[Video] Lyonnais: “A Sign From On High/Modern Calvary”

Ohmpark’s Top 25 Albums of 2011

Back in 2009, I listened to approximately 75 records that came out of Atlanta that year. This year, I blogged about roughly 75 records, and for every album I discussed, there were at least five I listened to and didn’t blog about. The quantity of music being made in this city is growing exponentially, and the Atlanta music scene runs extraordinarily deep. So needless to say, this was the most difficult year-end list to put together yet.

On a technical note, my 2011 year-end list eligibility extends through the 2010 holiday season because I like to be able to spend enough time with a record to properly evaluate it. So, any record that was not widely available before Thanksgiving this year will go into consideration for 2012.

Here are my twenty-five favourite albums from Atlanta this year:


25. Cassandras : Hari Pari Mandala Gosthi




24. Dark Room : Gothic Picnic




23. We The Lion : Boy Oh Boy




22. Easily Suede / Carey : Good Health Guide




21. Cassandras : Cassandras: 3 Songs




20. Book Club : Ghost




19. Warning Light : Wild Silver




18. Djarum : Don’t Let Me Down




17. Places : The Future




16. Nomen Novum / Magicicada / Tree Creature : Three Way Split




15. The Back Pockets : Fast Cloud Slow Cloud




14. Lid Emba : Terminal Muse: Blue




13. Vocabulary : Faded Days




12. Time Wharp : later.




11. Atlas Sound : Parallax




10. Mastodon : The Hunter




9. Places : Half-Dones




8. New Animal : Eleven Songs




7. Places : March




6. Spirits and the Melchizedek Children : We Are Here To Save YOU!




5. Lyonnais : Want For Wish For Nowhere




4. The Electric Nature : Mount Analogue




3. Today The Moon, Tomorrow The Sun : Wildfire




2. Little Tybee : Humorous To Bees




1. New Animal : New Animal

The story of Atlanta’s independent music scene in 2011 was the rise of a new wave of artists that came out of nowhere and upped the ante on everyone else. Only four acts on this list (veteran mainstays Mastodon, Atlas Sound, The Back Pockets, and Nomen Novum) have appeared on my best Atlanta album lists in either 2010 or 2009. That’s a symptom of the fact that there’s a new generation of local musicians dominating the scene. And at the head of this new class is New Animal.

New Animal‘s meteoric rise over the course of 2011 is unparalleled. Without a label backing them, with very little major publication support, and without even playing a single show ever, New Animal became one of the Internet’s buzziest bands early on in the year solely based on the strength of their 75-minute self-titled masterpiece. It’s hard for me to think of another record with fifteen songs where I love each and every single one. And what’s even more impressive is that they continued to output new material seemingly on a monthly basis, creating a catalog in one year vaster and more compelling than most artists do over a lifetime. There is simply no musical artist in the world that’s had a more impressive year.

My #2 and #3 spots went to outfits that have been on their own upward swing lately, each respectively creating an epic record that delivered on all the brilliance and potential they had displayed in recent years. My #4 is probably the most inaccessible record to come out of the city this year, but if you can find your way inside, it’s a monster. And my #5 goes to a band that I had previously written off, but there’s no denying what an amazing album they’ve put forth.

Of course, everything on this list is spectacular, and if you missed one, be sure to pick it up.

Ohmpark’s Top 10 Music Videos of 2011

10. Oryx and Crake: “Unbound”




9. From Exile featuring Emil Werstler: “A Warm Place” (Nine Inch Nails Cover)




8. Slowriter: “Black Leaves”




7. Damon Moon And The Whispering Drifters: “Motherless Child”

Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters “Motherless Child” from Chris Thiessen on Vimeo.




6. Lyonnais: “Dusted At Mount Sinai”

Lyonnais – Dusted At Mount Sinai from Lyonnais on Vimeo.




5. The Back Pockets: “Break Up Song”




4. Qurious: “Another Language”




3. Mane Mane: “Twinkl Sr”

Mane Mane – Twinkl Sr from Aaron Katsnelson on Vimeo.




2. Little Tybee: “I Wonder Which House The Fish Will Live In”




1. Little Tybee: “Boxcar Fair”

Little Tybee – “Boxcar Fair” from Little Tybee on Vimeo.

[Video] Lyonnais: “Dusted At Mount Sinai”

Lyonnais – Dusted At Mount Sinai from Lyonnais on Vimeo.

[Photos] Cymbals Eat Guitars, Hooray For Earth, Lyonnais @ The Earl (9/27/11)

Lyonnais:


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[Stream] Lyonnais: “Transitive Properties of Youth”

Although Lyonnais have been on my radar for years, I’ve only managed to catch them live once, at last summer’s 529 Deerhunter show. I felt like the set was a bit self-indulgent at the time, but I didn’t even like Deerhunter‘s set that night, so maybe it was just me. Anyway, now that I’ve listened to “Transitive Properties of Youth,” a single from some limited edition record released earlier this year, I’m interested to hear more. Below is that single, and if you like it too, they have a new record coming in the fall as well as a show at 529 this Wednesday (May 25th) night with Social Studies and Nomen Novum.

Lyonnais – Transitive Properties of Youth by brooklynvegan

What Up In The ATL?

Lots and lots of great shows this week. Friday and Saturday night the We No Fun compilation party is going down at The Drunken Unicorn. Thursday night the Band Together 2009, a benefit for Refugee Family Services, is happening at The Earl. We sponsored 2007′s event and their headliner this year, Louisiana’s Brass Bed, killed it at a house show we did a year ago so I highly recommend that. Also, I left off M83 at the Civic Center Friday night because it is sold out and I could never actually recommend seeing the terrible band that is headlining. See you out in the city!


Best Shows In Atlanta January 26 – February 1:

Monday:

MV & EE, The Meeks Family, Lyonnais @ The Earl

Beatrix*JAR @ Eyedrum

Tuesday:

Colourmusic, The Preakness, So So Death @ The Earl

Adrien Barbobott, Subliminator, Zano Bathroom, Offerings, Jesi Langdale, Pony Bones @ Lenny’s

Wednesday:

Opaq Face, Attention System, Slow Earth, Alter @ Lenny’s

Thursday:

Sorry No Ferrari, Benard, I Made This Mistake @ WonderRoot

Brass Bed, The Wild, Wade in the Rhythm (Band Together 2009 Benefit) @ The Earl

Adron, Trapper’s Cabin, Zano, Madeline, DJ Sea-Larke @ Star Bar

Fox Trotsky, Wrister, Small Reaction @ Lenny’s

Friday:

Thy Mighty Contract, Chopper, Hollow Stars, High Marks @ Drunken Unicorn

Saturday:

Hawks, The Sunglasses, Brass Castle, Skin Problems, Chrissakes @ Drunken Unicorn

13 Day Mission, Attila, Light Pupil Dilate, Sanus Valde (Horror Show) @ WonderRoot

Noot D’ Noot @ 529

The Features, The Selmanaires, Carnivores @ The Earl

Disco Biscuits @ The Tabernacle

Keller Williams @ Variety Playhouse




Here are some mp3 previews, all of which are Atlanta artists:

The Preakness : On The Couch
Benard : Medieval Knievel
13 Day Mission : Eat All Speaking Canaries
Lyonnais : Sex In The Age Of Negotaition
Adron : String Song
Fox Trotsky : The Drunk And The Restless