Tedious End of Year Music Post 2012

End of year music retrospectives always freak me out. Every year I think “oh hey I seem pretty good at this knowing-about-people-what-do-music business” and then I am bombarded by everyone’s top 10 songs, top 10 bands, top 10 thing people have said about music and bands, etc., of the year and I realise I have no idea what people are talking about. Earlier today all round awesome dude and good music knower JoeSparrow posted his end of year post and I realised I had no idea who Alt J is/are. I mean I have heard about Alt J and have heard the words muttered breathlessly on Radio 6 but I couldn’t actually tell you if I had listened to any music by them.

This is really what stops me talking about music on this blog. If you remember when I started this thing I was going to post some new music every week and then I was like “FUCK I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT MUSIC AND THEY WILL FINALLY FOUND OUT” so I just brushed it away and pretended it had never happened. I also started doing a podcast which has allowed me to make fun of bad music and be all “listen to this thing I like” which has somewhat filled the hole. But I’m not doing a podcast episode for a week or so and I’ve lost my outlet.

Anyway enough of this rambling introduction the point is I’m going to post some of my music highlights for the year. JOIN ME.

Band of the Year: Holograms

Have you noticed how Scandinavians are the best at doing music? Honestly it’s true, just think about it. Maybe it’s all the bleakness and alcoholism? Anyway my band of the year is Holograms who are from Stockholm and are at the optimal point between every type of music I like. They have this sort of subdued hardcore thing going on and everything seems blended together just enough that it all works whilst sounding like it is about to collapse. Look I am bad at explaining why I like music, it is just good okay?

Fun fact: They played in Manchester and I didn’t see them because I was tired and that is also my Musical Regret of the Year.

Obscure Pretentious Discovery of the Year: Sekouba Bambino

While searching for “It’s a man’s man’s world” on youtube and found a cover of it by this guy. Initially I just liked it for the low rent video but as I listened I realised it was also flipping amazing. Entirely on the back of this one youtube video I bought some of his music which was almost entirely brilliant and I guess that is evidence of the positive power of sharing music for free on the internet or something?

Anyway if you are going to listen to one Guinean musician who is seamlessly blending modern sounds with traditional West-African instrumentation all overlaid with incredibly powerful vocals you should make it Sekouba Bambino.

Most Disappointing Live Performance Which Put Me Off an Artist Who’s Work I Had Enjoyed Up To That Point of the Year: Grimes

I really enjoy sort of dreamy electronic music which I think I heard some dickhead say was in a genre called “faded” or something, which is a term I wanted to hate but had to agree with because that is actually a sort of accurate term. I would say that Grimes falls into that category, I really enjoyed her stuff and kept on banging on about how great she was.

Anyway I saw her live at the Islington Mill and she kept break up her set by moaning about lights and sound levels and stuff in between songs even though the light and sound levels were fine, and no-one in the audience seemed that into it apart from a couple who were fucked up on something, and maybe I was just in a bad mood because I had an early shift the next day but it was still pretty lame. So sort out your live shows Grimes.

Musician Who You You Like But Don't Want To Admit You Like For Reasons You Can't Quite Put Your Finger On of the Year: Azealia Banks

I’ve found listening to Azealia Banks has been fun this year but god do I feel awkward about admitting it to anyone. What’s up with that?

Favourite Welsh Band of the Year: Trwbador

I’ve got the weird feeling I’ve met Trwbador outside of them being a band, like they went to school with someone I know or something? I mean they are Welsh and that sort of thing does seem to happen with Welsh people.

I really enjoy Trwbador’s combination of electronic and folk sounds, which seems like it would be incredibly hard to do without sounding like a thing made by that really irritating guy you keep bumping into when you’re in the Northern Quarter and have to pretend to like because he’s going out with one of your mates, but they really pull it off. And in addition to that they do a lot of their singing in Welsh which as a non-Welsh speaking Welsh-man who lives in England and has to constantly remind people that I'm actually Welsh is something I’m very in favour of.

Best Brother Who Has Released An EP This Year of the Year: My Brother 

My Brother makes noises under the name Ap Martlet and as part of Hagman and I feel any music post I make should include some nepotism. Phrases I would use to describe my brother's work would be "the noise of a dream where you are lost in a forest and unable to speak" and "the sensation of being trapped on a spaceship which is being sucked into a black hole". It's not music for any time but if you are in the right mood then it is exactly what you need and I quite often listen to it when I'm writing.

Best Chart Topping Pop Song of the Year: Call Me Maybe

Hey now that we've got the cool stuff out of the way have I mentioned to you how Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” is actually a wicked good pop song? Because it is and I feel that it is sad that the fact that such a brilliant pop song has been sort of drowned out in year end retrospectives by “Gangam Style” which while fun is the equivalent of the Maccarena and Agadoo. You should listen to “Call Me Maybe” again and consider how good it is. Also while watching the video join me in wondering where the fuck the string section is in her garage? I mean seriously that band has no relation to the music we are hearing here.