Monthly Archives: December 2012

Bernstein’s Mass in 2012

Posted on December 28, 2012 by

In 2011, last.fm stats showed that the things I listened to most were the newly released albums I’d enjoyed most. This year it hasn’t been quite like that – the release that racked up most listens was the original 1971 recording of … Continue reading →

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Top albums of 2012: 3

Posted on December 27, 2012 by

Overview | Part 1 | Part 2 | Mentions | Longlist | Spotify link Grizzly Bear – Shields 2009 was a watershed year for a whole group of Brooklyn bands, but it’s the four members of Grizzly Bear who seem to have grown most as a collective since … Continue reading →

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Top albums of 2012: These ones are pretty good too

Posted on December 23, 2012 by

Overview | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Longlist Albums, albums, albums. Not a vintage year, but I liked these ones almost as much as the main 12. Daniel Rossen’s EP was a great prequel to the full Grizzly Bear album, while Aimee Mann produced her best … Continue reading →

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Top albums of 2012: 2

Posted on December 19, 2012 by

Overview | Part 1 | Part 3 | Mentions | Longlist | Spotify link Deerhoof – Breakup Song Deerhoof albums inhabit a very particular niche – their unpredictable, rhythmic tracks are always sidestepping between musical ideas, sounding more like caricatures of popular songs than songs per se. Their twelfth … Continue reading →

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Top albums of 2012: 1

Posted on December 12, 2012 by

Overview | Part 2 | Part 3 | Mentions | Longlist | Spotify link Liars – WIXIW Liars’ greatest suit is their immense control over creating atmospheres with original combinations of sounds. On WIXIW, their focus is on moods rather than traditional song forms, as they give dark … Continue reading →

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Ben Folds Five – O2 Academy, Brixton – 5 December 2012

Posted on December 11, 2012 by

Written for the Music Fix. In most piano-playing cultures, the hammering Ben Folds inflicts on the keys would shatter a social norm or two. If his memory is accurate, Folds’ energetic showing on Later… once prompted veteran keyboard-botherer Jools Holland … Continue reading →

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