TOP 5 of 2011

Well it is the end of another year. Wow that went fast! I seem to find myself with less and less time to do ANYTHING including (unfortunately) seeking out new music. 
So, I sent out an email last week to a few friends asking for help (a list of their "Top 5 albums" of 2011) Below is what they sent me back. There is some great stuff listed here. Hopefully you will find the time to check it out and please BUY MUSIC to help keep the artist alive.
Happy New Year-
Kerry


Greg Dulli - Musician 

The Afghan Whigs, The Twilight Singers, The Gutter Twins

The Rapture  In The Grace of Your Love
Vetiver  The Errant Charm
The Antlers  Burst Apart
Trombone Shorty  For True
Gillian Welch  The Harrow and the Harvest
Metronomy  The English Riviera
David Lynch  Crazy Clown Time
A Winged Victory For The Sullen (Self Titled)
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys  Grand Isle

M83.  Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

Sasha Grey - Actor/Musician
The Girlfriend Experience, Entourage, aTELECINE

1: The Roots Undun

2: Chelsea Wolfe Ἀποκάλυψις (Apokalypsis)

3: Immortal Technique The Martyr

4: Krallice Diotima

5: Cults Cults

David J - Musician/Writer/Director
Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, Jazz Butcher

Timber Timbre  Keep On Creepin' On 
Chrysta Bell  This Train 
Cass McCombs  Wits End 
Cat's Eyes  Cat's Eyes
The Antlers  Burst Apart 
David Lynch  Crazy Clown Time
Bill Callahan  Apocalypse 
Tom Waits  Bad As Me 
Bon Iver  Bon Iver 
Gillian Welch  The Harrow and the Harvest


Ian Rogers - CEO Topspin Media
Ian was the GM of Yahoo Music before heading to Topspin Media in April 2008 as CEO. Previously, Ian co-founded personal music sharing software provider Mediacode with Rob Lord. Mediacode was sold to Yahoo.  Ian worked for AOL’s Nullsoft unit. Prior to founding Mediacode, Ian worked as one of the principals at Grand Royal with the Beastie Boys. Ian has also been called the “fourth Beastie Boy” due to his relationship with the Beastie Boys.

Girls  Father Son Holy Ghost

James Blake   James Blake

Kurt Vile   Smoke Ring For My Halo

EMA   Past Life Martyred Saints

Kanye and Jay-Z   Watch The Throne


Patty Schemel - Musician/Teacher
Hole, Juliette and the Licks, Imperial Teen

1. Belle Brigade   (Self Titled)

2. Dum Dum Girls   Only In Dreams 

3. M83 Hurry  Up We're Dreaming

4. The Weeknd   House of Balloons

5.  GroupLove   Never Trust A Happy Song 

Stacey Sher - Film Producer
Erin Brockovich, Contagion, Django Unchained

Album :The incomparable Greg Dulli makes another rich and infectious Twilight Singers record with Dynamite Steps the only  new album this year I find myself listening to over and over again...or as my daughter Maggie said Mom, can you play track 7, to which my son Tyler answers, and track 8...so, in their honor (and good taste) 
She Was Stolen
Blackbird And The Fox

Movies:  It would be too self serving to choose my film Contagion (though I do rate it one of the years very best as did Mahnola Dargis of the NY Times!) 
I found myself really enjoying 3 films about art, nostalgia and the fear of being past your artistic prime as the times are changing... so in no order other than alphabetical enjoy these three charming  explorations of the trials and tribulations of the life of an artist…all of them transport you into another  world the same way a great record does. 
The Artist
Hugo
Midnight in Paris

Books:
Ok so one of these books came out last year but it continues with my theme of being transported and it is by a musician…
Just Kids by Patti Smith-
Wildly lauded and winner of the national book award, I think that it captures what it is like to be young and desirous of creating art as well and as palpably as anything ever has...


I also devoured -
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
I could not put this book down, even  though I felt like a whole spiritual level was missing in this bestseller about the life of the amazing inventor and innovator who changed our world. You have to love a person who thought people should go live on an ashram, listen to more rock and roll and drop acid if you want to make better products and a better world!  

Happy 2012!



@Studiodog (Kerry Brown) - Music Producer/ Starry Records

David Lynch  Crazy Clown Time
Tom Waits  Bad As Me
Twilight Singers   Dynamite Steps
David J   Not Long For This World
Damien Youth   Sunfield (reissued)

Ysanne Spevack - Musician

Ysanne string arrangements for rock music, film and TV scores are widely acclaimed. Her strings grace a wide musical terrain spanning filmscores, rock, pop and electronic music. Clients include Smashing Pumpkins, David J (Bauhaus / Love & Rockets), Christina Perri, Elton John, Brett Anderson (Suede), Tiesto, Dub Gabriel feat. Michael Stipe, Sister Bliss (Faithless), Asian Dub Foundation, Jesus and the Mary Chain, Mark Schulz (Public Image Limited), Imaad Wasif, Chocolate Genius, Alex Parks, T-Power, MJ Cole, HBO’s Big Love, and The Sopranos title track composers, Alabama 3. 

David J   Not Long For This World
PJ Harvey Let England Shake
The Horrors Skying
TV On The Radio Nine Types Of Light
Gillian Welch  The Harrow and the Harvest
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Shadow on the Run (not yet released)




Damien Youth - Musician/Artist

The Clientele  Minotaur
The Black Keys  El Camino
David J  Not Long For This World
Tom Waits  Bad As Me
Black Lips  Arabia Mountain

What is your "Top 5" of 2011? Please leave it in the comments section.

Awesome News From ATP Website

All Tomorrow's Parties Confirm Reformation Of
THE AFGHAN WHIGS + Many More New Additions For 
I'll Be Your Mirror, 25th-27th May 2012 At London's Alexandra Palace

THE AFGHAN WHIGS Also Set To Headline 
I'll Be Your Mirror USA 2012 In Asbury Park, New Jersey 
On September 22nd
Tickets To Go On Sale Early January 2012

On the weekend of the 25th-27th May 2012 at Alexandra Palace, London, All Tomorrow's Parties present the second UK I'll Be Your Mirror event. Tickets are on sale now via this link. Sunday headliners Guided By Voices have cancelled due to personal reasons (more info below) - today ATP announce a very special replacement headliner as well as more line-up additions...

On Sunday 27th May 2012 Alexandra Palace will host the first show in 13 years from Cincinnati's rock legends THE AFGHAN WHIGS. Formed in 1986, the bands career from then until 2001 saw them release six acclaimed albums highlighted by the classic Gentlemen LP in 1993. Fusing classic rock with grunge-era distortion and a heavy soul influence, Afghan Whigs were one of the most renowned live bands of their time and this long awaited reformation will no doubt be a very special event.

ATP are also pleased to confirm their return to Asbury Park, New Jersey USA where they will follow last year's debut in that city with a 2012 I'll Be Your Mirror event, the Saturday night of which will be headlined by The Afghan Whigs and curated by the Whigs' frontman Greg Dulli. Tickets & accommodation for the three day event running September 21st-23rd will go on sale in early January 2012 when the start of the fantastic line-up will also be announced - fans can sign up now to receive info about a pre-sale via this link.

We also have other confirmations for all three days of the London festival. The event starts on Friday 25th May when the incomparable SLAYER will present their undisputed classic Reign In Blood live in it's entirety during their headline set to celebrate it's 25th anniversary. They're joined by the previously announced SLEEP and MELVINS, and today we can add black metal heroes WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM and a rare performance from Oregon doom metal group YOB.

On Saturday 26th May, the first ever ATP festival curators MOGWAI will return to headline, and to curate the rest of the day's line-up - this will be their only show in England in 2012. Alongside their first choices MUDHONEY and reformed slow-core heroes CODEINE we are now very happy to add one of the greatest live bands on the planetDIRTY THREE who will return in 2012 to release a new album. Also returning for their first UK date since reforming last year are cult alt rock band CHAVEZ (feat. Matt Sweeney) and we can also a rare show from FLOOR (feat. members of Torche) and much talked about newcomer BALAM ACAB.

On Sunday 27th May, as well as our new headliners THE AFGHAN WHIGS, we can also add much loved and recently reformed American indie-rock group ARCHERS OF LOAF, San Francisco live wonders THEE OH SEES, and ATP will also be presenting the cream of new musical talent with shows from the wonderful DEMDIKE STARE, and Canadian psych-folk group SISKIYOU. As previously announced YUCK will also perform on Sunday, with much more to be confirmed.

Here is the current run-down of the line-up with far more to be confirmed, see below for more details on the event...

Friday 25th May - curated by ATP

SLAYER performing Reign In Blood
SLEEP
MELVINS
WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM
YOB
+ more tbc

Saturday 26th May - curated by Mogwai

MOGWAI
DIRTY THREE
CODEINE
MUDHONEY
CHAVEZ
FLOOR
BALAM ACAB
+ more tbc

Sunday 27th May - curated by ATP

THE AFGHAN WHIGS
ARCHERS OF LOAF
THEE OH SEES
YUCK
DEMDIKE STARE
SISKIYOU
+ more tbc

---

Guided By Voices Cancellation: We're very sad to announce the disappointing news that Guided By Voices will no longer play on the Sunday of the event due to personal reasons and have cancelled all 2012 live appearances. The band apologizes for any inconvenience and disappointment, and thanks the fans for their longterm support. Those of you who bought Sunday Day tickets for this event are invited to claim a refund if you no longer want to attend. Please contact your ticket agency before the end of January to do so. Once again we're very sorry to be the bearers of this bad news and sorry to those of you who it has inconvenienced.

---

Acting as sister events to the world famous ATP Festivals which usually take place in holiday resorts, and named after the b-side to The Velvet Underground's original All Tomorrow's Parties 7" single, I'll Be Your Mirror is a series of artist curated music, film and art events taking place in cities worldwide. Last year's debut London event was curated by Portishead & ATP, featured amazing performances from acts including PJ Harvey, Grinderman, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Company Flow, and was widely acclaimed:

"As an attempt to recolonise the space with the spirit of rock and roll, the inaugural "I'll Be Your Mirror" festival can be considered a resounding success." - Sunday Telegraph

"I'll Be Your Mirror was a pure triumph." - Stool Pigeon

"Like a cooler Meltdown festival." - Evening Standard

"The UK festival season may be sated but there is room for a new addition as rich as this." - The Guardian

The Great Hall of Alexandra Palace has played host to a history of special acts and events - Led Zeppelin in 1972, New Order, the Stone Roses, The White Stripes, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, The Pixies, the Grateful Dead and the epic 1967 kaleidoscopic rave ‘The Technicolour Dream’ which featured Pink Floyd, The Pretty Things & The Move, and now it’s the turn of I’ll Be Your Mirror to be added to the venue’s list of historical moments, in what promises to be an unparalleled weekend of the best music, art and film in the Capital.

Friday-Sunday Weekend Tickets cost £130. Friday Day Tickets are priced at £39. Saturday and Sunday Day Tickets are priced at £59.

Many stunning artists, DJs and other activities are to be confirmed for the event in the coming months! Across the weekend ATP are bringing to the venue a cinema, food vendors, adding extra bars (including some cash bars) and toilets and also putting on shuttle buses from Wood Green (the closest tube station) to the venue and back. Friday runs from 4pm-11pm. On Saturday and Sunday doors will open at midday, with the event finishing at 1am. Headliners will finish by 11pm both nights. For a constant stream of music, interviews, videos and more from artists playing the event, make sure to follow the I'll Be Your Mirror London 2012 Tumblr blog!

www.atpfestival.com
www.illbeyourmirror.com
www.facebook.com/atpfestival
www.twitter.com/atpfestival

For any I'll Be Your Mirror (London) press or event enquiries please contact: 
press@atpfestival.com

ATP History:

"Perfect 10...indisputably the defining symbol of alternative sonic culture in the UK." - The Independent

All Tomorrow's Parties has been promoting festivals and concerts throughout the world for the last ten years. It was founded in the wake of Belle and Sebastian’s Bowlie Weekender, with Mogwai curating in the unusual setting of Pontins Holiday Camp, Camber Sands. Since then the festival has appeared every year and has expanded across the globe continuing to set itself apart from large scale corporate festivals by staying intimate and fan-friendly. The line-ups are chosen by significant bands or artists which results in eclectic events that combine performances by legendary and influential acts with appearances by the latest crop of experimental artists from any (and every) musical genre. The festival has become more successful with every passing year, and ATP events have taken place in the UK, USA, Europe and Australia, with past curators including Simpsons creator Matt Groening, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Mike Patton, My Bloody Valentine, Portishead, Sonic Youth, Sl int, and Tortoise. In 2011 ATP launched a new series of curated city-based events called I'll Be Your Mirror, starting in Tokyo in February, London in July and Asbury Park, New Jersey in September.

For ten years ATP has set itself apart from other festivals by embracing seemingly disparate artistic genres, with events featuring art exhibitions, cinema programmes, spoken word performances and stand up comedy. It's been called 'Unforgettable' by Spin and 'the most enjoyable festival experience of our reporter's life' by Pitchfork. It has spawned an acclaimed concert series (Don't Look Back), a record label (ATP Recordings), and the release of a feature length documentary about the festivals from Warp X, titled All Tomorrow’s Parties, out now on DVD. For more information and the trailer visit www.ourtrueintent.com

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