buffaBLOG - The Buffalo music blog: buffaBLOG Best of 2012: Staff Picks

anthony delplato, best of 2012, japandroids, Nick, now now, staff picks —

buffaBLOG Best of 2012: Staff Picks - Nick Sessanna

I'll be honest, I spend most of my time digging through the catalog of indie rock/alternative/late-nineties emo bands trying to find a hidden gem or something I haven't unearthed yet from years past. But once in a great while, a contemporary band will release something spectacular that totally changes my life. I will admit that I didn't discover as much new music in 2012 as I had originally intended... But here is my list of what really grabbed a hold of me in the last 12 months.

Album of the Year:

Now, Now - Threads

Honestly, I wouldn't just rank Threads as my Album of the Year - this album has slowly snuck its way into one of my favorite releases of all time. Chris Walla was smart enough to sign Now, Now (formerly Now, Now Every Children) to his personal record label, Trans Records, and the result is this beautiful dark-pop masterpiece.

Threads is an album about the fragile connections that make up every aspect of all of our lives and how easily they can be destroyed. There are themes of insomnia and winter throughout the record, something a night owl Buffalonian like myself can absolutely relate to. "Prehistoric" is constantly stuck in my head, and singer Cacie Dalager's lyrics are cold and simple - "I would trade this sleep for you in a heartbeat/ But this weather will not lift/ It leaves us shouting into cliffs without an echo." Their lead single, "Thread," is incredibly urgent and somehow leaves you feeling crushed. I almost feel bad enough for Dalager to wish she got some more sleep, but then I don't think Threads would have been written. It's hard to believe that the lush, atmospheric sound Now, Now has cultivated comes from only three tiny Minnesotans.

Honorable Mentions:

The Life and Times - No One Loves You Like I Do

Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory

Japandroids - Celebration Rock

Pinback - Information Retrieved

Song of the Year

Japandroids - "The House That Heaven Built"

And you thought I was going to give it to Fun. or Carly Rae Jepsen, didn't you? Well, I might agree that "Call Me Maybe" is pure pop genius, or that I'd prefer there were more songs like "Some Nights" on top 40 radio (deal with it Minaj), but I digress.

I can't help but feel like I'm being punched in the face every time "The House that Heaven Built" comes on... And yes, that is somehow a good thing. It's no secret I'm a sucker for heartfelt indie-rock, so when a couple of dudes like Japandroids write a balls-to-the-wall song about "lifeless life" without branching into testosterone-rock territory, you gotta give them credit. "If they try to slow you down/ Tell them all to go to hell." I'll have to take that advice more often.

Honorable Mentions:

Now, Now - "Prehistoric"

Fun. - "Some Nights"

Every Time I Die - "Underwater Bimbos from Outer Space"

Bonus:

Local Album of the Year:

Anthony DelPlato - 8 Old Vines EP

I mentioned earlier that I was a sucker for that late 90's emo sound, and Anthony DelPlato nailed it with 8 Old Vines. Seeing as how I am a local musician myself, I'd like to think that the Buffalo music scene is pretty strong, but it has been a while since a local artist has released something that has resonated with me as strongly as 8 Old Vines has. Well played DelPlato, I'm looking forward to your next batch of songs.