In 2011 more so than ever before, I felt like I had my finger on the pulse from start to finish. Not coincidentally, 2011 is also the year of overwhelm: I officially hit critical mass. In what was already the busiest year of my life, I managed to ingest some three or four hundred new releases. Though I can be sure that will never happen again, I attribute that drive to the inception of Good Ol’ Boys, the aesthetic outlet I never knew I wanted. In all my exploration, I can recall literally only one true disappointment, and even it had its redeeming qualities. I spent most of the year slack-jawed at how awesome the quality (and awesomely non-stop the quantity) was of the releases.
I’ll most remember 2011 as a hotbed of unparalleled creativity, the kind of true artistry that can only be born of necessity. Such necessity, the need to create and have a voice, can be born only of times of crisis, conflict, and change such as these. That’s a pretty basic truth throughout history, but it’s worth noting a silver lining: when we have less, we do so much more. Beyond even that, we do it only because it means more to us than anything. Some of the best music of the year was given away for free (and in those cases, downloads are hyperlinked). That, to me, speaks highly of the human spirit and, in its integrity, inspires me to better myself. Now, without further ado …
Good Ol' Boys 