Aural Devastation is a regular column about heavy music. Here are some favorites from 2012, beginning with relatively structured songs and descending into the chaotic.
Baroness – “EULA” from Yellow & Green + ENTIRE RECORD STREAM
As the last song on the Yellow Album, “EULA” had an interesting job, as it needed to take the listener from the harder sounds of Baroness into the more straight-up progressive rock edge of Green Album. Baroness knocked it out of the park with their attempt, as “EULA” is one of the better songs in their entire catalog. - PETER WOODBURN
Black Breath – “Feast of the Damned” from Sentenced to Life
The opening track off of Black Breath’s mind-mashing 2012 album, Feast of the Damned showed exactly how Black Breath was taking their music — harder, faster, louder. - PETER WOODBURN
Burning Love – “Hateful Comforts” from Rotten Thing to Say
The guitars are fierce, the drums unrelenting, and the vocals snarling. Burning Love put forth a perfect blend off rock and roll and hardcore with this effort. - PETER WOODBURN
Converge – “Trespasses” from All We Love We Leave Behind + ENTIRE RECORD STREAM
This song opens and closes with more noise than anything out there. Its spastic interior showcases the madness that is the Converge flurry trying desperately to explode out. - PETER WOODBURN
Downfall of Gaia – “In The Rivers Bleak” from Suffocating the Swarms of Cranes + ENTIRE RECORD STREAM
Downfall of Gaia released one of the best metal albums of the year, and this is probably the best song off of the album. It’s got some great post-metal, sludge metal, black metal and straight up metal moments that make the eight minutes pass by in two. - PETER WOODBURN
Pig Destroyer – “The Diplomat” from Book Burner + ENTIRE RECORD STREAM
“The Diplomat” is the first song on Book Burner over two minutes long and shows why Scott Hull is the best metal guitarist on the planet. The song is all Pig Destroyer in their never-ending quest to brutalize eardrums world-wide with absolutely punishing riffs. - PETER WOODBURN
Propagandhi – “Note to Self” from Failed States
“Note to Self” contains some nice lyrical play to open the song, but really contains the best moments of Propagandhi’s conversion from punk-rock into punk-thrash. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better final minute in any song this year. - PETER WOODBURN
Swans – “Avatar” from The Seer + ENTIRE RECORD STREAM
Michael Gira is a musical genius. The way he makes “Avatar” grow while chanting, “Your life is in my hands” makes you really feel like it is — and Gira is the last person you want to take control of your destiny. He hardly has control over his own; and that is half the fun of this ride. - PETER WOODBURN
Torche – “Walk It Off” from Harmonicraft
To listen to Torche is to try to figure out what you are listening to. Is it sludge? Is it metal? Is it rock? I say a bit of all three, and they are the best bands blurring that line right now. “Walk It Off” shows Torche at their finest, with crazy guitars and constant drums. - PETER WOODBURN
“Pop music shouldn’t always get a bad rap,” says Top Pops!, a recurring selection of pop music highlights across a selection of styles. This round-up list includes our favorite pop tracks from 2012, listed in a spectrum from the chillest to the grooviest to the danciest.
Chromatics – “Into The Black” (Neil Young Cover) DOWNLOAD MP3
Well yeah, I’m a sucker for a good Neil Young cover. - JUDY NELSON
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Night Moves – “Headlights” from Colored Emotions
This track from Night Moves reminds me of Portugal. The Man’s Americana and psych rock blend on The Satanic Satanist. The questioning of personal comforts (“I just don’t know who I am”) mixed with gentle falsetto mantras (“It’s alright”) bring the track to a slow and smooth close. - VIVIAN HUA
Usher – “Climax” from Looking For Myself
There’s not much to say about one of Usher’s best tracks ever, other than — it’s one of Usher’s best tracks ever, and dude has built up quite the collection of good tracks through the years. - VIVIAN HUA
Beach House – “The Hours” from Bloom
Beach House are no strangers to creating beautifully melancholic songs, and their latest album, Bloom, seems to me, from personal experience, the break-up album of the year with its elusively spiritual (perhaps) and bittersweet lyrics. - VIVIAN HUA
Gardens & Villa – “Gypsy” (Fleetwood Mac Cover) from Just Tell Me That You Want Me”
Gardens & Villa submit their cover for a Fleetwood Mac tribute compilation, and as a band that is already reminiscent of the ’80s pop legends, the quintet has submitted the best cover of the bunch. - VIVIAN HUA
Aan – “I Don’t Need Love” DOWNLOAD MP3
Portland’s experimental into rockers Aan got a bit of a makeover this year and have an upcoming 2013 album well worth your eargasms. “I Don’t Need Love” is the raw and energetic precursor to that. - VIVIAN HUA
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MS MR – “Hurricane”
“Hurricane” is perfectly delicate yet sultry and sexy. The singer’s voice is haunting and echoing, and combined with the pounding drum rhythm throughout the track, it is not only the best surprise of the year but also serves as the perfect soundtrack to humid summer nights. - ERIK BURG
Cat Power – “Ruin” from SunDOWNLOAD MP3
While it’s hard to pick a best track on an album of great tracks, “Ruin” was the single and deservedly so; it was the perfect blend of Chan Marshall voice and her strong guitar playing, an upbeat yet appropriately lyrically downtrodden song. - JUDY NELSON
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Frank Ocean – “Thinkin Bout U” from channel ORANGE
It speaks much about the current state of pop music that Frank Ocean’s single from channel ORANGE was the -minute-long and atypically-structured “Pyramids”. That, alongside possibly the best track from the record, “Thinkin Bout U”, are just part of the reason Frank Ocean has be absolutely everywhere this year. - VIVIAN HUA
Toro Y Moi – “So Many Details”
Chaz Bundick seems to increasingly honing in on the power of his Midas touch. This is the first single from his upcoming January 2013 full-length, and its grooviness descends into psychedelic territories in the best ways possible. - VIVIAN HUA
Jessie Ware – “Sweet Talk” + REMIX
A new artist to me, Jessie Ware’s beautiful debut, Devotion has only recently come into my 2012 rotation; this soul-tinged R&B track stands out as one of the best on what will prove to be one of my new favorite albums. - JUDY NELSON
Shy Girls – “Under Attack” FREE EP DOWNLOAD
Indie R&B with a full band and back-up singers, via the up-and-coming Portland band Shy Girls. “Under Attack” was just released in mid-December, and is the band’s most exciting track to date. Can’t wait for more. - VIVIAN HUA
Shintaro Sakamoto – “You Just Decided”
Shintaro Sakamoto mixes elements of dub, jazz, indie, and lounge into a whirling and satisfying coffee shop-suitable but better-than-that vibe. - VIVIAN HUA
Psychic Twin – “Gonna Get Her”
May the reverb-laden, echoey vocals of vocalist Erin Fein whirl into your brainnnnnn as they remind you about the temporary, transient nature of all things and the importance of letting go. - VIVIAN HUA
Grandparents – “Arrows” DOWNLOAD MP3
I may have heard renditions of this track millions of times, but the Western soundtrack vibe of “Arrows” never grows tiring with its garage rock-meets-Nurses vocals (it is not Nurses). - VIVIAN HUA
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Brainstorm – “Flat Earth” from Heat WavesDOWNLOAD MP3
Afro influences and harmonizing soar high over a cacophony of sounds. - VIVIAN HUA
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Deep Time – “Clouds” DOWNLOAD MP3
This Austin duo released a record of impressively percussive indie pop jams this year, and as a single, “Clouds” is a great representative of an even greater whole. - VIVIAN HUA
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Another – “Night”
On “Night”, Chicago musician Another sprinkles in some Bear In Heaven vocal styling into KISSES-type indie dance. - VIVIAN HUA
Taken By Trees – “Large” from Other Worlds
The dubbed out “Large” takes cues from Victoria Bergsman’s time in the Hawaiian islands. Crucial atmospheric tropical pop. - VIVIAN HUA
Poolside – “Fly Away” DOWNLOAD MP3
Rad daytime disco from So-Cal duo Poolside. Their environment shows through their tracks, indeed. - VIVIAN HUA
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Grimes – “Genesis” DOWNLOAD MP3
A ghostly, beautiful song that stands out among an excellent electro-dance pop record. - JUDY NELSON
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Santigold – “The Keepers” + REMIXES
Her sophomore album didn’t blow me away as much as her debut did (maybe it was the name change), but there were some excellent stand out tracks, and this was one. - JUDY NELSON
Niki & The Dove – “The Drummer”
This Swedish duo really impressed me with their live show opening for Twin Shadow earlier this year, and made me reconsider their album as a good contender for top of 2012. This is one of my favorite tracks, but it was hard to choose. - JUDY NELSON
Tanlines – “Real Life”
The fact is that this song came out on their debut EP Settings, but the extremely fun reggae-influenced dance track didn’t receive the credit it deserved until their 2012 album, Mixed Emotions. - JUDY NELSON
While thousands of miles are covered, some of our favorite jams from friends will send ripples from our ears to your toes and cripple all bummer vibes to a pulp. All bands on this mix are friends, favorites, and/or involved in current or future releases with Aye Aye Aye Tapes Escapes.
“I see a lot of similarities between fascinating engineering and fascinating art. Both have to do with craftsmanship; both have to do with finding a simple solution for a complex problem. And it has to do with elegance and needs inspiration.” - Robert Henke
Charlie Salas Humara has been a fixture in the Portland music scene for over a decade now, but these days, you simply can’t avoid him, his solo project Grapefruit, or his bands Sun Angle and Regular Music.
In the slow-moving yet visually challenging for The Peach Kings‘ “Lonely”, director Paul Trillo pans back and forth between the New York skyline and a number of opaque and transparent human subjects, both opaque and transparent.
According to director Paul Trillo, “The concept behind the video was to convey multiple aspects of loneliness. The feeling of being trapped (or tied down in this case), holding onto what is no longer there, and observing something that no one else is seeing. I think the backdrop of the NY skyline helps emphasize the scale of loneliness.”
Barn Owl’s 2011 release, Lost In The Glare, was an instant love for me and earned a deep place in my heart with hardly any effort at all. I had been longing to see the Northern California duo since, and during the wait, my expectations had been growing higher.
In early November, Thrill Jockey Records threw one of four 20th Anniversary shows at Mississippi Studios in Portland. It boasted a seven act lineup of Trans Am, Liturgy, Eternal Tapestry, Barn Owl, Golden Retriever, Mike Scheidt, and Jason Urick, and finally put my expectations for Barn Owl to the test. They certainly passed, by putting on one of the best performances I’ve ever seen at Mississippi Studios.
With a largely improvised set — I presume — Evan Caminiti and Jon Porras showed off their electronic-leaning new sound, and wonderfully blew out of proportion what is perhaps most compelling about their music: their ability to engage contradiction by transforming gnarly, noisy sonics into the most heartwarming sounds possible, and their ability to effortlessly send one reeling through time and landscapes eternal.
November 9th, 2012 at Mississippi Studios in Portland, Oregon
In an industry full of people ready to jump ship to the latest fad, so deliriously sheeplike in their estranged convictions to remain the most unique, cutting edge and counter culture, it’s awfully refreshing to have artists like Monster Rally & RUMTUM remain so steadfast in their musical conviction.
On their second release this year, following the excellent debut collaboration MR&RT in February, these two worldly beat makers have once again come together to compose a collage of Caribbean aesthetics and hip-hop inspired beats. Coasting is a reference to both Ted Feighan and John Hasting, better known as Monster Rally and RUMTUM respectively, having moved to the west coast since last year. In comparison to MR&RT, Coasting reflects the hopeful nature involved in starting anew, presenting new ideas while refining the sound these two artists have become to well known for.
The album’s vinyl pressing is getting special treatment as well, involving equally worldly themes and images to mirror the album’s eclectic vibes. With one side of the 12” containing the six tracks, the back side of the record features a beautiful etching inspired by traditional Tibetan sand paintings known as Mandala. Set to ship the first week of December, this gorgeous vinyl printing is limited to a mere 250 copies, so pre-ordering now is a good idea. But for those less patient and a little more cash strapped, the digital version is available now on a name-your-own price-basis via Gold Robot Records.
“Pop music shouldn’t always get a bad rap,” says Top Pops!, a recurring selection of pop music highlights across a selection of styles. Dreamy sounds get unique filters through the eyes of sensational pop artist Beca, indie R&B-influenced BE/\R//FVCE, and doo-wop youngster Kirby Kaiser.
The lady is now back with “Born To Fly”, which features sensual percussive rhythms that balance out breathy, feminine vocals, the combination of which lies somewhere between babymaking R&B material and water-cruising audio-oasis. Her upcoming EP of the same name will be released November 20th via This Is Music LTD.
