My 20 favorite records of 2012 ...
20. Tindersticks, The Something Rain
A beautiful, haunting record from a well-established act from Nottingham ... soulful horns meet tragi-comic lyrics and atmospheric, choral vocals
19. Kendrick Lamar, good KID, m. A. A. d. city
An epic deconstruction of gangsta rap from a 25-year old young man from Compton ... tuneful and thought-provoking
18. Neneh Cherry & The Thing, The Cherry Thing
Avant-garde jazz and soulful pop coexist as if they were met for each other all along ... Neneh Cherry and experimental jazz trio The Thing cover everyone from Suicide to MF Doom.
17. Divine Fits, A Thing Called Divine Fits
Spoon's Britt Daniel and Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade and Handome Furs give us a collection of fun, synth-heavy tunes that combine melody and groove in equal measure
16. Kishi Bashi, 151a
of Montreal's violin player proves that he can write catchy, thoughtful songs built upon looped layers of strings and vocals
15. Hospitality, Hospitality
This debut from the New York-based indie band focuses on the post-college problems of urban liberal arts majors
14. Alabama Shakes, Boys & Girls
Dang! ... Brittany Howard can really sing. This "revivalist" group really has the classic Muscle Shoals sound down ... inspirational songs about just holding on
13. Tame Impala, Lonerism
Australian Kevin Parker tries really hard to sound like John Lennon ... and succeeds! ... Tame Impala gives us an instantly classic psychedelic pop/rock record about life on the outside looking in.
12. Flying Lotus, Until the Quiet Comes
Producer Stephen Ellison does jazz-inflected electronica better than almost anyone ... a post-apocalyptic vision of a machine-driven world never sounded so beautiful
11. Wild Nothing, Nocturne
Lots of bands did the 80s this year ... Wild Nothing does it best ... Opening track "Shadow" is a particularly profound single
10. Jack White, Blunderbuss
Jack White defies all expectations in the post-Meg era. Blunderbuss is a multifaceted, playful look at heartbreak. There's more folk and Vaudeville than guitar-driven rock. It's all good, though.
9. The Men, Open Your Heart
The Men do blues, folk and country all through the lens of garage rock. It's a goofy, messy mixture that's somewhat hard to resist.
8. Chromatics, Kill For Love
This record has been called an unofficial soundtrack for the movie Drive so often that it's become a cliche. Nevertheless, this dreamy, synthy record invokes images of dark nights and foggy drives.
7. Vijay Iyer Trio, Accelerando
2012 was a superb year for jazz records, and this just might be the best. A serious cover of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" sits beside edgy, complex original compositions that never lose their sense of melody and forward motion.
6. Punch Brothers, Who's Feeling Young Now?
Mandolinist Chris Thile's brilliance as a musician has never been in question. On his latest effort with Punch Brothers, though, he shows off his much-improved songwriting chops. For once, the thoughtful songs are as memorable as the hot licks.
5. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
Frank Ocean is undoubtedly the most hyped artist of 2012. He deserves all the praise he's getting. Ocean comments upon distinctively postmodern problems with the grace and dexterity of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye.
4. The Mountain Goats, Transcendental Youth
Is anyone in the music business today as simultaneously prolific and profound as John Darnielle? The singer-songwriter's latest effort focuses on down-and-out characters like drug addicts and petty criminals who project a highly universal quality.
3. Cloud Nothings, Attack On Memory
Dylan Baldi creates aggressive odes to 90s angst ... the perfect soundtrack for anyone who has hoped, at one time or another, to be more than they think they are.
2. Japandroids, Celebration Rock
This Vancouver drums-guitar duo avoids the sophomore slumps with an album about being thirty and realizing you're not twenty anymore ... equally celebratory and heartbreaking.
1. The Walkmen, Heaven
Is it possible for a brooding indie-rock band to make an authentic record about raising kids and owning a house and being in a long-term relationship? The answer is "yes" if we're talking about The Walkmen. Heaven features odes to"the good years" and reminders about "what we fight for," but a dark undercurrent lurks below this positive surface. This record is as intriguingly complex as the people that made it.
I encourage you to check out the end-of-year lists from Spectrum Culture and PopMatters, both of which I contributed to.
Happy holidays and such!
