pacificlectic : concert reviews & eclectic music news

Happy belated 235th birthday, United States!

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So, here are my faves of the first half of 2011… it’s all bound to switch around by year’s end (click album art for sound samples):

Artist – Album (style)

1. Murat Eyuboglu & My Brightest Diamond – Letters to Distant Cities EP featuring the words of Mustafa Ziyalan (spoken word/indie rock)
2. Over the Rhine – The Long Surrender (folk-americana)
3. Radiohead – The King of Limbs (anti-radio rock)
4. David Bazan (of Pedro the Lion) – Strange Negotiations (indie rock)
5. dredg – Chuckles and Mr Squeezy (modern progressive)
6. Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1 (drone metal)
7. Tides from Nebula – Earthshine (postrock)
8. Garage A Trois (Skerik & Co) – Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (groove jazz)
9. Kevin Moore – Shine (Küçük Kıyamet Soundtrack) (movie score)
10. Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care (postrock)
11. Reptet – At the Cabin (horny jazz)
12. Goddamn Electric Bill – Jazz (organic electronic)
13. Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (postrock)
14. Yoshie Fruchter’s Pitom – Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes (instrumental klez-rock)
15. Tres Mts (Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam & dUg Pinnick of King’s X) – Three Mountains (rock supergroup)
16. Eisley – The Valley (modern rock)
17. Michael Kelsey – Submerged (Midwest guitar virtuoso)
18. Trey Parker & Matt Stone / Original Cast Recording – The Book of Mormon (sacrilegious broadway)
19. Elysian Fields – Last Night on Earth (lusty indie-pop)
20. Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean (whispy indie rock)

I didn’t get a few that already came out this year (yet)… the new Hiromi, Gangpol & Mit, and whatever “et cetera” that the cool kids are listening to these days; but they may make it to the list at the end of the year.

The 2nd half of 2011 promises to bring some potential great ones, too… a few more from John Zorn, (including The Dreamers Xmas CD & the Rovo Sax Quartet collaboration), Secret Chiefs 3 Book of Souls (maybe), Maynard James Keenan’s Puscifer (2nd album), some digital releases from A Perfect Circle, the doomy Bohren & Der Club of Gore, Opeth‘s 70s throwback album, Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson‘s 2nd solo album, My Brightest Diamond is wrapping up one in the studio (will it be out in 2011?), Ani DiFranco always has something coming out (it’s been a while though), probably something from one of Mike Patton‘s other bands (Fantômas live DVD, Tomahawk’s 4th album, more?), and I’m sure another dozen or more that I’ll dig from Tzadik.

Favorite concerts of 2011 (so far):

• Erik Friedlander plays John Zorn’s Masada Book Two – The Shedd, Eugene, Jan 8th
• Reptet – Luckey’s, Eugene, Jan 14th
  
• The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (Sean Lennon & Charlotte Kemp Muhl) – The Woods, Portland, Jan 28th
• Nels Cline Singers – Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, Jan 30th
• Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Crystal Ballroom, Portland, Feb 18th
• U2 – Qwest Field, Seattle, Jun 4th
  
• A Perfect Circle – The Schnitzer, Portland, Jun 29th
  (click pictures below for review links)

~Dan – np: Secret Chiefs 3 – Book M