Year-End Critics' Polls 2012

the only issue i have with the ewan pearson remix is that he retains and indeed emphasises the dodgy male rap - otherwise it's lovely (and yes, the original "no to love" is whatever)

Somehow the 80s dance references in the remix make the rap charming to me, because it's dodgy in a very old-fashioned way.

Also I've paid minimal attention this year and freely admit I have zero authority on this subject but I found the monochrome sluggishness of a lot of the beats in the upper reaches of that Cocaine Blunts list a real drag to get through.

some kind soul has compiled The Martorialist's list too. It's a bit more fun i think

http://themartorialist.blogspot.ie/2012/12/rap-game-joey-bartons-pigeon-french_18.html

XLR8R's Best Releases of 2012
Part One 40-21: http://www.xlr8r.com/features/2012/12/xlr8rs-best-2012-releases-part-o
Part Two 20-1: http://www.xlr8r.com/features/2012/12/xlr8rs-best-2012-releases-part-t

40. DJ Rashad - TEKLIFE Vol. 1: Welcome to the Chi (Lit City)
39. Bandshell - Dust March EP (Hessle)
38. Pinch - Fabriclive 61 (Fabric)
37. Objekt - "Cactus" b/w "Porcupine" (Hessle)
36. Sigha - Living with Ghosts (Hotflush)
35. Tevo Howard - Monument EP (Buzzin' Fly)
34. J. Alvarez - Overseas Highway EP (HypeLTD)
33. Disclosure - The Face EP (Greco-Roman)
32. Oneman - Fabriclive 64 (Fabric)
31. Anenon - Acquiescence EP (Non Projects)
30. Bicep - Vision of Love EP (Feel My Bicep)
29. Todd Edwards - Shall Go EP (Body High)
28. Drexciya - Journey of the Deep Sea Dweller (Clone)
27. oOoOO - Our Loving is Hurting Us EP (Tri Angle)
26. Benjamin Damage and Doc Daneeka - They!Live (50Weapons)
25. Ben Klock - Fabric 66 (Fabric)
24. L-Vis 1990 - Club Constructions Vol. 1 (Night Slugs)
23. Joy O & Boddika - "Froth" b/w "Mercy" (SunkLo)
22. Redshape - "Throw in Dirt" b/w "The Land" (3024)
21. Grimes - Visions (4AD)
20. Gerry Read - Jummy (Fourth Wave)
19. Mike Huckaby - The Tresor EP (Tresor)
18. Shed - The Killer (50Weapons)
17. Emeralds - Just to Feel Anything (Editions Mego)
16. Andy Stott - Luxury Problems (Modern Love)
15. Nautiluss - Habitat EP (Turbo)
14. Daphni - Jiaolong (Merge)
13. Holy Other - Held (Tri Angle)
12. Todd Terje - It's the Arps EP (Smalltown Supersound)
11. Chromatics - Kill for Love (Italians Do It Better)
10. Vessel - Order of Noise (Tri Angle)
9. Levon Vincent - Fabric 63 (Fabric)
8. Jacques Greene - Ready EP (3024)
7. Untold - Change in a Dynamic Environment (Hemlock)
6. Barker & Baumecker - Transsektoral (Ostgut Ton)
5. Mala - Mala in Cuba (Brownswood)
4. Four Tet - Pink (Text)
3. Actress - R.I.P. (Honest Jon's)
2. Simian Mobile Disco - Unpatterns (Wichita)
1. John Talabot - ƒIN (Permanent Vacation)

Also I've paid minimal attention this year and freely admit I have zero authority on this subject but I found the monochrome sluggishness of a lot of the beats in the upper reaches of that Cocaine Blunts list a real drag to get through.

― Matt DC, Thursday, December 20, 2012 11:06 AM (32 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

and i found the "jazzy" Ab-Soul song to be super lame, was cool with the other stuff mostly

12. Todd Terje
It's the Arps EP
(Smalltown Supersound)
"This little project was a result of me wanting to justify my purchase of a ARP2600, which cost a bit on the second-hand market. My rule was to use no samples, only sounds generated from this machine such as kicks, snares, hats, basslines, melodies, etc. It's funny to see the reaction to 'Inspector Norse' when I play it out, and it makes me laugh and think, 'Yeah, you girls don't know just how nerdy this song really is.' Nerds one, jocks nil." - Todd Terje

no hate for the disclosure remix at all, it's fun, but the original is the one that really conveys the epic OTT drama perfectly

AGREED

What got me into the Disclosure remix was seeing Jessie Ware sing it live, on that C4 non-stop all-night DJ marathon thingy, at the end of the Annie Mac set. (Which is as close to "in situ" as I'm likely to get at this time of life, sigh.) So I don't have any issues over whether the vocals sit right with the track.

Baltimore Sun's top 10 albums:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/music/chi-20121207-best-albums-music-pictures,0,6772301.photogallery

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2012/12/ten_best_noise_tracks_2012.php

Disclosure remix of "Running" is not about the OTT drama at all, I agree, it's just consummate bouncing. The ear-tickling beat is so pretty yet compulsive, the way it dovetails with the synth chords and (yes) the slightly shrill sped up vocals. I wouldn't want them to be more robust.

Always makes me flash back to listening to DJ Q sets at the beginning of the year.

Al is that the SUN list or the Sun Times list?

oh yeah, the byline is Greg Kot from the Chicago Tribune, guess it's just syndicated content :(

no hate for the disclosure remix at all, it's fun, but the original is the one that really conveys the epic OTT drama perfectly

AGREED

― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, December 20, 2012 9:46 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah like tim says the goal of the disclosure remix is very different. on my annual summer mix (the night edition) i put the original and the remix back to back and it really set off some house parties people... legit started dancing, it was great

and i found the "jazzy" Ab-Soul song to be super lame, was cool with the other stuff mostly

― 2 Celloz (some dude), Thursday, December 20, 2012 8:40 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

man, that's the most heartbreaking and emotional rap song of the year

Rob Sheffield's singles list.

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/blogs/pop-life/the-top-25-songs-of-2012-20121220

gotta admit he still makes me lol with buildups like "It's strange how much Leonard Cohen and David Lee Roth have in common"

i have no context for whatever that song is about, i'm just saying i didn't dig the sound of it (xp)

his gf's suicide

sheffield's "mercy" blurb that taunts the first half of a couplet without acknowledging the second half is so obnoxious

not that it's a great line or anything but you have to bend over backwards to make fun of it the way he does

can't even listen to the f.ocean alb cuz the cover looks like an orange ad

did they fund its recording?

i think a car company paid for "nostalgia ultra" too

really disappointed for the lack of blondes' s/t. even not on RA's list! is it because it's like a compilation of singles? or just simply because people wasn't really into it?

every time I see the name Blondes I think their an indie band even tho I know better

*weren't

xp Don't blame you: there's the Long Blondes, Blonde Redhead...

Little White Earbuds - Top Tracks 2012
http://www.littlewhiteearbuds.com/chart/lwes-top-25-tracks-of-2012-21-25/#.UNQodHfoElQ

01. Andrés, “New For U”
02. Todd Terje, “Inspector Norse”
03. Joy Orbison, “Ellipsis”
04. Anthony Naples, “Mad Disrespect”
05. Head High, “Rave” (Dirt Mix)
06. Frak, “666″
07. Bookworms, “African Rhythms”
08. October, “String Theory (Feat. Borai)”
09. Burial, “Kindred”
10. Real Cool, “What About Our Weekend Adam?”

kendrick tops p4k poll

Ocean second, Apple third.

Yeaah! The Rashad album certainly deserves to top a few lists.

every time I see the name Blondes I think their an indie band even tho I know better

i didn't check it out for a while because i thought this but i was wrong & missing out, and currently you are wrong & missing out

I'm not sure Rev would like Blondes really, that album was okay but 'Wine' is the only one I want to go back to with any regularity.

That one track is amazing obviously but it's kind of the perfection of an aesthetic and the rest is basically the same but not as good.

i still can't tell the difference between any of them, they all sound exactly the same in a fantastic way - it's just 50 mins of dazzling, completely distinct sounds

Thank god ocean didn't top p4k

the bicep remix on the flip is ace, too. so overlooked

I love the first track on the Blondes album (Lovers?) with all the tribal chanting.

Pitchfork albums list isn't terrible actually.

isn't it just a slightly shuffled version of every other list?

Solid list. Surprised to see Spiritualized and Ariel Pink in there and I still don't see what's special about Chromatics but that's about it. Kendrick's a deserving #1.

It's usually eyerollingly terrible but I suppose this year's consensus indie picks haven't been as lame as recent years.

There's also the factor of it coming out relatively late - only P&J and ILX to follow - so nothing seems very surprising.

the stench of "credible" "positioning" has been partic strong this year, across the board. it's been a good year for PRs.

I know you've been waiting for this...

Zane Lowe's 100 Hottest Records
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01p7n4x

25 Lucy Rose - Lines
24 Howard Oats - In The Water (BBC Session 31/01/2012)
23 Peace - Bloodshake
22 Spector - Celestine
20 Bat for Lashes - Laura
19 Deadmau5 - Professional Griefers (feat. Gerard Way)
18 Lostprophets - Bring ‘Em Down
17 Blur - Under The Westway
16 Porter Robinson - Language
15 The Killers - Runaways
14 Biffy Clyro - Stingin’ Belle
13 Rudimental - Feel The Love (feat. John Newman)
12 The Vaccines - No Hope
11 Lower Than Atlantis - If The World Was To End
10 Muse - Survival
9 Feed Me & Crystal Fighters - Love Is All I Got
8 Muse - Madness
7 Skrillex - Breakn’ A Sweat (Zedd Remix)
6 MONSTA - Holdin’ On (Skrillex & Nero Remix)
5 Enter Shikari - Arguing With Thermometers
4 Swedish House Mafia - Don’t You Worry Child (feat. John Martin)
3 Foals - Inhaler
2 Green Day - Kill The DJ
1 Sebastian Ingrosso & Alesso - Calling

#18 a nice consolation for Ian Watkins there

I sense Zane is somewhat adrift

bragging rights on nonce wing xp