Favorites of 2012

So much to listen to, I never get tired of doing this! I'm so predictable, with my beloved Grizzly Bear at #1!  

1. Grizzly Bear: Shields
So, when I met Chris Taylor from Grizzly Bear a few years ago after one of their shows when they were touring after they released Veckatimest, I told him how Yellow House got me through my college years.  He said that the next one will get me through graduate school.  
2. Perfume Genius: Put Your Back N 2 It
3. Lambchop: Mr. M.
4. Zammuto: s/t
5. Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel…
6. Dirty Projectors: Swing Lo Magellan
7. Spiritualized: Sweet Heart Sweet Light
8. Ariel Pink and the Haunted Graffiti: Mature Themes
9. Daniel Rossen: Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP
10. Ty Segall Band: Slaughterhouse
11. The Walkmen: Heaven
12. Merchandise: Children of Desire
13. Wild Nothing: Nocturne
14. Sharon Van Etten: Tramp
15. Cloud Nothings: Attack On Memory
16. Guided By Voices: Let’s Go Eat the Factory, Class Clown Spots a UFO, The Bears For Lunch (3 albums released this year!)
17. Cat Power: Sun
18. Craig Finn: Clear Heart Full Eyes
19. Cate LeBon: Cyrk
20. Mission of Burma: Unsane
21. Andy Stott: Luxury Problems
22. Julia Holter: Ekstasis
23. Chairlift: Something
24. Laurel Halo: Quarantine
25. Menomena: Moms

Most Underrated:
Deerhoof: Breakup Songs
Matthew Dear: Beams
Calexico: Algiers
Here We Go Magic: A Different Ship
Dan Deacon: America
Titus Andronicus: Local Business
Scissor Sisters: The Magic Hour
Memory Tapes: Grace/Confusion
The Sea and Cake: Runner

Almost forgot:
Peaking Lights: Lucifer
King Tuff: s/t
Solange: True EP
Brian Eno: Lux
Iamamiwhoami: Kin
Dinosaur Jr.: I Bet On Sky
Taken By Trees: Other Worlds


I find Death Grips to be a bit too radical for me sometimes.

Death Grips on religion:
"It's toxic and poisonous to the human mind, and the development of humans in the modern world. In our own modest way, through our artwork, that's what it represents: pushing past everything that makes people slaves without even knowing it."

Frank Ocean is getting enough love this year, so it won't really help him to get any more love from me.  Good stuff though!

Just another album to look forward to in 2013! So some artists totally transcend the limits of their oddly-named genres.  Toro Y Moi is more than just another chill-waver.

R.I.P. Ravi Shankar

I actually haven't really listened to Ravi Shankar (yet), but from my own listening, I noticed that his influence is there on the Beatles' "Love You To" from the album Revolver.  I like how he always said that music itself can take the place of drugs, at a time when people were so reliant on drugs to take them places.

Another video from this bunch!

A new one from Wavves! Album coming in 2013, I am hearing.  

New music from Frightened Rabbit.  Via the Swollen Fox.  Hoping to see these guys in concert in upcoming months.  

I wish I had this book when I was an RA to throw at obnoxious residents.

New stuff coming from these guys! Yeah, there's more to Eels than just "Novocaine for the Soul."

Sally Shapiro.  Where have you been in my life? A new one from Sally, album coming in 2013.

His funniest moment.  R.I.P. Rick Majerus

Oh wow, Turn on the Bright Lights is ten years old.  Always, an amazing album.  Thank you, Interpol.

I was Myspace friends with the hot asian girl dancing in the audience when I had a MySpace!

Local Natives

I'm looking forward to the upcoming album from these guys!

3 awesome albums in one year.   So upset I missed this guy in concert.  

What a great year it has been for Ariel Pink.  

The most important side is the creative side, and its all about helping them find that. I think that's actually true to life, too-- being compassionate toward someone and their current state.

-Chris Taylor, Grizzly Bear

So the Grizz is at it again.  Calling something boring is just a display of no intelligence.  

Rest in Peace.  

The Dirty Projectors have a short film now.  

Oh doll, if only you were Jewish we could be so good together.

I'm excited to see this guy perform this song tomorrow night.  Oh, it is just Bob Mould.  You know, that guy who just makes incredible music.  Thanks Repo Records (especially Melanie, my favorite hottie)!

Zip! Aim! Squirt! Warning: NSFW

The best part is when the guys come out of the stalls.

I was just saying how I want to have a kiki.  Then I saw this Scissor Sisters parody.

"In this world, you think you have no reason to believe in love or in anything much. Then one day, when you least expect it, a light appears on the far hori- zon. It's a flickering light, begging you to come, telling you to stay away. It's the pale fire. The promise of love and hope - all consuming and elusive. Yet for a moment, it brings clarity in the darkness, future to the ruins and power to the fight." -Sarah Assbring aka El Perro Del Mar.  Do not laugh at her last name.

I'm quite excited about a new album from El Perro Del Mar, coming soon.

Enough said.  Read all about it.  It is tough to ignore this news story.

New song from upcoming Jens Lekman album!

Emma Koenig, brother of Ezra, from Vampire Weekend.  Looking forward to checking out her new book.

There is an excellent new album out from Laetitia Sadier.  She's always making sounds that blow my mind.

Rest in Peace Bill Doss of Olivia Tremor Control.  Glad I got to see you play before you passed.  Your contributions are original and unique.  

New 2012

2012

Rasta Dogs...they exist

A Change for Matisyahu

So, Matisyahu may no longer sport the Hassidic beard and the look that many Jews (and people who aren't Jews, too) were used to him having, but he is still Jewish, and still doing his thing.  So, don't decry the guy! He had his spiritual journey and may not be Hassidic now, but he is practicing in a different way.  Let Matisyahu be Matisyahu! What a guy!

2012

More ear-candy from Hot Chip.  New album out now.

2012

2012

Block Party is back! Really? That Bloc Party that released one of the past decade's best albums, only to release a string of sort of mediocre but still listenable albums later....

more from this guy

new 2012

New Jens Lekman album coming soon.

Always good, always underrated.  New album out now.

I love this band.  I saw them the other night.  I totally predicted that we'd be hearing a lot about them soon in the music media.  I also predicted the dream-pop tag, and the Wild Nothing comparisons.

2012 Best Singles

I wish I was gay so I could marry Jake.  I love you, man.  

I wonder what would have happened if someone tried to put a deadline on Fiona Apple's latest release. Seven years is a long time in between albums, especially for an artist of such stature as Fiona Apple!  In general, deadlines restrict us so much.  If she needs more time, she needs more time.  This is not the SAT's.  Well, I'm really happy she is back!

Carly Rae Jespen

Am I supposed to like this?


...Okay, I like it.  Can't escape this one!

Expecting big things from these guys

http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-05-04/news/guys-who-like-fat-chicks/

Still fascinating.  Happy to have written for this guy.

Another great Hot Chip Video

A terrible loss in the world of music today.  Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys passed away at the age of 47.  Way too early to go.  He had a lot left in him.  I was fortunate enough to see him in concert once.  His music made my teenage years more bearable.

Lady ballers having fun

I want to rename this song Doobie. Doo.

This just makes me happy to be Jewish. Thank you Drake.

NGUZUNGUZU is pronounced “en-goo-zoo-en-goo-zoo”

Finally figured out how to pronounce this group's name, which I saw open for Gang Gang Dance. Thank you Tiny Mixtapes!

It just occurred to me that Doug Funnie and company's "Think Big" seems to be a tribute to David Byrne. I didn't know David Byrne at the time and I thought that everything that was made in the 80's was automatically bad just because it was the 80's.

Perfume Genius: Hood

Amongst the best I have seen so far.

Whitney was buried in the town I am living in right now. I drove by the graveyard and saw lots of security present.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Los Campesinos: Songs About Your Girlfriend

Consistently awesome from album to album. Love it.

St. Vincent: Cheerleader

Too good not to post!

Hospitality - Friends of Friends from Merge Records on Vimeo.

Neon Indian

The Darkness are back! Here's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us"

Glorious!

The Colbert Report
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Jimmy Castor passed away January 16 2012. This blog actually was named before I found out about the song Troglodyte (Caveman), which he did with the Jimmy Castor Bunch. May he rest in peace, and may his music not be forgotten.

I love troglodytes, and I'm a bit of a trog when it comes to technology.

La Sera

Really happy to have interviewed this girl! I'm excited for the upcoming album!
LA SERA "PLEASE BE MY THIRD EYE" DIR BY VICE COOLER from Vice Cooler on Vimeo.

Rest in Peace Johnny Otis

Youth Lagoon: July

Youth Lagoon - July from Tyler T Williams on Vimeo.