Is it just me or has it been a pretty weak year so far for new music? I haven’t really bought all that much, which is generally a bad sign. Although considering how cramped my record shelves are and how little money I have in my bank account right now, it might be a good thing. Hopefully the second half of the year will fare better than the first. Other than that I don’t have much to say, so I might as well proceed to the list. I mean…that’s why you’re here, right? It can’t possibly be that your’e interested in what I have to say!
By the way, is anyone else still waiting for the Codeine box set? According to Twitter I think I’m the only person in the world who hasn’t received his order from Numero Group yet.
Sigh…
The Top Ten Albums Of 2012 (Jan – Jun)
Honorable Mention: Pharaoh Overlord – ‘Lunar Jetman’, Ilyas Ahmed – ‘With Endless Fire’, Alcest – ‘Les Voyages De L’ame’, Inner Tube – ‘Inner Tube’, Marissa Nadler – ‘The Sister’
10. Pallbearer – ‘Sorrow And Extinction’ (Profound Lore) – Ian turned me onto this four-piece Arkansas doom metal group, and my first impression was that I liked their cover of “Gloomy Sunday,” but didn’t feel the need to pay much attention to their full-length. When I finally got around to listening to it, I truly dug what I heard. To my ears it has more in common with HEAVY post-rock than doom metal, but I’m not the guy responsible for issuing genres to different bands (read Pitchfork if you care about that) so far be it from me to make that kind of judgement. The vocals are actually pretty good, too! [Listen to “An Offering Of Grief” [MP3]]
09. Windy & Carl – ‘We Will Always Be’ (Kranky) – In my opinion this is the best Windy & Carl release since ‘Depths’. Although if you count ‘Dedications To Flea’ as a full-length (2 tracks? Almost 40 minutes?) maybe that’d look a lot less impressive. Still, these are some pretty incredible compositions. Especially the album’s second cut, “Remember” and the lengthy closer, the beautifully dappled drone entitled “Fainting In The Presence Of The Lord”. Now is as good a time as any to ask, do any of you have either a copy of The Cat CDr (released in 2002 on time STEREO) you have to send me a copy. I’ve been dying to hear it since it was released and have never found a copy either via blog or eBay. Help a brother out. [Listen to “Remember” [MP3]]
08. Actress – ‘R.I.P.’ (Honest Jon’s) – You can’t imagine how bizarre I felt walking into Amoeba’s electronic music section to pick this up, but it’s really that good. Last year and at the start of this year I was digging the Etienne Jaumet ‘Night Music’ record, and I feel like this Actress record takes that idea even further out into weird fucked-up psychedelic, droney music that you can sometimes dance to. Not that I would ever deign to show anyone in the world my dance moves. God, no. I wouldn’t even survive to tell the tale. I’d die of embarrassment, as would anyone unfortunate enough to be within a hundred yards of me. Aquarius Records basically says this is like the Sunn O))) of electronic music. Which I always thought was Expo 70, but you can’t really dance to that…
07. Ancestors – ‘In Dreams And Time’ (Tee Pee) – I’ll still go on record as saying that the first time I saw Ancestors at The Smell was one of the best live music experiences of my life. Who were they opening for…Suishou no Fune? Yeah, I still remember being deaf for a few days after that show because I didn’t know what to expect from the band. This is by far the band’s most unique and accomplished release yet. ‘Neptune With Fire’ was a blast of stoner/post-rock noise with a few hauntingly ethereal passages. ‘Of Sound Mind’ moved the band a little further on the path to transcendence, and I think ‘In Dreams And Time’ is the culmination of that journey.
06. Ufomammut – ‘Oro: Opus Primum’ (Supernatural Cat/Neurot) – In their own insane way, Ufomammut are another heavy band that is moving in a more experimental/spacey direction. At least compared to ‘Godlike Snake’ or ‘Lucifer Songs’. I mean, there are some synthy moments that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Vangelis record. Instead of the unrelenting forward march towards doom that is your typical Ufomammut album, this one expands upon the ideas that made ‘Eve’ such a great record. There’s weird distorted chants, tons of synth, radio interference and more. It’s a great juxtaposition to the typical Ufomammut sound, which might otherwise be tired after five or six albums of the same thing. Great stuff here. [Listen to “Infearnatural” [MP3]
05. White Hills – ‘Frying On This Rock’ (Thrill Jockey) – The self-titled record was pretty good, ‘H-p1’ was alright, ‘Live at Roadburn’ was a bunch of songs I’d heard countless times already, but ‘Frying On This Rock’ restored my faith in White Hills. “You Dream You See” and “Song Of Everything” are both impressive swaths of psychedelia. Hell, “I Write A Thousand Letters” kinda sounds like Can at some parts. And the aforementioned “Song Of Everything,” with its weird spoken-word breakdown in the middle somewhat mirrors ‘Glitter Glamour Atrocity’ and its found-sound collages. And the closer they get to recapturing the brilliance of that album, the happier I am as a fan.
04. BONG – ‘Mana-Yood-Sushai’ (Ritual Productions) – Why the hell isn’t BONG the most well-known and talked-about doom/dirge/stoner/sludge band on the planet right now? All they’ve done is release a slew of immensely powerful music for the past five years. And I will never forget the little comment Mike left for me when my father was in ICU a few years ago. Shit, not even my ex put forth that kind of effort when he was in the hospital, but Mike passed on get-well wishes from the band and that was super cool. As for ‘Mana…’ it’s so fucking far out and heavy and sub-sonic. And the Shahi Baaja? One of the best-utilized instruments in any modern band. So impressive.
03. James Blackshaw – ‘Love Is The Plan, The Plan Is Death’ (Important) – He’s more than just a finger-pickin’ folk guitarist. Unlike the late Jack Rose, or He Who Shall Not Be Named (thanks for the lawsuit threat!) Blackshaw’s albums are insanely lush, and he is often accompanied by organ or vibes, which adds layers of swirling/churning ambiance to the masterful guitar playing. The solo piano piece that culminates this record is one of the best pieces of music Blackshaw has ever composed.
02. Jon Porras – ‘Black Mesa’ (Thrill Jockey) – His partner in crime in Barn Owl, Evan Caminiti, has also released a solid solo effort this year, but Porras’ is pretty stunning. It’s like if Ennio Morricone went really dark — like ambient black-metal dark — and atmospheric. This is the best late-night record of the year, and would be my favorite album of the first half of 2012 if it wasn’t for what’s currently sitting in the top spot on this list. [Listen to “Candlelight Mirage” [MP3]]
01. Spiritualized – ‘Sweet Heart, Sweet Light’ (Fat Possum) – Much like ‘Songs In A & E’ this record has grown on me more and more with each subsequent listen. At first listen I was mildly disappointed. I’d read for months — hell, maybe even a year or two — that Jason Pierce was so inspired by those ‘Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space’ concerts that he wanted to record something close in sound and spirit to that record. ‘Sweet Heart…’ is definitely not that. In fact, it might be the most scaled-back version of Spiritualized that has been committed to tape yet. Still, it’s a fantastic record. Remember a few weeks ago I posted that Ron Silliman quote about how Townes Van Zandt’s songs were dominated by one-syllable words? Pierce does the same thing, allowing short words to extend over the music to give them greater impact. “Hey Jane” is brilliant, “Headin’ For The Top Now” and “Mary” are great, and “So Long You Pretty Thing” — if it’s a farewell message from Pierce — is one of the most beautiful he’s composed in the past twenty years. [Listen to “Life Is A Problem” [MP3]]
