Rhapsody Top 25 Rock Albums of 2011 - SWS #7

[elle]

http://www.rhapsody.com/blog/2011/12/rock2011


by Rhapsody Editorial
The Top 25 Rock Albums of 2011
By Justin Farrar December 14, 2011 02:10PM


Making this list is never easy. Most of the difficulty stems from a perennial question that chews at the back of my brain as I contemplate each pick: Good record, but is it rock? Such a question vexes me because it seems as if marketing and the vagaries of popular taste have forced most of the best rock music these days to be labeled as something else. You can see this all up and down the list below: Kurt Vile is an indie darling even though Smoke Ring for My Halo sounds as if the kid from Philly was weaned on Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen records. Mastodon are modern metal gods despite the fact that half the gargantuan riffs and rumbling grooves on The Hunter contain the stank-ass aroma of the 1970s: Zep, Mountain, Sabbath, Cactus, Deep Purple. Wilco are labeled all manner of things, from indie to alternative to alt-country, when in fact they're an arty pop rock band. Then there's Radiohead. Fans just love calling their heroes "experimental" and even, uh, "electronica." But let's face it, they're a modern progressive-rock band. Pink Floyd 2.0.

Once a wonderfully disheveled genre packed with delicious contradictions and irreconcilable oddities, rock has been reduced to a shell of its former self. At what point in history did rock become so small, so closed, so rigidly defined that it's no longer capable of claiming the very sounds that lie at its core? All extra-musical stuff aside, if something rolls and sways and grooves like rock, then it's rock, right?

Amid all this pernicious downsizing and splintering arrived the North Mississippi Allstars' Keys to the Kingdom, an album that will no doubt appear on a slew of blues and Americana end-of-year lists, but will probably top just a single rock list in all the land: this one. It's profoundly ironic, because the messy American experience that birthed rock is played out in the Allstars: two white beanpoles and a massive black dude from Hernando, Miss., mixing everything, including rock, funk, blues, metal, gospel and country. The Black Keys strive for a similar transmutation, but they're just too trapped inside post-indie rootlessness.

Those beanpoles are brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson; Luther also plays guitar in The Black Crowes (Chris Robinson knows a good thing when he hears it). More importantly, they're the sons of the late Jim Dickinson, a Southern producer, musician, songwriter and all-around sonic genius whose contributions to American music directly reflect the myriad complexities coursing through rock music. In the 1960s and early '70s, he played a role in the evolution of Memphis soul and the Muscle Shoals sound (his own album Dixie Fried is mandatory listening). But he also hung with The Stones and produced The Flamin' Groovies, Big Star and Alex Chilton. In other words, the guy was punk, too. For fellow music critic Edd Hurt, what made Dickinson so special was his ability to inhabit "roots music without making everybody sick of it, with humor and, for goodness' sake, real rock 'n' roll attitude."

The elder Dickinson left us in 2009, and Keys to the Kingdom is Luther and Cody's tribute to their father. The record is as expansive and wonderfully sloppy as his legacy. Production-wise, it's torn and frayed, much like The Groovies' Teenage Head and Chilton's masterful Like Flies on Sherbert. The music rages then sputters, soars then crawls, prays then grovels. It's intimate, too. Most of the time, you're not sure if you're listening to an officially released album or private recordings. And, of course, the record bleeds soul and blues. Just about every tune meditates upon death: "The Meeting" (featuring Mavis Staples), "How I Wish My Train Would Come," "Hear the Hills," "Ain't No Grave," "New Orleans Walkin' Dead."

It's weird. I wouldn't be surprised if the North Mississippi Allstars never make another record like it. It feels like it's destined to be an oddity. Nevertheless, it was the best rock album of 2011.

Be sure to check out my Best Rock of 2011 playlist. And if you're still craving more end-of-year coverage after that, I also put together this killer list: The Top 25 Rock Reissues of 2011.

Enjoy!


25. Primus
Green Naugahyde
For Primus' first full-length of new material since 1999's Antipop, the band has, interestingly enough, turned back the clock to the late '80s. The music exudes a choppy and bizarro vibe reminiscent of early offerings such as Frizzle Fry and Suck on This. Though this stuff isn't quite as violently thrashy, it does get fairly brutish and manic at times (see the six-minute rumpus "Last Salmon Man" and the record's best cut, "Extinction Burst"). The throwback feel has to be partially a product of Jay Lane taking over the drummer's seat. After all, he was in Primus for a spell back in '88. [Justin Farrar]


24. Eddie Vedder
Ukulele Songs
Though jokes about grass skirts and leis are a bit rich, one would think a ukulele album to be the perfect opportunity for Grunge Master General to mellow and maybe bust a little tropical chillwave. Not a chance. Ukulele Songs is passionate, moody and unflinchingly intimate. A full-blown rock band could tackle most of these songs with ease. One of the record's highlights is a rousing cover of the country standard "Sleepless Nights"; the only track that feels a tad too precious is Vedder's rendition of "Dream a Little Dream." He sounds like a washed-up show-tune singer too in love with rum. [J.F.]

23. Fountains of Wayne
Sky Full of Holes
In a culture that worships at the feet of the meteoric rise-and-fall pop star, artistic consistency goes unrewarded. This is especially true of Fountains of Wayne, who have dropped some of the best power pop of the '00s. Sky Full of Holes is the most acoustic-flavored release of the group's career. The album places the spotlight more squarely on Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger's slyly imaginative songwriting. Perfect example: "Acela," named after the high-speed rail slicing through BosWash, is your typical coming-home tale, yet the imagery put forth is really kind of delicious. [J.F.]

22. Gregg Allman
Low Country Blues
After the death of longtime friend and producer Tom Dowd, Gregg Allman lost the fire to get back into the recording studio, which explains the 14-year gap between albums. With Grammy-winner T-Bone Burnett, he finally made his way back into the studio with a handful of obscure blues songs from greats such as Muddy Waters, B.B. King and Buddy Guy. A team of musicians helped Allman rekindle the fire, laying down a sparse yet biting musical bed. Standouts include "Blind Man," "I Believe I'll Go Back Home," "Please Accept My Love" and "Just Another Rider" (the only Allman-penned song). [Linda Ryan]

21. Screaming Trees
Last Words: The Final Recordings
Screaming Trees had the unfortunate fate of getting lost in the '90s grunge shuffle, peeking out for a minute with hit "Nearly Lost You," releasing one more album, and then disbanding at the close of the century. More than a decade later, Last Words: The Final Recordings unveils the group's concluding statement, a "lost album" of sorts recorded in 1998 and '99. A testament to their underrated rep, it still sounds fresh thanks to the Trees' singular weaving of '70s rock, subtle psychedelia and frontman Mark Lanegan's brooding cowboy drawls. Josh Homme and Peter Buck guest-star. [Stephanie Benson]

20. Buffalo Killers
3
Cincinnati's Buffalo Killers might hail from the other end of the Buckeye State, but their artistic trajectory (up to the release of 3, that is) mirrors that of Cleveland's James Gang. Like their heroes, the power trio has tempered their chunky riffage and thunder grooves with country-flavored folk rock that's heavy on the sweet, high harmonies. In other words, 3 is best listened to not on Saturday night, when the keg flows unimpeded, but rather Sunday morning, when the only thing that can clear that foggy brain is a brisk swim in a cold lake tucked inside Ohio's rolling foothills. [J.F.]

19. Graveyard
Hisingen Blues
Though Joakim Nilsson's high wail suggests Soundgarden's Chris Cornell with a Scandinavian accent, the concentric blues-psych these Swedes shift through on their sophomore set harks back to more distant ancestors, from Cream boogie to Sabbath depresso-sludge to Thin Lizzy tapestry. The title track, one of two songs haunted by demons, swirls toward space, Hawkwind-style in parts; "Longing," a gorgeous, cinematic instrumental, follows "Buying Truth (Tack & Forlat)," a quick, percussive chug with wooh-wooh vocal backup. Across the board, there's an earthiness rarely embraced in modern metal. [Chuck Eddy]

18. Thrice
Major/Minor
Thrice's intent is obvious from the rhythm section's opening thump 'n' roll: This is one of them albums that's all about getting "back to basics." In the case of Major/Minor, this means brittle math-rock grooves underpinning wiry guitar riffage and a litany of impassioned howls. There are hooks and choruses for sure, but rarely do they break free from the ensemble's highly charged syncopation and point-counterpoint interplay. At a time when so many bands have devolved into bloated Radiohead wannabes, it's nice to hear one dedicated to rhythm, which is what rock 'n' roll is all about. [J.F.]

17. Black Tusk
Set the Dial
Playing heavily rhythmic, butcher shop-riffed metal, but yelling like punks (low voice sorta early Black Flag and high voice sorta Dropkick Murphys, usually with An! Exclamation! Point! On! Every! Word!), this Savannah band keeps things concise, by metal if not hardcore standards -- 10 songs, almost all around three or four minutes. The tracks assume creative stop-and-start structures, grind speedily here and sludgily there and oily always, and boom like old Swans toward the end of "Carved in Stone." But does "Bring Me Darkness" go "Six! Six! Six!" or "Sick! Sick! Sick!"? Or both? [C.E.]

16. Gentlemans Pistols
At Her Majesty's Pleasure
James Atkinson is an efficiently howling he-man, but what makes these Brits exciting is their playing -- especially when drum breaks get funky like metal hasn't in eons in hard-swingers like "The Ravisher." They open at a Sabbath/Free midnight-crawler midtempo, structuring concentric riffs into tough stomps. But before long they're racing into Thin Lizzy tromp-and-roll overdrive in "Your Majesty," tripping out like '71 Alice Cooper in "Into the Haze" and conjuring Dust's scorched prehistoric street-boogie in "Sherman Tank." "Lethal Woman," finally, ends it all with a jam taking flight. [C.E.]

15. Rise Against
Endgame
Rise Against, much like their heroes Bad Religion, never stray far from their strengths: melodic hardcore laced with lyrics and hard-rock heft. Endgame is the group's most accessible effort to date; this isn't a bad thing by any means. Everything here -- songwriting, arranging, production, etc. -- is razor-sharp and streamlined. Plus, there are some wildly catchy tunes, including "Make It Stop (September's Children)," "Broken Mirrors" and the anthemic "A Gentleman's Coup." This last track is particularly cool, as it fuses Dag Nasty's speed with the start-and-stop dynamics of the mighty Helmet. [J.F.]

14. Black Lips
Arabia Mountain
This unpredictable Georgia garage-punk band's third album for Vice Records has the classic sound and guitars/horns combination that once typified the Brian Jones-era Rolling Stones. Arabia Mountain comes off as a tour through '60s rock 'n' roll/garage moves: "Mad Dog," for example, echoes ? and the Mysterians. More of a loving extension of the old ways than any sort of gimmicky retro act, Black Lips offer a legitimacy to the often insubstantial, overly stylized garage-rock scene. "Raw Meat" could as easily fit on a Ramones record as a Troggs best-of. [Mike McGuirk]

13. Tedeschi Trucks Band
Revelator
Blues-rock lovebirds Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi have flirted with a large-ensemble sound in the past, but with Revelator, they attempt to make it a full-time occupation. This is one of them big, sprawling albums, one that incorporates numerous facets of deep Southern music. Though both principals know how to really cook, especially in the live setting, they keep the proceedings introspective and muted for the most part; keeping that in mind, Revelator feels like a first meeting, an opportunity for these musicians to establish a foundation upon which they'll build future temples. [J.F.]

12. Mutemath
Odd Soul
Mutemath aren't the most original alt-rockers out there--yet they don't lack ambition, that's for sure. Odd Soul is a rather epic listen. The band's core sound is post-Radiohead prog pop tricked out with electronica and a strutting funk that can be described as new romanticism on amphetamines. "Prytania" and the Santana-inspired "One More" are two of the better tracks that exemplify this. These tunes also serve as a showcase for what are ultimately Mutemath's most vital, if understated, assets: drummer Darren King and bassist Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas. They're a commanding rhythm section. [J.F.]

11. JJ Grey & Mofro
Brighter Days
There's just something about Southern boys. No matter how good their records may be, seeing them live is where it's at, ultimately. This is as true of young bloods JJ Grey & Mofro as it is their fellow Jacksonville heroes, the mighty Allman Brothers. The 11-track Brighter Days is a more-than-solid document of JJ Grey & Mofro's stage prowess (which has garnered quite the cult following). Here, the band's fusion of swamp blues, Southern soul and country rock gets all scuffed up, knocked around and sweated out. Grey's knack for the epic soul statement hits a peak with the eight-minute title track. [J.F.]

10. Radiohead
The King of Limbs
Thom Yorke opens Radiohead's eighth album sounding like a yogi emitting a chorus of om's: "Open your mouth wide/ A universal sigh," he quivers as snare beats trip over one another, a piano loops and a flugelhorn bursts defiantly through. More than ever, the band relies on digital manipulation to mold the mood; Jonny Greenwood's guitar gathers dust, and even Yorke's vocals liquefy in "Feral." The King of Limbs builds with restless syncopation, climaxes at "Lotus Flower," then nestles into a velvety bed of ballads. Too soon, Yorke gently yanks you from the dream world, chanting, "Wake me up." [S.B.]

9. Kurt Vile
Smoke Ring for My Halo
Kurt Vile's really starting to sound like an ol' classic rocker: "In my day I was young and crazy/ Sure I didn't know sh*t, but now I'm lazy," he confesses. Along with old-soul lamenting, Vile puts his ace guitar work into focus, chasing away the lo-fi fog of albums past. With touches of Neil Young and Tom Petty, Smoke Ring for My Halo has Vile sounding like a lone man on the open road; you can almost hear the wind whizzing through his acoustic. A resigned melancholy seems to circle that titular halo: "My whole life's been one living gag," he sings, though seemingly with one big smirk. [S.B.]

8. Arbouretum
The Gathering
Though Arbouretum are most commonly tagged as indie rock, the Baltimore quartet should also be seen as belonging to the folk rock continuum that stretches back to the '60s. As captured on The Gathering, Arbouretum's thick riffage and bass-heavy plod are reminiscent of vintage Crazy Horse. Meanwhile, singer, songwriter and ace guitarist David Heumann is a disciple of Richard Thompson. Much like his hero, he pens words that are as complex as his epic solos. For the best balance of lyrics and music, check out "Waxing Crescents," which is also one of the band's most psychedelic offerings to date. [J.F.]

7. Lindsey Buckingham
Seeds We Sow
There's something timeless about Lindsey Buckingham's musical vision. Much of this has to do with his fingerpicking and voice; neither has aged all that much since he joined Fleetwood Mac back in the mid-'70s. Recorded and released by the man himself, the thoroughly enjoyable Seeds We Sow feels particularly youthful. Numerous tracks, including "That's the Way Love Goes" and "End of Time," don't sound too different from much of what passes for modern indie pop. He closes out the record with a nice rendition of "She Smiled Sweetly," a deep track from The Rolling Stones' Between the Buttons. [J.F.]

6. Foo Fighters
Wasting Light
"These are my famous last words!" screams Dave Grohl at the outset of Wasting Light, the Foos' seventh album. If it's true, he's going out with a helluva bang. Recorded in Grohl's garage using only analog gear (how rock is that?) and produced by Butch Vig, the record sees the band at its heaviest ("White Limo") and even its bluesiest ("I Should Have Known"), but the Foos' classic soft-to-thunderous builds are still very much in play. Grohl seems especially mesmerized by "the end" -- of life, of Earth, of bad relations -- yet at album's end he confesses with manic zeal, "I never want to die!" [S.B.]

5. Dawes
Nothing Is Wrong
Dawes' sophomore album opens with "Time Spent in Los Angeles," a troubadour's ode to that mythical city. It's fitting when one considers Nothing Is Wrong is all about archetypal West Coast roots rock. From Neil Young and The Byrds to The Long Ryders and Tom Petty, Dawes hit all the key notes, so to speak. On the six-minute mini-epic "My Way Back Home," lead singer and songwriter Taylor Goldsmith even nails that peculiar mix of boyish innocence and well-aged wisdom that Jackson Browne nailed in the mid-1970s. What pushes the record over the top is the warm, vintage production. Very cool. [J.F.]

4. Wilco
The Whole Love
The essence of Wilco's best stuff is all here: a weave of dollar-bin sounds (the cheapie organ riff on "I Might," the retooled vaudeville jive of "Capitol City," even a bit of E.L.O. on "Dawn On Me") and Jeff Tweedy's usual ambiguous confessions and suggestive images. With the sprawling opener, "Art of Almost," the band uses a pixilated oblivion of digital blips and square-wave guitar distortion to lull you into complacency before finishing it in a wash of lionhearted noise. Adding songs like "Black Moon" and "One Sunday Morning" helps flesh out one of Wilco's most engaging records. [Nate Cavalieri]

3. Mastodon
The Hunter
Dedicated to (and named in honor of) guitarist Brent Hinds' brother, who died of a heart attack while on a hunting trip in December 2010, The Hunter is the Atlanta-based prog metal band's fifth record, and their first since 2002's Remission that is not a concept album. Featuring stolid, mid-tempo riffs and the careening seaworthy rhythms that made Leviathan an all-encompassing experience, The Hunter finds Mastodon returning to the simpler structures and all-out heaviness of their beginnings. [M.M.]

2. PJ Harvey
Let England Shake
There's something magnetically haunting in PJ Harvey's music; it's intangible but always there, like a heart beating under the floorboards. Her eighth album pumps restlessly with this eerie substance. "England you leave a taste, a bitter one," Harvey croaks with a girly innocence -- but she's not ungrateful, just observant in her poetic tales of wars and woes. Some of the most visceral moments are strikingly upbeat: the pint-clanking bounce of "The Words That Maketh Murder" or the reggae nod on "Written on the Forehead," where Harvey, both ominously and jubilantly, declares, "Let it burn." [S.B.]

1. North Mississippi Allstars
Keys to the Kingdom
Keys to the Kingdom is bare-knuckled, eccentric and cracked. These qualities make total sense, considering the album is a tribute to Luther and Cody Dickinson's late father, the legendary Southern eccentric Jim Dickinson. The record kicks off with "This A'Way," a rocker that sounds like a cross between Exile on Main St.-era Rolling Stones and The Flamin' Groovies. From there, the album only gets better -- and far more self-aware of rock 'n' roll history. On "How I Wish My Train Would Come," the Allstars morph into a long-lost relic from the 1970s that bridged Lou Reed and Gary Stewart. [J.F.]

Honorable Mention:
Chris Cornell, Songbook
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Here We Rest
Crowbar, Sever the Wicked Hand
Rush, Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland
Jane's Addiction, The Great Escape Artist
Emmylou Harris: Hard Bargain
Middle Brother: Middle Brother
Black Country Communion: 2
Drive-By Truckers: Go-Go Boots
The Sheepdogs: Five Easy Pieces
Nazareth: Big Dogz
Ben Harper: Give Till It's Gone
Levon Helm: Ramble at the Ryman

[Nico]

Heck yeah!!! And he should have been in the Rolling Stone one but whatever. They never will get him.

Did you all see my girl Polly at #2? That is correct. She is my rock and roll queen. Absolutely, hands down, no question: remarkable artist. Shoot, don't listen to me, go listen to her music. Flaw-free goddess.

[elle]

Originally Posted by Nico

Heck yeah!!! And he should have been in the Rolling Stone one but whatever. They never will get him.

Did you all see my girl Polly at #2? That is correct. She is my rock and roll queen. Absolutely, hands down, no question: remarkable artist. Shoot, don't listen to me, go listen to her music. Flaw-free goddess.

i like this list. it has Lindsey, it has my son's favorite band, plus my husband's favorite band in honorable mentions.

[Nico]

Originally Posted by elle

i like this list. it has Lindsey, it has my son's favorite band, plus my husband's favorite band in honorable mentions.

I really appreciate this list as well. There's a bit of variety, and you can see they aren't playing favorite with whomever is IT right now.

But I really do feel Adele should be on any of the lists. Her album was not only spectacular, but she blew people away with her songs and voice. She deserves a mention at the very least.

[elle]

Originally Posted by Nico

I really appreciate this list as well. There's a bit of variety, and you can see they aren't playing favorite with whomever is IT right now.

But I really do feel Adele should be on any of the lists. Her album was not only spectacular, but she blew people away with her songs and voice. She deserves a mention at the very least.

maybe whoever put the list together doesn't consider her rock?

[Nico]

Originally Posted by elle

maybe whoever put the list together doesn't consider her rock?

Yes, she isn't actually. I forgot that factor.

[Nico]

But back to the list: I'm proud of Lindsey. He always manages to make one of these lists and it's because he is awesome.

(Yeah, I meant that statement to sound exactly that blatantly biased.)

[bluefox4000]

I'm always happy to see Lindsey on a list like this. Regardless of my standing on the album.

Mick

[Nico]

Originally Posted by bluefox4000

I'm always happy to see Lindsey on a list like this. Regardless of my standing on the album.

Mick

That is a very nice attitude to have. I must say, despite our widely different opinions of SWS, you've always remained pleasant and classy and explained yourself well.

[bluefox4000]

I thank you. Lindsey is still amazing in my eyes. never fear.

Thanks again for the compliment...I enjoy you and your views too

Mick

[Nico]

Originally Posted by bluefox4000

I thank you. Lindsey is still amazing in my eyes. never fear.

Thanks again for the compliment...I enjoy you and your views too

Mick

Thanks Mick.

Any disputes/agreements of the list aside from LB?

[bluefox4000]

Not major fans of anybody on the list. I can disagree with Radiohead. I've heard every album and the new one. They're just a boring boring band. I don't get the fuss My cousin forced them on me

Mick

[Nico]

Originally Posted by bluefox4000

Not major fans of anybody on the list. I can disagree with Radiohead. I've heard every album and the new one. They're just a boring boring band. I don't get the fuss My cousin forced them on me

Mick

Well now we're once again going to have to agree to disagree. Radiohead is far from boring and one of the most definitive and innovative bands of the modern age. I have been a fan since I was a teen, and I remember playing The Bends out and being in love with every note.

I saw them live. Epic doesn't come close to describing them.

[bluefox4000]

Originally Posted by Nico

Well now we're once again going to have to agree to disagree. Radiohead is far from boring and one of the most definitive and innovative bands of the modern age. I have been a fan since I was a teen, and I remember playing The Bends out and being in love with every note.

I saw them live. Epic doesn't come close to describing them.

..............................................I give up. I don't see it. I hear endless.......mind-numbing......noodling.

It's ok though. That's what makes the world interesting.

What bands do you like. maybe we'll hit one we love. Lol....oh wait.....i got it. Mark Knopfler...yay This is thread-jacking but do you like Tom Waits.....if so have you heard the new one.....you know what PM me.

Mick