This was an excellent year for melodic rock and indie-alternative pop. I didn't have time to rank everything, but I did want to make another list for you, these are albums that I've enjoyed but I didn't have time to review. More overlooked gems will be reviewed this week. Amiee Mann - Charmer . She's been making music since the 802s, and this LP is full of her articulate pop smarts, with a vocal as sweet as ever. [...]

So weird to think 2012 is coming to a close. It doesn't feel like it at all, what with no Holiday break, no Christmas stuff, no New Years parties to look forward to, etc. They just don't care about New Years here in Israel. Kind of a shame...BUT what's not a shame, is how many awesome albums came out this year.So today I'm dropping the Gold Soundz pick for 10-6 and tomorrow 5-1. Originally this was a lot longer, but I didn't have time to write long things for all of them so it's just like [...]

(photo by cubagallery ) We're quickly approaching the end of 2012 and/or the world depending on your interpretation of Mayan prophecy, and that can only mean it's time to reflect on the best albums of the year. For me, one record stood head and shoulders above the rest in 2012, so album of the year was an easy decision, but there was much deliberation for the other 24 positions (plus, honorable mentions). This was one of the most diverse years of music in recent memory, with pop, guitar-oriented rock, folk music, indie-pop and electronica all being represented [...]

This article is a continuation of the my favorite concert moments, in which I give out random awards for moments I find particularly special. 2012 Panicky For Worse Venue Design and Beer Selection: Edmonton Event Centre There are many reasons to hate the Edmonton Event Centre, the over aggressive security staff, the far away location and the absolute lack of any quality beers (the bartender laughed as a struggle to make a selection). However one reason trumps them all, and it is that pillar, which is right [...]
There’s that old adage: if a tree falls on the internet and no one’s around to hear it, will anyone read its year-end list? Well, let's find out! Even though we haven’t written a single post all year, rest assured that we’ve been listening to all kinds of great music, and some of it was even released this very year! And even though we're a bit rusty, we've got some records we want you to know about. This list is shorter than in years past, but we also feel stronger about each individual record than we have on [...]

Un anno un po' fiacco? E' un commento qualunquista, e anche un po' da vecchio, ma guardando indietro mi pare che 2012 non mi abbia dato quanto i precenti in termini di musica. Ho faticato a stilare questa lista, e se gli anni scorsi di solito c'erano troppe cose che mi spiaceva rimanessero fuori, questa volta arrivare a 10 dischi non è stato facilissimo. Non ricomincio con la solfa che parte con la sovraproduzione e si conclude coi tempi di consumo sempre più veloci, la conoscete già tutti, e immagino valga anche un po' per voi. Occore farci i conti [...]
Top 10 albums of 2012 Well, it's December, it's a week until Christmas, it's midweek and I'm drinking. That can mean only one thing, I've read Trotter's Top 10 for this year and felt compelled to pen a response. Yes, it's time to pore over the musical detritus of 2012 and pick out the wheat from the chaff... Or, to let my inner geek put things into lists... Here, we start with a list of the top 10 albums which I have enjoyed muchly this year. In a seperate post [...]

(photo by cubagallery ) These are 50 tracks that delighted, inspired and fascinated us in 2012 and that we think are worthy of remembering long after the year is over. We present them here in highly unscientific ordered list form, with Matt's songs marked with a "-MG" and my choices with a "-TJ" next to them. To better spread the love, we've stuck with the one song per artist rule. Click here to download all the tracks in a zip and subscribe to our Spotify Playlist to stream them all. Enjoy y'all! [...]

It's safe to say that Dillon 's "cha cha's" have enchanted us all at some point or another after listening to some remixed version of Thirteen Thirtyfive or this original one here. For those of you that have not yet heard it, then let me know how you feel about them after you do; the " cha cha 's" that is. There's something hypnotizing about Dillon 's voice. Maybe it's her tone, maybe it's her texture, and maybe it's just the eeriness of the words. At first listen one is compelled to think [...]

Arriving five years since his last full-length record, I Know What Love Isn't from Jens Lekman is certainly well worth the wait, an enchanting breakup album so good it deserves its own manic pixie dream girl. In his songs, Lekman has seldom shied away from self-deprecation and lightheaded moments of vulnerability. I Know What Love Isn't takes it a few steps further in revealing all the hallmarks of a hopeless romantic, brimming over with its rumination on heartbreak and love’s memories — or as Jens sings it, it’s all a bit like learning to [...]

2012 Favorites : Songs of the Year | Albums of the Year I wrote a few paragraphs about my year-end feelings but decided not to bore you. These are favorites, not best. All recommended, particularly the top 15, which soundtracked the vast majority of my year. I would consider both Jens Lekman and Fiona Apple five-star classics - usually one album per year meets that standard for me, so cheers, 2012. Another more generous thought: this is a great time to look at your own top 10 or so and make sure you gave those bands [...]

ARTIST: The SWAG Report 122 with freebie downloads for mp3s by CrimSane, Beach House, Howler, Japandroids, The Mountain Goats, The Lumineers, Shovels and Rope and more! So much more! DATE: 12-14-12 WRITER: Don Loder Ohwowohwowohwowohwow are youse eva lucky Junky, Ya know what time o' da year it is, right junky? I's supposed ta be da time o' year when i's supposed ta be betta ta give thin receive an' all'at nonsense (who eva bu-leaves dat shit anyway?), but [...]

I've always said when compiling my year-end list that I don't choose my favourite albums of the year so much as they declare themselves to me. If it requires too much thought, it's probably more a case of trying to justify adding something that I know probably doesn't belong. But those albums that do pass muster are not, as you might think, necessarily the albums that I can't stop listening to. Rather, they're often the ones that I try to listen to the least, or at least sparingly, lest that intangible magic that I feel within its notes [...]

#50 to #41 // #40 to #31 // #30 to #21 // #20 to #11 // #10 to #1 ------------------------------ ------------ 20. Dent May - Do Things Formerly known for ukulele-led material, Dent May traded the uke in for some vintage synths and a drum machine on Do Things , his second full-length on Paw Tracks. One of the album's standouts, “Best Friend”, is a disco-tinged burst of revivalism, with a touch of Brit-pop recalling the big-personality variety of Pulp and Squeeze. [...]

Portada del álbum Tramp de Sharon Van Etten Texto: @folkmetender Este 2012 fue un año enteramente musical para mí: me llevó de viaje a varios festivales, pude ver a algunas de mis bandas favoritas (nunca pensé ver en vivo en el mismo año a Refused , Against Me! , This Will Destroy You , Godspeed You! Black Emperor y Explosions In The Sky ). Me enamoré perdidamente de Sharon Van Etten y Daughter . Conocí proyectos nacionales que me volaron la cabeza como Soledad , [...]

Dopo tutti questi anni di concerti di Jens Lekman , dischi e viaggi, parole spese, mandate a memoria e dimenticate, se devo racchiudere tutto in una sola immagine, per me resta ancora la fotografia qui sopra. È una Lomo scattata da Lucio Pellacani al Festival di Emmaboda del 2004. Una magica "sweet summer's night on Hammer Hill". Sì, lo so, Lekman non si vede e non c'è nemmeno il palco. Ma una musica che illumina e un amore per la musica che ti rapisce e ti solleva io la vedo benissimo. La musica brilla e riempie [...]

Ci siamo quasi! Mancano meno di ventiquattr'ore al concerto di Jens Lekman di domani sera al Bronson di Ravenna (e che, come raccontavamo, ieri vedrà di spalla anche Bry Webb ). Una delle cose che negli ultimi mesi mi ha colpito di più, per quanto riguarda la promozione di I Know What Love Isn't , l'ultimo album del cantautore svedese, è la mole di interviste che Lekman ha concesso. Me ne ero appuntate almeno una quindicina di notevoli solo tra i siti e i blog principali: non oso immaginare cosa sia uscito anche [...]

Come accennavo ieri , ad aprire il concerto di Jens Lekman giovedì al Bronson di Ravenna ci sarà Bry Webb, già nella band canadese dei Constantines. Questa sera lo potete trovare anche al T-Trane di Perugia e domani al Malacarne di Verona. Per presentarvi al meglio questo vero "evento nell'evento", oggi sul blog ho il piacere di ospitare la penna di Jonathan Clancy : Da qualche giorno sto leggendo il diario di Bry Webb direttamente dal suo sito, www.brywebb.com , in maniera ossessiva. Ora [...]

Giovedì sera tornerò a vedere Jens Lekman in concerto. Prenderò la macchina, guiderò fino al Bronson di Ravenna e magari lungo la strada riascolterò proprio l'ultimo meraviglioso album del cantautore svedese. Potrei anche limitarmi a postare qui l'evento Facebook , come uno tra i tanti, magari segnalando che di spalla ci sarà Bry Webb (dei Constantines) e che durante la serata avrò anche l'onore di mettere due dischi di sottofondo. Ma sarebbe come mentire a me stesso: c'è molto di più. Non torno a vedere un concerto di Lekman [...]