At the end of 2011, I was more wrapped up in end-of-the-year lists than ever before. This was the first year I was making a list of my own for the publication I write for and also keeping track of bands that I work with, hoping to see their records receive attention across the Web.
At the end of any year, making your "best-of" lists causes ego-stroking to develop to a gross level. The fact that people will actually stare at a list of my favorite records and write me angry comments about why "I Am the Avalanche" wasn't higher on my list or why "Red City Radio" was in the top five is still mind-blowing to me. Doesn't the Internet give them things to do? Pictures of cats to look at?
We also saw the future of music-listening become the present last year. Amazon's Cloud Drive, Google's beta of its Google Music platform, Spotify, Rdio and Apple's iCloud all provided us a glimpse into what will become the norm of listening to music.
Spotify, Rdio and other music subscription services are paving the way for boundless music listening.
Basically, instead of paying $10 for a CD in a record store (haha), or $10 on iTunes or even $0 to illegally download it,listeners nowjust pay to have access to a library of millions of songs available to stream at their fingertips.Since it's available on your smartphone, and since you can plug your smartphone into your car, Spotify and Rdio basically eliminated the need for anyone to own any music files in 2012. Your music is with you everywhere you go, it's just not actually with you anymore.
Apple took a different approach, offering the iCloud and iTunes Match to music fans. For those who still want to own their music, they can now upload files into "the cloud" and then listen to those songs from their iPhone or any computer with the Internet pretty much anywhere in America, more or less.
There are definite flaws to these new music-listening platforms, but 2012 should see the launch of new-and-improved user interfaces. Soon, music consumers will be able to legally listen to all the music they want for a lower price than ever.
The Horrible Crowes' "Elsie" was my runaway album of the year. It's the side project of Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem, and he's the only soul singer left in America, I think. The Wonder Years' "Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing" was my favorite pop-punk record; it was the only record in that genre that really stood out as an instant classic for me.
Frank Turner's "England Keep My Bones" took the singer/songwriter title for me, and Red City Radio's "The Dangers Of Standing Still" was the best punk rock album I heard last year. They are all available on Spotify and, I'm sure, a variety of torrent sites for your perusal.
Let's hope 2012 can match 2011 in the music industry. I'll be listening.
