5dots (in brief)

  1. Best of 2012

    Well, folks, it’s that time again, apparently. That time when I round up my favorite records of the past year and give them away as high-quality mp3s. 

    Standard disclaimer: please support artists in whatever way you can.

    2012 disclaimer: I didn’t listen to a lot of new music this year, for a wide variety of reasons. Hopefully it’s not just that I’m getting older and slowing down! So this list is quite short, and there are dozens of records I wanted to listen to but haven’t gotten to yet and which would probably be included if I’d heard them. (But not Frank Ocean. Look, he’s on everyone else’s end-of-year list, and so you don’t really need him here, too. And I honestly just wasn’t that into his record, sorry.)

    Bonus disclaimer: There are a few bands who put out records this year that I’ve included heavily in past years - Krallice comes to mind. Their output this year has been totally solid and consistent and just as good as previous years, but, well, I already told you about them, and it felt redundant to be like “hey guys the new Krallice record is also good and I’m telling you that even though I’m way on the record as being a Krallice fan”. So, if a record you like didn’t make it on this list, it’s probably because I haven’t heard it yet, and possibly because I didn’t feel like I needed to share it again. (Or, you know, maybe I didn’t like it. Whatev!)

    If you’d like to see 2011’s list, or any others, head here and you’ll find all the links you could want. Oh, and for those of you hoping I’ll start blogging about music again more in 2013: sorry, don’t hold your breath.

    (in alphabetical order, as per usual, because I don’t really believe in ranking)

    Bonnie “Prince” Billy - Now Here’s My Plan

    Included mainly because of the new version of “I See a Darkness”. He’s taken a sad, mournful song, and made it weirdly uptempo and upbeat, which for me actually fits the message of the song so much better.

    Dustin Wong - Dreams Say, View, Create, Shadow Leads

    Just pretty looping guitar for an hour. Dustin Wong always sounds like himself, and that’s always welcome in my book.

    Heavy Cream - Super Treatment

    Some gritty, female-fronted rock and roll. Straightforward, but aesthetically in my wheelhouse, and really great live.

    Japandroids - Celebration Rock

    I liked their first record a lot, but this one sounds so much more intentional - like they really tightened up their sound to make a proper album. Sort of like if Bruce Springsteen was a punk two piece, and what I wish The Hold Steady sounded like whenever I hear people talking about them. (n.b.: I don’t really care for The Hold Steady or Springsteen - sorry, New Jersey, it’s nothing personal!)

    La Sera - Sees the Light

    A lovely second album. A little more rock-ish - some of the Vivian Girls sound creeps in, here - but her beautiful voice is still front and center.

    Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror

    I said of their first record last year that I didn’t know how they’d follow it - their sound was so distinctive that a radical change would be iffy, but that I probably didn’t need another record identical to Treats. This works, though. Just different enough to be worthwhile, but still very much in the same vein that worked for them the first time.

    Tig Notaro - Live

    I’m not really *into* comedy the way some folks I know are, and I hesitate a little to include a stand-up album here, but: this is maybe the best comedy I have ever heard. Funny, yes, but also emotionally moving and inspiring and incredible. Listening to this makes me feel good about being human.

    The Very Best - MTMTMK

    Their last mixtape, after half of Radioclit left the project, was really underwhelming (Kate Bush samples aside), and I wasn’t sure that The Very Best was going to be able to keep going. This album is decidedly different from their earlier ones, but still really solid - shows that the project is still viable, and can switch it up without falling off.

    Waxahatchee - American Weekend

    The singer from P.S. Eliot, doing solo acoustic guitar and vocals. Like most singer-songwriter stuff I enjoy, there’s a very lo-fi recording aesthetic here, which just makes these songs of heartbreak feel super intimate. I found out about this album by seeing a friend’s band open for her at a house show, and being blown away. 

    Addendum pt. 1:

    Only a couple older records that I got into this year that I want to share:

    Dropdead - Dropdead

    I’ve gotten kind of into powerviolence lately - the sound of a hardcore song with wild tempo changes compressed into 20-60 seconds is just really appealing. And when my misanthropy rears its head, it’s a very cathartic thing. (cf. Charles Bronson, if you want more nasal vocals, a slightly spazzier sound, and more hardcore scene in-jokes that haven’t been relevant for 15 years)

    Latterman - Turn Up the Punk, We’ll Be Singing

    I’ve got a friend who’s been a big Latterman advocate in the past, and I just hadn’t been into punk enough to bother checking them out. I did, recently, and got really into it - melodic punk with dual shouted vocals, and super positive messages. It’s really rad to see a group of white dudes acknowledging their privilege and singing songs about feminism.

    Lemuria - 2004 Demo

    I have obviously talked about Lemuria a lot here - I really love them. I recently got their demo on vinyl, and it’s really impressive. They sound really tight and mature for a demo recording. It’s clear that their drummer Alex wrote these songs - the drum parts are so much showier than most similar bands would have (and while I kind of love the excessive fills, I’m glad they toned that down a little on later albums). “Hey, I’m Over Here” is such a good song.

    Addendum pt. 2:

    In the last few months I’ve gotten into writing cocktail recipes. I’m terrible at naming things, though, so I’ve mainly just been naming my drinks after songs I like. Here are the five songs I’ve used for drink names:

    The Softies - Hello Rain
    Go Sailor - Fine Day for Sailing
    Lost Notes and Seared Hopes - Slingshot Dakota *
    Puzzle Pieces - Tiger Trap **
    Every Thought a Thought of You - mewithoutYou

    * I wanted to name the drink after this song, but didn’t feel like the title was a good choice from a marketing perspective, so it was named after the album instead - Keener Sighs.
    ** Okay yes I named three drinks after Rose Melberg bands, so what

    2. comments

  2. Best of 2011

    Folks, I will level with you: two weeks ago, I was pretty sure I wasn’t actually going to be able to do my traditional end of the year best music round up. The past few months, I haven’t been in a position where listening to new music is as convenient as it used to be, and I haven’t been very good about making time to do it. And I’m still getting records, and I know there’s so many that came out this year that I haven’t listened to yet, and I was thinking that I probably just haven’t kept up well enough to bother putting out a list this year.

    But then I checked my iTunes, and it turns out that there’s a bunch of good stuff from this year that I can share with you! So, in the usual caveats - lists like this are inherently subjective, if I’ve left something out that doesn’t mean I hate it, etc. - I really have to emphasize that there are some records that came out this year that I’ve really wanted to listen to, and just haven’t gotten around to yet. Hopefully next year, I’ll do some kind of 2011 leftovers post.

    (I mean, hopefully next year I’ll have more time to listen to new music, and more time to write about it, so maybe this blog won’t go months without being updated again.)

    (if you’re inclined, here are my previous lists: 2008, 2009, 2009 addendum, 2010, 2000’s)

    As always, these records are in first name alphabetical, because I’m lazy, and don’t really believe in ranking things.

    Oh, and I might have forgotten the obvious: I’m making all of these available for free download. Complete, full albums; click the links for .zip files. I say this every year, but, again: if you like something, it’s really for the best if you can support the artist in some way. See them live, buy merch, or perhaps even buy their record if that’s how you roll. If the links don’t work, and it’s after, let’s say, the first week of January or so, that’s on purpose. No complaining if you were slow.

    Cloud Nothings - Cloud Nothings

    This might be my record of the year. Super catchy, simple, fast, lo-fi pop songs. Never fails to get my energy up. 

    Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol.2: Judges

    A little inconsistent, but where it works, it really works. Sounds I wouldn’t have thought came out of an instrument, or even one person.

    Cults - Cults

    Solid little pop songs. Just enough retro/lo-fi vibe to keep it interesting.

    The Death Set - Michel Poiccard

    This record has a really nice tone running through it - sad, but optimistic. Given that it’s about a friend’s death, it does a really good job of addressing that while still being upbeat and positive about living life.

    Dope Body - Nupping

    The best take I’ve heard on grunge in 15 years. Heavy, gritty, but with little technical flourishes. And really great bass tone.

    Eleanor Friedberger - Last Summer

    Considering that I don’t really care for The Fiery Furnaces, I really didn’t expect to like this record. But it’s a really solid set of accessible, 70’s-leaning pop songs. 

    The Field - Looping State of Mind

    I love the narrative of these songs - just setting up a sound, and letting it run for a while.

    Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact

    With every album, I find GGD to be that much more accessible and approachable, but without being any less interesting. I mean, it opens with a really slow-building 11 minute song, but it’s still basically pop - that’s quite a trick.

    Hella - Tripper

    After some disappointing releases under the Hella name, they’re back to what I love: angular, random jams with weird hooks tucked inside. A little heavier, more metal-sounding than previous records, which suits them fine.

    Jens Lekman - An Argument with Myself

    Such a lovely EP. Jens basically can’t disappoint me. The title track is everything I love about his songwriting: catchy, tuneful hooks, and a cleverness that’s not too precious. And under all of it, there’s a feeling you get that it’s all true. (Which isn’t always crucial, and I don’t mean to slag fiction-oriented writers, but in songs about feelings, there’s something that really resonates about non-fiction.)

    Krallice - Diotima

    What I love about Krallice is their unrelenting precision. It’s incredible to hear blast beats that don’t let up for 12 minutes, or the guitar lines that sound like they’ve been quantized exactly to the beat. There’s something about it that makes me think of minimal techno, honestly - it’s that same attitude of staying in one scene for an extended period, and just letting yourself space out there. With Krallice, everything is so precise that there are no edges to escape that scene.

    La Sera - La Sera

    More lo-fi pop tunes. I was a little surprised to like this record so much more than the new Vivian Girls record (which isn’t bad at all), but there you go. Great hooks.

    Lemuria - Pebble

    The astute may recall my falling in love with Lemuria late last year, not long before this album came out. I’d fallen so hard for their previous album, “Get Better”, that it took me a little time to warm up to this one. And even though I still probably prefer “Get Better”, there’s some great songs here as well.

    Low - C’mon

    I forget about Low pretty often, honestly. When this album came out, I said the same thing I did when their previous one came out: “oh, hey, a new Low record. I should listen to that; I really like Low. Why do I always forget about them between records?” They do seem to be getting better with each recent release. “Try to Sleep” is a wonderful, wonderful song.

    Madeline - Black Velvet

    I spent a lot of this year listening to Madeline’s “The Slow Bang”. I liked, but didn’t love “White Flag”, her last album from 2009, and so I’d started thinking that maybe “The Slow Bang” was her peak, for me. And while that might still be true, “Black Velvet” is a really enjoyable record as well. Recorded with a full band, and so missing some of that immediacy and intimacy that I love in “The Slow Bang”, but instead pushing forth that those are mostly pop songs. And seriously, “Hurry Up Pronto” is an insanely catchy song.

    Rye Rye - RYEot poweRR

    Solid club jams all the way through, but it’s the remix of “Party in the USA” that gets it on my list. That shit kills.

    Tennis - Cape Dory

    Admittedly, I find the fact that all of the songs are about sailing kind of unrelatable. But they’re still catchy pop tunes that stayed stuck in my head a lot.

    Tiger & Woods - Through the Green

    You know what makes disco better? If it was more like minimal techno.

    tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L

    It’s kind of hard not to like this record; there’s really something for everyone on it. Great afro-pop horns, atypical song structures, pop hooks, meaningful lyrics. The whole package.

    The Weeknd - House of Balloons

    In terms of lyrical content, this record is pretty objectionable. In terms of sonics, and mood, and hooks, it’s pretty fantastic. Whether or not the lyrics are meant seriously - I lean towards not; it sounds much more like painting a picture of numb depravity than actually reporting on personal experiences - it’s still a pretty singular sound that I had trouble not listening to.

    3. comments

    1. P.S. Eliot (13)
    2. The Beach Boys (13)
    3. Streetlight Manifesto (11)
    4. Islands (2)
    5. Tullycraft (1)
    6. Hella (1)
    7. ()
    8. ()
    9. ()
    10. ()

    Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

    4. comments

    1. Tennis (10)
    2. Mates of State (4)
    3. Madeline (2)
    4. Serious DJs (1)
    5. 5dots (1)
    6. ()
    7. ()
    8. ()
    9. ()
    10. ()

    Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

    5. comments

    1. Jawbreaker (11)
    2. Paramore (11)
    3. The Eames Era (6)
    4. Cat Stevens (6)
    5. The Flaming Lips with Lightning Bolt (4)
    6. Hella (3)
    7. At The Drive-In (3)
    8. Islands (2)
    9. Unrest (2)
    10. The French (1)

    Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

    6. comments

    1. Zomes (15)
    2. Rafter (12)
    3. The French (11)
    4. Thao & Mirah (11)
    5. Thurston Moore (9)
    6. Phil Cook and His Feat (8)
    7. Gold-Bears (4)
    8. The Smiths (3)
    9. The Flaming Lips (3)
    10. Beach House (3)

    Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

    7. comments

    1. The Mountain Goats (14)
    2. Girls Names (10)
    3. Eleanor Friedberger (10)
    4. Gang Gang Dance (10)
    5. Cex (9)
    6. The Vibrarians (3)
    7. ()
    8. ()
    9. ()
    10. ()

    Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

    8. comments

  8. I saw Allo Darlin’ live last month, and they did a cover of this song for their encore (and they’re releasing a version of it on a seven inch, apparently). It stuck with me, and I had to track down the original. Basically, it’s a song about wanting to be from someplace else, and using music to imagine you’re there. It’s also probably the most tender song I’ve ever heard about the Wu-Tang Clan.

    The French - The Wu-Tang Clan

    And here’s another song from the same record (Local Information), about Peter Gabriel at an airport. What I like about these songs: using specific pop references to make a more general points; the use of electronics not to try to make pop-inflected dance music, but rather to just make bloopy-sounding indie pop. 

    The French - Gabriel in the Airport

    9. comments

    1. Madeline (12)
    2. Bobby (12)
    3. Adele (11)
    4. Twilight (9)
    5. Balam Acab (5)
    6. Philip Glass (1)
    7. ()
    8. ()
    9. ()
    10. ()

    Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

    10. comments

  10. A few years ago, I heard a record by Madeline, liked it, and then pretty much forgot about her. (I am sad to say that this happens pretty often.) I accidentally saw her play solo at a house show a year ago, and was pretty blown away. 

    Her songs aren’t complex, and her sound is nothing new - mostly acoustic guitar and vocals. There are a few things that I really love about her, though: good songwriting with lyrics that stick with me; the ballsiness to just perform under her first name like no one else has ever tried to (seriously, I google every band name I’ve ever thought of just in case it’s already taken); and mostly her voice. It’s not an obviously impressive voice, but that’s what I like about it - it’s very approachable. She doesn’t sound like a star who you could never get close to; she sounds like she could could be your friend who happens to sing quite well.

    At any rate - I think I’ve posted her on here before and all this back story might be redundant - I loved her album The Slow Bang, but haven’t been as immediately gripped by its followup, White Flag. She’s got a new record, Black Velvet, though, which is pretty fantastic, and which includes this highlight:

    Madeline - Hurry Up Pronto

    A tight but casual pop song about missing someone, but upbeat. Instantly stuck in my head, from the first chorus.

    11. comments

    1. Lemuria (23)
    2. Rye Rye (18)
    3. Colin Stetson (14)
    4. Jeff The Brotherhood (11)
    5. Cloud Nothings (11)
    6. Cults (11)
    7. Boris (10)
    8. Slingshot Dakota (2)
    9. Madeline (1)
    10. Kelly Hogan & The Pine Valley Cosmonauts (1)

    Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

    12. comments

    1. Seapony (12)
    2. Liturgy (12)
    3. Brave Irene (8)
    4. The Tigermilks (4)
    5. The Magnetic Fields (1)
    6. Tullycraft (1)
    7. Unrest (1)
    8. ()
    9. ()
    10. ()

    Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

    13. comments

    1. jj (10)
    2. DOPE BODY (10)
    3. Beirut (6)
    4. The Eames Era (6)
    5. Jawbreaker (4)
    6. ()
    7. ()
    8. ()
    9. ()
    10. ()

    Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

    14. comments

    1. Okkervil River (11)
    2. Krallice (7)
    3. The Flaming Lips (4)
    4. Elliott Smith (1)
    5. Smith Westerns (1)
    6. ()
    7. ()
    8. ()
    9. ()
    10. ()

    Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

    15. comments

    1. The Death Set (40)
    2. Big Freedia (26)
    3. Beirut (23)
    4. Those Dancing Days (23)
    5. Weekend (21)
    6. Tennis (20)
    7. True Widow (18)
    8. Milky Wimpshake (15)
    9. Japanther (13)
    10. Those Darlins (11)

    Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

    16. comments
designed by sarah mogin, powered by tumblr