2012, 31 days of good, music

(31) Days of Good: 12.11.12

December 11, 2012 Concrete Opinions 2 Comments

Falling in love with new music is one life’s simple pleasures and 2012 was a fantastic year of discovery for me. I’ve already featured a few of my new favorites this year, including Bright Moments, HAERTS, Porcelain Raft, and Vacationer (just to name a few), and today i’d like to highlight a few more. But first I need to give credit where credit is due. If it weren’t for the following music outlets, my music repertoire would be far less exciting. Big thanks to All Songs Considered, Big Hassle, EARMILK, Girlie Action, Head Underwater, A Heart Is A Spade, The Hype Machine Radio Show, Largehearted Boy, KCRW, Nialler 9, No Fear Of Pop, The Noise Pop Podcast, Oh So Fresh! Music, Paste Magazine, Pigeons & Planes, Planetary Group, PORTALS, Treble in Trouble, Winnie Cooper, yvynyl, and the one and only, Ethel Sale. Now without further ado, please enjoy a small sample of my favorite discoveries of 2012.

CHVRCHES are a Scottish electro pop band based in Glasgow. The trio has been generating quite a bit of buzz on the blogosphere and I expect a big 2013 for them.

♩CHVRCHES – The Mother We Share [single]
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Desert Stars is a 5-piece band from Brooklyn. Built on the creative output, and impressive lead vocals, of Janelle Best, the band dispatches a very dreamy/shoegaze/lo-fi sound. The band just finished recording it’s debut with a Spring release expected.

♩Desert Stars – Boys I Like [from Boys I Like/Farewell Decade]
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Drop Electric is an experimental rock band based in Washington D.C. and NYC. As All Songs Considered puts it, “a ‘Sigur Ros-ian’ band with an epic sound.

♩Drop Electric – Empire Trashed [from Drop Electric Sampler Platter]
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Goldroom is Los Angeles-based producer Josh Legg. “Fifteen” is the perfect Summer song — great production, soothing synths, and dreamy vocals, courtesy of Australian singer Chela.

♩Goldroom – Fifteen (feat. Chela) [single]
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London producer Sam Howard, aka Halls, released his debut album Ark this year. “White Chalk” is quite possibly be the most beautiful song of 2012. Definitely a favorite of mine, easily in my top 10 tracks of the year. I’ve listened to “What Chalk” more than any other track this couple of months. The production, along with the vocals and classical piano chords, are superb. I especially love what Howard writes in the liner notes of Ark — “I hope you find a source of positivity from within the themes of isolation and death found on the album.”

♩Halls – White Chalk [from Ark]
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“The Minneapolis trio Now, Now has mastered the art of magnification: It takes small moments and invests them with larger meaning.” – NPR Music’s 50 Favorite Albums of 2012

♩Now, Now – School Friends [from Threads]
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Pacific Air is an indie pop band, consisting of brothers brothers Ryan and Taylor Lawhon. After changing their name from KO KO, the duo released their debut EP LONG LIVE KOKO this last Fall. Leadoff track “Float” is one of the most infectious and catchy dream pop tracks of 2012.

♩Pacific Air – Float [from LONG LIVE KOKO EP]
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Patrick Watson is a Canadian singer-songwriter who’s been making music for over a decade. This is one of those discoveries I wish would’ve happened years ago.

♩Patrick Watson – Into Giants [from Adventures In Your Own Backyard]
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“Over the last few years, I’ve realized that my experiences are not singular. I’m writing for people, not just me.” – Mike Hadreas (aka Perfume Genius) via A Heart Is A Spade

♩Perfume Genius – Hood [from Put Your Back N 2 It]
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“Simple in structure and free of flash, it’s the style that has us craving more. They blend a punkish retro vibe with a head-nodding new energy and a pop sensibility.” – Pigeons & Planes

♩Shadows On Stars – Now You’re Mine [from Shadows On Stars]
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Power-pop garage rock from Passion Pit’s Ayad Al Adhamy. I live 3 miles from the beach and I go maybe once a year, which makes this song fitting.

♩Team Spirit – Fuck The Beach [from Team Spirit EP]
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“‘Mtn Tune’ is the ideal summer anthem. Complimentary vocals, dancy synths and a guitar/drum combination that reminds one of The Neighbourhood — this song has it all. Be it on a beach or in your back yard, let Trails and Ways guide your dance in the sun, and inhale the blissful existence of summer.” – EARMILK

♩Trails and Ways – Mtn Tune [single]
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Like most American’s this holiday season, I want to buy a diamond ring from Zales because of retro-esque pop ballad.

♩Various Cruelties – If It Wasn’t for You [from Various Cruelties]
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2012, 31 days of good, music

(31) Days of Good: 12.10.12

December 10, 2012 Concrete Opinions Leave a comment

Some experimental pop and electro-funk sounds to brighten up your Monday. First up, this year’s Mercury Prize winners, alt-J, followed by the always impressive and ambitious experimental psych-rock of Animal Collective (back with their ninth studio album). After that, the energetic indie pop and fusion sounds from the London based quartet, Django Django, along with the infectious party-pop sounds of Anthens, GA, based Reptar. Last, but certainly not least, the global sounds of dance pop duo, The Very Best, and Brooklyn’s experimental rock trio, Yeasayer. Enjoy.

♩alt-J – Breezeblocks [from An Awesome Wave]
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♩Animal Collective – Today’s Supernatural [from Centipede Hz]
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♩Django Django – Default [from Django Django]
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♩Reptar – Orifice Origami [from Body Faucet]
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♩The Very Best – We OK (feat. K’NAAN) [from MTMTMK]
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♩Yeasayer – Reagan’s Skeleton [from Fragrant World]
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2012, 31 days of good, music

(31) Days of Good: 12.9.12

December 9, 2012 Concrete Opinions Leave a comment

Year after year, the ladies in music prove they can hang with the boys, and 2012 was no different. In fact, 2012 was such a big year for the ladies, i’m gonna have to break this into a multiple posts. I tried to narrow it down, but how in the heck am I supposed to decide between the likes of Amanda Palmer, Frankie Rose, Patti Smith, and Sera Cahoone? Exactly. So without further ado, enjoy the first installment of good, from some of the most talented ladies in music.

♩Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra – Smile (Pictures or It Didn’t Happen) [from Theatre Is Evil]
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♩Dana Falconberry – Petoskey Stone [from Though I Didn’t Call It Came]
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♩Dum Dum Girls – Lord Knows [from End of Daze EP]
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♩Emily Wells – Passenger [from Mama]
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♩Fiona Apple – Every Single Night [from The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver…]
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♩Frankie Rose – Intersteller [from Intersteller]
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2012, 31 days of good, music

(31) Days of Good: 12.8.12

December 8, 2012 Concrete Opinions Leave a comment

I know it’s the Christmas season, but Charli XCX’s synth-pop ballad “Valentine” was one of my favorites this year. So in keeping with a Valentines theme for today, it’s only right that I highlight The Temper Trap’s “Need Your Love”, along with tracks from the UK’s Citizens!, Brooklyn’s HAERTS (can’t wait to hear more from this duo, probably my most anticipated of 2013), and LA’s Kisses. And for my anti-Valentine’s Day readers, Deerhoof’s “Breakup Songs” and La Sera’s “Break My Heart”.

♩Charli XCX – Valentine [single]
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I love this song. It’s been on constant repeat since first listen and i’ve yet to get tired of it. When you have a chance, definitely check out the music video (one of the year’s best) and the Gigamesh remix.

♩Citizens! – True Romance [from Here We Are]
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“Breakup Songs” from the album Breakup Song. A bit confusing, but after eleven albums of energetic and delightful noise-pop, I expect nothing less.

♩Deerhoof – Breakup Songs [from Breakup Song]
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As far as I know, this track is the first (and only) release from the duo. I can’t wait to hear more. Might be my most anticipated of 2013.

♩HAERTS – Wings [single]
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Kisses released this single back in August, their first new track since their 2010 debut, The Heart of the Nightlife. I’m hoping this is the precursor of a new album in 2013.

♩Kisses – Funny Heartbeat [single]
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Sees the Light is the second album by Katy Goodman (Vivian Girls, All Saints Day), whose pure and melodious voice, masks a tragically beautiful breakup record.

♩La Sera – Break My Heart [from Sees the Light]
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Great follow up to 2009’s Conditions. Leadoff track, “I Need Your Love”, has been my favorite since first listen, but “Trembling Hands”, “Miracle”, and “Where Do We Go From Here” are a few more tracks worth a listen.

♩The Temper Trap – Need Your Love [from The Temper Trap]
♩[bonus] The Temper Trap – Need Your Love (RAC remix)
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2012, 31 days of good, music

(31) Days of Good: 12.7.12

December 7, 2012 Concrete Opinions Leave a comment

Yesterday’s good highlighted some of the year’s best debuts, which makes today the perfect opportunity to highlight tracks from some of 2012’s most impressive sophomore efforts. I can only imagine how difficult it is to follow up a debut album, especially when the sophomore release is in high demand. The bands below most definitely avoided the dreaded “sophomore slump”, none better so than The xx. Coexist was my most anticipated release of the year and it exceeding all of expectations. Easily my favorite album of the year. And like yesterday’s good, the tracks below are a very small representation of the year’s best follow ups. Enjoy.