2012: The Top 100 Best Songs: Part V (#1--#20)

The final part...



1. 212 (Azealia Banks):

there is no shortage of female hip/hop artists out there going filthy for street cred or attention but no one has arrested the spotlight with an independent release quite like Azealia Banks. 212 was released late last year merely to get a toe-hold online but a year later it still holds sway. It could be the propulsive house beats given new life out in the mainstream or the body part most voiced (the female reproductive organ) but nah, its Azealia’s astonishing confidence.












2. I’m Addicted (Madonna):

I can hear the outbursts now: “Madonna isn’t relevant anymore” and “she’s too old to be hip”. Most of this is true and while her album disappointed there were a few gems including this full out rave number where she slyly—and brilliantly—manages to spell out the album’s title mixed with the drug MDMA (Ecstasy) towards the end but I bet you hadn’t realized until now. They’ll be stomping to this one in the many gay clubs around the world and remembering just who their boss is.














3. Gangsta in Design (No Concept)(Schoolboy Q):

Schoolboy Q belongs to that emerging class of young hip/hop heterosexual male, which means he’s all about looking the part to attract the ladies. If that includes a little metrosexual primping and gay-bait attention then so be it. He knows the game and will jot it down after conquest.











4. Genesis (Grimes):

a hybrid of pop music and the composition on her keyboard, the opening riff is now ingrained in the minds of all who’ve heard it. Grimes does little more than hum repeated lines in Genesis but its testament to her craft that you’re not aware of this until the dreamy sequences end.












5. Five Seconds (Twin Shadow):

a sublime mix between David Bowie and TV on the Radio, the first track released from Confess is a dirty whirl of winds being filtered through dance-funk.











6. New York (Angel Haze):

spitting verses harder than Azealia, Angel Haze proves that she’s more than just an Aaliyah look-alike with this stunning track, decorated with so many tasty electronic hi-claps and a stunning programming that it dares you not to nod with approval.











7. Pyramids (Frank Ocean):

a ten minute attempt to bind human life and sexual tension from ancient Egypt to modern times. It best reminds us of his brilliant Novocain last year, only it’s far more epic.













8. Dreams Deferred (Five Steez):

the jury is still out if Steez was inspired by Langston Hughes famous poem but the hopeful and hopeless circumstances juxtaposed to Damien’s brilliant production is electrifying.












9. Another Ace in the Hole (Bryan Scary):

surrounded by prog rock, this track stands alone on Scary’s album as a pure rocker and even with fey vocals, the result is instantly gratifying.










10. Nathan (Azealia Banks feat. Styles P):

a stunning gauntlet thrown down but I’m still stuck with one burning question” who the hell is Nathan exactly?













11. You as You Were (Shearwater):

the usual Bowie-like stomper, this one timed to sweet perfection and some hectic drumming. It’s an ode to the past he’s still wrestling with.












12. There He Go (Schoolboy Q):

the usual sexism on display but when he cracks the repetitive falsetto in the chorus, it lifts what could have been a by-the-numbers track into some type of awesome edict.













13. Feels Like We Only Go Backwards (Tame Impala):

a pleading, turned upside-down with crunching guitars and their lovely voice directing the action right up to its beautiful yet tragic end.












14. Montreal (The Weeknd):

after an outstanding last year, who knew Abel Tesfaye would save his best—and most defining track—on top of a new year where others would remain dormant. Montreal starts with reverb before his vocals trip in with so much longing and soul-brother testimony that it leaves us dizzy and hoping that he’ll take the girl that did him wrong back.











15. A Simple Answer (Grizzly Bear):

veers close into their tried-and-true territory and isn’t much more than a wily repetition of its one world chorus but the varied instruments used make it fascinating.











16. Goldie (ASAP Rocky):

digging on the cultural fascination with the thug life, ASAP Rocky cuts hard vocally before relieving himself with Lil Wayne-like verses.












17. Yellow Orange Rays (Sam Sparro):

screams Prince without imitating the legend!















18. 1991 (Azealia Banks):

a stunning, versatile offering that chronicles her start to current standing within the hip/house community. As with the rest of her stuff, this is a winner.













19. A New Town (Field Music):

a delicious falsetto affair full of lo-fi programming and doo-wop harmonies that go on for days. The band’s new album is scattershot but this one settles nicely into its groove and achieves maximum effect.













20. Young Man in America (Anais Mitchell):



the stunning title track of her new albums doubles as guide to her heady vision, replete with hypnotizing horns and percussions.

2012: The Top 30 Best Albums: Part II

here goes...





11. Ava Luna Ice Level:

not many bands tackle several genres simultaneously but Ava Luna never got the memo so Ice Level mixes punk, rock, blues, R&B and soul into one tight setting. Carlos Hernandez grew up in a home where music was diverse and it shows in his pairing with Becca Kauffman. These songs sport huge riffs but just like THEESatisfaction there is heavenly poetry involved. Other musicians and ideas filter through this debut LP but buoyed by Hernandez’s steady hand at craft, it never gets too crazy or goes overboard.






12. Bryan Scary Daffy’s Elixir:

Bryan Scary is a huge throwback to the mid 70s where big-hair rock was emerging across America and everyone was experimenting with drugs to get high. Daffy’s Elixir sounds like genres crossed in some grand flower power scheme. One hears early Bowie and Freddy Mercury in between the musical parts. Songs like Cable Through Your Heart rotate endlessly, as if on ice skates. Ziegfield Station is even better with its fey vocals and power riffs. Elsewhere, Scary lays the guitars on thickly with exquisite fashion, teaching old masters like Bill Corgan new ideas. Diamonds proves that he can rest on his soaring voice alone while Another Ace In The Hole proves he’s no wuss either.






13. Twin Shadow Confess:

inspired after a bike crash three years ago, Forget continues the stunning rise of George Lewis Jr. That means he’s still a great Hispanic Bowie with the synths and 80s new wave riffs. The main difference between this as his 2010 debut (Forget) is the booming effect of melody and reverb. Songs like When The Movie’s Over and The One go for days because of this new confidence. No synopsis of the album can be complete without addressing the brilliance of Five Seconds, a TV On The Radio-esque rave, full of pop/rock references.






14. Killer Mike R.A.P Music:

Killer Mike hooks up with El-P and presents the best protest rap music of the year. It’s pretty unimpeachable and flows seamlessly from style to style and, because everyone wants to know, it’s short for Rebellious African People. That ideal spreads a political message, no more than Reagan, which lambasts the former US president while linking him to everyone since. It’s also an impressive document on the African-American experience, one that the internet age will ignore for Kendrick Lamar but will realize that both reference the same era, both personal and cultural.






15. Sam Sparro Return To Paradise:

it takes a while to warm up (the first three tracks are deceptive) but after that a slow disco fever takes hold of Sparro and never deserts him. This is 1980s club music, conjuring up images of George Michael and Terence Trent D’arby, which is a retro lover’s wet dream. Sparro has modernized these concepts---note the Prince-like riffs that dominate the blissful Yellow Orange Rays and the dirty funk of We Could Fly. Though most critics have already labeled him as a one-hit wonder, Sparro may yet prove them wrong.







16. Mac Demarco 2/ Rock & Roll Night Club:



a pair of debut albums from the Canadian who shift-shapes into so many different categories. If Rock & Roll Night Club is the thrilling one-night stand, then 2 is the after event cup of surprise coffee. On the surface this doesn’t seem capable from the same artist, who, after all, is trying on his girl’s lipstick in one instance and donning his dad’s shirt the next. That’s the crazy cool thing about Demarco though—that sense of not taking himself too seriously. His jangle pop is so convincing that it’ll bring a lot of Bradford Cox comparisons.







17. Of Montreal Paralytic Stalks:

Kevin Barnes and his gang return with the usual bag of tricks and though they’ve done this brand of neo-pop better before, the songs on Paralytic Stalks are no less charming for that fact. The sheer dizziness of the first four songs alone sets a stride that never relents…exposing us to Barnes’ full array of genius. As with everything Barnes touches, the highs are very high and the not so high, well, those tracks are highly experimental. Through his constant questioning of identity though, Barnes never fails to connect to this weird, cool space and titles (Authentic Pyrrhic Remission).






18. Grizzly Bear Shields:

the band that can do no wrong for critics returns with more sweeping, theatrical gestures that only prove how much in the zone they’ve become since Veckatimest three years ago. In Daniel Rossen, the band has a voice that poignantly wades through many different emotions. At times this is stark yet eerily beautiful (the last two closing tracks) and jazzy (Gun-Shy). Rossen, who does work in Department Of Eagles, is a master technician in these moments…a man on a mission to wrap the entire world in melody until there’s nothing else left but its immensity.






19. Amanda Palmer Theatre is Evil:

the eccentric Palmer returns with a glorious pop model, steady tunes and whip-smart grooves. It wouldn’t be an Amanda Palmer project without fanfare: the former Dresden Dolls singer took to the internet to raise a million dollars for the project. A few fellow artists raised alarms but the outcome is a feminist document of her experiences throughout the period. This is pure pop/rock done right; the type Pink has forgotten how to make and Palmer has now perfected.






20. Alabama Shakes Boys & Girls:

after building incredible hype the past two years, the trio finally releases the debut that showcases the brilliant bluesy vocals of Brittany Howard and her good intentions posing as lyrics and therapy relief. It’s a group effort but Howard is easily the star, her voice striking so many moods and impressions. She’s found a balance between genres and her band-mates wisely keep to the background. Boys & Girls thus is a tease—like the neophyte invited to sing in front of potential agents and wowing them enough to see the inevitable down the road.

2012: The Top 30 Best Albums: Part I

Not a particularly great year for LPs but another solid 12 months. When the music was good then it was idealistic and great. When it wasn't then it just felt right but not revolutionary. Here are the 30 records I felt were most successful in bringing their divergent points across...







21. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti Mature Themes:

an almost drunk vibe careens through this record, as if Pink has come under the influence of a powerful sedative that allows him to dive beneath guitar loops etc. He remains emo-rock’s most polarizing figure though, on one hand dishing up astonishing blues like Baby and falsetto on Pink Slime. Mature Themes is his most focused album production-wise, moving him in the steady Beck-like stream of clarity that he’s inevitably drifting towards.







22. Dr. John Locked Down:

now a crotchety old man but still rocking away like a sea captain, Dr. John rolls back the years to unveil the stunning Locked Down. With Black Keys member, Dan Auerbach providing production, Dr. John gets to just lose himself amid the sea of luxury grooves placed alongside him. The heavy grooves of the title track set the tempo while the remaining tracks follow comfortably into the pattern. Auerbach wisely stays out of the limelight even if he comes up trump with the funky Ice Age. I guess all those tiki tiki bars now know what new masterpiece they’ll be playing well into next year now.







23. Alt-J An Awesome Wave:

this year’s Mercury Prize winner is buoyed by Joe Newman’s weird, cryptic vocals. An Awesome Wave rolls through its glacial format impressively in spite of the fact that the lads are on debut. The album conjures up images one would expect from Scandinavian acts but is suffused by guitars and doo wop (Fitzpleasure) and stark lyricism (Matilda). Some critics have been put off the trio’s vocal lilt but the emotional realism that crests on a track like Breezeblocks is undeniable: whirling beneath this carefully crafted effort is hard-boiled intent to be heard and discovered.







24. Slam Dunk Welcome To Miami:

while there remains no shortage of punk bands around, the distinctive quality has clearly dissipated. Enter Slam Dunk, a foursome that knows how to party in style. The beats here are frantic, the choruses immediate and copious. The ten track LP is loud, fast yet melodious to the point of structure being executed without spilling any of the beer its guzzling. Songs like Scabies and Horse Bumper are outright stompers and lead singer Jordan Minkoff’s throaty growl becomes a trademark joy.







25. El Perro Del Mar Pale Fire:

I’d never understood the appeal of Sarah Assbring but finally with Pale Fire, her aesthetic has started to seep through clearly. Though her haze pop has brought diminished returns in the past, her move to more upfront pop terrain yields delicious results here: Hold Off The Dawn juxtaposes pop with reggae beats and it works. Elsewhere the synths get heavy on a 1980s vibe which is pretty impressive mood music. Assbring no longer gets lost in her production nor is Pale Fire guilty of over-thinking…it’s merely an album self-assured in its ethos. Count me in as a believer now and keep the misty music a-coming.






26. Django Django Django Django:

four years in the making, the London band’s debut has more than a healthy comparison to Yeasayer. This debut has the sounds of the world about it, replete with a hefty slate of instruments and riffs. Life’s A Beach contracts with sunny pop hooks and a wailing guitar that grooves for days. Storm makes it clear though that the 60s remains the ideal this type of music aims for. Suffice it to say guys, your effort is working.







27. Imani Coppola The Glass Wall:

while the state of black female soul/pop seems safe in the hands now of Janelle Monae, most critics are content to keep it there and ignore everyone else. How else could Coppola be around for the past fifteen years without anyone knowing much of her big, brassy vocals? That’s a bit harsh I know because Coppola—like Dionne Farris and Lauryn Hill—has pretty much rejected the demands of major label contracts. The Glass Wall is a clear labor of love and it chronicles her struggles from isolationism (State of Art) to the uncertainties about love (Ave Maria, where she chants the funny line ‘is he gay or European’). The stunning thing about Coppola though is her insistence of blending genres with an equal timetable for results she wants to hear.







28. Chet Faker Thinking in Textures:

while Faker doesn’t physically fit easily into the stereotype of white singers digging on black soul music, there’s no doubt that, over the course of this seven track EP, he’s made a successful run in the fold. Thinking in Textures is a surprising gem, moving smoothly through the beats to project some blue-eyed magic that doesn’t seem forced or exhausted. Faker, real name Nick Murphy, hails from Australia and grew up on jazz and his moniker is in ode of Chet Baker so you get the idea behind his slow vocal work filling up the spaces between his beats. The EP has been compared to Bon Iver—especially the lush Solo Sunrise, a stretch in my view but one I’m sure Faker won’t mind as a new artist…nor should you as we await even more stunning interpretations on a full LP.







29. Tame Impala Lonerism:

it’s easy to imagine Tame Impala’s lead singer, Kevin Parker fashioning himself for an Ariel Pink-like career with that falsetto yet Lonerism is too hooked on the abstract but more on melody. The best songs here combine both ideals (Elephant, Feels Like We Only Go Backwards) in a stew of luxuriousness. The lo-fi approach was present on their debut but here, with brute force, is a sense of purpose, a defining line that the band has crossed and now wants to share it with us.








30. Dr. Dog Be the Void:

after the disappointment of their last album, the band rebounds with a bluesy affair that features so many stylistic tricks and yummy treats. Underlined is the sense of ennui, underlined with a lot of repetition but to say these songs are merely homogeneous is not correct. These Days is a current update of honky-tonk that works and ditto That Old Black Hoe. Many critics have termed this retro-rock and sure enough this sense of Americana hangs over the LP but modern sensibilities are deeply embedded here too.

2012: The Top 100 Best Songs: Part IV (#21--#40)

or, as I call it, the Azealia Banks edition...




21. Gimme a Chance (Azealia Banks):

if Banks can pop off something this great as a side order for a main course then it’s frightening to consider what else she has in store.






22. Eight (Grimes):

straight electro-pop, replete with a robotic voice overlapping her own pared-down vocal work. Several lush shrieks are thrown in for good measure and I’m sure when M.I.A gets wind of this track she’ll curse her luck for not coming up with the idea first.






23. Breezeblocks (Alt-J):

a stunning, slowed-down hip/hop effort from the Brits…it’s not supposed to work but it’s so magnetic and creepy that one can stop listening to it.






24. Dour Percentage (Of Montreal):

a typically fey Barnes trots out the falsetto but instead of the usual train wreck, there is amazing restraint and dizzy pop perfection.






25. The Killing Type (Amanda Palmer):

pure pop majestically oozing from Palmer as she strums 1980s vibe unto social commentary that you’ll know eventually get someone killed.






26. Backseat Freestyle (Kendrick Lamar):

a thundering guitar riff provides the DNA for the track but the beat intertwined goes on to make it simply terrific and throbbing long after it has ceased.






27. Sixteen Saltines (Jack White):

Blunderbuss strays from his trademark rock but here, amid blues, comes the familiar howl and crunching guitars that we’ve come to love..





28. God (THEESatisfaction):

after being introduced last year on Shabazz Palaces’ superb debut, this duo now unleash their funky soul style upon us and it’s catchy and harmonious.






29. Jumaji (Azealia Banks):

not to be mixed up with the game or the Robin Williams film, this instead if Banks’ assault on our literal senses…as well as to further pile up the pressure on her contemporaries.






30. Today’s Supernatual (Animal Collective):

remains compelling throughout, a testament to Tare’s craft and his sounding positively strung out on acid: a chilling effect.






31. Go Supersonic (Pepe Deluxe):

the heady mix of retro and forward-thinking beats would stagger anyone else but here the Nordic duo unearth so much in just over four minutes that it still leaves you dizzy.






32. Disparate Youth (Santigold):

sums up the day to day skepticism and reality that teenagers grow up with. White’s voice never strays, but keeps unflinchingly on her target.






33. The Night (School of Seven Bells):

a real, subtle shift from old-school pop to a more moderate take with punk sensibilities, well executed and planned out for our listening pleasure.






34. Nightmusic (Grimes):

a song that feverishly runs its gamut so effortlessly, proof enough that within her personal arsenal, Grimes can throw enthralling mysteries out in the open of her seemingly monochromatic bag and lasso them back to her at will, leaving one as if spellbound.





35. Spiteful Interventions (Of Montreal):

Barnes’ usual quirkiness gets thrown in a tea-cup full with stormy recollections…a heady brew that remains potent the more you listen to it.





36. Fever (Maps & Atlases):

a sweeping math rock combination that takes a sweet turn to the sentimental and finds a lull that carries the listener right through.






37. Gentle Stream (The Amazing):

a slow-burning track that takes it time to build into something huge, formidable. This is learning the art of swelling a track to maximize its potential






38. Freaking Out the Neighbourhood (Mac DeMarco):

a throwback to some grainy, guilty pleasure that manages to brilliantly put up a teen punk stance across without force.





39. Ring My Alarm (The Lytics):

rap's new Canadian talent emerging.






40. Bad Girls (M.I.A):

after the very public battering she took last time out, Arulpragasam returns with an irresistible slice of snotty luxury. Ah, Maya welcome back!