In years past, ILSUDH2 has lumped these short-players in with their long playing brethren, but this year there were enough ‘bite-sized’ releases to warrant their own post. Here are the Favorite EPs of 2011. * Spotify playlist at bottom of post 05. The Morning Clouds – Wasted Youth Blues (Lefse, 2011) ‘how do you...
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Kate Bush – 50 Words For Snow (ANTI-, 2011) It was about a week ago when I promised there would be no more album recommendations this year, but that’s the great thing about running your own blog, you can go back on your word if you feel the need — and today, I feel...
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Looking out my window on this crisp November morning, all the Fall colors have disappeared and left only a few survivors hanging from the naked trees in the neighborhood. Winter is upon us here in Denver, Colorado and those few hangers-on will be gone with the next storm. It’s a transitional time, out with...
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Gem Club – Breakers (Hardly Art, 2011) Beautiful. Cold. Haunting. Quiet. These are all words that accurately describe the debut full length from Somerville, MA‘s Gem Club. A collection of minimal, piano-driven compositions featuring Christopher Barnes‘ forlorn figures skating across the ice of an abandoned lake. Kristen Drymala thaws her frozen fingers on the...
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Absu -Abzu (Candlelight, 2011) This is the sixth album from the Texas-based blackened thrash metal band led by Proscriptor McGovern. Having been around for over 20 years now, my first introduction to this band was their opening slot for Immortal back in February. As impressive as it was to see McGovern croak out intense...
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Tom Waits – Bad As Me (ANTI-, 2011) Tom Waits is back with an album of all original material, the first such album in over 7 years. Bad As Me could not be more different than 2004‘s Real Gone in terms of sound; this is a much more accessible body of work. It’s a...
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The Morning Clouds – Wasted Youth Blues (Lefse, 2011) Wasted Youth Blues is the debut EP from Colorado’s own Josh Wambeke (of Phineas Gage and Fell). His latest solo project, The Morning Clouds, is a dreamy, druggy affair that blends as well with the crispness of these autumn evenings as it does with the misty...
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Astronautalis – This Is Our Science (Fake Four Inc, 2011) If you break Astronautalis down to basic elements you end up with a white hip-hop artist from Florida. An artist with the given name of Charles Andrew Bothwell. You will find Sage Francis in those elements. You will find Atmosphere, Felt and Grieves in...
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Post-hardcore was a short-lived passion of mine. Having discovered Minor Threat and Black Flag slightly too late to be a part of that movement, my generation could be found trying to recreate that scene with bands such as Good Riddance, Strung Out, Lagwagon, NOFX and others. When the old regime did come through town,...
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Various Artists – Drive OST (Lakeshore, 2011) When we walked out of the theater on that Friday night, the first words out of my friend’s mouth were ‘two hours of new-age music interrupted by extreme violence‘. In the minutes, and even hours, following our Drive experience, I have to admit I was less than...
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Andrew Jackson Jihad – Knife Man (Asian Man Records, 2011) Andrew Jackson Jihad are a folk punk duo from Arizona. Ben Gallaty plays the stand-up bass and Sean Bonnette plays guitar while doing his best to drive casual listeners running for the hills with his singing/screaming/speaking songs built around basic chords and ridiculou, insulting,...
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