Article: Pearl Jam Sends Special Delivery to VT Man

Here's a nice article about a fan who fell victim to robbery and what happened once word of the incident came to the band's attention.  Having just watched the documentary "Pearl Jam: Twenty" chronicling the band's history, I can't say I'm surprised by their actions.  They've always treated their fanbase with the utmost respect and gratitude and have a long history of gestures of this nature.
Pearl Jam Sends Special Delivery to VT Man

My Favorite 16 Songs of 2011

Why 16?  Because I couldn't cut the list down to just 10 or 15.

1. Need You Now by Cut Copy
2. Art of Almost by Wilco
3. Vomit by Girls
4. Go Outside by Cults
5. Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes
6. What You Know by Two Door Cinema Club
7. Little Talks by Of Monsters And Men
8. Midnight City by M83
9. You Wanna Freak Out by My Morning Jacket
10. Under Cover of Darkness by The Strokes
11. Lost In My Mind by The Heat And The Heart
12. Blue Cassette by Friendly Fires
13. Tree by the River by Iron & Wine
14. The Bad In Each Other by Feist
15. Gravity Lane by Bela Fleck & The Flecktones
16. Without You by Eddie Vedder

Favorite Albums of 2011

Here they are, my 10 favorite albums of 2011.  Ask me again in a week and it may look different but that's the subjective nature of these lists.  Overall 2011 seemed like a solid year for music.  There were a lot of good albums but not one that stood head and shoulders above the others for me.  More then anything I always enjoy these lists because you can pick up on some quality music that you may have missed out on.

10:  El Camino by The Black Keys -

• It's still growing on me since it just came out a couple weeks ago.  A little more up-tempo then 'Brothers' which is good but the songwriting doesn't seem as deep.

9:  In Light by Givers -

• Great debut album with a very distinct sound.  Hopefully they can build and expand on it in the future.

8:  Torches by Foster the People -

• Despite 'Pumped Up Kicks' & 'Helena Beat' being played to death on the radio, it's a solid album that I listened to non-stop when I first heard it.

7:  The People's Key by Bright Eyes -

• It was great to see that Conor & Co. still have great music in them after a couple disappointing solo album attempts.  

6:  Middle Brother by Middle Brother -

• I liked this one a lot more then I expected.  It also introduced me to 3 other great bands: Dawes, Deer Tick, & Delta Spirit.

5:  Era Extrana by Neon Indian -

• Stumbled onto this almost accidentally and was hooked from the opening beats.

4:  Father, Son, and Holy Ghost by Girls -

• There always seems to be an album that I'll dismiss at first only to rediscover and appreciate it later on.  For 2011 it was this gem by Girls.  

3:  Zonoscope by Cut Copy -

• I definitely listened to Zonoscope more than any other album this year.  It was my go-to album for the gym or long drives at work.  

2:  Cults by Cults -

• This album seems timeless to me.  I feel like it would've fit in just was well 40-50 years ago as it does today.

1:  The Whole Love by Wilco -

• For the wide range of styles Wilco experiments with on this album all the songs blend together really well.  There have been great songs on their past few releases but for me this is the best 'album' they've had since 'A Ghost Is Born'.  

New Hacienda Album in Spring 2012

According to the band's website they're finished recording a new album that will be released in the Spring of 2012.  This will be their 3rd album following 2010's somewhat disappointing Big Red & Barbacoa.  Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys is back as producer and if the teaser trailer below is any indication, this should mark a return to form for the band while breaking some new ground.  The album's first single "Savage" is already out and getting some air play locally in the Philadelphia area. 

Hacienda - Savage by hacienda_tx

New To Me: Yuck

I came across Yuck while checking out various Best of 2011 lists.  Listening to their self-titled debut took me back to the 90's alternative groups that I listened to when I was just getting into music.  I'll definitely be keeping them on my radar.

Favorite Shows of 2011

The end of the year is fast approaching and various countdown lists are beginning to appear.  I figured I'd start off by counting down my favorite concerts of 2011:

5 - Friendly Fires @ Union Transfer, Philadelphia
Prior to FF even taking stage the show became one of my favorites of the year.  That was in part due to it being my first time at Union Transfer and also because Theophilus London commanded and energized the crowed unlike I think I've seen an opening act do before.  Friendly Fires brought a similar intensity that the crowd ate up in a dancing frenzy.

4 - Bright Eyes @ The Mann, Philadelphia
Opening act Dawes played as the unsuspecting crowd filed into The Mann.  Following their 2011 release "Nothing Is Wrong" I have a feeling they'll be headlining similar venues in the near future.  I tend to prefer their live performances more so then their albums.  See this version of Peace In The Valley as an example.  I had previously seen Bright Eyes in a much smaller venue so I wasn't sure how they'd translate to an outdoor setting this time around.  Conor & Co. didn't disappoint and neither did their album "The People's Key" which will likely end up on another Year-End list of mine.

3 - Bela Fleck & The Flecktones @ The Grand Opera House, Wilmington
It should come as no surprise that some of the best musicians in the world put on a fantastic show.  The original Flecktone lineup was on tour in support of their new album "Rocket Science".  I had very high expectations for this show and they lived up to them.  This particular show also included the first live performance of the song 'Wolf Laurel' off Rocket Science which was a real treat to experience.

2 - Cut Copy @ Rams Head Live, Baltimore
Cut Copy put on the best live performance I saw all year, and probably longer.  Even though I wasn't too familiar with their first album I was still caught up in every beat of every song.  A couple years from now they're the band you'll be kicking yourself in the ass for not having seen before.

1 - My Morning Jacket @ The Merriweather Post Pavillion, Columbia
I've seen MMJ a handful of times and although this wasn't the best performance I've witnessed (Bonnaroo '08), it was one of the most memorable.  Through their fan club I got pit tickets and experienced the show from several feet in front of the stage.  Jim James & Co. can seem larger then life to a mega-fan enjoying the show from a distance, so to get that close was uncharted waters for me.  I thought to myself, this is what it would have been like to see them years ago at a smaller venue, forgetting the thousands seated/standing behind me.  A couple months later I saw MMJ again from a distance and it was a fantastic show as well, just not as refreshing as an up close and personal look from the pit.