Tag Archives: 2011 Rock Heaven

Best New Bands of 2011 HUMMINGBIRD AWARD: #2 James Vincent McMorrow

27 Dec

yes he recorded the entire record in this tranquil forest. James Vincent Mcmorrow deserves the accolades and the #2 Hummingbird Award

Best New Band of 2011
#2 Hummingbird Award – James Vincent McMorrow
He’s Irish, his songwriting is heart wrenching and he might be as good as Bon Iver. That’s a bold statement, but it should give you some context as to why James Vincent McMorrow is our 2nd favorite new artist of 2011. I would say he has the talent to rival Cody Chestnutt and James Blake. Buy Early In The Morning

Vitals:
Hometown: Dublin, Ireland
Members: James Vincent McMorrow
Sonic Soulmates: Bon Iver, Perfume Genius, Damon McMahon of Amen Dunes
Must Hear Tracks:
“If I Had a Boat” – McMorrow’s smokey voice sings of freedom from that trapped place in his seaside cottage. Quite possibly my favorite track of the year.

“Like the River” – Winding through the acoustic mind of McMorrow sounds much like that or Ray Lamontagne.

“This Old Dark Machine” – Andrew Bird styled recordings. Love it.

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Original Post: Band of the Day 2.7.11

WHAT ARE THE HUMMINGBIRDS?
2011 Winners
Hummingbird Award #13: Lana Del Rey
Hummingbird Award #12: WATERS
Hummingbird Award #11: Suuns
Hummingbird Award #10: La Sera
Hummingbird Award #9: Sun Airway
Hummingbird Award #8: White Denim
Hummingbird Award #7: Dirty Beaches
Hummingbird Award #6: Widowspeak
Hummingbird Award #5: Charles Bradley
Hummingbird Award #4: EMA
Hummingbird Award #3: The Vaccines

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Best New Bands of 2011 HUMMINGBIRD AWARD: #3 The Vaccines

22 Dec

Everybody loves them because they're better than everyone. The Vaccines!


Best New Band of 2011
#3 Hummingbird Award – The Vaccines
Don’t hold it against us because The Vaccines are so damn popular, but rather, you should relish in it, enjoy it. They are so good and we were there back in January. We were sent the single “If You Wanna” and we thought the same thing…two minute romp Strokes style. So we wrote them off in 2010. Then What Did You Expect From The Vaccines, and truly, we didn’t expect it to be this good. Really, it was shockingly Is This It good. They’re better than any rock band of the last 2 years. Truly, Surfer Blood and the likes all wish they could be The Vaccines.

Vitals:
Hometown: London, UK
Members: Justin Young, Árni Hjörvar, Freddie Cowan, Pete Robertson
Sonic Soulmates™: The Strokes, Chapel Club, Surfer Blood
Trackables™:
“Blow It Up”

“Wrecking Ball (Ra Ra Ra)” – This song plays every time I play my FIFA 2012 on my iPhone!

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Original Post: Band of the Day 1.26.11

WHAT ARE THE HUMMINGBIRDS?
2011 Winners
Hummingbird Award #13: Lana Del Rey
Hummingbird Award #12: WATERS
Hummingbird Award #11: Suuns
Hummingbird Award #10: La Sera
Hummingbird Award #9: Sun Airway
Hummingbird Award #8: White Denim
Hummingbird Award #7: Dirty Beaches
Hummingbird Award #6: Widowspeak
Hummingbird Award #5: Charles Bradley
Hummingbird Award #4: EMA

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Band of the Day (1.28.11) Disappears

28 Jan

Rock re-appears with Disappears


Band of the Day (1.28.11) – Disappears

2011 is Becoming Rock Heaven! Another fantastic rock band, these boys are from Chicago and they are brilliant. Bottom-line Lux from Disappears was an amazing record. It was part Lou Reed par Iggy Pop/Stooges, part REM. Odd dichotomy, but it works. The title track “Lux” is so dizzyingly close to the weird Velvet Lou Reed echoed chants, that I thought it was him…but as you dig deeper, the distorted scuzzy tracks from their first album were on the verge of something really good. It reminds me of Bleach , the true Nirvana fan record. No big studio budget, just the three-some in the studio, Kurt screaming and Dave pounding away and a frenetic pace. Then Nevermind hit the streets and we all realized the garage screaming hatched perfection. I’m not comparing the boys sound to Nirvana, but I am comparing the evolution of the band. They could be big, it takes the voice of the fans to make it happen, but from the little I’ve heard from the new record Guider, this may just be the Chicago boys moment! Take a listen

Vitals
Hometown: Chicago, IL, USA
Members: Brian Case, Damon Carruesco, Jonathan van Herik
Sonic Soulmates: REM, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop
Must Hear Tracks:
“New Fast” – Newest bestest track from Guider

“Gone Completely” – The best track from Lux…F’n LOVE IT!

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Band of the Day (1.26.11) The Vaccines

26 Jan

UK boys on the rise...Best New Band of 2011? The Vaccines


Band of the Day (1.26.11) The Vaccines

Buzz buzz buzz, well sometimes bands just deserve it. The Vaccines have been buzzing through London on the backs of two quality singles. The first, released in August, 2010 “If You Wanna” — hear below — quickly gave The Vaccines the air coverage they needed. It’s a 50’s diner track coupled with Surfer Blood vocals. It’s a GREAT track. The second single, “Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)” was released in November. A fast paced track that gets from here to there quickly. Much like the career arch of The Vaccines. Traditionally we wait on these so called buzz bands for do something impressive before we feature them, but these may just be The Strokes of this decade. Their songs are anthems, not just power pop punk, but 1:50 anthems that beg for you to hit repeat. With DNA attached to The Horrors and Jay Jay Pistolet, the band has the world a buzzin’ so we’re in, count us one of the many who believe the hype. I personally believe that this band will rise to the top and get the US recognition it deserves. We have to make it our duty to help these GREAT London acts make a name for themselves in the US. IT’s TIME. So we say “Today you just found your favorite new band.” 2011 is Rock Heaven

Did we mention that this is the Year of Rock? Well check this out…see Coachella line-up, three rock headliners, see Wolf People, see Black Pistol Fire…we believe The Vaccines will lead this charge! It’s time.

Vitals:
Hometown: London, UK
Members: Justin Young, Árni Hjörvar, Freddie Cowan, Pete Robertson
Sonic Soulmates: The Strokes, Chapel Club, Surfer Blood
Must Hear Tracks:
“If You Wanna”

“Blow it Up”

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Band of the Day (1.21.11) Black Pistol Fire

21 Jan

Rock is back and it's under the name of Black Pistol Fire


Band of the Day (1.21.11) Black Pistol Fire

Ahhh yeah, two rock bands in one week. Maybe just maybe we’re onto something. Rock music is dead and it’s time for a revival. Jack White tried, Tame Impala was lead dog in 2010, but I think this might be the year. I read that the only rock band to even have a Top 10 Hot 100 Billboard track f’n TRAIN. Just garbage. What happened to our rock bands? Well 2011 is Rock Heaven. The Austin, TX via Toronto, CN duo of Black Pistol Fire, rock just as hard as Meg and Jack. Black Pistol Fire features Kevin McKeown on Guitar/Lead Vocals and Eric Owen on Drums. Kindergarten bros have been crushing it for two decades. They’ve got the chops, the guitar riffs, the country swagger and the blistering drum beats to make this summer one to remember. I love these dudes and I hope this is a 2011 trend. It’s time for the GODS of ROCK to rise from the ashes and let Black Pistol Fire be your first.

Vitals:
Hometown: Austin, TX via Toronto, CN
Members: Black Pistol Fire features Kevin McKeown on Guitar/Lead Vocals and Eric Owen on Drums.
Sonic Soulmates: Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, Creedence Clearwater, The White Stripes
Must Hear Tracks:
“Your Not the Only One” – We’ll let the typo slide…because this is the best ROCK SONG OF THE YEAR! Kings of Leonesque.

“Sort Me Out” – These dudes can do the blues similar to The Black Keys.

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Trend Update: 2011 is Rock Heaven

20 Jan

2010 was the worst year for rock since 1960. Not so for 2011....

2010 was the worst year for Rock music since 1960. The end-of-year figures for the music industry were horrific, we’ve mentioned this a few times, but only Train’s “Hey Soul Sister” reached the Hot 100 Top 10, and they aren’t rockers. In the UK only three songs classified as “rock” appeared in the Top 100 singles. Of those three singles, the highest-ranked Glee’s Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” at No. 25 and Florence And The Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over” at No. 93. So is Rock dead? You tell us…we’ve already posted 4 bands that may bring it back

The Rock Bands of 2011
Black Pistol Fire – The Black Keys, Creedence Clearwater of 2011
Wolf People – Tame Impala and Dungen of 2011
Disappears – Lou Reed Iggy Pop of 2011
The Vaccines – The Strokes of 2011

So is the trend line moving? Check out the Coachella head-liners? Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, Strokes, Black Keys? Looks like rock to me. Then the rumors of big rock acts having records Strokes, etc. Who knows, but we’re calling it now. Follow the trend line here or add the RSS feed for 2011 Rock Heaven here

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Band of the Day (1.11.11) Wolf People

11 Jan

Be prepared for some rock from Wolf People


Band of the Day (1.11.10) Wolf People

I miss metal. I miss hard rock. I miss it all. I’ve admitted to my hessian days, my obsession with Maiden, Slayer, Danzig, etc. I’ve grown up but what I appreciate the most is the more jammy metal. Not Phish, but jam hard rock like our 2010 Hummingbird Faves Tame Impala or Dungen. It’s just timeless music that transcends all of it. Zeppelin long-term standing Sabbath’s recent hipster revival all stems from the fact that it’s just good music. Good music rises and rarely falls. The derivative does. So when you look at trail-blazers like Sabbath you find one quality that stamps them as “legend” great musicianship. Iommi plays guitar very well, Ozzy can belt it, etc. Wolf People may be that bands that carries the torch for 2011. 2011 is shaping up to be the ROCK HEAVEN. Where Tame Impala road the Swedish coat-tails of Dungen, I think Wolf People may be riding a whole new sound. Fine they use a flute on some tracks, Jethro Tull would argue they ripped them off, but where The Tull goes all renaissance fair, Wolf People stays put and really keeps the mood rock going. I’m obsessed with them. I liked Black Mountain and The Sword, but I love Wolf People. Just give em a try and I’ll bet you kick up the volume to 11. They’re brilliant. The new album Steeple was recorded in a converted barn studio in a 17th century Welsh mansion. They stayed in the servants quarters and recorded the album in the barn to create a sound that is so earthy and vibrant.

Vitals:
Hometown: Bedford/London/North Yorkshire, Midlands, UK
Members: Jack Sharp (vocals/guitar); Joe Hollick (guitar); Dan Davies (bass) and Tom Watt (guitar)
Sonic Soulmates: Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath, Dungen, Tame Impala, Kyuss
Must Hear Tracks:

“Morning Born” – Jack Sharp shows us his chops here. Hollick just plugs it in and destroys the guitar on this track. It’s smooth and has a great vibe. At about 1:45 it just kicks ass.

“Tiny Circle” – Jethro Tull for the new millenium

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