Posted December 4, 201212 yr December means a break for writers of musical criticism as we // they // pitchfork release their end of year lists. Let us start with my definitive list from Vice: 50. Someone who's just been signed. 49. Someone who's already been dropped. 48. Rapper who has done things that would make Chris Brown cut off his dick in shame, but because they're not to anyone famous, they still count towards his grizzled street cred with Pitchfork readers who are too scared and confused by WSHH to get their news from source. 47. Whatever Thom Yorke has blessed this year. 46. "Never heard of it." 45. "I've heard of it, but not actually gotten around to hearing it yet." 44. "Worst thing I've ever heard." 43. Kendrick Lamar. 42. Band who mistakenly believed they'd be given a big post-Olympics popularity boost by their very public decision to tell Danny Boyle and his Opening Ceremony to go f*** themselves. 41. Artist whose raw public confession of homosexuality wasn't quite as good as Frank Ocean's because he had the misfortune not to work in a genre that hates gays. 40. Peaking Lights 39. Woman compared to Kate Bush because of key overlaps: 1) being a woman, 2) singing, 3) giving the impression that she has difficulty coping with life. 38. Woman praised in copy for "striking a blow for modern femininity", a blow that so far consists of making mediocre indie-pop about past boyfriends. 37. Mac DeMarco 36. Album that everyone suddenly seems to be talking about like they've been into it for ages, despite the fact that you've never heard anyone other than the Quietus say a damned word about it, and never will again after 31 December. 35 – 31. Five acts who have all slept with someone who has slept with Swim Deep. 30. People voting for Django Django who meant to vote for Alt-J. 29. People voting for Alt-J who meant to vote for Django Django. 28. Act who changed name and moved to Montreal to make deep house two years after changing name and moving to Brooklyn to make witch garage two years after moving to Portland to make Apple advert indie. 27. Band who had the good fortune to be alphabetised in everyone's iTunes immediately after Grimes, leading to crucial "left it running" plays. 26. The much-feted return of a "living legend" who, despite enjoying a good feting, has mainly spent the past few months praying that no one finds out what happened in his Top Of The Pops dressing room in March 1973. 25. A "shadowy" post-dubstep producer, who spends his days cold-calling pensioners on behalf of EDF Energy. 24. Artist whom music journalists have decided to love because their former career as a journalist means that there's still hope for everyone's thwarted and stalled creative ambitions, #GodGetMeOutOfThisWakingNightmare. 23. Something on Not Not Fun that was recorded in a pristine, state of the art studio – in which the band were playing next door in the bogs for that authentic lo-fi sound. 22. Someone who might have been in Odd Future, but trying to deny it now. 21. Canadians making Canadian Music. 20. Toy 19. A bunch of super-smart, snot-nosed, wet behind the balls students whose lyrics seem to infer that they have had sexual intercourse, whereas one listen to the way they sing them confirms that they surely haven't. 18. Album that writer breathlessly describes as having "deconstructed pop", but which simply reflects the fact that said writer doesn't listen to much pop nowadays and is astonished at genre-blending that anyone with a working knowledge of Radio 1 will have long since taken as standard. 17. Beach House 16. Someone who once shared a cab with Kevin Parker. 15. Band who have released an "amusingly arch" record that they'd be mortified to hear described as such, because in fact they were being deadly serious and are just incredibly pretentious. 14. Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen 13. Fiona Apple or Cat Power 12. Dirty Projectors or David Byrne 11. "Sun-dappled dream-popper" who in truth only ever dreams about killing animals with a spade. 10. The xx or Chromatics 9. Album whose appraisal involved the editor having to do a ctrl+F to make damn sure she'd rooted out every last appearance of the word "shimmering". 8. Space reserved for old black legend being rebooted for modern coffee tables by Richard Russell. 7 – 2. The six highest-ranking albums of the year on GvsB that lazy hacks swotted up on to obscure the fact that they basically spent 2012 listening to nothing but real music, i.e. Muse and The Vaccines. 1. Album Of The Year: Mumfords (Q), Kendrick Lamar Spector (NME), Sven Vath (Mixmag), Andy Stott (Resident Advisor), Neil Young (Uncut), Neil Young (Mojo), Neil Young (Classic Rock), Neil Young (Home & Garden), people humming transcendentally over distorted tape loops of concrete being laid (The Wire). HUZZAH
December 4, 201212 yr I'm sorry Jakey but this thread is confusing. I don't get WHAT this list is and how can I (and other people) contribute to this. :(
December 4, 201212 yr too true, especially as farrah abraham is #32 in guardian's best albums of 2012 (WELL THEN)
December 4, 201212 yr Author I'm sorry Jakey but this thread is confusing. I don't get WHAT this list is and how can I (and other people) contribute to this. :( End of 2012 lists and talk. From websites (such as Pitchfork, Gorilla vs Bear, Popmatters etc) then our own thoughts and lists and general comments. I hope this clears things up. The example I posted was Vice's satrirical approach to the listing process/hyperbole.
December 5, 201212 yr The NME #1 album is a bit odd. Tame impala's lonerism is a solid enough album but album of the year? No way. 01 Tame Impala – Lonerism 02 Grimes – Visions 03 Frank Ocean – Channel Orange 04 Crystal Castles – (iii) 05 Alt-J – An Awesome Wave 06 The Maccabees – Given To The Wild 07 Pond – Beard Wives Denim 08 The Cribs – In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull 09 Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg 10 Jack White – Blunderbuss 11 Django Django – Django Django 12 David Byrne & St. Vincent – Love This Giant 13 DIIV – Oshin 14 The xx – Coexist 15 Sharon Van Etten – Tramp 16 Melody’s Echo Chamber – Melody’s Echo Chamber 17 Grizzly Bear – Shields 18 Tribes – Baby 19 Toy – Toy 20 Howler – America Give Up 21 Cat Power – Sun 22 Beach House – Bloom 23 Richard Hawley – Standing At The Sky’s Edge 24 Merchandise – Children Of Desire 25 Ariel Pink – Mature Themes 26 Spector – Enjoy It While It Lasts 27 Jessie Ware – Devotion 28 Spiritualized – Sweet Heart, Sweet Light 29 Mac DeMarco – 2 30 Breton – Other People’s Problems 31 G.O.O.D. Music – Cruel Summer 32 Graham Coxon – A+E 33 Hot Chip – In Our Heads 34 Bat For Lashes – The Haunted Man 35 Metz – Metz 36 The Vaccines - Come Of Age 37 Enter Shikari – A Flash Flood Of Colour 38 TEED – Trouble 39 Liars – WIXIW 40 Polica – Give You The Ghost 41 Ty Segall – Twins 42 Paul Weller – Sonik Kicks 43 Ratking – Wiki93 44 Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, mAAd City 45 Lana Del Rey – Born To Die 46 Bobby Womack – The Bravest Man In The Universe 47 John Talabot – fIN 48 The 2 Bears – Be Strong 49 Flying Lotus – Until The Quiet Comes 50 Purity Ring – Shrines
December 5, 201212 yr And the tracks of the year... 1. Palma Violets – Best Of Friends 2. MIA – Bad Girls 3. Blur – Under The Westway 4. Haim – Forever 5. Plan B – Ill Manors 6. Grimes – Oblivion 7. Jake Bugg – Lightning Bolt 8. Bat For Lashes – Laura 9. Tame Impala – Elephant 10. Savages – Husbands 11. Jack White – Sixteen Saltines 12. Frank Ocean – Pyramids 13. Peace – California Daze 14. Alt-J – Breezeblocks 15. Kanye West , Jay-Z – Big Sean 16. Grimes – Genesis 17. The Cribs – Come On, Be A No One 18. Arctic Monkeys – R U Mine 19. Solange – Losing You 20. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe 21. Melody Echo Chamber I Follow You 22. Tnght – Higher Ground 23. Jessie Ware – Wildest Moment 24. Taylor Swift – We Are Never Getting Back Together 25. Pond – You Broke My Cool 26. The Cribs – Chi-Town 27. Cat Power – Ruin 28. Chvrches – Lies 29. Angel Haze – New York 30. Everything Everything – Cough Cough 31. Deap Vally – Gonna Make My Own Money 32. David Byrne & St Vincent – Who 33. Burns – Lies 34. Jai Paul – Jasmine 35. King Krule – Rock Bottom 36. The Vaccines – Teenage Icon 37. Mosca Ft. Katy B – What You Came For 38. Spector – Friday Night, Don’t Ever Let It End 39. Good Music – Mercy 40. Tame Impala – Feels Like We Only Go Backwards 41. Django Django – Default 42. The Rolling Stones – Doom & Gloom 43. Peace – Bloodshake 44. Crystal Castles – Wrath Of God 45. Zebra Katz – Ima Read 46. Frank Ocean – Forest Gump 47. Peace – Follow Baby 48. Major Lazer – Get Free 49. Kendrick Lamar – Backseat Freestyle 50. Psy – Gangnam Style
December 5, 201212 yr Kanye must surely be one of the only artists to be able to make these lists no matter what he puts out? Do not get the hype for "Channel Orange" nor "An Awesome Wave". Was nice for Q not to put their top 50 in any order, safe to say that next year they'll revert back to the old-style countdown and crown Arcade Fire #1.
December 5, 201212 yr I downloaded two tracks of Frank Ocean and both had very common chord progressions. A waste of electrons.
December 5, 201212 yr I bought one album out of the fifty top NME albums (DIIV) I downloaded Richard Hawley and Spiritualized. The former I got bored of very quickly and the latter I couldn't make it to the end of. So, who's out of touch, me or the NME?
December 5, 201212 yr Well Peace who have three tracks in the Top 50 and Spector are both absolute crap so I wouldn't necessarily say it was you. And as for Palma Violets... so much hype and so little talent.
December 5, 201212 yr I suspected Tame Impala would do really well in End of Year lists but I have absolutely no idea why they are. 17 of the 53 albums I have from this year are in NME's list, they include some of my favourites and some of my worst.
December 5, 201212 yr The Frank Ocean album is incredible. Definitely works more as an album rather than listening to the individual songs. I may have to check out Kendrick Lamar's album too!
December 5, 201212 yr Tame Impala's vocalist reminds me of John Lennon and not in a good way so I can't get into it. Macabee sound good but a lot of the songs aren't up to much. I do like Unknow though.
December 10, 201212 yr So, who's out of touch, me or the NME? Both of you are out of touch. Ok, here's the Top 100 singles from everyone's favourite blog that takes ages to load over slow internet connections, yes it's gorilla vs. bear: http://www.gorillavsbear.net/2012/12/10/go...12/#more-281812 100 BENZEL x JESSIE WARE – If You Love Me 99 MUSEUM OF BELLAS ARTES – Bear Cubs 98 JHENÉ AIKO – Mirrors 97 FORT ROMEAU – Say Something 96 PURO INSTINCT – Dream Lover 95 SAND CIRCLES – White Sand 94 THE WALKMEN – The House You Made 93 HARRY FRAUD – Bird on a Wire (instrumental) 92 DESIRE – Tears From Heaven 91 FLYING LOTUS – Getting There (feat. Niki Randa) 90 LACE CURTAINS – Cute Little Black Cloud 89 CAPTAIN MURPHY – Between Friends (feat. Earl Sweatshirt) 88 MOLLY NILSSON – I Hope You Die 87 ANGEL OLSEN – Free 86 SCHOOLBOY Q – There He Go 85 ZEBRA KATZ – Ima Read (feat. Njena Reddd Foxxx) 84 SHLOHMO – wen uuu 83 KATY B + JESSIE WARE – Aaliyah 82 RYAN HEMSWORTH – Colour & Movement 81 ETERNAL SUMMERS – Millions 80 MAGIC TOUCH + SAPPHIRE SLOWS – When I See You 79 BETA FRONTIERS – Hondo 78 SZA – Country 77 FLUME – Insane 76 PEAKING LIGHTS – Dreambeat 75 JESSICA PRATT – Night Faces 74 MAJICAL CLOUDZ – Turns Turns Turns 73 MERCHANDISE – Time 72 SAM FLAX – Fire Doesn’t Burn Itself 71 JULIA HOLTER – Moni Mon Amie 70 MOONS – Bloody Mouth (Watchtower version) 69 OCTO OCTA – Deep Hurt 68 STILL CORNERS – Fireflies 67 FRANKIE ROSE – Know Me 66 KORALLREVEN – Sa Sa Samoa (Elite Gymnastics remix) 65 SoKo – First Love Never Die 64 HAERTS – Wings 63 PRINZHORN DANCE SCHOOL – I Want You 62 DEEP TIME – Clouds 61 DISCLOSURE – Latch (feat. Sam Smith) 60 MAC DEMARCO – My Kind of Woman 59 PHÉDRE – In Decay 58 ANTWON – Living Every Dream 57 EMPRESS OF – Don’t Tell Me / Colorminutes 56 TAMARYN – I’m Gone 55 ODD FUTURE – Oldie 54 JOHN MAUS – Bennington 53 JOHN TALABOT – Mai Mes 52 LOL BOYS – Changes 51 JESSIE WARE – Wildest Moments 50 TAME IMPALA – Apocalypse Dreams 49 TOPS – Diamond Look 48 ELITE GYMNASTICS – H e r e , i n H e a v e n 4 & 5 (CFCF remix) 47 KILLER MIKE – Willie Burke Sherwood 46 CHROMATICS – Cherry 45 CHAIRLIFT – I Belong in Your Arms 44 HOLY OTHER – Inpouring 43 NITE JEWEL – One Second of Love 42 PUSHA, KANYE + GHOSTFACE – New God Flow 41 LOWER DENS – Brains 40 PURE BATHING CULTURE – Ivory Coast 39 CHRISTOPHER OWENS – Here We Go 38 NICOLAS JAAR + SCOUT LARUE – With Just One Glance (And I Say) 37 ANDY STOTT – Numb 36 PURITY RING – Fineshrine 35 AB SOUL – Terrorist Threats (feat. Danny Brown + Jhené Aiko) 34 DAWN RICHARD – Call To Hearts 33 JUST FRIENDS – Avalanche 32 FEAR OF MEN – Green Sea 31 CHVRCHES – The Mother We Share 30 BEACH HOUSE – Wild 29 DANNY BROWN – Grown Up 28 WHITE DENIM – Darlene 27 FIRST AID KIT – Emmylou 26 KENDRICK LAMAR – Money Trees 25 DEATH GRIPS – Hacker 24 TAME IMPALA – Feels Like We Only Go Backwards 23 MYSTIKAL – Hit Me 22 BURIAL – Ashtray Wasp 21 SCHOOLBOY Q – Hands on the Wheel 20 ALUNAGEORGE – Your Drums, Your Love 19 JESSIE WARE – 110% 18 ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER – I Only Have Eyes For You 17 BLOOD DIAMONDS x GRIMES – Phone Sex 16 TOMAS BARFOD – November Skies (feat. Nina Kinert) + Jerome LOL remix 15 LANA DEL REY – Ride 14 ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI – Baby (Donnie & Joe Emerson cover) 13 LAUREL HALO – Thaw 12 MIGUEL – Adorn 11 FRANK OCEAN – Thinkin Bout You (Ryan Hemsworth bootleg) 10 GRIZZLY BEAR – Yet Again 09 CHROMATICS – Back From the Grave 08 KENDRICK LAMAR – Swimming Pools (Drank) 07 EARL SWEATSHIRT – Chum 06 T.I. – Sorry (feat. Andre 3000) 05 MAJOR LAZER – Get Free 04 DEAN BLUNT & INGA COPELAND – The Narcissist 03 FRANK OCEAN – Pyramids 02 GRIMES – Oblivion 01 USHER – Climax
December 10, 201212 yr 98 JHENÉ AIKO – Mirrors 85 ZEBRA KATZ – Ima Read (feat. Njena Reddd Foxxx) 83 KATY B + JESSIE WARE – Aaliyah 77 FLUME – Insane 68 STILL CORNERS – Fireflies 64 HAERTS – Wings 61 DISCLOSURE – Latch (feat. Sam Smith) 59 PHÉDRE – In Decay 51 JESSIE WARE – Wildest Moments 45 CHAIRLIFT – I Belong in Your Arms 36 PURITY RING – Fineshrine 34 DAWN RICHARD – Call To Hearts 31 CHVRCHES – The Mother We Share 30 BEACH HOUSE – Wild 27 FIRST AID KIT – Emmylou 20 ALUNAGEORGE – Your Drums, Your Love 19 JESSIE WARE – 110% 17 BLOOD DIAMONDS x GRIMES – Phone Sex 15 LANA DEL REY – Ride 12 MIGUEL – Adorn 11 FRANK OCEAN – Thinkin Bout You (Ryan Hemsworth bootleg) 08 KENDRICK LAMAR – Swimming Pools (Drank) 05 MAJOR LAZER – Get Free 03 FRANK OCEAN – Pyramids 02 GRIMES – Oblivion 01 USHER – Climax AMAZING so glad to see 'climax' at #01. turning point for R&B right there
December 10, 201212 yr Climax? WOT. It's a great song and all but GvB?! Agreed, it's the "look at us we like popu1ar music as well OMG you weren't expectin that" track of the year. Will be interesting to see what P1tchf0Rk go for. Or will it?
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