Two decades from now, how do you think 2011 will be remembered? As the year we lost Amy Winehouse? How about the year three of music’s most iconic outfits – The White Stripes, R.E.M., and LCD Soundsystem — all decided to call it quits? Maybe Lana Del Rey will prove a sustainable force and then we can all tell our children about the great collagen debate of 2011. Or try to explain to them how two rock and roll hall of famers came together to create the worst piece of music imaginable.

Yeah, 2011 was a fucking weird year. Like, a total mindfuck. We lost some great ones, both literally and figuratively, and we wrote or read about them in between stories about Wayne Coyne’s gummy fetus and Nick Oliveri’s standoff with a S.W.A.T. team. Along the way, we were presented with a legal way to listen to a jazilion songs for free, watched that dude from Nine Inch Nails win an Oscar, and witnessed the return of not just Kate Bush and Tom Waits, but Jeff Mangum as well. Yet, at the end of the day, Lana Del Rey’s collagen lips and Odd Future’s misogynistic tendencies won the award for stories with the longest shelf life on my Twitter feed.

Then again, four weeks from now it’ll be 2012′s turn and who knows what that year has in store. Maybe some scientist will be able to revive Jim Morrison’s frozen head so that we can have a true collaboration between The Doors and Skrillex. Whatever the case may be, Consequence of Sound will be here, 24/7/365, ready to bring you all the major headlines. Until then, though, we remember the last 12 months, categorized by themes, in the pages that follow. And, as always, thanks for reading.

– Alex Young
Publisher

R.I.P.: The Ones We Lost in 2011

Amy Winehouse (1983-2011): The soulful, sultry songstress was the first British female to win five Grammy awards. Unfortunately, she also became a member of the infamous “27 Club” when police found her dead in her London home on July 23rd. An autopsy later confirmed her death as the result of accidental alcohol poisoning.

Clarence Clemons (1942-2011): Founding member and saxophonist of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, Clemons was a larger-than-life figure, and he’ll forever be remembered for his solos on “Jungleland” and “Born to Run”. Clemons died on June 18th from complications caused by a stroke. He was 69.

Bert Jansch (1943-2011): Acclaimed Scottish folk singer who was both a celebrated solo musician and member of the band Pentangle. Jansch died on October 5th following a lengthy battle with lung cancer. He was 67.

Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011): A celebrated musician, poet, and author who was largely credited as one of the leading influences of hip-hop and neo soul. Scott-Heron died on May 27th. He was 62.

Heavy D (1967-2011): The founding member and leader of Heavy D & the Boyz helped bridge the worlds of hip-hop and R&B in the ’90s before transitioning to a career in film. Heavy D (born Dwight Arrington Myers) died on November 8th reportedly from complications of pneumonia. He was 44.

Nate Dogg (1969-2011): West coast crooner collaborated with Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Snoop Dogg. Nate Dogg (born Nathaniel Hale) died from complications of multiple strokes on March 15th. He was 41.

Poly Styrene (1957-2011): The former singer of X-Ray Spek was described as the “archetype for the modern-day feminist punk.” Styrene died on April 25th following a battle with breast cancer. She was 53.

Trish Keenan (1968-2011): Founding member and singer of British electronic band Broadcast. Keenan died from complications with pneumonia on January 14th. She was 42.

Hubert Sumlin (1931-2011): Legendary guitarist and longtime collaborator of blues icon Howlin’ Wolf is ranked at number forty-three in the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Sumlin died on December 4th. He was 80.

Cory Smoot: (1977-2011): Guitarist for the shock rock band GWAR was the longest-serving member to play the character Flattus Maximus. Smoot was found dead on the band’s tour bus on November 3rd; as of December 5th, his cause of death is still unknown. He was 34.

DJ Mehdi (1977-2011): French hip-hop and electro producer was a member of Ed Banger Records and collaborated with Chromeo, Cassius, and Carte Blanche. DJ Mehdi (born Mehdi Favéris-Essadi) died on September 13th when the roof of his Paris home collapsed during a friend’s birthday party. He was 34.

Michael “Würzel” Burston (1949-2011): The former Army corporal served as guitarist for Motörhead from 1984-1995. Würzel died from complications of heart disease on July 9th. He was 61.

Mike Starr (1966-2011): The founding member and bassist of Alice in Chains contributed to two studio albums — including the 1992 classic Dirt — before departing in 1993. Starr was found dead on March 8th, with an autopsy later finding traces of drugs in his system. He was 44.

Suze Rotolo (1943-2011): The former girlfriend of Bob Dylan inspired many of the songwriter’s early love songs and appeared on the iconic cover of his 1963 classic, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Rotolo died of lung cancer on February 25th. She was 67.

Gerard Smith (1974-2011): The TV on the Radio bassist appeared on the band’s celebrated albums Return to Cookie Mountain, Dear Science, and Nine Types of Light. Smith died from lung cancer on April 20th. He was 36.

John Barry (1933-2011): The Academy Award-winning composer soundtracked 12 James Bond films between 1962 and 1987 in addition to Born Free, The Lion in Winter, and Out of Africa. Barry died of a heart attack on January 30th. He was 77.

Mikey Welsh (1971-2011): The former Weezer bassist appeared on the band’s 2001 The Green Album. Welsh was found dead on October 8th. He was 40.

Welcome Back: 2011′s Reunions

Photo by Colin Athens

While 2011 was a particularly harsh year for band breakups (see the next slide), at least Pulp came back. Long a dream on festival message boards, the legendary UK outfit finally reunited in the summer of 2011 for their first live performances in nine years. Our own Frank Mojica was at the band’s comeback show at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound and declared it “an explosive set that cemented Pulp’s status as the essential festival band of 2011 and will be remembered as fondly and regarded as definitive as their Glastonbury 1995 performance.”

However, Pulp wasn’t the only celebrated outfit to return in 2011. Buffalo Springfield — the folk rock supergroup comprised of Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young — reunited after 43 years for a brief West coast tour and headlining performance at Bonnaroo. Wrote our own Carson O’Shoney of their Bonnaroo appearance: “Even those who weren’t familiar with the band’s work were surely impressed. Seeing Neil Young wail on guitar is simply one of the better things in all of music. But the final three knockout punches of ‘Broken Arrow’, ‘For What It’s Worth’, and ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ were what really solidified it as one of the best sets of the weekend.”

Other 2011 reunions:

After inciting a riot during their first live performance in five years at South by Southwest, hard-hitting Canadian outfit Death From Above 1979 played any and every summer festival, including Coachella, Sasquatch!, Quebec City Summer Fest, Lollapalooza, FYF Fest, ACL, and Treasure Island.

Post-punk icons New Order reunited after five years with a pair of benefit shows in Europe.

Mazzy Star unleashed a two-song single, their first pieces of new music in 15 years.

Ben Folds reunited Ben Folds Five for their first new material in a decade.

UK glam rock outfit The Darkness reunited for their first live performance since 2006 at UK’s Download Festival.

In celebration of their 45th anniversary, The Monkees hit the road for their first live performances since 1997. Unfortunately, the final eight dates of their trek were canceled “due to internal group issues and conflicts.”

Chicago’s own Hum delivered their first performance in a decade.

San Diego-based post-hardcore outfit Hot Snakes reunited at ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas in December.

Austin, TX, noise rock pioneers Scratch Acid toured extensively for the first time in over two decades.

NYC punk band D-Generation hit the road in the fall for their first performances since 1999. A new album is also in the works.

Mexico City rock band Caifanes reunited after 15 years for a performance at Coachella.

The End of An Era: 2011′s Breakups

Bands, like trends, come and go. Some last for decades with deep catalogs, and others only survive a couple years with an album or two. Their presence has a lasting impact on our lives and ears, and thus their disbandment has the same. To the greats we lost this year: Thanks for the tunes. -Ben Kaye

R.E.M. (1981-2011): Seminal, legendary, and unequaled, Georgia’s alternative rock icons ended their career after three decades. From their 1983 debut, Murmur, to their 2011 finale, Collapse Into Now, to the world’s first GIF album cover, the band exemplified how to be successful, innovative, and cool while remaining uncompromising. Their legacy will be felt for decades more to come.

The White Stripes (1997-2011): One of the greatest bands of the era, this garage blues-rock duo left an indelible mark on music with six albums. Jack White will continue on in his myriad of forms, but The White Stripes will be remembered as the band that started it all and his most widely celebrated triumph.

LCD Soundsystem (2001-2011): These modern dance-punk virtuosos left us with three full-lengths and a year-long swan song, culminating in a finale at Madison Square Garden. And we still wish we were getting more.

Rilo Kiley (1998-2011): Fourteen years of indie rock ended rather unceremoniously. Regardless, their sophomore full-length, The Execution of All Things, will go down as one of the best albums of the last decade.

The Stills (2000-2011): These Canadian indie rockers released three albums over 10 years. They will likely be best remembered for 2008’s Juno Award-winning Oceans Will Rise.

The Academy Is… (2003-2011): These Warped Tour regulars dispersed while in the process of recording album #4. At least they got to tour with KISS before it ended.

Dear and the Headlights (2005-2011): Two full-lengths and extensive touring proved too much for this Arizona indie pop rock band. Scared by all the lights.

The Felix Culpa (2003-2011): Unsung heroes of the Midwest post-hardcore scene. Despite the success of last year’s self-released sophomore effort, Sever Your Roots, there will be no more happy mistakes.

Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon (1984-2011): Founding members of Sonic Youth and godparents of indie rock. What the power couple’s separation means for their iconic band is yet to be seen, though side projects abound.

Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel (2009-2011): This pair of indie darlings split after only two years of marriage amidst heavy work schedules for each. While separations are always sad, we can’t help but swoon over the idea that Deschanel is technically available…

Digital Takeover

On July 14, 2011, millions of music fans sighed in relief: Spotify hit U.S. shores, and the end of the war on music drew closer to its end. Now, that’s not entirely true – the labels still aren’t too happy, neither are the artists – but the idea that “music is free” has never been more agreed upon until now. Thanks to Spotify, users can legally check out a variety of new releases in addition to a fully digestible catalog that spans everyone from ABBA to John Zorn, at any time — even on their phones, though that option will cost them. But it’s a price that many will pay, simply because it’s the way of the future.

It’s the death of the mp3 and the dawn of the truly, strictly digital age, where music listeners can immerse themselves in digital clouds of music. This year, Apple, Amazon, and Google Music all introduced similar formats, asking users to upload their collections into digital lockers, where they’ll always have access. Anywhere. Anytime. Where else can you go from there?

How about interactivity? Online forums evolved this year, too. “You should check this band out” is so passe. Instead, online users are opting for more media savvy formats, where they can turn their textual suggestions into aural delights. Through a service like Turntable.fm, which surfaced earlier this year, users now create rooms, throwing online soirees, where they DJ their own stations. All of this comes at little to no price and with zero trouble (although, there are always exceptions). So, it’s been a pretty transitive year in the music industry. A game changer, if you will. -Michael Roffman

An Odd Future, Indeed.

There’s that wonderful exchange at the end of Batman Begins, when Lt. Gordon digresses on The Caped Crusader’s influence over Gotham City, calling attention to like-minded criminals with a “taste for the theatrical,” stating plainly, “You really started something.” So true of the internet. Most of the time, you’ll find a chunky, melting pot of deep-seeded opinions, but sometimes, just sometimes, they all come together to agree on something. That’s when true change is had. And it can happen overnight.

Case in point: Odd Future and Lana Del Rey.

Controversy played a big role in the successes of these two – the former because of obscenities, the latter because of collagen – but, really, it only fueled it. The real credit, however, goes to the blogosphere. It’s the classic “she tells her friends” routine – only to an ungodly nth degree. One blog hypes a track, one site swears by another, and all of a sudden you’re trending on social networks nationwide, then worldwide, then… yeah, it sort of stops there. It’s nothing new. That’s the true nature of a fad (see: Trapper Keepers, Pogs, LA Gear). But, it’s never seen extremes such as this.

And as polarizing as these acts may be – “Aren’t they being misogynistic?”; “She’s not real! Her real name’s Lizzy Grant! OMFG, hate her!!1!” – it’s the way they came to fruition that’s far more interesting. It reveals a true power within the internet, one that may or may not be good. Regardless of its moral worth, though, it’s here to stay. As the Joker, essentially a by-product of Batman, ominously declared in the film’s follow-up, “There’s no going back. You’ve changed things… forever.” Yep. Deal with it, folks. -Michael Roffman

The Return of R&B

Some guy somewhere jokingly called it “PBR&B” and that gained traction for a little while — R&B for “hipsters.” If we take one thing away from this, let it be this: The resurgence and strength of R&B in 2011 had nothing to do with “hipsters,” a word I apologetically use here (and if I had two wishes for Christmas this year, it would be that I never hear that word again). The strength of The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, The-Dream, How To Dress Well, Active Child, and tangentially Drake this year was born from little else than a defibrillator to a dormant art form using a bit of indie sentiment.

The Weeknd’s sudden and (not so) mysterious arrival drew the highest peak in the EKG chart with the hedonistic, dripping-wet jams of his House of Balloons mixtape, sampling Beach House and Siouxsie and the Banshees, which of course reached across the aisle to white tumblrites more ostensibly than Aaliyah and R. Kelly ever did in the 90’s. From there, Frank Ocean bowed out of producing pop hits for Biebs and made known his association with OFWGKTA for his Nostalgia Ultra mixtape, a damp and druggy confessional. Kanye took a liking to him, as well.

The cross-cultural movement was just as strong for Active Child’s choir-boy jams and How To Dress Well’s shrouded pangs, both of whom collaborated with each other on the song “Playing House”. There are many more artists working with these tools: production rooted in current trends, voices like butter, beats like woah. Perhaps the response to the hidden vocals of last year’s genre de l’année Chillwave is that these artists are putting the spotlight back on the soul of the human voice.  -Jeremy D. Larson

The Return of the Legacy Act

It’s been seven years since Tom Waits released his 23rd album, six years since Kate Bush released her 9th, and 13 years since Jeff Mangum (as Neutral Milk Hotel) released his second. Not all acts that resurface have to have page-long catalogs, and like Mangum, not all comebacks have to include new material, but these three artists made the biggest impact in 2011 after some time away from the spotlight.

Not even just away from the spotlight, but in some cases purposefully reclusive. Before this year, Jeff Mangum appearances were becoming lore, like seeing the face of Mother Mary in a Crunchwrap Supreme. Mangum only did some one-off shows in barns or was seen looming backstage at some gig. But last January, he announced his reemergence for ATP New Jersey at the “I’ll Be Your Mirror” event — a festival! He went from barns to a major festival in like a year! He then went on a small U.S. tour and released a career-spanning Neutral Milk Hotel box set, and there are no signs of him stopping with tour dates already stretching into 2012.

For Kate Bush, pace is the trick. With 10 albums in over 30 years, we’re running on her press cycle — releasing her babies into the world only when they’re ready to leave the nest. With a flurry (ahem), she dropped two albums in 2011 — her self-explanatory Director’s Cut and her acclaimed new studio album, 50 Words for Snow. With no tour or late-night performances, Bush is still staying out of the limelight for now. But it’s not like she needs the press.

And then there’s the categorical Tom Waits, doing his thing for the 24th time with not a hint of phoning it in. Bad As Me is another trophy for his buckling shelf and his most commercially successful album to date, peaking at #6 on the U.S. Billboard charts. Twenty-four albums in 37 years with rarely a misstep or an eye roll, soundtracking movies, musicals, German surrealist plays, and with his release this year, he’s only further cementing himself as an American cultural icon. We await for “Waitsian” to be added to dictionaries. -Jeremy D. Larson

The Return of Radiohead

Photo by Nate Slevin

It’s a predicament: A member of Radiohead posts something online (e.g. new track, obscure art, a haiku-like blog entry, et al.), and you’re a.) out at lunch, b.) four hours into a deep sleep, or c.) at your own wedding. Whatever the situation, you’re finding the closest computer and fast. That sort of conundrum plagues every blogger’s life annually, but especially in 2011. As of today, Consequence of Sound has 10 pages of Radiohead-related news for this year alone. Quite a lot. To think, it all started in the eye-tweaking, early morning hours of February 14th, 2011. That’s when the group announced the release of their eighth LP, The King of Limbs, set to deliver only four days later. Naturally, the ‘net exploded soon after; in fact, as one reader put it that morning, “I just pooped my pants.”

That reaction turned sour (or just downright polarizing) when the LP eventually surfaced. Some complained about its length (a copious 37 minutes), speculating on a second part (which never materialized), while others wondered where the band went, calling it a Yorke-centric effort. A week after it was announced, Consequence of Sound awarded the album four stars, hailing it as “one of their most absorbing efforts to date.” (Currently, the album has a Metacritic score of 80.) Despite the general acclaim, critics everywhere levied their slight disappointment between their words.

But that hardly stalled the group. Since 2007′s event release of In Rainbows, the UK collective has stayed ahead of the curve, and this year was no different. Things just got weird. They issued a free newspaper, their “Lotus Flower” video sent dance enthusiasts on edge, and Yorke started hitting the DJ scene hard. But, on the other hand, they struck all the right nerves by releasing an exclusive Record Store Day 7″, “surprising” festivalgoers at Glastonbury, endorsing an album of remixes, and media blitzing NYC for a week (which included stops at Fallon, SNL, The Colbert Report, and two sold-out nights at The Roseland Ballroom). It doesn’t look like it’ll end for 2012, either, what with another LP and a proper tour on the way. That’s okay, though. Our stomachs, sleep schedules, and loved ones won’t appreciate it, but hey, more Radiohead, right? As the old adage with this group goes, “Stay tuned.” -Michael Roffman

The Day Trent Reznor Won An Oscar

When first approached by director David Fincher to score his film about the founding of Facebook, Trent Reznor had just wrapped up Nine Inch Nails’ lengthy farewell tour and was planning to take time off. However, as Reznor later explained, “When I actually read the script and realized what he was up to, I said goodbye to that free time I had planned.” Undoubtedly attracted by the film’s sentiments on isolation, greed, and entitlement (all familiar issues to the Nine Inch Nails frontman), Reznor graciously accepted his new role as film composer.

Teaming with longtime collaborator Atticus Ross, the duo would go on to create a masterpiece of “alternative-rock infused ambient electronic music” that as our Drew Litowitz writes, “mimics the anxious ambivalence that Sorkin’s script and Fincher’s direction convey so similarly.”  The score amplified the angst and turmoil that accompanied the success of Mark Zuckerberg. For a movie with no ostensible “action” sequences, the score built tension to great heights alongside Aaron Sorkin’s signature verbose script. One question remained: Would movie critics give praise to an outside artist who once sang, “God is dead and no one cares/ if there’s a hell, I’ll see you there”?

With 15 nominations for Best Original Score, it seemed Reznor and Ross had created a score that struck an international cord. Even after winning the Golden Globe, skeptics wondered if The Academy would give Reznor and Ross the Oscar over perennial favorites Hans Zimmer and Alexandre Desplat. All doubt dissipated when Nicole Kidman and the all-too-pleased Hugh Jackman called the duo up to accept each one’s first Academy Award. “Wow, is this really happening?” Reznor asked during his acceptance speech.

Reznor’s now working on the score for the Fincher-directed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Will he need to make more room on his trophy shelf? Plus, with an alt-rock artist taking home the coveted award, might Reznor’s win, combined with the efforts of Daft Punk and The Chemical Brothers, be incentive for more contemporary artists to try their hand at composing film scores? We’d like to hope so. -Derek Staples

Who is Arcade Fire??!!?

Sunday, February 13, 2011. Talk about a tumultuous 24-hour news cycle: Hours before Radiohead resurfaced to wreak havoc on the ‘net with The King of Limbs (see page nine), Arcade Fire walked home with a Grammy for Album of the Year for their 2010 album, The Suburbs. As Win Butler & Co. cooked up an impromptu cut of “Ready to Start” over the ceremony’s closing credits, fingers raced across keyboards, mouses clicked, and emotions ran wild. Some praised the news – Kanye West tweeted, “#Arcade fire!!!!!!!!!! There is hope!!! I feel like we all won when something like this happens! FUCKING AWESOME!” – while others, many others, updated their Facebook and Twitter accounts in utter confusion. Thus, one of 2011′s most popular internet memes came to fruition: Who Is Arcade Fire??!!?

For days following the Grammys, the widely celebrated Tumblr account reposted countless social media updates from users everywhere, all of whom had no clue who these Canadian indie rockers were. Some were angry, some were frustrated, and some felt victimized – as if the Grammys robbed Lady Antebellum, Eminem, Lady Gaga, or Katy Perry of a truer win. Naturally, as with anything this insubstantial to normal, everyday life, the wake calmed and most of the anger turned to curiosity. This partly speaks for the thousands upon thousands of fans that arrived in droves to catch them headline festivals, or take over their nearby venues. Creation through chaos, so to speak.

So, while recent Grammy-nominee Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) might think otherwise, the Grammys proved that they do still hold some weight, turning an indie rock icon into a household name. Admittedly, you might not appreciate your mother keeping The Suburbs on rotation with Taylor Swift, but hey, it’s an improvement, right? Yep, Jimbo: “Strange days have found us.” -Michael Roffman

Lulu and more WTF collaborations

We’re generally all for unique, head-turning collaborations, but some instances of teamwork insanity in 2011 really had us going “WTF?” For instance, just last week director Darren Aronofsky glorified Lou Reed and Metallica’s Lulu, which our own Jeremy D. Larson so bluntly described as ”a complete failure on every tangible and intangible level of its existence,” with a music video for “The View”. But not even a video by a top-notch director can save an album doomed by its concept and only further hindered by poor production that awkwardly abandons Reed’s vocals on top of the mix

If Metallica and Lou Reed would have spent a bit more time exploring other odd collabos of 2011, they possibly could have avoided their joint tragedy all together. Back in July, SuperHeavy, the supergroup made up of Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, A. R. Rahman, and Damian Marley, dropped their first single, “Miracle Worker”. The bloated, inorganic track felt stapled together, with many critics and listeners calling it a marketing ploy by Warner Music Group.

Then in August, profanities flew left and right when we were presented with this picture of Jack White and Insane Clown Posse. If the pic wasn’t awful enough, whoever chose to listen to the White-produced “Leck Mich Im Arsch” and “Mountain Girls” were subjected to ICP at their crudest and most bizarre. Once again, we were left with two very important questions: Was this some maniacal plan each shared during their days in Michigan, or was this collaboration the strange payoff of a backroom bet?

Arguably, Re:Generation takes the prize for most “WTF”-worthy collaboration. Presented by the Hyundai Volster, the concept of Re:Generation was to explore jazz, R&B, country, classical, and rock through the eyes of five modern DJ/producers. Pairings included the Crystal Method and Martha Reeves, Pretty Lights, Leann Rimes, and Ralph Stanley, and the most noteworthy, Skrillex and the remaining members of The Doors. All that bass resonating from “Breakin’ a Sweat” had Jim Morrison rolling in his Parisian grave.

Here’s hoping 2012 finally brings us that Celebrity: Apprentice-inspired boy band featuring Meat Loaf, Lil Jon, and Mark McGrath. -Derek Staples

The Year of the Gummy Fetus

This past January, the often-unconventional Flaming Lips did something decidedly conventional: re-sign with Warner Bros. Records for a multi-year deal. However, with the deal came a newfound level of creative freedom, which Wayne Coyne and co. used to build their wildest and wackiest year to date. Seriously, some weird stuff’s ahead.

The band’s 2011 was marked by decidedly gimmicky ploys to sell music. If they weren’t schlepping tunes inside of gummy skulls or gummy female anatomy, they were creating songs that were six and 24 hours long (though proceeds from those massive, massive “songs” did go toward charity). That, or the group was busy crafting tunes about copulating blobs with the use of YouTube. Some of their releases, like where they wrote people’s name into songs, were decidedly hokey (even if, once again, they were for a good cause). If there were any legit music-making endeavors, like collabos with Prefuse 73, Neon Indian, and Lightning Bolt, not to mention super-shows with Weezer and Yeasayer, they were outshined by graveyard gigs and playing human Whack-A-Mole with SUNY students. If it made headlines while generating mass confusion this year, The Flaming Lips were undoubtedly behind it.

There’s no way to catalog these decisions and projects as true artistic exploration. If anything, nearly everything the band did this year were either jokes and goofs or absurd, almost harebrained marketing schemes. But when someone gives the inmates the keys to the asylum, should anyone be surprised when they smear the walls in green paint and dress up like penguins? We, for one, applaud Wayne Coyne and company for doing what they do best: entertaining us with their increasingly batshit hijinks. Here’s to the kooky things the band will cook up in 2012. -Chris Coplan

Stage Collapses

In the span of two months between July and August 2011, a freak trend hit the music world. Four stages in three separate countries collapsed, killing a total of 11 and injuring many more. The first collapse occurred on July 17th at the Ottawa Bluesfest, where strong winds caused the festival’s main stage to implode 20 minutes into Cheap Trick’s set. Gusts blew the stage backwards, which pushed the scaffold to teeter under the force. Three people were reported injured, and the remainder of the fest – one headlining spot by Death Cab for Cutie – was canceled.

Then, just weeks later on August 7th, a similar occurrence befell Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Brady District Block Party. Moments before local heroes The Flaming Lips were scheduled to go on, a lighting rig was struck by wind and fell into the stage. Though the stage was evacuated beforehand, preventing injury to fans, band members, and road crew, some $800,000 worth of the Lips’ equipment was damaged or destroyed.

The summer festival circuit’s worst incident occurred six days later during country duo Sugarland’s set at the Indiana State Fair. A massive gust of wind toppled the stage, sending steel scaffolding, lighting, and sound equipment into the audience. The destruction of the stage had come just minutes after organizers had announced the storm and outlined evacuation plans. Seven people died as a result of the collapse, with another 44 receiving treatment for various injuries at nearby hospitals.

The fourth and final collapse took place on August 18th at the Pukkelpop festival in Hasselt, Belgium. As Chicago-based indie rock band Smith Westerns were playing on The Chateau Stage, bursts of wind uprooted trees and collapsed several festival tents. The band was evacuated offstage just prior to its collapse. (A second construct, the Shelter stage, was also damaged by weather.) Four people were killed, with another 75 reported injured. The festival, scheduled to run until the 20th, was canceled Friday morning (August 19th).

Late last month, in the aftermath of the incident in Indiana, 51 individuals connected to the collapse sued Sugarland, concert promoters, and those who built the stage for breach of reasonable care. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. A state-sponsored investigation of the collapse will be completed before the case moves forward.

On a more positive note, following the tragedies, fans, musicians, journalists, and festival promoters alike have all emerged to sound the call for increased safety measures, demanding better crowd accommodation and weather preparedness. While festivals will always contend with X-factors, better preparation can only benefit subsequent summer festival seasons. -Chris Coplan

And the Rest…

Clearly, as you’ve just read, a lot of things happened to the musical landscape in 2011. Some occurrences, though, were so darn awesome, head-turning, or just downright strange that they can’t be classified anywhere else. So, here they are, the rest of the biggest news stories of the year. -Ben Kaye

Kanye: The Musical: Ya know, this was probably bound to happen. Students at Australia’s Sydney University told the tale of Ye, from making beats for Jay-Z to his solo ascension, in this September production “about a guy who took a shot at the throne and didn’t miss.”

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks hold a “blowjob” contest: Seems the lyrics to “Senator” weren’t exactly FCC-approved. The line “I know what the senator wants/what the senator wants is a blowjob” needed a rewrite for the radio, so Malkmus reached out to fans for help. Turns out the senator actually wanted a corndog (who doesn’t?).

Bon Iver Day: Even a perfunctory listen to Bon Iver’s music reveals Justin Vernon’s strong affections for Wisconsin. That love was returned on July 22nd when Milwaukee’s Mayor Tom Barrett christened the day “Bon Iver Day” in celebration of Bon Iver’s WI ties, musical accomplishments, and the beginning of their world tour.

Beavis and Butt-Head: America’s favorite slackers/social commentators returned to MTV this year for all-new animated episodes. With a whole new slew of modern musicians and pop-culture to mock, this news… hee… errm.. uhh huhuhuh… rules.

2011: A Rock Odyssey featuring Jack White: For three epic nights, Stephen Colbert joined Jack White at the musician’s Third Man Records. The goal was to revive Colbert’s “music career,” and it ended up giving us three awesome segments, a Catholicism-off, and a duet of The Star-Spangled Banner.

Nick Oliveri arrested after S.W.A.T. standoff: When his girlfriend called the police, ex-Queens of the Stoneage/current Kyuss Lives! bassist Nick Oliveri refused to let her leave the residence or let the cops in. Four hours and a L.A. county S.W.A.T. team later, he was arrested for felony domestic violence. While the case awaits trial, Kyuss still lives, though Oliveri, out on $100,000 bail, won’t be joining them for any international tour dates.

Mic Todd arrested for armed robbery: On tour with Soundgarden, Coheed and Cambria bassist Mic Todd went out and robbed a Walgreens in Attleboro, MA, by telling the pharmacist he had a bomb. He was arrested that night at the Comcast Center on charges of armed robbery and unlawful possession of prescription narcotics. A month later, he was looking for a new band.

Courtney Love dates SALEM’s Jack Donoghue: So, Courtney Love thinks Dave Grohl is a dick, but witch-house is sexy. You know, sometimes I just don’t understand that woman.

Metallica Monopoly: Because nothing says “metal” like family game night.

Luther Campbell runs for mayor of Miami-Dade County: Admittedly, it takes some cajones to choose the eighth-most populous county in the country as your first foray into politics. Probably takes more to try to tax strippers. He lost, by the way.

Joe Jonas says he’s influenced by Daft Punk: The middle Jo Bro cites Daft Punk’s Tron: Legacy work as an influence on his solo debut. So, in essence, you’re saying this led to this.

Image via Tumblr

It’s been a bad month for music’s power couples. On the heels of Thurston More and Kim Gordon’s break up, Us Weekly reports that Zooey Deschanel and Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard have ended their marriage of two years. According to a representative for the couple, the decision “was mutual and amicable. There was no third party involved.”

Thank god Mandy seems to be a fan of Ryan’s whole metal thing.

Photo by Heather Kaplan

Former Hüsker Dü frontman Bob Mould has spent much of the last year looking back. He recently penned an autobiography, See A Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody, an he is now on the road staging unique performances, ones that split select readings with solo renditions of past songs. But on November 21st, Mould will see others pay tribute to his storied career when the likes of Dave Grohl, Ben Gibbard, Ryan Adams, The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn, No Age, and Best Coast gather for a star-studded tribute show at Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Tickets for the show go on sale Sunday, September 25th and you can find more information about the concert here. Below, you can find Mould’s upcoming tour schedule, along with video of his and Foo Fighters’ recent appearance on Conan.

Bob Mould 2011 Tour Dates
09/24 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s #
09/30 – Rosemont, IL Montrose Room @ InterContinental Hotel
10/01 – Rosemont, IL Montrose Room @InterContinental Hotel
10/02 – San Francisco, CA @ Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Golden Gate Park
10/13 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club
10/14 – Decatur, GA @ Eddie’s Attic
11/03 – Brooklyn, NY @ Bell House
11/04 – New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom #
11/05 -  Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club #
11/06 – New Hope, PA @ @ New Hope Winery
11/13 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
11/14 – Seattle, WA @ The Triple Door
11/17 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
11/18 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah #
11/19 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s #

* = w/ Shepard Fairey
# = DJ Set by BLOWOFF

The Austin, TX quartet known as The Wooden Birds, led by former American Analog Set frontman and one-time Broken Social Scene touring member Andrew Kenny, is due to drop their sophomore effort, Two Matchsticks, on June 7th. Ahead of the release, the band is giving away a free downloadable EP, and CoS has your first listen of the band’s take on one of Hall and Oates’ most celebrated tracks.

Back in 1982, Hall & Oates had their longest-running chart-topper with “Maneater”, and almost three decades later, The Wooden Birds have put an indie spin on it. It’s a toned-down version sans the heavy electrics of the original, but it flows smoothly along, and Kenny’s chilly vocals emotionally re-envision Hall’s bouncy highs. Of course, that familiar sax line is intact, keeping this new take on the song a familiar one.

You can listen to “Maneater” below by hovering over the widget and clicking on the “playlist”  button, then selecting the second track. Those willing to surrender their email for the three-track EP will also be sent a special discounted pre-order offer for Two Matchsticks (which, by-the-by, features Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard). Check it out using the widget below.

It’s kind of sad this is a Gibbard solo track and not on the new Death Cab album Codes and Keys, because it’s a winner all around. Gibbard strums lightly over an optimistic drum pattern, and implores the listener to “arise, arise and step into the night.” Gibbard is adept at writing songs that soundtrack the setting sun, and apparently he knows it. Check it out below, via Some Kind of Awesome.

Also be sure to watch out for it if you happen to catch that Russell Brand remake of Arthur, which comes out this week.

Pitchfork announces the line up for its music festival, Arctic Monkeys release a new video, My Morning Jacket have new information about their new album and Ben Gibbard plays a new Death Cab for Cutie song.

Hosted and edited by: Sami Jarroush

Read the stories here:

• Animal Collective, TV on the Radio, Fleet Foxes head Pitchfork Festival 2011
• Watch: Arctic Monkeys – “Brick By Brick”
• My Morning Jacket detail new album, Circuital
• Check Out: Ben Gibbard debuts new Death Cab for Cutie song

Sure, Codes and Keys doesn’t drop until May 31st, but thanks to the power of the Internet, you can get your hands on two new tracks a new track from Death Cab for Cutie right now. Via the adorably-titled Fuck Yeah Death Cab For Cutie Tumblr, enjoy two new songs as performed by frontman Ben Gibbard during his recent gig at the Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco, CA. The first song, a piano-heavy ballad, is slated to be the album’s title track, while the second, a country-tinged acoustic number called “When The Sun Goes Down On Your Street”, will apparently appear on the soundtrack for Arthur (see update below).

Despite the use of guitars on these samples, the band has said in past interviews about the LP that it’s not a “guitar-based record”, instead relying on vocals and keyboards to fill in those parts. But if you’re dying for a sneak peek, beggars can’t be choosers.

Update: According to Gibbard (via @Gibbstack), “When The Sun Goes Down On Your Street” is not from Codes and Keys, but is instead a solo offering that will appear in the forthcoming film Arthur. According to the IMDB, the Russell Brand-starring film is due for release April 8th.

Codes And Keys hits stores May 31st via Atlantic.

“Codes and Keys”

“When The Sun Goes Down On Your Street”

Hat tip to Tony Carreno, who recorded the clips…

Now The1stFive is reporting that Fucked Up recently tapped Ben Gibbard, Ted Leo, and Mountain Goats to help them lay down tracks for a “7-inch comprised entirely of ‘cleaned up’ GG Allin covers.” The compilation was curated by New Jersey-based non-commercial radio station, WFMU, and is available by making a pledge during the 52-year-old station’s upcoming fundraising drive, which runs from February 28-March 13.

If you’re not the type that supports local, community-based radio, then you can still get pumped up for the release of Fucked Up’s forthcoming studio album – David Comes To Life – by copping a 12-inch live release titled Coke Sucks. The title refers to frontman Damian Abraham’s disdain for Coca-Cola (apparently he’s a Pepsi fan), and the record is being released in a rainbow of colors: Red, black-and-white, salmon, gold, clear, to name a few.

Orders ship on March 10th and are available via Chunklet. David Comes To Life still doesn’t have a release date, but you can try for a copy of the GG Allin covers 7-inch by checking out the full details and making a pledge to WFMU here.

If you’re afraid that the passes to this year’s Bonnaroo may avoid you for whatever reason, then it’s time to start sticking to gambling 101′s most basic principal: better your odds by diversifying your bets. The extra wager in this particular instance is San Francisco’s Noise Pop Festival. Each year, the City by the Bay plays host to some 20,000 fans and countless bands as the city’s venues become the musical playground for the most truly discerning music fans. This year’s festivities, which go down February 22nd-27th, promises performances from the likes of Ben Gibbard, Dan Deacon, Hunx and his Punx, Royal Baths, Telekinesis, The Love Language, Wavves, Yo La Tengo, and many, many more. Plus, there’s no guessing or hard work involved in winning; just follow us (@coslive) and Cluster 1 (@cluster1tv) on Twitter and tweet the following:

Hey, @coslive & @cluster1tv are giving away passes to noisepopfest! http://tinyurl.com/4qbjxuu

That is literally it! We’ll announce a winner by Sunday, February 13th and then you’ll be on your way to enjoying San Francisco and some great tunes (sorry, though, no mud-soaked hippies at this fest). Or, you can always buy your badges here, just in case that whole gambling thing isn’t your scene.

In a new interview with Spinner, Tamborello – who is making the rounds promoting his Dntel project – pretty much implied that the odds are not in favor of a new Postal Service album coming out any time in the near future. “We started working on a couple songs,” he said, “then Ben got busy with Death Cab again.”

Busy is sort of an understatement. Death Cab has released three albums since Give Up (with a fourth due next Spring), and the 34-year-old Gibbard has also managed to squeeze in getting married, working with countless artists (including John Cale and Jay Farrar), and singing at baseball games over the past seven years. Tamborello also seems to have moved on. He is now recruiting singers to help him flesh out future projects, and while he has no ill feelings about not releasing Postal Service material, he is very realistic with his expectations for himself and Gibbard.

“I don’t think it’ll ever be officially over, but there’s a good chance that it’ll never come together,” said Tamborello. “I think at this point, everybody just assumes it’s not going to happen.  It’ll be a pleasant surprise if we can get it together.”

Ben Gibbard wears many hats. He’s frontman of the Death Cab for Cutie, as well as a solo artist, especially in October. He’s also a husband/the luckiest guy on the face of the Earth. Yet despite his awesome life, he still makes time to give back to those less fortunate.

As Seattle radio station 107.7 The End points out, Gibbard wore all these hats (and an actual one, too) in Seattle last night. After all, at a benefit concert for Seattle-based non-profit Teen Feed, Mr. Deschanel did the following: debut a song off Death Cab for Cutie’s new album, cover Radiohead’s “All I Need”, and team up with his wife, Zooey Deschanel, for a rendition of The Shakers’ “I’ll Never Find Another You”.

Compliments of 107.7 The End, you can watch clips of all the aforementioned below.

New Death Cab for Cutie song

Radiohead cover

Duet with Zooey

Speaking recently with Spin Magazine, Death Cab frontman Ben Gibbard revealed that the still untitled record will feature 12-13 tracks, with the band planning to unveil the finished product next Spring. Gibbard then went on to discuss everything from record’s sound to where he is lyrically:

On the record’s sound: It’s “a testament to where we are as a band… It’s not a guitar-based record. We’ve been into vintage keyboards and playing with that palette… We’re not adding guitars because people will be expecting them… I’m so proud of this album that at this point I don’t care if people don’t like it.”

On the record’s lyrics: “There’s a level of self-loathing in [Narrow Stairs] that I’m a bit of embarrassed about now… It’s a really dark record. I didn’t want to make that record again. I didn’t want to write those songs again.”

On the impact of Zooey Deschanel: “Everything I write is reflective of my own life and the lives of those people around me… “They reflect the conversations you have and the rumblings of life around you. But when somebody gets married, people assume that they’re going to get a certain thing out of an album.”

On the contributions of bandmate Chris Walla: “There are a few songs that Chris wrote all the music for… I cut and pasted and wrote lyrics and arrangements for them. This is the first time that we’ve had multiple compositions that started with Chris’s demos and not mine, which is exciting.”

On their forthcoming tour: “I would love to find myself making a record a year from now rather than moving into our seventh straight month of tour… I’d like to capitalize on feeling inspired to writing rather than hobbling up onstage and jumping around for two hours in Dresden.”

Death Cab for Cutie plan to track the album in the next couple weeks, so expect more choice quotes from Mr. Deschanel, along with some actual specifics soon. In the meantime, be sure to read Gibbard’s full conversation with Spin here.

New York’s annual CMJ Music Marathon more or less took over the lives of much of the music industry. And though much of our staff were among those attendees, covering the festivities, braving copious amounts of buzz bands, hipsters, industry insiders, and PBR, somehow we managed to write about a lot of other stuff this week too.

That said, this recap hardly does these past few days justice. Below you’ll find a generous sampling of recent happenings in the music world.

– Daft Punk performed for the first time in three years.

– Ari Up, lead vocalist of iconic punk group The Slits, passed away. She was 48 years old.

– Beastie Boys detailed their new LP.

– Red Hot Chili Peppers revealed some big plans for 2011.

– Thom Yorke will collaborate with other luminaries for a charity “silent single.”

– We compared album cover art . Whose did you think was better? Nicki Minaj or Kid Cudi?

– The “incredible” new Willow Smith video dropped.

– The HullabaLOU Music Festival is no more.

– An early White Stripes single sold for more than the price of a small car.

– Sufjan Stevens and Lil Wayne topped the charts.

– Joanna Newsom denied the rumor of a Simpsons appearance.

– Zooey Deschanel and Ben Gibbard played a Playoff game.

– U2 announced a collaboration with Danger Mouse.

– Crystal Castles posted tour dates. And lots of them.

– Kings of Leon offered “dick bands” some advice.

– CBGBs went on sale. Any takers?

– The Cars will reunite for a new studio LP.

– Kanye West demanded an “instant replay clock.”

– Die Antwoord finally put out a proper debut. Winston Robbins reviewed it.

– Weezer released their “odds and ends” collection titled Death to False Metal. Get Michael Roffman’s take on it here.

– Interpol inspired ”sing-alongs” at their recent gig  in Pomona, CA. Philip Cosores was there.

– We hosted a kick-off party at CMJ we affectionately called Conflict of Interest. If you couldn’t make it, don’t worry because Joe Marvilli did. We also have a video recap!

– Cosores also found time this week to take a look at music in films in a piece titled, appropriately enough, “From Dylan to Daft Punk: A History of Pop Music at the Movies.”

– E.N. May got the “skinny” on MoogFest.

– Harry Painter and Ted Maider took on Treasure Island.

Mr. Zooey Deschanel stepped away from the studio earlier today to perform the national anthem at Game Three of the National League Championship Series. I would make a joke about the Mariners not being in the Playoffs, but then again, I’m a Mets fan. So, go Giants!

Update: And Mrs. Gibbard also made an appearance, performing “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch.

The Los Angeles Times’ music blog Pop & Hiss has revealed that Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard and Queens of the Stone Age collaborator Mark Lanegan will join the 68-year-old Cale and UCLA’s philharmonic orchestra at the university’s Royce Hall for the first stateside performance of the album. UCLA’s orchestra is responsible for playing the lush arrangements on the original album, but it should be interesting to hear Gibbard and Lanegan harmonize with Cale on tracks like “Child’s Christmas in Wales” and “Paris 1919”.

If you’re a little put off by the idea of watching a performance based on something you learned in high school, don’t let that stop you from attending the show. Cale promised the LAist that after Paris 1919 is performed, the show’s “second half is really gonna be about three rock and roll songs with the band, a few, maybe new ones [before] the orchestra comes back on and we finish the night off.”

Tickets for the show are still available at Ticketmaster.com and passes for a ticketholders only after party with “complimentary wine, desserts, and a chance to mix and mingle with the artists” are available if you RSVP by September 286h. Here’s a video of Cale performing “Paris 1919” with a full orchestra in Holland to get you excited.

As for 2009? Well, the Dirty Projectors became a household name, as did Twitter, Girl Talk turned into a gimmick, Kanye continued to be an asshole, online music streaming got big (and bought), and the sales of digital and vinyl releases continued to increase, while the Virgin Megastores and Sam Goody’s of the world went bye bye.

And that’s not even scratching the surface. Before we turn the page on the 2000s, we wanted to take one more look at the year that was the last 365 days. Music, here was your 2009…

Top Albums of 2009

As selected by the CoS Staff…

01. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion

02. Passion Pit – Manners

03. The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You

04. The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love

05. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

06. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!

07. Kittens Ablaze – The Monstrous Vanguard

08. Wale – Attention Deficit

09. The Antlers – Hospice

10. The Dead Weather – Horehound

Click here for #11 – #100

Top Songs of 2009

As selected by the CoS Staff…

01. Phoenix – “1901″

02. Animal Collective – “Summertime Clothes”

03. Passion Pit – “Sleepyhead”

04. Grizzly Bear – “Two Weeks”

05. Phoenix – “Lisztomania”

06. Wale – “Triumph”

07. Jay-Z – “Run This Town” (feat. Kanye West and Rihanna)

08. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Heads Will Roll”

09. Girls – “Lust for Life”

10. Animal Collective – “My Girls”

Click here for #11 – #50

Headline Grabbers

There is always a few particular artists who seem to appear in the headlines more than others. Take these three for example:

Lil Wayne appeared on ESPN, began work on a rock ‘n’ roll album, talked gangsta with Katie Couric, won some Grammys, released the worst song ever, pushed back the release of his rock ‘n’ roll album, pushed back the release of his rock ‘n’ roll album again, told kids to stay in school, teamed up with Madonna, collaborated with Kanye, Eminem, and Drake, promised two albums before the year was out, plead guilty to weapon possession, released a stellar mixtape, watched his mom get a TV show, had his rock ‘n’ roll album mistakenly leaked, and got arrested again, all while actually failing to release any studio albums at all before the year was out. And to cap it all off, he’s going to prison in February!

For a band that didn’t release an album in 2009, Radiohead sure managed to grab quite a few headlines. Capitol Records reissued their discography, Thom Yorke debuted a new song, as well as contributed to the New Moon soundtrack, Ed O’Brien and Phil Selway collaborated with Neil Finn and Wilco, the entire band got together to release a tribute song for Harry Patch, the last surviving World War I combat soldier, Thom Yorke covered Mark Mulcahy’s “All for the Best”, the entire band got together again to release a track titled “These Are My Twisted Words”, Thom Yorke offered a secret 12″, Thom Yorke formed a new band and played some shows, the entire band got together for a third time to begin work on a new studio album, and Thom Yorke became really pissed about climate change.

You either loved or hated the amount of U2 present in 2009. Bono and crew got on their boots, played the Grammys, resided on Letterman, released a new album, teamed up with Brandon Flowers and Chris Martin, started talking another new album, took to Fordham University for a secret show, embarked on the first leg of their claw-featuring global 360 tour, tapped Muse as an opener, wrote a Broadway musical about Spider-Man, pissed off David Byrne, got reviewed in Chicago, reissued The Unforgettable Fire, apparently made no money, played the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall-of-Fame anniversary, titled their next album, wanted to be like The Beatles, plotted more tour dates for 2010, played a free Berlin Wall concert behind the backdrop of a different wall constructed by MTV to prevent those without tickets from watching U2 play a free Berlin Wall concert, teamed up with Jay-Z, got tapped for Glastonbury 2010, and announced a remix album.

Music Festivals

Despite a recession which saw a number of mid-tier summer music festivals call it quits, the big boys were as grand as ever. Coachella rounded up McCartney, Bonnaroo brought The Boss and Phish, and Lollapalooza finally saw Perry using his festival to his advantage. What’s more, Outside Lands proved once again that its a festival to be reckon with, while Sasquatch! demonstrated that Washington state can also rock hard. Hova was able to save All Points West from a mud filled weekend, Pitchfork continued to serve as a hipster’s wet dream, and the Virgin Mobile Festival reminded us that some good things can be free. Finally, Consequence of Sound hit South by Southwest for the first time, celebrating with events featuring the likes of Astronautalis, Gringo Star, Shad, 13ghosts, Kittens Ablaze, Catfish Haven, and Blueblood. Oh, and did we mention we have already begun planning for next year?

Supergroups

By the time December rolled around, there were as many supergroups in existence as there were non-supergroups…

Dave Grohl + John Paul Jones + Josh Homme = Them Crooked Vultures, Conor Oberst + M. Ward + Jim James = Monsters of Folk, Jack White + Alison Mosshart + Jack Lawrence + Dean Fertita = The Dead Weather, Thom Yorke + Flea + Nigel Godrich + Joey Waronker + Mauro Refosco = ???, Phil Lesh + Bob Weir = Furthur, Coldplay + Mew + a-ha = Apparatjik, Supergrass + Radiohead = The Hot Rats, Joe Budden + Joell Ortiz + Royce da 5’9″ + Crooked I = Slaughterhouse, King Khan + Black Lips = The Almighty Defenders, New Order + Blur = Bad Lieutenant, Sammy Hagar + Michael Anthony + Joe Satriani + Chad Smith = Chickenfoot

Reunions, Hiatuses, and Nothing at All!

Two 2009′s biggest themes were bands reuniting and bands calling it quits (or announcing extended hiatuses). And then there were those that couldn’t make up their mind at all.

Blur began its reunion, The Stooges revived Raw Power, Pixies gave it another go, Creed came back!, No Doubt did too, Faith No More hit Europe, Phish returned, The Murder City Devils reunited for Coachella, Sunny Day Real Estate returned for some grunge, Deadheads got the best Christmas present ever, Blink-182 got back together for the kids, Spinal Tap released a new album for the first time in 17 years, Sublime played a show and then got sued, Eminem reunited with D12, Simon and Garfunkel became friends, Limp Bizkit dusted off the red cap, Three members of the Velvet Underground got together for a discussion, Orbital celebrated its 20th anniversary with a reunion, Jawbox made its first live performance since 1997 on J-Fal, Faces reunited without Rod Stewart, while Take That did reunite with Robbie Williams, John Lydon moved on to Public Image Ltd., Cee-Lo got back together with Goodie Mob, The Jayhawks reunited, as did The Gories, and Ben Lee resurrected Noise Addict. Oh yeah, and some band named Pavement announced plans for a busy 2010.

On the other hand, Blur also ended its reunion, The Verve broke up again, Oasis had a fight, Flight of the Conchords called it quits, Music journalism died, Nine Inch Nails said goodbye, as did Harlem Shakes, The Broken West, and Pela, and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Fall Out Boy, Foo Fighters, Blitzen Trapper, Bon Iver, Lily Allen, Deerhunter, and TV on the Radio all announced lengthy hiatuses.

Plus, we learned an At The Drive-In reunion apparently wasn’t a possibility, nor was the rumored Stone Roses comeback, Spacemen 3 got an offer, but declined, The Kinks kept thinking about it but still didn’t do anything, contrary to Courtney Love’s comments, Hole didn’t reunite, Pulp teased and then unteased, and Swans thought about it and didn’t. And not surprisingly, The Libertines, The Smiths, and Neutral Milk Hotel all continued to tease to no fruition, while Led Zeppelin continued the suspense.

Soundtracks with benefits

There’s nothing like a nice movie soundtrack or benefit album featuring some of our favorite musicians. 2009 exemplified this fact to the max…

Grizzly Bear, LCD Soundsystem, Badly Drawn Boy, Arcade Fire, Karen O and friends, Daft Punk, Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, Beck, Jay Farrar & Ben Gibbard, British Sea Power, Dengue Fever all provided sounds for the silver screen, as did the inane number of musicians appearing on the New Moon soundtrack.

Ben Gibbard, Fleet Foxes, and The Cave singers contributed to the Give Seattle charity album, while Tom Waits, Pete Seeger, and Jim James lent their talents to Preservation, an Album Benefiting Preservation Hall and Its Music Outreach Program. Our friends at Ear Farm rounded up Tom Tom Club, Sean Bones, tUnE-yArDs for their pro-Xmas Do you EAR what I EAR?. Peter Bjorn & John, Juliette Lewis, and White Rabbits helped fight malaria. The Climate change benefiting Rhythms Del Mundo Classics saw contributions from The Killers, The Rolling Stones, and Amy Winehouse. Stars (like Yorke and The National) collided for Mark Mulcahy. Hot Chip, The Hold Steady, and Lily Allen shared reinterpretations on War Child Heroes. And let’s not forget about Dark Was The Night, the tantalizing 31-track effort featuring the Dirty Projectors with David Byrne, Feist with Ben Gibbard, Sufjan Stevens, My Morning Jacket, and more, all in benefit of The Red Hot Organization and AIDS awareness.

Our Most Memorable Features

In addition to everything else that went down, 2009 also saw Consequence of Sound further expanded our feature stories. The following are some of our favorites/most memorable:

We brought you interviews with Pavement, Ms. Consequence of Sound herself, Regina Spektor, Tom Jones, Passion Pit, Slayer, Ben Kweller, The Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly, Anti-Flag, Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s, Hot Water Music, The Von Bondies, The Screaming Blue Messiahs, The Antlers, Boots Riley, Cymbals Eat Guitars, and Fleet Foxes’ J. Tillman. Oh and we talked with Los Campesinos! not once, but twice.

Our Editor-in-Chief Michael Roffman gave us the entire story of The Thermals, contributing writer Alyssa Spiel spoke with 311 about its 20th anniversary, and the one and only Cap Blackard spent the day with Astronautalis.

We listed everything from the Top 11 Influential Minds of Industrial Metal and Top 10 Grunge Albums to the  Top 10 Fake Bands and Top 10 Sleepiest Albums. We did some Audio Archaeology, dusted off some ol’ classics, shared our guilty pleasures, introduced you to some great new bands, and continued teaching Rock History 101.

As for the most commented posts of the year? That honor goes to Laina Dawes’ review of 311′s Uplifter.

The Year’s Most “Unique” Moments

We thought we’d close on a light note, as in this year’s stories and moments that, well, left us scratching our heads the most…

Bill Corgan wrote a song for the Super Bowl, Bruce Springsteen apologized for selling music through Walmart, Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged, Mandy Moore married Ryan Adams, Lil Wayne released “Prom Queen”, we wrote a post about the Jonas Brothers, Crystal Castles had a meltdown, Santogold had to change her name to Santigold, Manu Chao pissed off Mexico, Chickenfoot was actually real, Prince released a $2,100 iPod, Billy Corgan made a wrestling promo, Tupac revealed he might still be alive, Creed released a new album, Billy Corgan hired a 19-year-old drummer, Kanye West helped kids stay in school, Ron Artest paid homage to Michael Jackson, Reading Music Festival banned flags, Kidz Bop covered Kanye West, Ryan Adams became a video game reviewer, R. Kelly forgot to title his new album, Oasis broke up, Liam Gallagher formed Oasis 2.0, 30 Seconds to Mars and Kanye West released a song together, 7-Eleven reissued The Beatles, Snoop Dogg got himself a new name, Rivers Cuomo was interviewed by a dog, Diddy appeared on the Home Shopping Network, Morrissey and Johnny Marr emailed, Marilyn Manson got swine flu, Radiohead didn’t break up, Elvis Presley’s grandson scored a record deal, Starfucker changed its name, Fall Out Boy formed a metal band, and Pete Doherty sang a Nazi song.

Thank you!

Before we end our 2009 recap, we would just like to take one last moment to thank the individuals who have helped Consequence of Sound become what it is today. Thank you to the publicists who work hand-in-hand with us each and everyday, thank you to the festival promoters who continue to work with us despite the fact we ruin your lineup announcements, thank you to the message boards which provide such a bevy of information, thank you to those who email us news tips and music submissions, thank you to our fellow bloggers, thank you to our amazing and tireless staff, and thank you to our readers who have put trust in us and our the reason we keep at this 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

2009 was an amazing year for Consequence of Sound, but 2010 will be even better. Stay tuned for a number of brand new features, including that much needed change we’ve all been eagerly awaiting.

The uber-talented couple will join Mann on the first two shows, December 13 and 14th, at Los Angeles’ trendy nightclub, Largo. Both dates are sold out, though fans interested in seeing Mann and her husband, Michael Penn, will have the opportunity to do so on December 15th. And while Gibbard and Deschanel will be absent on the third night, given Mann’s track record, it’s likely she’ll have a few surprise guests. Maybe Jon Brion? Oh, that would be too unfair for us out-of-towners.

However, fingers crossed that she takes requests. Odds are she’ll stick to her 2006 Christmas album, One More Drifter in the Snow, but wouldn’t it be a remarkable holiday gift to find YouTube videos of her singing “Today’s the Day” or “Voices Carry” alongside Deschanel? Hey, a guy can dream.

Then again, this could happen on the third night…

Oh hush, Mike.

According to Spinner.com, Gibbard will be lending his cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon”, a track which he’s done live plenty of times, to the charity album GIVE Seattle. Yes, it’s another one of those music for charity things!!! This particular album will generate funds for Arts Corp and various Seattle food banks.

Getting back to Gibbard, his contribution won’t be on the actual CD; instead, those who purchase the album will be e-mailed the track at a later date. But the soundtrack proper will feature the likes of Fleet Foxes, Grand Archives, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Bound, J. Tillman, and over 20 other artists and bands. Pedro The Lion’s David Bazan and the Long Winters will also ante up some sweet bonus material. So, what are you waiting for?

The compilation is available now here, or you can buy it at Seattle’s coffee spot Caffé Vita for $7. Now, please, Ben, take a break.

GIVE Seattle Tracklist:
01. Arthur and Yu – Magic Mountain
02. Cave Singers – Growing Palm
03. Champagne Champagne featuring Fences – Victim of the Modern Age
04. Common Market – The Picture of My DeLorean Gray
05. D. Black – On the Go
06. Fatal Lucciauno – Gangsta
07. Fences – Sadie
08. Fleet Foxes – Mykonos
09. Fresh Espresso – Gettin’ Money
10. Gabriel Mintz – Safeway
11. Grand Archives – Wake Up
12. Head Like A Kite featuring Tilson – Director’s Cut
13. Hey Marseilles – From a Terrace
14. J. Tillman – Earthly Bodies
15. Joshua Morrison – Mammoth Cave
16. Kinski – Whatever Happened To Madeleine Stowe
17. Le Loup – Forgive Me
18. Mad Rad – Love in a Strange World
19. Moondoggies – Side of the Road
20. Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band – Bitter Cold
21. Pearly Gate Music – Big Escape
22. Pica Beats – Durian Shakes
23. Sera Cahoone – Love’s Gonna Live Here Live at KEXP
24. Talbot Tagora – Ichthus Hop
25. Tea Cozies – Corner Store Girls
26. The Blakes – Parking Lot
27. The Lonely Forest – I Don’t Wanna Live There
28. The Maldives – In The End
29. The Saturday Knights – Go!
30. Visqueen – Hand Me Down

From October 26-31, Fucked Up will take to venues across Toronto for the awesomely titled Fucked Up Weekend 2009. Among those scheduled to take part include Little Girls, Cro-Mags, The Rival Mob, Free Spirit, Burning Love, and The Bang Bangs, and of course Fucked Up will play two sets during the weekend as well. Advance tickets available at Hits and Misses, Soundscapes, and Rotate This. Those outside of Toronto can contact fufest09@gmail.com for ticket orders.

Now, on to Mr. Robbins. Over the next two months, the actor will putting on a series of shows featuring his favorite musicians, comedians, movies, and poets. The event(s) will be all part of being what is referred as the WTF? Festival.

“The name of this festival came to me after a recent board meeting where I was told that due to the economic downswing and recent reduction in donations that we can no longer afford to produce theater,” explains Robbins on the festival’s website. “I was told it would be less expensive to do nothing. We’re not very good at doing nothing.”

As TwentyFourBit reports, upcoming musical acts set to perform for 100 lucky ticket holders are Tenacious D, Jackson Browne, System of a Down’s Serj Tankian, John Doe, Jill Sobule, Tom Morello, Jenny Lewis & “friends,” and Death Cab’s Ben Gibbard.

Find the full scheduled and ticket info here.

Now, if only Pavement could get its own festival. Oh, wait…

Anyhow, a second track from One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur has surfaced in the form of “The Void”. The song follows up “These Roads Don’t Move”, which premiered on NPR in late September. It’s an acoustic folk ballad featuring Gibbard’s signature whispers and all sorts of fun, dark, sea-based, imagery. It’s pretty standard, but also kind of good. Have a listen over at Stereogum.

The documentary’s soundtrack is out October 20th via F-Stop/Atlantic and the movie will be playing at various locations next week. In any case, in seeing the documentary, listening to the documentary’s sound track, or both, you’re bound to learn a whole lot about Jack Kerouac, Big Sur, and the music of Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard, in case you’ve always wondered what Son Volt would sound like if Ben Gibbard sang lyrics inspired by a famous beatnik author (why would you ever have wondered that?).

You’re welcome Mr. Gibbard/Farrar

-The Blogosphere

Jay Farrar & Ben Gibbard Tour Dates:
10/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Largo (at the Coronet)
10/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
10/24 – San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
10/26 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
10/27 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
10/28 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall

For now, the tour will be just four short dates and will kick off on October 23rd, two days after the 40th anniversary of Kerouac’s death. The band, which seem to be touring under the Jay Farrar & Ben Gibbard name, will also include Farrar’s and Gibbard’s bandmates Mark Spencer and Nick Harmer, respectively, and Superchunk’s Jon Wurster. Tickets will go on sale beginning Wednesday, September 16th via Ticketmaster.com.

Farrar and Gibbard spoke with Spinner.com recently. Farrar said the two men came together over the effort due to a love of the lifestyle and culture facilitated and perpetuated by Kerouac.

“Kerouac gave great rules to follow: You shouldn’t have many rules. You should just go with your first thought … Just [get] your thoughts down without a whole lot of preconception or revision,” says Farrar. “I’ve tried to adopt that method over the years. I don’t always write with that method, but I’ve found that it is the best method to write.”

Both the album and the film are due for release on October 20th via F-Stop/Atlantic.

Jay Farrar & Ben Gibbard Tour Dates:
10/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
10/24 – San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
10/26 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
10/28 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall

“I did work with Ben on this recording project, which started out as each of us contributing songs to a documentary about Jack Kerouac, he explained. “We both wound up in the studio together, just sort of decided to take a step further and record a whole batch of songs. It’s kind of evolved into a real project. I guess there aren’t a whole lot of details about it yet, but it’s in the works, and it could possibly come out in the fall, like around October — which I think is a Jack Kerouac anniversary of sorts.”

That was last month. Today, thanks to a new interview between Gibbard and Spinner.com, we know know all the details. As it turns out, the collaboration has resulted in a 12-track effort. It’s titled One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur, billed as Jay Farrar and Benjamin Gibbard (duh!) and is scheduled to hit stores on October 20th via F-Stop/Atlantic.

Musically, the album is said to be heavily influenced by Kerouac’s 1962 novel Big Sur (duh x2!). “It ultimately wound up being about 90 percent direct links to Jack’s poems and phrases,” Gibbard explained to Spinner.com. The remaining 10 percent were added only for structural reasons.

The album will come in four different physical options: CD, CD+DVD, a box set packaged with the CD+DVD, the novel, and a 40 page book on the film and finally a vinyl version. It will also be heard on the film (duh x3!), which is scheduled for release that same day (October 20th).

And as an added bonus, Farrar and Gibbard plan to tour in support of the release for this winter. Monsters of Kerouac, anyone?

One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur Tracklist:
01. California Zephyr
02. Low Life Kingdom
03. Willamine
04. All in One
05. Breathe Our Iodine
06. These Roads Don’t Move
07. Big Sur
08. One Fast Move or I’m Gone
09. Final Horrors
10. Sea Engines
11. The Void
12. San Francisco

In a recent interview with the Riverfront Times (via TwentyFourBit), Farrar revealed that recent work he did with Gibbard on a documentary about American author/poet/painter Jack Kerouac, titled One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur, has led to something else, something more.

“I did work with Ben on this recording project, which started out as each of us contributing songs to a documentary about Jack Kerouac, he explained. “We both wound up in the studio together, just sort of decided to take a step further and record a whole batch of songs. It’s kind of evolved into a real project. I guess there aren’t a whole lot of details about it yet, but it’s in the works, and it could possibly come out in the fall, like around October — which I think is a Jack Kerouac anniversary of sorts.”

And that basically sums up all that is known right now, though there are photos from the recording sessions on the documentary’s website so you can see what they look like together. Plus, a preview, in the form of a music video recorded by Farrar for the film, was released last year. A taste of what is to come?