popwreckoning

Top 3 Albums of 2011:

• Sainthood Reps – Monoculture
• Fullbloods – The Perpetual Machine
• Yuck – Yuck

Honorable Mentions

Into It. Over It. – Proper
Former Thieves - The Language That We Speak
Surfer Blood – Tarot Classics
Mixtapes – Maps and Comparisons

Best Show of 2011:

2011 has been a great year for music. My first year at SXSW which included amazing shows such as the Topshelf Records and Count Your Lucky Stars Showcase, seeing Aziz Ansari, and especially the MidCoast Takeover were all great. I saw Junius and Caspian for the first time and they were incredible. So, to sum it up, SXSW was my best show(s) of 2011.
Most Anticipated in 2012:

Touring more. Also, new albums from:

• Joie de Vivre
• Scouts
• SUNS
• we are voices

Most Overrated in 2011:

• Dubstep
• Google+

Favorite Musical Memory of the Year:

Joie de Vivre’s last show ever that wasn’t actually their last show ever. I was on tour and happened to have a day off before Chicago which landed on the same day as Joie de Vivre’s “last show” in Rockford. So, naturally, I convinced everyone that we should go. And it was definitely worth it.  All of my favorite people and bands in the same place at the same time, best bro-downs, best memories.

Top 3 albums of 2011

• The Antlers – Burst Apart
• Company of Thieves – Death of Communication
• Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math

Top 3 albums of 2011

• Sleeper Agent – Celabrasion. Yes, that’s the way it’s spelled, which makes it all the more interesting. Tony Smith said in a Livestream chat with fans, that the name means a celebration among all of the abrasions they faced trying to get where they are. As a young band, they certainly are making their way to the mainstream fast. This album is youthful, catchy, grungy, and full of in your face angst that portrays the serious playfulness that the band delivers. Seriously, listen to this album. You won’t regret it. Plus, you’ll gain like 10 hipster cred points, easily.
  

• The Kooks – Junk of the Heart. What can I say about The Kooks, other than I have loved them for a really long time and I am
  ecstatic they finally released their third album. Every song is so catchy and so pop-y and
  the whole album is a feel good album. “Junk of the Heart (Happy)” can put a smile on your face no matter what mood you’re in. “Rosie” makes you want to dance. “Eskimo Kiss” warms your heart. And every other song will touch you in some way
  .
• Foo Fighters – Wasting Light. After watching the Kanrocksas live stream and Foo Fighters performed Wasting Light pretty much in its entirety and put on one hell of a show, I was sold on the album. Plus, White Limo has one of the sexiest bass lines ever. The Foo Fighters are just a bunch of badass guys who live up to their reputation and make amazing music, nothing else about it.

Best show of 2011

This one has to be a tie, because I can’t choose. And the amount of shows I went to this year, compared to past years is what I’m using for my excuse.

• The first show is Does It Offend You, Yeah? at The Space in Hamden, CT. This place is rightly named, since it is the tiniest venue I have ever been inside, and one of my really tall friends (who was in the opening band) had to duck to avoid hitting the ceiling. I didn’t know what to expect from DiOYY, since I knew they were opening for Linkin Park on the “A Thousand Suns Tour” and I knew they have energy packed albums. All I can say is, wow, I literally could not breathe after the show was over. It was the beginning of February and I went outside and grabbed snow to put on my face. There wasn’t a minute when the whole crowd stopped dancing and jumping. In the tiniest space ever, the energy of the crowd could have busted the roof off of the room. Lead singer, James Rushent even declared that we were more energetic than the crowd at Madison Square Garden, which is saying something.
• The next show is one that was so long awaited; The Kooks at the House of Blues in Boston. First off, the show was sold out. Second off, it was THE KOOKS! I knew that I would be nothing short of the barrier, and yea, it was a tight squeeze but I pushed myself up there. Even though they were smashed, the Brighton boys put on one hell of a show.

The energy, the emotion, the screaming fan girls (ok, maybe I was a little bit of one, but I wasn’t screaming “Oh my god Luke Pritchard you are so sexy.” There were a few “I love yous” but that’s it). They started off with new song “Is It Me” and jumped right into “Always Where I Need to Be.” Usually bands promote their newest album on tours, but The Kooks alternated between all three of their albums, giving something for us older fans.

Luke’s solo acoustic performance of “Seaside” created a massive sing a long unlike any other I’ve ever seen. Continuing the slow feel, “Tick of Time” and an alternate version of “See the Sun” followed. Of course they ended with “Junk of the Heart (Happy)” and “Naïve” to which there wasn’t a person who wasn’t singing and jumping up and down.

It was just intense. And I can understand how the show and many others on the US Tour sold out. I even got to meet them after, and asked about a rumor I heard earlier, which is that they’re playing Providence in February. To my excitement, it was confirmed that they are planning another US Tour. If I haven’t convinced you to see them, go to Youtube now and type in “The Kooks Live.”

Most overrated of 2011

Can I just say, Courtney Love? NO ONE talks about Dave Grohl like that. Go back in the looney bin.

Most anticipated for 2012

From what I heard, Muse is going to have a new album completed for October of 2012. If it’s one thing my readers should know, it’s that I am a HUGE Muse fan. As soon as I find out a real release date, I will have a countdown. You should all probably be worried for me, my less cool, un-music savvy friends have already shown concern in the past.

Favorite musical memory of 2011

That’s a really tough one for me, since 2011 was a huge year for me in the music industry. If a whole season can count as a memory, then I’m going to have to play that card. Over the summer, I interned for a local radio station (to me) WBRU. The whole summer was full of concerts and events, hanging with bands, walking around the city of Providence promoting awesome events, and meeting lots of amazing and wonderful people. For example, I got to staff almost all of the station’s summer concerts (Young the Giant, Sleeper Agent, Viva Brother, VulGarrity), hang with the DJs, and learn what goes on behind the scenes. I also got to do shows with them after the summer, and I got to hang out with Sleeper Agent (mostly the bassist Lee) for a whole night and learn about him and the origins of the band. So I guess what I’m trying to say is, my favorite musical memory of 2011 is a recollection of my entire internship.

Top 3 albums of 2011:

This was extremely hard to pick only 3 albums that, well, “rocked my world” in 2011. But, here’s a stab: 

• Innerpartysystem – Never Be Content
• Awolnation – Megalithic Symphony
• Ha Ha Tonka – Death Of A Decade

Honorable Mentions (a.k.a. the rest of my list):

• Thrice – Major/Minor
• Moving Mountains –Waves
• The Civil Wars – Barton Hallow
• The Black Keys – El Camino
• Boxer Rebellion – The Cold Still

Best show of 2011″

• Innerpartysystem @ the Riot Room – Kansas City

If I put my love for this band aside, the sold-out, extremely intimate, mess of a sweaty dance/rock show was incredible! Then to hear a few months later that the band will be going on hiatus, just made that show that much more special.

Other awesome sets:

• The Civil Wars @ the Bottleneck – Lawrence (SOLD OUT)
• Portugal. the Man @ Record Bar – Kansas City (SOLD OUT)

Most overrated of 2011

• Bright Eyes – The People’s Key: 2 songs were groundbreaking on the new album and the show left something to be desired.

Most anticipated for 2012

• The return of Carah to Shiny Toy Guns and their next album III.

Favorite musical memory of 2011

Middle Of The Map Fest – in its first year this festival was awesome! Between national bands like Cursive, A Lull, Two Door Cinema Club and Paper Route, there were also a handful of great local acts to be discovered. And to top it off, the entire weekend was $25!

Everyone’s buzzing about the hope for a “2^nd Annual Middle Of The Map Fest” /fingerscrossed

Top 3 Albums of 2011:

• La Dispute — Wildlife
• Glassjaw– Coloring Book EP
• Letlive.– Fake History 

Honorable Mentions:

• Thursday– No Devolución
• Lydia – Paint it Golden
• Uh Huh Her– Nocturnes

Best Show of 2011:

• Fearless Friends Tour (Granada Theater, Lawrence, KS)

Most Anticipated in 2012:

• Say Anything– Anarchy, My Dear
• The new Miike Snow album

Most Overrated in 2011:

• Blink-182 (they’re not that good)
• Dubstep

Favorite Musical Memory of the Year:

On November 20, I received press passes for the Fearless Friends Tour at the Granada in Lawrence, KS. Now, I’m kind of a metal head, so when I found out that I’d be interviewing Blessthefall for a freelance writing job… well, I gushed a bit. Not only did I get a chance to hang with all the bands on tour before the show, I got to watch three of my favorite metal bands from behind the on-stage mixing board. When I was in high school I always wanted to be “that person” taking photos and hanging out behind the scenes. We chatted about guitar gear, religious perspectives, and food. I guess it finally hit me that day that I am, indeed, “that person.”

Top 3 albums 

•  Young Rebel Set – Curse Our Love (Big Flame in the UK; they don’t have a US record deal)
• Noah and the Whale – Last Night on Earth (their UK record label is Mercury, not sure what their US one is)
• Patrick Wolf – Lupercalia (their UK record label is Mercury, not sure what their US one is)

Best show of 2011

• Casiokids at DC9, October 17, 2011 – they turned an otherwise sleepy, cold October Monday night into a crazy dance party.
• White Lies at 9:30 Club, May 20, 2011 (runner-up) – their official return to DC 2 years after their first appearance was confident and awe-inspiring.

Most overrated of 2011

• James Blake.  And the return of Radiohead.  Zzzzz.

Most anticipated for 2012

Two Door Cinema Club and Delphic’s tricky second albums.  I’m not really sure what I’ll do if I hate them because I adored their debut albums last year.  But I know both bands are hard at work at new material, so fingers crossed!

Favorite music moment of 2011

Actually three separate moments on the same night, October 21, 2011.  Sitting on the Wombats’ tour bus interviewing their bass player Tord Øverland-Knudsen; getting not one but two shoutouts from the Postelles’ lead singer Danny Balk at the 9:30 Club; and dancing up a storm at the Wombats’ DJayed afterparty at DC9.

On December 2, Rape is Never Justified launched a video announcing the Sound of Strength Campaign for 2012.

Founded in 2007 by University of Kansas alumni, Ali Mark, Rape is Never Justified is a non-profit organization created for survivors of rape or sexual assault where they are enabled to share stories, offer support, and access several different services as well as counseling for instances related to sexual abuse.

The Sound of Strength Campaign introduces a compilation album compiled and produced by Evan Murray, Vice President of Human/Public Relations for RNJ, featuring several bands throughout the Midwest, each band contributing one song relevant to sexual assault and its many effects on society.

Part two of the initial campaign announcement will launch in early 2012, featuring more information regarding the bands and their mission statement.

Click here to view the Sound of Strength announcement video.

The release date for the Sound of Strength compilation is set for February 14, 2012.

Post written by Stephanie Castor

Can a band be raw and polished? I had never really thought about it until I saw White Rabbits at their Kansas City stop. Their sound had such strong, uninhibited emotions that it came off with raw garage-rock-band sound. But at the same time everything from vocals to percussion, were precise and perfectly timed, giving the show an overall sheen of quality and talent.

The night jumped between selections from It’s Frightening and a new album (to hopefully be released soon). The older songs got the crowd on its feet, while the newbies kept the curiosity alive.

“The Salesman (Tramp Life)” with its light and airy notes, started a gentle groove in the audience. One wouldn’t think this song would translate well to the stage, due to the fact that in general it’s a rather simplistic song. But between the melodic repetitions and hints of harmonies, this ended up being a great energy build for the evening.

Stepping back a few decades to an 80s folk/rock flavor was “They Done Wrong / We Done Wrong”. Guitars managed to squeeze an acoustic sentiment out of an electric model and when combined with a slap-beat from the drums, made this one intriguing to watch and soothing to hear.

Mixed in between a few new songs, [which unfortunately came to us without titles] was “Lionesse”. If the Rabbits can combine raw and polish, then it’s a not a stretch for them to combine dance-y with eerie. The beginning of this song is set so low on the bass notes that when met with whispering lyrics, goosebumps start to form. However eventually, we were able to see one of the main elements that makes the White Rabbits who they are – percussion. The entire night there wer two drummers on stage, but there were those select songs where each drummer played a significant role. This was one of those songs.

While main rhythm was kept on the kit, a handful of marching drums were given quite a beating. So much was going on stage that you didn’t know whether to dance or just stand there in amazement.

“Percussion Gun” was the entire reason I started listening to the Rabbits and it was apparent that this was the same for most of the audience. When the opening drum beats came bursting off the stage, cheers erupted. Soft and polished lyrics were set on top of distorted guitar strums and beats so quick Matthew Clark seriously had to be crazy in order to keep up. Again we were back to a base of minimal frill music, but there’s something about this band that never lets their sound come off as anything but amazing.

A short encore indulged the crowd with a couple more songs. Ending everything off with “Rudie Fails” a sound similar to that of how they started the evening. There was just enough of an up-tempo to keep the heads nodding and sashaying hips moving. The white keys really stood out as a main player with their cleverly placed chords.

A smaller venue was the perfect setting for a White Rabbits set. The amount of things happening on one stage at one time requires a setting for complete concentration. Not to mention the fact that the intimate approach just made the evening that much more entertaining.  And to top it off, the introduction of new music was a fantastic Christmas present.

As PopWreckoning’s Music Editor, I strive to post things that may or may not have been heard by the world. Most of the time, the posts on this site reflect the musical taste of each writer, I love that. We are a creative site that works toward bringing music to your ears and we hope that you enjoy it. With that said, here is a list, including silly notes, of some of my favorite bands right now (that you may not have heard of, yet).

Millions of Boys (Omaha, NE) – a three-piece with an attitude. quick, poppy, and so much fun. It’s like lo-fi punk and catchy imperfection, all while being perfect.
Noteworthy lyrics, “that girl is the bomb/that girl is the bomb/but that bomb was a DUD” – from “Dudcats”
Download their Demos for free:
millionsofboys.bandcamp.com

Night Beds (Colorado Springs/Nashville) – slow, ambient harmonic vocals meet pedals with soothing tunes. perfect driving music through mountains and amazing scenery.
Download both of their EP’s for free:
nightbedsmusic.bandcamp.com
www.nightbeds.org 

Sleeping Bag (Bloomington, IN) – upbeat rock that includes claps and deep vocals. think a bit like Cake without all of the horns. the entire album keeps heads bopping and feet tapping along.
Buy their self-titled album!
sleepingbag.bandcamp.com
sleepsleepingbag.com

Last Year’s Men (Chapel Hill, NC) – garage rock with traces of blues and soul. see these guys live if you have the chance, the energy and emotion will blow you away.
Sidenote: super nice guys all around. talk to them at shows and buy them sandwiches.
lastyearsmen.bandcamp.com

Dowsing (Chicago, IL) – soooo emo. soooo awesome. songs about friends, and girls, and life. on Count Your Lucky Stars (who also has great emo bands).
Digital download for whatever you want to pay, vinyl for $5:
dowsing.bandcamp.com

More than Skies (Long Island, NY) – side project of Adam Tomlinson from other LI band, Sleep Bellum Sonno. acoustic with his heart poured into the lyrics. there’s happy lyrics, and sad. something for any mood.
Noteworthy lyrics, “if not for you, I would have given up by now/I wouldn’t have made it to the door./If it was for me, I’m sure I’d mess things up.”
Get the EP with a tape:
morethanskies.bandcamp.com 

I also know it says new music but these aren’t necessarily new releases, these are bands that I hope are new to you as a listener and reader of our site. Enjoy!

Now, Now made a gargantuan impression with their small hands at Kansas City’s Recordbar on Thursday, December 1.

Sliding in perfect unison along the bellowing bodies of their semi-hollow Telecasters, the trio (although absent in bass) did not let simplicity override intensity.  Accompanied by voluptuous percussion and seemingly coagulated samples, the dark indie pop outfit attacked the unsuspecting venue with enrapturing hooks and espoused harmonies.

The evening hosted a largely female crowd in support of the famed Sick of Sarah. I think it’s pretty safe to say that while I had listened to Now, Now‘s Neighbors EP, I had underestimated the ferocity of the girls as guitarists. To watch their fingers waltz across the fretboard was almost too distracting from the fluidity of the music itself. Despite the slight aggression of being relatively somber instrumentalists, their soft-sung lyrics cut through the reverb andfuzz of the classic DS-1 Distortion to produce an almost-cuteness in the vein of Gregory and the Hawk. To directly quote SOS: “Those girls in Now, Now can sing to me any night.”

Showcasing Bradley Hale on drums, the set induced a mechanical head-nodding that trended by the end of their second song all the way into a climax with “Neighbors.” His precision with each crack on the snare followed by a sequence of rim clicks proved mesmerizing, forcing the audience to donate their eyes equally.

As the introductory band of the tour, Now, Now kept the set very characteristic to the members themselves: short and sweet.

Sick of Sarah took the stage next, followed by Deas Vail with a series of Christmas covers in light of the season. While each band produced an exciting and diverse performance, the energy was none compared to the temperament and honesty of Now, Now‘s exhibition.

Now, Now is:
Cacie Dalager- vocals, guitar, keyboard
Jess Abbot- guitar, vocals
Bradley Hale- drums, backing vocals

Review by Stephanie Castor
Photos by Stefanie Petrozz