Just Words: 2011

Wednesday, 21 December 2011

2011: Top 10 Live Shows

As per usual, it was another hectic year in the arena of live shows. I try to get to two gigs per month, and this year I exceeded this average, attending over thirty live events. Below consists of my top ten favourite shows of the year.

10. Mercury Rev @ Harvest Festival, Brisbane

9. Bitch Magnet @ ATP Nightmare Before Christmas, Minehead UK

8. Gang Of Four @ The Hi Fi Bar, Brisbane

7. Factory Floor @ ATP Nightmare Before Christmas, Minehead UK

6. Archers Of Loaf @ ATP Nightmare Before Christmas, Minehead UK

5. Swervedriver @ The Zoo, Brisbane

4. Health @ Woodland, Brisbane

3. Primal Scream @ Selina's Coogee Bay Hotel, Sydney

2. Mogwai @ Splendour In The Grass, Woodford

1. The Besnard Lakes @ The Zoo, Brisbane

Congratulations to The Besnard Lakes. They totally blew me away in front of a crowd that didn't reach the two hundred mark. Only forty eight tickets were sold for their Brisbane show, which was a travesty within itself. Plenty missed out on the goodness this mighty band delivers.

SK.

2011: Top 10 Books Read This Year

Okay, so this is not 2011 as such. However, I'm sure I'm not the only one who fails to read new releases predominantly. In fact my list consist of books that weren't released this year. That's right, not one. Anyway, this is what took my fancy this year. I usually get around to reading between thirty and forty books a year. The ten below were my favourites:

10.

Author: Ryu Murakami

Title: 69

Publisher: Oxford

Author: Hunter S. Thompson

Title: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Publisher: Random House

Author: James Frey

Title: My Friend Leonard

Publisher: Random House

Author: Kurt Vonnegut

Title: Mother Night

Publisher: Fawcett

Author: Jonathan Franzen

Title: The Corrections

Publisher: Straus & Giroux

Author: Truman Capote

Title: In Cold Blood

Publisher: Random House

Author: Jack London

Title: White Fang

Publisher: Macmillan

Author: Roddy Doyle

Title: The Woman Who Walked Into Doors

Publisher: Jonathan Cape

Author: James Ellroy

Title: L.A. Confidential

Publisher: The Mysterious Press

Author: Jonathan Franzen

Title: Freedom

Publisher: Straus & Giroux

So there you have it. Mr. Franzen dominated the list and deservedly so. Although many think The Corrections is his seminal novel, I strongly disagree, sighting Freedom as his magnum piece of work, thus far. He's zeroed on his strenghts that many first witnessed with The Corrections. That's not to say his earlier works aren't up to scratch, however his latest two novels in the above mentioned have really witnessed Franzen step it up and put himself amongst the finest American writers of the modern era.

SK.

Friday, 16 December 2011

2011: Albums Of The Year - Top 30

Below consists of my top thirty albums of the year 2011. Enjoy.

30.
Artist: Baxter Dury
Album: Happy Soup
Label: Regal

29.
Artist: Yuck
Album: Yuck
Label: Fat Possum

28.
Artist: Glasvegas
Album: Euphoric Heartbreak
Label: Columbia

27.
Artist: Real Estate
Album: Days
Label: Domino

26.
Artist: Grouper
Album: A I A: Dream Loss/ Alien Observer
Label: Yellowelectric

25.
Artist: The Joy Formidable
Album: The Big Roar
Label: Atlantic

24.
Artist: The Fall
Album: Ersatz GB
Label: Cherry Red Records

23.
Artist: Eleventh Dream Day
Album: Riot Now!
Label: Thrill Jockey

22.
Artist: Jesu
Album: Ascension
Label: Caldo Verde

21.
Artist: The Rural Alberta Advantage
Album: Departing
Label: Saddle Creek

20.
Artist: Tom Waites
Album: Bad As Me
Label: ANTI-

19.
Artist: Ryan Adams
Album: Ashes & Fire
Label: PAX AM

18.
Artist: Battles
Album: Gloss Drop
Label: Warp Records

17.
Artist: Russian Circles
Album: Empros
Label: Sargent House

16.
Artist: Destroyer
Album: Kaputt
Label: Merge Records

15.
Artist: Fucked Up
Album: David Comes To Life
Label: Matador Records

14.
Artist: Grails
Album: Deep Politics
Label: Temporary Resident

13.
Artist: Wire
Album: Red Barked Tree
Label: Pink Flag

12.
Artist: Wilco
Album: The Whole Love
Label: dBpm

11.
Artist: Wild Flag
Album: Wild Flag
Label: Merge Records

10.
Artist: Mogwai
Album: Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
Label: Rock Action/Sub Pop

9.
Artist: The Twilight Singers
Album: Dynamite Steps
Label: Sub Pop

8.
Artist: Low
Album: C'mon
Label: Sub Pop

7.
Artist: Julianna Barwick
Album: The Magic Place
Label: Asthmatic Kitten

6.
Artist: Radiohead
Album: The King of Limbs
Label: XL Recordings

5.
Artist: Josh T. Pearson
Album: Last of the Country Gentlmen
Label: Mute

4.
Artist: Parts & Labor
Album: Constant Future
Label: Jagjaguwar

3.
Artist: The Horrors
Album: Skying
Label: XL Recordings

2.
Artist: PJ Harvey
Album: Let England Shake
Label: Vagrant

1.
Artist: The War On Drugs
Album: Slave Ambient
Label: Secretly Canadian

Congratulations to The War On Drugs. They held off some stiff opposition on the way, however Slave Ambient's ability to remain entrenched in my CD player made the decision to award them with the highest accolade was really a no-brainer.

SK.

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

2011: Albums Of The Year - Honourable Mentions

It's that time of year. Again. Enough of the platitudes that get thrown around year in year out. You know the ones. There's so much to choose from, yada yada yada. Yes, I've been guilty of it myself over the years. Below are the honourable mentions that narrowly missed out on the final cut of my favourite albums this year. The top thirty will follow next week.