Best Songs of 2012

While there's some heavy cross over from the Best Albums list, the Best Songs list allows for a few top 40 hits and/or stray song that I heard on a commercial to sneak in because, really, those individual songs often times defined the year in music just as much, if not more, than the full albums.

Check the Spotify playlist here.

And here are my favorite tracks from the year 2012. Happy listening.

25. Of Monsters and Men - Mountain Sound
24. Mumford & Sons - Not With Haste
23. Damien Jurado - Working Titles
22. The Shins - Simple Song
21. Dirty Projectors - Impregnable Question
20. Grimes - Oblivion
19. Lana Del Ray - National Anthem
18. Mumford & Sons - I Will Wait
17. Frank Ocean - Super Rich Kids
16. Sufjan Stevens - Silver and Gold (watch the video on YouTube here)
15. The xx - Angels
14. Passion Pit - Constant Conversations
13. Oberhofer - Haus
12. The Avett Brothers - Live and Die
11. Beach House - Lazuli
10. Kishi Bashi - Bright Whites
09. Gotye, Kimbra - Somebody That I Used to Know
08. fun. - Some Nights
07. Chromatics - Kill for Love
06. Passion Pit - Take a Walk
05. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe
04. Nicki Minaj - Starships
03. Sufjan Stevens - Christmas Unicorn
02. Frank Ocean - Thinkin Bout You
01. fun. - We Are Young

Best Albums of 2012 (Albums 10-1)

For albums 20-11, click here.

My, my, my. The older I get, the harder it is to find the time to really invest in and search for good music out there. It's also a little less socially acceptable to spend quite as much money and energy. Never the less, I appreciate those times that I can really lose myself in an album or find my way to a concert on the occasional weekend, sharing in the art form with others. All that to say, I'm happy to be sitting down with a laptop, sorting through my iTunes and Spotify playlists picking out the highlights from the year.

The following are albums 10-1 of my favorite 20 albums of the year. I didn't have a crystal clear top album, lacking any album that just blew me away. But it's been a fun year for music. And a good one. Both some old and new names and, looking at my top five, some great sophomore releases.

To check all 20 albums, click here for the Spotify playlist.

Without further ado.

10. Lana Del Ray - Born to Die

I'm not sure if this is a guilty pleasure or if I just legitimately like it. Either way, I'm sold on the faux-sex appeal thing. Something like a modern day Marilyn Monroe. Catchy hooks and inane lyrics. Yeah, yeah, she was awful on SNL and the con list is lengthy, but it's a super fun album.

9. Grizzly Bear - Shields

Grizzly Bear comes back off of the highly acclaimed Veckatimist with a super solid output. For me, Shields just improves on its predecessor's best elements.

8. Oberhofer - Time Capsules II

While this certainly isn't an album on any sort of objective "best of" list, it was a favorite of mine. As the band was stopping by Taylor this spring, I familiarized myself with the album and was pleasantly surprised. Nothing extraordinary. Just some good, indie rock. And I actually didn't love the live show... thankfully I didn't let that persuade me away from the album.

7. The Shins - Port of Morrow

The Shins are just kings/queens of indie rock. Simple Song is super catchy and fun. The rest of the album follows suit. 

6. Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal

I was a little late, but I totally bought into the Icelandic indie pop group's gorgeous harmonies and folksy influences. What a consistently great album.

5. Beach House - Bloom

I was worried this guy would be a little boring. I was so happy to be wrong. Bloom takes everything from Teen Dream and improves upon it. The hazy guitars and swirling vocals are still there but added are some legit hooks that make this album irresistible. 

4. Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE

Who saw this one coming? After an incredible amount of buzz after its release, I had to check it out. It took me a few listens to really get into it (R&B isn't necessarily my go-to genre) but the production on this guy is fantastic. And Ocean weaves some fantastic stories from all sorts of corners of society. I'm glad this guy is around.

3. Mumford & Sons - Babel

Perhaps one of the most anticipated albums of the year, Mumford had a lot to live up to. Thankfully, they stayed true to their colors and brought more of their great faux-folk pop rock. They didn't need to reinvent the wheel and it shows. While there's no Little Lion Man or Sigh No More, the whole album is consistently solid and, if you have the few bonus songs, maybe I'm wrong in saying there aren't any timeless hits.

2. fun. - Some Nights

We were all there, right? Listening to We Are Young playing during that commercial, wondering who sang that irresistibly anthemic chorus that we would be singing along to non-stop for the next six months. I certainly was and was delighted to find that the band was fun. Coming off a couple of my past faves (Anathallo and The Format chronologically), I was pleased to see some of those guys hit it big, big. They've been making great music for a while now and Some Nights brings hit after hit, in the best way possible.

1. Passion Pit - Gossamer

Well, this is it. I never would have guessed Passion Pit's new album to come in number one but after buying the album and letting it play enough times in the ol' car radio, I couldn't get enough. While Manners took the music scene by storm with its high-pitched vocals and crazy electronica beats, Gossamer slows things down just a little bit in order to make the album accessible for all sorts of audiences. In my humble opinion, it was a good move. And let's be honest, who hasn't caught themselves chanting "I took a walk" under their breath a few hours after listening to the song?

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There you have it. Don't hesitate to comment with your thoughts and/or links to your Best Of lists.

Here's to a solid 2013.

Best Albums of 2012 (Albums 20-11)

For albums 10-1, click here.

My, my, my. The older I get, the harder it is to find the time to really invest in and search for good music out there. It's also a little less socially acceptable to spend quite as much money and energy. Never the less, I appreciate those times that I can really lose myself in an album or find my way to a concert on the occasional weekend, sharing in the art form with others. All that to say, I'm happy to be sitting down with a laptop, sorting through my iTunes and Spotify playlists picking out the highlights from the year.

The following are albums 20-11 of my favorite 20 albums of the year. I didn't have a crystal clear top few album, lacking any album that just blew me away. But it's been a fun year for music. And a good one.

Click here for the Spotify playlist and...

Without further ado.

20. Purity Ring - Shrines

Trippy, catchy, thoroughly listenable. Sweet vocals accompanying beats that are simultaneously aggressive and laid back. I've enjoyed listening through the album many times this year while working in the ol' office. I'm still holding out for IFC to bring them to Taylor in collaboration with the Sex and the Cornfields programming.

19. Damien Jurado - Maraqopa

I don't know if I'll ever absolutely love a Damien Jurado album. But I find it hard to think of an album of his that I won't enjoy. With his latest (in a long career), Damien brings his same luscious voice, this time with fuller instrumentation. 

18. Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan

I have to admit it, I was originally turned on to the Dirty Projectors due to their song, Stillness is the Move. I know, I know, it's a little bit of an outlier in their catalog, but it was a great introduction and I have since grown to enjoy their intricate, offbeat works.

17. Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself

I have a ton of respect for Bird. He just won't stop putting out solid records. Break It Yourself is another example of Bird's intricate guitar and violin work on top of some of the most unique lyrics in the folk genre.

16. The Avett Brothers - The Carpenter

Maybe the folkiest of the folk music I listen to. Jorjette walked into my office a few weeks ago and asked, "What are you listening to?" (read: "Why are you listening to country music?") I'm not positive of my response but mostly just because their music is fun, and simple (in the straightforward way), and good.

15. Sufjan Stevens - Silver & Gold

I feel bad for putting this guy so low on the list and I'm probably a little unfair. Sufjan's first collection of Christmas music, Songs for Christmas, holds a dear place in my heart, easily earning the spot of favorite collection of Christmas songs due to the consistency, ingenuity, and beauty of the records. My major beef with Silver & Gold is a pretty unlistenable second disc. I'm still waiting on discs 3 and 4 to really grow on me. And then the title track Christmas Unicorn are already favorites of mine. Oh, and the live show was easily the funnest concert I've ever been to. So I love the moments of greatness and am left wondering about the misses.

14. The Tallest Man on Earth - There's No Leaving Now

What is there to say about tTMoE? He creates some hauntingly beautiful, stripped down music, largely created by that screechy voice and narrative of his.

13. Cat Power - Sun

I'm not super familiar with Cat Power's back catalog of music but this sounds different. Same great, full voice but this time on top of some pretty layered, synthesized, swirling instrumentation. While a few of the tracks get on my nerves, I love the direction she's taken this album.

12. Grimes - Visions

I strayed away from this album for a while despite it's positive reviews (from both critics and friends). Due to its freaking scary cover, I totally thought they were some indie-approved metal band. I was wrong. Grimes' dancy beats and soft vocals are anything but.

11. The xx - Coexist

Soft, precise, well-constructed. A solid sophomore output from The xx leaving me excited for a long career. 

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Don't hesitate to leave your thoughts or links to your own lists.

Movie Authors

I first became familiar with the term, "Auteur," while reading Robert K. Johnston's Reel Spirituality. Its definition:

au·teur 
/ôˈtər/

Noun A filmmaker who influences their movies so much that they rank as their author.

It's a term that may not be used as much as it should. Or, perhaps, we refer to movies too much as "the new Will Ferrell one" or "the latest Final Destination." Either way, I was reminded of the term while watching Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited a few days ago. It, along with his most recent Moonrise Kingdom, follow in a stretch of family dramas that have a distinctive flavor including hand-picked music, deadpan acting, and luscious visuals.

Looking at the movies coming our way this holiday (read: Oscar) season, I can't help but take note of Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained. While I'm not a super-fan of Tarantino, I do like the fact that he has a distinctive style while also bringing something new with most of his movies. 

I would include both Anderson and Tarantino on the list of directors that fall in the "auteurs" category. Do you have other additions for today's world of cinema? Maybe Terrence Malick? P.T. Anderson?

Or maybe on the opposite side of the auteur coin, those directors/producers that are equally known for being the author of consistently poor movies?