Yer all probably right, but I'll take Broken Bells over most new Shins. At least I think so…it's been a while since I listened to anything but their debut.

Shins Vs Broken Bells
go!

Speaking of "elegant country-rock songs"
I saw Dawes perform a song at the Newport folk festival. They're okay, but Middle Brother is where it's at.

I'm just posting so I can tell my grandkids I was here.

Where's the love?
I really enjoyed their debut LP, looking forward to this one.

The Dead certainly have a claim. They spanned basically every american genre in their 30 years - from straight ahead rock to blues to country to psychedelic rock to jazz to (sadly) disco to the jam band stuff of their later years which all combined into what I think is pure Americana. They also pioneered the concert…

.
"In a 2009 interview, Marianne Faithfull expressed a fervent hope "to find love soon." Here's hoping she doesn't"
Asshole.

R.I.P.
If nothing else, this will probably get some people to check out his albums.

(the very fact that you're posting on a pop culture website on an article devoted to music tells me that you have some interest left)

@Old Fart
17, or, theoretically, someone who works in a field to do with music, be it journalism, production, performance…
Or, I could just not lose that desire. I know adults who constantly listen to new music. Not everyone will have the same experience as you.

I'm surprised that people still expect geographical "scenes" in this day and age. We have the folk/Americana scene, the garage rock scene, the electronic music scenes (to name a few that get quite a bit of coverage) , and they're all happening RIGHT NOW.

i and 1 - I read that as being more of the need to belong to some sort of community in a positive way than the negative way you are interpreting it.

I'm 17, and have listened to over 90 albums released in 2011, and have another 5 queued up as we speak.

Lousy firstie it obviously is, but I still believe that Piper at the Gates of Dawn is their best album.
I forget who it was, but someone said something about DSOTM being great music to play on a demo stereo in a store - it has amazing production, the actual songwriting just falls flat.

Their First
is still my favorite.

Didn't say they were, I said they would have otherwise slipped under my radar; it's not necessarily something I would pick up normally.
Read more thoroughly next time.

Me me me me me me
I'm doing a project this year where I listen to every "notable" release of 2011. So far the results have been rather predictable - I have enjoyed the high profile bands like the Decemberists, TVOTR, and Tuneyards the most, but some bands that would have otherwise slipped under my radar, like Middle…

Why the backlash?
I somehow picked this record up [read - downloaded] randomly last summer, and my reaction, after listening to them a few times, was favorable, but I didn't think I'd be hearing about them again. I wonder what it is about this band that prompts such strong reactions - I'd say this is a solid B, maybe…

@David Boring:
Nice.

I haven't heard the album yet, but…can we all just accept that pitchfork features legitimate reviews from writers who are real people who love music, and do not represent the mythical "hipster"?