Good Day, friends and acquaintances and strangers that somehow came across this thing. I have a great taste in music so my opinions are therefore the most important ones in regards to music released into this world during the calendar year of 2012. If I didn't hear it, it was not important/good. This is an assumption we must make. If I didn't understand it fully, it must not have been worth my time to give it the required attention.
I'm doing things a bit differently this year. I decided against the whole "ranking stuff" thing because come on. I always regret it later. I put the xx over Dirty Projectors in 2009? What was I thinking? And how can you choose between two great albums of entirely different genre? What is this based on? Something unquantifiable? That special feeling that special music gives me? Which one does "that" better?
No no no. This year, I'm just going to share with you a list (in alphabetical order lest you think I'm trying to rank them) of the music that was released that was very very special to me. There are 15 if you want to try to figure out how they would rank based on what I say about them. And I will say why it was special to me. Maybe we can start a dialogue that way. I know listing things starts dialogues, but it usually comes down to me saying "I don't know why I liked this more; I guess I just didn't get into that other one that much."
Take a look. And then tell me what music was the most special to you. Let's bond over this.
A is for...Aesop Rock: Skelethon. I'm not sure if this is less "dense" than his last album or not, but it feels that way to me. I can follow along a little better. It's either me or him that has changed. Probably me. He still spits out words with an intensity that sounds like they've been stuck in his throat for ages and he...just...hastogetthemoutrightnow. I like it a lot. Also, surprising to me because I kind of find her too precious, that song with Kimya Dawson is great. She is utilized in a way that is not annoying! More just creepy in a really great way.
B is for...Bobby Womack: The Bravest Man In The Universe. It sounds just as I hoped it would sound. After the greatness that was Bobby Womack on the last (two) Gorillaz album(s), I had high hopes for a Damon Albarn (and Richard Russell!) produced Bobby Womack album. His voice has oh so much soul at this age, I can't get over it. And Albarn's production is modern yet classy. Usually if you try to modernize soul like this it sounds cheesy and terrible. But something tells me this will age well. The production enhances the vocals, as opposed to masking/ruining them.
C is for...Chromatics: Kill For Love. Speaking of cheesy production...this sounds quite a bit like something cheesy from the 80s. Yet...I like it. Why? Well, this is a great album for driving around at night (yeah yeah, I know their last album was actually called Night Drive). The electricity of the city, experiencing life. Synths. Stuff.
C is also for...Cloud Nothings: Attack on Memory. This one took me a bit. It took me a while to get over the vocals. I almost have a love/tolerate relationship with the vocals. Sometimes it's annoying pop punk, and sometimes it sounds like a young Johnny Rotten (i.e. actual punk). The music, though, just sounds so alive! Kind of like what Titus Andronicus did for me a couple years ago. The energy of that punk rock that I lived for in high school. Unpredictable, turn on a dime, can't-help-but-air-drum-in-the-car rocking out. It kind of reminds me of Nirvana without being stuck in the 90s. And "Wasted Days" may be the song of the year. Maybe.
D is for...Dirty Projectors: Swing Lo Magellan. Beautiful record here. It reminds me of the last TV On The Radio album in that I feel like the last one reached such a level of technical mastery and now they are playing in the newly expanded playground they've created. Using it to create (dare I say) poppier sounds without compromising who they are. Putting more heart on display while making the technical stuff look easy. The breakdown that happens late in the album where they actually purposefully get off the beat, talk over each other, just lends to this as well. They're having fun. So listening to it is just fun.
E is for...El-P: Cancer 4 Cure. This really was a big year for hip hop. As you'll see. I don't know if I can get away with my years-old practice of shying away from commenting on hip hop because I'm "so new" to the genre that I don't know what to say! At this point I don't think that's fair. Why do I like this album? Because it's so bombastic, because it references Step Brothers and Groucho Marx. Because Nick Diamond is on there. And he lets the intro play for a full 3 minutes before jumping in there. This is a hip hop album that would have held up last year, when it seemed like nothing could hold a candle to Shabazz Palaces. It's at that level.
F is for...Frank Ocean: Channel Orange. I'll admit it. I probably would not have even given this a chance if he hadn't posted that coming out thing online leading up to the album. I always figured, he has a nice voice, but I also pre-decided that he wouldn't have anything interesting to say. The Odd Future crew irritated the hell out of me last year and I would just as soon have nothing to do with any of their output. But part of that was the misogyny and homophobia of what they were saying. But he's gay? And this album is getting good reviews? OK fine. Maybe I was wrong about this guy. I'll get the deal of the day $3.99 album on Amazon. If nothing else, there's at least a track featuring Andre 3000. But wow. He has a lot to say. This is some next level R&B. A modern Marvin Gaye (pardon the pun). The production and diversity of sounds is amazing, but what keep me coming back are his songwriting and that beautiful, beautiful voice.
G is for...Godspeed You! Black Emperor!: Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! A couple 20 minute tracks and a couple 6 minute tracks. Those two 20 minute tracks are kind of the definition of epic music, but I just find it accessible. I can just put it on like a pop record and listen to them like it's nothing. It's a quick 20 minute journey. Well a couple of them. Once it really gets going, you really gotta listen to the whole thing.
J is for...Japandroids: Celebration Rock. Kind of the opposite of the rock spectrum. Quick songs (ok, not like Off level quick, they are almost all over 4 minutes) of anthemic whoa-oh-ohs and guitar licks and a few actual lyrics to throw in there. "The Nights of Wine and Roses" is now one of my favorite drinking songs. But all the songs, put together, are a statement of "let's be young! woohoooo!" sloganeering but like, without being shallow, ya know?
J is also for...Jens Lekman. I was a little reluctant to put this on there. Especially because I skipped Jack White (did you notice that? I'm still kind of surprised I skipped his album on this list because it's great!). But also because I find the actual music to be somewhat cheesy. A little too smooth jazz for my tastes. But he always always always gets me with his combination of melody and lyrics. The simple songwriting. It doesn't matter how they are presented. These songs are pure gold. Every one of them.
K is for...Kendrick Lamar: good kid, m.A.A.d city. I wanted but kind of failed to like Section.80. Now I'm wondering if I should give it another chance. He has so much to say on this album, and so many creative ways to say it. It sounds like a debut to me.
K is also for...KIller Mike: R.A.P. Music. Can he and El-P team up all the time now? What a great foundation is laid for Killer Mike to just...kill it. He sounds completely alive and excited to rap about literature and staying sharp. It's inspiring. So listen up.
O is for...of Montreal: Paralytic Stalks. OK I will admit I am somewhat of an of Montreal apologist. Their last couple albums were a little lacking but I really really wanted to like them more than I probably actually did. I may have forced it a bit. But this one? Pitchfork hated this one? After gushing over Hissing Fauna? It's like it wouldn't fit their pre-set narrative of this band to admit they have returned in a big way. This is their darkest album, it is easily their best and most personal since Hissing Fauna, and it's very rewarding. Is it a mess? Kind of, but that's because it's exploring the human psyche, which is a mess. It's still catchy, still has those great sing along choruses about making the one you love start crying and it feeling good, exploring the darker reaches of your mind to come out clean on the other side. You know...therapy.
R is for...Robert Glasper: Black Radio. I didn't know who this guy was (he is a jazz pianist). But one of the free songs of the day on google was a song featuring Lupe Fiasco and Bilal. So I said "ok, I'll take that free song!" And I did and it was pretty good! Then the album came out and I looked at the track listing and who was featured. Erykah Badu! Chrisette Michele! Yasiin Bey (you know, Mos Def)! Why not give this a try? But more than a collection of R&B and hip hop personalities getting their jazz on is a celebration of the love of the music. That sounds cheesy. But it's great jazz with great singing--and some rapping--on top. It's Billie Holiday for 2012. It's hard to describe. But a gorgeous experience.
T is for...THEESatisfaction: awE naturalE. So after Shabazz Palaces blew my mind last year, I was ready for everything I could find associated with them. So this was the big release of 2012 associated with Shabazz Palaces. And it kind of does for R&B what Black Up did for hip hop. It just blows it wide open. If R&B is the right genre for this. Maybe just call it another variation on hip hop. Why do I have to try to label something like this? But what this album does here is it takes two voices, winds them around each other, puts other pieces around those two voices, and makes something gripping and enchanting. Does that make sense? I didn't think so. Just listen!
Y is for...You should also check out these honorable mentions! Much more great music came out! Alabama Shakes. Animal Collective. The Antlers. Bat for Lashes. Big Boi (still needs more gestation as it just came out, it's probably not as great as Speakerboxxx or Sir Lucious Left Foot but it's still Big Boi). Brother Ali. Cat Power. David Byrne & St Vincent. Death Grips. E.D. Sedgwick. The Evens. Fiona Apple. Flying Lotus. Georgia Anne Muldrow (produced by Madlib!). Grimes. Hot Chip. Jack White. JJ Doom. John K. Samson. Leonard Cohen. Liars. Lower Dens. The Men. Nas. Neneh Cherry & The Thing. Santigold. Scissor Sisters. The Swans. Tanlines. Titus Andronicus. Ty Segall. The Walkmen. The xx.
What did you love?
Playlist/CD/something coming soon.
