Continuing the year-end housekeeping, here's the songs that kept me going throughout 2012. Some were the singles/focus tracks...whatever the hell they're called these days, and some are deep cuts that jumped out and grabbed me, and refused to let go. There's no small amount of crossover with the previous Favorite Album List, but this is the place to explore the nooks and crannies of stand-alone tracks and EP's released during the year. For obsessive compulsives, here's the top 10:
10) "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards" TAME IMPALA from Lonerism (Modular)
9) "Give Out" SHARON VAN ETTEN from Tramp (Jagjaguwar)
8) "Seaside, Lowtide" CATE LE BON from Cyrk II (Control Group)
7) "Gun Has No Trigger" DIRTY PROJECTORS from Swing Lo Magellan (Domino)
6) "Erika America" JENS LEKMAN from I Know What Love Isn't (Secretly Canadian)
5) "Star Of The Age" SHEARWATER from Animal Joy (Sub Pop)
4) "Troublemaker" BEACH HOUSE from Bloom (Sub Pop/Bella Union)
3) "Now I'm Learning To Love The War" FATHER JOHN MISTY from Fear Fun (Sub Pop)
2) "Sleepover" HOSPITALITY from Hospitality (Merge)
1) "Somewhere There's A Someone" JASON LYTLE from Dept. Of Disappearance (Anti-)
Here for your convenience on this handy dandy playlist:
On a personal note, this post marks four years of this blog. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to visit, comment, heckle, and otherwise keep the faith. There's always another show on the horizon...
(Stay tuned for the final housecleaning episode: The Year In Photos)
Dirty Projectors and Wye Oak teamed up for one of the year's more satisfying shows, certainly in the value per dollar department. Wye Oak, the duo of Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack, led off the proceedings by fearlessly plunging into a brand new song. And that pretty much encapsulates everything you need to know about the band in one quick nutshell. Over the past few years they've developed into one of the leading lights of whatever we call this Indie Rock Thing, ignoring fashion and flash, simply putting their heads down and working, keeping their own counsel, and always moving forward.
They swung quickly back into a double shot from last year's Civilian, before letting loose another new song, this one not a complete surprise, as it recently appeared online as part of the Adult Swim Singles Program. "Spiral" found themselves moving towards Portishead territory, as Andy Stack stepped out from behind the drum kit to wield a bass. Even after a lengthy set by opening band standards, Wye Oak left them wanting more.
Wye Oak
Dirty Projectors
Some bands might have wilted slightly following up a set like that, but it's a measure of how far the Dirty Projectors have come that they didn't miss a beat. Opening up with the bucolic title track of their latest LP Swing Lo Magellan, they sequed into the album's opening track, "Offspring Are Blank", and when they hit the solo, it was a perfect Brian May fuzz tone that suggested the Dirty Projectors are hunting much bigger game these days.
The band is tighter, and more volitale these days, and the songs on the new LP are stripped down...well, songs! What used to meander is now polished and gleaming, and the sheer power of "Gun Has No Trigger" suggested an alternate world James Bond theme. "Maybe That Was It" was essayed in a stark and bluesy fashion, and one of the evening's highlights was the vocal showcase of "Beautiful Mother", from Mount Wittenberg Orca, their collaborative suite with Bjork, and it was rewarded with some of the strongest audience reaction to that point. At this point, the Dirty Projectors sound has gelled to the point where they can cop just about anything, and remake it in their own image, suggesting that maybe the band and the Old Mainstream might not be so far apart after all.
Dirty Projectors Set List:
Swing Lo Magellan
Offspring Are Blank
About to Die
See What She Seeing
The Socialites
Cannibal Resource
Gun Has No Trigger
No Intention
Beautiful Mother
Maybe That Was It
Just From Chevron
Useful Chamber
Unto Caesar
Dance for You
Stillness Is the Move
Impregnable Question
Bonus: Make sure you follow the link to the Dirty Projector's website, to answer the question: "What's next..." in the form of a trailer for a short film directed by David Longstreth entitled: Hi Custodian.
Saturday...Saturday...Saturday...started on the bleary tip, being that the early bands were mostly outdoors and the sun sucked the life out of me...
Chugging water and still ended up dehydrated. Today fit the ideal...all the early shows were in tents.
Laid out on the grass in the tent shade, digging on England's Frank Turner, who was either over here touring already, or has God for a travel agent. His brisk set put the right spin on the day, and helped rouse me to life.
And if i wasn't awake at that point, an hour with John Waters surely would have done the trick. He used his oeuvre, (heh heh...oeuvre), as a touchstone, and freelanced amongst basic topics of interest to those who find his work compelling. Once again, a missed opportunity in the taping department, but needless to say, the hardest i've laughed in a long time.
The Almighty Defenders were entertaining, but not captivating...The group is comprised of members of the Black Lips & the BBQ Show.
Good sloppy fun...
Portugal. The Man, from Alaska originally, via Portland, conducted their business in the Gobi tent. They amped up the volume level and showed off one of the more traditional rock sets, along with Band of Skulls, to grace the festival.
The volcano related cancellation of Frightened Rabbit was a shame, another one that I'd been looking forward to on the heels of their newest record: 'The Winter Of Mixed Drinks'.
The hole in my lineup was quickly filled by Scottish veterans Camera Obscura, working off of their last record: 'My Maudlin Career'. The band warmed the hearts of those who were there, and kept on gamely when nearby tents threatened to overwhelm their sound.
Girls, from San Francisco, brought their Noise Pop A-Game to the Gobi tent, with each song seeming to be deliciously louder. They dropped great chunks of their debut album, and threw in some new stuff as well, (or covers i'm not hip to).
One of the high points of the day for me.
Back to the Mojave tent for Beach House, who've made plenty of waves with 'Teen Dream', one of the years better considered records, thus far. The question was how it would translate to the stage, and i'd heard their stage presence questioned, but i was totally captivated.
Snuck over to see Band of Skulls...they were fine; it was me. Had to return to see the end of Beach House.
Opinions are all over the place on the recorded work of the Gossip, but i've heard very few question their live prowess. Beth Ditto is compelling, and in the bands first Coachella appearance, she gave a performance worthy of the main stage.
She owned the tent, and gave no quarter, controlling the band, and playing with, and off of the audience, culminating in a stroll through the front row, parting the sea of people like you know who...
Caught the brutal ending of a set by the Raveonettes, sorry both that it overlapped with the Gossip, and that i couldn't get close enough for pictures.) Debated running down to see the XX, but given the mass of people at the outdoor stage for them, i sacrificed, and decided to err on the side of pole position for the Dirty Projectors, who did not disappoint.
Hard to explain the band's combination of African polyrhythms on electric guitar with an angular, Gang of 4ish tilt, over which is poured the elastic vocalise of the groups singers...Pretty polarizing for most, but right up my alley.
After a few songs, I extricated myself from the sweaty hordes and plopped down on the grass outside, when i fell prey to one of those moments that makes Coachella magic. I was singing along to the Dirty Projectors and staring off vacantly, when i happened to focus, and notice a young lady staring intently at me. I thought she was mouthing the words: 'are you talking to me', and i shouted: 'I'm singing...', and got that 'oh, here we go' feeling.
She came over and continued to stare, and she said: 'i think i know you', and suddenly all the pieces fell into place...It was Dru, who i worked with a dozen years ago, if it was a day. Since long decamped to the bay area, she had come after a friend bailed out on her. I never ceased to be amazed by the randomness of the world.
A truly, (for me), unexpected treat was the Faith No More set on the main stage. I always felt bad that, having set the Nu Metal template, many lesser bands cashed in on what was theirs, without their style, sense of humor, and presence.
Presence being the operative word; Mike Patton hit the stage in a Pimp.a.licious red outfit, and restaked his claim.
Light flashed across the dark stage, and pin lights spotted various members as they took verses on Peaches & Herb's 'Reunited'...Absolutely...they had me from there on. Bonus points for inserting a riff from Stevie Wonder's 'Sir Duke' into the middle of obvious. The band was tight and hungry, and compelled me to listen to music that isn't in my wheelhouse. No higher praise can i give...if only for a night, Faith No More came back home.
Ah, finally cleaning up the files...here's the dreaded 'end of year list''...Fascinating year, and deep, lots of quality music...many oldsters-i so thought about having junior/senior lists, but what the hell...in all it's glory, here we go:
Honourable Mention: (VA) dark was the night, Joe Henry, Neko Case, Fanfarlo, Avett Brothers, Le Loup, Norah Jones, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs get the Honorable Mention...
As for the toppermost, it would be:
10 BROWNIES ourknife yourback A spastic blast of good old rock and roll from the UK...In the wake of Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Kasabian, and for god sakes Muse, you really had to wonder what had got into the old chaps...was there really no life left in the form whatsoever? Here is your answer, everything great, rude, crude, and socially unacceptable in one neat little package...
9 YO LA TENGO popular songs Still defiantly barking up their very own tree...this one's front.loaded with great songs, and then finishes with three long jams ranging from sublime to spiky. It could only be Yo La Tengo!
8 ANTLERS hospice Happy surprise in the form of a desperately dire concept record...(see title). Actually uplifting, in that downbeat kind of way...
7 DINOSAUR, JR farm Along with Mission of Burma, Dinosaur Jr has managed to pull off the rare reunion that transcends its original work. Their reunion album Beyond was a great return to form, but Farm ups the ante with an emphasis on tightness, and Mascis' amazing guitar work.
6 GIRLS girls Buzz band with a crazed backstory and a Phil Spector/Jesus & Mary Chain fuzzball sound makes waves w/their debut...compulsively listenable...(& yet another show i missed this year, sigh...)
5 MOS DEF the ecstatic A serious return to form; Mos hits it hard and doesn't quit, effectively cancelling out the 'WTF' that was 'True Magic, with a lean and muscular record. He's totally committed, riding over some jawdropping samples, culminating the whole trip with a Black Star reunion on key track, 'History'
4 SONIC YOUTH the eternal Aging gracefully is such a rare thing (to paraphrase Ornette Coleman), and while their peers made marginal records, broke up, reformed for big $$$, Sonic Youth kept the bar raised...Some records were gauzier and less linear, some sharper and shorter, but they maintained a certain level, and never backed away... Perhaps inspired by their trotting out of Daydream Nation for ATP shows and a move to Matador, this is a career record in terms of looking back across the landscape of their career and bringing all the different elements of noise back under one roof, while maintaining their cohesiveness.
3 GRIZZLY BEAR veckatimest How to follow up Yellow House? Grizzly Bear chose ostensibly the harder road, the arrangements getting denser, the hype starting with internet leaks of early mixes, a summer tour slot opening for Radiohead, and a sense of having to lay all its cards on the table. Veckatimest is a magnificent success, the very definition of a 'grower' record, one that seeps into your senses, and crawls under your skin.
2 MISSION OF BURMA the sound the speed the light The latest salvo in the second wave of Burma is, like Sonic Youth's 'Eternal', at once a summation record of all the strands that made them great, and a statement of current purpose...Never have they rocked harder...each song building upon the previous with little let down. Perhaps no individual songs will match the Burma anthems of yore, this relentless disc as a whole could well be their finest album.
1 DIRTY PROJECTORS bitte orca Stunning from the first listen, still revealing months and months later, like a crystal held to light...Dirty Projectors come into their own.
Misc cleanup...still haven't heard Bat For Lashes new one...loved the first, and how did she not get the Mercury Prize?! Did they turn into the Grammy's when i wasn't looking? Also, just got new Trail of Dead, back in business in a big way. I think both of those would have tussled for a spot on this list if i had it together...
Forward Ho! in the 010, already can't wait for Spoon's new album, 'Transferences', as well as new records from Los Campesinos! , the Besnard Lakes, Shearwater, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Midlake, and Shearwater. In the studio as we speak, (w/no reported release dates), are both Radiohead and Arcade Fire...
