GT favs Hunters done made a music video for their song “Acid Head” in a suburban mall right before they left for their current tour with The Kills and Jeff The Brotherhood. The video was edited by both Daniel Martens and Owen Cook.

Watch/Listen.

Streamable: Acid Head (vimeo)

In case you are wondering, you can stream the whole of Hunters‘ Hands on Fire EP @ huntersny.bandcamp.com.

You can order the amazing clear vinyl @ aagoo.bigcartel.com.

Upcoming NYC Show:

• Feburary 11th @ Terminal 5 w/ The Kills + Jeff The Brotherhood

Hunters are on Tumblr
Hunters are on Bandcamp
Hunters are on Twitter
Hunters are on Facebook
Hunters are on elbo.ws
Hunters are on Hype Machine
Hunters are on Swill Children
Hunters are on Aagoo
Hunters are on Insound
Hunters are on Amazon MP3

BONUS: Brat Mouth (mp3)

On a recent trip to Seattle I met beatmaker ✌ICUH8N✌. His work has the following tags: hyperwave, toyhaus, junglejamz. Hopefully, that should given you some idea of you are about to hear. This is track number two from ✌ICUH8N✌‘s latest EP, #OCCUPY.

Listen.

Downloadable: BIRDS OF PARADISE (mp3)

[d/l the #OCCUPY EP LP @ icuh8n.bandcamp.com or mediafire.com]

✌ICUH8N✌ is on Soundcloud
✌ICUH8N✌ is on Bandcamp

BONUS: ICU♥N (mp3)

[d/l the My Town LP @ icuh8n.bandcamp.com or mediafire.com]

Moonmen On The Moon, Man a/k/a the Cake Shop house band, is getting ready to release their debut 8-song EP entitled, Maan via CAPE SHOK. The songs on Maan are fast, catchy bursts of janglepunk played by Andy Bodor (the head booker and co-owner of Cake Shop), Isabel Martin (ex Yellow Fever), Roxanne Lange along with a rotating cast of musicians. This here is side one, track one.

Listen.

Downloadable: Good Gun Time (mp3)

Ordering info TK.

Upcoming NYC Show:

• February 3rd (TONITE!) @ Cake Shop (Record Release Party) w/
  Fergus & Geronimo + OVERLORD + Glass Anchors + Bright Lights

Moonmen On The Moon, Man are on the internet
Moonmen On The Moon, Man are on Bandcamp
Moonmen On The Moon, Man are on Twitter
Moonmen On The Moon, Man are on Facebook
Moonmen On The Moon, Man are on Hype Machine
Moonmen On The Moon, Man are on CAPE SHOK

And GOD MODE week continues here @ GIMME TINNITUS…

So, Mr. Dream has a new EP called Fatherland. The band released the following statement regarding the new album:

what can we say? it’s a fucking ep. six songs we wrote and recorded. the end.

take two.

fatherland is about an amusement park for fathers.

Fatherland is set to be released on February 28th via the band’s own GOD MODE Records (run by drummer Nick Sylvester). Here is one of the songs from Fatherland that hit the internet earlier this week. This track evolved from a song about hating TVs in bars into a critique of Middle American culture.

Listen.

Downloadable: What A Mess (mp3)

Mr. Dream will be touring these United States with Cloud Nothings this March. Tour details @ mrdreamland.us/shows.

Mr. Dream is on the internet
Mr. Dream is on Twitter
Mr. Dream is on Soundcloud
Mr. Dream is on elbo.ws
Mr. Dream is on Hype Machine
Mr. Dream is on GOD MODE
Mr. Dream is on Insound
Mr. Dream is on Amazon MP3
Mr. Dream is on eMusic

BONUS: The Room (mp3)

Perhaps you saw them yesterday on Pitchfork or Stereogum? Well, GT favs YVETTE are releasing two blasts of their no-wavey noise rock in 7″ form via GOD MODE Records (which is run by Mr. Dream‘s drummer Nick Sylvester). The Erosion 7″ was recorded by Sylvester and Matt LeMay (more about LeMay @ aquestionoffrequency.com). This is the first non-Mr. Dream release on GOD MODE. The digital version comes out on Valentine’s Day and a limited vinyl release will follow on March 27th. Now, Sylvester says that YVETTE creates “music that, maybe on another planet, is its own kind of pop.” What do you think? Here is the non-title track.

Listen.

Downloadable: Cold Sweat (mp3)

Preorder/purchase info TK.

YVETTE is on the internet
YVETTE is on Facebook
YVETTE is on Twitter
YVETTE is on Bandcamp
YVETTE is on Soundcloud
YVETTE is on Big Cartel
YVETTE is on elbo.ws
YVETTE is on Hype Machine
YVETTE is on GOD MODE

BONUS: With Fangs (mp3)

The Big Sleep new LP, Nature Experiments is out today digitally and will be available physically on February 14th via Goodnight Records. The album is setting itself up early for one of our favorite LPs of 2012. This here is one track that we love.

Listen.

Streamable: Ladders (soundcloud)

You can stream the whole album using the Rdio widget below.

Streamable: Nature Experiments (rdio)

You can watch a video for the lead single from the album using the youtube embed below.

Streamable: Ace (youtube)

You can preorder the vinyl version of Nature Experiments (the deluxe version includes a bonus 7″, and all vinyl versions include a 320kbps mp3 download card) @ goodnightrecords.com

Upcoming NYC Show:

• February 2nd @ Knitting Factory (Record Release Show, y’all!) w/ Ex Cops and New Moods

Also, expect a split 7″ with KNTRLR coming soon.

The Big Sleep is on the internet
The Big Sleep is on Tumblr
The Big Sleep is on Twitter
The Big Sleep is on Facebook
The Big Sleep is on elbo.ws
The Big Sleep is on Hype Machine
The Big Sleep is on Goodnight Records
The Big Sleep is on Frenchkiss
The Big Sleep is on Tangled Up
The Big Sleep is on Insound
The Big Sleep is on Amazon MP3
The Big Sleep is on eMusic

BONUS: Ace (mp3)

Time for a little bit of aural time travel. Let’s look back, reflect, and contemplate… what were we listening to one year ago?

Listen to the January 2011 Mix and find out.

You can stream (and scrobble) all the songs in this mix using the ex.fm player at the bottom of the page OR you can just download any or all of the tracks at your leisure and play them using a digital media player of your choice.

Downloadables:

1. Constant Future (mp3) by Parts & Labor
2. Crime (mp3) by Mr. Dream
3. You Gotta Lose (mp3) by Obits
4. Ice Age (mp3) by Heavy Times
5. Tall Smoke (mp3) by The Great Valley
6. Neighbor’s Goods (mp3) by Thick Shakes
7. Do You Want to Give $$ (mp3) by Sic Alps
8. Car Alarm (mp3) by Signal Break
9. Spirit (mp3) by Arc in Round
10. Calyer (mp3) by Beach Fossils
11. Fire To The Ground (ft. Matt Berninger) (mp3) by The Forms
12. En Fluxx (mp3) by Marie Stella
13. 1-2-3 Bad (mp3) by Thank You
14. San Pedro (mp3) by Mogwai
15. It Goes Down (mp3) by Tape Deck Mountain
16. Shred the Gnar (Into the Stars) (mp3) by Starscream
17. C.R.E.A.M. Theme (Wu Tang vs Javelin) (mp3) by The Hood Internet
18. Summer Friends (mp3) by Junk Culture
19. LESS (DINOWALRUS DUB LOUNGE MIX) (mp3) by YVETTE
20. Hahahaha JK? (Yourself Remix) (mp3) by Das Racist
21. Point Break II (mp3) by USF

If you want to download all the individual tracks in this post, you should probably think about installing the DownThemAll! or FlashGot Firefox extensions as we are way too lazy to zip and upload every single Monthly Mix.

Also, if you like what you hear you should probably purchase music from the above artists at any of these fine online retailers (or your local independent record store):

Insound | Amazon MP3 | eMusic | Other Music

And, if you haven’t done it already, make sure you check out the other Monthly Mixes.

Let’s face it, any band that tags themselves coldwave minimal synth post-punk punk Brooklyn has a pretty good shot at finding a place in my heart. It just so happens that Black Marble‘s bandcamp page has those exact tags on it. Ty Kube and Chris Stewart mix their punk ethics with electronics on their Hardly Art debut, the Weight Against the Door EP. Here is the promomp3 that has been making the rounds.

Listen.

Downloadable: Pretender (mp3)

You can purchase Weight Against the Door @ hardlyart.com or @ insound.com

A full length album is reportedly planned for sometime later this year.

Editor’s Note: I really wanted to work the work dystopian into this post and I guess this how I did it. Sorry.

Upcoming NYC Show:

• March 9th @ Glasslands Gallery w/ TRUST + DZ Deathrays

Black Marble is on the internet
Black Marble is on Bandcamp
Black Marble is on Tumblr
Black Marble is on Soundcloud
Black Marble is on Facebook
Black Marble is on Vimeo
Black Marble is on Hype Machine
Black Marble is on Hardly Art
Black Marble is on Insound
Black Marble is on Amazon MP3
Black Marble is on eMusic

The lead single from Ava Luna first “proper” full length LP, Ice Level dropped earlier this week via Inflated Records. Needless to say, the A-Side is killer.

Listen.

Downloadable: Wrenning Day (mp3)

Ice Level comes out on March 6th on the Infinite Best label. You can the purchase Wrenning Day 7″ @ inflatedrecords.bigcartel.com and you can (and let’s face it, you probably should) preorder Ice Level @ insound.com.

Ava Luna is presently touring the @ US of A.

Ava Luna is on the internet
Ava Luna is on Bandcamp
Ava Luna is on Tumblr
Ava Luna is on Twitter
Ava Luna is on Facebook
Ava Luna is on elbo.ws
Ava Luna is on Hype Machine
Ava Luna is on Cooling Pie
Ava Luna is on Environmental Aesthetics
Ava Luna is on Inflated Records
Ava Luna is on Infinite Best
Ava Luna is on Insound
Ava Luna is on Amazon MP3
Ava Luna is on eMusic

LA-based Warrior Line is comprised of Maria Gonima and Greg Pritchard (ex-Clipd Beaks). They draw influence from the “discordant guitar sounds of Manchester” and the drum machines of “Detroit techno”. Their debut EP is set be released via Tigerbeat6 sometime later this year. Here is one track from said EP.

Listen.

Downloadable: Spies (mp3)

More EP details and preordering info TK.

Warrior Line is on the internet
Warrior Line is on Soundcloud
Warrior Line is on Twitter
Warrior Line is on Facebook
Warrior Line is on Youtube
Warrior Line is on Hype Machine
Warrior Line is on Tigerbeat6

BONUS: Howl of the Lynx (mp3)

As Haunted Horses, Myke Pelly (also of Footwork) and Colin Dawson do create a creepy cacophony using guitar, drums and a variety of electronics. Maybe you saw them mentioned in that New York Time’s Seattle, Post Grunge slideshow (around the anniversary of Nevermind)? Well, the band has a new self-released EP called They Set Us Fevered Water that is a continuation of their last two EPs, Oblivion and Mirrored Orbifolds.

Listen.

Downloadable: Pariahs (mp3)

Oh and you can stream the whole of the They Set Us Fevered Water EP using the widget below.

Streamable: They Set Us Fevered Water (bandcamp)

If you like why not buy it for a mere $2 @ hauntedhorses.bandcamp.com.

Here is a shot of Haunted Horses playing Neumo’s in Seattle:

Hopefully, sometime in the not-too-distant future Haunted Horses will travel east and play some shows in the NYC area.

Haunted Horses are on the internet
Haunted Horses are on Bandcamp
Haunted Horses are on Blogger
Haunted Horses are on Facebook
Haunted Horses are on Vimeo
Haunted Horses are on Hype Machine

BONUS: Medusan Sky (mp3)

Frankie Rose And The Outs have a new full length LP, Interstellar which is set to be released on February 21st via Slumberland. The 7″ of the lead single, “Know Me” come out tomorrow and marks an evolution into a sound that is more lush and poppy.

Listen.

Downloadable: Know Me (mp3)

There is no preorder info from Interstellar just yet, but you can purchase the Know Me 7″ @ slumberlandrecords.com.

Upcoming NYC Show:

• February 21st @ Knitting Factory (Record Release Show) w/ Night Manager + DIVE

Frankie Rose And The Outs have a q and also a.

Frankie Rose and the Outs are on the internet
Frankie Rose and the Outs are on Facebook
Frankie Rose and the Outs are on Twitter
Frankie Rose and the Outs are on elbo.ws
Frankie Rose and the Outs are on Hype Machine
Frankie Rose and the Outs are on Slumberland
Frankie Rose and the Outs are on Other Music
Frankie Rose and the Outs are on Insound
Frankie Rose and the Outs are on Amazon MP3
Frankie Rose and the Outs are on eMusic

So, January is traditionally our month discovering all the albums we missed in 2011. One such recent discovery, is the Brother Keith EP from Seattle’s own Stickers. It just so happens we had the pleasure of seeing them perform live. They look something like this.

Using bass/drums/sax, the band creates a skronky no wave vibe. Here is track one from their most recent EP, released late last year.

Downloadable: Old Nirvana (mp3)

And why not listen to the whole Brother Keith EP using the bandcamp widget below?

Streamable: Brother Keith EP (bandcamp)

You can download the whole of the Brother Keith EP @ broughttoyoubythestickers.bandcamp.com.

Hopefully, Stickers will come east and play some shows in the NYC area in the not too distant future.

Stickers is on Bandcamp
Stickers is on Facebook
Stickers is on Cario
Stickers is on eMusic

Brooklyn’s own Magnetic Island self-titled debut full-length is set for self-release on January 17th. On the album, Magnetic Island have perfected the 90stalgic sounds they were creating as RENMINBI.

This right here is our favorite track off the new LP. It may put you in a trance.

Listen.

Downloadable: The Space (mp3)

You can download another track from Magnetic Island via the latest Verbal Rocket mixtape, and you can stream two additional new tracks via the always awesome QRO Mag.

You can preorder Magnetic Island @ magneticisland.bandcamp.com (and make sure you check out all the different options).

Upcoming NYC Show:

• Jan 25th @ Death By Audio w/ Human Highlight Reel + Bambara + Trabajo

Magnetic Island is on the internet
Magnetic Island is on Bandcamp
Magnetic Island is on Twitter
Magnetic Island is on Facebook
Magnetic Island is on CASH Music
Magnetic Island is on elbo.ws
Magnetic Island is on Hype Machine
Magnetic Island is on eMusic

BONUS: Keyboard EP (bandcamp)

Here is it, over SEVEN HOURS of music. What follows is a compilation of all the tracks that have been stuck in my head throughout this last year. Definitely check out first 21 tracks, but also make sure you scroll through the whole list. Perhaps there is something down there that you missed (maybe maybe)?

Did I miss something totally awesome? Then leave a comment and let me know. Have fun listening/downloading.

Here are the GIMME TINNITUS Favorite 21 Songs of 2011:
 

1. Sludge River Mouth (mp3) by Sleepies
2. Deadbeat (mp3) by Hunters
3. Pizza Pasta (mp3) by Night Manager
4. Tell Me Tell Me Tell Me (mp3) by THE FIELD RECORDINGS
5. Moneybags (mp3) by Mr. Dream
6. Slime (mp3) by Sleeping Bag
7. Constant Future (mp3) by Parts & Labor
8. Sleep Rules Everything Around Me (mp3) by Wugazi
9. Spinning (mp3) by Roomrunner
10. Ace (mp3) by The Big Sleep
11. Quarantine (mp3) by MIRACLES
12. Blue Dawn (mp3) by Big Pauper
13. LESS (Clipd Beaks RMX) (mp3) by YVETTE
14. Always On Time From Now On (mp3) by ATM
15. Gold Medallion (mp3) by HAPPY NEW YEAR
16. Chippewa Kids (feat. Sarah Barthel) (mp3) by Junk Culture
17. Fire To The Ground [ft. Matt Berninger] (mp3) by The Forms
18. School Glue (mp3) by Pterodactyl
19. Dead Channel (mp3) by Big Spider’s Back
20. 3D Voices (mp3) by Grooms
21. You Gotta Lose (mp3) by Obits

The above tracks should fit nicely onto a CD-R (if you are still using that particular technology).

 
You can stream (and scrobble) all the songs in this post using the ex.fm player at the bottom of the page OR you can download any or all of the tracks at your leisure and play them using a digital media player of your choice.

If you want to download all the individual tracks in this post, you should probably think about installing the DownThemAll! or FlashGot Firefox extensions as we are way too lazy to zip and upload every single mp3 in this post.

Also, if you like what you hear you should probably purchase music from the above artists at any of these fine online retailers (or your local independent record store):

Insound | Amazon MP3 | eMusic | Other Music

Oh, and be sure to check out our of best of posts, and while you are at it why not peruse previous GIMME TINNITUS best of songs lists from 2010 and 2009?
 

Continuing our Best of 2011 coverage, here are the 12 free and pay-what-you-want recordings that have really stood out this year (and if I missed something really special drop me a note in the comments).

Listen.

1. Gold Fools by Spanish Prisoners

   

   Downloadable: Los Angeles Guitar Dream (mp3)

   [d/l @ /spanishprisoners.bandcamp.com]

 
 

2. Exmilitary by Death Grips

   

   Downloadable: Culture Shock (mp3)

   [d/l @ thirdworlds.net]

 
 

3. 13 Chambers by Wugazi

   

   Downloadable: Another Chessboxin’ Argument (mp3)

   [d/l @ wugazi.tumblr.com]

 
 

4. Distorted Reverberations (of Reverberating Distortion) by Al Lover

   

   Downloadable: Yo Seria Otro (Al Lover Remix) (mp3) by Davila 666

   [d/l @ allover.bandcamp.com]

 
 

5. With Love From The Men’s Room by 50FOOTWAVE

   

   Downloadable: Nobody’s Tar, Nobody’s Feathers (mp3)

   [d/l @ 50footwave.cashmusic.org]

 
 

6. Friends Records 2011 by Friends Records

   

   Downloadable: Sure Shot (mp3) by Celebration

   [d/l @ friendsrecords.bandcamp.com]

 
 

7. Coral II: The Remixes by Monster Rally

   

   Downloadable: Story Ends (Teeel Remix) (mp3)

   [d/l @ monsterrally.bandcamp.com where you may also want to pick up the Coral LP as well]

 
 

8. NYC Sucks, Volume 2 by Metal Sucks

   

   Downloadable: Song 6 (mp3) by The Austerity Program

   [d/l @ metalsucks.net]

 
 

9. Yalls by Yalls

   

   Downloadable: Weave It (mp3)

   [d/l @ yalls.bandcamp.com]

 
 

10. Keyboard EP by Magnetic Island

    

    Downloadable: The Way (mp3)

    [d/l @ magneticisland.bandcamp.com]

 
 

11. Magnifier by Life Size Maps

    

    Downloadable: It’s Leaking (mp3)

    [d/l @ lifesizemaps.bandcamp.com]

 
 

12. Bodysongs by Born Gold

    

    Downloadable: Lawn Knives (mp3)

    [d/l @ borngold.us]

 
 
As you probably already know, Bandcamp, Mediafire, Soundcloud, and sometimes a little good plain vanilla web hosting have made it easier than ever for bands to make the decision to share their music with new audiences around the world without charging for it. That said, it is important to support the artists who are giving away their music. Do they tour? Go see them perform live. Do they have merch for sale? Buy something. Do they have a paypal link on their website? Throw some $$ their way.

You can stream (and scrobble) all the songs in this post using the ex.fm player at the bottom of the page OR you can just download any or all of the tracks at your leisure and play them using a digital media player of your choice.

If you want to download all the individual tracks in this post, you should probably think about installing the DownThemAll! or FlashGot Firefox extensions as we are way too lazy to zip and upload every single mp3 in this post.

Also, if you like what you hear you should probably purchase music from the above artists at any of these fine online retailers (or your local independent record store):

Insound | Amazon MP3 | eMusic | Other Music

Oh, and be sure to check out our of best of posts.
 

So, I started recording one song per set at every show I went to this year (provided that I was in the mood to hold up a recording device) and put the recordings up on the youtubes on a channel called GIMMETINNITUSTUBE. And now here’s more best of 2011 coverage with our favorite 9 GIMMETINNITUSTUBE recordings.

Watch + Listen.
 
 

1. Streamable: I Hated School (Live @ Legion Bar) (youtube) by Night Manager

 
 

2. Streamable: Moneybags (Live @ Cake Shop) (youtube) by Mr. Dream

   Downloadable: Moneybags (mp3)

 
 

3. Streamable: Slow Hell (Live @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn) (youtube) by Tape Deck Mountain

 
 

4. Streamable: Less (Live @ Bruar Falls) (youtube) by YVETTE

   Downloadable: Less (mp3)

 
 

5. Streamable: Deadbeat (Live @ Glasslands) (youtube) by Hunters

   Downloadable: Deadbeat (mp3)

 
 

6. Streamable: Stay Afraid (Live @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn) (youtube) by Parts & Labor

 
 

7. Streamable: From Clouds (Live @ Death by Audio)
   (youtube) by MIRACLES

   Downloadable: From Clouds (mp3)

 
 

8. Streamable: In Your Room (Live @ Silent Barn) (youtube) by Ghost Animal

   Downloadable: In Your Room (mp3)

 
 

9. Streamable: The Sun Looked Down On The Nothing New (Live @ Spike Hill) (youtube) by THE FIELD RECORDINGS

 
 
You can stream (and scrobble) all the songs in this post using the ex.fm player at the bottom of the page OR you can just download any or all of the tracks at your leisure and play them using a digital media player of your choice.

If you want to download all the individual tracks in this post, you should probably think about installing the DownThemAll! or FlashGot Firefox extensions as we are way too lazy to zip and upload every single mp3 in this post.

Also, if you like what you hear you should probably purchase music from the above artists at any of these fine online retailers (or your local independent record store):

Insound | Amazon MP3 | eMusic | Other Music

Oh, and be sure to check out our of best of posts.
 

And now, it’s time to list my Favorite Albums of 2011. Here are 21 albums that I really loved this year. Listen to the tracks below, (and if you have not already) fall in love and go buy some albums.

Listen.
 

1. Hands on Fire by Hunters

   

   Downloadable: Brat Mouth (mp3)
   (purchase the EP)

 
 

2. THE ELASTIC NOSTALGIA by THE FIELD RECORDINGS

   

   Downloadable: Circuit Boards (mp3)
   (purchase the LP)

 
 

3. Trash Hit by Mr. Dream

   

   Downloadable: Holy Name (mp3)
   (purchase the LP)

 
 

4. Sleeping Bag by Sleeping Bag

   

   Downloadable: Beside (mp3)
   (purchase the LP)

 
 

5. Beyond My Means by Big Pauper

   

   Downloadable: Big Sick (mp3)
   (purchase the LP)

 
 

6. Constant Future by Parts & Labor

   

   Downloadable: Rest (mp3)
   (purchase the LP)

 
 

7. Carrion Crawler/The Dream by Thee Oh Sees

   

   Downloadable: Carrion Crawler (mp3)
   (purchase the LP)

 
 

8. Aesthethica by Liturgy

   

   Downloadable: High Gold (mp3)
   (purchase the LP)

 
 

9. The Slow Fade by ATM

   

   Downloadable: Phazed Out & Downtown (mp3)
   (purchase the EP)

 
 

10. Prom by Grooms

    

    Downloadable: Tiger Trees (mp3)
    (purchase the LP)

 
 

11. Satanic Tambourines by Al Lover

    

    Downloadable: Black Magick Starter Jacket (mp3)
    (purchase the EP)

 
 

12. Spills Out by Pterodactyl

    

    Downloadable: Nerds (mp3)
    (purchase the LP)

 
 

13. Memory Man by Big Spider’s Back

    

    Downloadable: Dead Channel (mp3)
    (purchase the LP)

 
 

14. Maurice Narcisse by EULA

    

    Downloadable: Dirty Hands (mp3)
    (purchase the LP

 
 

15. Future, Towards the Edge of Forever by Starscream

    

    Downloadable: Space (mp3)
    (purchase the LP)

 
 

16. True Waste by Shark?

    

    Downloadable: Down Low (mp3)
    (purchase the LP)

 
 

17. H-p1 by White Hills

    

    Downloadable: Upon Arrival (mp3)
    (purchase the LP)

 
 

18. Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will by Mogwai

    

    Downloadable: Rano Pano (mp3)
    (purchase the LP)

 
 

19. Tripper by Hella

    

    Downloadable: Self Checkout (mp3)
    (purchase the LP)

 
 

20. New Brigade by Iceage

    

    Downloadable: New Brigade (mp3)
    (purchase the LP)

 
 

21. Mazes by Moon Duo

    

    Downloadable: When You Cut (mp3)
    (purchase the LP)

You can stream (and scrobble) all the songs in this post using the ex.fm player at the bottom of the page OR you can just download any or all of the tracks at your leisure and play them using a digital media player of your choice.

If you want to download all the individual tracks in this post, you should probably think about installing the DownThemAll! or FlashGot Firefox extensions as we are way too lazy to zip and upload every single mp3 in this post.

Also, if you like what you hear you should probably purchase music from the above artists at any of these fine online retailers (or your local independent record store):

Insound | Amazon MP3 | eMusic | Other Music

Oh, and be sure to check out our of best of posts.
 

I am here to apologize for slightly detracting from your concert experience all year long. Why? I take photos at shows. I know it can be annoying. That said, I try my best to keep it to a minimum and usually don’t use a flash (and then ramp up the contrast and exposure later). Here are my favorite 12 photos from 2011.

Look + Listen:
 

1. Ghost Animal @ Glasslands

   

   Downloadable: Tired (A Ceremony) (mp3)

 
 

2. HAPPY NEW YEAR @ Glasslands

   

   Downloadable: And… Begin! (mp3)

 
 

3. Mr. Dream @ Cake Shop

   

   Downloadable: Knick Knack (mp3)

 
 

4. Foot Village @ Death by Audio

   

   Downloadable: Crybaby (mp3)

 
 

5. JEFF The Brotherhood @ Rockaway Beach

   

   Downloadable: Shredder (mp3)

 
 

6. EULA @ Multiverse Playground

   

   Downloadable: Housewolf (mp3)

 
 

7. MIRACLES @ Death by Audio

   

   Downloadable: From Clouds (mp3)

 
 

8. PC Worship @ Bruar Falls (RIP)

   

   Downloadable: Tides (mp3)

 
 

9. Parts & Labor @ Knitting Factory

   

   Downloadable: A Great Divide (mp3)

 
 

10. THE FIELD RECORDINGS @ Spike Hill

    

    Downloadable: Tell Me Tell Me Tell Me (mp3)

 
 

11. YVETTE @ Death by Audio

    

    Downloadable: With Fangs (mp3)

 
 

12. Kohwi @ 13Thames

    

    Downloadable: Leaving is a Feeling (mp3)

 
It is not surprising that my top two photos were taken at Glasslands, which has a stunning background and great lighting. My overall favorite venue for photos has to be Death by Audio with their awesome murals — the only problem there is the lighting. In the coming year, I look forward to getting some great shots at Big Snow Buffalo Lodge and 285 Kent. And you reading this, go out and see a show at your local DIY venue.

Also, you can stream (and scrobble) all the songs in this mix using the ex.fm player at the bottom of the page OR you can just download any or all of the tracks at your leisure and play them using a digital media player of your choice.

If you want to download all the individual tracks in this post, you should probably think about installing the DownThemAll! or FlashGot Firefox extensions as we are way too lazy to zip and upload every single mp3 in this post.

And, if you like what you hear you should probably purchase music from the above artists at any of these fine online retailers (or your local independent record store):

Insound | Amazon MP3 | eMusic | Other Music

Oh, and be sure to check out our of best of posts.

Ben, Supriya and Andy of Boston jangle pop outfit Girlfriends sent us these answers to our questions in this next installment of the q and also a series.
 
 
q: What is the last song you (really) heard?

b: Baby Blue Marine (youtube) by The Groove Farm

s: Never Let Down (youtube) by Andrew WK

a: Stars (youtube) by Nina Simone

 
 
q: What is your favorite beverage?

b: Cafe de olla, Sazeracs

s: Bhang

a: a REAL_BREW
 
 
q: What is your favorite band to see live?

b: Black Eyes (rip)

Downloadable: Someone Has His Fingers Broken (mp3)

s: Now Denial

Streamable: Burn On (bandcamp)

a: Jonathan Richman

Streamable: Roadrunner (youtube)

 
 
q: What is your favorite venue (in NYC, if applicable)?

b: I really like Cake Shop. I miss Silent Barn.

s: Lulu’s in Greenpoint (free pizza)

a: Death By Audio was fun when we played there last.
 
 
q: What piece(s) of culture are you really really excited about right now?

b: Resurgences in Echo & Mary Chain haircuts. A VHS copy of White Nights I got at the thrift store. I think it’s a Cold War drama where Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines battle the forces of Communism with dance, but I haven’t actually watched it yet.

s: African Cats.

a: Tebowing.
 
 
q: Anything we should know about your latest project (whatever that might be)?

b: I’m 4-tracking some songs as Pale Yellow on the side, and finally finishing up the first issue of a zine called Cake Time. Andy and I also book shows and might release some zines and music under the name http://www.caketimeboston.com.

s: We have a full length on the horizon; I, personally, have been pushing to hook up with SKYSCRAPER MUSIC MAKER “super music production” company at SKYSCRAPER STUDIO and get Andrew WK some engineering credits on these tracks. But who knows, that may be a couple projects down the line.

a: Girlfriends is in the process of making an album, and it won’t be recorded through a boombox for the most part.
 
 
Here is the first track from that recording process…

Listen.

Downloadable: Big Machines (mp3)

You can stream a few more using the widget below.

Streamable: Nothing Nice to Say (bandcamp)

Upcoming NYC Show:

• January 14th, 2012 @ The Gutter w/ Four Eyes + Aye Nako

Girlfriends is on Tumblr
Girlfriends is on Bandcamp
Girlfriends is on Twitter
Girlfriends is on Facebook
Girlfriends is on elbo.ws

BONUS: Good To Be True (mp3)