Tag Archives: 31 days of good 2012

2012, 31 days of good, music

(31) Days of Good: 12.5.12

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The G.O.O.D. Music crew had a huge year with the release of Cruel Summer.  This record top to bottom has some of the best production in hip hop along with some of hip hops biggest names.  “Mercy” is the standout track in my opinion, especially the verses from Pusha T and 2 Chainz.  Pusha T has emerged as the stand out lyricist of the entire crew, combining clever quips with street credibility.

Kanye West – Mercy (feat. Big Sean, Pusha T, & 2 Chainz) [from Cruel Summer]

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The super hyped Odd Future crew are some of the most blogged about people in hip hop.  Earl Sweatshirt is actually deserving of the hype.  Drawing comparisons to early Nas, Earl has a grim and visceral tone to his music.  The 18 year old MC has definitely established himself as one of the elite up and coming rappers in the rap game.  And when you have a chance, head on over to Stereogum and watch the music video that dropped yesterday.

Earl Sweatshirt – Chum [from Doris]

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Just add the stats of this track and I’m sold: Kendrick Lamar + Drake + a Janet Jackson sample. There are a lot of great cuts from Kendrick Lamar’s major label debut and follow up to his majorly successful mix tape Section.80, but this might be my favorite.

Kendrick Lamar – Poetic Justice (ft. Drake) [from good kid, m.A.A.d city]

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2012, 31 days of good, music

(31) Days of Good: 12.4.12

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Somewhat of an eclectic mix today.  Pretty much just shuffled through my favorites and these popped up.  I don’t think you’ll mind one bit.

 

Buke & Gase (formally Buke & Gass) is an up-and-coming Brooklyn-based duo with a really cool, original sound.   They released their 2nd EP, Function Falls, this year on Brassland and plan to release their debut full-length, General Dome, this coming January.  Keep an eye on these two, I anticipate a big 2013.

♩ Buke & Gase – Tending the Talk [from Function Falls, stream via bandcamp]
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Hundred Waters is a 5-piece art-rock band from Gainesville, FL, and first indie act to sign with Skrillex’s record label — OWSLA.  This year saw the release of band’s first EP, Thistle (Remixes), and debut full-length, Hundred Waters.  I owe CMJ 2012 for this discovery (along with many others).

♩ Hundred Waters – Visitor [from Hundred Waters]
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I didn’t know anything about UK singer-songwriter Jessie Ware until she randomly popped up one of my spotify radio stations.  I haven’t giver her debut LP Devotion a proper listen, but I love “Wildest Moments”.  Be sure to check out the Star Slinger remix (via soundcloud) after you finish up here.

♩ Jessie Ware – Wildest Moments [from Devotion]
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Tilly And The Wall is one of my favorite indie-pop bands.  This year, the 5-piece from Nebraska, released their fourth full-length, Heavy Mood.  This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2012 and it totally lived up to my expectations.  And the album title is perfect.  This album is heavy and a lot of fun.  Check out the title track below and you’ll hear what i’m talking about.

♩ Tilly And The Wall – Heavy Mood [from Heavy Mood]
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2012, 31 days of good, music

(31) Days of Good: 12.3.12

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Since starting this blog three years ago, I’ve been introduced to some really cool electronic music and i’ve really started to enjoy this genre more and more.  I tend to lean more towards the ambient, cinematic stuff, but i’ve been casually expanding my electronic horizons over the years.  So now that i’ve lowered the bar, and you’re aware i’m definitely not a connoisseur of electronic music, please consider these tracks as some of the year’s best electronic music.  And if you’re reading this and saying to yourself, “I hate electronic music”, at the very least you need to give Blackbird Blackbird a shot.  This guy is amazing and he just keeps getting better.  This year’s Boracay Planet is his best yet.

 

♩Blackbird Blackbird – It’s A War [from Boracay Planet]
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♩Burial – Loner [from Kindred EP]
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♩Dan Deacon – USA I: Is a Monster [from America]
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♩Lindstrøm – Fāār-i-kāāl [from Smalhans]
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♩Mux Mool – Baba [from Planet High School]
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♩Sweet Valley – Final Zone [from Stay Calm]
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♩Teen Daze – Late [from All of Us, Together]
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2012, 31 days of good, music

(31) Days of Good: 12.2.12

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Baltimore’s Beach House continue to impress with each and every release.  This year’s Bloom might be their best yet.  It’s definitely my personal favorite from the duo and one my top 10 favorite albums of 2012, which makes it incredibly difficult to pick one favorite.  Bloom is one of those records you can listen to start to finish, over and over again.  “Myth” was my first taste of Bloom and it’s an incredible leadoff track.  “Lazulli” is simply magical…or what I like to describe as “Legend of Zelda” meets dream pop.  Ultimately, I have to go with “On the Sea”.  Now this is just me, but this song makes me happy and nostalgic.  Whenever I listen, I can’t help but take trips down memory lane.  I also really love the “Rainbow Connection”-esque piano in the beginning, and how it delicately builds and builds, but never really bursts.

♩ Beach House – On the Sea [from Bloom]
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I’ve been a fan of Brooklyn’s Yellow Ostrich for a couple of years now and I love what these guys are doing.  They have such a cool and authentic sound, simply calling them indie rock doesn’t do them justice.  The band had a big year.  The band’s biggest highlight this year was the release of Strange Land — an impressive, and surprisingly sophisticated, guitar-heavy pop record.  And along with touring extensively all year, the band also found time to release a great EP — Ghost.  If you haven’t given Yellow Ostrich a proper listen, you’re missing out.

♩ Yellow Ostrich – Marathon Runner [from Strange Land]
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It comes as no surprise to those that know me, or read this here blog, that I am a big fan of The Antlers.  They released a full-length, Burst Apart, and an EP, (together), last year.  I figured they’d take this year off, God knows they deserve it.  Lucky for me, and the rest of the fans, the band surprised us with a fantastic new EP, Undersea.

♩ The Antlers – Drift Drive [from Undersea]
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2012, 31 days of good, music

(31) Days of Good: 12.1.12

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(31) Days of Good 2012 has officially begun.  Enjoy the ride.

 

After fifteen years making music with Death Cab For Cutie, 2012 saw the release of lead singer Ben Gibbard’s debut solo album (as Benjamin Gibbard) — Former Lives.  I enjoyed this album quite a bit, it was a good change of pace from Gibbard’s more familiar Death Cab material.  One track in particular really stands out from the rest.  “Bigger than Love”, a duet with Aimee Mann (new album Charmer out this year as well) is based on real quotes and love letters between F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda.  This is one of the most devastatingly, beautiful songs i’ve ever heard and very well may be my favorite track of 2012; definitely in my top 10.  It also really makes me want a full album of Mann/Gibbard duets.

According to Gibbard, “I really fell in love with a book of letters called Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda that is correspondences between the two of them beginning in their courtship and ending at the end of their lives, you know, when he was out in Los Angeles working as screenwriter and she was in Ashville in a mental facility.  And it’s a really wonderful, really touching book, because no matter what stage of a relationship one might be in, it is inspiring to kind of read the correspondence between two people throughout their entire relationship and starting with the moments when they’re really enamored with each other and they can’t bear to spend an hour apart, all the way through, you know, there’s a letter that’s incredibly devastating that Zelda writes.”

♩Benjamin Gibbard – Bigger than Love (feat. Aimee Mann) [from Former Lives]
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p.s. don’t worry Death Cab fans, the band is not over.  According to Gibbard, “there’s no doubt in any of our minds that we have a lot of things to say and a lot more music to create.” (via NPR Music)

 

Damien Jurado released Maraqopa early this year, his 10th studio album, on Secretly Canadian.  I was lucky enough to catch Mr. Jurado open for Ben Gibbard less than a month ago it was such a good show.  Maraqopa has it’s fair share of worthy tracks to chose from, with “Museum Of Flight”, “Reel of Reel”, and “This Time Next Year” coming to mind.  In the end though, one song in particular stands ahead of the pack.  Now be fair warned, this track is deceptively upbeat, but that could be said for much of Jurado’s catalogue.

♩Damien Jurado – Working Titles [from Maraqopa]
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Apparently the theme for Day 1 is Ben Gibbard.  Jimmy Tamborello makes up the other half of The Postal Service, but he’s best known as Dntel.  This year he released Aimlessness.  I’m not gonna lie.  I’m a big fan of Dntel, but this album didn’t do it for me.  With that said, there are still some great tracks worth a listen, including “Bright Night”, “Jitters”, and “Still”.  My personal favorite is “Puma”, which sounds like Jamie xx channeling Philip Glass.

♩Dntel – Puma [from Aimlessness]
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