Another exciting year in music is coming to a close and now comes the time to look back at what 2012 had to offer and decide which releases will be remembered for years to come. Perhaps the best gauge of whether a song or album will be able to stand this test of time is its ability to remain just as powerful as when it was first released. While many classic albums have their context deeply rooted in a particular musical era or scene, the ones that are worth remembering need no explanation because good music transcends all of this and is truly timeless. In our current age of media over-saturation where tracks are released daily from artists and record labels are handed out based on speculated potential from Youtube clips, it is surprising that the album still remains relevant and is still developed in a way that takes full advantage of the long play format. 2012 saw countless artists take steps forward and many genres, including hip-hop and R&B, see a change in sound driven by independent artists beginning to garner respect and attention. The following lists of the years best albums and tracks is, if nothing else, a telling sign of the state of music currently. With quality releases being put out from incredibly different people, each with different stories to tell and different ways of telling. It's an exciting time in music, and here's some music that is certainly worth getting excited about.
10 Best Albums of 2012
10. Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse
San Francisco garage rocker Ty Segall manages incorporate incredibly catchy hooks into an album with some of the heaviest sounding rock this year. The heavy sonic experimentation with loads of screeching feedback works in the band's favor rather than acting as a crutch which their sound relies on thanks to the songwriting ability of Segall to craft pop hooks and create of the most visceral records of the year.
9. Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
Brooklyn experimental pop outfit Dirty Projectors return with an album that progresses the songwriting capabilities of David Longstreth without compromising any of the creative outburst that has come to define the bands sound. An invigorating and challenging pop record, Swing Lo Magellan proves that from well crafted songs, experimentation can act to enrich the sound and make the work all the more vibrant.
8. Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes
Steven Ellison followed up 2010's mind bending Cosmogramma with a record that takes a step back and deals more with deep focus than sensory overload. Experimentation is still highly regarded, however in a accessible manner that lets the listener absorb each musical statement more naturally than its predecessor. Like any Flying Lotus record, each listen uncovers more of what's going on thematically throughout and lets the listener deeper inside his sonic vision.
7. Grizzly Bear - Shields
Another record full of incredible complexity and rich production we've come to expect from the Brooklyn band. Taking steps toward a slightly more abrasive sound with more straightforward guitar work, the emotional resonance of the sound that Grizzly Bear has crafted remains intact. The rich harmonies and gorgeous melodies make for an expansive piece of music whose beauty is undeniable.
6. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
In a seemingly unlikely collaboration, Atlanta rapper Killer Mike teamed up with New York producer and underground hip-hop legend EL-P to produce an absolute banger of an album that combines all of the tenacity and soul of southern hip-hop with experimental beats that hit harder than anything else released in the genre in recent memory. Every so often, records come along that manage to perfectly capture all the greatest elements of a particular genre and turn them into something that feels familiar but brand new because of its unmatched execution. With the appropriately titled, R.A.P. Music Killer Mike has created the ultimate homage to the style of music that he has dubbed "his religion."
5. Chromatics - Kill for Love
An album in the truest sense of the format, Chromatics' Kill for Love is a full sonic experience full of highs and lows with some of the finest pop songs heard on an album in recent memory. The opening six tracks are enough to draw in any listener and sit them down for the nearly 80 minute journey of the album. The sound the Portland band has perfected on this LP ensures its status as a seminal release that proves that electronic instrumentation can be used to create an incredibly haunting and powerful statement.
4. Beach House - Bloom
Beach House manage to build upon the blissful pop sound that they have made their career on in a way that feels like a natural extension of their previous record, Teen Dream. Each track manages to create something much more meaningful than just pure momentary bliss, building to the point where the listener is absolutely awestruck by their stunning nature. The songwriting formula the duo has been working towards feels nearly perfected on Bloom, and the gorgeous soundscape that defines their sound has been given a proper format to be worked into.
3. Tame Impala - Lonerism
Perth psych-rockers second album Lonerism offers an expansive sound that feels like a modern take on the classic psychedelic sounds explored in the late 60's. The ear for memorable pop melodies that singer Kevin Parker possesses however, is what is most intriguing about the record. A deeply introspective album, the hazy sound takes all of the inward energy and turns it out to give confidence and grace to the psychedelia in a way that gives the listener a chance to make sense of it all. Perfectly coupling timeless pop with experimental and rich instrumentation, Tame Impala appear to have laid the blueprint for how to keep rock music relevant and interesting in the 21st century with a fully realized sound that is as intriguing as the first time you hear bands like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, or Pink Floyd.
2. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
Odd Future standout Frank Ocean's debut album is a rare case of an artist not only fulfilling, but exceeding all of the hype they have received. Songwriters this talented have the ability to make you forget about genre, context, or any other notion that may distract from the powerful storytelling skills they possess. Channel Orange will ultimately be remembered as the record that cemented Frank Ocean as a once in a generation artist with an unmatched belief in his music and vision capable of making truly timeless music. The standard for contemporary R&B music has been set incredibly high and it's hard to think any other artist could come close to creating something as effortlessly listenable as this. Bringing together intriguing instrumentation, relevant subject matter, and well crafted songs, this album has all the makings of a classic and will continue to impress long after the media hype dies down.
1. Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, m.A.A.d City
The Compton rapper's major label debut is an intensely biographical album that offers a striking, honest look into his life from a young kid growing up in a chaotic neighborhood to hip-hop's brightest new star. One of the cinematic records the genre has ever seen, Lamar manages to create a record that on its surface acts as a straightforward major rap album, but uses the allure of the genre's thrills and works them into the story line of the album. The type of artistic vision that makes up GKMC is unmatched and nearly untouchable, with instrumental choices, stylistic delivery, and rhymes all being thoughtfully arranged to create a fluid narrative throughout the album. Rarely do artists, especially in hip-hop, achieve the balance between wide-reaching appeal and universal respect, however, Kendrick makes it appear effortless. In a genre that prides itself on the ability to tell a story, the years best album has introduced us to a visionary capable of communicating both lyrically and musically in a way that is quite simply on a different level than his contemporaries.
Top 25 Tracks of 2012
25. How to Dress Well - "& It Was U"
24. Twin Shadow - "Five Seconds"
23. Ty Segall Band - "Wave Goodbye"
22. Schoolboy Q feat. A$AP Rocky - "Hands on the Wheel"
21. Fiona Apple - "Every Single Night"
20. DIIV- "Doused"
19. Sky Ferreira - "Everything Is Embarrassing"
18. Wild Nothing - "Paradise"
17. Purity Ring - "Fineshrine"
16. The Shins - "Simple Song"
15. Jessie Ware - "Sweet Talk"
14. Dirty Projectors - "About to Die"
12. Grimes - "Oblivion"
11. Dum Dum Girls - "Lord Knows"
10. Bat For Lashes - "Laura"
9. Miguel - "Adorn"
8. Kendrick Lamar - "Swimming Pools (Drank)"
7. Killer Mike - "Reagan"
6. Grizzly Bear - "Yet Again"
5. Beach House - "Myth"
4. Chromatics - "Back From The Grave"
2. Tame Impala - "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards"
1. Japandroids - "The House That Heaven Built"
Appreciate the post! I'm loving Hands on the Wheel w/A$AP :) His new song F**kin Problems is also pretty awesome. He just made a new video for it too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liZm1im2erU&feature=player_embedded
I’m a big fan of R&B music and when I discovered Palm Beach Broadcasting’s R&B station, I was the happiest person on earth. My stereo is always tuned on X102.3 www.thex1023.com . You can stream live or download all your favorite R&B music.