Year-End Critics' Polls 2012

i'm always surprised by how early these start coming out, kind of a bummer tbh

yeah feels p shitty

how many lists are gonna have farrah abraham on it

Didn't wind up putting her on my year-end list for The Wire, but felt bad about the oversight.

ILM list will.

Flopson OTM

I only really care about The Wire list because I get clued into stuff I might wanna investigate that I wasn't already aware of

All other lists - including those I vote as part of - are more a "what do other ppl care about" exercise that's only occasionally startling

I fuck with the Fiona, which is the only album on my list that has any hope of going near #1

Oh my god, Fiona is gonna make The Wire list isn't she. The geezers who normally would vote for Robert Wyatt or Scott Walker are gonna vote for her aren't they. I wonder if the same will happen if Taylor Swift makes an art rock album a decade from now?

I thought Swift recorded one already...?

I usually listen to at least 600-800 new releases a year, yet all the year-end lists together still prompt me to check out at least another hundred albums I missed, and I usually find at least a dozen or so I like enough to make my top 100. So when anyone says none of the lists are useful, it sounds kind of unnecessarily . . . smug might be too harsh. Overconfident that you've heard everything that you'd like?

The geezers who normally would vote for Robert Wyatt or Scott Walker are gonna vote for Scott Walker imo.

i think the word is 'knowing', fastnbulbous. or 'complacent'.

fiona apple won't make the wire list

The only album I didn't hear on the Decibel list was Horrendous. I'm shocked Dawnbringer, Graveyard, and Christian Mistress didn't make it. As much as I like Witchcraft, it shouldn't be that high and is nowhere near the best album of its kind in 2012. Also, Profound Lore really got the cold shoulder for some reason...the label had an outstanding year in my opinion.

Also, Profound Lore really got the cold shoulder for some reason...the label had an outstanding year in my opinion.

I'm avoiding scrolling over the list, but this really does seem like a big oversight. Profound Lore really had a fantastic year. Just scrolling through their 2012 releases and I'm seeing tons of fantastic stuff - Pallbearer, Bosse-de-Nage, Indesinence, Yakuza, Dysrhythmia, Witch Mountain, Evoken, Aldebaran...

that's two in decibel's top ten...?

Well, like I said, I'm avoiding spoilers on that list, so I was just going on what Adrien said.

"Usefulness" is a relative concept. Xpost

Like, for instance, I'm not a fan of metal really. I don't have anything against it but. So the Decibel list isn't significant for me, though I'm not dismissing it... Does that make sense? I understand why it matters to other people.

xp I'm curious, what besides Graveyard do you consider of Witchcraft's kind that's better? Or do we have to wait for your list? ;)

The Fly:

40 - Allah-Las: Allah-Las
39 - Mystery Jets: Radlands
38 - Best Coast: The Only Place
37 - The Invisible: Rispah
36 - Liars: WIXIW
35 - Howler: America Give Up
34 - David Byrne & St. Vincent: Love This Giant
33 - Animal Collective: Centipede Hz
32 - Beach House: Bloom
31 - Here We Go Magic: A Different Ship
30 - Graham Coxon: A+E
29 - Poliça: Give You The Ghost
28 - TOY: TOY
27 - Chairlift: Something
26 - Bat For Lashes: The Haunted Man
25 - Melody's Echo Chamber: Melody's Echo Chamber
24 - Daughn Gibson: All Hell
23 - Twin Shadow: Confess
22 - Dirty Projectors: Swing Lo Magellan
21 - The Cribs: In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull
20 - King Tuff: King Tuff
19 - Diiv: Oshin
18 - Pond: Beard Wives Denim
17 - The xx: Coexist
16 - The Vaccines: The Vaccines Come Of Age
15 - Purity Ring: Shrines
14 - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Mature Themes
13 - Grizzly Bear: Shields
12 - Alt-J: An Awesome Wave
11 - Lana del Rey: Born To Die
10 - Tame Impala: Lonerism
9 - The Maccabees: Given To The Wild
8 - Kindness: World You Need A Change Of Mind
7 - Field Music: Plumb
6 - Django Django: Django Django
5 - Jessie Ware: Devotion
4 - Cat Power: Sun
3 - Frank Ocean: Channel Orange
2 - Grimes: Visions
1 - Sharon Van Etten: Tramp

that's an entire list of bands i didn't know released albums in 2012

Don't think it'll make my list but I finally got around to listening to that Jessie Ware record and its quite good.

ppl actually like that Grimes album, huh?

did you think all the people in the ilm thread were pretending?

which thread is that

I'm glad to see Grimes showing up on these lists, but disapointed that iamamiwhoami's Kin isn't and probably won't, although it's just as good.

which one?

the thread with 'grimes' in the title that has been full of chatter all year long that you can search for

I cannot tell the Grimes and Purity Ring records apart. Grimes is the slightly more gibberishy one, I think.

I've heard two of those.

oh cool is this the thread where we brag about how much music we didn't listen to

I listened to a lot of music.

Likewise, including the two I mentioned above. I just didn't like them.

40 - Allah-Las: Allah-Las (who?)
39 - Mystery Jets: Radlands (what is this? sounds dumb)
38 - Best Coast: The Only Place (never heard of this)
37 - The Invisible: Rispah (REALLY Invisible if you ask me)
36 - Liars: WIXIW (they put out an album this year? LOL)
35 - Howler: America Give Up (Who-ler is more like it because i dont know WHO they are)
34 - David Byrne & St. Vincent: Love This Giant (Ok wau D Byrne is still alive? what?!)
33 - Animal Collective: Centipede Hz (Didnt these guys just put out an album?!)
32 - Beach House: Bloom (Am I thinking of Beach Fossils? WHAT?)
31 - Here We Go Magic: A Different Ship (Great DISAPPEARING ACT because i have never heard of you)
30 - Graham Coxon: A+E (Huh+What?)
29 - Poliça: Give You The Ghost (Is this Stings band idk)
28 - TOY: TOY (never heard)
27 - Chairlift: Something (more like nothing because you are nothing to me wanted yall 2 know)
26 - Bat For Lashes: The Haunted Man (Saw the pube on the cover and passed)
25 - Melody's Echo Chamber: Melody's Echo Chamber (Accidentally deleted from iTunes)
24 - Daughn Gibson: All Hell (Not on Spotify so #NEAUX1CURRRRR)
23 - Twin Shadow: Confess (is this rap i dont listen to rap)
22 - Dirty Projectors: Swing Lo Magellan (lost CD before I could play it fuck)
21 - The Cribs: In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull (British band, refuse to play on principle)
20 - King Tuff: King Tuff (King Nothing is more like it who are these bands is the The Wire's list hahah)
19 - Diiv: Oshin (megaupload down can any1 get this for me help)
18 - Pond: Beard Wives Denim (sounds dumb)
17 - The xx: Coexist (heard one of their songs in a commercial two years ago PASS)
16 - The Vaccines: The Vaccines Come Of Age (THIS IS STILL A BAND HOW IS THIS A THING IS THIS A THING)
15 - Purity Ring: Shrines (Thought I heard this but it was "Grimes")
14 - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Mature Themes (This came out in 2008 I thought. Wait)
13 - Grizzly Bear: Shields (My file was corrupted idk)
12 - Alt-J: An Awesome Wave (?????)
11 - Lana del Rey: Born To Die (People really like this huh? I had no idea. People?)
10 - Tame Impala: Lonerism (Wow. Tame Impala is still around huh. Wow.)
9 - The Maccabees: Given To The Wild (\O_o/)
8 - Kindness: World You Need A Change Of Mind (??????????? where do you people even find this music)
7 - Field Music: Plumb (wut)
6 - Django Django: Django Django (how do i even google this HELLO)
5 - Jessie Ware: Devotion (i dont like metal it's stupid)
4 - Cat Power: Sun (Did we even have a thread on this?)
3 - Frank Ocean: Channel Orange (dumb pop R&B crap, next)
2 - Grimes: Visions (thought i heard this but it was Sky Ferrari)
1 - Sharon Van Etten: Tramp (never heard of this)

lol

just occurred to me that 2/3rds of GAPDYX dropped albums this year

Listened to Grimes when it came out. Listening again now. It's still a mess.

If we're comparing the two - someone mentioned it up there - the Purity Ring is much better.

several of these bands, like "toy" and "goat", i don't even believe in their existence

25 - Melody's Echo Chamber: Melody's Echo Chamber (Accidentally deleted from iTunes)

i listened to this one the other day! it sounded like it might potentially be up my street and i wanted to show willing. it was extremely boring.

8 - Kindness: World You Need A Change Of Mind (??????????? where do you people even find this music)

i wish i lived in a world where kindness prompted extreme bafflement (his music is terrrrrrrrible)

cat power is kinda confusing cuz i like her and i thought that album was a mess, and i thought that was the consensus

xp I'm curious, what besides Graveyard do you consider of Witchcraft's kind that's better? Or do we have to wait for your list? ;)

Spiders, Horisont, and Troubled Horse.

seconded on Spiders which is gonna be top-10-of-everything-in-2012 for me. they probably need a better name. and fonts that aren't free to download

http://www.svartrecords.com/shoppe/1464-1595-large/spiders-flash-point-lp.jpg

band line-up of guitar, bass, drums, harley & the hairiest looking choirboys i have ever

Can we all make a pact not to be a bunch of old wankers about the EOY lists this year?

Last year felt so solidly classic to me, as if the big important albums were very prominently foregrounded in my mind, whereas 2012 seems a lot more disparate - little discoveries and delights from all over the place; Young Smoke, Goat, Swans, and probably Scott Walker will place but there's no year-defining album a la 'Let England Shake' or 'Diamond Mine' this year (for me at least).

What does GAPDYX stand for? I know who it signifies, just not what it spells.

Grizzly, Animal, Phoenix, Dirty, Yeahs + ?

the XX

Thought it must be that, but they seem strange bedfellows to the others, to me (as do Phoenix, but that may just be the fact that they & The xx aren#t Brooklynites).

That Poliça album is very likeable unless you are a grouch. Some of the Gayngs guys are involved but it's a whole lot tighter and denser and funkier than them, plus the vocals are great.

massive grouchiness about polica over here

Lol whiney

End of year list predictions: Lex will complain that the Uncut list doesn't contain any R&B and just one token hip hop album.

My ILX albums ballot--which, beyond the quality control of Pazz and Nash Scene Top Tens, now incl Tempest (like most of the music, less of the words, though he does still know how to strike a effective pose, and main thing is: he's really into pre-emptive strikes vs. Time and Ol' Lady-with-a-rolling-pin Muse' also a flesh 'n' blood ol' lady, sounds like). Death Grips, Rufus Wainwright, The xx all offer albums that are only about half good, but their goodies can satisfy in ways that notning else quite did in '12, which is the main criterion for Top Tens as well, so why not in a Top However Many This Is:
Best Coast - The Only Place
Bob Dylan - Tempest
Cat Power - Sun
Corin Tucker Band - Kill My Blues
Craig Finn - Clear Heart Full Eyes
Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
Death Grips - The Money Store
Death Grips - No Love Deep Web
Dwight Yoakam - 3 Pears
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...
Giant Giant Sand - Tucson
Justin Townes Earle - Nothing's Going To Change The Way You Feel About Me Now
Kelly Hogan - I Like to Keep Myself in Pain
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Americana
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Psychedelic Pill
Neneh Cherry & The Thing - The Cherry Thing
The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth
The xx - Coexist
Rufus Wainwright - Out Of The Game
Santigold - Master Of My Make Believe

cool to see someone else w/ the Yoakam and Wainwright on their list!

Not that others don't have soft spots, but nothing that makes them any of them less than keepers

clemenza: I love your top 10, only one I didn't quite get is number 2. It seems to me like you're praising the music and saying you don't really care about the lyrics. Why not list the Jamie XX and Gil Scott Heron version instead?

Mimaroglu Music Sales / Keith Fullerton Whitman's (pre?)list of music concrete, modular synth, drone, noise, academic experimentalism and all points between and beyond can be found here - http://www.mimaroglumusicsales.com/best.php?year=2012 - in their words "far from "definitive" ; here's a simple, running tally of the titles that have been "rating" thusfar in 2012"

(So far, I've found a handful of things that seem, from the excerpts on the site, to be rather outstanding)

http://www.villagevoice.com/pazznjop/albums/2012/

Pazz & Jop thread, aka when is the official deadline for this thing?

http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/from-eric-church-to-jamey-johnson-2012-found-country-music-in-a-holding-pattern-and-searching-for-role-models/Content?oid=3230383

Just came across this one:
http://louderthanwar.com/albums-of-the-year-2012-part-4-49-1/

I actually found more interesting choices in the 99-50 page, especially a bunch of punk I haven't heard by Bite Back, Argy Bargy, White Lung and New War.

http://louderthanwar.com/albums-of-the-year-2012-part-three-99-50/

Don't forget Louder Than War numbers 200 - 101:

http://louderthanwar.com/albums-of-the-year-2012-part-one-200-150/

http://louderthanwar.com/albums-of-the-year-2012-part-two-149-100/

Massive celebrations round Damon Albarn's house for reaching that coveted 197 spot.

Moka: thanks. I love the music on "Take Care," also the lyrics. They just happened to remind me, because of Rihanna's ordeals, of Faking It and that age-old debate about what makes something authentic. When she sings that line about being hurt, it may or may not resonate more because of biography, depending upon how important that is to you--and I was trying to contrast that with Drake, who may or may not be at the opposite end of the spectrum, depending etc. Maybe I garbled the point. I also missed (pointed out on the P&J thread) that that line goes back to an old Bobby Bland song. (I actually have the song on a greatest hits, but was never a big fan.) Ultimately, though, I do always place music ahead of lyrics.

Jon Pareles's Top 10 w his comments, nice reading:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/arts/music/jon-pareless-top-10-albums-of-2012.html?src=un&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjson8.nytimes.com%2Fpages%2Farts%2Fmusic%2Findex.jsonp

Nate Chinen's Top 10---Truesdale's Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans mostly sounded really good at Newport---not that this is all jazz:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/arts/music/nate-chinens-top-10-albums-of-2012.html?_r=1&

Not jazz but oo-wee mama, oo-oo-wee:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/arts/music/jon-caramanicas-top-10-albums-of-2012.html

clem: "Take Care" didn't make my ballot because I included it last year but otherwise I agree: one of her (and his) few convincing performances.

Sorry for spamming but any interested parties have ~8 hours to submit a ballot in that prince among critics' polls: the ILM end-of-year poll!

http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Rock-Roll/The-Dean-s-List-2012/ba-p/9707

And of course his address to the troops, from an "outlier" now (welcome)
http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Rock-Roll/May-the-Consensus-Have-Consequences/ba-p/9709

lol @ him referring to "Dre's evolved jeep-beats" on the Kendrick album

Pink's The Truth About Love was on 10 Pazz & Jop ballots, which seems to have been driven primarily by Christgau's enthusiasm. her (far better) previous album Funhouse only got 1 vote in 2008 (wasn't me, which i regret -- at the time it was #14 on my list).

i'd like to see a lot more of Ka's Grief Pedigree on these lists

― alpine static, Wednesday, December 5, 2012 8:02 PM (8 months ago)

^^ was correct