I don’t Big Other much anymore, because I’m a slacker. Though I do have some new interviews in the works. But I enjoy doing a year end list for music, so here it is: the best music of 2012:
BEST SONGS:
40. Saratoga by The Soft Pack
39. St. Louis Elegy by Mark Lanegan
38. The Rifle’s Spiral by The Shins
37. Go Ahead by Gap Dream
36. ……PT 2 by Art Fad
35. Garza Girls by Audacity
34. Cleopatra by Lace Curtains
33. Flaggin A Ride by Divine Fits
32. Never Go Solo by Islands
31. Hypertension by Useless Eaters
30. Part One/It’s Not An Omen by Steamboat
29. Malfunction by Useless Eaters
28. Can’t Feel My Face by Islands
27. Hypnotic Nights by JEFF The Brotherhood
26. Boys And Girls by Magic Jake & The Power Crystals
25. Nightlife by Mrs. Magician
24. For The Love Of Ivy by Japandroids
23. Generator by Gap Dream
22. Hallways by Islands
21. Forgetful Assistance by The Elwins
20. Easier Said Than Done by Steamboat
19. New News by Ranch Ghost
18. Everyone’s A Bitch by Jaill
17. Yet Again by Grizzly Bear
16. That’s How I Got To Memphis by Natural Child
15. Addicted To The Blade by Useless Eaters
14. No Waves by FIDLAR
13. Sixteen Saltines by Jack White
12. Paper In Your Pocket by The Elwins
11. Duequesne Whistle by Bob Dylan
10. Gray Goes Black by Mark Lanegan
9. Octopus by Bloc Party
8. My Love Is Real by Divine Fits
7. Nobody To Love by Joshua Homme & David Sardy
6. Hypnotic Winter by JEFF The Brotherhood
5. Trash Tongue Talker by Jack White
4. Right Back In Your Heart by Steamboat
3. Sleeping Ute by Grizzly Bear
2. Speak In Rounds by Grizzly Bear
1. Love Interruption by Jack White
BEST ALBUMS:
10. For the Love of the Game by Natural Child
9. Strange Heaven by Mrs. Magician
8. Tempest by Bob Dylan
7. Blues Funeral by Mark Lanegan
6. A Thing Called Divine Fits by Divine Fits
5. And I Thank You by The Elwins
4. Hypnotic Nights by JEFF The Brotherhood
3. Rules by Steamboat
2. Blunderbuss by Jack White
1. Shields by Grizzly Bear
BEST B-SIDE:
Jack White (Machine Gun Silhouette)
BAND I MOST WANTED B-SIDES FROM (BUT DIDN’T GET):
Grizzly Bear
BEST COVER SONGS:
Jack White (I’m Shakin’ and Love Is Blindness)
BEST RECORD LABEL:
Burger Records
Haha, I’ve listened to exactly none of this. Thanks for the recommendations!
The only new music from 2012 that I’ve listened to is Commercial Music by Fabulous Diamonds. Which I think rad. Here’s the opening track.
Oh, and I guess I’ve been listening to Scott Walker’s Bish Boschm, which I also think rad. Here’s a track from that.
The Fab Diamonds singer reminds me a bit of Nico.
I have a friend who is obsessed with Scott Walker. I keep promising I’ll give him a try. :)
Walker’s probably an acquired taste. The problem is knowing where to start, the guy’s done so much. I’d recommend skipping around his career until you find something you like. The stuff he’s doing now has a lot of precedent in the earlier material, and hearing the different ways he keeps approaching the same few basic ideas is part of the thrill.
Fabulous Diamonds are cool. With all the noise music that’s been happening over the past decade, I kept waiting for folks to rediscover 1960s drone stuff, a la La Monte Young and Tony Conrad and John Cale. FD isn’t quite that, but it’s leaning in that direction.