A Note from the editor: We Dispatchers try to love everything that comes down the pipeline, but it’s tough for us to wrap our favorites into one list. We decided to let everyone in the office weigh in! Below you will find Holly’s top picks for the year.
5. Axis IV by Paranoid Social Club
I remember being in college when PSC’s Axis II came out and it sort of became the anthem album of my suite. Axis IV is much the same, except the songs have gotten stronger and smarter and are a lot more than jams to get wasted to.
Purchase “Axis IV” from Bullmoose
4. The Way Life Is by The McCarthys
These guys have been doing their thing for a while around town and they know what works and what doesn’t. There’s true musicianship throughout this record as everybody in the band sings, plays and writes — and I’m a big sucker for that kind of thing.
3. Low Down by The Mallett Brothers Band
Hands down, “Dynamite Dot” is the most danceable song of 2011 for me. It’s been a big year for the Mallett brothers and this album quickly became one of my favorites as the songs are well crafted and range from country to rock to blues. A real barnburner, if you will.
2. Rockin’ For A Living by Kurt Baker
Kurt Baker is the prince of power-pop here in Portland and this album was and is in heavy rotation at The Nunz Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I love how far Kurt has come as a solo artist and this record really proves his worth.
1. The Lucid by (Dominic And) The Lucid
2011 was the year of Dominic Lavoie’s identity crisis and the band became, simply, The Lucid. Not only did their name change, but their sound did too. This album is very much an experimental album for the fellas and I truly liked that about it.
Honorable mentions:
Secret Songs for Secret People by Eric Bettencourt — Bettencourt’s latest album is definitely worthy of being in the Top five I just didn’t list it, as I’ve not spent as much time with his album as I have the rest. It’s definitely worth checking out as his songs are intimate, yet universal and his voice is one of the most inimitable on the scene today.
Analogies by Doctor Astronaut — I loved Doctor Astronaut’s full-length from this year; it’s crude, but exceptionally well done and it sounds terrific due in part to some top-notch production by Jonathan Wyman. If I had one wish for 2012, it would be that Doc Astro put out a full length.
Kris Rodgers EP by Kris Rodgers & the Dirty Gems — This album is short and sweet, but full of killer jams right from the get-go. Kris reminds me of a combination of Leon Russell, Elton John and Paul Rodgers all rolled in to one that packs a helluva rock n’ roll punch.
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