Happy New Year! – Albums I Loved in 2011

Hi, Everyone!  Well, it’s that time of year again!  The time when I get to pontificate about the top releases of the year.  However, as usual, I have a really difficult time ranking things.  This is something that carries over from my work as a professor.  After all, what is the difference between a 93 and a 94?  I know it when I see it, but just how to explain?  So, I’m just going to wimp out present some of the albums I loved in no particular order.  For those of you looking for a more ordered (and possibly comprehensive) list, I would recommend checking in with Pitchfork, Slowcoustic, or NPR Music.  All right, let’s get on with the show!

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So, 2011… What happened there?

Hey, Everyone!  Well, as you might have noticed, the posts have been a bit scarce in the second half of 2011.  It’s been a rough year, honestly, and I’ve come pretty close to just throwing my hands up in the air, dropping everything, and running off to Alaska (Into the Wild style…).  Of course, being a bit of a lazy sod, I only got as far as dropping everything.  And now, here we are.  So, what happened?  And more importantly, what am I going to do about it?

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Mix-Tape Monday: December Edition

Hi, Everyone!  Sorry it’s been so quiet around here, and that I’ve been hoarding all the lovely things that people have been sending me.  This has been a tough year.  I’m in the last ten-day stretch of my Ph.D., and then I plan on doing some epic catching up.  In the meantime, I thought I’d put together a little mix for you.  For me, it’s a great mix of things to listen to as I drive on a late, Winter’s afternoon with the Sun sinking fast.  Hopefully, you’ll find it enjoyable, too!  See you all very soon…

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First Listen: New Songs from Katie Davis

Photo by: David Speranza
Photo by: David Speranza

Friend of the blog, past feature, and all-around excellent singer-songwriter Katie Davis has released three new songs via YouTube, and you lucky devils can hear them after the jump.  The songs are currently in the form of home recordings which feature just Katie and her guitar.  The result is three wonderfully intimate recordings that feel both confessional and cathartic, with a haunting quality that remains long after the songs have ended.

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First Listen: R.E.M. – Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982–2011

I’ve been pretty quiet on the subject of R.E.M.’s final album: the forty-track, quasi-greatest-hits compilation Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982-2011.  At first, I didn’t really want to deal with the fact that this beloved band of mine was splitting.  They have been the direct line through my musical history, and I honestly still feel pretty weird about contemplating a future without new R.E.M. in it.

But for the moment, we’ve got NPR to thank for a preview of the forthcoming release.  You can hear the whole thing, including new tracks “A Month of Saturdays,” “We All Go Back To Where We Belong,” and “Hallelujah,” over at their First Listen series site.  For my own part, I’ve made a video mix of some of my favorite moments in R.E.M. history, and you can find that below:

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