The lead singer from Cloud Nothings sings with such weakness. The tune is pretty catchy, I heard of them in all the indies Best of 2012, but never actually checked their music.
Thanks for all the comments! I'll try to get a comment in on each of yours after I'm done with this update. If I miss you, it is only because of oversight or laziness, not malice.
First off, I'm sick of seeing Dane Cook in my #1s list. Putting everything else aside, he's just not a musician and it makes no sense. I was trying to be cute that year. Rather than figure out what my favorite album of that year is now, I'll just give it to the runner-up Death Cab For Cutie. And thats fits fine because I had a major Death Cab hard-on that year. Grats Gibbard and co.!
Next, we move into this years top ten. The way this year turned out, only one artist in the top ten has ever appeared so high before. And half (or more, hard to remember) have never appeared on the list at all. So expect the unexpected! Anything goes from here on out.
10. Not Your Kind Of People by Garbage
Two great performances for my two favorite songs! This is one of the bands who I can't remember if they appeared or not. Bleed Like Me came out after I started doing these, but I remember not being so fond of it so it might not have ranked. Anyways, Garbage decided to go for an IN-YOUR-FACE approach for this album. I've heard criticisms that it is over-produced, which I can get. It didn't both me though. Songs like the above, and singles "Blood For Poppies" and "Battle In Me" are just too great to worry about strange mixing decisions. You can hear smaller elements of this in their early work, yet the Dub revolution allowed them go all out here. I think it would have worked if it was a little more laid back, but I am perfectly satisfied with what we are given.
9. The Sheepdogs by The Sheepdogs
Canada! Dan Auerbach may have had the most producer credits on this list, yet its Patrick Carney that scores the highest rank. Like with Dr. John, if you're a Black Keys fan and have not heard this album you are doing yourself a disservice. And if you're not a fan of either I just have one word "why?" And while this album undoubtably memories of BKs earlier records, it does stand on its own as well. How a band from the far north mastered a southern sound is beyond me, yet here is proof that it can and was done. Sheepdogs were able to get the cover of Rollingstone earlier in the year, massively increasing awareness of their existence and helping it debut at #1 on Billboard Canada. And people say magazines are worthless!
And now time to start commenting. I know I said Movie of the Year was coming, but a certain Quentin Tarantino movie mucked all that up. Now I might as well wait until January 11th to make the final decision.
I need to listen to the Garbage album! I like what i've heard. And, THE SHEEPDOGS! YEAHHHHHHHHHH. They are great! I like your write-up on them. Indeed, magazines are not worthless! Also, props for including "The Way it Is" video. It's so great. I forgot to include it on my Music Videos list, but then why am I bringing that up here. This is your year-end, not mine haha.
We are already deep into the Top 10, and there have been some surprises and great albums. What is coming up next? I don't know, but I cannot wait to find out!
Garbage! Their new stuff took me by surprise this year. I was really into "Blood For Poppies" when it came out but I never got into the full album. That said, Bleed Like Me didn't make my top 10 albums of 2005, and then 2006 came around and I totally fell in love with it. Despite being from '05, it ended up being one of my most played albums of '06. Weird how that worked out. It remains a favorite of mine to this day. So who knows what 2013 might hold for Not Your Kind Of People.
Garbage don't usually dissapoint me. I especially like "Control" off that album.
And like I said in Ben's list - I'm so glad there's at least a few people who are on board with the Sheepdogs. They are so incredibly awesome.
Garbage can really bring the intense and sound so incredible when they perform live. Yup it’s In Your Face and can crash in anytime that I should check their album again and The Sheepdogs sound is really astounding and has a spin of what kinda mirrors The Black Keys and that is something. Man I sure need to get more into them to be content with myself. I also think of The Dirty Heads whom also have that brass sound they like to spin on. Some good old fashioned rock that makes want to get deep into. Good job!
I've only heard one song by The Sheepdogs (The Way It Is) and it reminded me a lot to The Black Keys (one of the best bands in the musical scene nowadays). I also liked Garbage stuff this year! Good set
After several weeks of bloody warfare with the zombie squirrels the cats and dogs appeared to be beaten. Even a joining of armies could not stop the terrible wave of evil. Just when things appeared to be over, they were miraculously saved by Gandalf
and the Eagles.
Thank you for that. Let's see if this alliance can last though...
I haven't done an update for awhile so will try to do a big one here. I've been having trouble putting together my song list for quite some time. To do only singles or not, and then to find out what the heck what was released as a single and what was not. Too much of a headache really, this is where a daily countdown used to come in handy. So instead I'm gonna do a Song of the Year right freaking now. And it won't spoil the rest of the my list since the album has already appeared!
Song of the Year: "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men
Yes, an album that did not crack the top 40 produces the song of the year. How is this possible? Easy enough, in fact. Whenever I wanted to listen to Of Monsters and Men this year I couldn't help but play "Little Talks". And if I wanted to listen to more I'd just put "Little Talks" on again. I can't even remember what the other songs sound like anymore. Yet almost every day, at least once, I throw on this song and it is always wonderful. Grats to monsters and men everywhere.
And now back to the albums.
8. ¡Uno! by Green Day
I was initially wondering how I would manage the three Green Day into the top 40. This problem solved itself when I did not care Dos or Tre. Uno meanwhile gave me exactly what I wanted from Green Day. The care-free Dookie days. Not only that, they do throw some new sounds in here that are a little bigger ("Oh Love"), but never reach the self-importance of their last few efforts. To confirm what you were wondering, yes Green Day is the only other artist in the top ten to ever appear here before. American Idiot and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" both placed top 5 in 2004 I believe. My two favorites on here are the opener "Nuclear Family" and "Carpe Diem".
7. Master of My Make-Believe by Santigold
I cannot remember if she placed on my list back when she was Santogold. I might have been late on that one. Nonetheless, Santigold keeps her batting average at 1.000 with this 2012 effort. It may not reach the heights of Santogod all the way through, yet it sticks with it more often than not. My favorite song features Karen O, who I was really hoping to see a full album from this year. Other amazing tracks include the single "Disparate Youth" , a song that made my feel like I was in the village at the beginning of the Thin Red Line "This Isn't Our Parade", the very fun "The Keepers", and the in-yo-face-honkey album-ender "Big Mouth".
6. Sounds From Nowheresville by The Ting Tings
Like this! Everyone has heard "Hit Me Down Sonny" by now, whether you want to or not due to the ad men's fascination with it. The Ting Tings definitely placed on my list, that I can confirm with my brain. And while Sounds may not have a track as memorable as "Great DJ" I still consider it a superior album that's gotten better with each listen. "Guggenheim" and 'Soul Killer" are two more stand-outs, and if you can get your hands on the deluxe edition they have quite a few great remixes of "Silence" and "Hang It Up". Both of those songs are also great on their own though, so no worries if you don't wanna chip in the extra dough or don't have the harddrive space.
And the five shall be next! As always, thanks for the comments.
The tune is pretty catchy, I heard of them in all the indies Best of 2012, but never actually checked their music.
Even though I didn't like their last tracks, but still they are great.
