Year-End Critics' Polls 2012

the world is fucked up & there are greater injustices

i realize thats a fallacious argument but eh

Ah, there's my ballot - sent to my old email address.

I voted in the prez election this year, might as well vote for P&J. Plus, Obama doesn't want to read my comments about him.

who is the morbz of pazz & jop

I'm not a voter, but I sure as hell wouldn't do anything to support the regime of a dude who doesn't even know the difference between shudders and shutters.

lol

"shutters" is seriously one of the saddest/funniest things I've ever read

suggest boycott

haha i really hope the ballot i just sent in goes through. if anyone's actually at the switch though, i highly doubt it will.

he sent me two ID numbers. concerned about potential counter-shenanigans

btw anyone who doesn't want to submit a ballot, I'll do one for you

xp The Guardian commenters have gone nuclear this year on the tracks thread. They think it's a disgrace and an embarrassment and all the songs sound the same and they want everyone who voted for them to resign. Even by EOY standards the hatefest is quite something.

it's amazing life-giving stuff. and i thought they couldn't top last year's outrage

"Those two ridiculous and unforgivable misjudgements mean that I will dismiss the rest of what you have to say about the music that I haven't heard."

OK then, take care, bye.

Kerrang! individual ballots for those of you looking to have your Enter Shikari and Papa Roach love justified: http://www.kerrang.com/blog/2012/12/the_kerrang_teams_top_10_album.html

dunno if they've done the overall poll yet or if there's any mileage in trying to work it out or if anyone cares or or or

If anyone's reading the Guardian and has a say over these things, I implore you to just let Tom Ewing put this post up in its entirety, with any relevant names updated for 2012:

http://tomewing.tumblr.com/post/14189168260/a-music-website-has-chosen-something-unacceptable-in

"this must be a joke right? In fact the entire list is embarrassing.....as for talk of innovative pop song etc....it's the very opposite so cliched and dull consequently..even the video is cliche....I kind of hope this is a joke because otherwise the entire music staff and the Guardian should go write for Smash Hits....thankfully I never ever read any music reviews on The Guardian and stick to UnCut......I now know why...."

"Remember it's the music 'business', thats all it's about 'business'. Forget 'creativity' forget 'art' forget 'expression' forget 'depth'. But do remember 'business'. Now how do you like your business served? Cold, calculated, clinical? Focus group music? Fine...then this list is all you need. Enjoy your business!"

"WTF is this list, is it meant as an ironic joke about the state of the music industry, thank god I was a teenager in the 70s, and not now, I feel so sorry for young people these days having to listen to such rubbish. This list should include Justin Beaver or whatever his name is. Total crap."

"task for guardian critics in 2013: get better taste, people are laughing at you.

I'm a proud musical snob, so do these things:

Listen to BBC 3's late junction at least once a week
Read Wire publication
When in London, go to Cafe Oto
Purchase Boomkat's single of the week
Avoid Fearne Cotton generally

Next year, your list should be engaging and free of indulgent pap."

Enjoy your business!

The EOY year lists tend to bring out curmudgeons that don't actually read / comment on the Guardian's music pages at any other time of the year. It's a mystery why they're so invested in it come December.

https://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=%22Justin+Beaver+or+whatever+his+name+is%22&oq=%22Justin+Beaver+or+whatever+his+name+is%22&gs_l=hp.3...84.1105.1.1831.3.3.0.0.0.1.458.1175.2-1j0j2.3.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.QY2WmRUZE_Y&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355325884,d.d2k&fp=a990c85c38ccdf8e&bpcl=39967673&biw=1143&bih=702

top result is a tweet by former Cardiff City defender Spencer Prior

Does bieber or biber not just mean beaver in German anyway?

The sad thing is that so many of them honestly can't distinguish between Rihanna/Savages/Plan B/TNGHT. They're so estranged from music, and often at a surprisingly young age, that they have to take out their frustration on new artists and anyone who likes them. They can't keep up but they won't let go so the only option is to blame someone else: "I don't listen to modern music not because I'm growing older but because it's all terrible." These people seem to really dig solo albums by ex-members of Britpop bands.

At least those ex-members still have souls and sing their own songs.

This commenter on the Channel Orange article has clearly seen through your scheming:

It's not a bad album...
but I get the impression that it's number 1 for reasons other than musical.

xp Makes you realise that outside of the ILX/music critic bubble the world of "serious" music fans is, and always will be, Rockism Central.

Resident Advisor - Top 20 Albums
http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1704

01. Voices from the Lake - Voices From the Lake [Prologue]
02. Actress - RIP [Honest Jon's]
03. John Talabot - fIN [Permanent Vacation]
04. Andy Stott - Luxury Problems [Modern Love]
05. Daphni - Jiaolong [Jiaolong]
06. Shackleton - Music for the Quiet Hour [Woe to the Septic Heart]
07. Vessel - Order of Noise [Tri Angle]
08. Shed - The Killer [50 Weapons]
09. Robert Hood - Motor: Nighttime World 3 [Music Man]
10. Barker & Baumecker - Transsektoral [Ostgut Ton]
11. Jam City - Classical Curves [Night Slugs]
12. Grimes - Visions [4AD]
13. Lee Gamble - Diversions 1994 - 1996 [PAN]
14. Recondite - On Acid [Acid Test]
15. Silent Servant - Negative Fascination [Hospital Productions]
16. Chromatics - Kill for Love [Italians Do It Better]
17. Ricardo Villalobos - Dependent and Happy [Perlon]
18. Smallpeople - Salty Days [Smallville]
19. Laurel Halo - Quarantine [Hyperdub]
20. Raime - Quarter Turns Over a Living Line [Blackest Ever Black]

01. Voices from the Lake - Voices From the Lake [Prologue]
03. John Talabot - fIN [Permanent Vacation]
04. Andy Stott - Luxury Problems [Modern Love]
05. Daphni - Jiaolong [Jiaolong]
15. Silent Servant - Negative Fascination [Hospital Productions]
18. Smallpeople - Salty Days [Smallville]

^^AWESOME

I just don't understand that Voices From The Lake album. Also i vastly preferred Andy Stott's stuff from last year

the Shed album is kind of on the verge of really doing it for me but I can't fully commit. might give it another go later

AV Club pick their least essential albums of 2012, boo to their number one choice http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-least-essential-albums-of-2012,89882/2/

How the hell have I never heard Ian Brown singing Thriller before?

AV Club gave "least essential album" to A*Teens two years in a row so i view it as a mark of distinction.

I had no idea that Fear album existed and that thing w/ Praga Khan sounds incredible so they can have a pass for being smooth rong re: Farrah A

wtf this sounds nothing like Injected With A Poison, it's just some douchery. BOOOOOOOOOOO

That Robert Hood album is great as well although you don't read Resident Advisor for their album reviews really.

cosign on the Robert Hood

I need to give that Andy Stott album another go, I found it a bit dense and smokey when I first listened to it.

xp Makes you realise that outside of the ILX/music critic bubble the world of "serious" music fans is, and always will be, Rockism Central.

in a paper like the guardian's comments, definitely, but there are lots of music fans who are quite open minded without being ilx types or music critics. don't you guys have friends who you give tips to who like good things but seldom hunt them down themselves? a lot of my old friends are like this.

and of course, as ever, the pleased person or the person who politely agrees or enjoyed a piece, they don't even bother commenting.

been meaning to check that Robert Hood album out, I shall give it a go.

^^^ boring posts of our time

Actually there are quite a few positive comments (and ironic expressions of outrage) on that thread.

I dunno though the neanderthal lad-rock hanger on who thinks Ian Brown is god is still a significant and vocal demographic, they just don't have very much to latch onto now.

NPR listener top 50:

Mumford & Sons, Babel
Of Monsters And Men, My Head Is An Animal
Alabama Shakes, Boys And Girls
Jack White, Blunderbuss
Grizzly Bear, Shields
The Lumineers, The Lumineers
Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
Beach House, Bloom
The xx, Coexist
Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel...
fun., Some Nights
The Avett Brothers, The Carpenter
Japandroids, Celebration Rock
Regina Spektor, What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
Passion Pit, Gossamer
Andrew Bird, Break It Yourself
Cat Power, Sun
The Shins, Port Of Morrow
First Aid Kit, The Lion's Roar
Tame Impala, Lonerism
The Tallest Man On Earth, There's No Leaving Now
Dirty Projectors, Swing Lo Magellan
Alt-J, An Awesome Wave
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, The Heist
Kendrick Lamar, good kid, M.A.A.D. city
Gotye, Making Mirrors
Grimes, Visions
Lana Del Rey, Born To Die
Kishi Bashi, 151a
David Byrne & St. Vincent, Love This Giant
Sharon Van Etten, Tramp
Sigur Ros, Valtari
Leonard Cohen, Old Ideas
Bruce Springsteen, Wrecking Ball
Father John Misty, Fear Fun
Amanda Palmer, Theatre Is Evil
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Here
Norah Jones, Little Broken Hearts
Purity Ring, Shrines
Bob Dylan, Tempest
The Mountain Goats, Transcendental Youth
Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Psychedelic Pill
Best Coast, The Only Place
Santigold, Master Of My Make-Believe
The Walkmen, Heaven
Sleigh Bells, Reign Of Terror
Cloud Nothings, Attack On Memory
Bat For Lashes, The Haunted Man
Band Of Horses, Mirage Rock
M. Ward, A Wasteland Companion

fun list

I need to give that Andy Stott album another go, I found it a bit dense and smokey when I first listened to it.

I'm not 100% into it - some bits do feel like a drag but there's a few tracks where he switches things up and throws in an extra ingredient like a slight increase in tempo or something and those songs are just spellbinding for me.

Claro Intelecto should have made the list imo, that album sounded gorgeous in the summer and now it sounds perfect in the winter, such a spacious and detailed record.

I gave the Beach House album another listen today. I liked a lot of the songs, although after about 8 of them they do seem to melt into one. It does take its cues from the Cocteaus (although I did admittedly exaggerate their facsimiliousness (word?) upthread); I can see why people think she could be a male singer although that's not the impression I get. And I still couldn't make out more than a couple of lyrics on the whole album, the way the vocals are mixed.

and of course, as ever, the pleased person or the person who politely agrees or enjoyed a piece, they don't even bother commenting.

― Heterocyclic ring ring (LocalGarda), Friday, December 14, 2012 11:40 AM (21 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this is u+k esp in regard to all the tools on there giving it the big YOU'RE LOSING YOUR READERSHIP spiel. there may well be a stack of reasons why the paper is losing its readership but I doubt writing with earnest positivity about music enjoyed by young people is that high up the list