12.31.12
I’m putting this up a little later than anticipated, but I have dated it 12.31.12 to reflect the passing of another year and to a better next year (We should always be looking forward and reflect on the past for comparison). 2012 was a remarkably good year for music. I have always found something positive every year, but this year was unusual with a number of very terrific releases that I will continue to listen to long after this year is over and finally discovering one (and only one) rap-rave band that I truly enjoyed. In fact, I have watched all of this bands videos as they are definitely different. More about the awesome, in the true meaning of that word – AWESOME – Die Antwoord, who really was the answer.
As promised, this year end drop box contains my top 50 albums from 2012 (with a few that reached these shores in 2012 but were actually released in 2011) and in a couple of weeks, I’ll put in my top 100 tracks. For those of you who missed some of these albums, either because you were late joiners or overwhelmed by the sheer volume of music, listen to the K-Town Top 100 (as NT calls me). For Eve and Tida, my Starbucks loyalists, thanks for the great year! For those who I only contact through this drop box I think about you often when making these selections, particularly Fran & John and Russell. Declan, you have time to catch up! Hope you had a great year and next year is better.
I’ve reviewed almost all of these albums previously, but as the year progressed, these were the albums that I listened to repeatedly. There is quite a diversity (at least as diverse as the Indie/Pop/Punk/Alternative/Metal/Experimental/Alt-Country/Rock genres permit) in these albums which I ranked purely arbitrarily as there is no objectivity involved – only my own idea of what I enjoyed and more or less based upon frequency of play. I will note in reviewing other “best of 2012” lists, notably Rolling Stone, Spin, Pitchfork, NME, and Stereogum that my list has a little overlap, but the majority of this list is unique to me. In all seriousness, I think that much of the commercial lists are influenced by the desire to maintain relationships with artists with large fan bases that subscribe to the magazines (Rolling Stone and Spin standout here) or were first hyped by the website and who the writers really like and like me are subtly influenced by prior experience with the band (pitchfork and stereogum). My list probably suffers from some of that subtle influence, although if anything, most of this list features new bands or bands with which I had little prior experience. I would note, that I did not pick any really old artists ( Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan come to mind who put out serviceable records but for the most part they were boring and didn’t introduce anything that you would spend any significant time…okay…you would never listen to either of these records ever again. Rolling Stone had Springsteen’s Wreckin Ball No. 1 and Dylan’s Tempest at No. 4.
Some other observations about my list. My list has two No. 44’s – Titus Andronicus’ Mixtape which was good for a laugh and the new record Local Business. I also think I am mellowing out with age. I have always likes catchy melodic tunes, but usually have found them in the punk rock genre. This year, I leaned towards the more indie-pop end of the spectrum as evidenced by the Oh Mercy, Wolfgang, San Cisco selections. There is always room for big hooked alterno-metal as played by You and Me at Six, New Electric Sound, and Imperial State Electric. Punk still abounds but it is catchier that usual as found in Motion City Soundtrack, Gaslight Anthem, Henry Clay People and the Mixtapes. Anyway, I thought it was a great year for new music and hopefully you’ve discovered some new favorites along the way.
So here is my DropBox 2012 Top 50 List:
01 Oh Mercy – Great Barrier Grief [2011]
02 Wolf Gang – Suego Faults [2011]
03 We Are Augustines – Rise Ye Sunken Ships [2011]
04 Motion City Soundtrack – Go [2012]
05 Japandroids – Celebration Rock [2012]
06 Vaccines – Come Of Age [2012]
07 Wiretree – Make Up [2011]
08 You Me At Six – Sinners Never Sleep [2011]
09 Purity Ring – Shrines [2012]
10 San Cisco – San Cisco [2012]
11 The Static Jacks – If You’re Young [2011]
12 Empires – Garage Hymns [2012]
13 Swans – The Seer [2CD] [2012]
14 Walk The Moon – Walk The Moon [2012]
15 Gaslight Anthem – Handwritten [Deluxe Edition] [2012]
16 New Electric Sound – The New Electric Sound [2012]
17 King Tuff – King Tuff [2012]
18 Henry Clay People – Twenty-Five For The Rest Of Our Lives [2012]
19 Metz – Metz [2012]
20 Delorentos – Little Sparks [2012]
21 XX – Coexist [2012]
22 Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory [2012]
23 Best Coast – The Only Place [Deluxe Edition] [2012]
24 Die Antwoord – Ten$ion [2012]
25 Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan [2012]
26 Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits [2012]
27 Cheap Girls – Giant Orange [2012]
28 Bob Mould – Silver Age [2012]
29 Howler – America Give Up [2012]
30 Imperial State Electric – Pop War [2012]
31 Redd Kross – Researching the Blues [2012]
32 Tame Impala – Lonerism (Rough Trade Bonus Edition) [2CD][2012]
33 Electric Touch – Never Look Back [2012]
34 Classic Crime – Phoenix [2012]
35 Django Django – Django Django [2012]
36 The Men – Open Your Heart [2012]
37 Grizzly Bear – Shields [2012]
38 Hoodoo Gurus – Gold Watch 20 Golden Greats [2012]
39 The View – Cheeky for a Reason [2012]
40 The 1975 – Sex [2012]
41 Sugar Army – Summertime Heavy [2012]
42 Sharks – No Gods [2012]
43 Sleigh Bells – Reign Of Terror [2012]
44 Titus Andronicus – Local Business [2012]
44A Titus Andronicus – Titus Andronicus LLC Mixtape Vol. 1 [2012]
45 Choir Of Young Believers – Rhine Gold [2012]
46 Ty Segall – Twins [2012]
47 Chairlift – Something [2012]
48 Mixtapes – Even On The Worst Nights [2012]
49 All-American Rejects – Kids in the Street [2012]
50 The Pusher – The Art Of Hit Music [2011]
Honorable Mention:
- Grimes – Visions (Deluxe Bonus Edition) [3CD] [2012]
- Chromatics – Kill for Love [2012]
- Allo Darlin’ – Europe [2012]
- Crystal Castles – (III) [2012]
- Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel [2012]
- Of Monsters and Men – My Head Is An Animal [2012]
- Alt-J – An Awesome Wave [Deluxe Version] [2012]
- Tennis – Young & Old [2012]
- Walkmen – Heaven [2012]
- Beach House – Bloom [2012]
By way of comparison here are some other Best of Lists of 2012 from of a couple of other reviewers ( Most picked 50 but I’ve only included the top 10 from most, except Rolling Stone because it was so freakily out of touch with the rest of the world:
Pitchfork’s Top Albums of 2012:
01 Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City
02 Frank Ocean – Channel Orange
03 Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel…
04 Tame Impala – Lonerism
05 Swans – The Seer
06 Grimes – Visions
07 Beach House – Bloom
08 Chromatics – Kill For Love
09 Death Grips – The Money Store
10 Grizzly Bear – Shields
Rolling Stone’s Top 50 of 2012
I put all 50 albums because it is so odd to me how they managed to cover all areas but still skewed very old – Springsteen, Dylan, Neil Young, Jimmy Cliff, Leonard Cohen and Dr. John all in the top 20. Seriously, there is little criticism going on at Rolling Stone to include some of these records). Count the old people (nearing or over 50) in this list. There are many more here than probably anywhere – ever). I’ve highlighted the oldsters!
01 Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball (Age 63)
02 Frank Ocean – Channel Orange
03 Jack White – Blunderbuss
04 Bob Dylan – Tempest (Age 71)
05 Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel…
06 Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city
07 Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – Here
08 Green Day – !Uno!
09 Japandroids – Celebration Rock
10 Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Psychedelic Pill (Age 67)
11 Mumford & Sons – Babel
12 Jimmy Cliff – Rebirth (Age 64)
13 Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas (Age 78)
14 Best Coast – The Only Place
15 Dr. John – Locked Down (Age 72)
16 Cat Power – Sun ( Chan Marshall is 40)
17 John Mayer – Born and Raised
18 Nas – Life is Good
19 Band Of Horses – Mirage Rock
20 Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music
21 Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory
22 Bonnie Raitt – Slipstream (Age 63)
23 Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits
24 G.O.O.D. Music – Cruel Summer
25 Donald Fagen – Sunken Condos (Age 64)
26 Django Django – Django Django
27 Gary Clark Jr. – Blak and Blu
28 Beach House – Bloom
29 Dave Matthews Band – Away From the World (okay he is only 46 but plays way old)
30 Azealia Banks – 1991
31 Taylor Swift – Red
32 Hospitality – Hospitality
33 Grimes – Visions
34 Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls
35 Grizzly Bear – Shields
36 Bobby Womack – The Bravest Man in the Universe (Age 68)
37 Justin Townes Earle – Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now
38 Titus Andronicus – Local Business
39 Passion Pit – Gossamer
40 Escort – Escort
41 The Avett Brothers – The Carpenter
42 Allo Darlin’ – Europe
43 fun. – Some Nights
44 Garbage – Not Your Kind of People
45 Rick Ross – Rich Forever
46 Muse – The 2nd Law
47 Todd Snider – Agnostic Hymns and Stoner Fables ( Age 46)
48 The Smashing Pumpkins – Oceania ( Corgan is Age 45)
49 Amadou And Mariam – Folila ( Amadou Bagayoko ( Age 58) Mariam Doumbia (Age 54))
50 Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan
Stereogum’s Top 10 of 2012
01 Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel…
02 Frank Ocean – Channel Orange
03 Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city
04 Swans – The Seer
05 Jesse Ware – Devotion
06 Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory
07 Japandroids – Celebration Rock
08 Walkmen – Heaven
09 Chairlift – Something
10 Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan
Spin’s Top 10 of 2012
01 Frank Ocean – Channel Orange
02 Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City
03 Japandroids – Celebration Rock
04 DJ Rashad – Teklife Vol. 1 – Welcome To The Chi
05 Miguel – Kaleidoscope Dream
06 Bat for Lashes – The Haunted Man
07 Swans – The Seer
08Killer Mike R.A.P. Music
09Ty Segall – Twins
10 Santigold – Master of My Make-Believe
I’ve compiled my top tracks of 2012 as well and will put them up after you’ve had time to digest this offering. Until next time…gabba gabba hey!