Diario

Mountain Goats Never Quite Free (40 plays)
Wilco I Might (34 plays)
TMBG Can't Keep Johnny Down (23 plays)
TMBG Cloisonné (21 plays)
Decemberists January Hymn (20 plays)
Mountain Goats Damn These Vampires (20 plays)
Wilco One Sunday Morning (20 plays)

1YRON was born out of the notion of reviewing records exactly one year after their initial release date. This alternative to reviewing a record as and when it is released is an attempt to understand a record better within the context of its fairly recent absorption into mainstream or underground consciousness. For the past seven months 1YRON has focused on reviewing some of 2010's best records. With 2011 drawing to a close and with 2012 just around the corner, it's almost time to focus again on 2011's releases. Over the next year 1YRON will continue to review records on their first birthdays, the majority of which will feature in this list.

There's never much sense or clarity when putting together end of year lists because individual opinion ultimately rules over structure and ordering in such instances. However, we all feel compelled to at least attempt them. As usual, 2011 was a brilliant year for music in a similar vein to 2010 and, as usual…

1. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
2. Heartbreaker
3. January Hymn
4. Beeswing
5. Traveling Man
6. Star Witness
7. If I Have To Go
8. Boots Of Spanish Leather
9. Up From Below
10. I Don't Want to Get Over You
11. Straight Edge of the Blade
12. Start a War
13. Pretty Bird
14. I let someone else in
15. Wonderful And Sad
16. Radio Cure
17. Ask Me Anything
18. Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want

Mon 7 Mar – The Decemberists, Blind Pilot

Having arrived slightly later than I meant to, I only saw the last song by Blind Pilot, but from what I could see they seemed pretty decent... But yeah, the gig was way more packed than I had imagined, or possibly just smaller than I remembered, but for whatever reason I thought I'd be able to get a lot closer initially than I realised I would once I got inside.

So we hung around as you do, waiting for a band to take the stage and I was hoping the sound would be as good as it was last time when I went to see Stornoway there. Anyway, they came on and played an excellent rendition of Leslie Anne Levine which is a song I hadn't expected, which was a nice surprise opener. The crowd were quiet and although it might have seemed a little strange to Colin Meloy, I'm pretty sure it was mostly just out of excitement and anticipation... Regardless, it was a few songs in before the proper audience / frontman banter started. …

I must admit, it took me more than a few listens to come around to The King Is Dead. The title prepared me for another lengthy, heavily-chaptered epic in familiar Decemberists style. And since they performed The Hazards of Love in full the last time I saw them live, I expected the same with the new material. I was surprised and challenged on both accounts.

Down by the Water was the first new track played for the audience at the State Theatre and moved the seated crowd as much as it could, but was the second song of the show. It was preceded by Colin Meloy rambling into the backstage microphone pretending to be the mayor of Portland introducing the band, and they came out to play a truly unexpected opener, California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade. It was a comfortable warm-up for all parties, and included an amusing transition of Mr. Meloy lying on the floor while casually strumming his guitar. When the band was all on their feet, they were the solid fivesome we've come to expect…

Until 2009, The Decemberists were just another folksy band, a how-to on making sad and boring folk music, with a handful of great songs, just enough to make them worth following. The Hazards of Love changed that. Suddenly, there were sludgy metal riffs and Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) vocals. Then, The King Is Dead changed that, just as they were becoming rather interesting and engaging, an album little over half the length of its predecessor. That’s a good thing. There’s not an album on Earth I want to listen straight through at 15 tracks+, and this one’s only 10-deep (Hope!).

Don't Carry It All: Generic harmonica intro. Nooooo. Ryan Adams does it better, and I have to be in the right mood to listen to him. Okay, so it’s a false alarm. This song’s actually not that bad. It mostly sticks to their better song formulas. A strong start, really.

Calamity Song: There’s a nice beat here, but I just can’t get into it.

Rise To Me: Unless you’re the volume to this song, in which case I’d rather you lower. …