2012 Honorable Mentions

Over the course of this year, my monthly roundups have evolved into those of an almost “normal” blogger. My usual modus operandi is to write about music, framing reviews on personal experience.  For me, however, everyday experience is interwoven with music, so in my book, periodically taking some space to jot down some generalized thoughts from the month to go along with the playlist doesn’t seem too out of bounds. Reader response has been pretty positive on these posts, though, so I assume that most of my readers don’t mind the indulgence too much.  In truth, the blog's success over the course of this year has exceeded my expectations.  Thanks for that.

Like the last few years, this one has been one of big changes.  For the curious, the high points are mostly recounted in these monthly entries (they should all be labeled).  At this time last year, some of those changes I probably could have predicted while others I certainly could not.  While I am not one to invest too strongly on New Year's resolutions, I do have some goals for 2013.  You will have to stay tuned for the details as they unfold. 

Although I am quite satisfied with the results from this year’s top twenty, there are, as last year, a few albums that got edged out. I came across a lot of great music this year, so I had to split hairs on some pretty trivial stuff. All of these albums are great, though, and deserve some recognition. They are, in no particular order:

   

 Steven Wilson – Grace for Drowning: Although Wilson intended for this album to be digested in two separate parts, it works best as a whole, but as a whole, it’s a little too long. I cannot, however, in any way overstate his incredible genius.

The Roots – Undun: I have documented elsewhere my love for this album as well as the difficult decision I had in leaving it off the “best of” list. More than almost any other honorable mention, Undun is one of the best albums I have heard this year.

Grimes – Visions: I don’t think that it is too much to say that Claire Boucher is the herald of new generation of indie/pop artist. Her debut as Grimes is excellent, if marred slightly by some unfocused moments.

Sigur Ros – Valtari: Sigur Ros is one of my all-time favorites, so this was a tough one. Valtari has some classic moments on it, but also has some ambient wandering that bumped it off the list.

Beach House – Bloom: There is a lot there to like on Bloom, and I enjoy listening to it when I put it on.  It has a very annoying “hidden track” at its end, however, that I just have to take a stand on. 

Dr. Spin's Best Albums of the Year: 2012 Edition

I admit to having something of a sugar addiction. Although I can generally manage on a regular basis, the holiday season is a bit more difficult to navigate. In addition, this year I have been trying to shield my daughter from the onslaught of refined sugar as it makes the rounds  My grandmother, however, her great-grandmother, has a more insidious agenda.

I have noticed that when we eat as an extended family, she often exerts a not-so-subtle pressure to make sure that the Little One gets more than her share of desert when it is available. Ween has always shown her love through food, so I get that she is being affectionate in her own way, but sometimes I feel like my efforts to build my daughter out of wholesome foods are ignored.

For example, a couple of weeks ago, my extended family went to a Christmas shopping event at Dillard’s. Several employees were making rounds with hors d’oeuvres plates, one of which was piled high with cookies. Cookies, in particular, are something of a “gateway sweet” for me, and I had been doing a pretty good job of dodging that particular server. Towards the end of the evening, however, my resolve began to wear down and when I was cornered, I decided one cookie wouldn’t destroy my efforts to stay fit.

My grandmother, however, was with me, and her craftiness knows no bounds. She picked one out for herself, but she was also very concerned that the Little One would miss out, so she also grabbed a second one for her. I really didn’t want my daughter to eat a whole cookie at 9 pm, but it wasn’t up for debate. My grandmother proceeded to break off chunks, gleefully watching them disappear into my daughter’s delighted face.

Disgruntled, I took over. I did not want to put a damper on my grandmother, but a whole cookie seemed like just too much.  I started to sneak bites to minimize the damage. When it was gone, my grandmother offered me the other half of hers.  I was in the throes of the insulin rush by this time, so I could hardly turn it down.  In the end, I had inadvertently more than doubled my cookie input.  My grandmother had gotten both of us!

I’m still not convinced that this wasn’t her master plan in the first place.

Anyhow, you are probably not here to read a cautionary tounge-in-cheek tale about my dietary downward spiral - at least not entirely.  You're here for the top ten!  Looking back on last year's list, I think that this year is a bit more honest representation of my listening habits.  To me, these albums represent the experiences and changes in 2012.  Plus, its some dang good music that, in some cases, you might not have heard of elsewhere.

10. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless: After several years in an irregular orbit, this album finally clicked for me. It’s actually a beautiful, emotionally charged album that changed the way I listen to a lot of contemporary music.

9. Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica: It doesn’t make sense that Replica is as musically affective as it is. However, its choppy, post-apocalyptic atmospheres capture an alienated sentimentalism that kept it in rotation all year long.

8. The Mars Volta – Noctourniquet: While the choice might be confusing to the public, I would love to see some brave contestant sing a song from this album on The Voice. If they were able to capture the arresting melodicism with the same intensity as Cedric, it could really bring the house down.

7. Grizzly Bear – Shields: Shields is a bit of a late entry to be placed so high on the list, but I have increasingly found myself drawn into its orbit. It serves nearly all purposes: it is singable, textured, intelligent, artistic, and vibrantly executed.

6. Astra - The Black Chord: Sure, this is a bit of a guilty pleasure, but Astra is so good at what they do that I really don’t feel that guilty. They miraculously reinvent the progressive and psychedelic sounds of the 70s without directly copying any one group.

 5. Now, Now – Threads: Great songwriting and energetic performances underpin this album. Threads is a hard one to take out of the player.

4. Anais Mitchell – Hadestown: Mitchell’s folk opera epitomizes layered meaning. No matter how many times I listen to it, I feel like there is more to appreciate.

3. Field Music – Plumb: This album seems to bend the laws of space in time. Its short running length belies its incredible depth, which surpasses that of many longer, more involved librettos.

2. Death Grips - The Money Store: Not since Rage Against the Machine has an album navigated the extremes of fury and intelligence so effectively. In a side-by-side comparison, The Money Store has made many other albums from this year sound kind of dumb.

1. Rush - Clockwork Angels: If you have followed the blog at all, this is a no-brainer. Despite my adoration of all things Rush, I believe that is nothing short of phenomenal that this band is able to release such a strong, viable record at this phase of their career.

If you missed the first half, you should check it out here.

Thanks to everyone who reads the blog, especially those who have made suggestions. Keep reading and let me know that you are out there!  More to come soon.

Dr. Spin's Best Albums of 2012 Part 1: Numbers 11-20

Those of you that are paying attention might be wondering about a couple of loose ends from the past few months, so I’m gonna take this opportunity to pat myself on the back. Back in August, I took, and passed, my Sandan test at aikido summer camp. Earlier this month, I also passed my CrossFit Level-1 certification. Even better, by the end of this week, I’ll have a little space carved out for anyone that might want to work out too, because we are signing on the new house this Friday.

Things seem to be coming together, and they are, but at the moment we are living in chaos. The apartment is in shambles and my wife and I are exhausted, yet we press on.  If there is anyone out there who has thought about buying stock in an energy drink company, do it before this weekend. I feel confident that’s going to be the only thing keeping me going by then.

Like last year, I have forgone a proper “November Roundup” and instead posted the first (lower) half of my “Best of 2012” list. The best-of is not constrained to albums with a 2012 release date, but instead includes any album that came to have meaning to me this year. Albums that are strongly associated with past experiences do not qualify and, consequently, neither does any album from a previous year's list.

I am very pleased with this year’s results.  Even this second half works quite well as a representation of my listening experiences this year.  Not much jazz, unfortunately, but more rap and electronica than usual, a renewed interest in progressive rock, and a smattering of power pop and folk-ish songwriting.

20.  P.O.S. - We Don't Even Live Here: As much as Undun by The Roots deserves a place on the list as an example of what classic, mature, artistically motivated hip-hop can achieve, this recent release  from P.O.S. edged it out on the basis of its DIY adventurousness.  Like its predecessor, We Don't Even Live Here crossover success imbeds a rock attitude within a deeply musical hip-hop setting.

 

19. Kraftwerk - Man-Machine: I consider this album masterful from two perspectives: in terms of both its forward-thinking technological approach and its broad influence. Its appearance on the 2012 list also represents some other encounters with Kraftwerk this year that I have found inspiring, not the least of which was Autobahn.

18. Brendan Benson - What Kind of World?:  The relatively dark, moody approach that Benson adopted for this album took me awhile to warm up to.  Regardless, it is, as expected, a top-notch collection of power pop from one of the most consistent writers in the genre. 

17. North Atlantic Oscillation - Fog Electric: A very, very late entry, but I think that its inclusion is justifiable.  It sits comfortably at the crossroads of Marillion and M83, with a little Beach Boys and Sigur Ros thrown in for spice - more on them very soon. 

16. Bon Iver -  Bon Iver earned "album of the year" on many 2011 year-end lists, and set the bar really high for my 2012 entries.  It is, in my opinion, a beautifully crafted and special album. 

15. The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics:  The Flaming Lips have emerged as one of the leading experimenters in popular music.  Although I've had this album in my collection for quite awhile, my obsession with The Soft Bulletin prevented me from appreciating its nearly orchestral scope until this summer.

14. M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us:  Even though M83 has evolved quite a bit since this release, Before the Dawn Heals Us does not show its age at all.  In fact, it lives in it own universe so effectively that if it were released in 2012, it would be no less relevant.

13. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact:  At times hypnotic, at others powerful, Eye Contact never ceases to be an engaging listen.  Moreover, it just sounds good, and its pristine production is a testament to the clarity that is possible in the contemporary studio.

12. Seryn - This is Where We Are:  Once it clicked, This is Where We Are became difficult to remove from the player.  It satisfies those of us that have been waiting for Peter Gabriel to do something new and fresh.

11. Anglagard - Viljans Oga: It was completely worth the decades-long wait (and the added month for shipping) for this follow up to Epilog.  Like its predecessors, it balances passion, intellect, musicianship, and aggression in just the right amounts so as to make it nearly endlessly rewarding.

To jump to the next half, click here.

October Roundup: Besieged by Details

Although I like to keep things positive on the blog, I have to admit that October has been a particularly trying month. In many facets of my life, I have a lot of people that rely heavily on me, and usually, I don’t mind being the person that plays an active role in holding things together. There are stressful and seemingly endless details with the house that need ironing out, though, and with the move coming up next month, it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better. Along with that, it feels like my work responsibilities have taken more energy than usual. With all of these stressors, being “the rock” seems a little overwhelming, and I’m a little ashamed of feeling that way.

When I get overwhelmed, I tend to let go of details and just plow forward, just trying to get where I am supposed to be when I am supposed to be there. In some ways, however, life is created out of details, and very often, my disinclination to stay organized and communicate my plans comes back to get me. I may get to where I need to be, but I’m not always prepared, which makes me even more frustrated, stressed, and ashamed.

This is when I rely on people to reciprocate and help hold me together, especially in the organization department. I am fortunate to have an amazing support structure that is willing to help.  When I am feeling pressure, however, I can sometimes take support as criticism, and I react defensively, which is also unfair.

I am incredibly thankful for the people around me, especially when they are patient with my weaknesses. I only hope that I have the grace to thank them when I feel besieged.

There are still no streaming tracks available for:

The xx - Coexist: I get the feeling that The xx said everything that they are going to say on their first album. Although Coexxist is a pleasant enough listen, it seems inexplicably vacuous in many of the places where their debut was meaningful.

However, the rest of the month pretty much sounded like this:

Grizzly Bear - Shields: There are not many current bands that are able to balance accessibility and abstraction the way the Grizzly Bear does. I would stop short of calling it flawless, but it is certainly an engaging, rewarding listen on many levels.

Jellyfish - Spilt Milk: Perhaps it takes a bit more of a page from Sgt. Pepper's than Revolver, but to even be considered amongst that kind of company is a compliment. Spilt Milk was, and is, a great album that was the source of an even greater tour.

Jason Falkner - Presents Author Unknown: This is one of my favorite albums from almost any Jellyfish-related release. Its incredibly strong and idiosyncratic, and is inextricably interwoven with my experiences from around its release.

Imperial Drag: I have not listened to this old gem it in many years, and it’s held up incredibly well. It has gotten a somewhat new lease on life with me the past month.

Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Tarkus: I think that this coheres as an album much more effectively that ELP's debut, but it is also inconsistent. It has some of the great music, sandwiched between brief intervals of filler.

Death Grips - Money Store: I picked this album up on a bit of a whim and although it blew me away at first, I soon had some second thoughts. I woke up this morning, however, and decided that Money Store, like the work of Ministry and Rage Against the Machine were in the 90s, is equal parts ingenious and disturbing

Radiohead - Amnesiac: There was argument posed that perhaps it is unfair to hold Amnesiac to the same standard as Kid A because it was not constructed to hold together as an album. I do see the point, but since the album is my unit of consumption, I see Amnesiac as flawed compilation with some great material on it (sorry!).

Storm Corrosion - With a name like Storm Corrosion, this disc is not what I expected at all. It’s an inversion of nearly every assumption you might make about a Michael Ackerfeldt/Steven Wilson collaboration.

Seryn - This Is Where We Are: This is a serious grower. Its "Peter Gabriel meets Appalachia" ambience has insidiously wound its way into my favorites.

Änglagård - Viljans Öga: Änglagård is cinematic and technical almost to the point of absurdity. Their attention to detail and intuitive sense of melodic flow, however, fortifies Viljans Öga with a tone of serious, studied musicality.

September Roundup: An Eye on Good Fortune

Last night we walked though the new house. The wood only started going up in the last couple of weeks, but even so, we can see the abstract decisions we have made in countless meetings and discussions become real things. When everything only existed in our heads and on paper, it seemed that our questions and concerns were unanswerable, but now we can see those plans come to fruition. That’s comforting.

Superficially, ours is one of the humbler lots in our neighborhood. Several other houses are built on hillsides with striking views, while ours is tucked in the back. When we inspected the room upstairs, however, our friends, The Best Man and The Minister, who will very soon also be our neighbors, asked us if we had noticed our view from our north facing window. In my mind, that window wasn’t going to look into much more than the side of our next-door neighbor’s house. As I came to the window, however, I immediately looked past their sideyard to see a very clear view overlooking downtown Austin.

I was not counting on having much of a view of anything. When we decided to take the upstairs option, however, we got one just by chance. That’s the kind of good fortune that has come my way recently that makes me think that I, and my family, have been living right.

A couple of selections from this month were unavailable for streaming.

Oceansize - Everyone Into Position: This was a mid-00s find that straddles progressive rock and post-grunge rock styles. On the whole, I enjoy it, but it has never seemed to have much of a shelf life in the long term.

The xx - Coexxist: On the surface, Coexxist seems to capture the subdued melodrama of The xx's stellar debut. There seems to be something missing, however, and I'm still trying to decide if more simmering is needed.

The rest adds up to a pretty varied playlist.

Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica: I consider this to be the first album I bought this year, and its also one of the best. It is, perhaps, challenging at first, but it holds up incredibly well under repeated listens.

M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us: Some fans cite this as M83's best album, which, considering the competition, is quite a tall order. After spending some time with it, however, I think that it just might be true.

My Bloody Valentine - Loveless: This album isn't catchy or even singable, really. Still, it envelopes and washes over the listener in a very distinctive and emotional way.

Rush - Clockwork Angels - I took it out for a week. Then I put it right back in.

I started the Jellyfish project this month with both Bellybutton and Spilt Milk, and it immediately garnered attention, more so than any other post in the blog's history.  It seems like the band's cult status has built a devoted fanbase over the years that supercedes their initial low-key success.

Kill Bill vol. 1 Original Soundtrack: This unique collection of songs is infused with menace and double meaning as the backdrop to Tarantino's masterwork. It holds together by seemingly little more than the strength of the movie's distinctive narrative.

Field Music - Plumb: I always hate to take this album out when it is in rotation. Although it does work as a collection of songs, it is best considered as a unified work.

Brendan Benson - What Kind of World:  All of Benson's releases are phenomenally good power pop, and What Kind of World is no different.  I'm not sure if its my favorite Benson album overall, but it's a great listen.

Seryn - This is Where We Are: After hearing about this band from many of my Denton brethren, I was quite fortunate to have a copy sent to me by a reader. Fortunate, indeed, because I get the feeling that This is Where We Are will be a rewarding long-term listen in terms of musicianship and craft.

Charles Mingus - The Clown: While there were some pretty clear lines of transmission in jazz, Mingus' work seems to exist outside of these traditions. His romantic approach to jazz is virtually antagonistic when placed in its late 50s context.

Emerson, Lake and Palmer: ELP has a few amazing moments on their debut that predicts the apex that they would soon reach. At times, however, it seems as if they are feeling out each other's potential in public, which makes the album a bit uneven.