I don't know about you but I've already had a year's worth of crazy stuff happen, and we're only just breaking into February. I'd like to say that music helped me through the tough times, but honestly things were so manic I didn't have time to listen to anything at all. Maybe some radio tunes while driving around, but it was background noise. Nothing to explore. Nothing mind-blowingly new and awesome.
But I'm floating back to earth now, and music IS helping with that. Lots of oldies, the good stuff from the 1950s and 60s. I've listened to that all my life, and it keeps me connected somehow. I don't know... I'm less interested in why that kind of music effects me the way it does and more interested in letting it work it's golden magic.
And I'm also coming back to my favorite songs from 2012. These albums will certainly have very specific memories attached to them, and maybe in some years I'll look back at them with bittersweet fondness. But for now they're my soundtrack, and this movie ain't over yet.
25) Titus Andronicus - Local Business
Titus Andronicus is not at all interested in nonsense, no matter the album. "Here's a big juicy plate of meat and potatoes," each song says. "It's five minutes long and you must eat it all right now." And then the song ends, and another starts, and the force-feeding begins again. It's all quite wonderful. Though not quite as ambitious as The Monitor (which was a punk rock 'n' roll ode to the American Civil War, so really, what could possibly top that?), Local Business is still a great album full of east coast swag and knowing nods to old-school punk.
24) Two Gallants - The Bloom And The Blight
I like rock 'n' roll duos. Two performers doing all the instrumentation, keeping it stripped and real. Two Gallants, comprised of a pair of San Franciscans with musical chops, shred it on The Bloom And The Blight. Blistering passionate vocals, tumbling drums, the crunchy guitar, all awesome when things get revvin'. But hold up, aren't these guys folkish? They sure are, and when they bust out the acoustic and the harmonica and the tambourine you get the best rootsy folk-rock this side of Bringing It All Back Home. But really it's about those loud songs. Crank it.
23) Chris Staples - American Soft
Probably the most apt album title on this whole list, the songs of American Soft are gentle introspective little ditties. They are very straightforward and it's easy to overlook the intelligence of Staples' lyrics. In fact everything is so low-key it's nearly so easy to overlook entire songs. But Staples has a knack for hooks and something on this album will make a cozy little home in your brain, a welcomed guest you're not so anxious to shake out.
22) DIIV - Oshin
Oshin is the first full-length release from DIIV
(pronounced "dive" I think, as the band used to be called Dive). It is
dense and hazy yet upbeat and rhythmic, the soundtrack to a brooding,
busy apocalypse. The vocals are sparse, and even when they are present
they are sunk so far back into the music that the lyrics are not easily
discernible. I'm okay with that. Vocals here work like instruments contributing to the atmosphere and FEEL of the music.
And there is indeed a lot of atmosphere and FEELIES fogging up those
sound waves. Oshin is good for a sundown drive or background filler for
2 a.m. music blog writing.
21) The Mynabirds - Generals
I don't know much else about The Mynabirds short of what I just looked up on Wikipedia. The band is signed to Saddle Creek Records and have released two full-length albums. Generals, album number two, is a triumphant and moving little collection of songs. Think a relaxed Florence + The Machine. Think twee pop too serious to be twee pop. And oh man, did somebody sneak synthesizers in there? And oh man, did somebody sneak Richard Swift in there? Double yeses. Also, mastered by TW Walsh. More icing on the cake.
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