Recapping the best music from a given year is always overwhelming. So we asked local musicians, fans and assorted scenesters for their takes on the best albums (local and nonlocal) and Vermont concerts they took in this year. We also added a “wild card” category that was completely open-ended. Here’s what they said.
Paddy Reagan (Paper Castles)
Local Album: Alpenglow, Solitude EP
Nonlocal Album: Califone, Stitches
Concert: Future Islands at ArtsRiot
Caroline Rose (singer-songwriter)
Local Album: The DuPont Brothers, The DuPont Brothers EP
Nonlocal Album: Kendrick Lamar, Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City
Concert: Shovels & Rope at Grand Point North
Brian Nagle (Disco Phantom)
Local Album: (tie) Rough Francis, Maximum Soul Power; Ryan Power, Identity Picks
Nonlocal Album: Daft Punk, Random Access Memories
Concert: !!! (Chk Chk Chk) with Sinkane at Signal Kitchen
Wild Card: Nick Mavodones is the hardest-working music person in Burlington. He should also run for mayor.
Alex Lalli (co-owner, Signal Kitchen)
Local Album: Alpenglow, Solitude EP
Nonlocal Album: Dawn of Midi, Dysnomia
Concert: Phosphorescent at Signal Kitchen
Wild Card: Dan Bolles for president.
Justin Gonyea (Vultures of Cult)
Local Album: Paper Castles, Vague Era
Nonlocal Album: True Widow, Circumambulation
Concert: Dollars & Cents doing OK Computer and In Rainbows at Nectar’s
Wild Card: Burlington Records [is] my favorite ally to local musicians. They graciously carry local physical releases and take nothing from the sale for themselves. That is a pretty incredible act of solidarity with local artists.
Derek Burkins (singer-songwriter)
Local Album: Dan Johnson & the Expert Sidemen, Bound for Abiquiu
Nonlocal Album: Milk Carton Kids, The Ash & Clay
Concert: The Valley Stage Festival in Huntington
Wild Card: I look forward to hearing more from Hana Zara. I feel the same about Laura Heaberlin.
Knayte Lander (Golden Dome Musicians’ Collective, State & Main Records)
Local Album: Lake Superior, Steam Engine
Nonlocal Album: Iceage, You’re Nothing
Concert: Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, Paper Castles at ArtsRiot
Wild Card: I am really excited to see the new guard of metal and hardcore bands who are coming up in the central VT/Queen City area. Killer bands like Gorcrow, Chalice, Last World and Vaporizer, just to name a few. Vermont retains the ideal climate for gestation of this music and I want more!
Pete Coccoma (Alpenglow)
Local Album: Paper Castles, Vague Era
Nonlocal Album: Phosphorescent, Muchacho
Concert: Dirty Projectors at Higher Ground and/or Waking Windows III in Winooski
Wild Card: Waking Windows IV?
Dave Keller (soul/blues man)
Local Album: Chris Robertson and the Socket Rockets, The Need for Tweed
Nonlocal Album: Jonny Lang, Fight for my Soul
Concert: Brett Hughes solo during the Lake Champlain Maritime Festival. When is this guy gonna put out a record of his incredibly beautiful original songs?
Wild Card: The newly reopened, fully renovated, incredibly gorgeous Strand Theater in Plattsburgh. It is right up there with the Flynn; almost as large, great acoustics, and beautiful architecture and period details. This is a major “new” resource in the Champlain Valley.
Mike Luoma (music director, 104.7 the Point FM)
Local Album: Hana Zara, Tatterhood
Nonlocal Album: Arctic Monkeys, AM
Concert: Phosphorescent at Signal Kitchen
Alex Budney (president, Nectar’s Presents)
Local Album: (tie) Alpenglow, Solitude EP; The Dupont Brothers, The Dupont Brothers EP
Nonlocal Album: Banda Magda, Amour t’es la
Concert: Tauk at Nectar’s
Wild Card: There’s a lot of talent in this town. A lot of talent that I wish booking agents would recognize more and help get out there. So many acts just need that small agency to help them get on their feet … and would do amazingly well outside of Vermont. And it ain’t easy.
Rob Larkin (The Shandies)
Local Album: Paper Castles, Vague Era
Nonlocal Album: Of Montreal, Lousy With Sylvianbriar
Concert: Metz at the Monkey House
Ben Aleshire (Vermont Joy Parade)
Local Album: Ryan Power, Identity Picks
Nonlocal Album: Bill Callahan, Dream River
Concert: Bloody Maria, the psychedelic Genesis (as in the biblical Genesis) rock musical, by Mickey Western at Off Center for the Dramatic Arts
Wild Card: Hana Zara with Taylor Smith. Watch out.
Bow Thayer (Bow Thayer & Perfect Trainwreck)
Local Album: Billy Wylder, Sand & Gold
Nonlocal Album: Blitzen Trapper, Seven
Concert: Waylon Speed at the Tweed River Music Festival
Bryan Parmelee (Pours)
Local Album: Paper Castles, Vague Era
Nonlocal Album: The Knife, Shaking the Habitual
Concert: Fred Armisen with J Mascis at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Burlington
Wild Card: Best Hair: Eric Olsen (Swale)
Phil Yates (Phil Yates & the Affiliates)
Local Album: Persian Claws, Persian Claws
Nonlocal Album: The Dirtbombs, Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-Blooey!
Concert: Elvis Costello at the Flynn MainStage
Wild Card: The emergence of Signal Kitchen and ArtsRiot. Every time you turn around, those two venues are putting on “Shit! [Fill in the band name] are coming to town?!?” type of shows. Now all I need is the technology to clone myself so I can be at as many shows as Tim Lewis!
Tommy Alexander (Jenke Arts)
Local Album: (tie) Alpenglow, Solitude EP; Bless the Child, 100%
Nonlocal Album: Phosphorescent, Muchacho
Concert: Phosphorescent at Signal Kitchen
Jason Cooley (Blue Button)
Local Album: Last World, Demo
Nonlocal Album: Fuck Buttons, Slow Focus
Concert: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion playing to 40 people at Higher Ground
Wild Card: Watching Eugene [Hütz] discussing what I should do with all of my records was pretty funny.
Justin Boland (Humpasaur Jones, Wombaticus Rex)
Local Album: The Aztext, Four
Nonlocal Album: Ghost, Infestissumam
Concert: Waylon Speed
Wild Card: ArtsRiot/Signal Kitchen beautifying all our shit and culturing all over the place.
Pat Melvin (The DuPont Brothers Band)
Local Album: Caroline Rose, America Religious
Nonlocal Album: The Wood Brothers, The Muse
Concert: Shovels & Rope at Grand Point North
Wild Card: The Concrete Rivals from Montpelier. Shit, that dude [Jay Ekis] can play the guitar.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Scene and Heard”
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This article appears in Winter Reading Issue 2013.
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