ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2012

so glad that gy!be made it. Never would have expected them to place so high. It really is their best album.

I had lost all hope of seeing iamamiwhoami make the list after we'd already had Niki & The Dove, Purity Ring, Bat For Lashes, Chairlift, and School Of Seven Bells. But you got it right ILM, it is a better record than all of those!

purity rings live show /is/ good; just sucked that when I saw them she went out of tune for the second half

dodgy monitoring or summat

also midi lightbulbs

SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS - another on my ballot; i was initially disappointed by this because the weakest tracks are at the start (and they're weak in a SVIIB-by-numbers kind of way, which is the most dispiriting), but it's definitely an album that gets better and better as it goes on. i appreciate the sheen that increases with every album - the best songs here are the really uptempo, propulsive ones where you feel like you're lost in a storm or wind machine or something: white wind, scavenger, low times. weirdly enough though i think the SVIIB track that most resonated emotionally with me in 2012 wasn't on the album, it was their cover of a terrible rock-era lil wayne song, how to love. i am also baffled by the way no one outside ilx appears to give a shit about SVIIB - like, i don't think anyone else at the guardian reps for them! i'm like, this is my token indie record y'all, do i still have to be out on my own?

30. TAME IMPALA - still don't see the point
29. MUNGOLIAN JETSET - went back to this in light of "toccata" surprising me so pleasantly on the trax poll. much better than i remember - loses its way when the wackiness creeps in but they hold off on that for the most part
28. IAMAMIWHOAMI - keep meaning to actually give her a try but i think i'm still not over my disappointment that she wasn't christina aguilera, disappointment that has only been compounded by xtina's actual career being such an ongoing mess
27. SAINT ETIENNE - loved hearing my friends named in song <3 i didn't vote for this or listen to it much, but saint etienne are so patently a great thing, i'm suspicious of anyone who doesn't see this
26. HOT CHIP - this is the album that made me move them out of the "unexciting journeymen whose albums i listen to out of a sense of duty based on that one jam they had 7 years ago and never rise above average" box to "actually i kinda hate these guys and especially the singer". joe goddard has really come into his own as a producer/remixer though.
25. BEACH HOUSE - i still neither know nor care about the difference between these people and best coast
24. ACTRESS - all actress music i've heard has been like listening to paint dry. NOTHING HAPPENS.
23. BURIAL - i guess i'll give it a pass despite only consisting of 3 tracks as they clock in at over half an hour. i don't see this as a notable or landmark release even on burial's own nothingy terms though. sub out for skrillex please.
22. JULIA HOLTER - i really didn't get this album but there was enough craft going on to make me think the problem was me rather than her. just couldn't find a way in though. if i was a julia holter fan i would be so mad at grimes getting all the hype.
21. GYBE - lol they still exist? these people are just a punchline with which i mock certain friends of mine for their awful music taste 10 years ago. i think when i was in university i wrote an article comparing them negatively to destiny's child (i think about 50% of what i wrote for the university newspaper in 2001 was basically "comparing indie sacred cows negatively to destiny's child", setting the tone for my career tbh)

the burial vs talabot argument upthread is odd, but to me burial's focus on making you ~feel emotion~ comes across as very heavy-handed, like at every point you can never escape the exact emotion he's trying to drive home relentlessly, and it's not actually a very interesting emotion. with talabot it's almost like the emotion is a secondary by-product - like it hits you almost without you realising at first

I cooled on Smalhans quite quickly. It's decent in a functional kind of way but it doesn't have the charm or the tunes of WYGIGT for me.

― questino (seandalai), Thursday, January 31, 2013 12:34 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

agree with this btw - don't object to hearing it and it's lots of fun to dance to in a club but it had diminishing returns. top 20 but not top 10 is my guess.

really hoping for taylor and farrah to be top 10, and dawn to be top 5. fairly sure miguel will win - there seems to be way more enthusiasm for him on ilm than frank ocean (who i think is his nearest competitor)

Miguel is the biggest cert ever. Farrah will be top 10

28. IAMAMIWHOAMI - keep meaning to actually give her a try but i think i'm still not over my disappointment that she wasn't christina aguilera, disappointment that has only been compounded by xtina's actual career being such an ongoing mess

Just curious, why would you think it's Christina?

2 years ago, when iamamiwhoami released a series of viral-ish videos, internet speculation decided it was xtina going for a new direction.

when mysterious snippets under that name first started getting circulated, for some reason (maybe because they looked like trailers? maybe because they got widespread attention despite not being proper songs? i can't remember) it was widely supposed it was an alias for a big pop star about to make a comeback - xtina's name was at the top of most of those lists. then she came back with the massively disappointing bionic and iamamiwhoami turned to be a random girl no one had heard of.

xp yes

24. ACTRESS - all actress music i've heard has been like listening to paint dry. NOTHING HAPPENS.

Haha, I like Actress (not so much this album), but this is weirdly OTM. It is like watching paint dry, except in complete and total immersive detail - noticing the nuance of every brushstroke, every dip and valley of the grain, the way the lacquer changes from shiny to matte, and somehow deriving some strange introspective pleasure from this like the guy who goes on Obetroll trips in DFW's 'The Pale King'. Not for everyone, granted.

Lots of electronic producers work on that microscopic level though. Don't quite get what is quite so beguiling about this Actress record ahead of everyone else.

Julia Holter and Grimes have nothing to do with one another, nods to an artfulness aside.

This (from the previous album) is his pinnacle so far IMO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0FmZReUWXU - I'm still in awe of how it's supposed to be a so-called 'study' on Prince's Erotic City. I really like that idea.

I usually want Actress tracks to have more/any progression (altho things like 'N.E.W.' are beautiful and don't need anything extra) or for him to balance the LPs out with more 'fun' stuff like 'Always Human' from the previous one or just faster trippier stuff like 'Holy Water' but instead of any of this his focus seems to be on these intricate yet idle sound sketches and with most of them it's really hard to see why one should be 2 minutes long and another 6.

Got quite a lot out of the Vessel album this year, which reminded me a lot of tracks like Always Human.

Clearly re: actress there is enough happening - just no release/tension dynamic, but actress don't seem interested in that.

A lot of negatives around watching paint dry - but its a non-criticism in this case as Actress are clearly selecting paints made of oils with specific drying times and is into thorough testing of these. I'm all for it.

The whole Coldplay of Dance discussion is pretty funny given 2012 gave us an actual Resident Advisor-credible dance track that actually sounded like Coldplay, although Ame obviously aren't the Coldplay of Dance.

I don't think there has actually been a Coldplay of Dance yet although we're at most 2-4 years away from one, someone somewhere will make a boatload of money combining EDM stadium bluster with with emotional neediness/"feelings". Makes a bit more sense if you think of Deadmau5 as the U2 of Dance.

The Vessel album is great, it took me a while to get into it. It's got a nice balance of abrasive/blissed out sounds and I love dubby techno. I really loved the Luke Hess album as well, both of these I preferred to Actress. But I voted for The Lord's Grafitti in the tracks poll, just wished there was more of that on his album.

If anything's pointing the way then it's those Skrillex tracks that sound like Burial mixed with 90s coffee dance.

there's always been a coldplay element to much dance music

That would make Burial the Geneva of dance music.

Xpost

Who are the Pigeon Detectives of dance music?

For signposting purposes Burial can be the Radiohead of dance music which doesn't quite work for profile or range reasons but will have to do.

By the way if anyone with production skills wants to go out there and make fuckloads of money combining stadium EDM with blubstep then I will accept 30% of earnings for the idea so I can just sit about on a beach for the rest of my life.

I'm frightened of this.

Were Sunship the House of Love of dance music?

aren't people like C&S and Nero already close enough to this concept? it's all stadium blubstep at least...i guess they just need to incorporate that crucial 4-4 Alice Deejay element ugh

Not *sensitive* enough dude.

'Finale' by Madeon is totally Coldplaystep - it's not whiny or anything but the singer does sound a lot like Martin at times. I only heard it because it's on FIFA13 honest.

I think the sound I'm getting at would be equal parts Deadmau5, M83 and I dunno Jacques Greene or someone.

Maybe throw some post-Digital Love sad robots in there as well.

I've enjoyed most of the new things that this thread has made me check out, but jesus christ that wild nothing alb is unforgivable

great to see the cherry thing place, hopes of also seeing bill fay and fushitsusha are fading fast

Didn't James Blake have a pop at this a while back? Too leftfield I guess. He missed a trick.

James Blake had the mopeyness and sensitivity down but not the bombast.

<i>but jesus christ that wild nothing alb is unforgivable</i>

No way, that's one of my favorites! :(

Pull up a seat...starting up in 10

blubstep

^ gold star

Gribowitz (Lynskey) wrote this on thread what are all the subgenres/offshoots etc of UK garage? and how do you ID them? on board I Love Music on Oct 22, 2004

Shudderstep - bars of usual 4/4 garage are 'shuddered' every 4th bar using Pro Tools. No vocals, became popular in Croydon between March and April last year

Gitstep - Mainly a dance (done in clubs), wherein people tread randomly on each others feet (occasionally the shin)

Flange - Not very well known, this is native to It Will Grow Back hairdressers in Hackney wherein fast-paced MC's throw upwards of 60 flangers at varying speeds and depths onto "da mic" in order to confuse and excite the listenener.

Blubstep - Emo 2 step

Skwish - Particularly hard and nasty and made exclusively by people who spent most of their childhood shooting people for coins. Only white labels exist and you have to shoot people to get them, occasionally even the artists themselves.

Here's a class example if you don't believe me
http://www.coastaltown.nildram.co.uk/porl/Skwish%20Skwadz%20-%20Our%20Way%20of%20Life.mp3

Ssslllooowwwwstep - Timestretched student drolery

MintyStep - Shuffle controls on max and lots of bells and frogs and shit.

Pigstep - Wiley dressed as a pig

Swinestep - Wileys mates dressed like pigs

Orgioswineystep - Sex-based Wiley pig nonsense

Beast - Basically brickstep with a live drummer, lots of people called things like Beast, MC Beast, The Beasters. It's very beast-based.

Nostep - hipster slang for what's going on "outside"

Big Step - Big Star tribute band from Hull. Nice lads.

Step by Step - IMDB tells us that it was a Patrick Duffy sitcom, a 1948 Laurence Tierney film and an animated short

i need it in my life

77. ANIMAL COLLECTIVE Centipede Hz (204 Points, 8 Votes, 1 First Place Vote)
76. JEREMIH Late Nights With Jeremih (206 Points, 10 Votes)
75. BIGBANG Alive EP (210 Points, 6 Votes, 1 First Place Vote)
74. DAPHNI Jiaolong (213 Points, 9 Votes)
73. TWIN SHADOW Confess (214 Points, 8 Votes)
72. VATICAN SHADOW Ghosts of Chechnya (216 Points, 7 Votes)
71. NITE JEWEL One Second of Love (216 Points, 8 Votes)
70. LONE Galaxy Garden (216 Points, 9 Votes)
69. NINA KRAVIZ Nina Kraviz (218 Points, 7 Votes, 1 First Place Vote)
68. METZ Metz (219 Points, 10 Votes)
67. GUNPLAY Bogota Rich: The Prequel (220 Points, 9 Votes)
66. KATY B Danger EP (223 Points, 8 Votes)
65. LOWER DENS Nootropics (227 Points, 7 Votes)
64. ACTION BRONSON & PARTY SUPPLIES Blue Chips (230 Points, 7 Votes)
63. CHRISTIAN MISTRESS Possession (232 Points, 8 Votes)
62. GRIZZLY BEAR Shields (233 Points, 8 Votes)
61. LAUREL HALO Quarantine (246 Points, 8 Votes)

60. DIRTY PROJECTORS Swing Lo Magellan (254 Points, 8 Votes)
59. SHACKLETON Music for the Quiet Hour/The Drawbar Organ EPs (258 Points, 7 Votes, 3 First Place Votes)
58. CHIEF KEEF Finally Rich (262 Points, 10 Votes)
57. SILENT SERVANT Negative Fascination (277 Points, 11 Votes)
56. RICARDO VILLALOBOS Dependent and Happy (278 Points, 8 Votes)
55. ORBITAL Wonky (278 Points, 11 Votes)
54. COOLY G Playin' Me (282 Points, 11 Votes)
53. JAPANDROIDS Celebration Rock (290 Points, 11 Votes)
52. CONVERGE All We Love We Leave Behind (296 Points, 10 Votes, 1 First Place Vote)
51. SUN ARAW & M. GEDDES GENGRAS MEET THE CONGOS Icon Give Thank (298 Points, 12 Votes)
50. NIKI & THE DOVE Instinct (306 Points, 9 Votes, 2 First Place Votes)
49. DEATH GRIPS The Money Store (307 Points, 12 Votes)
48. CLOUD NOTHINGS Attack on Memory (314 Points, 13 Votes)
47. FRANKIE ROSE Interstellar (316 Points, 12 Votes)
46. PURITY RING Shrines (320 Points, 11 Votes, 2 First Place Votes)
45. BAT FOR LASHES The Haunted Man (329 Points, 13 Votes)
44. BEAK> ">>" (332 Points, 13 Votes, 1 First Place Vote)
43. ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Mature Themes (334 Points, 12 Votes)
42. KILLER MIKE R.A.P. Music (345 Points, 14 Votes)
41. THE XX Coexist (352 Points, 14 Votes)

40. WILD NOTHING Nocturne (357 Points, 12 Votes, 1 First Place Vote)
39. NICKI MINAJ Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (362 Points, 13 Votes)
38. THE MOUNTAIN GOATS Transcendental Youth (368 Points, 13 Votes)
37. ANGEL HAZE Reservation (381 Points, 14 Votes)
36. CHAIRLIFT Something (382 Points, 14 Votes, 1 First Place Vote)
35. LANA DEL REY Born to Die (392 Points, 11 Votes)
34. LE1F Dark York (396 Points, 12 Votes, 1 First Place Vote)
33. NENEH CHERRY & THE THING The Cherry Thing (396 Points, 13 Votes)
32. VOICES FROM THE LAKE Voices From the Lake (419 Points, 17 Votes, 2 First Place Votes)
31. SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS Ghostory (422 Points, 14 Votes)
30. TAME IMPALA Lonerism (426 Points, 15 Votes, 2 First Place Votes)
29. MUNGOLIAN JETSET Mungodelics (428 Points, 15 Votes)
28. IAMAMIWHOAMI Kin (430 Points, 13 Votes, 2 First Place Votes)
27. SAINT ETIENNE Words & Music By Saint Etienne (434 Points, 12 Votes, 4 First Place Votes)
26. HOT CHIP In Our Heads (457 Points, 14 Votes)
25. BEACH HOUSE Bloom (470 Points, 20 Votes, 1 First Place Vote)
24. ACTRESS R.I.P (473 Points, 17 Votes, 1 First Place Vote)
23. BURIAL Kindred EP (479 Points, 16 Votes, 1 First Place Vote)
22. JULIA HOLTER Ekstasis (503 Points, 18 Votes, 1 First Place Vote)
21. GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! (510 Points, 19 Votes)

http://i.imgur.com/ZbWzjDH.png

20. TODD TERJE It's the Arps EP (530 Points, 15 Votes, 1 First Place Vote) Spotify

Are we finishing today jf?

We are.

why are there so many more EPs this year?

[insert bullshit doglatin-esque theory about our diminishing attention spans]

good stuff jf

also it seems there are many people voting for the same bloody things in trax and albums polls

like why would you vote for a burial cut off a three-track ep AND the ep itself?

ditto katy b, terje

do they still do that in P&J?