Best of The Year: Scotty Sandwich (The Sandwiches), Nate Gangelhoff (Banner Pilot), Paul Koehler (Silverstein)
We here at Punknews consider the War on Christmas to be a 365 day a year undertaking. To further distract you from, "The reason for the season," we have best of lists from Scotty Sandwich (The Sandwiches, Death To False Hope Records), Nate Gangelhoff (Banner Pilot), and Paul Koehler (Silverstein). Check back as we round out the finality of our year with more lists telling you what's important this year.
You can click Read More for some serious opining.
Scotty Sandwich - The Sandwiches/Death to False Hopes Records
LPS:
EPS:
Nate Gangelhoff - Banner Pilot
Arguably the best season of inarguably the best show currently on television.
Discovered this band late in the year but I was hooked immediately. It reminds me of this band Little Lungs that I got really into in 2009; it has some unique and interesting parts but itâs still *catchy*, and not weird or different for the sake of being weird or different.
How many other bands have been able to pull off multiple lineup changes and
multiple styles of music as well as these guys? It's rad. And it does't
sound weird or forced. Like, when Vanilla Ice reinvented himself as a nu
metal frontman it was awesome and everything, but it was also, you know,
insane. DTM changes sounds on each record in a way that actually makes sense
and seems natural. I've liked every album along the way and this is no
exception.
I donât like "pop punk" (defined narrowly) that much anymore, unless itâs done really, really well. This is pop punk that is done really, really well. So, I like it! See how that works?
See above!
This was actually a little disappointing as theyâre my favorite band from the last few years and I was expecting more, especially given the great singles theyâve been throwing out since the last record. Itâs growing on me, slowly, but thereâs some definite throwaways here. Still, the 7 or 8 songs that are immediately awesome get this one into the top 5.
If you told me, "Check it out, hereâs this super good band from 1996 that no one ever discovered! Theyâre really catchy and cool!" I would believe you. And then when I discovered that you were lying and it actually came out in 2011 Iâd be like, "What the fuck? What was the point of lying about that?"
I think enough has already been said about this record. I will add: I like it. Itâs good.
I never really checked out this band until this year. Holy shit, that was dumb of me. Itâs been sweet to discover all the gems in their back catalogue, and this new album is great too. How many bands release albums this solid 20 years or so into their career? It loses a little bit of steam towards the end, but 80 West is the best song of the year so that makes up for it.
Frank rules. There are usually a few songs I skip on each record, and then the rest Iâll listen to a million times, so it evens out. Well, I guess that doesnât really even out; it seems kind of lopsided, actually.
Paul Koehler - Silverstein
TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2011
Honorable Mentions:
- Cave In - White Silence
- Cut Copy - Zonoscope
- Fucked Up - David Comes to Life
- Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
- Holy Ghost! - Holy Ghost!
- Justice - Audio Video Disco
- Weekend - Red
- When Saints Go Machine - Konkylie