Listening to Halls' first LP Ark can take you down one deep emotional spiral. It's dark, moody and heartbreaking at the same time. I'm seriously surprised this wasn't constructed for some depressing movie about love and loss. The songs flow together perfectly to create a mood you struggle to shake from after the first listen. There's definite similarities between his work and that of James Blake and How to Dress Well. I think if anything, he has a future in scoring films.
"Roses For The Dead" was the first song I heard from Halls. This song does a good job of capturing the mood and strength of his music. It makes me think of a dark rain drenched day during winter. I really like his use of the quiet moments in the song to make the mood resonate.
"White Chalk" is the latest video posted for the album Ark. The piano at the beginning is extremely haunting and then the chorus adds to that mood. A great piece of music.
So, I made my 2012 list and I wasn't that familiar with Oh Mercy's new album yet. My bad honestly, this new album is a huge leap for them. Their sound was more alternative pop rock like Nada Surf in the past releases and then came Deep Heat. They've stepped in the arena with bands like Supergrass with this album. You know that super funky classic rock sound. I thought Tame Impala was Australia's best band this year and I might have been mistaken. Oh Mercy make a strong case for that title with Deep Heat. I could listen to this album on loop for hours. They can mix funky bass grooves, cowbells, and horns without overwhelming the songs. I guess I should give some praise to whoever produced this album for accomplishing that as well.
"Deep Heat" is one of the best grooves in any song from the 2012 list. These guys remind me of Supergrass and The White Stripes with this track. Sorry, this is only a clip of the song.
"Drums" seems to be the band's first single from Deep Heat. I think it's a great introduction to their sound on this LP. Like I said, listen to how much is going on in this song. And they make it all work.
"My Man" is their newest single and just as good as their last. This album is just full. There's no throwaways here. Now, I just have to find out when they're touring in this part of the world.
For those that aren't familiar with this band, let me give you a taste of their previous work. Really good music but you can see when I compared them to Nada Surf previously. This is "Stay Please Stay" from their Great Barrier Grief LP.
And just because I was talking about Supergrass, I had to put up a classic song by them. "Alright" was from the first album I Should Coco released in 1995 by Supergrass. If you don't have this in your collection, then you're missing out on one of the better Brit-rock bands of the 90's.
I was most excited in the fall to see an artist like Cat Power make a comeback. She had a long break before releasing her new LP, Sun. There were a lot of reason behind the long wait but maybe it was for the best. Her sound has evolved and the new stuff is great. If you haven't picked it up yet, then you should check out the song below for a taste of what you've been missing.
And oh yeah, we were introduced to an awesome debut album from Alt-J. The second LP from XX and The Coup's super funky new LP Sorry To Bother You. What else do you want?
Here's the list. Grab some snacks and listen to the fall of 2012.
September
SpectorEnjoy It While It Lasts
California WivesArt History
The Killers Battle Born
Cat Power Sun (AWESOME COMEBACK ALBUM)
MS MR Candy Bar Creep Show (AWESOME EP)
Alt-J Awesome Wave (FAVORITE OF THE MONTH)
Bye Bye Bicycle Nature
The RaveonettesObservator
The XX Coexist
Murder By Death Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon (THESE GUYS SHOULD BE BIGGER)
Sea WolfOld World Romance (STILL UNDER THE RADAR)
The PresetsPacifica (BEST OF FIFA 13 SOUNDTRACK)
Reptile Youth Reptile Youth
Imagine Dragons Night Visions (FUN BEFORE ALL THE ADS USED THEM)
Band of Horses Mirage Rock
Zucchini Drive No Food But Lots Of Weapons
Death Grips NO LOVE DEEP WEB (MOST INSANE ALBUM OF THE YEAR)
October
Miguel Kaleidoscope Dream
Lord Huron Lonesome Dreams
Tame Impala Lonerism
Glen Porter The Devil is A Dance, The Piper is a Madman
Tilly and The Wall Heavy Mood
The Sword Apocrypho (BEST METAL ALBUM)
Black Marble A Different Arrangement
Diamond Rings Free Dimensional
The Coup Sorry To Bother You (FAVORITE OF THE MONTH)
Let's all thank Frank Ocean for leaking the track that was supposed to be in Tarantino's new film Django Unchained. I'm sure there was a good reason to take it out. Maybe, it didn't fit the intended scene or the scene was entirely cut. It's more disappointing that it's also missing from the soundtrack of the film. I know sometimes omitted tracks sneak their way into soundtrack CD's.
Anyhow, "Wisemen" is a classic haunting Frank Ocean track. It's got a nice western vibe and a very stripped down feel. And I'm excited to finally see this film.
It's the end of the world as we know it. I wonder about people who panic thinking it's the end of the world. The one time in your life you shouldn't panic, it's when you know it's all going to end in an instant. It's out of your hand so relax. I say sit back, drink up and watch the mother burn. And that's my entry for December 21st, 2012. Bring it on Universe!
Now, to the summer releases for 2012. There was a lot to go through. It was a damn good summer for music. May was jam packed. June had all it's awesome albums released on the same day. You can do your own research to find out which one. July had a lot of soul. And August ended on the dance floor it seems.
May
Father John Misty Fear Fun
Orbital Wonky (GODFATHERS OF HOUSE COMEBACK)
Beach House Bloom
El-P Cancer For Cure (FAVORITE OF THE MONTH)
Fibes, Oh Fibes! Album
Best Coast The Only Place (PERFECT SUMMER ALBUM)
King Charles LoveBlood
Hot Water Music Exister (THESE GUYS STILL ROCK AFTER THE BREAK)
Tu Fawning A Monument
Gossip A Joyful Noise
The Walkmen Heaven
Dana Bouy Summer Bodies (STILL UNDER THE RADAR)
Exist Music Passage (BETTER IN THE FALL)
Karin Park Highwire Poetry (ALT POP OF THE MONTH)
June
Zulu Winter Language (FAVORITE OF THE MONTH)
Stepdad Wildlife Pop
Shadows On Stars Shadows On Stars
Japandroids Celebration Rock (BEST PURE ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR)
A Silent Film Sand & Snow (GUILTY PLEASURE)
Man Without Country Foe
Friends Manifest!
Wintersleep Hello Hum (STILL UNDER THE RADAR)
Crocodiles Endless Flowers
Funeral Suits Lily of the Valley (FAVORITE OF THE MONTH)
Fixers We'll Be The Moon
Ruby Frost Volition (NEW ZEALAND POP)
Diiv Oshin
July
Twin Shadow Confess (FAVORITE OF THE MONTH)
Aesop Rock Skeleton
Frank Ocean channel ORANGE
The Gaslight Anthem Handwritten
Passion Pit Gossamer
August
Niki & The Dove Instinct
Plan B Ill Manors
MNDR Feed Me
Divine Fits A Thing Called Divine Fits (FAVORITE OF THE MONTH)
Bonaparte Sorry, We're Open (ONE FUNKY ALBUM)
Can't believe 2012 is almost over. It feels like it just started. Anyhow, it's hard to say which albums I'm most thankful for since there were so many. I think I've listed a big batch of the ones I've liked so far through out the blog. I'm going to probably overlap some blog entries with this list.
The music compiled by the month they appeared in. Good way not to leave any great albums out from the beginning of the year. I only posted videos for bands I didn't already have posts on. While compiling this list, I actually found a few good albums I didn't listen to enough earlier in the year. This is a good way to catch up to the year that was if you missed it.
JANUARY
The Maccabees Given To the Wild (FAVORITE OF THE MONTH)
Lost Lander Drrt
Nada Surf The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy
The Big Sleep Nature Experiments
FEBRUARY
GeographerMyth (CLOSE SECOND FOR FAVORITE OF THE MONTH)
Moss Ornaments (GREAT NEW BAND)
Team Me To The Treetops! (UNDER THE RADAR BUT GREAT)
Jonquil Point of Go (FAVORITE OF THE MONTH)
Air Le Voyage Dans La Lune (Another great album from Air)
Futurecop! The Movie (BEST 80's SOUNDTRACK THAT WASN'T)
Sleigh Bells Reign Of Terror
School of Seven Bells Ghostory
ShearwaterAnimal joy
Fanfarlo Rooms Filled With Light
MARCH
Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball
Civil Twilight Holy Weather
Lola Kite I Start To Believe You
Chromatics Kill For Love (SONGS I HAD STUCK ON REPEAT)
Oberofer Time Capsules II (TOP 10 BEST NEW BANDS OF 2012)
Bastille Other People's Heartache (BEST FREE REMIX EP OF THE YEAR)
Lucero Women and Work (FAVORITE OF THE MONTH)
The Mars Volta Noctourniquet
Deep Sea Arcade Outlands
Miike Snow Happy To You
Italian Japanese Italian Japanese
Yellow Ostrich Strange Land
Yukon Blonde Tiger Talk (ALBUM I SHOULD'VE LISTENED TO MORE)
APRIL
Alabama Shakes Boys & Girls
The Lumineers The lumineers
Magic Wands Aloha Moon
TV Girl The Wild, The Innocent, The TV Shuttle
Jack White Bluderbuss (COOL VIDEO!!)
Breton Other People's Problems
Kishi Bashi 151a (FAVORITE OF THE MONTH) thanks Microsoft for making me annoyed of this fantastic song now. And all for Windows 8. Kishi Bashi gotta eat!!! If you missed the Windows 8 ads, here's the song that's the best past of the ad campaign.
Black Marble's A Different Arrangement is a walk through a dark synthy landscape. Really makes your mind travel to a different place. Their sound is so stripped down but yet so full. They remind me a little of bands like College but just a touch darker. It's odd I keep running into these dark brooding bands right during the holidays. Or is it because we are creeping towards December 21st?
"Cruel Summer" is one of the more hypnotic tracks from A Different Arrangement. I dig the black and white video they shot directed by Ellen Frances. I think this is the second song titled "Cruel Summer" I've listed on my blog this year. Popular song title. Bananarama was onto something.
"Pretenders" was one of the earlier tracks released from the band this year. I love the bass-line on this track. It's so thick and moody, just great. I am curious about the movie choice in this video. Not sure what film it is.
I just started listening to Motorama. Odd enough, it happen to be right at the 10th anniversary release of Interpol's first CD. These guys have a very similar darkwave sound that people might link back to Joy Division. I think Interpol has a thicker moodier bass-line than these guys and Motorama blend in a little more synth. It's hard to believe these guys are from Russia. You can tell a little in the vocals but, wow, has alternative music become so universal. AWESOME!!
"To The South" was the bands first single from the new LP Calendar. It's a little more upbeat than some of the other tracks from the same album. Great introduction to the band. The lead singer really channels his inner Curtis by his dance moves.
"Scars" is the band's newest single and one of the more moody tracks from Calendar. I enjoy how their music has a pop sensibility but backed with enough fuzz to dirty it up a little. This is another solid track from these guys.
I really don't know much about Reptile Youth other than they're Danish it seems. As far as their sound, they remind me a lot of The Rapture actually. Reptile Youth's self-titled debut LP came out this year and I definitely think it's worth picking up. It's an indie dance rock album with a lot of range. They have a good handful of tracks that are all single worthy. It's rare you see bands with any range in their albums these days.
"Shooting Up Sunshine" was my initial introduction to the band. It's hard not to like this song. The first thirty seconds really reminds me of The Chevin's new LP and the keyboards remind me of "Radio Killed The Video Star." The video has a cute blonde in 70's retro outfit dancing through out the song. Thumbs up!
"Speeddance" to me is where this band really reminds me of The Rapture. The first time I heard it, I actually though I was listening to The Rapture actually. Good stuff.
"Dead End" is the darker side of their debut LP. I like the fact that these guys have some range. They go from the sunshine to the darker parts of their thoughts. This album quickly has become one of my favorites of 2012. I wanted to play "Heart Blood Beat" but couldn't find it on YouTube. That's another great track from this LP.
How has this video been up for 3 months and only with this few views? Tilly and The Wall sing loud and proud on "Defenders." For some, it might be a little too on the nose but who cares. It's an inspirational declaration. Sometimes, you just need a song like that. Reminds me of tracks by John Lennon. The song itself has a very Ted Leo feel actually. Their LP Heavy Mood is a solid outing worth a listen if you like this track. It's loud and bombastic as they've ever been.
The double disk 10th anniversary edition of Interpol's amazing first LP Turn on The Bright Lights comes out next week. First of all, that's awesome news. Most importantly though, what the hell happened to all that time. It was just yesterday I was living in Silver Lake pre-hipster invasion and getting overwhelmed with all the new alt bands in the scene. Oh yeah, Spaceland was still called Spaceland. Good old days.
Anyhow, with the thought of this album release, I went back and looked at what other great music came out in 2002. I know personally as a huge Joy Division fan, nothing had more impact that year on me than Interpol. It was like a consolation prize for losing Ian Curtis so early. I'm still mad at you Mr. Curtis for not allowing your fans that weren't old enough to listen to your music a chance to see you sing live.
"Obstacle 1" was the first track I ever heard from Interpol. Still as good as the day I first heard it. 10 years. Damn.
I remember that same year hearing Hot Hot Heat live and grabbing this LP at their show. I think they performed at the Troubador. Another 2002 jam in my book.
And then there was a solid outing by Supergrass with Life On Other Planets LP. I've always dug their retro sound. And their videos were always clever.
"The District Sleeps Along Tonight" video by Postal Service introduced us to Silver Lake hipsters. Awww, if we could only go back like the Terminator and make that go away. Not sure why, but this song actually sounds dated now. Not in a bad way, but just dated.
At The Drive-In broke up in 2000. Sparta and The Mars Volta rose from those ashes. Sparta came out with their first LP Wiretap Scars in 2002. This album has really aged well in my opinion. I think Sparta stuck closer to the At The Drive-In sound and might be why I personally enjoyed their music more.
Polyphonic Spree also put out their LP The Beginning Stages Of... in 2002. This album really put this band on the map for me. I'm still surprised they're from Dallas. How does a band sounding like this come from Dallas? Really, folks. I'm originally from that area. Can't imagine that.
In my humble opinion, the best LP of 2002 belonged to a band I had yet to discover that year. I ended up hearing this LP in 2003. Lucero is the name and Tennessee LP is the game. What an amazing little album. Every song is memorable. I struggle to remember lyrics but this LP drives them in your head with it's simple brilliance.
There are a bunch of other great bands with LP's that year like New Amsterdams, Bright Eyes, French Kicks, Frou Frou, Gorillaz, Idlewild, Jets To Brazil, Marah, Paul Westerberg, Postal Service, Radio 4, Hot Hot Heat, Trail of the Dead, The Walkmen and Flogging Molly but I don't have time to dig up videos for all of them. And no I haven't forgotten the Coldplay album that became a movie trailer staple in the years following called Rush of Blood to Your Head. Love or hate them, they were made for movie trailers. How many commercials and trailers did we all hear "The Scientist" on?
I wonder while writing this post, if people looking up trigonometry videos will mistakenly find it on a Google search. Sin Cos Tan is a band as well as a math term. These guys must've known they'd get some overflow on search engines from math geeks. Nice. Their music is synth heavy with a very dark lyrical mood. They remind me a bit of old school Brain Ferry from the 1980's.
"Trust" not only reminds me Ferry from the 80's but the video does a good job of finishing that thought. This song is a great introduction to the band.
There's something cinematic about their music and no better track to show that than "Sooner Than Now." The music is desolate and haunting.
"Binary" has a Bladerunner sound. I could see this song dug up in a soundtrack to an 80's scifi flick or maybe the next film by Nicolas Winding Refn (director of Drive).
Dutch Uncles just put out their new song "Fester" prior to the release of their LP Out of Touch In The Wild. They also put together a really nice cover of "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac. Their new song much like their cover of Fleetwood Mac takes a few listens to really get your head around. Their music has a layered and funky vibe. I think once you listen to their music several times, you can't help but like these guys.
"Fester" I guess would be in the same world as Alt-J if you were to put them in a sound category. Not really sure. I hate categorizing music honestly. I dig how layered their music is.
Unfortunately, I was unable to find their cover of "Go Your Own Way" on Youtube. You will just have to Google it. Anyhow, here are a few older songs from their last LP Cadenza which is worth picking up. "The Ink" has their signature sound. The more I listen the more I link them to bands like Yes from the late 70's.
And this is the title track from their Cadenza LP. Gotta love Duncan's dancing. Reminds me of David Byrne from the 80's.
Good thing I just got my digizoid ZO2 in the mail to give me extra thump while listening to albums like Sorry To Bother You from The Coup. If you like hip-hop and R&B, this album is a must own. I can't help but want to turn up the bass and crank the speakers to 11 when I'm jamming to this album. This reminds me of the days when Outkast used to put out beat thumping lyrically tight music. Sorry To Bother You has my nomination for one of the year's best hip-hop albums.
"The Magic Clap" is pure hip-hop funk for anyone that likes their music catchy. Grabs you from the first hand clap to the last rhyme. If you don't like this song, your ears might be broken. I'm surprised this song isn't bigger. I think I say that often.
"The Guillotine" is my personal favorite track from this album. It's never easy mixing politics with clever hooks and making it easy for the masses. This song has it all. Reminds me of the Parliament jams from the 70's. It looks like Wizard of Oz just came to life in some urban neighborhood.
I love how you can just stumble into bands on YouTube from link to link. Soul Sister Dance Revolution really came out of nowhere. I know nothing about them, but their live set in the first video captivated me. For a completely unknown band, this set really rocks. Sweden keeps putting out these bands. Must be something in the water.
"Hold The Line" is the first single from their debut album Playground Kids. It's got a nice soulful backbone mixed in with that Swedish pop sensibility.
Here's the first video I caught of SSDR that got me to do the serious digging. I'm looking forward to giving their debut LP a listen.
Bands like Peace take me back to the days of Blur and Oasis. Just classic Brit-pop I used to jam to back in the school days. Their new EP Delicious has several tracks that deserve to be singles. Sometimes, you wish the band had just waited and released a full LP. It's like one of the slices from the watermelon on the cover of the EP was missing.
"Bloodshake" has the familiar sound that really takes you back to the
classic Brit bands from the 90's. I really dig a song that takes no
time for you to get to the meat. These guys look like their tour bus hit a warm-hole and trapped them in 1995. I'm going to have to dust off my Parklife CD now.
"Follow Baby" was an earlier track released in the summer. Unfortunately, this song is not on their new EP. I think it's nice to get a break from all the synth alternative with some good old fashioned guitar rock.
Concrete Knives have been making a name for themselves in France and finally their song "Brand New Start" came across my playlist. Looking forward to hearing their LP and seeing them in the U.S. if they tour. Their music is in the same ballpark of Los Campesinos! and The Lumineers. They have that same chant along energy as those bands with multiple singers. Here's a little pep for a gloomy Thursday afternoon. It ain't always sunny in Los Angeles contrary to popular belief.
I came across Diamond Rings a few months back and just got a hold of his new Free Dimensional album. After a few listens, I really think this is one of the more fun albums of 2012. Diamond Rings, which is John O from Toronto, crafts some of the years more thoughtful and fun synth-pop. He looks like Max Headroom and David Bowie had a love child. 2012 has become the year of the 80's synth alternative revival.
"I'm Just Me" is Diamond Rings' biggest single from Free Dimensional. I think it's got a more club sound than some of his other tracks which explains the decision to make it the first single. I like the Bowie homage going on with this video.
My personal favorite track and single from the Free Dimensional LP is "Runaway Love." It reminds of the Buzzcocks. This album is just a lot of fun. Sometimes that's all you want from your music. First time I heard this track, I had to hit repeat. And then repeat again. It's damn good.
Speaking of the Buzzcocks, here's one of my favorite tracks of theirs, "Promises." Music was so fresh back in the late 70's. Everything was new. This song is still great 30 some odd years later.
I've been a Rolling Stone reader for most my music loving days and I think they've gotten away from proper music coverage. They're still a great read for political articles and other investigative journalism but not music news. Most things left of center they don't even bother talking about. Honestly, for most my musical journalism, I read NME and Spin.
Anyhow, to the point of my rant. I was looking through the review section in issue 1171, which is currently on the news stands, and came across their thoughts on the The Weeknd The Trilogy LP. Opinions are truly like assholes and we all got one. Granted. But this review didn't even really give it a fair shake. The comment was this album could've used editing since it takes the last three mixtape EP's from The Weeknd and puts them together in one package. Well, isn't that the point of calling it The Trilogy? He would've called it Greatest Hits LP if he would've edited it down to the best of.
Not all artist want to whore themselves out. Some just want to put out their art to showcase whatever state of mind brought them there. It might not all be pretty but it's not about singles or hits. There's at least a half dozen songs on this LP that stand head and shoulders above most R&B in the market right now.
In that same issue, they go on to rave about the new Ke$ha Warrior LP. They gave it 3 1/2 stars and The Weeknd 2 1/2. Really Rolling Stone? This is what you've come to? You've lost your touch.
Here's a sample of The Weeknd and a song from the Ke$ha LP that Rolling Stone wants you to buy. Wonder who's paying their expenses?
The Weeknd's most popular song "Wicked Games." I'm sure everyone has heard of it but it's part of The Trilogy and worth posting. This originally appeared on the House of Balloons EP.
"The Birds (Part 1)" is another solid single from The Trilogy. This originally appeared on his Thursday EP.
"D.D." is The Weeknd's cover of Michael Jackson's song "Dirty Diana." One of the better covers to come out in a while in my opinion. This song originally appeared on The Weeknd's Echoes of Silence EP but now you can get it all in The Trilogy LP. If you like R&B, get this LP.
And here's Ke$ha's new single "Die Young" from her Warrior LP. Not my bag, but I'm sure there's an audience for this since she sells so many songs on iTunes. Sounds like heavy help from some kind of vocal processors to help her keep the tune. They gave this 3 1/2 stars and the above 2 1/2. Love to hear people's thoughts on that. I actually want to stab my ears when I hear this chick rap-sing. What is that called anyways?
I know there's a remix Bjork album going around but what caught my ear from Iceland this month is Retro Stefson. Their sound is a nice blend of alternative pop, electronica, and R&B. Their new album hits the streets internationally soon. I would imagine it's already available in their own neck of the woods. They're worth checking out if you like the two singles I will post from their new LP.
"Glow" is one of the first songs out from the LP and it's got a nice eclectic groove. I just had no idea this kind of sound was coming out of Iceland. Then again, I know so little about Iceland beyond Jonsi and Bjork.
"Miss Nobody" is another song that is on the new self-titled LP from Retro Stefson. This might be my favorite track from them so far. I like the breaks in the middle of the song with the mini jam session.
