punk rock. Renowned bands like Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall and The Black Lips continued to dominate with new releases. Labels like In The Red, HoZac and Goner proved they still have the best output, but what about all the stuff that was going on outside of the U.S.? My list is dedicated to all the foreign bands out there that have pushed the envelope when it comes to what can be done with garage and punk rock. Just two rules for my list: the band has to derive from outside the U.S. and the album they released has to have been put out on a label based outside the U.S., so apologies to Davila 666, Total Control, IceAge and pretty much everything that was released on Slovenly this year.
1. Royal Headache - Royal Headache (R.I.P. Society)
Words can’t even begin to describe how much I absolutely adore this record. It’s not just my favorite foreign album of 2011, it’s also my favorite album in general. This is truly a pop gem that everyone should hear. When I listen to classic Australian albums like The Saints’ (I’m) Stranded and Radio Birdman’s Radios Appear, I always think how no bands today can touch these 40-year-old records. 40 years from now, people will be saying the same thing about Royal Headache.
2011 Top 10: 7”s of the Year
Starting with our Reader’s Poll, we’re looking back on 2011 with a series of top 10’s that will cover everything from album covers to music videos, from favorite 7“‘s to favorite LPs, so check back and see what our staff has to say as we make our way to the new year.
The year saw plenty of great singles. Whether they served as a sampler of a band’s potential, a wave goodbye, or even a segue between what the band formerly sounded like and what would follow, 2011 was a pretty decent year. A special nod must be given to Styrofoam Drone, where the 7” is king. Without further ado, here are my favorites.
1. Boomgates - Layman’s Terms (SmartGuy)
Two outstanding sides make for two of my favorite tracks of 2011. Both vocalists play off each other so well and, you know, their sound just plain hits the spot for me. Big anticipation for future material.
2011 Top 11: Songs That Got Me Through The Day
By Burgers Rana
Starting with our Reader’s Poll, we’re looking back on 2011 with a series of top 10’s that will cover everything from album covers to music videos, from favorite 7“‘s to favorite LPs, so check back and see what our staff has to say as we make our way to the new year.
My top ten eleven songs that got me through the day a.k.a. more than likely the top eleven records I also enjoyed this year.
1. Kurt Vile - Baby’s Arms, Smoke Ring for My Halo (Matador)
Once you get what it is about Kurt Vile that makes him such a unique crafter of amazing gems, by then you are pretty much hooked. He might as well go by Crack Vile.
2011 Top 10: Records that ruled my turntable/car tape deck this year
By Mac Joseph
Starting with our Reader’s Poll, we’re looking back on 2011 with a series of top 10’s that will cover everything from album covers to music videos, from favorite 7“‘s to favorite LPs, so check back and see what our staff has to say as we make our way to the new year.
Like every other music geek, I make a “Top 10 Records of The Year” list every year, but my favorite records of the year are not always my most listened to during that year. With that in mind, here are the records I spent the most time with in 2011.
1. The Intelligence - Males (In the Red Records, 2010)
So I missed this record in 2010. Why? I guess I was too busy listening to Fake Surfers… I now write every school paper to this record, and I write a lot.
2011 Top 10: Best Illustrated Album Covers
Starting with our Reader’s Poll, we’re looking back on 2011 with a series of top 10’s that will cover everything from album covers to music videos, from favorite 7“‘s to favorite LPs, so check back and see what our staff has to say as we make our way to the new year.
There are a lot of albums that came out this year that I can guarantee are amazing, but I just haven’t listened to them yet. So, for my best of 2011 list, I decided to not focus on the music but on the cover art. Specifically, illustrated cover art as it’s one of my favorite styles and it goes so well with punk and garage music, which is our bread and butter here at Get Bent! A small disclaimer: this ranking is solely based on the art, not the music (though I admit my number one may be biased by the fact that I think it’s the best album of the year). So, here are my Top 10 (+1) Illustrated Album Covers of 2011:
1. Panda Bear - Tomboy (Paw Tracks)
Like the album itself, this cover is beautifully understated.
Panda Bear - Last Night At The Jetty by bigasslens Panda Bear - Tomboy by In House Press
2011 Top 10: Best songs to listen to whilst watching your neighbor awkwardly jog
By Becca Capers
Starting with our Reader’s Poll, we’re looking back on 2011 with a series of top 10’s that will cover everything from album covers to music videos, from favorite 7“‘s to favorite LPs, so check back and see what our staff has to say as we make our way to the new year.
I’ve named the awkward jogger “Mr. Guy”. You might know Mr. Guy, as he is the everyman of suburban America.
1. “Malt Lick Her”, The Jitters - Malt Lick Her EP (Self-released)
The sincere irreverence of this song exactly matches a mood that certain kinds of people watching inspire. In other words, I want a 40.
