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Nick Evans
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I will defend Boxer as a better album than High Violet to my death. But then again, for us music nerds… our bias tends to go toward the album that made us fall in love with them. “When the Pawn” and “Kid A” will always be better records to me than “Idler Wheel” and “OK Computer”.
I still can’t get through “Slow Show” without fucking losing it. That whole “I dreamed about you for 29 years before I saw you”… I still don’t think I’ve heard anything as romantic EVER.
I guess I understand the reasoning with Hypnotize and Mo Money… but leaving Juicy off is a travesty.
Frank Ocean had a great opportunity to expand his fan base last night and he didn’t take it. My FB news feed was littered with “Who’s this Frank Ocean? I don’t get the hype/he’s off key/what is this/i don’t get it/etc” Now, Frank isn’t for ignorant people- but “Forrest Gump” was a very bold choice to put out there for that audience. A lot of the audience was left scratching their heads. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to do ‘Pyramids” or “Lost”?
I know we are all quick to want to love this album… but isn’t this something that you have to experience for a bit before rushing to judgement? I mean, I’ve been listening to it over the past few days and it’s finally starting to all “click”… and I like what I hear so far. But it’s MBV. It’s dense, complicated shit! I just feel that we are all still a bit naive and premature to what this record means, how it will be received by the public, etc.
1. B.O.B.
2. Elevators (Me & You)
3. Ain’t No Thang
4. Ms Jackson
5. Da Art of Storytelling (Parts 1 and 2)… yes I know I’m cheating
6. Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
7. ATLiens
8. Synthesizer
9. So Fresh So Clean
10. She Lives in My Lap
*honorary mention to the Kim & Cookie interlude from Stankonia… best rap interlude ever
Nope. “Adorn” is one of those classic songs we’ll be hearing 50 years from now on the oldies station. (or however we consume music at that point) Doesn’t hurt that there isn’t a second of filler on the album.
“Novacane” was my favorite song of 2011, and as a gay man obsessed with R&B/Hip Hop, I obviously lobby for Frank Ocean. “Channel Orange” is good. Very good. However, it’s not the album of the decade that everyone thinks it is. It’s maybe a mere 9/10 for me. Definitely top 10, but it wasn’t a life changing moving-mountains album everyone treats it as. For that reason, I’m really glad Kendrick was awarded the #1 spot.
And no Twin Shadow or Father John Misty? Those records gave me so much joy this year… shame they weren’t recognized.
This isn’t a greatest or best of list. Like Rolling Stone the publication itself, it’s a nostalgia-filled look at yesteryear through rose colored lenses. Especially considering the genre has only gotten better through time with higher quality production values.
TELL ME ABOUT IT!!! “Confess” has some filler, not gonna lie… but 2012 didn’t get better than “Five Seconds” and “Run My Heart”.
I love this list. Kaleidoscope Dream is exactly where it should be. Also the first list I’ve seen that mentions Elle Varner. I don’t think her album is worthy of the top 10, but nice to see her mentioned. Did I miss something on Chairlift’s album? Only 2 or 3 songs really stuck with me from the album after at least a dozen listens.
Also- Sky Ferrerrerrerrerreia’s “Everything is Embarassing” as the pick for single of the year. I love the song. I just don’t know if I love it because the music video almost turned me straight or because it’s simply that good.
I understand your point- its all about perception and how the band is marketed. It’s always seemed like a strange double standard of the indie community/bloggerazzi to openly embrace mainstream R&B/hip hop records while immediately dismissing mainstream rock. It’s funny- I don’t ever have to defend my love of “Flockaveli” as much as “The Black Parade”.
There’s not a lot of other songs that brought that full-blast fist pumping joy of Walk the Moon’s “Anna Sun” and “Tightrope” this year, and it’s a shame that there’s a good segment of people that won’t give the songs a first listen.
Where’s Madonna? Sure MDNA flopped (and I’m NO fan of the album) but given the bulk of these artists get the revenue from touring (see Roger Waters and The Wall tour at #2) a single Madonna show grosses more than pretty much any other act out there. She’s also been on tour for the majority of the year. Am I missing some technicality or something obvious here?
Frank Ocean seems more like an obligatory add to the list.
You can tell from the list that this is a British publication. Completely devoid of R&B/Hip Hop in a strong year for the two genres.
I just imagined you verbalizing “fuck that” like Kendrick does in ADHD. How could you imagine otherwise?
This list is even worse than Rolling Stone’s will be.
Handful of observations…
Their #1 is Channel Orange but Kaliedescope Dream is nowhere to be found?
Nice to see Father John Misty so far up. 7.3 MY ASS Pitchfork
The list looks skewed toward veterans… why isn’t the amazing Dr John record further up then?
Alabama Shakes put out a decent album but way too spotty to be in the top 10.
Sharon Van Etten and First Aid Kit flew under my radar this year. I’ll be checking those out.
The David Byrne/St Vincent record felt too pretentious for me to enjoy. Down to the album cover.
My favorite thing about this song is that Nile Rodgers is in part responsible for inventing and popularizing this exact sound. I hope this is the start of a late career resurgence.