Domingo 9 Dic 2012, 6:19

Okay, I have no idea how people review albums or make lists so get ready for the worst thing ever, MY BEST OF 2012 LIST:

10. TNGHT - TNGHT
http://www.xlr8r.com/files/reviews/large/tnght_072712.jpg
I know that this is a bit kitschy and this EP probably appeared on every best of 2012 list so far but there's a reason for that. The combined production forces of Lunice and HudMo are just phenomenal. Electronic music isn't my field of expertise but I can whole-heartedly say that TNGHT's eponymous EP makes me bob my head for 16 minutes straight, every time.
I'd definitely recommend it to anyone with a tolerant mind who's into minimalistic stuff and is willing to get into electronic music.

Best song: Bugg'n, no doubt.

9. Sigur Ros - Valtari
http://acloserlisten.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/sigur-ros-valtari.jpg
It's amazing that this has been out for only 7 months and yet I've been through so much with it. I guess everything is much more emotional when you relate Sigur Ros to it. Valtari still sounds like Sigur Ros as we know them, but something has changed. It's a bit more ambient than usual, and not as climactic as you'd hope it would be. It's still as beautiful as the rest of music, but it isn't as powerful. Some songs, like Varud, show us that Sigur Ros still have a violent side (This song live changed my life), but the mix makes it so much more gentle than it is.
Overall, it's a beautiful album and a great landmark in 2012 but could be better IMO.

Best song: Rembihnutur, for the feel bros and gals.

8. Saintly Rows - In A Year, We Were Nothing
http://f0.bcbits.com/z/26/38/2638626431-1.jpg
This EP was found on another one of my bandcamp journeys and I have to say that I'm very pleased that I found it. I don't really know what to say about it but I can say that it is amazing. This is an absolute must for fans of Touche Amore, Sunny Day Real Estate, La Dispute, and other sweet emo muzak.
Pay what you will to these cool dudes: http://saintlyrows.bandcamp.com/

Best song: Thaw. CONSTANT CLAWING. NEVER THAWING. This track energizes me like no other.

7. Die Antwoord - Ten$ion
http://cdn3.pitchfork.com/albums/17429/homepage_large.9b34bb44.jpg
This album in one word: what. Seriously, if you're new to Die Antwoord's music, you'll be freaked out in no time. At times, too much Die Antwoord is too much to handle, but if you know how to listen to them and do it just right, they're too good. Ten$ion is their second release, and you can definitely hear that they have progressed. They have gone beyond mindless poes rap and bland beats, and have finally reached the rap-rave nirvana they've always dreamt of. The album starts and ends with rap-rave-step hits and the middle is full of things that I don't even know how I should tag, but it's catchy, and fun, and 39 minutes of non-stop partying.
Listen to Baby's On Fire off this album. If you enjoy it and the band's antics, cool, get this album and have fun like you never thought you could. If you hated it, listen to it again, and again, until you like and comprehend it, and then get this album and have fun like you never thought you could.

Best song: A bit hard to say! They're all so fun, but I think I'll go with Fatty Boom Boom.
murdah murdah murdah, KEEL KEEL KEEL.

6. Bonjour - Motivational Suicide
http://f0.bcbits.com/z/25/44/254472269-1.jpg
I found this EP while I was wandering through the vast cave that is bandcamp and I was immediately amazed. They were an amazing blend of twinkly emo and indie-ish rock. I played this 6 times in a row when I just discovered it.
http://fuckingbonjour.bandcamp.com/

Best song: I Tried It, I Liked It. Amazing start to a career that I hope will last very
long. IT'S NOT HARDDDDDDD TO BE ANYTHING FOR ANYONE BUT ME

5. John Frusciante - Letur Lefr
http://www.recordstore.co.uk/media/AbstractArticle/image/WarehouseArticle-66319/John-Frusciante-Letur-Lefr.jpg
It took me a while to listen to Frusciante's Letur-Lefr and I have no idea why. I was a huge fan of his analog-ier albums, but when I heard he released an electronic EP, I wasn't too eager to listen to it. A few weeks later, I was bored and it appeared on my last.fm home page so I decided to check it out. I thought it was cool and it totally surprised me, but nothing more. I came back to it the next day and it blew me away. For some reason, I was oblivious to its magnificence on the first play but it really clicked on the second one. Frusciante's sampling skills are extraordinary and everything just feels so right, and his vocals and composition make everything even better.
If you're into electronic music and are willing to dive deeper into its magnificent world then you should definitely check this out.

Best song: 909 Day. There's just oneeeeeeee moveeee, THROUGH TIMEEEEEEEEE.

4. Ghost Mice - All We Got It Each Other
http://f0.bcbits.com/z/35/37/3537370154-1.jpg
This album was my introduction to folk-punk and words cannot express how grateful I am for it. The album is dedicated to a friend of the duo who died, and yet is filled with hopeful optimism. It's short and to the point and never fails to bring me up. If you ever find 25 minutes of spare time, listen to All We Got It Each Other. You may enjoy it and you may not, but at least it won't take you long to find out.
http://chrisclavin.bandcamp.com/album/all-we-got-it-each-other

Best song: Ablany. Those lyrics just hit home.

3. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
http://nbhap.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/GodspeedYouBlackEmperor-300x300.jpg
Okay, let's face it, every person familiar with GY!BE was either very excited or very bummed when Allelujah was announced. Some fans trembled with excitement for a new Godspeed album after a 10-year hiatus, some were afraid the new music wouldn't match their old tunes, and some people just hate everything GY!BE ever put out so it was an automatic "no please never" for them. The fans who were afraid of new GY!BE music had no need to be afraid because 41 minutes out of the whole 54 were songs that they had already performed live before, under the titles Gamelan and Albanian. Those two songs are Mladic and We Drift Like Worried Fire and they are most definitely the highlights of the album. Both songs have a strong middle-eastern influence in them, but they somehow retain their post-rocky Godspeed-ness. In between those two are Their Helicopters' Sing and Strung Like Lights At Thee Printemps Erable, two short ambient tracks, each one around 7 minutes in length. I feel as if they were more of an experiment conducted by GY!BE rather than actual music but they are still good for building the tension between the two musical behemoths that are Mladic and We Drift Like Worried Fire.
I would recommend this to patient people who enjoy their share of good music.

Best song: We Drift Like Worried Fire. Oh god, that second half.

2. Fang Island - Major
http://i1.sndcdn.com/artworks-000025979367-pxq3pt-crop.jpg
When Asunder, the first single off Fang Island's Major, was released, I
was disappointed to say the least. Taking into fact that the band's debut album
will forever be in my top 5 albums, I came with high expectations for this album,
and Asunder did not fill my needs. A few weeks later, a new track called Sisterly
came out. I crossed my fingers, hoping for the best, and pressed play. Two
seconds into the track and I had the best case of goosebumps I ever had.
Sisterly delivered, and it delivered hard. It was like drinking a glass of water
after taking a pill. Asunder was a bit scary, but Sisterly eased it in and made it
feel at home. After that, I enjoyed Asunder even more and when the album
was released I was amazed by how the whole album was just as amazing
as Sisterly.
It is definitely recommended, especially if you want to feel better about everything ever.
http://fangisland.bandcamp.com/album/major

Best song: Basically, Sisterly, but if you're a feel-bro then Victorinian is the track
for you.

1. Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory
http://guerolitomusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Cloud-Nothings-Attack-on-Memory-300x300.jpg
As soon as I thought of the albums I was going to put in this list I knew that Attack On Memory was going to take the first spot. I discovered it around mid-August and played it 30 times on my first 2 weeks of being familiar with it. I was so mesmerized by the energy and tightness of these guys, I could not get enough.To be honest, my first experience with this album was a local music store in July, but I was only mildly impressed with the opening notes of No Future/No Past and left before the song reached its climax. Fast forward to 3AM, August 8th. I bob my head uncontrollably to the sounds of Wasted Days' grand finale playing through my headphones because I am too afraid that my parents will hear. Since that first "I THOUGHT I WOULD BE MORE THAN THIS", I was hooked.
This album is a must-own for all fans of modern rock, be it hardcore-la-dispute-shit to mediocre-foals-crap.

Best song: WASTED DAYS. ENOUGH SAID.