First - the songs that didn't make it-
Woods of Ypres - Lightning and Snow
Over time, this has become one of my favorite albums from 2012
Maps and Atlases - Fever
A staple on my MP3 playlists since it's release.
The Darkness - Everybody Have A Good Time
The Darkness... you silly gooses. A good time, indeed. Haha
Sleigh Bells - Comeback Kid
A song and band that I currently cannot stand. Ouch.
PSY - Gangnam Style
Yup. Unavoidable. Lol
And, we begin....
20. Reptar - Stuck in my Id
I remember when writing the countdown that this song was almost a throw-away #20. I didn't care for their CD or EP and haven't really given them a second thought since including them. The fact that I passed on Maps and Atlases or Woods of Ypres to put this ditty at 20 is a shame. But, after giving it a spin today, I believe that the song is indeed about masturbation. So that's something, right? Enough negativity - this is a catchy song with a super catchy chorus, but the song honestly doesn't mean anything to me right now.
19. Silversun Pickups - Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)
On the flip side, ye gods, this bassline. After "Carnavas" and "Swoon", you had to know that "Neck of the Woods" was going to be great. Immediate standout tracks include "Skin Graph", "Make Believe", "Gun-Shy Sunshine", and of course our number 19, "Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)". If there's anything Silversun Pickups do better than any other band, it's build a tremendous crescendo in a song and absolutely blow your mind. Well, they do it twice in this song. TWICE! My main focus is leading into the chorus, and THE BASS. BASS BASS BASS. *air bass*. This song kills it. This band kills it. Nikki Monninger, you are the one for me. Annnyways... this was the second spot for SSP after 2009's "It's Nice To Know You Work Alone" landed at #15
18. Santigold - Disparate Youth
This is one of those songs that I initially resisted (because I really am not fond of Santigold's voice), but after hearing those opening keys and this throttling bass-line (a pattern, you sense?), I was unable to resist. I got about 4 songs into her disc before turning it off, and really haven't given her a second look outside of this song. But this song weaves a great tale about the perseverance of young people who are different. The bass on this one made it a great workout track, as well.
17. Morning Parade - Headlights
Morning Parade, you sly devil you. I see your catchy tunes. I just don't understand why you put so many bland songs on your records as opposed to more hits like this one? I remember this song's chorus being stuck in my head many times, especially in the morning. It's a good track that represents both happiness and sadness in one melodic tune. But the rest of this album (as well was their live performance that I saw) was mostly bland, copy-paste alternative. They did release an album in 2014 which I can almost guarantee you will find in our upcoming countdown, so stay tuned for that. I have a feeling it'll be a ranked a bit higher than this one.
16. Imagine Dragons - It's Time
I hate to sound hipster, but these things must be said. When Imagine Dragons released their first "Continued Silence" EP, it immediately took off and was picked up by alternative and subsequently top 40 stations across the globe. "It's Time" was the initial hit single, and the band seemed cool until I heard "Demons" and "Radioactive" (A god-awful song) over and over and over again on every single radio station I frequented. By the time they released the album "Night Visions" that fall, I was done with the band. I don't even listen to "It's Time" much anymore, despite it's soaring, anthemic chorus and uplifting lyrics. But whatever it is that they're doing with the lead singers voice, it's horrible. I ask myself over and over again - "How does anyone like that?" or "does he REALLY sound that bad live?" Anyways, this song was big in 2012 but it was a one and done for me.
15. A Plea for Purging - Heart of a Child
A Plea for Purging was a band that I loosely followed since their inception. All of their albums are fairly good, and their music videos are generally hilarious. This follows true with the album "The Life & Death Of A Plea For Purging" and the single "Heart of a Child". Singer Andy Atkins hands off the mic to guest vocalist Chad Ruhlig for the iconic bridge verse "We are not a product of society, we are not a sick, dying breed. For the meek will inherit the earth as the weak watches riches burn." It's a great song with a thundering intro and a crushing final breakdown. Hearing a badass metalcore singer scream "Hallelujah!" is also pretty gripping. Unfortunately, after a final tour, the band broke up in 2012. They are still slightly active on Twitter, and sent out an amusing tweet a few weeks back reading "We are launching a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for us to not ever come back to life and never put out another record. $50k" Cool dudes, they were. I miss them. I still play this song often.
14. Metric - Clone
Metric are amazing. Emily Haines is phenomenal. If I had to choose a band whose sound I loved to hear and wanted other bands to emulate, it might be them. "Youth Without Youth" was the lead single off this album, followed by the song that is currently my favorite off the disc, "Breathing Underwater". But it was "Clone" that stole the show in 2012. It's a gorgeous and tragic tale that slowly works it's way through your heart. It's a tossup for me whether "Fantasies" or "Synthetica" is the better album from these guys, but I hope that their next album (of which they announced recently that they are currently writing for) will be better than both of them. I know that's a high pedestal, but I'm sure Emily and the guys will deliver.
13. Veil of Maya - Punisher
Marc Okubo is a bananas good guitarist. He wrote every single riff on the album "Eclipse" and performed them perfectly and without relent. You give me a good djent song with a chugging opening and the lyrics "DO you remember?!", then you have a perfect module for success. Unquestionably, the thing that led me to love this song the most was right before the big breakdown, there is a soundbyte from a YouTube clip in which a young man is criticizing the palm mute technique and the sound it makes. Okubo wrote the freaking breakdown riff around the sound that the man articulated in the clip! You what?! An interesting development though - as I'm writing this blurb I just read that the lead singer of VoM left the band without warning, leaving their 5th album in doubt. Hopefully that gets straightened out soon, as I'd like to hear more of this again.
12a. Florence and the Machine- Shake It Out
12b. Florence and the Machine - What the Water Gave Me
Florence Welch is one of those women who holds a rare key piece to my heart. She writes amazing lyrics, has one of the greatest voices in the industry, and is a gorgeous redhead to boot. "Ceremonials" was a tremendous sophomore disc, and it was only right to feature the first two singles released on the countdown. Initially, it was "What the Water Gave Me" but as 2012 progressed I found myself equally impressed with "Shake It Out". Both are great songs, and there's no possible way I could place one ahead of the other. Both hit incredible apex points and drive stakes right into your heart. Other great songs off this album are "Only If For A Night" and "Spectrum". It's a beautiful thing when the band makes music, and for my money they can do no wrong. The only thing is, both of their albums are about Florence breaking up with her old boyfriend. What will she write about next? Haha...
11. Swimming with Dolphins - Sleep to Dream
Here we again find our old friend Adam Young (of Owl City) being in a wonderful synth-pop band. Actually, further research shows that Austin Tofte did all of the work on this album, but it was he and Young who started the band. On this track, we have a bubbly love song featuring the lovely voice of Sarah Beintker. The album is the same mold of Owl City - filled with sugar, bubbles, and ridiculousness. Unfortunately, Adam is way better at doing it and it shows as this album is much of the same with very little else to build on. Supposedly, Tofte was writing for a new album, and released a few songs this year but hasn't done much else. Occasionally this song pops back up on my MP3 list, whenever I'm feeling silly lovey and don't care for the fact that it's utterly ridiculous on the sugar scale. I'd love to here a more mature effort from him, though.
10. Animal Kingdom - Strange Attractor
The first dozen or so times I heard this song on CD101, I thought it was a woman singing. I really did. I came home one day and knew I had to download the song, but upon hearing it on my crystal clear sound system, I realized that it was most definitely a man. Oops! And these days, the only thing I can think about when hearing this song is a YouTube comment I saw when watching the video. Stranger Tractor. Ahahahaha.... what has been read cannot be unseen. Also, it's hard to forget a video that featured a beautiful woman barfing up jewels and glitter in slow motion. Well, it must be chemical. Hah. Anyways, the album was pretty droll and in fact, the lead singer sounds so much more manly on the rest of the songs. But the lyrical structure of this one - falling in love in the most crazy of ways - works out perfectly. It works out well but it screams "One hit wonder". I actually hadn't listened to this song in a long time before writing this down.
9. Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks
I had the pleasure of seeing Of Monster and Men live without their debut album dropped, and they were a lot of fun. At the time they only had a 4 song EP out, but I was hooked. And with good reason. It's rare that I can find a really good folksy group that sticks with me, but oMaM is just that group. Both of the vocalists do a great job on the album, with standout tracks being "Mountain Sound", "From Finner", and "King and Lionheart". While they performed on stage, they danced around in wonderfully goofy Icelandish garb and put on a pretty great show. The back-and-forth story telling style written in this song works well, but it's the vocal harmonies that truly makes the band stand out. These days, it's "Mountain Sound" that I love to rock out to, but I know once they finish their second album, it will be paramount in my collection.
8. Demon Hunter - Dead Flowers
Oh, there's ol Demon Hunter again. I wrote enough about the band in the 2010 countdown, so let's focus on this song and album. They posted this song on their Facebook page several weeks before the album was released, and I knew it was going to be one of those songs for 2012. Demon Hunter basically writes two different types of songs. Fast-paced, pulsing metal tracks, or slow, draining ballads. Every album has at least one, and they're usually fantastic ("My Throat Is An Open Grave", "My Heartstrings Come Undone", "Deteriorate", etc). Well, "Dead Flowers" is without question one of their best, and easily the best song off of "True Defiance". Other solid tracks include "I Am A Stone", "Crucifix", and "Wake". Stay tuned to see if they make it to the 2014.
7. One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful
Crap. I uh... Yeah. Here's #7. I'm not going to write about 1D. I think it's fine that there's a decent boy band for all the young girls to fall in love with. I fell in love with Kelly, and my need to sing songs like this at karaoke spawned a #7 spot on this countdown. Leave me alone.
6. Lamb of God - King Me
Seriously? One Direction? Get the hell out of here. Cleanse your ears with a little LAMB OF GOD! While I was mostly disappointed with their 2009 release "Wrath", they put out a massive non-album single titled "Hit The Wall" in '11 and exploded with 2012's "Resolution". I listened to the entire disc and was impressed. The final track? Wow. Wowwwwwwwww. Hot damn. I remember immediately posting to Facebook that this was going to be the song of the year (way back in February, I believe?). And then I posted it again the next two days. Haha. Wow. Once the guitars kick in, wow. The song just crushes. The entire album crushes. "Invictus", "Ghost Walking", "The Undertow", "Insurrection" - the second best metal album of 2012 was a phenomenal one. It's time for another disc, Randy. Make it happen baby! (note - take your time, guys. i can wait).
5. The Shins - Simple Song
The Shins. James Mercer. I don't like them, and I don't like him. But here's the thing. Once per album he puts out a song that just shatters your mind. The 2007 Shins album had "Phantom Limb". The first Broken Bells album had "The High Road". This Shins disc has "Simple Song", a gorgeous and amazing love song with a hilarious video about a dying father and a hidden deed bringing a family together. "Love's such a delicate thing that we do, with nothing to prove... which I never knew" is such a powerful line. The entire song is filled with great lines like that, but this song takes the cake. I still listen to it often and although I cannot stand 30 seconds of any song off the rest of the disc (or any other disc of theirs), I still have this. And that soaring guitar on the verses. Woo-whee. Should they release another album (it took 5 years between their last two) any time soon, I'm sure I'll hear it's singles on CD101 and I'll find another song to fall in love with.
4. Garbage - Beloved Freak
Shirley Manson, Shirley Manson. You gorgeous Scottish songstress. You amazing musicial, you. I was PUMPED when I heard Garbage had gotten back together and this album was not at all a let-down. "Blood for Poppies", "Control", and the song that shattered everything in my life, "Beloved Freak". I can never stop listening to this song. It's 2012's "Bloodbuzz Ohio"; that one song that will stick with you for the rest of your life. It absolutely has so far, and I don't see it relenting. No words. I can't describe what this song means to me. And it's only #4.
3. Walk the Moon - Anna Sun
Hello, Ohio! Walk the Moon bounced right out of Cincinnati and into my eardrums and heart in 2012 with the unstoppably fun track "Anna Sun". "This house is falling apart!" Was the theme of my packing my things and moving in 2013, and the song continues to bounce through into the future. Their second single "Tightrope" showed that they have future promise, and they just recently released their first single off of their next album, due in 2015. My fondest memory of this song was singing along with my fiancee in the car and coming across the line "your shoulder in my mouth" and stopping to lock eyes with her. What a ridiculous line. She laughed at me and apparently I did the same thing a few weeks later. Goodness, me. Anyways, let's get that new album out, boys, so we can all dance again!
2. Meshuggah - Do Not Look Down
There are no bad Meshuggah albums. There are few bad Meshuggah songs. These guys are titans. This album is a juggernaut. This song is a tank, strapped to a fighter jet, made out of biceps. Chuck Norris' biceps. It will crush you. They will destroy you. "Do Not Look Down" is not only the strongest track musically off of "Koloss", but lyrically as well. It's dirty and grimy and it's here to kick your mother-loving ass. Oh, and at 1:50 there's a trademark Fredrik solo in which he reaches inside of your head, rips your brain out and stomps on it. Yes. DO NOT LOOK DOWN. When I saw them live, they killed me. I am now a zombie. Need I say more?
1. Fun - Some Nights
Yep. Yup. The most listened to, most enjoyed album of 2014. "We Are Young", "All Alone", "It Gets Better", "All Alright", "One Foot", and finally "Some Nights". I sang along so loud to this album. I was so excited when they got regular airplay. But in recent times, they've started to scare me. They've joined the great pop machine after being relatively indie on their first disc. The more I've listened to this album over the past two years, the more I realize that the auto-tune is a bit much. Also, I realize that there is a lot of room for improvement and bigger sound. But do I think they will go down that line? No, I fear they will join the sellout ranks and sell millions of records while sacrificing the foundation they build on "Aim and Ignite" and improved upon with "Some Nights". But, the title track was a great song for this year, and is still a pretty great song to sing along with. And it really did define the life I was living that year. A fitting number one, once again eeking out a victory over a colossal metal track. It wasn't really much of a duel this year, though. It was more a decision of where the rest of the tracks fell.
I'm going to wait a few weeks before recapping the 2013 Countdown. It's only been a year and I don't think I've fully had time to live with it. But we're less than two months away from the 2014 edition, and I hope the excitement continues to build until then. Until we meet again!
No comments:
Post a Comment