ADHDJ's Top Twelve of 2012!

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.

120 BPM ADHDJ Mix!

This mix will be posted at http://soundcloud.com/girlandsea 6:00 PM Les Enfant Bastard- "Honolulu" St. Etienne- "I've Got Your Music" (Golden Filter Remix) The Magician- "I Don't Know What To Do" Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs- "Stronger (Miguel Campbell Mix)" Pains of Being Pure At Heart- "Higher than the Stars" (St. Etienne Visits Lord Spank Mix) Bjorn Torske- "Nitten Nitti" Casette Club- "Talk to Me" Rai Knight- "Let Me Go" Sebastian Tellier- "Kilometer" (Aeroplane Italo '84 Mix) Psyche- "Goodbye Horses" (Q Lazzarus cover) Maximillion Dunbar- "The Drift" 7:00 Matthew Dear- "Her Fantasy" (Poolside Remix) Balam Acab- "My Boo" (Remix) Apaloosa- "Intimate" (Glass Candy Mix) The Whitest Boy Alive- "Inflation" Presets- "Girl and the Sea" (Cut Copy Remix) Phenomenal Handclap Band- "Following" Patrick Wolf- "The City" (Richard X Mix) Miike Snow- "The Wave" (Flight Facilities Mix) Austra- "Spellwork" (Mndr Nightime Mix) Maya Jane Coles- "Nowhere" Golden Filter- "Solid Gold" Keenhouse- "Can't Sleep Since" 8:00 D.A.R.E.- "Be Right" Juveniles- "We Are Young" Enchante- "Sex on the Beach" AlunaGeorge- "You Know You Like It" Paradise- "I Love Thousands Every Summer" XV- "That's Just Me" Wild Belle- "It's Too Late (Snakehips Remix) Class Actress- "Weekend" (Jel Nightime Remix) Believe- "Believe Theme" ADULT.- "Hand to Phone" (Cordless Mix) Clones of the Queen- "Talisman" (Shindig and LFA recs mix) Miami Horror- "Under the Milky Way" (Echo and the Bunnymen cover) Cut Copy- "Pharoahs and Pyramids" White Panda- "Praise Outkast"

Garden of Poppy Delights!

Subbed in for the garden today...check out the playlist! If you like what you heard, I'll be on tomorrow from 6-9 pm as well.

09:00 Les Enfant Bastard- "Honolulu" How 2 Dress Well- "And It Was U" John Talabot- "Families" (Feat Glasser) Chromatics- "Lady" Taken by Trees- "Large" Adrianigual- "Me Gusta La Noche" Blackbird Blackbird- "Waikiki" Bon Iver- "Beth/Rest" (Work Drugs Mix) Class Actress- "Weekend" (Jel Nighttime remix) El Perro Del Mar- "Walk on By" (St. Etienne remix) Massive Attack- "Unfinished Sympathy" Unkle Skeleton- "Diskoteq" (Jenses Sportag mix) Austra- "Spellwork" (Mndr Nightime Remix) 10:00 Miike Snow- "The Wave" (Flight Facilities mix) Clones of the Queen- "Talisman" (Shindig + LFA Recs mix) Digits-"Where Do you Belong?" Grimes- "Genesis" AlunaGeorge- "You Know You Like It" Steve Hauschidlt- "Batteries May Drain" Beach Fossils- "Allison" (Slow drive cover) Dream Curtain- "This Landscape Is Our Escape" Julia Holter- "Goddess Eyes" Autre Ne Veut- "Counting" (Remix by Mikki Blanco) Presets- "Promises" (Plastic Plates Remix) Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs- "Stronger" (Migues Campbell Club mix) St Etienne- "I've Got Your Music" (Golden Filter Remix) 11:00 GRMLN- "Coral" Travel Kyoto- "Summer Days" Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti- "Only In My Dreams" Touche- "I'm A Man not A Machine" Savoir Adore- "Loveliest Creature" Erik Hassle- "Hurtful" (Penguin Prison Remix) Cassette Club- "Living in a Video" Charlotte Gainsbourg- "Paradisco" Chad Valley- "Fall 4 U" (feat Glasser) Still Life + Bird of Paradise- "Strange Changes" D.A.R.E.- "Be Right" Devon WIlliams- "Your Sympathy" Craft Spells- "Still Left With Me" Majikal Cloudz- "Turn Turn Turn" Keep Shelly in Athens- "Our Own Dream" (Blackbird Blackbird mix) Faye Wong- "Dreamlover" 12:00 Flight Facilities- "Crave You" (Feat Giselle) Golden Filter- "Solid Gold" The Magician- "I Don't Know What To Do" Triste Tropiques- "2,000 Plateus" Sebastian Tellier- "Kilometer (Aeroplane Italo 84 mix) Research- "Day By Day" (Psychemagic Remix) Purity Ring- "Ungirthed"

Alumni Show! PLAYLIST Oct 20th, 2012

Thanks everyone for calling in today! Quite a fun show, played a bit of dance music for you. Honestly, with this PhD swag I need to keep dancing to motivate myself, so sad indie rock is off the ADHDJ Playlist for a while :D 3:00 Les Enfant Bastard- "Honolulu" Bjorn Torske- "Nitten Nitten" Crimea X- "Varvara" (Bjorn Torske mix) Perseus- "Seychelles" Blackbird Blackbird- "Waikiki" Hot Chip- "Don't Deny Your Heart" Ellie Goulding- "Lights" (Shook Remix) Evan Voytas- "You Don't Even Know Where It's At" Ghost and the Song- "Ou Inme" The Hood Internet (feat Tobacco)- "More Fun" Class Actress- "Weekend" (Jel Nightime Remix) Grimes- "Genesis" 4:00 Ice Choir- "Teletrips" John Maus- "Do Your Best" Julia Holter- "Goddess Eyes" Clones of the Queen- "Ray" Lapalux (feat Py)- "Moments" Purity Ring- "Fineshrine" SBTRKT- "Wildfire" (Shabazz Palaces mix) Small Black- "Photojournalist" (Star Slinger Remix) D.A.R.E.- "Be Right" Dam- Funk- "17 Days" (Prince Cover) How to Dress Well- "& It Was You" Ital- "Doesn't Matter If You Love Him" Flight Facilities- "With You" Kisses- "Bermuda" St. Etienne- "I've Got Your Music" (Golden Filter Remix) 5:00 Blondes- "Lover" (A JD + Twitch Optimo Remix) Jensen Sportag- "Jackie" Peter and the Magician- "Twist" Tanlines- "Real Life" (Memory Tapes remix) Matthew Dear- "Her Fantasy" (Poolside remix) Glass Candy- "Digital Versicolor" Easy Lover NYC- "End of the Season" (Gavin Russom remix) Tyler the Creator- "She" DyE- "Fantasy" Erik Hassle- "Hurtful" (Penguin Prison Remix) Holy Ghost- "Some Children" Thieves Like Us- "Marie Marie" PJ Harvey- "This Mess We're In"

Subbin in for Afternoon Delight! Playlist September 27th, 2012!

Wow...it's good to be back. Some new tracks and old faves for you!!

3:00 Les Enfant Bastard- "Honolulu" Glass Candy- "Digital Versacolor" D.A.R.E.- "Be Right" Starslinger- "Take This Up" Futurecop! feat Keenhouse- "The Only Way" (GRVBBRS Remix) Friendly Fires- "Hurting" (Tensnake Remix) Elite Gymnastics- "So Close to Paradise" Purity Ring- "Ungirthed" Porcelain Raft- "Unless You Speak From Your Heart" Penguin Prison- "Golden Train" Maya Jane Coles- "Nowhere" Maria Minerva- "Driving & Dreaming" Keep Shelly in Athens- "Our Own Dream" (Blackbird Blackbird remix) 4:00 Clones of the Queen- "Rapture" Taken By Trees- "Dreams" Nite Jewel- "She's Always Watching You" Alt- J- "Fitzpleasure" (Dave Sitek remix) Blackbird Blackbird- "Waikiki" Apaloosa- "Intimate" (Glass Candy remix) Chapel Club- "All the Eastern Girls" (RAC Remix) YUNO- "Sunlight" Craft Spells- "Still Left with Me" Digits- "Where Do You Belong?" El Perro De Mar- "Change of Heart" (What Kind of Breeze Do You Blow? Remix) Erik Hassle- "Hurtful" Holy Ghost- "I will Come Back" 5:00 How to Dress Well- "& It Was U" John Talabot- "Families" (feat Glasser) Aluna George- "You Know You Like It" Easy Lover- "End of the Season" (Gavin Russom mix) The Deep- "Arms" Gang Colours- "Fill Me In" (Craig David mix) Golden Filter- "Solid Gold" Crimea X- "Varvara" Aziri & iii- "Reckless With Your Love" (Enchante mix) Unkle Skeleton- "Diskoteq" (Jensen Sportag mix) Body Language- "Falling Out" Onra- "V.B.B." Small Black- "Photojournalist" (Starslinger Mix) And since I have your attention...ADHDJ things around town: (1) Friday Sept 28th Djng after "Shut Up and Play the Hits, " at R and D (2) Wed Oct 17th La Cinematheque's presentation of "Suspiria," a classic horror film, at Fresh Cafe, with Haircuts for Men Djing!

Tropical Pop Mix! Subbage July 29th, 2012!

I subbed in today for Ha'alilio, and played some lo-fi, balearic and tropical pop! For the first hour I played my mixtape, still online at http://soundcloud.com/girlandsea 3:00 PM ADHDJ's Strawberry Daquiri Steel Drum Mix! Blood Diamonds- "Phone Sex-" (featuring Grimes) Jamie XX- "Far Nearer" Delorean- "Warmer Places" Tough Alliance- "A New Chance" Cassius- "Sound of Violence" (Aeroplane mix) Azari and iii- "Reckless With Your Love" (Enchante mix) Azealia Banks- "Jumanji" The Very Best- "Warm Heart of Africa" (So Shifty mix) El Guincho- "Bombay" John Talabot- "Families (feat Glasser)" Chromatics- "Birds of Paradise" Trails and Ways- "Nunca" 4:00 Musical Youth- "Pass the Dutchie" Charli XCX- "I'll Never Know" Miike Snow- "The Wave" (Flight Facilities mix) SURF 4:20! Panda Bear- "Surfer's Hymn" Animal Collective- "Honeycomb" Taken by Trees- "Dreams" Bird of Paradise and Still Life- "Strange Changes" (David Bowie cover) Ellie Goulding- "Hanging On'" (feat Tinie Tempah)(Active Child cover) Active Child- "Hanging On" Laurel Halo- "Supersymmetry" Hot Chip- "Don't Deny Your Heart" 5:00 Erika Spring- "Hidden" Future Islands- "Walking Through that Door" New Order- "Ceremony" John Maus- "Mental Breakdown" Chapel Club- "Sleep Alone" Young Man- "Thoughts" Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti- "Only In My Dreams" Friends- "Friend Crush" Gremlins- "Louder" Daft Punk- "(Don't Forget) About the World" Young Digerati- "Peak Performance" TV Girl- "Girls Like Me" Billinda Butchers- "Boyfriend" PJ Harvey- "This Mess We're In" FUN STUFF AROUND TOWN: August 4th: Spells presents Onra + Davey Shindig! Fresh Cafe. August 11th: Tim Sweeney! 39 Hotel. August 12th: La Cinematheque Presents "Enter the Void" + DJ Ross Jackson! Fresh Cafe.

808 Mixtapes!

ADHDJ's Strawberry Daquiri Steel Drum Mix by Adhdj on Mixcloud