Closing 2012's edition of our Best for Guests special is Mike 'Papa Slumber', the guy that for the past 20 years, runs - by himself - one of the most important labels for independent artists: Slumberland Records.
Since 1989, Slumberland released albums from Velocity Girl, Stereolab, Boyracer, Crystal Stilts, Black Tambourine, The Aislers Set and many, many others.
Today, 20 years later, the label - that in the past spent some time inactive - is more popular than ever. The label's "gems of 2012" include the album Europe, by Allo Darlin' and Echo Lake's Wild Peace.
MIKE SLUMBERLAND'S LUCKY SEVEN FAVE POP RECORDS OF 2012 THE GARLANDS LP LIGHTSHIPS Fear And Doubt EP LINDENBleached Highlights LP LITERATUREArab Spring LP SAINT ETIENNEWords And Music LP SEA PINKS Freak Waves LP SMALL REACTIONSNerve Pop 7"
Marc is the children's television producer behind The City And Horses, a band from Brooklyn that makes cute and witty songs with fun, endearing and nonchalant indie pop melodies.
The City and Horses 3rd album is set to be released in 2013.
I'm not really good at finding new music. At the risk of sounding gigantically pretentious, I've mostly been listening to old Noel Coward recordings and Orson Welles radio broadcasts this last year. However, a while back my band was featured in the Band of the Day app, which does exactly what the name says: introduces users to a new band every day. So one day the app featured Dominant Legs. The first song I listened to was Hoop of Love. And I didn't stop listening to it for at least three weeks. On repeat. For hours on end. It's an Orange Juice style hip shaker. The song's got more hooks than a tackle shop. The slapback vocal is barely decipherable but I sing along anyway. And there's a female counter vocal going on that softens things up nicely.
The video looks like a commercial for jeans or sunglasses or shirts but it made me fall further in love with the song. Hannah Hunt, the female counterpart, is beyond fetching. So fetching it hurts. From what I understand she's the girlfriend of the lead singer from Girls. Yeah, I have a shot.
This song is the single of the year. And it's also the song I've always wanted to write. The groove, the castoff coolness of the vocal delivery, the Orange Juice guitar. I wanted to do that! In fact, I've tried and failed. But at least I can stop trying now. Dominant Legs beat me to it. And probably did it much better.
Henric is a musician and multi instrumentalist from Sundsvall, Sweden. His part of indie pop darlings Heart-Sick Groans and the mind behind Ghost Lake.
At the moment Henric is at the studio with the band Harry Lynch, mixing songs with Henrik Sunbring (Agent Side Grinder, Marching Band). They'll be released in some time in 2013.
MY SON, MY SON, WHAT HAVE YE DONE
I didn't see this until this year, it's really from 2009, but I was so happily surprised. Mellow, eery and excellent! By Werner Herzog, with Chloë Sevigny and Star Trek Into Darkness bad guy Michael Shannon.
Also: LOOPER! Apart from Joseph Gordon-Levitt's annoying Bruce Willis forehead/nose, it was a sweet little action piece.
As with CHRONICLE, it also had some cool Akira things going on.
BEST MUSIC SIMIAN GHOST YOUTH
Someone reviewed this somewhere with "it sounds like glass" or something, makes sense. extremely nice production, sweet songs. ANGEL OLSEN HALF WAY HOME Here's an album to make a tidy little incision in your heart and then gently fill it with xenomorph blood. timeless classics! singer-songwriter angel olsen sounds sorta 60's but modernly fresh (the musical dream completed). her vocals are fitting to her christian name, loose, theremin-like and utterly beautiful. check it out, especially this undeniable hit - Angel Olsen – Free! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sekbCD_oFl0 VERONICA FALLSS/T
This album was gentle to me in the beginning of the year, reminded me of how effective simple songwriting can be, at its best! neat little stories in the lyrics too. guitar pop with generous reverb.
This year I've been making comics and writing books mostly! I'll release a single from my pop outfit Ghost Lake early 2013, with B-sides covered by Marcus Kimaro and Jerker Olov Hansson.
There's also a video for that single, with performances by the three great singer-songwriters John Hawks, Johan Brännström and Daniel Rodin, and the venomous dancer Petter Häggström. The vid pitch is David Lynch meets Fist of The North Star in Arkham Asylum dreamy darkness.
I did three music vids 2012 - one animated vid for pop phenomena Heart-Sick Groans, and I did one video for Ghost Lake, with choreographer Marie Herdensjö and photographer Patrik Forsberg...
...and this pizza fest that i did with Jerker Häggström & Johanna Näsholm
Orca Team is a band from Portland, Oregon now based in Seattle. Their aesthetic is clean, simple and straightforward: black clothes, short songs drenched into 60s surf pop and stripped down to guitar, drums and bass. The strong bass lines could make everything too post punk-ish and sad, but crystal guitars make their music sound light and unaffected. It's like a prom in the 60s (with mirrorballs and stuff) taking place on a beach.
FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2012 THE MIAMI DOLPHINSCapri SunSelf Released THE INTELLIGENCEEverybody's Got It Easy But MeIn The Red DEEP TIMES/THardly Art HOLLOW BOYSWhen You Think Of Us, Pray For UsSelf Released THE SHIVASWhite OutBurger Records/K Records TRIGGER EFFECTEscape From Planet Scorpion Indica Records CATE LE BON CyrkThe Control Group CRIMESGood HopeSelf Released
I thought 2012 was an alright year for music but for the most part, everything tended to sound the same. Melodies and guitar hooks. Distortion and back up vocals. Everything is lush and slick. It's rare that I can find something I enjoy listening too in this modern age. With no arrogance attached to this statement, sometimes the reason why I write music is because there are tones and melodies that I have always wanted to hear but have never found them before. I would be relieved if in the near future I found out I was directly ripping off someone else the entire time. At least that would save me the explanation of how I write. I could just say I plagiarize everything.
While I would never say that I play abrasive or "hard-to-get-into" music, usually I am drawn more towards the uncertain aesthetic of a band. I'm old enough to say that I prefer a presentation of music as opposed to a band playing a show. I'm not excited about your unshaven guitar player wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Is it your day off from work? Why the fuck am I watching you preform? Better yet, why did I pay to see you? Bring me something to see that I don't see everyday on the street. If you are so goddam creative, why did you assume that your music speaks for itself? It could for most everyone else. Not me. I suppose I'm the asshole there.
I'm not sure why but I am always intrigued how bands that put thought and fresh ideas into music are usually over looked by the popular masses. This is an old tale and to be fair, if there was a sudden change and everything that was subversive became popular on a mainstream level, I'm sure many of us would eventually go to underground shows to watch boy bands and Top 40 sound alikes and say things like, "Well, at least they can play well and sing in key unlike that shit I hear on the radio." Who knows, I think for the most part recorded music is boring and a waste of time. I'm much more of a person who likes to judge people upon a live setting. It's where the action is.
Civil Love is a band from Peckham, South London. Their sound is light-hearted, 60s influenced summer tunes with a feet in psychedelia and Pavement chiming guitars.
Their first EP - Civil Love - was released last April and you can get it on bandcamp. A new EP is being made...
Here's Urko (vocals, melodica, bass, percussion and a bunch of other instruments).
"Our 2012 single ''Under The Sun'' is on Spotify too but it would've been a bit too arrogant to include it on the list haha so there you go CIVIL LOVEUnder The Sun
FAVORITE TRACKS OF 2012 KING TUFFAlone & Stoned
These guys have a really fun garage pop thing going on, very catchy phrases and wacky guitars.
JOHN TALABOTDestiny feat. Pional
Spanish electro fellow. Very originally crafted and impressively danceable tunes combining tropical(ish) and darker sounds.
TAME IMPALA Endors Toi
I was sooo skeptical about these guys in the beginning as everyone was kind of ranting about them (I still don't really get their super critically acclaimed first album) Fucking good psychedelic pop, lot's of 70s prog sounds that most bands wish they knew how to capture.
OPOSSOMBlue Meanies
Ex-Mint Chicks Kiwi guy. I find this stuff better than his old band actually, as I also find Unknown Mortal Orchestra which is the other guy from Mint Chicks. Not a big fan of Mint Chicks as you can see.
THE ELWINSCome On Out
Canadian small town indie pop gem. They should be as big as The Shins maybe. Unfortunately Lana Del Rey exists today.
MICHAEL KIWANUKAI'll Get Along
Panty wetter guilty pleasure. He's really good, dammit. Reminds me of Fleet Foxes and good Soul like Otis and Curtis Mayfield.
M. WARDClean Slate
A more than decent remain of those alt-folky days back at the end of the last decade. Silky vocals.
LIGHTSHIPSSweetness In Her Spark
I hate when the first thing they mention is he being the bass player from Teenage Fanclub. Gerard Love is one of the most brilliant artists on the face of the planet and whoever disagrees will be attacked by a giant squid someday.
BEACH HOUSEOther People
Surprisingly non-ephemeral indie windie pleasure. All their songs sound the same therefore all their songs are awesome songs. Those muffy synths and rebervy vocals keep giving me the same chills as a couple years ago with their amazing ''Teen Dream''
MAC DEMARCOFreaking Out the Neighborhood
Lo fi jangly young Canadian dude. Chorus pedals, funky and dry drum beats, zero cliches despite this shitty description.
TWIN SHADOWThe One
80's leather jacket mix raced fashionable guy from the States. Perfect for non-integral fans of Bruce Springsteen like me. Probably you'll like him if you feel the same way about Morrissey which I don't.
BREAKBOTBaby I'm Yoursfeat. Irfrane
French DJ or electro something, I don't know, a friend recommended it to me because he knows I love Michael Jackson and indeed I liked the guy and yes he sounds a bit like MJ. Nothing wrong about it. Extremely catchy, makes you want to take off your shirt and jump into a fountain or similar behaviors.
FRANK OCEANThinkin Bout You
This is my most embarrassing entry on the list but I don't care because this guy is infinitely talented and his whole album is a piece of diamond. I barely listen to cheesy chart oriented RNB or Hip Hop but this guy's gotten me addicted for quite a while already. Credible and unpretentious lyrics for a genre of frequent verbal saturation.
JAPANDROIDS Fire's Highway
WOOOOOOO ANTHEMS WAAAAA so melodic and powerful and kind of nostalgic, like I wish I was 17 again and jumped off the pier naked after 20 shots of tequila.
NOW, NOWLucie, Too
Melancholic (emoish?) guitar band from Minnesota I think. I hear some Pedro The Lion maybe but I'm not sure wether they ever heard about that guy.
FANZINEL.A.
My favorite band in London. They have everything I die for. Amazing harmonies, unordinary chord progressions within the pop structure, catchy vocal and instrumental melodies etc. Way beyond the 90's gimmick.
WEIRD DREAMSHurt So Bad
This guy likes Brian Wilson. No doubt about that. And he's from London too. Not many Londoners do this kind of stuff so I thought I'd mention him.
BEING THERE17
Sweet band from London too (kinda paying homage to my surroundings). They sound a bit like those British bands from the laste 80's and early 90's like Ride, Another Sunny Day, Stone Roses etc. A bit like ''The Pains Of Being Pure at Heart'' too, let's be honest. Really enjoyable stuff though!
THEE BRANDY HIPS Cynicism
These guys are from my lovely hometown in Spain and I'm highly honored to be friends with them. We've been struggling together across the sinuous circuits of musical activity for many years and they put out a really good album this year. Anyone into Deerhunter, Neutral Milk Hotel, 60s garage and 70's powerpop should be fond of these fellows.
EL MATO A UN POLICIA MOTORIZADODos Galaxias
I don't listen to much current stuff sung in my mother tongue but hey, here's some hell of an Argentinian ''Guided By Voices'' nobody should ignore. Also, their lyrics are often about the things I love most in life, like Love itself, Outer Space, being in your room, a movie, crushes on girls etc.
