It’s that time of year again. You know, time for the frenzy for making Best Of lists. Lists that bring order to the chaos, lists to remember, lists to focus, lists that reveal the personality of the list-er.
In the contrarian spirit that I love to inflict on RTH, I’d like to put forth a 10 best album list that may not exactly match up with your own. These have been the constant loop in my studio and in my car, though many of them have to be turned down when Ms. Jade is in the passenger seat.
I’m always hoping to open a few eyes and ears. Take ‘em or leave ‘em, in no particular order:
Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
The power and the glory of cinematic drones.
Andy Stott – Luxury Problems
Creepy noir disco beats and chopped vocals.
Land – Night Within
For everyone still longing for the sound of Talk Talk and David Sylvian
The Men – Open Your Heart
Almost kicked off the list due to their bullshit live performance, but still…
Swans – The Seer
You really have to commit to this album. Not for the faint of heart, but were they ever?
Deerhoof – Breakup Song
Ladymiss Jade has been funking up the kitchen with these SF locals.
Jack White – Blunderbuss
No, it wasn’t the album we hoped for, but I found myself listening to this a lot.
Spiritualized – Sweet Heart Sweet Light
Aka “Huh?” Stupid cover, but a longtime favorite band.
Flying Lotus – Until The Quiet Comes
A suite of beats and squeaks that carries the torch of his aunt Alice Coltrane.
Burial – Kindred EP
More noir beats and ghostly presence. He takes his signature sound a little bit further each time.
The Meh List:
Albums we had high hopes for, but…
Tame Impala, Beach House, Gonjasufi, Frank Ocean, The xx, Four Tet’s latest EP.
Guided By Voices – “Let’s Go Eat The Factory” – The album that no one asked for has some of the good ol’ Pollard charm.
Ryan Adams – Ashes and Fire – Ryan has sobered up which means he’s lucid but sombre and miserable. I kind of missed the old reckless pissed off Ryan.
The dB’s – Falling Off The Sky – Like any good dB’s we have the sublime and the ridiculous.
Alabama Shakes – Boys and Girls – Every once in a while an album comes around that makes you think somebody has been scanning your brain waves.
The Black Keys – El Camino – Technically a 2011 album, but definitely the omnipresent album for this year. No band is carrying the torch as brightly and proudly as these cats.
Here’s my list, in some particular order.
1. Alabama Shakes, Boys & Girls (a MAJOR surprise for me, which overcame so many of my typical cynical hang-ups)
2. Rocket Juice & the Moon (Damon Albarn-organized supergroup with Tony Allen, Flea, Erykah Badu, et al)
3. Joshua Abrams, Represencing (cool “dashiki-jazz” album I stumbled across in a record store in Ann Arbor, MI this fall; I’ve been meaning to ask our old friend dbuskirk if he knows this guy)
4. Saint Etienne, Words and Music (an album by an artist I should have no business liking but do more than I would have expected thanks to the sentiments of the lyrics and how straightforward the tributes to music I don’t like, such as early Madonna, come off)
5. Cody Chestnutt, Landing on a Hundred (for a couple of killer songs that remind me of the idealism and humanity of Marvin Gaye and TSOP hits of my youth)
My Meh List is headed up by Nick Lowe’s latest. That Tame Impala album could have been entitled Lame Impala.
Mod, my jaw just dropped and scraped the ground. That you have admitted to not just liking but promoting the latest Saint Etienne was a complete surprise to me. I seem to recall a SNSI during which you played two tracks and then pulled the plug mid-way, along with some classic curmudgeon commentary. I’m curious as to what turned you around?
I have mixed feelings about the album: it’s not in my “meh list” but it also isn’t up there with my favorites. The fatal mistake that Mr. Royale and I made was seeing Saint Etienne live on this tour. While it sounded good, seeing Sarah Cracknell half-heartedly shimmying whilst wearing a glittery silver frock and a pink feather boa, and making lame canned chatter, the experience took things down a notch. (It wasn’t as bad, though, as seeing The Men; that show was horrible!)
It’s decided! Since almost all the memorable music I purchased in 2012 was found in junk stores and flea markets, I shall pick the 10 best trackkksssss and upload them for posterity. So let it be written, so let it be done. The trick will be culling things down to just 10 numbers!
For the record, the digital purchases that made me happy, to the degree I can remember them:
WIng Beat Fantastic: Mike Kennealy and Andy Partridge
A 2-disc Can compilation (thanks, SlimJade!)
An Elenco Records bossa nova comp
… and that, quite seriously, was about that as far as digital media was concerned. Sad.
HVB
I can’t put these things in order anymore, because I don’t care much. But records I really liked that came out this year are:
Lydia Loveless – Indestructible Machine. Easily my favorite album this year. It technically came out in Sept. of 2011, but I don’t think it was available on vinyl for a bit after that, so I’m putting it on my list. It sounds like whiskey and fun. She’s beyond awesome.
Ladyhawk – No Can Do. I can’t believe they put out another album! This is the coolest thing to happen in years! And the best thing is they killed it again. Great guitars and Duffy’s generally fucked up lyrics. One of my favorite bands in the world.
Jack White – Blunderbuss. I was just hoping to like this. But it’s fantastic! Man, the guy just delivers the goods and no matter what you think of him, you have to respect the craft, and if you respect the craft, it’s pretty hard to not get into the rocking.
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires – There is a Bomb in Gilead. I’d rather have The Dexateens to kick around, but Lee steps out on his own and shows that the bench on The Dexateens team is as deep as any band, anywhere. Great music to drive around on a sunny day to.
Wild Flag – S/T. I could listen to Carrie Brownstein all day. I could listen to Janet Weiss all day. Put them together with some new friends and I’m all in. I thought this would be my album of the year for quite awhile.
Redd Kross – Researching the Blues. I liked the single, so I took a chance on the record. It’s one of their best, and that it was totally out of left field and unexpected is one of the coolest things of the year.
Alabama Shakes – Boys and Girls. I was an early adopter here (for once, dunno why or how I heard about them). But I wasn’t over the moon with this. I like it a lot, and I think that it really points to potential for these guys to really make one of the great Rock albums ever one of these days. I hope they do. The high points here are really high, and the low points are saved by good playing and a great singer. I hope they’re around a long time.
Lucero – Women and Work. These guys are just one of my favorite bands and they haven’t made a bad album yet, nor have they made the same one twice. This is a smaller step from 1372 Overton Park than that album was from Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers, but it’s a confident one.
Corin Tucker Band – Kill My Blues. Not quite as good as Wild Flag, but Corin seems so much more sure of herself on this record than her first, and she really did a great job. I play it a lot.
JD McPherson – Signs and Signifiers. Technically came out in 2010, but Rounder released it this year, so people actually heard it this year. This record sounds like a million bucks. Pure analog and songs Johnny Burnett would have loved to have had when he fronted The Rock N’ Roll Trio. I really love it.
Shitbox Jimmy – Alive at the Door! This is a local band. They’re noisy and fun and they do a fantastic version of The Box Tops’ The Letter. Great stuff I’ll be playing for years.
The Black Keys – El Camino. I think my favorite is still Rubber Factory, but these guys just keep making great records. And anything that comes out in December counts to the next year, so this is a 2012 album.
I’m sure there’s more, but that’s what I’ve loved off the top of my head.
Bob Mould – Silver Age. Because when Bob rocks I forget that I had a 60th birthday in 2012.
Go-Kart Mozart – On The Hot Dog Streets. British music that is as funny & as pissed off as we Brits are. Lawrence is our 21st century Ray Davies.
Patterson Hood – Heat Lightning Rumbles In The Distance. D-B Ts are my favourite American band. Proper music by a proper musician.
Donald Fagen – Sunken Condos. It’s time I stopped judging his stuff against “The Nightfly”. Prolonged exposure to this is proving to be a treat.
North Sea Scrolls. An absurd re-imagining of British history. This year I decided that Luke Haines may be a fool but he’s our fool…love it.
A little tried & tested I know. I like to give new music a while so that CDs bought in haste are not unplayed & gathering dust after 6 months.
2013 ? I hope that The Everlasting Yeah (four-fifths of That Petrol Emotion) get their great new tunes on to any format I can buy.
Here’s the deal, ladymiss: To date I’ve only bought so many full, brand-new albums released in 2012. I’m probably forgetting something I like better, but I admire the concept and execution of Saint Etienne’s album. Despite the fact that they are paying homage to a record collection I would run from, I like the fact that they are paying homage to the records of their youth and I like the way they do so with so little slavish fanfare. It’s like hearing a beginner band trying to apee Madonna’s “Holiday” or something like that. It’s weird and more charming than hearing some cynical pro like Lady Gaga trying to ape a previous generation’s lame (in my opinion) music.
I should buy the entire album by The Men. The 2 songs I downloaded months ago are really good.
I downloaded a few of those Black Keys songs. That band’s always “OK” for me. I can never dig in and love them.
Where were you when I got the poo-poo face for my tribute to Felt?
Can’t go wrong with Can.
Forgot…
Redd Kross – Researching The Blues – A decent return to form.
I’ve got to get that new Donald Fagen album. I didn’t pick it up because Steely Dan’s last one was probably their least enjoyable album (they’re all decent, but that one seemed rushed or uninspired). But I keep seeing Don’s Sunken Condos on people’s lists, and even people that I’d never have thought would have even given him a chance.
Well said. And the artwork is great – almost worth the price of the cd/album alone. I’m trying to score one of the Words and Music tea towels. Oh, Happiness Stan, if you’re out there, can you hook us up?
Another Donald Fagen fan!
I just spent some iTunes credit on the following songs (all released this year I think?). I didn’t buy complete albums…call me “new fashioned”…
“Who” – David Byrne & St. Vincent
“Would That Not Be nice” – Devine Fits
“Presence” – The Men
“Youth Without Youth” – Metric
“The Nights of Wine and Roses” – Japandroids
“Bushel Hyde” – Jessica Pratt
I did buy a bunch of Jazz CDs this year though – things by Coleman Hawkins, Art Taylor, Ben Webster, Monk, Red Garland etc.
I’m new here. I found the thread &, apart from one member, I thought you got a fair hearing. At least Lawrence is the man’s given name which I doubt it is in the case of Bono, Slash or Sting.
A testimonial for Denim may be a harder sell in these parts but if you want to go for it I’ve got your back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ0It3uOrkA
Is this a good or a bad thing ?
I spent serious time with the aforementioned Lucero, Jack White, Bob Mould, and Corin Tucker. Some of my other most played of 2012 were —
“Hannah Georgas” — self-titled. They call this electro-folk – whatever, I liked it.
“Buddy and Jim” — Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale. Came out this month but I have given it a pretty good workout the last couple of weeks.
“I Like to Keep Myself in Pain” — Kelly Hogan.
“The Lions Roar” — First Aid Kit
“Living For a Song: Tribute to Hank Cochran” — Jamey Johnson — some killer duets on this.
“End of Daze” EP Dum Dum Girls
“The Dreamer”– Rhett Miller
“3 Pears” — Dwight Yoakam — not a stinker on it. Dwight’s Power Pop album.
There are few of us out there; a rare sighting in these parts.
So much music this year! I bought more vinyl than CDs for the first time in a long time. The best trend is selling vinyl along with digital download codes, which makes me hopeful that the music industry is finally getting its act together. I’m willing to pay a couple of bucks more for an LP than a CD if the download is included because I like the size of the LP and bands/labels are making beautiful packages for records. On the down side, one has to watch out for reissue labels which are simply dumping a CD back onto vinyl rather than working from the masters or high resolution digital. Here are a few things that caught my ear in 2012:
Allo Darlin’ “Europe”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGrnXEBq3QE
Jangly nostalgia pop.
Temples “Shelter Song” (single)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs4i41cOv0s
Psych revival without the patchouli stink.
Shrag “Show Us Your Canines”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6BzbpWga4c
J. D. McPherson “Signs and Signifiers”
A lot of love for this above. I’ll add to it. If only the Blasters had had this kind of production….
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros “Live at Acton Town Hall”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu-02udB57w
Not the best Mescaleros show but a very good one. As a bonus, Mick Jones shows up to play some Clash towards the end and a little over a month later Joe Strummer passed away. Grabbed this at Ka-Chunk Records in Annapolis, MD as part of the Black Friday Record Store Day, one of only 2200 vinyl copies.
Tender Trap “Ten Songs About Girls”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVfLLwXCTBw
The world’s rockingest economist, Amelia Fletcher (Chief Economist, Office of Fair Trading, London) is back with another set of girl group/girl pop/punk pop whatever you want to call it.
Neil Young “Psychedelic Pill”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub1qw2MmVOM
Hey, I just like hearing Neil Young play guitar and he plays a lot of it on this. If only the vinyl weren’t eighty bucks….
The School “Reading Too Much Into Things Like Everything”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scbIm4eqEBI
Jagwar Ma “Come Save Me” (12 inch version)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgjqhGjUIb0
Beach Boys/Phil Spector with the booming drum sound, compare to Temples.
Numero Group “Buttons Compilation” and “Titan: It’s All Pop”
Numero makes some of the best re-releases around
http://vimeo.com/45992542
The Buttons Compilation is late 70s/early80s power pop, Titan compiles the releases by a Kansas City label. Beautiful packaging, great sound, killer songs. It’s hard to go wrong with Numero.
Chorus vs. Solos: A Tribute to Charlie Chesterman
http://chestermantribute.bandcamp.com/
Great friend and songwriter Charlie Chesterman gets covered by a host of bands. Throw a couple of bucks his way for good karma and music!
Radio: BBC 6. While writing this list I’ve heard Horace Andy, Nick Cave, Yo La Tengo, Otis Redding and Carla Thomas, and a bunch of other good stuff.
I’ve always dug Felt. Didn’t have time to comment at the time.
Here’s the token entry from the grouch at the end of the street, stuck in a time warp:
Dave Alvin – Eleven Eleven. Dave Alvin is a rare example of where Geo & I have to agree to disagree but this is ¾’s of a great album.
John Cale – Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood. Cale is one of those artists who, 40+ years on, is still is producing at the same quality level as he ever has.
Ian Hunter – When I’m President. Ditto.
Can – The Lost Tapes. Does this count as a new issue?
Connie Converse – How Sad, How Lovely. I know the sentiment in these parts that back story shouldn’t count but this one is too strange not to consider (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connie_Converse). That and the haunting voice are enough to get on this list.
Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale – Buddy & Jim. Buddy can do no wrong in my book.
Nada Surf – The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy. I guess this is my sole concession to “there’s no good music after 1982”. Heard this playing in a record store in Houston and thought it was some Records album I had somehow missed. It doesn’t have a “Starry Eyes” on it but it didn’t let me down after I bought it and played the whole thing.
Graham Parker & The Rumour – Three Chords Good. This is what a reunion should be like. Much stronger effort than the dB’s.
Neil Young – Psychedelic Pill. Containing all that is excessive about Young in a good way and nothing that’s excessive about him in a bad way.
And I suppose The Beach Boys’ That’s Why God Made The Radio deserves some kind of backhanded “it’s no classic but it’s not the train wreck you expected” mention.
On the reissue front, I’m loving revisiting Kirsty MacColl. She had it all and it was taken away way too soon. And how can you go wrong with 9 discs of Bill Withers for $24?
And in the I’m-just-not-seeing-it department we’ve got Bob Dylan’s Tempest (sorry, I think all these rave reviews are a case of the emperor and his lack of clothes) and The Move – Live At The Fillmore (we waited 40 years for this?)
Good points on the Neil Young and Beach Boys records, Al. I do like most of the Neil Young album, and the Beach Boys album might be their best since, what . . . Holland? “Pacific Coast Highway” and “Summer’s Gone” are beautiful.
I was excited the GP & The Rumour album but I just don’t hear it — and I really like some of the late period GP stuff like “Deepcut to Nowhere” and “Your Country.”
One archive project I neglected to mention is World Party’s “Arkeology.” It’s too bad health problems have cut into Karl Wallinger’s career, because I enjoy all his albums.
That Beach Boys album is unlistenable. Thanks a lot, auto-tune!
Thanks for the update on Amelia Fletcher. I really like her and lost touch after Heavenly, all those years ago.
I love that Dave Alvin record. It’s kind of weird that it came out as a double album, but it’s not 45 rpm. I think it would have fit on one record, but it’s good so I don’t mind. At least it wasn’t 64.99, like Psychedelic Pill. I completely forgot Graham Parker and the Rumour put something out. I think I made a note of it, swore to grab it and promptly forgot.
I don’t think that I’ve bought ANY music in the last year, but I did go to see Ian Hunter when he played my home town a couple of months ago. He used to live in Northampton, his kids were born here, and he comes back to see his mates. It was his fortieth wedding anniversary on the night he played the Roadmender, and after turning in a great set a load of old blokes started wandering onto the stage, while practically every bloke of a certain age in the audience wiped away a tear or two as the realisation struck that we were in the presence of Mott the Hoople (except Buffin, who’s very unwell), and they were about to all join in for All The Young Dudes.
I really must check out the album.
I agree that Ashes & Fire was a terrific record, but it was released in October 2011. Sorry for the pince nez.
Thanks to Slim Jade for his list. RTH is not usually a place where I expect any love for the likes of Burial, Andy Stott, or Flying Lotus. The latter two didn’t quite make my list. I really tried with Flying Lotus, because I totally loved the previous one (Cosmogramma), but it didn’t quite make the cut.
I spent the holidays trying to narrow down my year-end list, and I could only get it down to 30:
Santigold – Master of My Make-Believe
How To Dress Well – Total Loss
The Weeknd — Trilogy
The xx – Coexist
Grizzly Bear – Shields
The Shins – Port of Morrow
Ghosty – Ghosty
Neil Young – Americana/Psychedelic Pill
Bob Mould – Silver Age
Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas
Ry Cooder – Election Special
Bonnie Raitt – Slipstream
Mikel Rouse – Boost/False Doors
Thee Water Moccasins – From The Rivers of Missouri and The Banks of Fear
Hot Chip – In Our Heads
The 2 Bears – Be Strong
Calexico – Algiers
Spoek Mathambo – Father Creeper
Shangaan Shake
Rocket Juice & the Moon
Christian Scott – Christian aTunde Adjuah
Can – The Lost Tapes
Burnt Friedman – Bokoboko/ Zokuhen
Four Tet – Pink
Mohn – Mohn
Ricardo Villalobos – Dependent and Happy
Burial – Kindred + Truant (EPs)
Michael Mayer – Mantasy
LHF –Keepers of the Light
Moritz Von Oswald Trio – Fetch
The usual provisos about not having heard some albums applies. I still haven’t heard the Graham Parker album. I thought I was going to check out Tame Impala, until I read the comments here.
Good call on Rocket Juice & the Moon, Mod. It’s not the kind of thing I would have expected you to go for. I like the idea of the Alabama Shakes, but every time I’ve tried to listen to them they rub me the wrong way. It just seems fake. I think the fact that I saw them on TV a few time before I heard the album was part of the problem. They just seem fake to me.
I agree about the Can comp. I have a separate best reissues list, but Can made the main best-of list because the stuff was not previously released.