Best Songs of 2012 - #19 - Paradise

This will be last in the series. Seems like a nice dreamy song to go out on. 

 

 

Jack Tatum. Photo by Shawn Brackbill

 

Wild Nothing - Paradise

Wild Nothing formed in 2009 and so far have released two albums and an EP. They are a five piece, though Jack Tatum created the band and added members for touring. In other words, he is the principal creator of the music. He had other bands before Wild Nothing but this time, the twenty three year old is garnering some recognition.

Yes, that is actor Michelle Williams in the clip. The song is like a dream of a plane trip to an imagined country in 1988. It's very much in the eighties mould. This song definitly grows on you. They have been labeled as an indie dream/pop band. Personally I think there are far too many ridiculous labels for bands these days. I just purchased the album so I'm hoping it will hold up. It's been getting very good reviews. So far, so good.

Official site.

Photo - Daniel McMahon

Other songs I enjoyed that could have made the list were:

Freelance whales - spitting image

Fujiya & Miyagi - Your Silent Face

Blonds - Time

Galleries - Young Wounds

Dry The River - Weights & Measures

Jason Karaban – Misplaced

Ivan & Alyosha – All The Times We Had

Two Door Cinema Club - The World Is Watching

Alberta Cross -magnolia

Angus Stone - Broken Brights

Beni - Last Night

A Fine Frenzy - Now Is The Start

and a couple from 2011 I didn't discover until 2012:

Butterfly Explosion - Sophia

Flume - Sleepless

The Wandas - Forever and Ever

I hope you enjoyed the series.

 

Best Songs of 2012 - #18 - When I was Young

Nada Surf

When I was Young

 

 

When I was Young begins slowly and builds. It seems to get better with each listen. I've been listening to it all year and still haven't tired of it. I think most of us can relate to the inexperience of youth and the dreams we once had.

Nada Surf have been around for many years of course, forming in 1992 and had a huge hit in 1996 with Popular. They have released seven albums.

When I was young is from their most recent album, The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy.

Official Site. 

 

Best Songs of 2012 #17 - Holes

Great Northern

Holes

As you can see, there is no video for this song. I beleive it is from a forthcoming album, as yet unreleased.

Great Northern are from Los Angeles. They released their debut album in 2007 and followed it up in 2009. They were recording in 2010, so it has taken a very long time to release their third. Lead singer Rachel Stolte said in January of this year on Twitter, 'hi everyone... hope you are all very well... we miss you... sorry this record is taking super long to finish... it's so close... xx GN.'

They had a site, but it has been closed. You can find them here on Facebook. Let's hope they have a more prominent 2013. If this song is any indication, it will be huge.

 

Best Songs of 2012 - #16 - Breathing Underwater

Metric - Breathing Underwater

I had this pegged as one of the best songs of the year about six months ago when I heard the album, Synthetica. It's a very solid album, a band at the top of their form. Their songs will be played for many years to come, I've no doubt about that. Breathing Underwater was released as a single in November, so I'm able to present the official video, (some other great songs I am unable to display as there is no video).

Metric are from Canada and have been around since 1998. They are not a young band, though you wouldn't know it from their sound. It is fresh, full of life and inventive. They have a long and colourful history, too much to go into detail here. Read more at Wikipedia or on their official site.

This series is almost over, but not quite yet.
See you soon.

Best of '12.

Best Songs of 2012 - #15 Sky On Fire

Handsome Poets - Sky On Fire 

 

Handomse Poets (love the name) are from the Netherlands. They have had one album released in 2011, self-titled and this is the latest single from their second album, Sky on Fire.

You can hear that beautiful distinctive European accent coming through. It's slightly cheesy but I love the energy of this song; the promise and exuberance of youth. It is well to remember that there is always a new generation just starting out, new hopes, dreams, unblemished by experience (mostly) and ready to take on the world. Good luck to them.

Official site.

More Best Songs soon!

Best Songs of 2012 #14 - Simple Song

#14 - Simple Song

 (Also best video of 2012).




Worth it for the video alone, though this song was in the list before I'd ever seen the clip.
James Mercer delivers yet again. How does the man do it?

The Shins have released four albums since 2001, though formed in 1996. Mercer had been in a previous band since 1992. Each album has been a brilliant display of pop production. Without investigating, I believe his philosophy is quality over quantity. You can hear it in the songs. The man spends time getting them right before even getting into the studio, something younger bands come learn from.

Simple Song is from the 2012 release Port of Morrow. Highly recommended.

Official site.

Unlucky 13? Not on your life.

Best Songs of 2012 #13

Seams - The Colour Purple

  

 




Seams are from Dundee, Scotland. They are very young. Katie, the singer, looks like she's about 17, but it is hard to tell as they have no official site or Wikipedia page so information is hard to come by. In fact, these images are from the few that I could find. I think they need more of a push. And there are a couple of other bands with the same name so they need to be more prominent. They do have Facebook though.





This is a nice acoustic version so at least you can see two of the members. As far as I know, they have only released one EP, Colours and Maps, with a second coming in early 2013. If they can produce more material like this, they will have a great career ahead of them. I hope so. It's a beautiful song and Katie has a great voice.

More to come.


Previous Best Songs of 2012.

Best Songs of 2012 #12 - Wild

 

 

Beach House

Wild

Beach House are a duo who formed in Baltimore in 2004. They have been described as a dream pop outfit, whatever that means, but this song does seem to fit that description. Personally I prefer the song complete, without the interruption that occurs in the video, but it's still a great song.

Wild comes from the band's fourth album, Bloom, which was released in 2012.

Official Site.

Best Songs of 2012.

Best Songs of 2012 #11 - We Come Running

 

Youngblood Hawke

We come Running

What does Youngblood Hawke and I Dream of Jeannie have in common?

The name Youngblood Hawke comes from the novel of the same name written by Herman Wouk in 1961. It was made into a film in 1964 which co-starred Hayden Rorke, who played the frustrated Doctor Bellows in the TV series.
Incidentally, Herman Wouk is still alive and if he makes it to 2015, will be 100 years old.

As for the band, well, they have only been around for a little over a year. They hail from California. We Come Running comes from their debut EP of the same name. They're not kidding. Bound to be in everyone's heads within months, no doubt, swallowed up by some TV commerical.

Stay tuned.

Official site.

Best Songs of 2012.

Best songs of 2012 #10 - Ayla

 

The Maccabees

Ayla

The Maccabees are from South London, England. The band's name was chosen at random from the Bible, though none of the members are religious. Their first single was released in 2005 though it wasn't until 2007 with the release of their debut album, did they really take off.

Ayla is taken from their third album, Given to the Wild, which was released in August, 2012. I love the clip was well, directed by the band.




Official Site.

Alya

 

Aimless am I
Listless I'm the blunt of the knife
Drifting to the corners of life
Ayla

I could make something right
Gentle with the kindness I'd like
So often it's a trick of the light
Ayla

And we wait for love
In the shape of us

Until the wait is over,
under halcyon skies
Until the wait is over,
for an innocent life

It's a weight off my mind
I could trust you, you could tell me it's fine
I could sew you a stitch and save nine
Ayla

None more admired
and out of soft focused desire
From honeyed milk to funeral pyre
Ayla

And we'll wait for love
In the shape of us
But the state of us
Daedalus

The wait is over,
under halcyon skies
The wait is over,
for an innocent life

The wait is over,
under halcyon skies
The wait is over,
for an innocent life

Until the wait is over
The wait is over
The wait is over

Best songs of 2012 - #9 Default

Django Django

Default

There's something very Devo about Django Django, but that's quite all right. They have a great sound, funky, catchy, perhaps a little annoying but purely inventive. This is one of those songs you will either love or hate, but given the reaction around the world, its clear to see what's more popular.

Django Django are from Scotland. They met in art school in 2009 and released their debut album in 2012. Default was an immediate hit and by year's end (now) they have built a solid following around the world.

Official site.

The boys will be in Australia in January to play a few shows.

More Best Songs of 2012.

A tale of failed love

Best Songs of 2012 - #8 Glen Hansard

Maybe not tonight

From the album Rhythm and Repose.

Glen has been around for a long time. He fronted the band The Frames and also appeared in the film The Commitments as the band's guitarist. This is his first solo work.

Though I prefer other songs on the album, especially Maybe Not Tonight, this is the new single. The album in its entirety deserves a listen, as it's one of the better albums this year. A beautiful, heart rending album of loss, particularly over the broken relationship with his much younger girlfriend, Marketa Irglova. You may know that she was in the band Swell Season with him, and also worked on the soundtrack to the film Once, for which they won an Oscar for Falling Slowly, even though it was an older song from The Frames. They also starred in the film and began dating after its production.

Perhaps the 18 year age gap worked against them, but for whatever reason, they broke up and she went on to marry someone else. The heartache can be heard all through the album. It's a beautiful work, from a masterful singer-songwriter.
Official site.

 See other Best Songs of 2012.

Best songs of 2012 #7 - Danny, Dakota and The Wishing Well

A Silent Film

Danny, Dakota and The Wishing Well

Ah teenage longing. Does it get any better? A great chorus. A great pop song, unashamedly commercial yet with a strong thread of emotion through it, which seems to resonate. It certainly does with me. (Teen at heart?).
It deserves to be a big hit.

A Silent Film are from Oxford, England, forming in 2008, though some members have a longer history together. They released their second album this year, Sand and Snow. Some have compared them to The Killers and Snow Patrol.


Official site.

Other Best Songs of 2012.

Best songs of 2012 #6 - You As You Were

Shearwater

 

 

 

You As You Were

   

 

http://shearwatermusic.com/


Shearwater is an indie band from Texas. They have been around for over a decade, (two members having emerged from Okkervil River). They have produced numerous albums, notably Rook from 2008.

Their album Animal Joy is one of the better releases from 2012. I highly recommend it.

See the other Best Songs of '12.

Best Songs of 2012 - #5 Dizzy Eyes

Best songs of 2012

Dizzy Eyes - Let's break up the band.

The irony is, that they've broken up!
Dizzy Eyes are, sorry  were a three piece from Canada. They lasted less than a year and as far as I can tell only made three songs (and one demo). Their songs were actually released in 2011 though seemed to be getting around various music sites only this year.
I hope they return. Let's break up the band is a cracker.


http://www.facebook.com/dizzyeyes

Official site with the three tracks.

Next post,
A new original poem.

Until then,
Take care.

Best songs of 2012 #4 - 7 Days in the Sun

Nameless - 7 Days in the Sun

Nameless are from France. Four friends formed the group in their high school years in 2003. It's a very catchy song, pure pop with a great chorus.

Facebook page. 

Official site. 

Plenty of great tunes to come, plus a variety of original poetry.

Until then.

Best Songs of 2012 #3 - Sigur Rós - Varúð

Best Songs of 2012 #3

Sigur Rós - Varúð

Varúð is a beautiful piece from the ever amazing Sigur Ros - taken from their sixth full length album Valtari. When the chorus hits, it is impossible to not be profoundly moved. Theirs is the only concert I've been to that has brought me to tears.

I will be seeing them for the third time when they play the Harvest Festival in Sydney on the 17th of November.

Until next time,

Cheers

Best songs of 2012 - #2 Muse

Unsustainable  

Unsustainable is from Muse's sixth album, The 2nd Law. Aside from the strong message, (an economy based on growth is unsustainable), the work is a marked departure from previous Muse albums. It utilises elements of dance and dub-step in comarison to their rock pop (rock opera) past. It shows that Muse are willing to take risks and indeed have caused controversy among their fan base by doing this. And yet they have still managed to capture their essential sound, primarily through their vocals of lead singer Matthew Bellamy.

The band have stated that this track was influenced by producer, Skrillex. While I wouldn't classify it necessarily as a fantastic song, I have included it here for what it represents, a bold move for a band that could have kept repeating their 2006 hit album, Black Holes and Revelations ad infinitum, and for the core message of the song itself.



Plenty of 2012 tracks to come, plus new poetry.

Until then,

Cheers.

Best songs of 2012 #1

I’m passionate about film and music, call it an obsession, and yet you wouldn’t know it with my blog. You would of course know that I am a writer, a poet and that I make videos. I’m a father and step-father too and it encompasses my every day, particularly with my two year old Tilly, who I look after pretty much full-time. I could easily blog about her and other family issues as there are a lot of women doing it, mummy bloggers as they are called (terminology which they apparently hate). I’m sure there is space for the male point of view and perhaps I should but I want to maintain the focus on my writing. Even I have to admit though, that posting a poem a week isn’t enough. I need to diversify.

Tilly in dad's shirt.

This week I posted a video on my Facebook page, denigrating the current craze of Gangam Style. I have no problem with the occasional bit of frivolous fun but the popularity of this piece of dorky finicky fluff makes my skin boil. At the time of writing it’s over half a billion views. Yep, 530 million different pc’s have viewed this inane twaddle. It shits me. Okay? I’ve said it. And I said it on Facebook.

Someone disagreed with me, calling me judgemental. Perhaps that’s true, yet so many decent bands and songs are overlooked by the populace who are obsessed with trite rubbish. 50 Shades of Grey anyone? Where is the justice? I said as much in my response. I was also accused of not listening to new music, as though that was the only reason I didn’t like it. I took offence to that as I’m more modern than most people my age, including my teenage step-kids. It’s not a try-hard fallacy; it’s the way I am. I’ve always been interested in popular culture, whether it is music or film yet I’m still discerning. It wasn’t a conscious decision but my interest never changed as I got older. I still seek out new music. I’m a creative person and I need that fresh stimulus. Some say no input, no output. It’s all linked together somehow. It’s best not to analyse it too much.

I also hear from older people that there is no good music anymore. I agree that there is a lot of crap around, especially in the past decade or so. Yet decent music is still out there, you just have to invest a bit of time searching.

So between now and the end of 2012 I’ll be posting some of the tracks released this year that I enjoyed. I like varying styles as you will see. There is no order and some songs weren’t available on youtube. I’ll try and keep to about ten. This will be in addition to my normal weekly posts. 

My Head is an Animal

Of Monsters and Men are a new band from Iceland. Their debut album is brilliant. Every track is a winner. It would make a great Christmas present. For you!

Watch Dirty PAWS

The poems, video poems, stories and film reviews will continue. But expect something new every now and then. It’s time for a shakedown.

Next post is a new short story I promised, Two men and a half dog.