Duck. Little Brother, Duck! - Don't Take Our Filth Away (2012)
I picked up Duck. Little Brother, Duck!'s 2012 release, 'Don't Take Our Filth Away' this summer when they returned to "the other" Portland after tearing the roof down (almost literally - mind you) a year before. And while their set was cut short by a police scare in the basement of Poland Street, these guys still got a chance to play some of their new (to us at least) numbers and return to one of the places DLBD! actually wrote about and featured in one of their tracks from this release. I wish I could tell you which song that was that references Poland Street and the incident with the shit pipes breaking and leaking dirty punk water everywhere, but I can not.
I know it's in there though.
Highlights: "Everybody Loves Screamo", "OMGMT", "I'm Just happy To Be Around So Many Docks", and "Calvin Young"
Topshelf records put out so many good records by so many good bands this year. So much good.
The Tallest Man On Earth - There's No Leaving Now (2012)
The Tallest Meng On Earth is no stranger to this blog, neither is what he's playing here on his release from last year, 'There's No Leaving Now'. What I mean by that is this is just classic TTMOE doing what he does and has been doing for some time now. But is it? Is this just another generic Swedish Bob Dylan release about running away?
To me, following Kristian Matsson's work for a few years now, this is just the next chapter for him in the Tallest Man On Earth storybook. It started off just him and his guitar basically and now he's off using moving-drums with brushes and piano. Matsson is exploring the possibilities best he can without losing that signature sound of his and without that natural/organic feel. Is it a slow progression? Very much so, but I can't complain really - It's another TTMOE album and another one I can listen to beginning to end over and over again.
Is it for everyone? Nah. Is it a good TTMOE to start with? Nah. Is it his best? Nah. Am I asking to many questions like this? I think you get the picture.
Highlights: "Revelation Blues", "1904", "Wind and Walls", and "On Every Page"
To me, following Kristian Matsson's work for a few years now, this is just the next chapter for him in the Tallest Man On Earth storybook. It started off just him and his guitar basically and now he's off using moving-drums with brushes and piano. Matsson is exploring the possibilities best he can without losing that signature sound of his and without that natural/organic feel. Is it a slow progression? Very much so, but I can't complain really - It's another TTMOE album and another one I can listen to beginning to end over and over again.
Is it for everyone? Nah. Is it a good TTMOE to start with? Nah. Is it his best? Nah. Am I asking to many questions like this? I think you get the picture.
Highlights: "Revelation Blues", "1904", "Wind and Walls", and "On Every Page"
Aesop Rock - Skelethon (2012)
"Here is how a great escape goes when you can't take your dead friends names out your phone"
Need I say more?
Highlights: "ZZZ Top", "Cycles To Gehenna", "Zero Dark Thirty", "Gopher Guts", and the bonus track, "Dokken Rules feat. Rob Sonic"
Rhymesayers
Highlights: "ZZZ Top", "Cycles To Gehenna", "Zero Dark Thirty", "Gopher Guts", and the bonus track, "Dokken Rules feat. Rob Sonic"
Rhymesayers
Spook Houses - Trying (2012)
Spook Houses' debut LP, 'Trying' really impressed me right from the start. I mean immediately after posting this release on MONDAY XXXXXI I felt I should have given these guys their own post and more of an actual review. I'm not too good at doing either I suppose so I kept listening to Spook Houses and their powerful debut album more and more until it really clicked and I knew this was a top contender for AOTY. So yeah, that's why this album is back.
Plus singing saws still rule!
Highlights: "Bad Sound", "Old Folks", "Family Plan", and "Search For"
Plus singing saws still rule!
Highlights: "Bad Sound", "Old Folks", "Family Plan", and "Search For"
Serengeti - C.A.R. (2012)
Serengeti is the first member of this list to be a new find for me in 2012. While a member of one of my favorite collectives, Anticon, I think I just found this Chicago alt-rap native by accident one day. Long story short, I was spinning his Shaq inspired track, "Shazam" from his Kenny Dennis alter ego EP also from last year on a mixtape I made for my c.a.r., and I had to hear more of this guys stuff. Luckily for me he had plenty of solo and collab material in his catalog Three of which from 2012: 'Kenny Dennis EP', 'C.A.R.', and his collaboration with Sufjan Stevens and Son Lux as s / s / s who also released their album 'Beak & Claw'.
Clearly Serengeti was on top of his game this year, something that really deserves some kind of recognition.
C.A.R. was his last release of the year and produced by Jel & Odd Nosdam as I've mentioned before. It also features Yoni Wolf of another one of my favorite acts, Why? on Geti's track, "Geti Life". Yoni also co-produced Geti's solo album in 2011 with Casiotone for the Painfully Alone's Owen Ashworth (who is also from Advance Base who have collaborated with Serengeti on a single called, 'Be A Man').
Clearly Serengeti was on top of his game this year, something that really deserves some kind of recognition.
C.A.R. was his last release of the year and produced by Jel & Odd Nosdam as I've mentioned before. It also features Yoni Wolf of another one of my favorite acts, Why? on Geti's track, "Geti Life". Yoni also co-produced Geti's solo album in 2011 with Casiotone for the Painfully Alone's Owen Ashworth (who is also from Advance Base who have collaborated with Serengeti on a single called, 'Be A Man').
Highlights: "Greyhound", "Amnesia", "Geti Life (with Yoni Wolf)", "Peekaboo", and "Go Dancin"
P.S. That movie that Shaq was in where he as a genie was called "Kazaam". I think Serengeti is aware of this though since he has the superhero "Shazam" on the cover of the Keny Dennis EP, and is probably just a reference to the fact that people forget what that Shaq movie was called and commonly refer to it as "Shazam" because it really doesn't matter what it was called anyway. I could be totally wrong though...
P.P.S. Geti is the namedropping master!
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