Year-End Critics' Polls 2012

2012 has been a great year for ambient music. Less melodramatic major chords, more lite relaxed sounds.

But seriously, don't fuck with juggalos

spin rap list is great, cool to see a bunch of albums i've never heard of

Yah I enjoyed it as well.

Spin's top tracks:

40 KATY B, FEAT. JESSIE WARE - "AALIYAH"
39 SAVAGES - "HUSBANDS"
38 HOLOGRAMS - "CHASING MY MIND"
37 MYSTIKAL - "HIT ME"
36 FATHER JOHN MISTY - "HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY SINGS"
35 FRANKIE ROSE - "INTERSTELLAR"
34 TAYLOR SWIFT - "I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE"
33 SANTIGOLD - "DISPARATE YOUTH"
32 R. KELLY - "WHEN A MAN LIES"
31 SKY FERREIRA - "EVERYTHING IS EMBARRASSING"
30 JUICY J - "BANDZ A MAKE HER DANCE"
29 NICKI MINAJ - "BEEZ IN THE TRAP"
28 CHAIRLIFT - "I BELONG IN YOUR ARMS"
27 FUTURE - "SAME DAMN TIME"
26 KATY PERRY - "WIDE AWAKE"
25 A$AP ROCKY, FEAT. 2 CHAINZ, DRAKE, AND KENDRICK LAMAR - "FUCKIN' PROBLEM"
24 CAT POWER - "CHEROKEE (NICOLAS JAAR REMIX)"
23 SWANS - "THE SEER
22 METRIC - "BREATHING UNDERWATER"
21 JACK WHITE - "SIXTEEN SALTINES"
20 KATHLEEN EDWARDS - "CHANGE THE SHEETS"
19 FIONA APPLE - "EVERY SINGLE NIGHT"
18 Y.N.RICHKIDS - "HOT CHEETOS & TAKIS"
17 ANGEL HAZE - "CLEANING OUT MY CLOSET"
16 PLAN B - "ILL MANORS"
15 GRIMES - "OBLIVION"
14 JESSIE WARE - "RUNNING (DISCLOSURE REMIX)"
13 TORCHE - "KISS ME DUDELY"
12 AZEALIA BANKS - "JUMANJI"
11 USHER - "CLIMAX"
10 SOLANGE - "LOSING YOU"
9 SLEIGH BELLS - COMEBACK KID"
8 PSY - "GANGNAM STYLE"
7 CARLY RAE JEPSEN - "CALL ME MAYBE (SEKUOIA LOL MIX)"
6 MIGUEL - "ADORN"
5 BAT FOR LASHES - "LAURA"
4 KENDRICK LAMAR - "SWIMMING POOLS (DRANK)"
3 FRANK OCEAN - "BAD RELIGION"
2 JAPANDROIDS - "THE HOUSE THAT HEAVEN BUILT"
1 G.O.O.D. MUSIC, FEAT. KANYE WEST, BIG SEAN, PUSHA T, AND 2 CHAINZ - "MERCY"

7 CARLY RAE JEPSEN - "CALL ME MAYBE (SEKUOIA LOL MIX)"

good crit-trolling

mercy is so boring

Wide Awake?! WIDE AWAKE?!?

I only have a cursory knowledge of Torche, but I applaud them for recording a song named "Kiss Me Dudely" that is notable enough to make a list in a major publication.

torche is 1/3rd of the Triple C's

40 KATY B, FEAT. JESSIE WARE - "AALIYAH"
37 MYSTIKAL - "HIT ME"

Was this list finalised five minutes ago or...?

14 JESSIE WARE - "RUNNING (DISCLOSURE REMIX)"

Nice work!

xpost what are the Triple C's?

Triple C's, also known as Carol City Cartel, is a Southern hip hop group founded by Rick Ross. It includes members Gunplay from Miami, Torch (born Kevin Belnavis) from the Bronx, New York, and Young Breed.

you didn't ask for mine, but it's here, with lots of downloads, if you're curious:
http://www.saidthegramophone.com/archives/best_songs_of_2012.php

01 - Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe"
02 - Miguel - "Gravity"
03 - The Mouthbreathers - "Birthdays"
04 - Usher - "Climax"
05 - Brianna Perry - "Marilyn Monroe"
06 - Avec pas d'casque - "Intuition #1"
07 - Taylor Swift - "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"
08 - Jessie Ware - "110%"
09 - Plan B - "ill Manors"
10 - Eternal Summers - "Millions"
11 - Andy Stott - "Numb"
12 - MIA - "Bad Girls"
13 - BJ the Chicago Kid ft Kendrick Lamar - "His Pain"
14 - Solange - "Losing You"
15 - Damien Jurado - "Museum of Flight"
16 - Frank Ocean - "Thinkin Bout You (Ryan Hemsworth Bootleg)"
17 - Plants and Animals - "The End of That"
18 - Neal Morgan - "Fathers Day"
19 - Big Sean ft Jay-Z and Kanye West - "Clique"
20 - Chromatics - "Lady"
21 - James Irwin - "Needleye"
22 - Neneh Cherry and the Thing - "Dream Baby Dream"
23 - Micachu and the Shapes - "Nothing"
24 - Kendrick Lamar - "The Recipe (feat. Dr. Dre)"
25 - How To Dress Well - "It Was U"
26 - Joey Bada$$ - "World Domination"
27 - Dirty Projectors - "Impregnable Question"
28 - Purity Ring - "Obedear"
29 - PSY - "Gangnam Style"
30 - Sonny and the Sunsets - "Pretend You Love Me"
31 - Nap Eyes - "White Disciple"
32 - Flying Lotus ft Captain Murphy and Earl Sweatshirt - "Between Friends"
33 - Bonnie Prince Billy - "I See A Darkness
34 - Milk Teddy - "Come Around"
35 - Peter Peter - "Une version améliorée de la tristesse"
36 - Japandroids - "The House that Heaven Built"
37 - Darq E Freaker ft Danny Brown - "Blueberry"
38 - Tune-yards + Angelique Kidjo + Ahmir '?uestlove' Thompson + Akua Naru - "Lady"
39 - JLS - "Hottest Girl in the World"
40 - Zigi ft Sonniballi - "Amanda"
41 - Chris Malinchak - "So Good To Me"
42 - Zebra Katz ft Njena Reddd Foxxx - "Ima Read"
43 - Chris Cohen - "Heart Beat"
44 - White+ - "Red+"
45 - Fiona Apple - "Hot Knife"
46 - PS I Love You - "Princess Towers"
47 - Major Lazer ft Amber Coffman - "Get Free"
48 - Karneef - "We Found Money"
49 - The-Dream ft Pusha T - "Dope Chick"
50 - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft Mary Lambert - "Same Love"
51 - Nicki Minaj ft 2 Chainz - "Beez in the Trap"
52 - Freelove Fenner - "Mint"
53 - Schoolboy Q - "There He Go"
54 - The Hood Internet x Ma$e x Diddy x Notorious BIG x Penguin Prison - "Fuck With Mo' Money"
55 - Eric Chenaux - "Dull Lights"
56 - Azealia Banks - "Fuck Up The Fun"
57 - Pat Jordache - "Steps (Damaged Goods)"
58 - Adam and the Amethysts - "Drinking in LA"
59 - The Doozies - "Independence Day"
60 - Thee Oh Sees - "So Nice"
61 - Bernice - "Reve General"
62 - Here We Go Magic - "How Do I Know"
63 - Arlt - "Tu m'as encore crevé un cheval"
64 - The Luyas - "Fifty Fifty"
65 - Jai Paul - "Jasmine"
66 - Way Yes - "Important
67 - Tomas Barfod ft Nina Kinert - "November Skies"
68 - Killer Mike - "RAP Music"
69 - Rose Cousins - "For The Best"
70 - Alt-J - "Tessellate"
71 - Olu Maintain - "NAWTi"
72 - Justin Bieber - "Die In Your Arms"
73 - Willis Earl Beal - "Evening's Kiss"
74 - Amanda Palmer - "Melody Dean"
75 - Young Galaxy - "Youth Is Wasted On The Young"
76 - Katy B ft Jessie Ware - "Aaliyah"
77 - Adam Torres - "Mountain River"
78 - Kitty Pryde - "okay cupid"
79 - Grizzly Bear - "Yet Again"
80 - Rufus Wainwright - "Sometimes You Need"
81 - Guru - "Lapaz Toyota"
82 - Django Django - "Life's a Beach"
83 - Parlovr - "You Only Want It 'Cause You're Lonely"
84 - Father John Misty - "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings"
85 - Heartless Bastards - "Marathon"
86 - Gros Mené - "Vénus"
87 - Icona Pop - "I Love It"
88 - White Label - "Roberta"
89 - Tallest Man in the World - "To Just Grow Away"
90 - Death Grips - "I've Seen Footage"
91 - Isaac Delusion - "Early Morning"
92 - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - "That's What's Up"
93 - Bankrobber - "Soon"
94 - Cat Power - "Manhattan"
95 - Sean Price - "Bar-Barian"
96 - CHVRCHES - "The Mother We Share"
97 - Mirel Wagner - "No Death"
98 - Oregon Bike Trails - "A Summer Thing"
99 - Blue Meanies - "Opossom"
100 - Fresh and Onlys - "Long Slow Dance

what a horribly formed "joke"

that was directed at d-40 btw

2012 was a good year for pop and ilm-ey stuff

Sean's is the only other list I exect to see "Die in Your Arms" on aside from mine.

for all the talk of hipsters loving chief keef the only lists he's made were the Wire & kanye's horrible 'i dont like remix' making it to popdust

gramaphone list definitely on point

for all the talk of hipsters loving chief keef the only lists he's made were the Wire & kanye's horrible 'i dont like remix' making it to popdust

― D-40, Wednesday, December 12, 2012 1:33 AM (27 minutes ago) Bookmark

and your magazine

that's that crit i don't like

and your magazine

― J0rdan S., Wednesday, December 12, 2012 1:00 AM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

ahh yes, no one posted that itt tho

that's that crit i don't like

― she was giving it to two friends ...Aaay! (crüt), Wednesday, December 12, 2012 1:04 AM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

nice, you should definitely write an article about keef so you can work that in to the kicker

24 CAT POWER - "CHEROKEE (NICOLAS JAAR REMIX)"

nice to see this get recognised!

the original of "running" > the disclosure remix

the only ware remix i prefer to the original is joe goddard's astonishing version of "night light"

solange is generally so terrible these days

not that i think this will change your mind BUT the jimmy fallon performance of "losing you" was absolutely incredible i thought, you should look it up

i watched ciara's fallon performance of "got that good" instead and was happy with my choice, as that's the way superior song

hmm i have no idea what that is

kimmel, not fallon. i don't know the difference between your tv people

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsnxqNfR24Y

<3

s0 much better than solange doing a manic pixie dream girl dance or whatever she did

i...... don't think that's a thing, but okay

all indie girls dance like ciara now anyway

the only thing i've heard this year that reminded me of Cocteaus = around half of the Sleigh Bells LP

I remember thinking of the Cocteaus -- or specifically, Liz's singing -- when I listened to the Poliça album. Not that the voice really sounded alike, but there was something similar in its use and treatment -- the multitracks with small variations / delayed entries / deviations, tiny flourishes at various points, etc.

I've only heard the album once, though, so pinch, salt etc.

NYT critics lists out

Jon Caramanica: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/arts/music/jon-caramanicas-top-10-albums-of-2012.html?smid=tw-nytimesmusic&seid=auto

Ben Ratliff: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/arts/music/ben-ratliffs-top-10-albums-of-2012.html?smid=tw-nytimesmusic&seid=auto

I'm a big fan of the Beach House album, and while Cocteau Twins are definitely an influence on it, I hardly think BH is ripping them off, especially not with the vocals.

If Beach House sounds like anything really specific, it's probably The Motels "Suddenly Last Summer".

oh also Jon Pareles: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/arts/music/jon-pareless-top-10-albums-of-2012.html?_r=0

Nate Chinen: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/arts/music/nate-chinens-top-10-albums-of-2012.html

xpost

Times lists:

Caramanica: haven't heard any; would give Lee Brice a listen.
Ratliff: have heard half (1,2,3,6,7,9); loved the Jeremy Pelt album, liked Nazoranai, was disappointed by the others (I saw Ravi Coltrane live this year and he was excellent - different band than either of the ones heard on the album, though).
Pareles: have heard 3 (2,3,6); liked the Alabama Shakes record a lot, though at least one or two of the songs could really have used a horn section; thought the Dylan album was much weaker than the one before it, and can't even remember what the Fiona Apple album sounded like.
Chinen: have heard 6 (1,2,3,6,8,9); lots of overlap with Ratliff's list and the ones that are unique to him, I didn't really like; I've heard much better Tim Berne albums than this year's. Gonna check out the Yosvany Terry album, though - I've heard three really good 2012 Criss Cross releases this month. They're a label that really needs a US publicist.

emeli sandé is a curveball for anyone to put at number ONE

Caramanica: haven't heard any; would give Lee Brice a listen.

thanks for the update, breh, we were on the edges of our seats

Lee Brice's "Woman Like You" is one of my fav country singles of the year but it is howlingly cheesy, ilx would be repulsed by it

there really are some consensus rap records this year huh

the beauty of tokenism is that once there's one anointed masterpiece you don't even have to bother listening to any other icky rap albums

given that at least one publication ranks an ICP album as one of the 40 best hip-hop albums released this year, there may not be as many non-icky rap albums out there as your sarcasm implies

:)

the only thing i've heard this year that reminded me of Cocteaus = around half of the Sleigh Bells LP

I remember thinking of the Cocteaus -- or specifically, Liz's singing -- when I listened to the Poliça album. Not that the voice really sounded alike, but there was something similar in its use and treatment -- the multitracks with small variations / delayed entries / deviations, tiny flourishes at various points, etc.

I've only heard the album once, though, so pinch, salt etc.

― anatol_merklich, Wednesday, 12 December 2012 14:41 (48 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I guess I'm just getting ever so ever so tired of this singular aesthetic involving indistinct shoegazey/chillwavey sounds + dreamy detached female vocals that land somewhere on a grid between The Knife, Dirty Projectors, the XX, with an optional r'n'b "influence" thrown in for "variety". Obviously I do like a lot of these acts to differing extents, but there's such a glut of these that they all turn into one big Melody's Twinbeach Chairgang Polica Houselift, and I'm starting to feel significantly averse to stuff that sounds like this.

there are many adjectives that come to mind when I think of the female vocals in The Knife and Dirty Projectors; "detached" and "dreamy" are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down at the bottom of that list if they are there at all, somewhere behind "jazzy" and "gospel-like"

melody's echo chamber sounds literally nothing like the knife in any sense. or the xx for that matter. the knife and the xx sound nothing like each other!

btw Whiney, I'm listening to The Mighty Death Pop thanks to that list and this is the first album they've put out in years that I've found even halfway reminiscent of The Ringmaster/Riddle Box, so lol/hat tip

thx man.

Everyone on ILX should listen to and love the song where they imagine going to the Gammies and killing Chris Brown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8-_OFVFCjg

Grammys