I could go on about my year and how it’s been hard man, but this kid here is finding himself a little resolutionary so I is gonna stop with that ‘ahhhh phd’s are hard and everything else has suffered as a result’ line. This here is pretty simple. Got streams of all the tracks as well as a bloody mixtape with all of them in it n shit.
The tracks below are definitely not in any kind of order, that would be too hard. But, they are the tunes that received a hell of a lot of plays by both myself and you guys. So that’s kinda cool.
So this is kinda exciting. Melbourne legends Boomgates have a new track, ‘Widow Maker’.
The track is taken from a split 7″ with NZ acekids The Bats and came out yesterday on the internets. It’ll also be available on vinyl (pre-order on the Bedroom Suck website – will be all ready and stuff on Nov 1st).
It’s in true Boomgates style – the vocal-off is excellent. Seriously, Brendan and Steph’s vocals really do complement each other so bloody well. And it also has that jangly sound, but with some level of momentum, making it almost a true mix between Dick Diver and Eddy Current.
Ok, so here it is. my favourite 10 tracks of 2012. I think I’ll let the music do the talking instead of me crapping on about how each track made my year.
All I will say though is the criteria I had for this list
It had to be a track I kept on coming back to; and
It had to be a track that, even on the 10th listen, was still good.
I should also mention that they’re not numbered. They’re all decent in their own way. Awwwwww.
You can stream all ten below, and if you’re keen, you can download a mix with all ten below.
ok. So, here it is. My top albums of 2012. It’s been a nutty year, full of some really incredible albums. As I mentioned in my earlier post, it was impossible to listen to everything, but, I did try. Continuing on with the whole Australian music blog theme this blog has taken on over the past 8 or 9 months, everything here is Australian. Check out my 11-20 list for the os albums that made my faves.
I’ve made a bit of a mix with a track or two from each album which you can stream/download below. Also, if you click on the album titles, you can stream the album on spotify. Coz I is good like that.
10. Bored Nothing – Bored Nothing
Such a chilled release. A culmination of tracks from EPs leading up to his singing to SPUNK, not only is it a rad collection of tracks, but they all sit so tightly together. Great prolific song writing on show with this one.
Bored Nothing – Get Out Of Here
9. Jonathan Boulet – We Keep The Beat, Found The Sound, See The Need, Start The Heart
I called this fella a genius when his debut album came in my fave albums of 2009. His second album, whilst perhaps not living up to the rather lofty heights he set himself a few years ago, still nails it. A lot more percussive this time round, I think the beauty in it is just how ferocious some of this disc is.
Jonathan Boulet – Trounce
8. Catcall – The Warmest Place
This took me a little by surprise. From the opening 46 second intro, The Warmest Place shows that Catcall is, simply put, a killer pop song writer. But moreso, not only is she an individual pop song master, she also pretty much kills a pop album.
Catcall – The World is Ours
7. Pop Singles – All Gone
Like the Twerps debut album of last year (my fave of the year too!) Pop Singles have the whole Flying Nun era jangly pop, but still manage to sound broad, encompassing, and dare I say, Australian. Not only are there some incredibly excellent individual songs on this release (in fact, each track is excellent), the songs sit really well alongside each other. It freakin works as an album.
Pop SIngles – All Gone
6. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – 12 Bar Bruise
Throw shit at the wall and see what sticks? King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard nail that noisy bluesy punk vibe with their debut release, 12 Bar Bruise. There’s a bit of variety on this disc which I love.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Muckraker
5. Presets – Pacifica
There are so many great pop moments on this album. Whilst I had heard that this disc was going to be a bit more straight techno than Apocolypso, I would perhaps suggest that there are a heap more feel good moments on here. Both Kim and Julian nail it though.
The Presets – Ghosts
4. Tame Impala – Lonerism
For all of the hype this album has received, for me, it still manages to fit in the top 10. The album has some seriously great tracks – some perhaps even contenders for year best! But, as with all the albums on this list, it’s not just a collection of songs. They all sit well together, and there’s an overarching story if you like, in the sequencing of the tracks.
Tame Impala – Elephant
3. Collarbones – Die Young
A massively hyped album, for sure, but I think still deserving of every little bit of love it gets. If beat driven glitchy rave style r’n’b is the new thing, then these two are at the forefront.
Collarbones – Die Young feat. HTML Flowers
2. Love Migrate – Plagued Are All My Thoughts, Like White Ants In The Fence
Easily one of my favourite Melbourne bands, this was definitely an album I was eagerly anticipating. Showcasing some incredibly strong songwriting, it’s full of really broad encompassing instrumentation. Eddie’s wonderfully crafted vocals really complement what this band do.
Love Migrate – What Kind Of Man Have I Become
1. Boomgates – Double Natural
As is the sound of bands like Dick Diver, Twerps, and Eddy Current, there’s this thrown together sound that these guys really nail. It really does sound like a couple of mates having a play. As a result, there’s this nice snug feeling that you get from listening to this disc. And yeah, sure, you may classify it as indie pop. But more me, it’s indie pop perhaps at it’s finest, and it genuinely leaves you feeling satisfied.
Ooooh! One of my fave Melbourne bands, Boomgateshave got a new track out. ‘Whispering and Singing’ is one of those male/female vocal duets that is a small bit of a sweet indie pop gem.
The new stuff, and the first long player, is set for release on Bedroom Sucks, a pretty stellar local label putting out stuff like Scott and Charlene’s Wedding, Slug Guts, Bitch Perfect and a whole heap more. The album is entitled Double Natural and is getting a release on August 24th.