Selective Hearing Mid-Year Recap

It’s time for the Selective Hearing staff  (well half of us) to attempt to remember the first 6 or 7 months of 2011 with the annual mid-year recap. Yes, I know it’s late but better late than never. As always, the opinions expressed are those of the individual writers.

Kuro and Maliciel could not participate due to previous commitments but I’m sure they’ll have plenty to say come year end.

Thank you.

TOZ

We are half way through 2011 already? Wasn’t even paying attention. Despite my lack of byline seen on this site (I will try to change that, you know how that life thing affects things) I have been trying to maintain constant attention toward music in 2011.

On the hip-hop front, Pharoahe Monch’s W.A.R. album has gotten some rotation along with Joell Ortiz’s Free Agent. Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers has some things lacking. 

Odd Future interests me due to their unique spin on hip-hop. Mixtapes from Detroit’s Elzhi and Mississippi’s Big K.R.I.T. has surprised me. Also, so much attention toward Common’s invitation to the White House. To keep it short and sweet, too much brouhaha for something that doesn’t really matter.

Over in the land of K-pop, Secret’s Shy Boy was a surprising delight and Dal Shabet was a group I didn’t notice but I learned that I should have. 2NE1′s new direction is something I am not quite sure about.

Greg

2011 is half done? My how time flies. Looking back the first 6 or 7 months of the year I see that it was fairly action packed. South Korean releases have been ramped up so much that there is very little time between singles and albums. Pretty soon it will just be a blur of releases from the same artist every day.

More K-Pop artists are also are crossing over into Japan (& some into America) which makes it doubly difficult to keep up. J-Pop is also experiencing a surge in releases after the earthquake temporarily halted the industry.

I am only one man and can’t remember everything that came out or what has gone down so I’m just going to break down the musical highlights that stood out for me so far.

• Hello! Project stepping up and releasing a lot of high quality music (with the exception of S/Mileage’s Koi ni Booing Buu)
• Rania’s Dr. Feel Good. The song is hot, the video is hotter.
• Perfume’s Laser beam. Continues their streak of great songs, too bad the video wasn’t completed due to the Japan earthquake
• 2NE1 showing their softer side with Lonely.
• Berryz Koubou at Sakura-con 2011. Concert was awesome, riot after was epic & seeing them up close (especially Miya) & giving them gifts was definitely worth the trip. Also meeting up with old friends and making new ones was also a nice bonus.
• Scandal at AM2. Rocking show, great panel, so-so autograph session & plenty of press perks.  Also great to once again meet up my JPH!P people & those I met at Sakura-con. AM2 was awesome & I look forward to next year and beyond.
• Selective Hearing radio celebrating its 2nd year of on air shenanigans, music & rants.

There was also the 5th anniversary of this site which was celebrated quietly. Which is just right since we like to kind of fly under the radar sometimes only to rise like a phoenix to piss people off.  Well I do anyway. =)

That sums up what we found interesting so far. I’m sure there’s a lot more in store in the 2nd half of the year that we will try to remember come December.