2012 brought in a flood of diverse and superb music in the national outlook, but it was also a prolific time that gave rise to a thriving local music scene. On top of all that, Buffalo racked in some incredible live acts and has seemingly put itself back on the map as a regular tour bus trail-marker. Yes, year-end lists are indeed the vanity of vanities when it comes to music and entertainment commentary, but let's face it, they're fun as hell and fill a certain journalistic void that is pretty harmless compared to the Facebook Year in Review feature. So without further ado, here are my favorites of the year:
Favorite Albums of 2012
With Dylan Baldi's newfound approach to corrosive post-hardcore rock it seems he has forever deserted the lo-fi tendencies of his previous bedroom recordings and taken up with surges of Strat, feedback, and a hair-raising belt that is intense as it is awesome. As a result, the band not only garnered a shit-ton of ink, but also expanded their touring output tenfold while more recently asserting that a new album is on it's way as early as next year (see 2013 wish list).
While it didn't make many year-end lists, let alone assemble half its due esteem in record reviews, Hospitality's debut self-titled record is certainly one of the most comprehensive debut records I've heard in some time. Each track, from the 50's singsongy "Betty Wang" to the choral tranquility of "Sleepover", play off each other, and as a result the album lends itself to the stresses of the twentysomething as Amber Papini sings of all the doors and locks that seem to plague the age. I've heard from many people that there were a lot of good albums this year, but no truly great albums. Those people need to hear this drastically underrated album.
With their third record, Open Your Heart, The Men proved they can't be pigeonholed into the abrasive indie-punk box that so many had sustained them to before. Diving headfirst into an array of stylings from the abyssal yells of "Animal" to the sprawling guitar licks surrounding "Country Song" to the true country virtue of "Candy", The Men have covered all the corners, even if their tight Brooklyn quarters confines them to just four.
As one of the many artists who decided it would be a good idea to release two albums this year, Phil Elverum dropped a couple gems with Clear Moon and Ocean Roar. With his soft-spoken lyricism and uncanny ability at delivering vocals via underlit instrumental arrangments, Elverum is a poet, seer, storyteller, and historian. The framework of his music is relative to the soul of Anacortes, WA where he resides, and from the Mountain called Eerie he extracts an abyssal sound that grows stronger with each listen.
6. Father John Misty - Fear Fun
7. Chromatics - Kill For Love
8. Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
9. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
10. Purity Ring - Shrines
Favorite Local Albums of 2012
Like I said, there was a stunning amount of great local music released this year. Below, I've listed my favorite five local albums of 2012. Coincidentally, I also reviewed each of these albums this year. Next to each you can click 'review' to read what I had to say about each!
1. Damian - Soul Night (Review)
2. Cemeteries - The Wilderness (Review)
3. Love Scenes - Blissed Out Youth (Review)
4. Sonny Baker - Here Are Those Freaks You've Been Asking For (Review)
5. Anthony DelPlato - 8 Old Vines (Review)
Favorite Tracks of 2012
1. Purity Ring - "Fineshrine"
Megan James' spellbinding vocals and lyricism melted with Corin Roddick's stellar hip-hop beats create a unique sort of track that is both incredible beautiful and catchy as hell. Hit the repeat button for this one.
2. Cloud Nothings - "Wasted Days"
This 8-minute epic contains a bonechilling line that will forever be etched into the brain of any listener: "I thought I would be more than this."
3. Porcelain Raft - "The Way In"
I first heard this song via a YouTube video of Mauro Remiddi playing it on an organ in an old church. In it's purest form the song is a hymn, a prayer. The opening words contradictory to Remiddi's actual globetrotting experience: "Advising people not to travel far."
4. Grimes - "Oblivion"
Clair Boucher has spun a dark yet poppy web with this track that seems to have made a lot of year-end track lists, and with good reason. Boucher's floaty vocal approach coating textured synths are deceiving as she sings, "If someone could break your neck / Coming up behind you always coming and you'd never have a clue."
5. Japandroids - "The House That Heaven Built"
With it's anthemic guitar riffs, background chants, and tempo-setting snare Japandroids have created a rock song for the ages in "The House That Heaven Built".
6. Gambles - "Trust"
7. Grizzly Bear - "Yet Again"
8. Father John Misty - "Fun Times In Babylon"
9. Julia Holter - "In The Same Room"
10. Earl Sweatshirt - "Chum"
Favorite Music Video
Emily Kai Boch really knows what she's doing. First she directs a truly stimulating video for Grimes' "Oblivion" and then she takes on Grizzly Bear's "Yet Again" for an invigorating narrative of a struggling figure skater as she bears the weight of adolescence.
Favorite Show of 2012
Sufjan Stevens at Asbury Hall, December 18
In one word, the show was life-changing. Every other word I have to say about it is in a review I wrote, which you can read here.
Honorable Mention: Porcelain Raft at Babeville, Cloud Nothings at Babeville, St. Vincent at Town Ballroom.
2013 Wish List
1.) I was certainly sad that one of my more favorite bands in recent years Girls had split up. In the coming year, I am hopeful for frontman Christopher Owens' new solo album Lysander and wish that his tour includes a stop in WNY or Toronto.
2.) As you read above, I named Cloud Nothing's Attack on Memory my favorite album of the year. Last week, news broke that the band had already written songs for the new album and that it basically just needed to be recorded. Here's to hoping they hit the studio hard this coming year and that we get another awesome album from the group in the fall.
3.) All these rumors about Arcade Fire working with James Murphy are exciting, and also feel a bit over-hyped. Hopefully 2013 brings another great collection of music from the Montreal band and that Murphy's input stokes his fires to release more of his own music as well.
Hey this Damian album is pretty cool, nice pick.