It’s a vicious cycle. Seems that every New Year’s Eve we find ourselves slamming Champagne and saying hasta luego to the year soon to be passed and vowing to do more, be better human beings and of course floss once daily in the year to come.
And here we are in late December, starring down another year nearly gone and thinking…what did we even do this year (that flossing business only lasted a month, btw)?
Well, here’s a collection of some of our favorite records, shows, movies, restaurants, books, beverages, and tanning oils from 2011. Happy holidays and see ya next year!
Matt Sullivan
Gold Leaves – The Ornament (Hardly Art)
http://hardlyart.com/goldleaves.htmlPortishead, Shrine Auditorium, Oct 18
Analog Coffee, Seattle
http://www.analogcoffee.com/Cure For Pain: The Mark Sandman Story (Gatling Pictures)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KW3G5pb9zM
Charles Bradley – No Time For Dreaming (Dunham)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKmcS7wk_0k
Group Doueh, Nectar Lounge, June 29
Michael Chapman & Bill Callahan, Troubadour, June 16
Kourosh Yagmaei – Back From The Brink (Now Again)
http://www.nowagainrecords.com/kourosh-back-from-the-brink/
Black Power Mixtape 1967-75 (Louverture Films)
Friday Night Lights
Warbler Records, Santa Barbara, CA
Michael Kiwanuka – “Tell Me A Tale”
Prince, The Forum, May 13
Jürgen Müller – Science of the Sea (Digitalis)
Saying adios to RecordPressing.com
Tree of Life (Fox Searchlight)
The Who – Quadrophenia- The Director’s Cut Box Set (Universal)
Pat Thomas
hanging out at “Bill’s Off Broadway” on Capitol Hill with Chris Estey, Kathy’s Wolf & Fennessy, and Bill Kennedy
Michael Chapman – Fully Qualified Survivor
Beau Brummels – Bradley’s Barn
trading emails about “truck-drivers” with Gary Groth
Nina Simone – 9 CD box set
cooking on a George Foreman grill
hanging out with Jonathan Zwickel and Woody Carr in Federal Way
accepting no convention be it social or shriner
Big Mario’s Pizza
Black Power Mixtape movie
Patrick McCarthy
Prince, opening night at the Forum
Portishead, Shrine Auditorium, Oct 18
“Art In The Streets” exhibition at MOCA
Big Star Third (Omnivore Recordings), Test Pressing Edition – Record Store Day 2011
Holding the original master tapes for Jim Ford’s Harlan County
Stan Hubbs Crystal (Companion Records)
Ariel Pink – Before Today (4AD)
The Best of Skate Fate 1981-1991 by GSD via Blurb
Yosuke Kitazawa
Records+Beer+Tacos
Sometimes that’s all you need in life.Light in the Attic:
I may be biased, but LITA put out some amazing releases this year. The
Mowest compilation and Shin Jun Hyun were eye (an ear) openers for me,
not to mention the great reissue of Mercury Rev’s Deserter’s Songs, my
college-era fave.Beach Boys – Smile
Finally, after listening to bootlegs for over 10 years, a legit copy.Extra Classic – Your Light Like White Lightening, Your Light Like a
Laser Beam
One of my favorite new releases of 2011.Jean Claude Vannier at the Hollywood Bowl
At the Serge Gainsbourg tribute show, one of the highlights was when
Jean Claude called up Beck to the stage by saying, “Beck please.”Zoobombs at the Redwood Bar & Grill
The Japanese veterans tore the place down with their rock funk & roll.Mickey One
I’d always wanted to see this film, and one day it suddenly showed up
on Hulu. Great movie!California:
California is amazing, from the desert to the coast. A drink at
Nepenthe and a show at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur is a
spiritual experience, so is driving through Mendocino while listening
to Sir Douglas Quintet.SB’s Late Night Lunch Box:
During a cross country road trip, this was the only place open in Las
Cruces, NM at 12am besides Denny’s. Their green chile mac & cheese and
portobello sandwich saved our hungry and angry stomachs.Panasonic Lumix GH1
Takes great photos & video, and so much smaller than a DSLR. They
might be onto something with this Micro Four Thirds format.
Jon Treneff
The Sandwitches - Mrs. Jones Cookies (Empty Cellar)
Pure X - “You’re In It Now” 12” Pleasure (Acephale)
Total Control - Henge Beat (Iron Lung)
Cass McCombs - Wit’s End – Humor Risk (Domino)
V/A - Krypton Ten (Unwucht)
Shin Joon Hyung - Beautiful Rivers and Mountains (1958-’74) (Light In the Attic)
Water Borders - Harbored Mantras (Tri-Angle)
Widowspeak - Widowspeak (Captured Tracks)
The Clap - Have You Reached Yet (Sing-Sing)
Martin Newell - Songs For A Fallow Land (Fixed Identity)
King Krule - King Krule (True Panther)
Lars Swenson
Guadalajara, Jalisco, MX
Nibbi Adun
Whalebones LP
DHK band
Broken Nobles
Rose Windows
Astral Maps podcast
Jim Ford’s Harlan County
“The Rolling Stones” Seattle’s rawest Stones cover band
Bobby Charles
Tags: 2011, top 10, Year End Extravaganza
Matt,
That Group Doueh concert is on my top ten list this year too!! Getting backstage with you and meeting Doueh and crew, was epic. I have that album they signed on prominent display in my home– so I can think of the good times. Hope you are having an awesome holiday season!!
–Rosemary
PS: Michael Chapman’s “Rainmaker” is totally unbelievable. Can’t wait for the reissue to come out!!