Dan Shea has been putting on shows as B.O.W. SHOWS for over a decade. He also releases records as Bodies of Water arts and crafts, plays in the band the NEEDY VISIONS and writes for the BOSTON HASSLE. He is working on opening an all ages music venue and art space as we speak.
TOP RECORDS OF THE YEAR(in no particular order):
SKULL DEFEFKTS(w/ Daniel Higgs) – PEER AMID(Thrill Jockey)
Impossibly groovy and awesomely adventurous start to finish. This droning, and strange groove filled recording is the rare product of known quality entities collaborating and upping
each other’s games.
Our post about PEER AMID from earlier in 2011
COLIN STETSON – NEW HISTORY WARFARE, VOL. 2: JUDGES (Constellation)
Haunting, wild, mind bending saxaphone(and other woodwinds and horns) playing like I’d never heard before. A beautifully unique, and strangely intoxicating breath of fresh air.
Our post about NEW HISTORY WARFARE, VOL. 2: JUDGES from earlier in 2011
Judges by Constellation Records
UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA – s/t (Fat Possum)
Psych pop meets sweet falsetto & funk beats, fat is removed, best pop record of the year is left. This is a sexy record.
TELEBOSSA – TELEBOSSA (Staubgold)
Gorgeous sounds of South America perfectly blended with experimental moments bearing listen after listen after listen. An album full of twists and turns, a curious minimalist undercurrent, and enchanting melodies.
Telebossa debut album on staubgold by Nicholas Bussmann
ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER – REPLICA (Mexican Summer/Software)
One of the records that immediately enveloped me in its own unique world this year. Creeping, and queasy but at the same time beautiful. A strange and wonderful electronic slow trip to nowhere from a Brooklyn via Boston guy shaking up the world of electronic music and beyond.
Our post about REPLICA from earlier in 2011
Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica by Mexican Summer
COLIN L. ORCHESTRA – INFINITE EASE(Northern Spy)
A chill record, made by guitarist hero Colin Langenus(he formerly of the legendary USAISAMONSTER), for helping people to chill out. Shimmering cosmic country that allows the notion of the jam band a shred of decency and hope.
WHITE FENCE – IS GROWING FAITH(Woodsist)
Hitting the jangling psych pop sweet spot very hard White Fence made the best start to finish dream pop record of the year. IS GROWING FAITH is full of little songs overflowing with hooks and all manner of guitar action.
Our post about IS GROWING FAITH from earlier in 2011
QUILT – QUILT(Mexican Summer)
It was easy to get lost amidst the forest of wandering guitar lines, and vocal melodies designed by these Bostonians on their debut record. A truly unique country folk-psych pop sensibility finally on LP in 2011 and one of the best records of the year anywhere.
BLACK PUS – PRIMORDIAL PUS(Load Records)
Party music for the noise crowd, or at least some fantasy idea I have of what that could ideally be like. Swampy, funky, most of all noisy this record is actually a lot of fun(some of the time) if you dig loads of gunky ass fuzz.
Our post about PRIMORDIAL PUS from earlier in 2011
JC SATAN – HELL SAMBA DEATH(Slovenly Recordings)
A killer rock record in this day and age is a near miracle. Here we have one though, courtesy of two Italian guys and two French women. Back and forth male/female vocals, great guitar leads, and myriad approaches to the form: the last 50 years of rock n roll distilled to perfection.
Our post about HELL SAMBA DEATH from earlier in 2011
THE PSYCHIC PARAMOUNT – II(No Quarter)
A pummeling, swirling guitar fronted wall of sound ensnared on record by some brave recording engineer willing to get close to this audio hurricane. Droning passages lull you into a state of calm, setting you up for some of the most relentless, and riveting passages found on record this year.
The Psychic Paramount by Drew St. Ivany
AMEN DUNES – THROUGH DONKEY JAW(Sacred Bones)
Psychedelia: at times pop, at times very gentle, at times harrowing. All of it clearly coming from deep within the person making it. It is always a trip when an artist lets you in like this, and an amazing trip when the music set to the experience is so moving.
Amen Dunes – Christopher by sacredbones
TOTAL CONTROL – HENGE BEAT(IRON LUNG)
Proto-punk, punk, and post-punk all rolled into one. A circular whole bearing signs of what came before but using it all as a road map to the future. Some of the best of the Australian Invasion.
Our post about HENGE BEAT from earlier in 2011.
THE MEN – LEAVE HOME(SACRED BONES)
Loud, melodic, and taking cues from influences all over the musical map, The Men are what I wish all punk bands were. Perhaps because of their existence a small part of that dream will come true.
Our post about LEAVE HOME from earlier in 2011
The Men – Bataille by sacredbones
ARRINGTON DE DIONYSO’S MALAIKAT DAN SINGA – SUARA NAGA(K records)
A post-punk world music record that did more than just steal some foreign
beats. This is dangerous, swarthy music made with true love and a want to understand the world of music that we all and it exists in. Uncompromising, beautifully ugly jams.
THE REST OF THE BEST FROM 2011:
Crock – Grok
Glenn Jones- The Wanting
Pete Swanson – Man With Potential
Peaking Lights – 936
Skoal Kodiak – Kryptonym Bodliak
Bird Names – Metabolism: a Salute to the Energy of the Sun
King Krule – King Krule
Ty Segall – Goodbye Bread
Cop City/Chill Pillars – Held Hostage On Planet Chill
Kitchen’s Floor – Look Forward to Nothing
The Beets – Let the Poison Out
Cyclo – Id
Pujol – Nasty Brutish and Short
Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
Factory Men – Yellow Eyes and the Sound of Vomit
Death Grips – Exmilitary
Golden Retriever – Light Cones
TOP local records of the year and best bands who played a B.O.W. show in 2011 LISTS are forthcoming…
