OK, so we won't call it a banner year in music. Not much happened on the charts or on the stage that folks will sit back in twenty years and say, "Now that 2001, boy, that was one sweet year in music." Obviously, the history books will remember 2001 for one thing, and one thing only.

That said, I did have the good fortune of hearing a lot of good records this year. Over the last two weeks, I told you about the local releases and bands that deserved special consideration. Again, it wasn't a banner year around town either -- no band managed to break down the force field that surrounds the music industry. But we're getting closer by the day and songwriters around the state are staying motivated, rising to the occasion by churning out some damn fine sounds. No promises, but '02 should have at least something in store in the way of a national breakthrough. Something. I've got that sneaking suspicion. Keep the faith.

The local scene in '01 mirrored in a sense what went on in the world at large. Beyond a few major rock acts punching through to mega-stardom like Linkin Park, POD, Staind and, oh you know, there wasn't much epic music to distinguish the year. Of course, there were the Strokes, a good live act. But I can't for the life of me figure out the utter lemming-like adulation being bestowed on them. Was the band's music so drop-dead spectacular so as to render all of the other indie-minded rock bands out there neglected? No. (See list below.) Was the scene so bereft of notable new bands and releases that the Strokes simply soared above a mediocre crop? I think not. Why then all the hullabaloo? Were critics so hungry for a Television/Tom Verlaine knockoff that they decided to absolve the Strokes for their blatantly derivative sins? Are the kids listening to the Strokes giving it up for the band's obvious forbears, like Television? I hope so. Some good needs to come out of all this idolatry.

A more interesting critical propensity is the one that began in the UK with good bands like Gomez and Radiohead and continued with Doves and Badly Drawn Boy. It's a deep acoustic trend, with thoughtful, often provocative arrangements and progressive sensibilities. This year, the trend continues snowballing with more worthwhile bands, including Virginia's South (Kinetic/Reprise), Starsailor (Capitol), Elbow (Beggars Banquet), and Turin Brakes (Astralwerks). The music shares a propensity to explore, but with more acoustic strumming at its base than drone or feedback. South's upcoming album, From Here On In, sounds like a Spaceman 3 disc fronted by Jeff Tweedy, while Elbow sounds like Elliott Smith fronting Wish You Were Here-era Pink Floyd.

All of these bands sound in some way like Radiohead, which is a good thing. Just as the post-grunge hard rock bands of the mid-'90s took their cue from Nirvana, newer, younger bands seem to be pillaging the sonic sensibilities of Thom Yorke and friends. Let's face it. It could be worse. They could be taking their ideas from, uh, Limp Bizkit, you know?

And speaking of Bizkit, they're doing their Guitar Center search for a Wes Borland replacement in the guitar slot. If it's Fred Durst you're hankering to accompany on stage, (who isn't?), run out to one of those try-outs and don't forget your guitar, backwards cap, and a little chin hair. It starts next week, I believe. Hop to it.

Tastelessness aside, there's another more comforting trend beginning to bubble up in pop, that being one that actually features women. Like 1995, which I seem to remember being tagged as "The Year of the Woman," 2001-02 is shaping up nicely in the same fashion, with a bunch of cool female artists looking to rock the house. Like who? Well, aside from the obvious like Alanis and Gwen No Doubt, both of whom will likely dominate the first half of this year, we've got great new names, like Shannon McNally (Capitol), Sheila Nicholls (Hollywood), Michelle Branch (Atlantic), Kasey Chambers (Warner Brothers), and Anika Moa (Atlantic). And wait'll you hear the new album by vocal prodigy Norah Jones. Her Blue Note debut, Come Away with Me, comes out shortly and it's a killer; her voice, across a wide swath of blues, pop, folk, and jazz numbers, has an incredible richness that belies her youth.

Soul music also took a turn for the better over the last year, a backward trend we hope continues until the current soul music sounds like vintage soul from the '60s. Yeah, we'd be happy if it backed up that far. Anyway, the sterile derivations of studio glossies like Jermaine Dupri were eclipsed by producers and performers who actually don't mind the sound of old school soul. If radio picks up on the trend, we'd all be better off. As it stands, we've got Alicia Keys and Angie Stone who don't sound half bad from a soul standpoint and Pink is coming on, even though she's a little less reliable in terms of her material. Jill Scott, India.Arie, Res, Brian McKnight, and Craig David don't sound half bad either. There is hope, even in the quintessentially shallow world of new millennium R&B.

Indie rock had a good year, too. In fact, here's a list of some records that stayed around for more than a few spins.

Orange Peels: So Far (Spinart)
Rodney Crowell: The Houston Kid (Sugar Hill)
Blind Boys of Alabama: Spirit of the Century (Realworld)
Oh Susanna: Sleepy Little Sailor (Catamount)
Prayer Boat: Polichinelle (Atlantic)
Kill Creek: Colors of Home (sn)
Soundtrack of Our Lives: Behind The Music (Hidden Agenda)
Beulah: The Coast Is Never Clear (Velocette)
Flyte Reaction: Sensilla (Rubric)
Hefner: Dead Media (Pure)
Kevin Tihista's Red Terror (Atlantic)
Various Artists: Darker Than Blue Soul from Jamdown (Blood & Fire)
Entombed: Morning Star (Koch)
Clutch: Pure Rock Fury (Atlantic)
Finley Quaye: Vanguard (Epic)
The Come Ons: Hip Check! (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
The Avalanches: Since I Left You (Modular/Sire)
Toploader: Anka's Big Moka (Epic)

I know, I know. Some of these records aren't exactly on indie labels. But they're all independent in spirit. If more people get their hands on them because they've got better distribution, well, we're all gonna be that much better off. And see that? All of these records and not one mention of the Strokes?!

WANDERING EYE. After a couple of ambitious recordings and a spate of vibrant gigs, local scenesters Fat Buddah have announced its split. Singer-guitarist-maverick Joe Bartone has formed a new band called Break-Up Sex, mixing in covers by James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, and the Temptations with some originals. The new lineup consists of JD on vocals, Bryan Bartone on bass, Chris Adams (Neo'90s Dance Band) on keys, and Jeff (from Sunshine Smokey and the Rhythm Juice) on drums. You can catch the new act at the Call tonight (Thursday, the 10th), in the 11 p.m. slot.

On Saturday, Stone Soupers are in for a treat. Greg Greenway, a Boston folk artist of the highest order, will be escorting his audience along for a most adventurous acoustic ride. He's energetic and introspective, exuberant and emotional, sometimes all at once. After you see him, you'll want to take him home and make him a permanent part of your record collection. The concert, which begins at 8 p.m. with a set by Lindsay Adler, will be at the Slater Mill Historic Site (67 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket). Tickets are $10.

E-mail me with music news at b_gulla@yahoo.com b_gulla@yahoo.com.

Issue Date: January 11 - 17, 2002