Cementing The Seams

Trainwreck - If There's A Light It Will Find You

• The always killer Trainwreck madetheir mark on 2011 with this 5 song 12".  The consensus on this record seemed to be "good but doesn't really sound much like earlier material" Is that good? Bad? Depends on who you ask.  Either way, compared to other Trainwreck or any record in this genre, it was one of the biggest successes of the year. Conceptually.

• It was a big year for Punch; signing to Deathwish, touring the entire universe, and (if Tumblr is any indication) becoming the most popular band in said universe.  You would think their recorded resume would have been a bit more prolific.  Considering how good Nothing Lasts was though, you'll get it.

• Members of Mammoth Grinder and Hatred Surge (more on these guys in the near future).  This sounds like what you assume these two bands getting together and writing a punk record would sound like: fucking awesome. 

• This is what my life is missing right now.  Midwestern math-rock, fuzzed out bluesy riffs.  Everything about this is good.  In fact, listening to it now, it's even better than I remember.

• This hit me like a ton of bricks.  I always thought Thou was a little boring, and I mean, I guess they still are, but The Archer & The Owle cannot be ignored.  It was a little difficult to put here because A) It can hardly be called an EP, and B) The best material on it is recylced from 2010's "Summit".  Everything is so well put together, though (the songs, the packaging) that I had to include this.  Had it not already been released, the opening track "Voices In The Wilderness" would have probably been the best song of the year.

• I might be the only person who thinks Snacks is without question Kidcrash's best record. At least it seems that way.  So imagine how pleased I was when these 4 songs sounded like outtakes from one a my favorite records from last year.  I still probably haven't listened to this enough, which is probably because it doesn't quite have the hook of Snacks.  But you know, can't go wrong.

• This was absolutely the best impulse buy I made all year.  Perfect mix of punk, pop and 90's indie rock.  I dare you not to like this.

• Looking back now, 2011 was a pretty killer year for indie rock.  It just kills me that people are so into Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens and not Giant Peach. Shit. Top notch driving-into-the-sunset music from these New York dudes/dudettes.  I don't understand the world.