From Icelandic post-rock to local country tunes, here’s what you weren’t listening to, but should have been, in 2011
Paul Bogdan
A&C Writer
You probably heard a lot of new music in 2011, some good and some not so good. The following is a list of what you maybe didn’t hear, what was overlooked, or what wasn’t received as well as it should have been.
The Lonesome Weekends
The Lonesome Weekends are too good not to like. They self-released their first effort, Songs for Lonesome Weekends, in April 2011, and it’s definitely worth checking out whether you like country music or not. Most of their songs are simple ditties about drinking, but damned if you’re not singing them in your head after the album is finished. The Lonesome Weekends’ live shows are also a great time as well; everyone’s pretty well-liquored and dancing with someone else by the end of the night.
Sigur Ros
The Icelandic post-rock quartet’s latest album for XL, Inni, is a live recording of their final concert before an indefinite hiatus. Though Inni and its accompanying concert film received satisfactory reviews, it should have fared better, considering it not only includes the first new Sigur Ros song since 2007 but also sees Sigur Ros performing without the assistance of a string or horn section. Even with only guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards, the band’s performance is just as rich and intense as the studio recordings.
Aloe Blacc
The singles that soul and R&B singer Aloe Blacc released in 2011 weren’t nearly as successful as 2010’s “I Need A Dollar”, but they were nonetheless equally soulful and catchy. “Loving You is Killing Me” and “Green Lights” didn’t chart in some countries, and where they did chart, they didn’t reach the heights of Blacc’s own “I Need a Dollar.” But like all good music, Blacc’s music leaves you with something after the song is finished, even if that something’s as simple as a smile.
Nick Faye and the Deputies
If you haven’t listened to The Last Best West, stop reading this, go download it from Nick Faye’s Bandcamp page right now and set aside a half-hour to listen to eight well-written, pop-rock tunes. There aren’t any flashes, frills, or face-melting guitar solos, just a good hook and a strong structure in every song, which makes for a great album.
Art vs. Science
Australian dance-rock band Art vs. Science released their first full-length album, The Experiment, in February. Improving on the formula of their 2010 self-titled EP, Art vs. Science use synths, distorted bass, drums, and the occasional guitar to create super-catchy dance rock that’s worth a listen. It’s almost impossible to listen to Art vs. Science and not want to dance, whether you typically enjoy dancing or not. Maybe I’d go to more clubs in Regina if they played more Art vs. Science.
Photo: Manny-Raquel Johnston
"Well-liqoured and dancing with someone else by the end of the night" is an apt description and certainly a likely occurence this coming February 4th at The German Club. Thanks for the love Paul!
The Hat