Label Year 2011 Wrap Up

Almost exactly a year ago, I embarked on a musical journey to acquire and listen to everything that record label Arts & Crafts put out in 2011. I called it Label Year. The final tally was a very diverse sixteen releases, plus two bonus articles related to one of my all-time favorite bands and label founder Broken Social Scene. Tonight I bring the feature to a close with a look back, as well as a glimpse of what's to come.

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Cold Specks – Holland

This is it, the final 2011 release from Arts & Crafts. Maybe not the final installment of Label Year, but as far as the music goes, we are at the end of the road with the 7-inch record "Holland" by Cold Specks. It's not a bad way to go out, if I may say so.

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The Darcys

Unfortunately I won't be able to complete my Label Year feature within the year 2011, but I am at least getting one last post in today with a look at the self-titled debut album from The Darcys.

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Zeus – Are You Gonna Waste My Time?

Ye gods! Zeus has released the rocking single "Are You Gonna Waste My Time?" as a preview of their forthcoming-in-2012 second album. It hits like a lightning bolt from Mount Olympus and certainly has me excited for that new release. Let's not delay any longer and get right to this newest Label Year.

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Eight and a Half – Scissors

Eight and a Half. It's not just a Fellini film anymore. This new band is made from a combination of The Stills (Liam O'Neil & Dave Hamelin) and Broken Social Scene (Justin Peroff). Their full length, self-titled debut isn't due out until next year, but Arts & Crafts has offered their single "Scissors" to introduce them to the world. Tonight, Label Year considers this first impression.

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Feist – Metals

Last month, Feist released Metals, the long-awaited follow-up to her breakout album The Reminder. It was perhaps the most anticipated release of the year for Arts & Crafts from perhaps their most prominent artist. It is a great album and the subject of this installment of Label Year.

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Dan Mangan – Oh Fortune

Arts & Crafts has been on a tear with recent releases, and I have fallen way off the pace with my Label Year feature. Tuesday's Los Campesinos! album will mark the sixth release in the past seven weeks, none of which have yet appeared here. So let's get things back on track and kick off the big finish with a look at Oh Fortune by Dan Mangan.

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This Book Is Broken

This feature of Label Year has mostly been devoted to the 2011 musical releases of Arts & Crafts, but it was always my hope to delve into at least a little of what came out in previous years. I'm finally getting around to that now, and I'm starting with a book. It's called This Book is Broken: A Broken Social Scene Story, and I consider it a must-read.

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Stars – The Bedroom Demos

So far, Label Year has looked at a diverse range of releases, from full length albums to digital singles (with remixes and with b-sides), and from 7" records to digital albums. The latest addition to this eclectic mix is The Bedroom Demos, a full demo version of a previously released album, In Our Bedroom After the War by Stars.

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