Albums
of the year
2012
So it’s come to this has it? A year of music so good that for the first time I came close to wishing albums would stop being made, as anything new coming out will surely distract and take away time from enjoying the fantastic albums that came out already. I feel bombarded with so much good music, yet time to listen slowly dissolving away (as evidenced by my balding head). Granted, it’s very true that I may not branch out as much as one could, and the most frustrating part is half of what I am into based on this post (and my runners-up post next week) may look like I do nothing but wait for Pitchfork’s daily reviews to guide me on my way musically. Rest assured, that is not the case, and just merely a coincidence. Most of the times I’ve done these posts I’ve just said “HERE! This is where’s it’s at – and listen to this other person tell you why!”. Last year, I took the time to write up my own reviews (who’d a thunk it?), but after looking at my blog stats I saw that it really didn’t reach many people. Your loss! So instead of making this feel like a chore left unnoticed this year by writing relatively long reviews that would fall on deaf ears, I would simplify. In the end, let the music speak for itself, eh? Well, for the most part. So, here you go, my favorite albums of the year. I guess technically they are what I consider to be “the best”, but by saying that it means these then have to be put in some sort of order, and quantified some way. But I really can’t do that. Depending on the mood of the day, each one of these albums is “the best” at one time or another, so really out of all the albums I’ve listened to over the past year, these are my go to albums – my favorites – my “desert island discs” of sorts. I’ve shared one track from each album as well, songs that I think not only represent what is great about the entire album, but what may spark an interest in you to checking out the whole thing, because to me they are all worth your time and quite rewarding indeed. Enjoy with aloha, and as always, turn it WAY the hell up, and for crying out loud use headphones. Laptop speakers = death.
6
Dead Skeletons
Dead Magick
If there was such a thing as hell, and such a thing as a little red creature with horns and a pitchfork that ruled such a place, but he/she/it had given up on their quest for destroying life and everything that is good in the universe, became a hippie, and now just wanted to party like it was 1666, this would be their soundtrack. Icelandic band Dead Skeletons are an enigma of sorts. Releasing videos here and there during their origins as a one off art project, they let the music and visuals speak for themselves while keeping their own identities hidden and obscured. Of late they have been coming out of the woodwork, performing live, granting interviews to anyone that might happen to be interested. The mystique of who they are fit in well with their sound. I first heard of them via an email I received from one of a few Icelandic websites I subscribe to which recommended some of the best Icelandic music of the past year. Song after song and I lost more and more interest, but stuck with it anyway hoping something would stick out. And then the lead off track from this album played, ‘Dead Mantra’, and it was unlike anything I had heard before. There were definitely reference points. The swirly, otherworldly space drone of Spiritualized. A gothic, psychedelic sort of rockabilly. Tribal drums, ghostly vocals floating around guitars heavily awash in reverb. Their music is a creepy, cinematic, groove-filled soundtrack for a trip through the darkest of forests in search of a haunted house party. Yes, I just said “a creepy, cinematic, groove-filled soundtrack for a trip through the darkest of forests in search of a haunted house party.” And THEN, it’s also mystical, it’s primal, and yet despite all of the dark imagery and moods, it’s also incredibly uplifting. Living by their own mantra of “He who fears death can not enjoy life” – inspired by a band member who has lived with HIV for the majority of their life – this album somehow brims with such life and optimism, and yes, hope. There are so many wonderful emotions to experience from this album. From complete beauty to utter cheese, from darkness to light, and to what could only be called a happy despair. It’s dark, incredibly fun, and well, a hell of a party for the end of days. The song I’ve shared, ‘When the Sun Comes Up’, should portray the mood of this album just perfectly.