A haphazard look at music

I explained the good of the 2011 and the bad of 2011, and now i’m going to get to the ugly.

*Cue in the theme to The Good, The Bad and the Ugly!*

Seriously, though, 2011 was filled with some moments that made me scratch my head so hard my scalp constantly was bleeding. Some of them ranged from funnier moments of 2011 to moments that just flat out infuriated me. So here goes.

#1. Lulu

I went on an epic rant about this around the time this was released back in October, and I still can’t get the horrid taste of Lulu out of my mouth! For both Metallica and Lou Reed, this was the ultimate way to fuck with their fans, even if they had been fucking with their fans for years now.

#2. Born This Way

Yeah, fuck Lady Gaga. “Born This Way” is a direct ripoff of “Express Yourself” with a pretentious video that makes “November Rain” look like “Bastards of Young,” and now she’s bigger than ever. To the record buying masses: She is not unique. She’s not doing anything that Grace Jones or Siouxie Sioux did already. Her songs are mostly disposable Top 40 horseshit, and she’s laughing all the way to the bank.

And this song is a gay pride anthem! I have nothing but support for the homosexual community. I have donated money to a few LGBT causes, signed petitions for the legalization of gay marriages and I have a few gay friends, but I think the Westboro Baptist Church’s parody of “Poker Face” would be a better gay pride song than this sack of horseshit.

Oh, I’m sorry. That was a bit too harsh.

"This is so deep! Bjork so ripped her off!"

#3. Zoo Kid changing his name to King Krule

I dig Archy Marshall’s music, and “Out Getting Ribs” is one of the most real singles I’ve heard in the past 10 years. But he recently changed his moniker from Zoo Kid to King Krule. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, except that I really liked the name Zoo Kid, and King Krule sounds like a huge donut. Maybe Divine was eating a King Krule in Female Trouble

“Out Getting Ribs”

#4. Foo Fighters v. The Westboro Baptist Church

Speaking of the Westboro Baptist Church…

The Foo Fighters somehow pissed them off, which really isn’t hard, prompting the clan of probably inbred brainwashed Calvinists to protest their show in Kansas City, MO. However, in probably the coolest move ever, the band came out to counterprotest. Only they dressed up like truckers and played the country parody song “Keep It Clean,” much to the delight of their fans and the confusion of the WBC. A “WTF” moment that had you laughing the way you do when a friend pulls a prank, or if someone surprises you.

In short, Dave Grohl is the coolest motherfucker alive.

As 2011 was a great year for music, it also contained some disappointments and sad moments.

#1. Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore splitting:

I think I’ve whined about this enough. But listening to Sonic Youth just ain’t the same now.

The “Dirty Boots” video seems less like an early 90s underground dream but a sad, nostalgic trip of a bygone era where nothing will ever be this cool again…

#2. Fucked Up – David Comes To Life

Fucked Up’s last LP, The Chemistry of Common Life, was a fantastic album. David Comes to Life was kind of boring. My friend Tobey disparagingly called it David Watches Paint Dry. Perhaps it’ll grown on me if I ever want to listen to it again.

#3. The Cure not being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame;

You've made Robert Smith sad.... very sad

Despite being nominated, I guess the R&R Hall of Fame committee decided that the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Donovan and Guns N’ Roses were more important. And let’s not list the countless other acts that deserve to be in but aren’t.

Maybe next year?

“A Forest”

#4. Coasting – You’re Never Going Back

Great band, good album, but they didn’t need to rerecord some of their songs, such as “Kids” (one of my favorite songs ever), and “Same Old Same Old.” They stripped the reverb off those tracks, and the album just sounds dry. It’s a shame.

“Kids” (the superior 2010 single version)

#5. Album reissues:

Because I’m now old enough that Nevermind has gotten the 20th (!!!!) anniversary treatment, and Smashing Pumpkins’ best stuff was released well over 15 years ago. Feels like yesterday I was 12 and rocking out to those albums. Time sucks.

Nirvana – “Aneurysm” (Live, MTV studios 1992 – I wish I was at this!)

Great albums aside, there were many reasons why 2011 was a very good year for the music world. I am going to run down a few events, shows and instances that made 2011 pretty darn good!

#1. Mike Watt @ Daniels Street Cafe, Milford, CT 4/5/2011 (w/ Thurston Moore):

Late last year, Mike Watt (ex-Minutemen, fIREHOSE) released a punk rock opera called Hyphenated Man, a brilliant 30-song set based on a Bosch painting. This past spring, he did a jaunt of dates in the US playing the album in its entirety with his band, The Missingmen, and this gig had a very special guest; Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth soaking the small club in downtown Milford in floods of feedback! Met Watt & Moore, both of them very nice guys. Watt signed my denim jacket donning a Minutemen patch. It was awesome.

It also sucked because I left my digital camera at home. I tried taking a pic with Thurston on my cell phone but it came out crappy, with neither one of our faces visible. I got a pic with Watt courtesy of a friend who did bring his digital camera, but by then Thurston had booked. Oh well.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlFgPxjB9Os&feature=related

#2. Soundgarden @ Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT, 7/6/2011

Soundgarden was a band I had hoped would reunite forever. And they did reunite. I saw them during their North American tour and they were incredible. Definitely worth the wait.

“4th of July”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7g8bitgcTY

#3. The West Memphis Three being freed from prison (8/19/2011)

Technically, this was not a music event, even if one of the men, Damien Echols, co-wrote lyrics to a Pearl Jam song. Nevertheless, it made a bunch of artists very happy, such as Tom Waits, one of the Dixie Chicks, Henry Rollins and Eddie Vedder.

#4. Adele

Making it OK to openly like a pop artist again. Hope she knocks them dead at the Grammys!

“Rumour Has It”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_6BBAVfzqM&feature=related
#5. Album reissues

This year, some of my favorite albums were reissued with bonus material: Nirvana’s Nevermind, the Smashing Pumpkins’ Gish and Siamese Dream, Talk Talk’s Laughing Stock, and so on. As if these albums weren’t great enough already!!!

Smashing Pumpkins – Snail (live 1991)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-YDFEpKdHg

This year went faster than most years, seemingly ending as fast as it began. There were a lot of albums released this year, as there is every year, but 2011 was kind of disappointing as far as music was concerned. It could have been because 2010 was such a great year for music, but it also could be because I spent a lot of this year getting into music released in the past. I did, however, manage to check out a lot of good music released in 2011, and I’m listing the 6 records released this year that stayed with me. These are not necessarily the best albums released in 2011 because there are many others I haven’t gotten the opportunity to absorb yet, but just six records that were special.

And in no particular order:

Shabazz Palaces – Black Up

For my money, the best rap album since Madvilliany.

Zola Jesus – Conatus

The two EPs she released in 2010 were filled to the brim with potential. This album realizes it. I just love her voice. It’s really enchanting.

Grouper – AIA: Alien Observer/Dream Loss

Just a fantastic record that makes you feel lost in space and inside yourself at the same time.

The Kills – Blood Pressures

Full of energy and fantastic songs.

Wolves in the Throne Room – Celestial Lineage

Yes, it’s “hipster black metal” but hipsters get it right once in a while. And it’s from Olympia of all places!!!!!!

Wild Flag – s/t

Containing two-thirds of Sleater-Kinney and the still gorgeous Mary Timony of Helium (probably the most underrated band of the 90s), it’s a great rock record. Supergroups aren’t so bad after all!

There were plenty of other releases in 2011 that were great, and many others I’m still discovering, but these were the ones that stuck with me.