XP: I think the Antony track Janitor Of Lunacy is the best though, probably my track of the year after Blawan's Why They Hide Their Bodies and The Thing and Neneh Cherry's cover of Dream Baby Dream.
― Doran, Friday, 21 December 2012 17:01 (eleven years ago) link
seventy-five reissues and no room for Robbie Basho's Twilight Peaks, makes me sick
― ogmor, Friday, 21 December 2012 17:17 (eleven years ago) link
I did like the Antony track but haven't been able to get all the way through yet. I will cue it up again soon!
― Fastnbulbous, Friday, 21 December 2012 17:48 (eleven years ago) link
Pitchfork's Top 50 Albums of 2012
50. Lambchop - Mr. M49. Crystal Castles - (III)48. Peaking Lights - Lucifer47. Pallbearer - Sorrow and Extinction46. Rustie - Essential Mix45. El-P - Cancer for Cure44. Metz - Metz43. Mac DeMarco - 242. Rick Ross - Rich Forever41. Dum Dum Girls - End of Daze EP40. DIIV - Oshin39. Hot Chip - In Our Heads38. Lotus Plaza - Spooky Action at a Distance37. Future - Pluto36. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp35. TNGHT - TNGHT34. Chairlift - Something33. Actress - R.I.P.32. Action Bronson/Party Supplies - Blue Chips31. Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light30. The Men - Open Your Heart29. Cat Power - Sun28. How to Dress Well - Total Loss27. John Talabot - ƒIN26. Julia Holter - Ekstasis25. Schoolboy Q - Habits & Contradictions24. Purity Ring - Shrines23. Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream22. Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes21. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes20. Jessie Ware - Devotion19. Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory18. Ty Segall Band/Ty Segall & White Fence - Slaughterhouse/Hair17. Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man16. Burial - Kindred EP15. Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan14. Andy Stott - Luxury Problems13. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music12. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!11. Japandroids - Celebration Rock10. Grizzly Bear - Shields9. Death Grips - The Money Store8. Chromatics - Kill For Love7. Beach House - Bloom6. Grimes - Visions5. Swans - The Seer4. Tame Impala - Lonerism3. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...2. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange1. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city
― Fastnbulbous, Friday, 21 December 2012 17:50 (eleven years ago) link
why did i even bother half-hoping that the combined forces of tim and j0rdan could get dawn into that :(
― lex pretend, Friday, 21 December 2012 17:52 (eleven years ago) link
after tirelessly stanning for the entire year i think i can count the number of critics who voted for her on the fingers of both hands :(
and fucking...other artists just sweep up votes like it's nothing
― lex pretend, Friday, 21 December 2012 17:55 (eleven years ago) link
didn't p1p3c0ck used to write for LWE? it's...interesting how much luv they are giving to Pittsburgh Track Authority
― Rolling "2 chainz" draadje (The Reverend), Friday, 21 December 2012 17:56 (eleven years ago) link
Stereogum couldn't find room for Ka's Grief Pedigree in its top 40 rap albums list:
http://stereogum.com/1225002/stereogums-top-40-rap-albums-of-2012-2/top-stories/lead-story/
1. Kendrick2. Future3. Action Bronson4. El-P5. Killer Mike6. Roc Marciano7. Rick Ross8. Schoolboy Q
― alpine static, Friday, 21 December 2012 22:28 (eleven years ago) link
i like that action bronson is getting mentioned, blue chips is prob in my top-10 for any genre
― johnny crunch, Friday, 21 December 2012 23:06 (eleven years ago) link
i wish boldy's record had gotten at least a lil love but it seems like it didn't have the impact of the 1st one and that one was completely slept on
― D-40, Friday, 21 December 2012 23:09 (eleven years ago) link
people are REALLY riding with this action bronson thing
Or a single woman
― lex pretend, Friday, 21 December 2012 23:14 (eleven years ago) link
Nicki is on there
― Number None, Friday, 21 December 2012 23:17 (eleven years ago) link
maybe she's got a boyfriend?
― nobody's bitch speaks again (some dude), Friday, 21 December 2012 23:20 (eleven years ago) link
she's got a lot of sons. Not sure about her relationship status
― Number None, Friday, 21 December 2012 23:22 (eleven years ago) link
Oh I thought the list was only what was c/ped
One woman isn't any better, any rap list that doesn't include Angel Haze is ridiculous to me
― lex pretend, Friday, 21 December 2012 23:28 (eleven years ago) link
i swear i would never have even heard of Angel Haze if you didn't post here
― nobody's bitch speaks again (some dude), Friday, 21 December 2012 23:36 (eleven years ago) link
― lex pretend, Friday, December 21, 2012 12:55 PM (5 hours ago)
Your Dawn Richard is my Niki & The Dove. The difference being that I recognize my favorite thing is sort of a niche release, just like Dawn's ep.
― Johnny Fever, Friday, 21 December 2012 23:38 (eleven years ago) link
Angel Haze has actually had quite a bit of buzz over here, I mean significantly more than a lot of rappers. She might well be higher profile in Britain than in the US.
what as opposed to new star soccer and craft beers music? come on i thought we were above this shite
Call of Duty and wanking are both enormously popular pastimes! I mean the music is mostly execrable but there's a serious point in there that you overlook the favourite music of yr suburban teenage boy at your peril but at the same time I don't want to live in a world where we can't be cunts when it comes to Zane Lowe.
― Matt DC, Saturday, 22 December 2012 09:49 (eleven years ago) link
I like Call of Duty and wanking. ¯\(°_o)/¯
― Rolling "2 chainz" draadje (The Reverend), Saturday, 22 December 2012 10:01 (eleven years ago) link
"Angel Haze has actually had quite a bit of buzz over here, I mean significantly more than a lot of rappers. She might well be higher profile in Britain than in the US."
god this makes so much sense
― one bish two bish red bish blue bish (fadanuf4erybody), Saturday, 22 December 2012 10:13 (eleven years ago) link
how so?
― lex pretend, Saturday, 22 December 2012 10:15 (eleven years ago) link
/what as opposed to new star soccer and craft beers music? come on i thought we were above this shite/
low blow aside, tis the season etc, radio 1's success is based on a very, very tight strategy in terms of who it's aimed at. as cynical as any comment upthread. plus I hardly think you're repping for the zane list, note I didn't comment on the music anyway, just his audience.
― Heterocyclic ring ring (LocalGarda), Saturday, 22 December 2012 16:40 (eleven years ago) link
What makes Armor On a niche release? It feels p epochal. I have not heard Niki and the Dove tho either...
― when worlds coincide (Drugs A. Money), Saturday, 22 December 2012 16:57 (eleven years ago) link
Nothing in particular, other than it being popular music that has obstacles in its path to actually being popular. I mean, who knows why Florence + The Machine made that transition when a whole group of other similar (and better) artists couldn't?
― Johnny Fever, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:03 (eleven years ago) link
good publicists, good marketing
dawn has a team of 5, she literally can't compete in terms of PR
― lex pretend, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:07 (eleven years ago) link
Or, like, Ellie Goulding—the weakest singer with the weakest material who gets all the buzz her peers don't get. It doesn't make me furious or anything. I just don't get it.
― Johnny Fever, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:09 (eleven years ago) link
Ah come on, saying x band I dislike is successful cos of "marketing" is straight up indie bullshit.
― Heterocyclic ring ring (LocalGarda), Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:11 (eleven years ago) link
ellie goulding has a formidable pr team too, yes
― lex pretend, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:11 (eleven years ago) link
xp ok PR and marketing departments have *no* effect on any artist's critical or commercial success, tbh i don't understand why they haven't all been fired to cut costs
― lex pretend, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:12 (eleven years ago) link
How do you deduce that others are affected and not yourself?
― Heterocyclic ring ring (LocalGarda), Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:13 (eleven years ago) link
did i say that? can you read? why are you talking to me again?
― lex pretend, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:14 (eleven years ago) link
This situation is best observed on a case-by-case basis.
Let's go back to the early aughts and look at Good Charlotte. I can't explain their sudden rise to prominence through any other means besides killer PR. They came from nowhere, looked like a bunch of other bands and had an indistinguishable sound, but trounced their peers. It's either PR, or it's the fact there's a guy in the band named Benji. People love the name Benji.
― Johnny Fever, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:16 (eleven years ago) link
Not commenting on personal problems, just remember the whole "it's marketing" defence mechanism from arguing with indie friends about pop, when I was about 15. I guess don't mention rockism again.
― Heterocyclic ring ring (LocalGarda), Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:21 (eleven years ago) link
Where's Tom Ewing when you need some popism/actual understanding of marketing?
― Heterocyclic ring ring (LocalGarda), Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:23 (eleven years ago) link
i am fairly sure tom ewing would acknowledge that when you have a canny major label marketing strategy behind one artist, and an amateur self-taught team of 5 behind the other, this will have an effect on how well the music does
― lex pretend, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:29 (eleven years ago) link
Let's go back to the early aughts and look at Good Charlotte. I can't explain their sudden rise to prominence through any other means besides killer PR a bunch of hooky, memorable singles.
― Tim F, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:32 (eleven years ago) link
I agree with Lex that PR clearly makes a difference to the likelihood an artist will find a large fanbase, but I don't accept Johnny Fever's more ambitious argument that certain acts only succeed because of marketing.
Even with Ellie Goulding there's a reason that Kate Bush ish "doo doo doo dooooo" single is all over the radio.
― Tim F, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:34 (eleven years ago) link
I can't explain their sudden rise to prominence through any other means besides killer PR a bunch of hooky, memorable singles their residence almost daily on TRL.
― Johnny Fever, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:35 (eleven years ago) link
Sorry but Good Charlotte were a great singles band, you gots to deal.
― Tim F, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:36 (eleven years ago) link
I like "The River", but they were already in decline by that point.
― Johnny Fever, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:37 (eleven years ago) link
I don't accept Johnny Fever's more ambitious argument that certain acts only succeed because of marketing.
yes, i'm not arguing this, it's a pretty old chestnut that is admittedly easier to target if one doesn't want to engage with what i am arguing
― lex pretend, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:38 (eleven years ago) link
it is honestly pretty easy to see when other critics are being affected by PR when everyone begins tweeting about an artist, who has been around for a while beforehand, on THE DAY that you get the first PR mailout w/buzz track etc
― lex pretend, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:39 (eleven years ago) link
and as far as me being affected by PR - sure, there are def certain PRs whose new artists i'll make more of an effort to listen to, whether because i trust that PR's taste or because they're a nice person or whatever
― lex pretend, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:41 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, okay...maybe I just have an axe to grind with Good Charlotte.
I CAN tell you, though, that when Kings of Leon sprung up from nowhere talking about how they paid their Nashville dues that it was a load of shite. They never played the Nashville circuit and nobody in the music community there had a clue who they were. P.R.
― Johnny Fever, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:41 (eleven years ago) link
but if they had paid their Nashville dues would it have made them a better band or better looking?
― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:43 (eleven years ago) link
No. I was just pointing out that the PR story that got passed around at the time was a bunch of hooey.
― Johnny Fever, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:43 (eleven years ago) link
"Lights" is a good song
― crüt, Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:50 (eleven years ago) link
Somewhat related, but ASFAIK, the disparity in reception of iamamiwhoami's Kin between consumers (its #6 on rateyourmusic) and critics (only the US blog Pretty Much Amazing and Spanish blog Jenesaispop rated it at year end) seems to stem from a marketing strategy that entirely bypassed critical filters. Were there no promos?
― Pauper Management Improved (Sanpaku), Saturday, 22 December 2012 18:17 (eleven years ago) link
Oops, it actually ranked #55 amongst all RYM users in all genres (I forgot my usual filters to tame the metal/prog slant of RYM's demographic). Still, huge disparity with the #640 rank from the acclaimed poll of polls.
― Pauper Management Improved (Sanpaku), Saturday, 22 December 2012 18:22 (eleven years ago) link