Every year for the last five or so years, I have been passing the Christmas holidays by locking myself in my bedroom and reviewing an extremely long list of the year's album releases that just seems to grow longer every year.
For some reason, EPs and LPs switch off being amazing every year. One year, the LPs on my list blow everything out of the water and I have trouble narrowing it down to only ten. The next year, the LPs aren't that great and I'm having trouble finding ten albums I want to put on my list because holy crap are the extended plays are putting the full length albums to shame. I suppose I could put them both on the same list, but I feel like it's not on the same level to compare four songs to fifteen. Band A's album can have four really amazing songs on the same level as the four amazing ones on Band B's EP, it's just the other eleven are okay. Who's to say though that if Band B released eleven more songs that they'd be just as great as the first four? That's essentially my reasoning for not putting them on the same list. You can't say Band B is better than Band A because they both have four great songs, it's just that Band A also have eleven okay ones and Band B doesn't have anything else for comparison to those four. It's not fair in my mind so they'll never be on the same list.
As always, this is my personal top favourites. I'm sure your favourite band had a really great album, it just didn't suit my tastes, as my favourite probably don't suit yours, which is why this year I've taken the time to compile a list of albums with you guys in mind.
Music that I think people on Mibba would like
I have a lot of music on my laptop. Enough to go an entire month continuously and never repeat the same song twice. It encompasses a wide variety of genres. My favourites are mainly electro and lots of Morrissey, but I have a pretty collective mix. Indie rock, glam rock, folk rock, R&B, blues, jazz, alternative, classic rock, nu disco, new wave, chillwave, ambient, lo-fi, French and Swedish hip hop, etc. I've got music basically for whatever mood I happen to be in.
So even though my top 10 list will probably not be to your liking, there were still a bunch of releases this year that I know is similar to the stuff some of you guys like. I know you're into Mumford & Sons (released Babel this year), Ed Sheeran, Lana Del Ray (released Born to Die), Bon Iver, Of Monsters & Men (released My Head Is an Animal), The Shins (released Port of Morrow), etc.
Well, that's what a good portion of you guys like. Of course there's also the population of you that like all that post-hardcore, screamo, metalcore stuff like Pierce the Veil, Bless the Fall, Asking Alexandria, Avenged Sevenfold.
I may have very different tastes in music than you guys, but I still know what you're into. I read your blogs. I stalk the forums. I'm old, not out of touch.
Most of these are some form of indie rock, folk rock, or alternative (bar some that cross genre with electro). I apologise for not having anything post-hardcore or of the likes because that really doesn't appeal to me so I don't have the musical tolerance to listen to an entire Motionless in White album for example. I'm sure some great stuff in that vein came out this year, I just didn't review it.
Drrt by Lost Lander (17 January)
Feel the Sound by Imperial Teen (31 January)
Be the Void by Dr. Dog (3 February)
Myth by Geographer (28 February)
Soft Swells by Soft Swells (28 February)
Alésia by Housse De Racket (20 March)
Little Mountain by Said the Whale (6 March)
Outlands by Deep Sea Arcade (16 March)
Time Capsules II by Oberhofer (26 March)
The Lumineers by The Lumineers (3 April)
A Minor Bird by Sucré (10 April)
Orangefarben by Sea of Bees (10 April)
Roots & Bells by Town Hall (15 April)
Europe by Allo Darlin' (17 April)
Bloom by Beach House (15 May)
The Only Place by Best Coast (15 May)
True by Violens (15 May)
Anxiety by Ladyhawke (25 May)
Here by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros (29 May)
Celebration Rock by Japandroids (29 May)
Oshin by DIIV (5 June)
Sand & Snow by A Silent Film (5 June)
Hello Hum by Wintersleep (12 June)
Synthetica by Metric (12 June)
Walk the Moon by WALK THE MOON (15 June)
Language by Zulu Winter (19 June)
Youth by Wild Cub (14 August)
Four by Bloc Party (21 August)
Nocturne by Wild Nothing (28 August)
Night Visions by Imagine Dragons (4 September)
Sun by Cat Power (4 September)
The North by Stars (4 September)
Shields by Grizzly Bear (17 September)
Borderland by The Chevin (25 September)
Bodyparts by Dragonette (25 September)
All Our Favourite Stories by Dog Is Dead (8 October)
Lonerism by Tame Impala (9 October)
Albums I bought and liked that didn't make the list
Future This by The Big Pink (17 January)
The Movie by Futurecop! (20 January)
Strange Weekend by Porcelain Raft (24 January)
Barchords by Bahamas (7 February)
Turbulence by Miami Nights 1984 (8 March)
Happy to You by Miike Snow (13 March)
Kill for Love by Chromatics (26 March)
Golden Years by Brothertiger (27 March)
Adrian Lux by Adrian Lux (3 April)
Star of Love by Crystal Fighters (24 April)
The Looking Away by Animal Kingdom (8 May)
Magic Hour by Scissor Sisters (29 May)
Juicy Lucy by Jupiter (4 June)
All of Us, Together by Teen Daze (5 June)
Pacific Standard Time by Poolside (9 July)
In Decay by Com Truise (17 July)
Shrines by Purity Ring (20 July)
Afar by Ice Choir (31 July)
Django Django by Django Django (14 August)
Astro by Astro (28 August)
This Is an Adventure by The Lighthouse and The Whaler (18 September)
Total Loss by How to Dress Well (18 September)
Soft Fall by Sun Airway (28 September)
Lightning by Matt & Kim (2 October)
Here We Are by Citizens! (9 October)
Boracay Planet by Blackbird Blackbird (16 October)
18 Months by Calvin Harris (30 October)
(III) by Crystal Castles (7 November)
Of Montreal released Paralytic Stalks and I'm still not sure on it. I give Of Montreal major props for being experimental. Their sound is constantly evolving. They sound nothing like their first album, or even their last one, and that's well cool. I have no qualms with that and have listened to them for years regardless, I'm just not sure I'm on board with this particular album.
Also not into Air this year. Oh well, show me where it says I have to like Air or they revoke my 'pretentiously into French electro' hipster badge. I've got enough 'never heard of' bands on this list to earn at least three more pretentious badges to replace it. I'm not bothered.
Sean's top ten albums of 2012
2012 is the year of the sophomore album. Most of these artists are coming back from an absolute knock-out debut to bring you a more mature sound, a more diverse sound, a better sound, while some are breaking onto the scene for the first time and I hope I can add their second album to future lists.
10. Gossamer by Passion Pit
Release Date: 23 July
Country: USA
Genre: Indie Pop/Electropop/Synthpop
Previous Releases: Manners (2009)
Favourite Track: Constant Conversations
Passion Pit returned from their 2009 debut album Manners this summer more lyrically refined, but still just as energetic, busting out another album filled with upbeat electropop songs you'll surely find yourself dancing to that just refuses to slow down with the exception of Constant Conversations.
Gossamer is 45% more synth based than Manners, exhausting sequencers and maximising the amount of computer created sounds it can fit in one space, while managing to reach new depths that leaves Manners swimming in the shallow end. Angelakos's lyrics are an artistic mix of anger, anxiety, and trying to stay afloat. Gossamer might deal with themes not found in Passion Pit’s previous works, but maintains the optimistic outlook you can always count on them for.
Ultimately, Passion Pit came back this year with a shinier album, but don't let the dance pop exterior fool you. Hidden underneath all the bells and whistles is an absolute musical gem you'll be listening to on repeat for weeks.
9. Body Faucet by Reptar
Release Date: 1 May
Country: USA
Genre: Indie Pop
Previous Releases: None
Favourite Track: Isoprene Bath
Music video for Houseboat Babies
If you ever watched Rugrats as a child, you'll remember Reptar, the green Godzilla like dinosaur that Tommy loved so much. In addition to having a theme park in Paris in the Rugrats universe, Reptar now has an indie band from Athens, Georgia named after him that released their debut album Body Faucet this spring.
Upon first listen, Body Faucet doesn’t sound like much. The band doesn't do anything special to stand out among the thousands of other indie pop acts out there. Their sound verges on twee and they're easy to cast aside, as most critics have this year, but there's something about Reptar that just hits you after the third or fourth listen and suddenly you'll be reevaluating your first impression of them.
Body Faucet is an album where all the tracks seem to blend together, like instead of twelve separate tracks, they all meld into one long extended song and you don't notice until the album's over, but you enjoyed it every beat of the way. On a list of synthed-up electro songs and pop-like enthusiasm designed to get you moving, Reptar is a nice, mellow break from all the dance chaos.
It's not an album with the depth of the Mariana Trench, but I think what Reptar manages with Body Faucet is a relaxing, calm album that goes to show that shallow isn't synonymous with bad. Not all music needs to be an amazing compilation of life’s hard experiences wrapped up in huge musical arrangements with a world class orchestra accompanying them. You don't need to throw all the strings and the lung bursting vocals in there. Sometimes, all you need is a light, airy sound, some soft singing, and a pair of maracas to make an enjoyable album.
8. In Our Heads by Hot Chip
Release Date: 12 July
Country: UK (England)
Genre: Synthpop/Indietronica/Alternative Dance
Previous Releases: One Life Stand (2010), Made in the Dark (2008), The Warning (2006), Coming on Strong (2004)
Favourite Track: Look At Where We Are
Hot Chip screws up the list here by releasing their fifth studio album In Our Heads, but I couldn't exclude an album that by far surpasses its predecessors as the most enjoyable and danceable of their work thus far. What I actually like about Hot Chip is that you can hear the growth in each album and see the band becoming more consistent and comfortable in their sound. By this time around, Hot Chip has really found and defined themselves, taking the best parts of all their previous albums and combining them into one.
In Our Heads takes you on an emotional journey of highs and lows, getting you up and moving to upbeat dance tracks only then to surprise you with a slow, sensual curveball of a song whose lyrics will settle right into that soft spot in your heart and hurt so good. It doesn't give you any time to recover either, throwing you right back into dance mode. And if you're familiar with Hot Chip, you'll be glad to know the quirkiness that has come to be associated with their sound is still in full effect and working its way through the album, winding in and out like a snake through the grass.
In short, Hot Chip has done a wonderful job being Hot Chip. They've mastered all the things that make them a joy to listen to and delivered it more confidently and more successfully than ever before. They exhibit considerable growth and great potential to keep growing musically, lyrically, and overall as a band. This isn't the first time I've seen Hot Chip crack the top ten on my year end list and I predict this will not be the last time I see them on it either.
7. Modern Love by Kids of 88
Release Date: 5 October
Country: New Zealand
Genre: Electropop/Synthpop
Previous Releases: Sugarpills (2010)
Favourite Track: Raza
Music video for Tucan
Kids of 88 are special in that New Zealand doesn't often produce exportable electropop. That's typically Australia's territory, but Kids of 88 are no less extraordinary than their northern neighbours. They broke out in 2010 with their debut album Sugarpills that hit hard with booming drum machines and aggressive synthesisers behind desire and lust filled lyrics that rarely take a break to allow for something less insistent.
However, Modern Love proves its maturity by ditching the sexual innuendo that filled Sugarpills and adopts a more chilled out trippy feel that switches back and forth with the perfect amped-up anthems for warm summer nights spent getting real with some people you like. There's more synth and sequencer to be found and less guitars than their first album, which ultimately helps to create an atmosphere for simply enjoying yourself. That's what their sophomore release is all about. While Sugarpills was all about living up to the hype that surrounded their single My House in 2009, Modern Love is a more laid-back approach, concerned with growing as a band and having fun while doing so.
Kids of 88's second LP is a summer album through and through, which is a shame for us in the northern hemisphere having it released in October, but its timing was perfect for the southern hemisphere, who are experiencing summer right now and by all means should be putting this album on nightly as they spend hot nights outside with good drinks, good company, and good music.
6. The Palace Garden by Beat Connection
Release Date: 19 July
Country: USA
Genre: Electropop/Indie Pop
Previous Releases: Surf Noir (2011)
Favourite Track: Saola
Music video for Palace Garden, 4 AM
The Kitsune Maison compilations albums are great sources of up and coming artists. They never fail me when it comes to keeping up with what's new. I find bands to fall in love with constantly on their samplers and that's where I found Beat Connection last year with their single Silver Screen.
Now, I know they technically call Surf Noir an EP, but it's eight songs long. That's LP length. Hell, that's longer than what some artists release as albums and I consider Surf Noir as Beat Connection's first album and The Palace Garden is their second, even though critics are calling it their debut. Critics are often wrong, aren’t they?
And they are so wrong about Beat Connection.
Beat Connection is a band that purposefully creates a mixed sound of upbeat indie dance tracks with tropical influence, the likes of which they compare to Friendly Fires's last album Pala, and more trudged down heavy synth and drum machine songs that cross into an M83 dream pop/shoegaze territory found on last year's Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (both of which made top ten in 2011).
The Palace Garden isn't trying to make you dance from start to finish and I think that's where the critics are getting confused. It builds in plenty of spots to sit down and put up your feet for a while to just relax before you get back out there. You don't always want to be continuously on high and you don't always want to be on low, but sitting middle ground the entire time is boring and Beat Connection understands that, turning the dial up and down as it needs to be, giving you bursts of energy now and then, only to cool you down so you don't overheat. They know what they're doing to create an enjoyable album and whether you consider this their debut or their sophomore attempt, you'll find it's wonderful either way.
5. Idea of Happiness by Van She
Release Date: 10 July
Country: Australia
Genre: Electropop/Nu gaze
Previous Releases: V (2008)
Favourite Track: We Move On
Music video for Idea of Happiness
I apologise for the guy in the thong if you watch this.
Australia has been producing a lot of good electro in the last decade. Cut Copy, Sneaky Sound System, Strange Talk, New Navy. The list goes on. Even New Zealand is in on the action (refer to Kids of 88). There's just something going on down there in Oceania that has them churning out dance tracks like they're the new France. This year, the stand out album to emerge from this scene is Van She's sophomore release Idea of Happiness.
Compared to V, Idea of Happiness is more textured sound that ditches the alternative meets pop rock feel for a more synth based tropical sound, which is only suiting for an album with track titles such as Calypso, Jamaica, and Coconuts. In fact, Idea of Happiness is so different from V, you might not realise they're from the same band at first listen and I think that's where all the confusion from the critics this year comes in.
V leant more towards the rock part of electro-rock and Idea of Happiness tosses the rock right out the window. Van She has delivered a warmer, brighter, a much happier and whimsical album second time around compared to the first go that was gritty indie all the way with some sparse synth for good measure, but mainly banked on heavy guitar riffs and droning vocals. Idea of Happiness is catchy and built for the cabana dance floor. It shows a different side to the Australian band and a variety, which I've always been told is a good thing.
For me personally, I don't want a band to continuously release the same things. They could've easily recreated and repackaged V and the critics probably would’ve been orgasming over it, but I like that they were bold enough to take an entirely new direction they hadn't explored before, and to me it works. It works better than V and sounds better. Van She has always been a band full of potential and it's nice to see them utilise more of it with a successful daring departure from their previous sound to venture into new positive territory.
Van She was looking forward with Idea of Happiness and I'm looking forward to seeing what other directions they take in the future.
4. Beacon by Two Door Cinema Club
Release Date: 4 September
Country: UK (Northern Ireland)
Genre: Indie Rock/Electropop/Dance Punk
Previous Releases: Tourist History (2010)
Favourite Track: Next Year
Music video for Sun
I always worry about the small British indie bands I first find at summer festivals that quickly gain widespread popularity (well deserved popularity, mind you) following their debut album. Their second album never seems to be as good as their first and Beacon is certainly not as good as Tourist History. It's better. Better than an album that was third on my 2010 top ten list.
Two Door Cinema Club (TDCC) comes back with their sophomore album more adventurous and with a bigger, bolder sound than before. Beacon is undoubtably a more sophisticated sound than Tourist History, working in blaring horns and more wailing guitar riffs, while maintaining all of the sound that made their debut instantly attractive. It's just been added to this time around and developed into a richer, more ambitious sound that doesn't fail to delight the ears.
Singer/songwriter Alex Trimble has grown with his lyrics as well. Instead of shallow ramblings built around the chorus to simply be music enhancers, Alex now offers an honest account of homesickness, travel, and the woes of it all, with more depth and sincerity to be found in his songwriting. It's a clear maturation from Tourist History that oddly enough has the success of the first album to thank for such a change. The music and lyrics now work together to complement each other and the outcome is a sophomore success that breaks away from Tourist History without straying too far from it. It's neither a new direction, nor the same old thing. It's an extension and growth of TDCC and winds up exactly where we expected them to go.
Whether you were a fan of Tourist History, or listening to Two Door Cinema Club for the first time, you'll find yourself completely entranced by them and they'll quickly work themselves to the top of your favourites list, taking hold with their catchy beats and refusing to let go as they guide you to the dance floor and contently keep you there until they’re ready to release their next album
3. Diver by Lemonade
Release Date: 29 May
Country: USA
Genre: Good luck defining this
Previous Releases: Lemonade (2008)
Favourite Track: Neptune
What makes Lemonade unique is their eclectic style. They are not one thing, they are a combination of their influences that range from dubstep to alternative to caribbean and you can definitely hear that listening to them. It's like they've taken all their favourite sounds and put them into a mixer and out came this seamlessly blended and delicious batter that is Lemonade. For their 2012 release, they've gone easy on dumping in every ingredient in the kitchen and instead chose only a few things to make a great recipe.
Diver is a more focused outcome than the self-titled debut album, which was an abstract tangent of neo-psychedelic dance music with heavily manipulated and reverb vocals. Lemonade pulls it together with their sophomore release to create a more cohesive sound that’s more worthy of a dance club than an acid trip. Diver brings itself down from Lemonade. They came onto the scene loud, showy, and exploding, but have chosen to follow it up with something less, "Look at me!" and more hanging back just cool to exist rather than desperately trying to get noticed.
The sophomore album is a subdued experience that offers a lovely counterpart to the chaos that was Lemonade. It may not be as adventurous and experimental, but it's that tranquil, slightly Balearic, blissful feel that makes it a great listen.
Even without the big and noisy front from their first album, Lemonade are masters at creating feeling through sound. Diver will open up a pit in your stomach and put a pressure on your chest that makes it hard breathe at times, but you'll be so amazed, you won't even care. It has a beautifully understated quality to it that just makes it absolutely gorgeous. Unlike their debut, their follow-up just goes to show that you don’t need to make a scene to make a statement and you'll be glad that they haven't tried to top their first album. No worse or better than Lemonade, they just did their thing and let Diver speak for itself and trust me when I say it speaks volumes.
2. Coexist by The xx
Release Date: 10 September
Country: UK (England)
Genre: Indie Rock
Previous Releases: xx (2009)
Favourite Track: Reunion
Music video for Angels
Most of the entries on this list are instrument heavy, packing in as many electronic sounds and quirky percussion as possible, as to never leave a bare spot, but The xx take a minimalist approach to music. Their favourite sound to use? Silence. The xx pay close attention to space and tension in their latest album, using the gaps to emphasise the music and lyrics that are more straightforward and more stunning in their relatable nature.
Romy and Oliver's whispery switch off vocals create a heartbreakingly beautiful twelve track account of love and loss and all the feelings that come with being so in love with someone you physically need them to survive, but not being able to express that to them and having to suffer through the collapse of all you had with no way to save it.
The xx create a perfect marriage of spatially arranged music and back and forth, sometimes overlapping, vocals to create a sound that is all their own. They manage great complexity in their simplicity and fragility in their strength. Romy's softness complements Oliver's coarse voice and his assured singing is heightened by her reserved vocals. DJ and album producer, as well as third band member, Jamie Smith has used the time in between albums to mix his own dance tracks under the stage name Jamie xx and his electronic influence can be heard worked in perfectly with the low frequency, bass heavy, simple chord progression melodies found on the first album that defined their sound to add a new element that makes it more dynamic than xx.
The xx topped my list in 2009 with their debut album, which was a year I had trouble narrowing it down to only ten entries so I had twelve top albums and they didn't fail to disappoint this year with their follow-up. I had a hard time deciding whether or not to put them first I'm so impressed by Coexist and think most people will be as well. Ultimately, they make music in a way that no one really has before and no one else can really duplicate after them.
1. Trouble by Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
Release Date: 11 June
Country: UK (England)
Genre: Electronic Dance/House
Previous Releases: None (four EPs, no LPs)
Favourite Track: Solo
Music video for Trouble
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (TEED) is the alias of English DJ Orlando Higginbottom. Yeah, that’s a cool band name and a cool real name. By no means a newbie to the scene, TEED has been a hit on the festival circuit and is consistently popping up on Nick Grimshaw's Radio 1 show, snagging record of the week a few times in the past year as well. One listen through Trouble will be enough to convince you all the high praise is well deserved.
Higginbottom's first full length album starts off slow in an almost trance, chillwave style, but like the opening track Promises, it builds itself up to a moderately fast upbeat pace in the middle that will have you dancing in your seat with songs like Your Love, hits rough shortly after, then drops you off in a state somewhere between mellow and upbeat and just leaves you there to wonder what kind of world you've just been transported to for the last hour.
Anyone who knows TEED will know this is what you get: a mix of repetitive vocal tracks, strange electronic noises, sudden urges to dance, and a sound you can't really describe, nor can you expect, but you'll always be pleased with. For a debut album, it hasn't limited itself to one sound. It creates something that feels familiar, but that ultimately takes on a new direction and leaves the EPs in the past. Its variety that starts off slow, builds up to a moderately upbeat fast pace in the middle, and mellows back out leaves plenty of room for a follow up that can go any direction Higginbottom wants to take it while still feeling like Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and that's what makes Trouble a phenomenal debut album.
Hands down, TEED is my favourite release of the year because its versatility and seemingly contradictory nature. You can groove out to it or put it on as background noise to chill you out while you work because it's not distracting, but yet Trouble will still catch your attention. It's not going to fade completely out of notice. It doesn't demand attention like a lot of music, it just sits back, does its thing, and soon enough you find yourself unable to stop putting it on repeat.
Your top ten albums of 2012?
Or however many you can think of. I'm just wondering what you guys on Mibba were loving to bits this past year. I've given you a lot of music so give me some in return please. :)
I'm off to party the night away now with my friends and family. I wish you all a very happy New Year and hope you have a wonderful 2013!