popwreckoning

Top 3 Albums of 2010:

• Dark is the way, Light is a Place – Anberlin
• 4X4= 12 – Deadmau5
• This is War - 30 Seconds to Mars

Honorable Mentions:

• Heroes – Moneta
• Odd Blood – Yeasayer
• Great Danger – The Audition
• Vagabonds - The Classic Crime
• Trans-Continental Hustle – Gogol Bordello
• We Stitch These Wounds – Black Veil Brides
• Teenage Dream – Katy Perry
• Year of the Black Rainbow – Coheed and Cambria

Best Show of 2010:
I guess this is a three way tie for me…

• Anberlin @ Showbox Sodo: Seeing Anberlin never ceases to blow me away. But this show, fueled by the energy of their recent release Dark is a Way, Light is a Place, literally took my breath away. The new lighting systems they were using, the spectacular sound at a venue that usually has CRAP sound, and the general ambiance of the show was PERFECT. Their cover of “Mother” by Danzig was pretty superb, and frankly, the whole darn set list was put together incredibly well. All members played to their full potential and played their hearts out, making this one of top 10 shows of all time, easily.
• Switchfoot @ Showbox at the Market: This was an exceptionally amazing show. Playing all of their 2009 release Hello Hurricane, plus older tracks, including “Chem 6a,” one of my all time favorites from them had the room singing at the top of their lungs. They played an exceptional show, the crowd was into it, and I had a BLAST.
• Soundgarden @ Showbox at the Market: Does this really even need an explanation? This 2 hour set from local Seattle legends seriously floored me. I was seriously lucky enough to be one of few people who got to order a ticket in the 2.4 minutes before it sold out, and goddess, the show was SO worth it. Being one of the first shows in over a decade, and being able to experience that, was seriously awesome.

Most Anticipated in 2011:

• Innerpartysystem: So super excited about the new album coming out in early 2011. “American Trash” and its remixes have been rockin’ my 2010, but it’s definitely time for some new material. Stoked to see what these guys come up with. Their live show is phenomenal and after 3 years of being a fan, it’s time for them to set the standard for themselves, and for live mixed dance across the board.
• Cake – Showroom of Compassion: I’ve been a Cake fan for YEARS now and from what I have heard of the album so far, it won’t disappoint. Been waiting for this for awhile now and I am really hoping that it goes back to their roots and brings out some of the older signature sound (hopefully something ala “Never There”).
• Blaqk Audio – Bright Black Heaven: Although a release date hasn’t officially been announced yet, I’ve been keeping an eye on these guys since their freshman release, Cexcells. Being a big AFI fan, Davey Havok’s side project has entranced me pretty thoroughly and has set the bar high for themselves before their sophomore album, Bright Black Heaven, was even in the planning stages. The teaser tracks are blatantly brilliant and promise more of the general industrial/dance that they brought to the table before.
• VNV – Nation Crossing the Divide: I’ve recently been reintroduced to VNV and frankly, I couldn’t be more excited for the upcoming EP. It’s not often I fall this hard for industrial/trance, and not usually get this hyped until I have at least heard a sampling of the album. With VNV, it’s guaranteed to be amazing, full of sick dance beats, some dirty bass, and captivating lyrics. Kudos to this band from across the pond for also hinting at a US tour for the first time in 2 years- both announcements have fans eagerly awaiting more.
• Aiden: During the show last Friday, wiL Francis mentioned that they would have a new album out in 2011. The guys have been tweeting about recording for the past few months and Seattle needs these guys to come back and rock ourselves out of the general indie funk we have been in lately. Seattle rock has its place, and frankly, Aiden has been at the heart of it for awhile now. With Knives out in 2009, it’s definitely time for some new material from them (as well as William Control), especially since reinforcing their sound with their most recent album after their hiatus into more mellow tracks with Conviction. We need more Seattle punk rock, and badly guys.

Most Overrated in 2010:

• Arcade Fire- The album was good, but not THAT good. Really. I promise.
• MGMT- Congrtulations was great, but their live show now SUCKS. What happened guys?

Favorite Musical Memory of the Year:

Shooting Capitol Hill Block Party and Bumbershoot:

There was an insane amount of people crammed into the middle of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood for CHBP and it was AMAZING. Great music, great photographer friends, fantastic memories. Seeing !!! play the KEXP Bean Room at Café Vita and turning the room into a giant dance party was pretty rad, and frankly, so quintessentially Seattle that it could only happen right here in the Emerald City. My first time at CHBP was wonderful and the people who make it all happen are GREAT. Kudos for bringing this fantastic event to a great neighborhood and having a blast doing it. Highlights for me included !!!, Holy Fuck, Yeasayer, and Black Breath.

The 40th anniversary of Bumbershoot was both fun and rewarding. Shooting for Seattle Center and the five stages that I managed to cover was seriously taxing on me as a photographer and a writer. I had a blast covering the 30+ bands over Labor Day weekend (giving up PAX to do so, which was SERIOUSLY hard to do) and danced, sang, and filled up SD cards with memories that will last forever. Balkan Beat Box, the Thermals, the Redwood Plan, and Fences were definitely highlights and I came across a lot of local stuff to look out for in the future.

Top 3 Albums of 2010:

• Delphic – Acolyte (Dangerbird)
• Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History (Glassnote)
• The Hundred in the Hands – The Hundred in the Hands (Warp)

Best Show of 2010:

• The Postelles at DC9, September 18, 2010. Tiny little club whose future remains in doubt (unfortunately), you can’t get atmosphere like that anywhere else in Washington. The band sounded amazing, and the audience reaction was absolutely mental. And they haven’t even put out an album yet! Definitely a band to watch in 2011.
• The runner-up show would be the Joy Formidable at Black Cat Backstage, November 11, 2010. The Backstage is of comparable size to DC9 (hint hint to bands, management, and promoters) and perfectly intimate. I had no idea how hard this band from Wales was going to rock out, and rock our hard they did. I almost got hit in the head by frontwoman Ritzy Bryan’s guitar a couple times.

Most Anticipated in 2011:

• White Lies’s second album, Ritual (Fiction) – the lead single, “Bigger Than Us,” sounds grand and gothic, just as “To Lose My Life” was in 2009. It seems a lifetime ago that I saw them gig, when in fact it was March 2009. So I’m looking forward to the new material and seeing them live again.
• The Joy Formidable’s debut album, The Big Roar (Atlantic) – I have the band’s EP A Balloon Called Moaning, which is nothing short of amazing, so a whole album coming in early 2011 will be great.
• Two Door Cinema Club’s second album – I know they’re working on new material, I just hope they can work fast enough so they can get it out before Christmas 2011. Here’s to hoping.
• Frankie and the Heartstrings’s debut album, Hunger (Sex Pop Ltd) – the Sunderland band has released three singles so far, “Hunger,” “Tender”, and “Ungrateful,” all of which I adore. While in America the big thing this year has been to go backward to Beach Boys-esque surf pop, England is returning to Beatles-esque guitar pop, and I look to this band to do well next year.

Most Overrated in 2010:

• Kings of Leon. I still don’t get their popularity. I’ll be honest, the pigeon story about their show in St. Louis in July made me giggle.
• Hmm, who else…Kanye West on Twitter. Do we really need to hear from him via his electronic soapbox?

Favorite Musical Memory of the Year:
It’s really difficult for me to choose among all the amazing shows I’ve been given the opportunity to cover, so I’m going to give my top 3.

• I went to my first major European music festival, Roskilde in Denmark, this summer and saw 28 bands from all over the world during the entire experience. It was truly mind-blowing. There were so many bands that I never expected to ever see live – Bad Lieutenant with Bernard Sumner (playing his new band’s songs along with Joy Division and New Order classics), LCD Soundsystem, and Pendulum, just to name three – and of course lots of Scandinavian acts playing right in their backyard, like the Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Miike Snow, the Kissaway Trail, and Casiokids. My trip had been booked months before Delphic was announced as a late addition, which was an unexpected surprise. I could have however made do without getting shoved to the ground during Biffy Clyro on the second night, having to get pulled out and over the barrier swiftly by vigilant festival security.
• Watching the Temper Trap play triumphant shows in September at Philadelphia’s Trocadero and Boston’s House of Blues signaled to me that they have the goods to be superstars. I’d already seen them in April in DC and also at Roskilde. In my opinion, they played the best set of the entire festival and completely smoked Prince, who played on the adjacent, huge Orange stage just after their set and bored me to tears; I along with some new friends I’d just made that day left early. When preparing to see them again on the last of their many tours of our continent this year, I expected to enjoy their show. But I was overwhelmed both times. I saw girls looking like they were going to faint and people jumping up and down like crazy during “Sweet Disposition.” And when you hear fans have come from as far away as Asia for these shows, you know the band has to be special.
• Delphic’s first-ever show in DC, at DC9 on October 8, was pretty amazing. All my friends had come along to this Friday night show and afterwards, they all came up to me with these starry-eyed expressions, telling me the show was far too short and asking me when they’d return to Washington. I’ve always thought that as a music blogger, I have two main goals: 1, to spread the word about music I love and get people excited about it and 2, put Washington on the map as a city bands want and need to play. This show and the mental crowd reaction gave me validation that all my hard work blogging concerts in town does make a difference.

Best Albums of 2010:

I’m not going to list what I believe to be the three best albums of this year. Honestly, it is because I can’t. Due to a rough 2010 that left me away from my review desk for months, I miss out on a lot of music that some would deem worthy of album of the year. Therefore, I’m admitting my inabilities due to being uneducated properly. I figure instead I’ll list a few of the albums released this year that I found myself spinning endlessly for listening (not just reviewing) pleasure.

They are as follows:

• Woodpigeon – Die Stadt Muzikanten
• Motion City Soundtrack – My Dinosaur Life
• Frightened Rabbits – The Winter of Mixed Drinks
• The Whigs – In The Dark
• Jonsi - Go
• Bad Books – Bad Books
• Field Music – Measure

Most Overrated of 2010:

• MGMT – Congratulations: People were dying to spin this record. Yet, currently radio seems to still be content spinning Time to Pretend. Could it be the sophomore slump stuck again, leaving this album lacking the hooks and charm that made Oracular Spectacular (or at least it’s A-side) an international gem?
• Never Shout Never – Harmony: Holy hell, people love this band. I do not. I went into this album hoping superstar producer Butch Walker could crank out something magical from this kid since everything B-Dub touches turns to gold. God himself however couldn’t make this album glimmer.
• Free Energy - Stuck on Nothing: I’ve heard this band is the next big thing. I’ve even heard them referred to as the next Weezer. Whatever. Stuck on Nothing, Free Energy’s first album is for damn sure not the Blue Album. Hell, it’s not even the Red Album, which I hated.

Best Show of 2010:

• Hands down, Lady Gaga. Rather than recap, here: Check out the REVIEW.

Best Musical Memory of 2010:

• This would have to be the combination of throwing the Popwreckoning Pre-South by Southwest showcase and the 2010 ATN South by Southwest. We received a ton of great local press (here, here, here and here!) while getting to personally work with some of the local scene. We had a pretty good turnout and had an enjoyable time. Great experience.

Top 3 Albums of 2010:

• Menomena – Mines

Somehow this album manages to reflect each member’s different approach to crafting a song, yet it completely melts together into this subconscious synergy the Portland trio has mastered over the last ten years. It still included all the multilayer mixing that made Friend and Foe so amazing, but Mines finally brought the electric guitar more into the songwriting rather than an afterthought. With the epic and haunting “Tithe,” hard and fast “TAOS” and heartbreaking “INTIL,” I cannot think of an album that satisfied me more this year.

• Local Natives – Gorilla Manor

Even though Gorilla Manor was released in the U.K. in November 2009, we didn’t get this masterful debut until February here in the U.S., but I didn’t hear it until May at the Sasquatch Festival. I had heard nothing of the band before passing by the huge field filled with people and stopping to listen to 3 songs. It was nearing the end of their set, and Taylor Rice took to the mic to dedicate “Who Knows Who Cares” to his girlfriend, and that beautiful song is what hooked me. Gorilla Manor was the only album I purchased at the festival, and it was the soundtrack to my summer, with not one song I wished to skip.

• We Are Scientists – Barbara

I will admit, when it comes to We Are Scientists, I’m biased. I’m not going to pretend that I’m not, but I honestly think that this album was far underrated by snobs like Pitchfork and utterly ignored by most others (at least in the U.S.) What Keith Murray and Chris Cain did with this album was strip away any limitations that a major label put on them, and with the help of Andy Burrows on drums, wrote a killer pop record. The hard-hitting bass on “I Don’t Bite,” the adorable synth line in “Jack and Ginger,” and the ballads that show that Keith can really hit those high notes, “Pittsburgh” and “Foreign Kicks” help round out my third favourite album of the year. And if you’ve got the chance, and you like Weezer, seek out the U.K. b-side “Pound For Pound.” It’s really good.

Best Show of 2010:

This was a very difficult one, mainly because being with PopWreckoning has multiplied the number of shows I annually attend by…at least tenfold. I could come up with so many reasons why the dozens of shows I saw in 2010 are amazing, but I’m going to sound a bit repetitive right now. Menomena at the Crystal Ballroom for Portland’s Musicfest Northwest was – hands down – the best show of 2010. In fact, that whole week was full of amazing bands. But what Menomena did in their hometown at perhaps my new favourite venue was phenomenal. Danny Seim is the most intense drummer I’ve ever seen, singing on key with so much power while bashing away at his kit. Justin Harris plays a freaking baritone saxophone with so much vigor that you forget it’s a woodwind instrument. And Brent Knopf provides the subtlety and loveliness of the band with his soft lilty vibrato and driving melodies on the piano. I was shoved into this room with hundreds of Portlanders thinking that I’d skip out after a few songs to see the Smashing Pumpkins at a different venue across town. In more ways than one – I was stuck there. Literally leaning against the stage at the Crystal Ballroom, you can feel both the movement in the floor and the vibration of the stage. So in a sense, not only was I hearing and seeing the music, but actually feeling it. It was awesome to hear them open with “The Strongest Man in the World” off I Am the Fun Blame Monster and play through not-quite-as-old songs like the the weird and rough “The Pelican” off Friend and Foe and brand new ones like the moving “Tithe.” Not only did I get to listen to these amazing songs I’d been only hearing on record, but I got to watch these talented artists in their home town. Menomena was so good. Like otherworldly good.

Most Anticipated in 2011:

• I follow Eddie Argos on Twitter, and a couple of weeks ago he posted an update saying that Art Brut was working on their new record in a studio in Salem, OR. You know what that means? A new Art Brut album in 2011. I don’t know when and what it’s going to be called, but it could also mean another tour coming to Seattle? Hopefully, because the last time Art Brut came through Seattle it was a 21+ show before I was 21.
• If Noah Lennox would ever set a real date for his newest Panda Bear release instead of teasing us with 7″ releases here and there, I’d be more excited. But I am, nonetheless, super excited for his whole album, having heard most of it live at Musicfest Northwest.

Most Overrated in 2010:

• Taylor Swift. She really needs to get out of my life. I can’t escape Taylor Swift. Sure she’s cute and a better role model than Miley Cyrus. Sure she plays guitar and writes her own songs. But her songs are getting really old and repetitive, and the girl can’t sing live to save her life. I’d honestly rather listen to Justin Bieber.

Best Musical Memory of 2010:

• Travelling down the west coast with several friends to see We Are Scientists on tour this summer was the best time of my life. I called it the “WASTRAVAGANZA,” because I’m a nerd, and we needed something to call it. It started in Portland, where I finally got to meet the band. It was funny, because I’d interviewed Chris over the phone for a PopWreckoning interview, and when I told him that he said, “oh, you’re THAT Abby. Thank you for your personal and professional interest in our band,” then he gave me a hug. Two days later we went to the Seattle show where my friends brought Keith and Chris pastries for the post-show, and we got offered some cocaine by a homeless man on Capitol Hill at 2 a.m. But the absolute best part was a week and a half later when two friends and I drove 13 hours to San Francisco to meet up with four more friends who loved We Are Scientists just as much as we did. Plus, it was the only all-ages show on the west coast that my underage friend could attend, so we had to make the drive. For some reason in Portland and Seattle WAS had neglected to play “It’s A Hit,” which is my favorite song, so it made it that much sweeter when they played it in San Francisco. While at Slim’s, we also had a nice inebriated conversation with their opening act Aaron Pfenning a.k.a Rewards. I’d gotten a lot of the show on tape, so I told him I’d recorded a couple of his songs and it made him smile like a little boy. After buying some crepes from a vendor outside the venue, Keith and Chris invited us all to the bar they were going to called “Butter,” but we politely declined since not all of us could actually go in the bar. But we did stick around to finish our crepes and hang out before we had to go back to our respective hotels or homes. When they stepped out the door, they saw us on the other end of the block, pointed at us all and said, “you guys are CRAZY!” We did appear a bit crazy at that point, but it was worth it, because we got another round of hugs and my friends and I got to see our favorite band together finally.

Probably several people who just read that think I’m absolutely nuts, but I don’t really care.

Top 3 Albums of 2010:

• Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
• Beach House – Teen Dream
• FOALS – Total Life Forever

Best Show of 2010:

• Gorillaz – Coachella

Seriously, Damon Albarn and Paul Simonon in the flesh, holy shite! Okay, not like I haven’t seen them in the flesh before (i.e. seeing The Good, The Bad and The Queen two years prior) but still… I remember it just being speculation that is was going to be a proper live show and Damon Albarn and company where in fact going to be performing. So my teenage self got all giddy, once again, seeing Damon Albarn appear on stage along with the badass Paul fucking Simonon. It was as massively epic show — there were videos for each individual song, a well-designed set, and no fewer than 42 performers in total. Quite the package I’d say. Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn gallivanted about the stage giving the audience everything they wanted and more. Relinquished from his animated cage, Albarn indeed again proved himself a masterful showman. Dancing and singing about with my good friends from England in the desert night, watching legends perform onstage was incredibly magical.

• FOALS- San Diego at The Casbah

The last time I saw FOALS was in London with Bloc Party last year at Olympia Grand Hall. With a venue name like Olympia Grand Hall and opening for Bloc Party, you can imagine it was a rather intense show. We’ve all heard how rowdy fans can be across the pond. To actually experience seeing hundreds and hundreds of people screaming every word to each song and feeling the ground vibrate due to the intense amount of movement from the crowd was something not to forget. It was great to see them again in an intimate setting like the Casbah, where it felt more like a house show than a concert held in the venue. Saying the crowd was insane is a complete understatement. The whole night I was being pushed about, getting smashed up against the low stage where my knees took a good beating (note to self: seeing Foals in a dress is probably not the wisest decision) and being slammed over speakers, at least I was not the guy behind me who cut his foot on a broken piece of glass due to someone’s glass of whiskey falling on the floor… Needless to say, I gave up taking photos during the set and just enjoyed jumping about, dancing and sing along to new and old songs. Although, I woke up in the morning with bruises and my ears ringing, I loved every second of the show. It was my first time hearing the new material live and they fucking KILLED IT. Highlight of the evening was Foals front man Yannis, jumping on the bar continuing his performance of “Electric Bloom” whilst moving across the entire bar banging on things in rhythm to the song with his drumsticks.

Most Anticipated in 2011:

• Fiona Apple –I’ve been listening to hear ever since I was an angsty tween and always seem to crawl back to her music. Everything this woman does is magic and speaks to my soul. I can’t wait to hear wait to hear this new album.
• Kanye West & Jay-Z – Watch The Throne – As a devout follower of whatever these two do I am rather excited to hear the final production of this collaboration. They could come out with a disco-thrash-rap album and I’d still listen to it.
• Esben And The Witch – Violent Cries (a band from Brighton to definitely keep your eye and ear out for next year)
• PUJOL – Whatever this band does next, surely it will be epic and not something to miss out on
• Tristen- I have high hopes from this pop/folk singer hailing from Nashville. Seems promising.

Honorable mentions:

• Dr. Dre – Detox
• Cut Copy – Zonoscope
• PJ Harvey – Let England Shake It’s fucking PJ HARVEY, okay?!
• Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde

Most Overrated in 2010:

• Ke$ha
• The Drums

Favorite Musical Memory of the Year:

I suppose this is where I am suppose to write about how cool it was to hang with this band or that band or meet this person or that person…I had my fair share amazing encounters and hang sessions with bands/people I truly admire but nothing compares to seeing one of your idols live.

Seeing Gil Scott-Heron at Coachella this year was definitely my favorite musical memory of the year. I’ve pretty much have been listening to Gil Scott-Heron ever since I was in my mother’s womb. My parents were both huge Gil Scott-Heron fans and constantly played him. Of course, as a kid it’s natural for you to rebel against having to listen to your parent’s lame “old school” music. Yet, once I was old enough to comprehend the message behind this man’s lyrics, I also became an instant fan. His words have guided me all phases of my life. I often found solace in his music, spoken word and writings. So when I heard that Gil Scott-Heron was one of the many artists to be performing at Coachella, I was not only shocked but also excited. I am not going to lie though, I was among many of the cynics thinking “there is no way he is going to show”. Scott-Heron aware of his past tendencies was first to make light of this stating once he got onstage in his typical deadpan manner, “For those of you who bet I would not be here, you lose.” Although 61 and looking extremely frail, Scott-Heron provided nothing less than a powerful performance that got me misty eyed. Being able to see whom I consider a living legend was a dream come true for me. Gil Scott-Heron didn’t play a single new song off his 13th album release this year “I’m New Here”. He stuck to the classics we all knew and loved like “The Bottle”, “Blue Collar”, “Home Is Where The Hatred Is”, “Is That Jazz?” and more. And if case you were wondering, you probably weren’t but I am going to pretend that you were and continue on…I did in fact call my mother during his set when one of her favorite songs was performed. Cue the “awwwws”.

Top 3 Albums of 2010:

• Yeasayer – Odd Blood
• Jonsi – Go
• Sleigh Bells – Treats

Honorable Mentions:

• Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
• Efterklang – Magic Chairs
• Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History
• Bad Books – Bad Books

Best Show of 2010:

• Jonsi @ Liberty Hall, Lawrence KS – I’ve never felt more motivated by music than after seeing Jonsi live. I wanted to go climb mountains, paint a masterpiece, or simply bang on drums.
• Lollapalooza after party with featuring Glassnote Records: Mumford & Sons, The Temper Trap, Phoenix DJ Set. Even after all the phenomenal music of Lollapalooza, this after party was a great treat. Mumford & Sons even joined Temper Trap for a song.
• Brandon Flowers @ Park West, Chicago IL – I’m a huge Killers fan, so this was a special treat for me to see Brandon Flowers debut his solo music before the record’s release in a venue that the Killers had long since outgrown.

Most Anticipated in 2011:

• Bright Eyes
• The Get Up Kids
• Cold War Kids
• Givers
• The Cherry Tree Parade
• SXSW

Most Overrated in 2010:

• Taylor Swift – I’m sure she’s a nice girl, but have you listened to her attempts to sing live? Or worse – her “Last Christmas cover? Why is she so popular again?
• Ke$ha – the dollar sign alone is enough to make me dislike her.

Favorite Musical Memory of the Year:

• Working with the PopWreckoning crew, I got to sit in on an interview with Kevin Devine. He is really down to earth and it felt more like we were just hanging out rather than having a formal interview. As a special treat, he performed a new Bad Books song just for the four of us. This was in July, so it was well before anyone had really heard Bad Books’ material. I think Kevin must have had a good time with us as well because he used a pic that I took during the interview as his Facebook/MySpace avatar for several months.

Top 3 Albums of 2010:

• LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening
• Yeasayer – Odd Blood
• Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History
  

Honorable Mentions (since I can’t make a solid decision on anything, and these albums are all amazing):

• Stay Ahead of the Weather – We Better Get Goin’ If We’re Gonna EP
• Broken Bells – Broken Bells
• Skybox – Morning After Cuts
• Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
• Sleigh Bells – Treats
• Surfer Blood – Floating Vibes

Best Show of 2010:

• Native and La Dispute @ Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center, St. Louis, MO

I’ve seen more shows this year than any other. However, the one show that sticks out most in my mind is when I went to St. Louis to see Native and La Dispute at the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center

Granted I had seen them before when they played the Salt Walter Taffy House here in KC (which was also an amazing show). But I hadn’t seen them quite like this, especially Native. They started using samples in between songs which added a whole new dynamic to their live show. The Lemp was packed, the first and only time I’ve seen it sold out. La Dispute played with such passion, it was almost impossible to hear Jordan Dreyer over the crowd belting out his lyrics. So great.

Most Anticipated in 2011:

• SXSW – it’ll be my first year attending and I’m super stoked on it.
• The new Bright Eyes album

Most Overrated in 2010:

• Vampire Weekend
• Free Energy

Favorite Musical Memory of the Year:

I had the opportunity to go to Denver with Bad Veins as a sort of interim tour manager for a night over Halloween weekend. Sure, the 8 hour ride kind of sucked because it was so long. But the show at the Bluebird definitely made up for it. It was the last night of the tour for Bad Veins; during their set Two Door Cinema Club came out and tried to pick Ben up, which didn’t work out so well at first.

Seriously, TDCC and Bad Veins are some of the best people I have ever met, and they have given me a night to remember for a lifetime.

Top 5 Albums of the Year:

• Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
• Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
• The Black Keys – Brothers
• The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang
• Carney – Mr. Green Vol. 1

Best Show of 2010:

• Stone Temple Pilots: This was by far one of my favorite shows to shoot this year. I grew up with this band all through Jr. High and High School and didn’t think they would be able pull this tour off but they did.

Most Anticipated of 2011:

• Social Distortion
• Bush
• Dr. Dre (Not holding my breath on this, but it’s way overdue)
• Radiohead
• Death Cab For Cutie

Most Overrated of 2010:

• We Are The World 2010: This was just a bad idea to begin with. I understand they were doing this for the devastation that happened in Haiti, but they could have thought of something more original than re-recording a song with a bunch of annoying entertainers and z-lister’s. Don’t even get me started on the overuse of auto tune.
• Kanye West : I am so tired of hearing this guy bitch. KANYE, STFU!
• Carrie Underwood: She’s the main reason I will NEVER shoot a Country act ever again.

Best Musical Memory of 2010:

• I’ve had quite a few this year and coming on with PopWreckoning and shooting American Idol were big for me. But my favorite had to be hanging out with Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and shooting a portrait of him at Sasquatch.

Good punk rock is hard to come by, usually falling into the same old clichés, the same old riffs, and usually comparable lyrics. However, for a band of veteran musicians, this band is anything but your standard dose of punk rock.

Comprised of former members of the Duchess and the Duke, Kinski, and a myriad of other lesser known garage punk bands from our famed Pacific NW, the Helpers played an incredible set of songs, most clocking in at around two minutes in length each. For Unnatural Helpers, brevity is definitely the name of their game.

Even so, the songs are incredibly well composed, garage punk at its finest, before rounding itself out with a decent dose of pop-punk and shredding guitars at their best. The lyrics are mildly reminiscent of Mudhoney’s Mark Arm, and his almost belittling smirking style, as well as being incredibly nonchalant at times.

While the album is far from perfect, their live show makes up for whatever is lacking in it. An entirely energetic performance lends itself to the hooks of the addictively short tracks,  and kickstarted Sunday afternoon for a lot of fans at the festival. A great band with a very promising future and a damn good live show- and something to keep an eye out for, even if you aren’t a local. It was a definite welcome change from the overall indie vibe of the festival and their incredibly catchy tunes followed me around the rest of the day (both stuck in my head and on the lips of other photographers/fans). An awesome band and a great find for the festival.

Check them out at http://hardlyart.com/unnaturalhelpers.html

Being a huge fan of gypsy, world-genre-bending acts like Gogol Bordello, Kulture Shock, DeVotchka and J.U.F., I was incredibly excited to catch Balkan Beat Box during their twilight performance on the State Farm Stage. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.

Mixing multiple genres, styles, and their own heritages, this revolving door of musicians is based in the talent of Ori Kaplan, a former member of Gogol Bordello, and Tamir Muskat. Balkan Beat Box features up to ten “regular” musicians live, as well as featuring collaborating acts to enhance their electronica based tracks.

Doing this allows BBB to craft tracks that are incredibly infectious and ultimately dance worthy. Almost every photographer in the photo pit was dancing between shots and having a blast and the crowd behind us was clapping, cheering, and dancing along with the beat (which was loud enough to feel in the back of your teeth and clear as crystal through my earplugs). Their hour and a half long set was incredibly brilliant, even for them, and definitely one of the best gypsy performances since Gogol Bordello played on the same stage during Bumbershoot 2007.

Look for them on tour in a town near you shortly- this is one show you won’t want to miss, and don’t forget your dancing shoes!

Check them out here at http://www.balkanbeatbox.com/