As an epilogue to 2011, I’ll be posting a series of year-end lists—because the Internet needs a few more—that includes my favorite discoveries and experiences of the past year.

Favorite Album: Washed Out, “Within and Without”
As a teenager in the early 90’s, I grew up on modern rock¹. The Jesus and Mary Chain, Curve, James, My Bloody Valentine, The Cure, New Order and Catherine Wheel were the bands I followed religiously and relentlessly: I was attracted to their dark, atmospheric, complicated sounds that stood in stark opposition to my comfortable, candy-colored, suburban hometown². Over the past few years, the influence of the early 90’s modern rock scene has gone mainstream again, with bands such as Washed Out, Toro Y Moi, A Place To Bury Strangers, Tamaryn, True Widow and Cold Cave sampling³ their way through the decade.

Of all the early 90’s revivalists, Washed Out is my favorite, as Ernest Greene collects the most memorable sounds of the decade—synth beats, drum machines, reverberating guitars and vocal effects—arranging them into modern and hopeful compositions (a feeling often absent from modern rock). I love nostalgia and the way a song can transport us back in time; with Washed Out, it’s not a particular moment, rather a state of mind—a return to the optimism of youth and musical discovery that resonates (and shapes you) for a lifetime.

Honorable Mention: M83’s Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, James Blake’s Self-Titled, Destroyer’s Kaputt (which might have been my favorite if I had a few more months to savor it.)

Favorite Live Show: Tamaryn, The Soft Moon and Black Ryder @ Cafe Du Nord (February 25)

In 24 Hour Party People, Tony Wilson (played by Steve Coogan) mentions that watching Joy Division perform for the first time was like experiencing the history of rock music unfold before his eyes⁴. In the past 20 years, I’ve been to hundreds of shows and the feeling that Tony describes has happened exactly twice—watching Interpol at Bottom of the Hill over a decade ago (2001), and now, witnessing Soft Moon last year. It’s not just a brilliant performance that makes these shows special… it’s the feeling that you’re witnessing something bigger than anyone in the room can imagine, and that you’ll be talking about the show decades later. While Interpol repackaged post-punk with a sexy, hipster decadence that made everyone in the crowd want to be in the band, the Soft Moon beat the eyeliner and skinny jeans off post-punk and stuffed it with dread, menace and lust—what Joy Division and the other Mancunian bands intended all along. Music often leaves listeners with a physical and emotional reaction, but rarely does it shake your spiritual core, and I was lucky enough to be the unexpected victim of Interpol and the Soft Moon.

Honorable Mention: FYFest in Los Angeles (fulfilling my dream of seeing Death From Above 1979 live); Sleigh Bells @ Williamsburg Hall of Music (say what you will about their bombastic, pre-recorded performance style, but Alexis Krause really knows how to win the crowd); Queens of the Stone Age @ Fox Theatre (as I got to enjoy the show backstage and hang out with the other tattooed, 30-something “band aids” afterward).

Favorite Song: Phantogram’s “16 Years”
The intersection of music and moment plays a significant role in our memory: one influences the way we recall the other and once a connection is made in our mind, they are inseparable. Whereas I would have chosen Tamaryn’s “Dawning” as my favorite song a few months ago, my discovery of Phantogram’s “16 Years” during a time when I sought musical companionship and writing inspiration made it the most important song of my year (see a previous post for additional words about the song).

Honorable Mention: Tamaryn’s “Dawning” (see earlier post), SBTRK’s “Right Thing To Do” (this is the true sound of dubstep), M83’s “Midnight City” (saxophone solos are back, in an epic way).

(1) Instead of using goth-rock, synth-pop, new wave and shoegaze to describe the different music genres listed, I’m going with “modern rock”, much like LIVE105, our local radio station, liked to label these bands.

(2) That, all the cute nerdy girls in high school were part of the goth crowd.

(3) Not necessarily sampling in a technical sense, but you know what I mean.

(4) I’m definitely paraphrasing here, but he did mention something to this effect.