Favorite Albums of 2012
A five year hiatus, side projects, and a gutting of the band surely made most Shins fans a bit nervous for this much awaited release, especially after the band's uneven third album Wincing the Night Away, but Port of Morrow proved what most of us probably already knew. James Mercer IS the Shins, and as long as he is on board, the band is in fine hands. With their most fully realized sound to date and some great backing musicians now in the fold (Richard Swift!), the Shins reclaimed their indie pop crown while releasing some of the best tunes of their catalog. From the startling blast of power pop in "Simple Song" to the heartbreaking "Taken for a Fool" to the Oh, Inverted World throwback "September," Port of Morrow confirmed that the wait was most certainly worth it.
No album snuck up on my more this year than the debut album from the indie rock super group. Featuring members of Handsome Furs(Dan Boeckner) and Spoon (Britt Daniel), both bands I have always just kind of liked (although Boeckner's others super group Wolf Parade is killer), I thus expected to just kind of like Divine Fits. Shame on me though as this collection of new wavy garage rock pulled the best elements from both acts, resulting in an album full of tense and urgent moments and some great swagger.
The graceful aging of the Walkmen has been one of my favorite developments in rock over the past decade. Those brash, young brats found on their debut album are long gone, having since been replaced by seasoned family men. Normally, this does not bode well for a band, especially one who once released the raucous, blitzkrieg of "The Rat," but the Walkmen are not most bands. Heaven, the band's 7th studio album, features it's fair share of delicate, intimate moments ("We Can't Be Beat", "Line By Line"), but long time Walkmen fans will be pleased that all of the signature elements are still in place, including Hamilton Leithauser's snarl and their seemingly endless love of sleigh bells ("Nightingales").
Favorite Songs of 2012
"The House That Heaven Built" by Japandroids
From the moment I first heard this song back in April, I knew nothing could touch it for the rest of the year. And if you don't believe me, click here. The crushing lead off single from Vancouver duo's sophomore LP Celebration Rock featured arena made riffs and the chorus of the year(both a fuck you and an act of protection to a former lover). "The House That Heaven Built" put Japandroids on the map and they nearly owned the year because of it. When I look back on this year in music down the road, this is the song that will define 2012 for me.
From the moment I first heard this song back in April, I knew nothing could touch it for the rest of the year. And if you don't believe me, click here. The crushing lead off single from Vancouver duo's sophomore LP Celebration Rock featured arena made riffs and the chorus of the year(both a fuck you and an act of protection to a former lover). "The House That Heaven Built" put Japandroids on the map and they nearly owned the year because of it. When I look back on this year in music down the road, this is the song that will define 2012 for me.
"Impregnable Question" by the Dirty Projectors
The prettiest and most touching song on Dirty Projectors most accessible album to date. "Impregnable Question" stripped away the manic harmonies and swirling percussion for a tender song of loving and longing. I have always been a sucker for a great ballad anyways. This live clip has a little more bounce to it, but you get the idea...
"Motion Sickness" by Hot Chip
A soaring start to the British dance outfit's latest and most consistent album. While I am not one to dance all that often, "Motion Sickness," at the very least, kept my head bobbing for a good part of the year.
A soaring start to the British dance outfit's latest and most consistent album. While I am not one to dance all that often, "Motion Sickness," at the very least, kept my head bobbing for a good part of the year.
"I Belong In Your Arms" by Chairlift
Chairlift released an electro bubblegum pop classic in "I Belong In Your Arms." The song is nothing if not romantic, and that chorus, especially the second time around, is an absolute rush.
"Yet Again" by Grizzly Bear
Nearly every track on the Brooklyn chamber pop act's new album Shields could have made this list, but the thrilling "Yet Again" cemented its spot from the first strum of Daniel Rossen's guitar. The track features vocalist Ed Droste's finest performance on the album, but most importantly, proves percussionist Chris Bear to be Grizzly Bear's secret weapon as he leads the track to it's chaotic final moments.
"So Long You Pretty Thing" by Spiritualized
I absolutely love songs of nostalgia; songs of looking back at once was and reaching for that last grasp of one's youth(see Arcade Fire's The Suburbs for example), but not all of these songs will accept what lies ahead. In "So Long You Pretty Thing," the closing track to Spiritualized's comeback album Sweet Heart, Sweet Light, not only does J. Spaceman accept his future, he embraces it. Years of partying and excess will eventually catch up to anyone, as noted in the song's bittersweet plea for help, but after nearly meeting his end, Jason Pierce comes to terms with aging and bids adieu to to his rock and roll lifestyle in the song's triumphant final act.
Favorite Show of 2013
Sufjan Stevens at Babeville's Asbury Hall (12/18/12)
Tom Dennis' review said it better than I ever could, but Sufjan Steven's holiday showcase was one of the most bizarre, cheesy, over the top, touching, feel good, and more than anything, magical concert experiences of my life.
2013 Wish List
1) I wish that the long awaited Thom Yorke/Flea/Nigel Godrich Atoms for Peace project lives up to the hype. With their debut album AMOK set to drop on Feb 25th, we won't have to wait long to find out. The first single "Default" sure is a nice start.
2) I wish that Broken Social Scene will announce the recording of a new album. Unfortunately, the band has been on an indefinite hiatus since the fall of 2011, and with nearly everyone of their members involved in various side projects, there certainly isn't any rush.
3) I wish that this new Jim James single is a sign of good things to come. The My Morning Jacket lead singer drops his debut solo LP, Regions of Light and Sound of God, on Feb 5th, and if the first single "Know Til Now" is any indication, that bad taste left in your mouth from the last two MMJ albums may finally be washed away. The track is six plus minutes of spacey soul/funk that MMJ previously featured on the the stellar Z and the uneven Highly Suspicious. Lets hope the rest of the album holds up.
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