As I commented in a post previously, I felt a little disconnected to the newer music of 2012. After looking at Court's list, I went back over my notes, downloads and purchases to find a few songs I liked from the past year. Since I only have a few, I called it my "EP." Tragically, I do not think many of these tracks will stand the test of time like previous "Best of's." So, here it goes.
Craig Finn - "Honolulu Blues."
Craig Finn of The Hold Steady always reminded me of a schizophrenic Bob Dylan or younger, diarrhea-mouthed Bruce Springsteen. Very wordy - to the point of being rambly. When I saw his record was released, I wasn't crazy about the single, but I liked the second track.
The Lumineers - "Ho Hey"
Here is my radio-friendly choice. I've been hearing it a lot lately. Much like stated in one of the previous "Best of" segment, lo-fi, alt-folk seems to be the trend; unless your gravitate to indie-hipster synth rock - see Court's best of. This is probably the best of the bunch. Especially since Mumford & Sons second release sounds like their 1st record, part 2. Besides, these guys are American.
Low Cut Connie - "Say Yes"
I can't even find a video for this one, so I chose a performance from Philadelphia's North Star Bar. I like rockabilly, especially when it spurns out of control with the likes of the Revered Horton Heat or the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. These guys are a little different, they have a piano player who sounds like Jerry Lee Lewis emerged inside a punk band. Something different.
Jack White "Sixteen Saltines"
People rag on Jack White, but I like him. I think he is a talent. His solo debut didn't disappoint. I think Blunderbus is one of the better albums of the year. I liked the chaos and the randomness of eating saltines becoming a song.
Japandroids - "The House That Heaven Built"
Probably not a mainstream best of, but I'm sure it made many "alt" best of's. It got a bunch of radio play on Sirius XMU & Alt Nation. It rocks, and is one of the bands (much like, say Gaslight Anthem) that are still holding on to balls out rock and roll.
The Vaccines - "Teenage Icon"
A cool little punk band that has some roots in the Ramones and the Strokes. The album, Coming of Age was one of my better finds. I liked this, their second release off the record.
Also in consideration were: Howler's "Beach Sluts," Pond's "Fantastic Explosion of Time, " and Toy's "Colours Running Out."
These albums and songs made a huge impression on me this year. Hope to add videos when I can.
Even though I am a devout Springsteen fan, I can't agree with Rolling Stone putting "Wrecking Ball" as the #1 album of 2012 and leaving "Handwritten" off completely (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-best-albums-of-2012-20121205). The Gaslight Anthem is doing now what Bruce was doing back when he released "Darkness," being innovative and making songs with a message that you can actually enjoy. Albums
2012 was a tough year for me, musically. There just wasn't a whole lot that I deem worthy of being on a best-of-the-year list. It seems like a lot of the genres that have taken root in what used to be called alternative music have been done before -- I'm talking to all of you neo-folk people out there -- and there isn't a lot of innovation.
That said, there were a few standout tracks that warrant mention. Whether they stand the test of the years -- or even the months -- remains to be seen. They may not even warrant the title "Best of 2012" but rather "A few songs from 2012 that intrigued me"... hardly a ringing endorsement. In any case, here are the songs that I enjoyed most this year:
"The Descent" - Bob Mould
2012 found the ex-Husker Du and Sugar frontman at the top of his game. Even if he's singing about the end of his relevant life. In doing so, perhaps he's maintaining his relevance. Either way, "The Descent" has the drive and snarl that marks Mould's best work. And it may well be my favorite song of the year. It's a great video, too.
"Motion Sickness" - Hot Chip
I resisted Hot Chip for years. I'm not entirely sure why -- after all, they're British, they're dancey, and they use lots of synths. Sounds good to me. But for whatever reason, they never grabbed me. Until now.
"Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" - Father John Misty
This former Fleet Fox is a neo-folky that I like. There's nothing terribly new here -- FJM borrows heavily from people like Gram Parsons, Townes Van Zandt, Nick Drake, Harry Nilsson and the Laurel Canyon scene -- but I like the emotionality of this track.
"Dreamin'" - Twerps
Sounding a lot like 2010's breakthrough band Real Estate (from Ridgewood, NJ!), this Australian quartet breezes through this jangle-pop gem, and even sticks in a lovely little surf-rock guitar lick.
"Little Talks" - Of Monsters and Men
Probably the poppiest thing on my list -- or at least the most commercially successful. I think I first heard it played in a Barnes and Noble. It's probably unfair to compare it to Bjork or Sigur Ros, but there must be something in the icewater up there in Iceland.
"The Puritan" - Blur
Who would have though Damon, Graham, Alex and Dave would get back together. Perhaps we have the London Olympics to thank for that unlikely reunion, and the two new songs that resulted from it. Unlike the brooding piano ballad "Under the Westway", this is a full-speed-ahead rocker that wouldn't be out of place on Blur's best albums.
"Cherokee" - Cat Power
Another artist I never got into, that is until she started using synths. Everyone seems to have Sun on their Album of the Year lists, and no wonder. She started experimenting with synthesizers and the result is undeniable. This is a well-conceived and well-executed effort.
"Womyn" - Himanshu
If the premature death of Adam Yauch was
the year's worst news, the dissolution of the Beastie Boys' spiritual progeny Das
Racist may have been the runner up. But up from the ashes comes DR's Heems, who released his solo mixtape Nehru Jackets.
Like the best of Das Racist, this track will have you laughing out loud with lines
about women like "They like to watch shows/Some of them don't/They like
to read prose/Some of them like to date pros/That's professionals/Others
don't." If you want to Heems kill it with something a tad more serious,
try "Kate Boosh featuring Kool A.D. & Despot", which features a sample of Kate Bush's 1982 single "Suspended in Gaffa".
"Gawd Above" - John Fullbright
Let's get past all the hipster wanna be folk people out there and get right to this guy -- a farm-raised Okie who blew up at this year's SXSW festival.Watch this video and you'll know why.
"Yet Again" - Grizzly Bear
Another very strong release from Brooklyn's favorite hipsters.
"Only in my Dreams" - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Nice
jangly guitar work on this sweet-sounding track that actually is a bit
creepy when you give it a good listen. Ariel Pink is one weird dude.
"Tessellate" - Alt J
Leeds
band Alt J -- the name is the Mac keystroke for how to make a Delta --
won Britain's coveted Mercury Prize for its trippy brand of minimalist
synth pop.
"Dreamers" - Savoir Adore
More weird pop -- music that sounds perfectly fine for the radio only to realize there's a certain strangeness just beneath the surface. This Brooklyn duo calls itself purveyors of "fantasy rock", and as if the flamboyantly ridiculous video doesn't convince you, other songs on their album Our Nature are about things like being seduced by monsters. I mean, really.
"Birmingham" - Shovels & Rope
Now were back on terra firma with this roots country duo from South Carolina who are as much punk as they are country. The band consists of married couple Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst who claim as their influences everyone from Woody Guthrie to the Cramps. The raw and raspy-voiced Hearst is the kind of singer that makes you wonder if she's going to hit her notes but she always does -- and together they do great harmonies. For further listening, check out the great track "Gasoline" from a few years ago.
"Hey Jane" - Spiritualized
My brother is one of the biggest Spiritualized/Spaceman 3 fans I know. As a longtime fan, he became disillusioned by some of the band's recent efforts, but he was happy to report that this year's Sweet Heart Sweet Light was among their best.And this track certainly does hit all the Spiritualized hallmarks. Allmusic called it "one of the most transcendant things [Jason] Pierce has recorded in years" and notes -- like the band's best work -- it has a dark undercurrent beneath that poppy melody.
"Angels" - the xx
I have a soft spot for this band because they played at the cafe at my work. I actually got tied up and didn't get to see them -- but I did make it in time to watch them pack up their own gear. Sad, really. But maybe that's an analogy for their whole schtick: They do more with less than any other band out there, and this track features their trademark minimalism.
"You Call Me On" - Twin Shadow
I think I Soundhounded this song somewhere, and for good reason. George Lewis, Jr makes 80s-inspired synth pop but is equally at home with chillwave and R&B. He may have more dimensions than fellow 80s aspirant Neon Indian, though Alan Palomo might be the better songwriter. .
"Michael Praytor, Five Years Later" - Ben Folds Five
Another Soundhoud find, I probably haven't thought too much about Ben Folds since 1997's ubiquitous "Brick"
"Glide" - Pinback
I've always liked this San Diego band and their 2012 effort doesn't disappoint. It's hard to believe these guys aren't bigger than they are.
"Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns" - A.C. Newman
Some of the best power pop ever recorded (and I'm serious about that) is from the Vancouver band The New Pornographers. Great riffs, great chord structuring and terrific harmonizing from A.C. Newman and the great Neko Case. Case returns on Newman's 2012 solo album Shut Down the Streets.
"Better" - TEEN
Is anyone getting tired of synth-pop from Brooklyn? Not if sounds like this. (But seriously, if Seattle was the center of the 90s, Brooklyn is the center of today. No kidding.) This female foursome's debut album was produced by Sonic Boom of Spacemen 3 fame, so it has pedigree, too.
"How Can I Tell You" - Madness
Hats off to Camden's Madness, still going strong after 36 years. Unlike here in the states, where they're remembered for 1982's "Our House", they've been consistent hitmakers at home in England. After a five-year hiatus, followed by sporadic reunions, 2009's The Liberty of Norton Folgate put them back on the map, and back in the critics' good graces. And this year's Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da, Da keeps the streak going.
UPDATE: I forgot one of the cleverest songs of 2012 -- "Greatest Hits" by Mystery Jets. The song is about a couple breaking up and how they divide their joint record collection. And with each mention of an iconic album, there's a little homage -- musically -- to the album itself. My favorites -- perhaps not surprisingly -- are the references to "This Nation's Saving Grace" by the Fall, "Country Life" by Roxy Music and "Village Green" by the Kinks.
Here's a question that came up today as the family and I were driving to the grocery store. If you had to limit your musical listening to exactly one band (or artist), who would it be?
The question came up as we backed out of the driveway with Squeeze's "Another Nail in My Heart" on the radio. It's not the first (or second or third) Squeeze song that comes to mind, but it's a darn good song. My wife went one further, saying that -- now that she's thinking of it -- if she had to only listen to one band for the rest of her life, it would be Squeeze.
Now, Squeeze wouldn't be my choice. I'd probably go for The Clash for sheer variety -- there's garage rock, punk, ska, dub and pop in The Clash catalog. So I throw it out there -- if you had to listen to one artist -- and only one artist -- forever, who would it be?
Christmas songs fascinate me. Hundred of thousands of songs are recoded and played for 30 days straight, and then disappear until the next year to do it all over again. I like Christmas songs. There are good ones and bad ones, originals, and poor covers of songs. For today's Three for the Road, I choose three that you probably know, but are not radio mainstays. Don't get me wrong, Springsteen, Sinatra, Andy Williams,Vince Guaraldi, and even the Waitresses are special, but I thought, why not look at three that I would be glad to sing along with in the car.
"I Wish it Was Christmas Today." - Julian Casablancas
Originally written and performed on Saturday Night Live by Horatio Sanz, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Kattan, and the dancing styles of Tracy Morgan, this song has been a reoccurring skit that has been done live several times. The Strokes voice, Julian Casablancas obviously got the joke and covered it. Something about it is catchy.
"Mele Kalikamaka" - The Puppini Sisters
An odd holiday song, but the cover by the "Swing Punk" trio (they are not really sisters) is clean and peppy. Their influences range from the Andrew Sisters and Fred Astaire to the Smiths and Tom Waits. I couldn't even tell you how I found them.
"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings" - Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan
There is something pure and simple in this version from our neighbors up North that I really like. Funny, for neither the group of the founder of the Lilith Fair do much for me otherwise, but this version lakes me back to, what I imagine, are simpler times.
The most recent Rolling Stone magazine came up with their 25 best live albums (in no particular order.) They did a decent job covering a pretty wide spectrum. Before looking, I tried to come up with my five favorite (not saying best) live records. I specifically took into account some that were major influences to my musical tastes, or that I still listen to live. Great records like "Live at the Fillmore," "Kiss - Alive!" "Live at the Apollo" or "Stop Making Sense" do not make the cut for these reasons. Feel free to post whatever you feel is deserving or was omitted.
Neil Young - Live Rust.
A favorite of mine. So many great songs. Much like many great live records (Cheap Trick's Live at Budakon, or Frampton Comes Alive comes to mind), the performance of these are better than their studio versions. CD's might not do this record justice, as it came out with side A being acoustic, and side B being electric. So many great performances. "Powderfinger," "Like a Hurricane," and even "Lotta Love," just make this record such a classic.
Grateful Dead - Live Europe '72
You cannot discuss live music without including the Dead. I know, with all the Dick's picks, and vast catalog of liver recordings, to go with this one makes me look like a poser. This record turned me on to so many great Dead songs. Dead worlds collided on this record as it was the last one with Pigpen, but also the first to feature the Godchauxs. A true classic.
Bruce Springsteen - Live '75-'85
This one is kind of a cheat, but I must include it. Christmas 1985 my parents bought me a cd player. I was the first kid I knew to have one. With it I received this box set. I wasn't a hug fan of Springsteen at the time, but my parents (my mom, who helped form my musical tastes) felt it was an essential set to have. I must have listened to it in its entirety and shuffled for a few years. I can still do Bruce's "rap" before the River" or "Growin' Up." Cannot say I play much off of it anymore, but boy, did they create a serious foundation for my musical tastes.
Nirvana - Unplugged
Never has an album, so stripped down, shown the true talents of a band like this "unplugged." Kurt Cobain was struggling with drug withdrawal and nervousness at the time, and things were very tense going into that performance. What made this special and different than all the other "unplugged" shows, Nirvana did these song sin one take, like a true live show. I love that Nirvana shied away from the "hits" and played 6 covers. The songs with the Meat Puppets really showed the talents of the group.
Not a true, live concert performance, but a live recording, none the less. The Stones put out various live recordings, but this 1968 Jagger-based concept is something most causal Stones fans have never seen. Based off of a circus theme, the Stones gathered up some strong acts such as the Who, Jethro Tull, and the Dirty Mac to perform. The performance was supposed to air on the BBC, but the Stones felt it was substandard and fought its release until 1996. Their performance of "Sympathy for the Devil" alone is worth this recording.
When I was in college, I was heavily into the Doors. around the same time, the Oliver Stone movie came out, and Val Kilmer put on a performance truly becoming the lizard king. I own every record they put out. I have read countless biographies on them. Yet, I rarely listen to them now days. Picking three songs is not an easy task, but it should be a fun one.
1. "The Soft Parade." On their fourth album, Morrison is deep into his poetry and alcoholism, and Robbie Kreiger has to step forth and really give a presence to the album. This one is all Jim. From the sermon at the beginning to the poppy middle and odd lyrics, to the heavy blues based ending. It is a bizarre masterpiece. The band did not perform this song live often, but did record it for a PBS special. Organist Ray Manzarek later called the performance "A mother... all four Doors in perfect sympatico". It also features a rare bearded Morrison. "The Monk...bought...lunch!"
2. "Hello, I Love You."
Surprisingly, my last two come from Waiting for the Sun, my least favorite album from the Doors. The songs are fine, it just doesn't flow conceptually as well as Morrison Hotel, or the self titled Doors. This to me, is their best radio friendly single. A cool groove, a spacy, slow motion bridge, and Morrison screaming "HELLO!" to end the song. the video, shot on a Paris street, was one that caught my attention to the coolness that is Jim Morrison.
3. "Love Street." A contrast to "The Soft Parade" and the radio-friendly, "Hello, I Love You," is this nice little ode to his wife, Pam, and a simple moment of happiness he found while sitting on the front porch of his Laurel Canyon home. A simple little poem that features a little spoken-word. Pleasant, and what I feel, was the closest to a love song Morrison has gotten.
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