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Last Active 12-27-22 12:13 am
Joined 09-12-10
Review Comments 30,298
| 2012 In Review
Originally I was gonna make a top 100 songs list, but I couldn?t be
bothered to assemble something so tedious. In the end I?ve made this
list, in some ways almost for my own reference in the future. Instead of
going over one area, gigs, albums, songs etc, this is a review of 2012 in
general (with its very own contents so I don?t get lost). Although I?ve
probably missed out many releases which I?ll discover later, this is how
2012 looks to me right now. As a whole, I?ll probably look back at 2012
as the year I truly started listening to hip hop (which has taken up a
significant chunk of what I?ve listened to over the past year).
Otherwise, I spent a lot of the year listening to Bon Iver and The
Weeknd. A bit late to the party, but had I gotten into those artists
earlier, only one of the top 5 albums of the year for 2011 that I
submitted at the time would still be there now. | | 1 | |
2-12: Looking Forward To In 2013|
13-38: Top 25 Songs|
39-44: Top 5 Albums | | 2 |  | Stuff To Look Out For In 2013
Gonna start out with stuff I'm gonna check out/stuff I'm hoping will come out. | | 3 | | Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Even though they?ve only just released a new album, I?m hoping for more Godspeed
material this year. After all, Allelujah! was only made up of older material and
Behemoth was an incredible experience live. Can?t wait to hear it recorded. | | 4 | | Deltron 3030
I love their debut album?s gritty, sci-fi vibe- built upon fantastic production and
some brilliant rapping & lyricism from Del the Funky Homosapien. Their new song,
?Pay The Price?, may not have the immediate impact of the likes of ?3030? but I get
the impression its subtle production is a grower and Del?s rapping and lyricism are
still great. I?m still hoping for a grandiose hip hop concept album. | | 5 | | Paramore
It?s been almost 4 years since Brand New Eyes. Possibly too long. Paramore?s
demographic grow up quickly and while it looked like Paramore were poised to ?take
over the world? in 2009/2010, many people may have already forgotten about
them. I?m still hoping for a great album though, and the promo for their upcoming
new single hints at something more mature than the likes of Riot! Possibly a good
move, and it will be interesting to hear the new song soon. | | 6 | | Alice In Chains
I loved Black Gives Way To Blue. Probably more than I should. ?Hollow? is a great
song and I?m hoping for great things with their new album. | | 7 | | Brand New
It?s also been nearly 4 years since an album from Brand New. In the time I?ve been
a fan of the band they?ve never actually released an album and after they talked
about having booked studio time last year I?m hoping something may crop up later
this year. | | 8 | | Bring Me The Horizon
Loved their last two albums. ?Shadow Moses? is a great song. Hoping for good things. | | 9 | | A Day To Remember
Funnily enough, What Separates Me From You ended up being a grower for me. It?s
now my go-to album for a bunch of catchy rock songs. Their new single doesn?t
quite match up to them but I?ll still be giving their new album a shot when it comes
out. | | 10 | | Glassjaw
Coloring Book was my aoty 2011 (and became available for CD on their webstore
just after I grabbed one on ebay). That was only meant to be a taster for their
upcoming album, and I?m almost losing faith, two years on, for that new album to
actually come out. When and if it does, it should be worth it if it matches up to
Coloring Book. | | 11 | | The Weeknd
Maybe it?s unfair to expect something from The Weeknd. He released 3 albums in
2011 and although he didn?t release any new music (apart from the new songs on
Trilogy) he was busy having been signed up and promoting the compilation/?debut
album?. Still, with that work ethic, it?s possible. | | 12 | | SORNE
House of Stone was a fantastic and unique album, something everyone should give
a shot. I?m expecting equally great things from Ego Altar. | | 13 | | Top 25 Songs
Limiting it to 1 song per artist. Top 4 are almost interchangeable with each other. | | 14 |  | M.I.A.
Matangi
25|Bad Girls|A catchy flow fed by a seething message, an interesting Arabic-
influenced beat and one of the best music videos of the year (shot on site in
Morocco http://tinyurl.com/88vl2v7) make ?Bad Girls? one of the most refreshing
songs of the year. A great hip hop song for a rapper in a genre dominated by men. | | 15 |  | Crystal Castles
(III)
24|Sad Eyes|Sad Eyes is the dancefloor track of Crystal Castles? 3rd studio album.
Howling synths and Alice Glass?s vocoder-drowned vocals mix with the album?s
overall dark sound to produce a vibe suited to the stupor of the night.
http://tinyurl.com/as9lvfy | | 16 |  | The Tallest Man on Earth
There's No Leaving Now
23|1904|1904?s success is built upon its subtlety. The gently reminiscent melodies
and nostalgia make the song a pleasure to listen to, especially with its softly
uplifting chorus which creates an energy of sorts without relying on a sonic
overload. http://tinyurl.com/7dake7f | | 17 |  | Silversun Pickups
Neck of the Woods
22|Skin Graph|Immensely catchy chorus. http://tinyurl.com/bdr4fve | | 18 |  | Gojira
L'Enfant Sauvage
21|L'Enfant Sauvage|L?enfant Sauvage is heavy, and technical. Both in good ways.
But what truly sets the title track of Gojira?s 5th studio album out as by far the
best song on the album and one the best metal songs of the year is Joe
Duplantier?s tempestuously strained vocals, accompanied by a hurricane of
reverberating guitar in the background as he howls ?What lays inside of us won't
last forever?. http://tinyurl.com/b4d9p2j | | 19 | | Adele
Skyfall
20|Skyfall|Fantastic film with a fantastic theme song. I?ve always loved the epic,
grandiose vibe of James Bond theme songs, and Adele has crafted a song which
can sit proudly among the best. http://tinyurl.com/bs7cwd6 | | 20 |  | Devil Sold His Soul
Empire of Light
19|No Remorse, No Regrets|Almost in the same way as the aforementioned Gojira
track, the best song on DSHS?s 3rd studio album is so due to its plunge into a storm
of howled vocals and guitar distortion. http://tinyurl.com/bh3wjfz | | 21 |  | Andy Stott
Luxury Problems
18|Sleepless|Sinking into its thick, bassy production, Sleepless makes for an
intense experience. Seemingly on the verge of toppling at any point, it makes use
of the tension of its jittery beats and the claustrophobic loops of techno to build up
before the pummelling, groovy beat takes the helm- accompanied by a pitch shifted
vocal sample which, unlike most, is founded on deep rhythm rather than melody.
True to its name, ?Sleepless? feels like music in insomnia.
http://tinyurl.com/bvah48s | | 22 |  | Killer Mike
R.A.P. Music
17|Big Beast|?Big Beast? is exactly that. With multiple guest spots, all with their
own brilliant flows, thick El-P production and an epic, Drive influenced 9 ½ music
video, it?s almost bursting at the seams with personality. Musically, it?s a fat, deep
fried treat. http://tinyurl.com/cpt7fbb | | 23 |  | Jessie Ware
Devotion
16|Running|A thick, sexy, glamorous atmosphere carries a beautifully sung melody
on this song. http://tinyurl.com/745mlp8 | | 24 |  | Every Time I Die
Ex Lives
15|Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space|This song, on the other hand.
http://tinyurl.com/7exgnsw. An intense riff, screamed mantra (?I want to be dead
with my friends?), brief hint of melody and vicious breakdown are torn through in
the space of just 3 minutes. Brilliant. | | 25 |  | Japandroids
Celebration Rock
14|The House That Heaven Built|How can you not be uplifted, energised and
singing aloud to every line when you listen to this song?? http://tinyurl.com/7f3j3n8 | | 26 |  | Pierce The Veil
Collide With The Sky
13|Hell Above|A great drop, technicality and catchy melodies in both the verses
and the immense chorus make sure this is one of the most fun songs of the year,
especially when accompanied with its intro (as it is in the music video). I listened to
this song over and over on the endless number of coach journeys I experienced
when in South America back in the Summer. http://tinyurl.com/a6t3d8e | | 27 |  | The Shins
Port of Morrow
12|Port of Morrow|Despite being relatively dull overall, Port of Morrow?s best songs
were truly great songs. There was ?Simple Song?, an uplifting slice of pop
goodness, and ?The Rifle Spiral?, but the best came in the form of the title track. A
gorgeous melody floating above softly crafted instrumentation, ?Port of Morrow? is
seeping with ideas but retains a sense of space and simplicity which it benefits from
greatly. http://tinyurl.com/ab9k6qy | | 28 |  | El-P
Cancer 4 Cure
11|The Full Retard|Although, as a whole, I find El-P?s skills better suited to
production in collaboration with rappers rather than as a solo artist, he can still
write a banger on his own. ?The Full Retard? is a big, in-your-face, hip hop banger.
http://tinyurl.com/7dx3ztg | | 29 |  | Grimes
Visions
10|Oblivion|?Oblivion? is probably one of the simpler songs on Visions. It doesn?t
have the quirkiness of ?Eight?, a beat like the one on ?Genesis? or ?Skin??s soft
ambience, but Grimes is undeniably adorable as she ?lalalas? and sings sweetly
about her own vulnerability (mockingly? perhaps?), with a music video to match.
The catchy melody is a big help too, especially with the subtler, deeper chorus.
http://tinyurl.com/6nejxs8 | | 30 |  | Deftones
Koi No Yokan
9|Tempest|It?s all about the chorus here. Immense and atmospheric, Chino
Moreno?s vocals give me goosebumps all over, every time.
http://tinyurl.com/cwebnru | | 31 |  | Lana Del Rey
Born To Die
8|Born To Die|Her image may be manufactured, but who gives a fuck? The title
track to her major label debut and breakout album is deeply melancholic with a
dazzling melody to match. http://tinyurl.com/d35bd9q | | 32 |  | GOOD Music
Cruel Summer
7|Clique|Much like the aforementioned Killer Mike track, ?Clique? feeds off its guest
spots. Egos abound, each rapper has something to give with their own respective
verse and Kanye West gives us one of the best lines of the year (?I know Spike Lee
gonna kill me but let me finish?). With a pounding beat and production which
manages to be both minimal and majestic at the same time, ?Clique? is a another
collaboration which benefits from its bursting personality.
http://tinyurl.com/8f9h8bh | | 33 |  | Kendrick Lamar
good kid, m.A.A.d city
6|Swimming Pools (Drank)|That dark drunk vibe is back again. In combination with a
great flow (?ima your conscious if you do not hear me then you will be history
Kendrick?) and a striking chorus, ?Swimming Pools? is one of the best songs of the
year despite its obvious pop sentiments. http://tinyurl.com/8f4noah | | 34 |  | Godspeed You! Black Emperor
'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
5|Mladic|Refer to #42 http://tinyurl.com/8oc46gv | | 35 |  | Death Grips
The Money Store
4|Hacker|gaga can?t handle this shit http://tinyurl.com/bcxf472 | | 36 |  | Burial
Kindred
3|Loner|Lodged between the longer tracks on the EP, Loner is probably the
simplest of the three. Not that that matters. It opens with a deeply atmospheric
and space-y vocal sample and synths, setting the tone for the rest of the track.
The beat is one of Burial?s simplest, but it retains a firm grit and groove and after
some flutters with the bass and airy vocal samples, the song progresses into a
reverberating synth arpeggio, giving off the sense of being isolated, floating away
in a deserted spaceship. It?s hauntingly gorgeous, especially in harmony with the
bass and the whispering samples that dance around it (?there?s something on the
ground?). Despite now making more complicated music in relation to Untrue, Burial
reminds us that sometimes, the simpler methods are still the most effective.
http://tinyurl.com/at83pgo | | 37 |  | Frank Ocean
Channel Orange
2|Pyramids|A ten minute R&B epic. It?s all there- the longing in the gorgeous
vocals, the sultry & majestic production, the bouncing beat, the synth riff.
Pyramids doesn?t feel at all bloated or too long despite its running time and it almost
doesn?t feel like a ten minute song at all, progressing through its various stages
with a swift grace that drips in a gritty, muggy nightclub vibe.
http://tinyurl.com/bf6qtbh http://tinyurl.com/8h3g9sk | | 38 |  | Beach House
Bloom
1|Myth|Let?s make things clear: ?Bloom?, Beach House?s 4th studio album, is boring
as fuck. For nine tracks it drowns in its own reverb, lacks completely in musical
substance and relies on its own superficial prettiness to make things interesting.
Unsuccessfully. Apart from ?Myth?. I guess the 10% success rate is worth it when
you listen to this song. Melancholic, longing with a hint of nostalgia, for once the
melody manages to stay on the tight rope of subtle-yet-incredibly-effective
without becoming insipid. The result is incredible. http://tinyurl.com/7465kg8 | | 39 | | Top 5 Albums
| | 40 | | Grimes
Visions
I may have come upon Grimes a little later than everyone else, but for me, Visions
quickly became one of the most refreshing releases of 2012. Her contradictory
persona, juxtaposing a sense of innocence alongside bizarre antics
http://tinyurl.com/clxajw8, may come across as gimmicky to some, but twinned
with her equally weird music- cute with flittering beats, babyish vocals and hints at
darker imagery, it?s just the icing on the cake. Musically, Visions is built on flittering
beats, immensely catchy melodies and an endearing lyrical cheekiness. Grimes has
hit her sweet spot and made one of the most interesting albums of 2012. | | 41 | | Andy Stott
Luxury Problems
I almost can?t remember what Luxury Problems sounds like. It?s not an album built
around the ?moments?- the hooks, the gimmicks, etc. Rather, the music is
mechanically repetitive, deeply layered and strongly atmospheric. The beats are
relentless, pounding, and almost overwhelmingly claustrophobic. Twisted among the
grimy gears are the vocal samples, desperate to claw at some shred of humanity
while the instrumentation attempts to shut it out. Every part of the music fights for
the spot light, and together they end up in some kind of tense, precarious
equilibrium that threatens to collapse at any moment. Luxury Problems is beautifully
haunting, and whilst it could be treated at a superficial level with its vaguely
catchy vocal samples and groovy beats, it?s so much more than that. | | 42 | | Godspeed You! Black Emperor
'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
Let?s get this out of the way first: GY!BE?s first album in ten years is their worst
release so far. But fuck, it?s still amazing. Certainly less focused on atmosphere
than any of their previous releases, this is in some ways the most typically ?post
rock? of their releases so far. But if anything, they just show the rest how it should
be done. The immense build up on ?Mladic? is captivating and irregular, winding
through multiple paths and ideas. The harmonies are exciting and the guitar play
equally so. And even after the inevitable climax Godspeed are able to throw a few
curveballs all the way to the very end, including what is possibly their best riff
since The Sad Mafioso. We Drift Like Worried Fire seeps into more ambient territory,
with minimal instrumentation acting individually around each other to form a sparse,
sinister vibe before drifting together and apart. Perhaps a more concise release for
the normally grandiose Canadians, but there are interesting and multiple ideas here
aplenty, and after hearing Behemoth live back in November, I remain expectant for
their future endeavours. | | 43 | | Death Grips
The Money Store
If you?d told me back when I first listened to this album that it would be, barring
EPs, my album of the year, I would probably have wondered how much shitter 2012
could get. Nevertheless, I found myself returning more and more to The Money
Store, each time falling in love with another track among its 13. I loved the over
the top instrumentation, intense beats, even the nonsensical rapping/lyricism, and
of course the hooks. From the dance-floor-esque ?I?ve Seen Footage?, to the
intense paranoia of ?Lost Boys?, to the pounding musical effects on ?Blackjack? and
of course, the immense ?Hacker?, this became an album, almost guiltily, to lose
control to. Immensely fun in its extremes but containing enough variety to remain
interesting, The Money Store may divide those who listen to it, but the key is just
to throw yourself in. | | 44 | | Burial
Kindred
In some people?s eyes, an EP is automatically inferior to an LP. No matter the
quality of the music, it will never satisfy the idea that the 40-50 minute release is
the pinnacle- the standard- of music, and that anything else is just a gap-fill of B
sides, live recordings and remixes until the main event is unveiled. Not for Burial. For
him, the EP allows him to progress steadily but swiftly into new ground, new sounds
and new styles. His movement into more progressive, space-y and textured music
started immediately post-Untrue with collaborations with Four Tet, remixes for
Massive Attack and 2011?s stellar Street Halo EP. But Kindred is the pinnacle, the
Goldilocks of his now trilogy of EPs. If Untrue is the sound of contemporary London,
Kindred is the sound of Ridley Scott?s 2019 Los Angeles or Bioware?s Mass Effect
universe. Winding, grimy, all consuming and chaotic yet completely mesmerising,
Kindred takes the ideas of Street Halo even further but not so far as to fracture
them apart, as started to happen with his most recent Truant EP. The sounds
almost transcend the idea of music, with the stuttering bass beat of the title track
to the use of trains running over train tracks and lighters as beats. It?s dark. It?s
beautiful. It?s immense. It?s every bit the genre defining classic Untrue has become
and it?s possibly Burial?s best release yet and the album of the decade so far. No
gap is left to waste throughout the album?s 31 minute runtime, whether in silence or
occupying some of the music?s incredible depth. Fractured vocal samples with
suggestive but vague lyrics, orchestrated crackling, atmospheric synthesiser
harmonies and every perfectly positioned sound in the background come together
to perfection. By a mile the best musical release of 2012. Truly, a modern classic. | |
anarchistfish
01.19.13 | fuck me this took longer than it should've
probably reads like shit | anarchistfish
01.19.13 | 40-44 are ranked | demigod!
01.19.13 | good list dude, read most of it
I agree that Loner is the superior track on Kindred. you just can't argue with those heart wrenching keyboard lines...if thats what they are.
I'm glad you put Killer Mike here, too, though I wouldnt say Big Beast is the best on the album.
and a new Godspeed would be fucking amazing, while their last album was cool it was more a compilation than anything. Can't wait for them to put out another fully-fledged concept LP in the vein of their others.
also what is Behemoth? | anarchistfish
01.19.13 | "good list dude, read most of it"
thanks, that's more than expected anyone to read
"though I wouldnt say Big Beast is the best on the album."
I preferred Don't Die for a while to be fair, but Big Beast deserves a shout out | Shuyin
01.19.13 | gybe will release new stuff this year? | anarchistfish
01.19.13 | "stuff I'm hoping will come out." | GnarlyShillelagh
01.19.13 | Big beast is the best because T.I. is the realist nigga alive | AliW1993
01.20.13 | Myth is amazing, but if you love that I can't understand why you don't enjoy the rest of Bloom. Sure it's completely one-dimensional (Beach House are in general, really), but they're so good at what they do it doesn't really matter. Pretty much every track is killer imo.
| Shuyin
01.20.13 | misinterpreted, i was a bit disappointed with their latest tbh | Deviant.
01.20.13 | " and the whispering samples that dance around it (?there?s something on the ground?)"
"there's something out there"
"the standard- of music, and that anything else is just a gap-fill of B sides, live recordings and remixes until the main event is unveiled. Not for Burial. "
This goes for just about every modern dance music maker | anarchistfish
01.20.13 | 1 & 2: no one does it as good
3: true, but considering he has actually released studio albums and then shifted to EPs. and that many people still complain about there not being another album. I think it's still valid | Wolfhorde
01.20.13 | Sorne'll probably be sweet, Glassjaw probably won't be released if Daryl isn't trolling and has actually become a hipster douchebag, new Alice in Chains could be sweet if that's a thing. Don't care about the other stuff and I don't think GY!BE will release something new.
Also: Check out the new ASIWYFA, there's probably shitloads more to look forward to but I couldn't compile anything useful as of now. | Tyrael
01.20.13 | New Streetlight Manifesto should be godlike if it drops this year after all lol | Tyrael
01.20.13 | Oh and the new Darkthrone record should be ace too | Wolfhorde
01.20.13 | I find it hard to believe Darkthrone will release an album worth shit in 2013. Especially if it's an attempt at oldschool revival stuff. | anarchistfish
01.20.13 | "Check out the new ASIWYFA"
Yeah I've given it a listen. I'll give it another at some point | theacademy
01.20.13 | Wow u r horrible adele? Fuck you | theacademy
01.20.13 | Hot profile pic tho | Tyrael
01.20.13 | Yeah that Adele song is horrible and Wolf Darkthrone streamed a track already and it ruled | Wolfhorde
01.20.13 | Well, I don't trust Sputnik's taste in metal so eh. Will check out that track later tho.
| lou1000
01.21.13 | People who have listened to it know that Kindred was the best release of 2012. Ashtray Wasp is probably my favourite, although the Kindred and Loner are phenomenal as well.
Allelujah was better than Yanqui for me, i wasn't a big fan of the drone tracks though tbh, but Mladic and We Drift make up for it.
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