Best of 2012

Hark people! Hark I tell thee, for it is my now annual blog post you are reading! Every year I say Im going to write more than my end of year music post and every year I have failed to break the 2 posts a year. So from now on I will just make this an annual blog, kinda like the Shoot annuals but about music and in digital form. Im sure there were music annuals, is Melody Maker still doing there's?

About 3/4 of the way through the year I posted something on Facebook bemoaning the lack of good albums and new artists in 2012 and I got a shit load of abuse and a few recommendations from people who had some fair shouts. I listened to all those recommendations and a few of them were indeed very good. What I found was though that while there was good music in 2012, there wasnt a LOT of amazing consistent albums.

I'm not saying there were no good albums in 2012, Im just saying for me, it was harder to find them, and there werent many that were consistently great. If I found a new band I liked, they tended to have 1-2 great tracks and then it tailed off. On albums from established artists I adored there would be a few good tracks and the rest didnt hold my attention (Hello Bloc Party and Maccabees).

Before you all say, "Oh you're getting old", "You obviously havent listened to enough.." etc etc. Firstly, I dont believe age plays any bearing on music taste, I think with age some people open up to more genres, some people close their doors to anything past their hey day. With me its neither at the moment, Im only 31 for fucks sake, I dont believe Im opening up to classical nor am I pining for a Britpop revolution (Although if Northern Uproar were to tour in NYC I would be first in line). I like what I've always liked, a relatively broad range of indie, rock, electro, soul, hip hop, funk and good dance music.

One thing I will concede is in this digital age my listening and purchasing habits have changed. I firmly believe I have developed mild ADD and find it really hard to stick on an album 2-3 times in the space of a week. I get bored very easily and Im constantly looking for new stuff. So that maybe a reason why I havent gotten into a lot of albums this year. Also, with the ability to listen to albums before I buy on streaming services like Spotify Ive found myself picking singular tracks out to save cash if the majority of the album doesnt hit me. Ive done that more with new artists, I still buy whole albums from acts I have a bond with like Jack White, Richard Hawley, Maccabees, Bloc Party etc. However, with the exception of Jack White of those I wish I had listened to beforehand as I couldve saved some cash by just picking out 2 tracks from each of them. The Richard Hawley album was particularly bad, like early Verve (and those that know me, know of my Ashcroft disdain).

Saying ALL that, I do have a lot of great music from 2012, and here are my favourite tracks:

Jennifer - Little Comets


Little Comets are savagely unknown. Their second album came out towards the back end of the year and has some great tracks on it and is very consistent. Its called Life is Elsewhere and is one of my faves of the year.

The Suits, The Law and The Uniforms - Graveyard



Graveyard have a few albums out now and I heard this for the first time on an NPR podcast this year off their Lights Out album and just love the  Led Zep / ACDC vibe. Great fun, but couldnt get into the album.

Til I Met Thee - Cody ChesnuTT


Cody ChesnuTTs first album in a decade after he released the much lauded The Headphone Masterpiece. Landing on a Hundred is the new LP and its really great. Obvious comparisons to soul greats such as Marvin Gaye, this album is far more concise than his previous effort and has some brilliant tracks on it. Thoroughly recommend checking it out.

Losing You - Solange


To be honest I havent followed Solange Knowles (yes that Knowles) career that closely, I have however followed Dev Hynes pretty closely and love his Blood Orange stuff. Solange seems to be his muse and this has Dev Hynes sound all over it. I recommend checking out Blood Orange if you like this. Start with Dinner below which was also released this year and listen out for more Solange / Blood Orange stuff in 2013.

Dinner - Blood Orange



Blood Orange / Dev Hynes has a knack of releasing awesome sounding tracks that dont necessarily have that killer chorus, which drives my wife insane, they always seem to be leading somewhere but never quite make it. But its that subtlety in his tracks that make me love him. No album in 2012 from Blood Orange, just this track paired with Bad Girls on the flip side, which is also on the Solange Knowles record, I think he wrote it and gave it her though.

Rashida - Rufus Wainwright


I was trying to put lesser known artists as videos and then just mention the more popular stuff I liked at the bottom in a list, but I cant resist putting this up as I think if you were like me and loved old Rufus like Want and Poses but got a bit disillusioned by the last couple of albums and the ridiculous cost of going to see him live you may have not bothered with his latest album - Out of the Game. So if you were like me, please go and buy this album now, Its probably my most listened to album of 2012. Mark Ronson does a terrific job of wringing out the best of Rufus and backed by Ronsons band the sound is fantastic. I would go as far as saying its my favourite Rufus album.

Like Ice Cream - Divine Fits



Everyone loves an indie supergroup right?  Divine Fits are made up of Spoons Britt Daniels, Wolf Parades / Handsome Furs Dan Boeckner and Sam Brown from New Bomb Turks (No, me neither). The album has some signature Spoon catchy riffs spliced with some neat electro hooks. I think this track may have been my most played this year and the album is very good too.

Man on Fire - Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zero's

What is it with bands using normal people dancing in there music videos? Professional dancers are out on the street giving hand jobs for crack while these supermarket workers, fork lift truck drivers and AmDram nutjobs are all strutting, kicking and jerking their way to infamy! I blame Fatboy Slim, but Black Keys did it in 2011 too with unbelievable success on Lonely Boy. There's been loads more but my  fave is the Geordie Dancer from Soccer Am. Oh yeah, Edward Sharpe, its great, the albums great, go buy it, then buy the album before that, then go see them live (I still havent).

The House that Heaven Built - Japandroids


I didnt like this song at first, it felt really dated and cheesy. But it was on Sirius XM U a lot and very slowly its sheer balls-out-unashamedly-fists-in-the-air-sing-yer-heart-out-rock-n-roll won me over. Now I cant stop playing it.

Laura - Bat for Lashes


Words cant describe how much I love this song, probably too much. Its beautiful, heartbreaking and it gives me goosebumps.

AlunaGeorge - You Know You Like It


I honestly have no idea if AlunaGeorge is well known or not, I cant remember where I first heard it and I havent heard it mentioned or played on the radio over here, for all I know this could've hit no.1. Its got over a million views on youtube. As Eddie Argos once said, popular culture no-longer applies to me. All I know is that I know I like it (see what I did there?). Its a fantastically catchy 2-step / R&B track with a cutesy vocal, whats not to like?

Watch the Corners - Dinosaur Jr



Ive always been aware of Dinosaur Jr but Ive never really invested a lot of time in them, then this song came on the radio and I immediately loved it. It sounds like an instant classic. Its just simple catchy indie rock really. Just great songwriting which Im sure Dinosaur Jr fans have known for a very long time but something I discovered this year, slap me for being slow.

Man I could go on, Im really enjoying listening to these again! If you want to listen to a lot more check out my spotify playlist here. So many more awesome tracks. So little time.

I'll finish off with a quick list of my top albums, I might write more about these another time, but history dictates I probably wont:
1. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
2. Rufus Wainwright - Out of the Game
3. Hot Chip - In Our Heads
4. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zero's - Here
5. Jack White - Blunderbuss
6. Little Comets - Life is Elsewhere
7. Divine Fits - This is Divine Fits
8. Cody ChesnuTT - Landing on a Hundred
9. Hospitality - Hospitality
10. Passion Pit - Gossamer

Hope you enjoyed the read - comments / abuse welcome!

2011 with no lists.

Hark! I am writing a 2011 review and there will be no lists! I also intend to begin all my blog posts with Hark from now on.

No lists? Yeah! Fuck convention! See that rule book? *struggles to rip it up and throws it at closed window*

Instead Im gonna highlight a few tracks I loved in 2011, some soundtracked important moments in my life, some  were just great tracks. Some were not even released in 2011 - what was that? A jaw dropping? Yeah! You heard! Some songs in this blog will be OLD, maybe from 2010 or 2009 and shit. Im such a goddamn rebel. But it will be mainly my favourite stuff of 2011, it WILL be informative. Strap in.

So I turned 30 in 2011 and threw a party on a boat on the thames which will go down as one of the best nights of my life, surrounded by the people I love most. I chose all the music all night long and they couldn't escape. It was like a bigger version of having control of the car stereo, that captive audience you've always craved to play your favourite tunes to. It was ace, and a band that ive loved since my last landmark birthday; The Strokes had released an awesome single the month previous - it was played, it was received indifferently.

The Strokes Under Cover of Darkness.

Shame the rest of the album sucked.

This was also played that night and was received a hell of a lot better, in fact it was raucous. Not really known as a party band but what the heck I threw it in there, we sang and we shouted FUCK a lot, I dont remember a great deal from this night, but I'll remember this for a long time :)

The National - Mr November

May came and we went to our favourite festival The Great Escape, in Brighton. Ive already posted a lot of tracks from the bands who played there in this blog (Yuck and Cults went on to make 2 of my favourite albums of the year) but the next track is by a band I didnt get to see due to clashes, but I reckon this could be my favourite track of 2011.

SBTRKT - Wildfire

My favourite artist of the year was Patrick Wolf and he was responsible for some of my favourite gig moments  of 2011 as he's someone me and my friends all love and have loved for a while. We stood gobsmacked at the Bloomsbury Ballroom together when he first played some of the new songs and we danced irish jigs to The Libertine at the album release party at The Garage. Its been amazing seeing him grow over the past few years to this happy confident performer. The album Lupercalia celebrated his new found love and happiness. Its a brilliant album and Id recommend it to anyone, this is one of my favourite tracks on it.

Patrick Wolf - Bermondsey Street

In July we saw Pulp reform at Wireless in Hyde Park, it was a cracking line up and by this time I kinda knew Id be moving to the states soon so me and my mate Romi decided to have a lads day. TV on the Radio were playing as well as Foals whom we both adored. It was wicked, I wasnt expecting TV on the Radio to be SO good, it was one of the best live performances of the year and it highlighted how strong the new album is, its definitely in my top 10 if i was doing a list, which im not remember. Foals were sweaty bouncy and joyous as always, but I enjoyed TV on the Radio more as it was unexpected. Pulp.... well lets just say it was emotional :) This day was also the day I paid attention to Metronomy. They were really catchy, I got the album afterwards and it went on to be my favourite album of the year.
TV on the Radio - You (This video is brilliant too)

Metronomy - Corrinne

I guess the reason Im doing my annual music review in this fashion this year is I had two major life changes, turning 30 and moving to America. I'd say moving to the states was probably the hardest decision ive ever had to make it, leaving your friends and family is not fucking easy, but what it did was show me how lucky I am to have them all. Massive outpourings of love were commonplace in the latter half of the year and I wondered if i'd made the right decision a few times. In the first month we were here we went to the CMJ festival, Pitchfork had a free bar on a hotel roof in Brooklyn on a glorious late summer sunshine with DOM and Neon Indian playing. I do miss England and all my family and friends, but it is sexy living in America.

DOM - Living in America

OK some new shit, the first proper gig we went to in the US was at the Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn. You enter what appears to be a storage lock up through the most inconspicous of doorways. There was free vodka for 2 hours and that was the main reason I was there if Im honest, Id trusted the wife with researching the bands and all credit to her, she'd done a stirling job. Dominant Legs are the guitarist from Girls side project so they had some pedigree (not that I know many Girls tracks). They make great 80s hook-laden pop songs, I bought the album from the merch stall afterwards as I was so impressed, I rarely do this in fact I cant remember ever doing it. It may have been the 5 double vodkas I had consumed in 1 and a half hours but I was positive at that time they were the next best thing. It turned out to be a cracking album, not since I had returned from a night out with a 6ft Vinnie Jones cardboard cut out had a split second drunken decision been so rewarding.
Dominant Legs - Hoop of Love

2 quickfire tracks now as Im tiring and Im sure you are too. But stick with me, I got some good un's left.

Discovered these rather lazily in a best of 2011 list, apparently the blog in question hadnt got the memo that lists were passe and there was a new maverick way of reviewing a year musically which would take the world by storm. The Weeknd stopped me in my tracks I hadnt heard anything like them before, the nearest likeness I had was The XX, but people were describing them as Hip Hop, and they were, but more bare and soulful. Stripped down R n B, with some cracking lyrics a great voice and sound. The best thing was all their stuff is FREE. Seriously go here now and download House of Balloons, thats my favourite, if you like that get the rest, theyre good too, especially the Dirty Diana cover on Echoes of Silence.

The Weeknd - Wicked Games

From sublime stripped back R n B Im moving onto a Christmas song, by 2 indie band members. 2 bands (Editors and Razorlight) I couldnt give a monkeys about really, but my friend Keith sent me this album and I dont know whether it was the need for something Christmassy or the christmas drinking sessions but I decided to give it a listen. Funny Looking Angels is a class album, Tom from Editors was made to sing xmas songs and frankly I dont know why hes sat wasting his time with those Editors chaps when clearly he should be carving out a career as the new Nat King Cole. Theres a number of great tracks on the album but this video is recorded right in front of where I used to work in London and it was really comforting hearing a new song i loved, with the video set in a part of the world I love at a time of year I love spending with the family and friends. Happy Christmas everyone!! *This would have had way more impact if I couldve done this blog before Christmas...

Funny Looking Angels - When the Thames Froze