Intro by Fense: Each year I look forward to posting Nate's top album picks. First, he uses phrases like "silly-good." But it's mostly because he always has a different perspective, sometimes finding obscure items to drop in or checking out albums I wanted to hear but didn't have a change to for some reason or another, other times dropping in albums from genres I typically ignore (um... hip hop). This year he went one step further and gave us his top 15 local songs as well. (BONUS!!!) Read on and let us know your favorite pick of 2012! [...]
I think Christopher Owens ' departure from Girls caught everyone a bit off guard. The band had enjoyed substantial hype over the past few years, and the music they continued to put out kept increasing in quality. But even with that departure, it seemed inevitable that we would hear from Owens again soon. You can't create so many heartfelt, personal songs in such a short period of time and just cut away that element of your life. Sure enough, his new solo album, Lysandre , will be released January [...]
I was pretty excited to receive The Late Great Whatever by The Lovely Bad Things in the mail right around the turn of the year. After all, the band's 2012 EP, Old Ghost New Waves , just cracked the top five in my top 15 EPs of 2012 . The new album is set for a February 26 release on Volcom Entertainment , and "Fried Eyes" is the first track to debut publicly from the band. The Lovely Bad Things formed back in [...]
Every Scene Needs A Center , the brilliant LP from 2007, was the last time we heard from Seattle's Tullycraft . That was six years ago. A few years after Every Scene , the band called it quits, but the hiatus was thankfully short and they're back! Reformed anew and with some fresh tunes, the band will release Lost in Light Rotation this spring via their long-time US home Magic Marker Records (slated for a UK release on Fortuna Pop). The new LP was produced by [...]
Telekinesis premiered their new track "Ghosts And Creatures" off the forthcoming Dormarion earlier this week on Stereogum, and I caught the post after main member Michael Lerner's sister posted the link on a well known social network. The first thing I picked up in their premiere is that the album was produced by Spoon's Jim Eno. That's connection number two I have to this album. Honestly, neither of those items matter. "Ghosts And Creatures" is a song that will absolutely floor you. It's emotive and spacious, [...]
Can you remember 2006? I can. In particular, I can remember a little Seattle band I discovered as they neared the release of their debut LP, Songs That You Might Not Like . That band was and still is called BOAT . I've been a huge fan ever since. BOAT is now prepared to drop their fifth LP, Pretend To Be Brave . The first 100 who pre-order the new album, available for pre-order in February, will receive a limited edition cassette with digital download of BOAT's friends [...]
Julie Shields has a voice perfect for indie pop, which is what makes The Capsules somewhat confounding. Northern Skies & Southern Lights is The Capsules new album and on it you'll find sonic soundscapes, dreamy missives, and surreal audible storms. "Our Apocalypse" in particular has a monumental sound that rivals a cavernous mid-winter darkness. Fronted by Julie and Jason Shields, formerly of the band Shallow, and joined by Kevin Trevino on percussion, The Capsules' style of dream-pop is mesmerizing and all-encompassing, and there is no better example of [...]
Listening to Put Your Hands Up For Neo-Tokyo , abbreviated PYHUFNT, I'm reminded of Danish dream-pop outfit Sleep Party People. PYHUFNT has a similar style of indistinct, higher-pitched vocals backed by dreamy, dark electro-pop. "State of No Connection" is the band's new track from PYHUFNT and in it you'll hear everything from soft, dreamy synth notes to monumental percussion. Hailing from Bergen, Norway, Put Your Hands Up For Neo-Tokyo has already seen some light success in their home country, having opened for Twin Shadow during that band's Norwegian [...]
You can tell a lot from an album cover; at least, I like to think so. Take Yay by Berlin artist Crystal Shipsss . A little girl stands by a swing. She cannot be more than 3 or 4. Covering her head completely is a nightmarish, skeletal face. As such, when you dig into the 103 EP on mint green vinyl, you'll hear Jacob Faurholt splits his time between soft, playful songs and those with a heavier, fuzzed-out sound. Both sides are abundantly dreamy, fronted [...]
Everyone seems to be talking about Parquet Courts lately, so I thought I'd throw my name into the hat and say: Me too! And here's the conundrum. The album came out in August on Dull Tools, but it comes out (again!?) on January 15 via What's Your Rupture? Records. So do we classify it as a 2012 album or a 2013? Given the year-end lists have been compiled and the fact that I really, really dig Light Up Gold , I'm saying 2013. The [...]
Brooklyn slacker pop outfit Darlings have been a long-time favorite. Darlings from 2009 was a top LP for that year, and their Warma EP follow-up in 2010 followed suit for EPs. Then they went silent for a year or so before giving us a 73 single with Pet The Ghost in 2012 with the promise of a new LP on the way in 2013. Well the time has come and the new LP, Perfect Trip , is less than one month from its release date. [...]
Finally, I present to you my top 10 records of 2012. Once again, we begin with a pair of honorary mentions - the recent single that's leading into my most anticipated album of 2013, and an album I know would have made the top 50 had I checked it out in advance of compiling and publishing the first half of this list. * * * * * Honorary Mention: Common Sentiments (73 Single) by Typhoon With A New Kind of House , Typhoon [...]
Continuing the countdown to my favorite record of 2012, today I present numbers 11 through 20. Honorary Mention: Trails And Ways I've already dubbed Trails And Ways one of my favorite new bands of 2012. This statement comes with a disclaimer, as there are plenty of phenomenal new bands scattered throughout my top EPs and LPs lists for 2012: by far my favorite new band without a proper release. With a lone 73 single (I believe) and a few digital singles under their belt (including strong [...]
It's day three of my top 50 countdown, meaning we're in the middle and doing #30 down to #21. Par with how the previous two have gone, we begin with a pair of honorary mentions. * * * * * Honorary Mention: Pet The Ghost (73 Single) by Darlings I loved Darlings' self-titled LP from 2009 and their follow up EP, Warma in 2010 was pretty phenomenal as well. My first highly anticipated album of 2013 came when the band gave us [...]
Yesterday we saw my list from 50 to 41. Today, the countdown to my number one album of 2012 continues with Deer Creek Canyon by Sera Cahoone at number 40... but first, a few honorary mentions. Above is the cassette player I picked up last weekend. I think 2013 will see a large resurgence in the cassette as a novelty ironic item. In particular, don't be surprised if more labels start selling these and including digital downloads within the cassette packaging. * * * * * [...]
Today I present to you the first in a series of posts covering our top 50 albums of 2012. These lists take a long time to compile, so, to save my sanity, I've split it into a five-part countdown, beginning with 50 through 41. As these things go, it's all subjective - best-of lists are compiled based on what we feel at this particular moment in time. Case in point: At this time last year, my top three albums were: 3. Dream Diary by Jeremy Jay, 2. Music Sounds Better With You [...]
Each year I shun Christmas music like it's the plague. It begins too early, is far too repetitive, and, quite frankly, is a bit boring. That is, until this year. It began with "The Week Between", a new track off One Christmas at a Time , an LP that finds Jonathan Coulton and John Roderick (The Long Winters) collaborating for a full album of original Christmas music. My thoughts began to change. If this song can be so amazing, what about other [...]
New Zealand pop band The Eversons have given us a fitting (for today) rendition of the Skeeter Davis classic "The End of The World". Featuring front-man Mark Turner on vocals and a softly finger-plucked acoustic guitar, along with a chorus of back-up singers, The Eversons' version may be among the better covers of this song out there. Listen to it while you can. It'll all be over soon. See ya on the other side.
From Suburban Kids with Biblical Names member Johan Hedberg comes a fun new Christmas song "Some Kind of Christmas". True to SKWBN heritage, the song is a bit quirky in Hedberg's vocal display as well as thematically and lyrically. The song, per Labrador Records , is about spending the Christmas alone, chasing open bars and someone to count the snowflakes with . Featuring a lovely string arrangement and playful beat is the perfect way to offset Hedberg's signature unconventional songwriting and vocal style. Yet another great Christmas tune [...]
I just got my copy of Kishi Bashi 's Christmas Flexi for "It's Christmas But It's Not White Here In Our Town" in the mail. Offered up as a limited edition (only 1000 were pressed, and it's now sold out) 7-inch single from Joyful Noise Recordings , all proceeds benefit charity while the buyer gets a pretty sweet and exclusive Christmas track to enjoy on vinyl in the shape of a snowflake. Pretty cool if you ask me. From Joyful Noise: All proceeds benefit [...]
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Slaughterday Weekend: Oh, good, Korn is still kicking.
HEY ANNA-Pompette (EP)
Boards of Canada – Reach For The Dead
