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My top ten records of the year

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December 20, 2012 by gaughin

This is copied over from Facebook, so if you follow me there you may have already seen it.

10) Dragged Into Sunlight – Widowmaker. That’s right, death metal, recommended by a really old guy who probably should know better. The first 13 minutes of this thing’s a magnificent sludgy atmospheric mess that perfectly fits my mood when deadlines loom. You think I am going to make you listen to it? BACK OFF https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSWiI3z4fqE

9) My Jerusalem – Preachers. Indie rock supergroup that includes members from the Polyphonic Spree and the Twilight Singers, but I probably wouldn’t have even heard about them were they not descended from Bishop Allen, a group I really liked 3-4 years ago. Anthemic post-rock, with a baritone vocalist, reminds me a little of The Call with the histrionics dialed down a few notches. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nYjV92CE20

8) Deftones – Koi No Yokan. More metal. My son says this is a good band but not a good record, but it stays just melodic enough for me (even as its’ guitars are slamming your brains) to stay interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqaAUEx-tEo

7) METZ – METZ. Strip the artsy self-indulgence away from Sonic Youth and you might wind up with something close to this. Guitar noise was essential to getting me through this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4KkZI7ebPg

6) Beach House – Bloom. Lest you think I only listened to noise all year, I also like elaborately arranged pop music, the dreamier the better. So this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb0Rs_-Hsjo

5) Godspeed You Black Emperor – Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! Where Robert Fripp could have gone with Frippertronics if he wasn’t so dedicated to banishing fun from the world. Long segments of droning guitar interlaced with explosions of orchestral blasts of sound. It’s probably even better if you are on drugs. DON’T TAKE DRUGS. https://www.youtube.com

4) Ty Segall – Twins. This guy made more great records this year (3) than most bands will have in their entire careers, and this is the best of the lot. Melodic pop songs played with the raw intensity of the best punk. Music that will lighten your load if you will just give in to it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GutRR9FYTw

3) Led Zeppelin – Celebration Day. Remember the part about me being an old guy? Blue Oyster Cult didn’t release a record this year (Yes did, but it’s best not to speak of it.) While these versions are a little slower than the classic originals, I think they’re also a little weightier, in the positive sense of that word. Show the little boys how to do it, grampas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-iciKQ_A4A

2) Passenger – All the Little Lights. There’s a bit of Glenn Hansard/Swell Season similarity here. A big change from most of my picks for the year, this is delicate pop/folk, that feels like it could break apart at any moment. In the same ballpark as Tallest Man on Earth, which you’ve probably never heard of either, but should have. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K8EkTC3kME&list=PLB9F13B46388A0984&index=6

1) Porcupine Tree – Octane Twisted. It had to be prog. It’s the one style of music for which my enthusiasm has always remained high. I know it’s cold and clinical and unemotional. Did I mention that Wallace Stevens is my favorite poet? I like it; if you don’t, don’t come to my listening party that I am not planning on having. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n9JgUizq8M


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