Pot of musical gold found in valley

This is what has been going on in your backyard for the past 12 months.

It's some good stuff.

Last week, I shared with you my favorite albums of the year on a national level.

Now, here are my favorite Vegas releases from 2011:

TWIN BROTHER, "Best Frenzy": "Frenzy" isn't a bad way to describe this one, considering that the album comes at you from all sides, kind of like getting caught in a sudden downpour, but with meticulously textured and sculpted sound in place of raindrops. There's a lot going on here, often simultaneously: Gorgeous melodies get cleaved in half by light saber guitars; lilting piano gets bloodied by shards of dissonance; multipart harmonies swirl around zigzagging bass lines and digital beats.

Sometimes it sounds like two bands playing at once.

Twins, perhaps?

THE MAD CAPS, "The Mad Caps": Here, frontman Ted Rader's Rottweiler guitar chews itself off its leash to hump the leg of anything that moves. This is pure unrestrained six-string caterwaul, total bare knuckle boogie, anchored by Jon Real's smash and grab drumming. "You gotta feel my soul," Rader howls and hyperventilates on "Baby Man," sounding possessed by the spirit of Lux Interior.

You feel it, all right, like a heart attack coming on.

MOLOTOV SOLUTION, "Insurrection": To describe this record's sound is kind of like detailing the color and sheen of a bullet: It's the impact that each creates that really matters.

And "Insurrection" registers with clavicle-cracking force, with the band turning the screws on their politically incensed deathcore to the point that it's damn near as tight as their clenched fists.

HOLDING ONTO SOUND, "The Sea": HOTS' gigs are epic expulsions of energy, where subtlety is about as welcome as static crowd members. But on this record, the band showcases the nuances of its sound, detailing the intricacy that catalyzes the aplomb.

As such, "The Sea" is punk rock idealism at high tide, equal parts hope and hellfire.

MOKSHA, "Here to Go": Moksha's repertoire is like kerosene: fluid and combustible. And like said liquid, it takes the shape of the vessel in which it's poured, be it casks of funk, blues, jazz or rootsy rock 'n' roll.

Here, they continue to work singer Sam Lemos into the fold, balancing free-range jams with more concise, tightly honed songs that could find their way onto the radio if only the airwaves were as adventurous as these dudes.

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.