Reviler Best of 2011: Local Albums

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13 Responses

  1. Jim Meyer says:

    Any guidance through the local forest is always appreciated. I came to inquire why Mayda was a complete no-show. I haven’t heard it, and someone told me it sounded like “bad Prince.” Did she miss the mark, or did you all? Just askin’. Keep on.

  2. Josh says:

    Can’t speak for anyone else, but I think she is a fun performer live but came away underwhelmed by her recordings. I think “bad Prince” is over simplified but probably isn’t too far off the mark. A bigger thing for me is that there are at least 10 (probably closer to 30-40) records released by Minneapolis artists that I think are much better than her work. There are lots of bands who I enjoy but simply never were close to being in my top 10….just another sign of our really great, diverse scene.

  3. Adam Bubolz says:

    I regret not having enough time to type something up about each of my choices for anyone who might not be familiar but I will try.

    Browsing through our lists I see that there’s not a ton of overlap which I think really points to the fact that there are a lot of great things going on in town right now all over the map.

  4. jonbehm says:

    I would definitely echo Josh’s sentiment regarding Mayda live but I can’t actually speak to her recent album since I haven’t heard it. So many great local albums to listen to this year – that is one I never made it to

  5. Will Wlizlo says:

    My favorite local album this year is missing from y’all’s lists: “Space is the Corpse of Time” by Zebulon Pike. The Midwest is the land of doom metal, and we have the genre’s unheralded masters.

  6. Jim Meyer says:

    Josh
    This ain’t over. Please list 10, 20, 30 or 40 records you prefer to Mayda, or better yet, specify why you don’t endorse hers. I realize nobody likes a single-issue voter, and obviously there is no accounting for taste, but I’m gonna try anyway. And clearly you are not alone. On the contrary, I’M alone on her, apparently. I think she made CP’s 50-some honorable mentions, and Walsh put one of her songs in his Strib poll. I’ve been around a long time and I have rarely been so baffled by “the community.” Are we all soooo deathly afraid of a little mainstream commercial sound and sensibility? I’m not saying there aren’t grounds for criticism or disagreement about her style, substance and approach. I’m just curious if we agree what they are.
    Yours in deeper local-music appreciation and analysis.
    Meyer
    p.s. Love the site.

  7. Kyle says:

    Mayda’s live show is fantastic.

    not a big fan of her records myself however, i feel like she’s still trying to find her own sound/thing a bit.

  8. Josh says:

    Jim, Thanks for your interest/perseverance. It may not be entirely satisfying, but I am standing by my assertion that I don’t fundamentally have any problems with her, she just didn’t make anything that jumped off the page for me. Will I see her if she is playing a free show on a nice summer night and enjoy it while drinking beers with friends? Absolutely. Will I listen to her record when I have a stack of CDs, records and tapes that I like more sitting by my stereo? Nope.

    Nothing against her…just kind of gives me the old “meh” feeling.

    To your question, a quick look on my music folders and writings finds, for starters, these albums/tapes that I would for sure choose over Mayda (after the 14 listed above):

    Albert LP, Ghostband CS, Big Quarters- Party Like a Young Commie, Building LP, Miami Dolphins CS (2x), Audio Perm- In Full Effect, Elite Gymnastics- Ruin, Falcon Arrow- Axehandle Hound, Red Pens 7”, Blind Shake/Michal Yonkers LP, Fire in the Northern Fires CS, A Loud Heart EP, Chelsea Boys- Night Sweat CS, Nytowl- Tokyo EP, Cage III- Michael Jordan CS, Grant Cutler- 2012, Take Acre LP, Unknown Prophets LP, Villa Rosa LP, Gay Beast LP, Night Moves LP, Teenage Moods LP, Hollow Boys CS, Paper Tiger LP, Bombay Sweets EP, Glebfest CS, Oask CS, Low LP

  9. Jim Meyer says:

    Josh
    Thanks for YOUR perseverence. I think I’m ready to let go. She probably tries a little too hard but I really admired her range and daring to go over the top of pop. May I delicately point out that you double-listed Low and Bombay Sweets. No wonder you thought it was a strong year; you were on drugs for most of it apparently. ;}

  10. Adam says:

    That’s our Josh

  11. Jim Meyer says:

    Drugs, or you just really like Bombay Sweets and Low.

  12. Jim Meyer says:

    There are also two Ghostband CSs, but if indeed Jon Davis released six albums last year, listing just two could be considered restrained. Oi, oi, oi oh boy oh boy.

  13. Josh says:

    List got on there twice, so all bands were up there twice. Oops. It is corrected.

    As for my wild life…I pretty much live the pages of the Motley Crue book Dirt seven days a week.

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