So this is the part where I normally waffle on about what a crap or brilliant year it has been for music. Somehow at this point in my life it seems rather arbitrary. New music is everywhere to be found now, on every obscure blog, no matter what genres you may be interested in. Personally, I'm proud of myself for listening to new music and being excited about new music in general when so many of my peers have already succumbed to the retro hell of 90s-only playlists. I watched people in their 30s do this for 80s music when I was a teenager, and found it pathetic and sad (although I always loved dancing to Yaz just like everybody else). Let's all continue to get excited about new music, no matter how many years and events go by in our lives. Here are my top twelve musical releases of 2012 (including mixtapes, LPs EPs, and one single).
12.
XV- "Popular Culture Mixtape" I love Vizzie. He's made a believer out of me. XV is simply so fresh, inventive, and clever that he makes other rappers just sound cold. I have always been one to enjoy tounge-in-cheek flow and XV does this to perfection. A cartoon-watching nerdiac, he drops references to Adventure Time and Andy Warhol. My favorite hip-hop release of 2012.
11.
Alice Cohen- "Pink Keys" Cohen is from the 80s herself, heading up several electronic groups and creating music videos and art installations. After years of radio silence, she came back with a richly textured record that sounded unique and solely her own. Her gorgeous voice and synth patterns blend together so well.
10.
Frank Ocean- "Channel Orange" Frank certainly took the R'N'B world by storm this year, with more hype than any other artist I can think. In his case, however, the hype is justified. "Pyramids" is one of the stand-out tracks of 2012, and you won't find a track more strange and intriguing. And that voice! I only wonder how he will follow this release, and what new direction he might take in the future.
9.
The Bilinda Butchers- "Goodbye EP" Because I always need more dream-pop in my life, BB stepped in to fill the void. This collection of songs is much more cohesive and solid than their last release. Their music is listenable, fun, and sweet, with shoegaze influences distilled into something unique and young. Wonderful EP.
8.
AlunaGeorge- "You Know You Like It" Although only a single, these three songs could easily have been released as an EP, which is why they make it onto my final countdown. Said simply, all three songs are solid gold. This is easily my favorite pop music act of 2012, hands down. For a debut release, the production is very impressive and I can't wait to hear what else they can do.
7.
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti- "Mature Themes" I'm proud to say that this is not the only album on my list produced by Cole M. Grief-Neill from Nite Jewel. Cole's production has really grown by leaps and bounds this year, as evidenced by his perfect distilling of the "AM Radio sound" into songs such as "Only in My Dreams" and "Symphony of the Nymph." Oh, and Ariel helped a bit. All kidding aside, this record is a perfect combination of musical themes that the two of them have been crafting for years. Good work, bros.
6.
Julia Holter- "Ekstasis" And here is the other one. Holter's music also speaks to the burgeoning L.A. lo-fi underground, but her work is far more classically influenced. "Goddess Eyes: Part 1" is my favorite song of 2012, no contest. Her ability to play complex Bartok-esque melodies and still construct pop songs may also be a function of Cole's work, but this remains to be seen. Holter walks the line between noise and eletronic noise-pop, and I love her for it.
5.
Purity Ring- "Shrines" And here's a record that caught me completely off-gaurd. 2011 brought us the excellent "Belispeak" but I felt certain that it was a witch-house one-off, something that would be forgotten like so many others. However, Purity Ring proved themselves to a be a cut above the rest. This LP is excellent. Every single song blends together to make an album that works perfectly as an artistic statement. Purity Ring worship Timbaland-esque production, and their attention to detail comes through on every note. Combined with their strange lyrics that read like somatic delusions, "there's a cart inside of me/full of salt/sprinkle it around me" their songs are truly unique. Also, I'm trying not to bring live biases into this list, they are my favorite live act of 2012 with a light show that puts every other electronic artist I know to shame. W1n.
4.
John Talabot- "Fin" In terms of sheer listenability, I don't think anyone in the electronic music game can top John Talabot right now. I have no love for deep house, and have always preffered more balearic or trance-style music for club dancing. The problem with these styles is that they can become boring very quickly. Talabot throws some house beats into the mix, just enough to remind us that we can dance to these beautiful tropical tunes. Spain must be a great place to make music. "Destiny" is my favorite track on this record. In addition, Talabot's work with vocalists is unparalleled. So good.
3.
Magnetic Fields- "Love at the Bottom of the Sea" I want to preface this by saying that this is not my favorite Stephen Merritt record by any stretch of the imagination. This record is wildly inconsistent, with some actually terrible tracks ("I've Run Away to Join the Faeries," anyone?) But then, there are "Your Girlfriend's Face" and "Andrew in Drag," and we're reminded that Stephen Merritt at his worst is still better than 99% of other artists at their best. I love the fact that the synths are back, after the guitar buzz-cacophony of "Distortion." May he keep making music for the next ten years.
2.
How to Dress Well- "Total Loss" So many great things have been said already about this record, which is on the majority of Top Ten Lists throughout the blog world. I'm not sure what else I can add, except that this is the way that vocals should sound. Period. I'm so tired of vocalists being lazy and not trying. Tom Krell is not in this camp, and changes the game. Unlike his contemporary, Active Child, Krell throws himself into r'n'b fearlessly, without ever forgetting that he is essentially a tourist in this scene. Yet it works to his advantage, allowing him the freedom to create what he loves without feeling fake. And from a listener's point of view, I'm so happy he did. A beautiful record about love and death.
1.
Chromatics- "Kill For Love" This is a give-away, really. If I had to say who the two musical geniuses of 2012 were, I would say Cole M. Grief-Neill and Johnny Jewel. Though Jewel has been behind the scenes, crafting dark synth-pop works for years with Glass Candy and other artists on Italians Do It Better, this year he finally got the recognition he deserved. "Kill for Love" has so many great songs on it that it is better to look at it as album in every sense of the word. This baby was meant to be played on a turntable, with the album art shining right beside you. Gorgeous.
Ta for now, y'all. See you in lucky 13.
