YEAR IN BITCH - 2011

Nine Inch Nails

All in all, it's been a year of waiting for Nine Inch Nails fans.
Waiting for a new NIN album (a new Ghosts album, a follow up to Year Zero or something completly different*), the full length How To Destroy Angels album (originally set for release in January 2011), the release of the deluxe edition of 1999's "The Fragile" (teased and hinted at for the past half a decade), the release of the HD footage of the last Nine Inch Nails live shows back in September 2009 (videos for two songs was put up in December 2010 and January 2011, on Christmas and New Year's respectivly) and, of course, the score for David FIncher's remake of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo", which was annouced around the 2010 Oscars.
And what did Nine Inch Nails fans get?
A cover of a U2 song, a minor addition to a Robbie Robertson track and the aforementioned score.
True, the score is massive, containing music that expresses a myriad of emotions and works in perfect tandem with FIncher's images, a frozen masterpiece, the U2 cover is cool and Robbie Robertson...continues to make music, but, was this a good year for Nine Inch Nails fans?
It really depends on who you ask.
Fans who remember that five year drought between 1994's "The Downward Spiral" and 1999's "The Fragile" (curse you, drug and alcohol addiciton!!!) and the six year drought between 1999's "The Fragile" and 2005's "With Teeth" (curse you, drug and alcohol addiciton rehabilitation!!!) will probably be quick to say it was an excellent year as something Reznor created (with the help of 12 Round's Atticus Ross, of course) came out, but newer fans, say, those who stepped on board in 2007 and experienced a globe-spanning, mind-bending ARG leading up to the advent of "Year Zero", then the release of the 36-track instrumental work, "Ghosts I-IV" and then, mere months later, "The Slip", a free, full-length album created in ten weeks and released less than 24 hours after the final track was mixed on the official Nine Inch Nails web site as "a thank you to the fans"**, might feel a bit let down.
Personally?
I don't know.
Will I ever be truly satisfied when it comes to Nine Inch Nails or, for that matter, any of the bands I really dig?
I was satisfied after "The Fragile", but there was so much to it, and, while his instrumental and score work is really groundbreaking stuff, it's instrumental and I do like me some vocals...
I stand by my belief that if "Ghosts I-IV" or the Dragon Tattoo score had lyrics, they would be the best Nine Inch Nails albums ever.
But, as we all know, I'm a glutton.
So, you know what? No, I'm not 100% satisfied with Nine Inch Nails' productivity this year; yes, the Dragon Tattoo score is incredible and every other adjective the reviewers are using and will continue using for the rest of time, but it's not Nine Inch Nails.
It didn't come from Trent Reznor.
It came from Steig Larsson.
And Atticus Ross.
And David FIncher.
And How To Destroy Angels isn't Trent Reznor either.
It's Atticus and Mariqueen and whatever else was bouncing around in their heads at the time.
I want more Nine Inch Nails.
So hit me, Trent.
Stop fucking around and hit me.

In a recent interview with Zane Lowe of the BBC, Reznor said three things which are going to make 2012 worth it for me:

1. The full length How To Destroy Angels album is coming out in the first few months of the year.
2. The next release from Nine Inch nails will be the long, loooooong awaited Fragile deluxe edition.
3. 2012 is all about writing new Nine Inch Nails music.which probably means no new NIN until 2013, but short of kidnapping his son.Lazarus Echo (not a joke, that is what he and his wife chose to name their first born son), well, I guess we let the man work.
A bit of potential light at the end of this tunnel.if the Year Zero mini-series is still happening (and no one has given any reason for people to think it's not), this new music might be to accompany the show.in other words Year Zero 2.
So, if the Apocalypse can wait just a few more months, we might get a vchance to hear how everything turns out.
Here's hoping.

Beck

Beck...has had a sleepy year.
He produced a lot of stuff and did a handful of concerts and maybe thought about putting out that trunk album, "Rococo", that he's had lying around...but, other than that?
Fuck all.
Vacation's over, you vacant-eyed Nordic fuck.
Get your shit together, pull your insanely talented musical cock out of everyone else's pot pies and MAKE SOME MOTHERFUCKING MUSIC.


Cake

Compared to the last seven years? This year was all hurricanes and earthquakes for these smug sons of bitches. Next year looks to be another snoozer though.

Unless you want to prove me wrong, you sun-child-hippy-ball-bags.?


They Might Be Giants

2011 featured TMBG's triumphant return to "adult" music. And it's about fucking time. Not since "No!" has They Might Be Giants had a good children's' album. Personally, I blame Disney and their constraints, but enough about kid's music, as it seems they're done with that for a while.
Thankfully.
In July, TMBG released "Join Us", which, for some reason, people seem to consider a return to their roots although there is very little accordion or screaming and the full band is featured on practically every track. If John and John were to truly return to their roots, I believe it would involve the two of them in a shitty little Brooklyn studio with a drum machine.
Anyway, along with "Join Us", the band released a companion/rarities album called "Album Raises New And Troubing Questions" which has some leftover tracks from
"Join Us", some reinterpretations, live tracks and other bits and pieces. On top of those two full album releases, they've been touring most of the year.
Gentlemen, whether or not I love your new material, you have performed excellently this year and salute you.
And, just a week or so ago, Flansburgh posted that, aside from more tourhing in 2012, the band plans to record ANOTHER new album.
THAT is what I'm fucking talking about.
Best of luck, guys.
Keep making it rock.


Eels

Compared to the last few years, a rigorous world tour almost seems light for E, but, as I witnessed one evening of pure brainmelting rock in Williamsburg, I can't attest to the fact that when this man wants to work, he works.
Not sure how many times I can reiterate this, but, after the three-albums-in-fourteen-months miracle paired with the extensive touring.well, as long as we see some action by Q2 2012, I'll be happy.
Hey, Other Bands I Like, you should all take a page from E's book and kick it up a notch.
Just saying.

Meanwhile, this has been an awesome for kick ass women making kick ass music.

There was P.J. Harvey's "Let England Shake" which, despite my meh reaction to most of it, is still a very interesting piece of work with a great concept behind it.
Lot of creepy stuff on here.

Also, crazy hot honey/smoke singer Lykke Li had her second album, "Wounded Rhymes" which was morose and ass-shaking and alien.
I've said everything I will about this record and it's all good, so check it out.

Then, separated by about a week, St. Vincent's excellent follow up to her excellent second album, "Strange Mercy" and Tori Amos's return to making good music with "Night of Hunters", a sprawling, twisty tale about.night.and hunters.and botany.

TV On The Radio also released their amazing "Nine Types of Light", which, it seems didn't really appeal to the critics, but then their bass player died and everyone felt bad.
So take from that what you will.

Overall, I'd say this was a pretty great year for music.

Even if every one of my favorite bands didn't produce (and I mean "produce" as in "create", not "produce" is in "sit in on some other artist's session and occasionally strum an acoustic guitar or press a button", Beck, you lazy fucker.) anything.

* A collaboration with the remaining members of Monty Python perhaps?

**All this interspersed with extensive touring around the world.