The Best of 2012 in Music: Albums, Songs, Shows, Lists, Discussions, Fun!

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Never change.
 
So, Deftones had one of my absolute favorite album covers last year, but I was told they were a metal band and stayed away. Now I'm hearing that's not the case? Maybe I should just find out on my own and not be such a lazy bitch.

Their earlier stuff is alternative metal or nu-metal, depending on who you believe. I shit you not that when I go to the page for White Pony on RYM, the first two reviews it shows me by people on my friends list are "I can't believe anybody thinks this is not nu-metal" and "I can't believe anybody thinks that this is nu-metal". I personally would consider them an alt metal band that flirted with nu-metal, taking its more redeeming qualities to create something with a bit of cred and respectability.

Now, Diamond Eyes in 2010 had a decent shoegaze influence and was more rock than metal, and might be worth your while checking out. The new album, Koi no Yokan, ramps the metal influence back up (though I see RYM reckons there's enough dream pop to count as a secondary genre; not sure I agree with that).

Speaking of Deftones, I see they're touring Australia in May with one of the better and more original new post-hardcore bands, Letlive. Hell the fuck yesssss.
 
It was that Dream Pop label that confused me so.

Diamond Eyes really had a fucking fantastic album cover. I don't know why I liked it so much. I was going to make it my avatar, but I felt silly using an album cover for an album I had never heard.
 
The Deftones are certainly a tough band to nail down in terms of genre. I'm not sure how I'd categorize them, and I listen to them a lot (they're my #15 band on last.fm). To make things even more confusing, I find that my favorite songs by them are not your typical Deftones fare: acoustic versions of their hits, b-sides, duets (with Cypress Hill, with Maynard James Keenan), covers, etc. Their cover of Sade's "No Ordinary Love" is a favorite of mine.

I wouldn't even know where to tell someone else to begin with the band. I bought White Pony a long time ago, but it wasn't until an ex-boyfriend made me a mix of them that I got so crazy about them. There's no one album of theirs I listen to more than the others, and I listen to the mix he made the most often.

All of this is to say, Deftones are worth checking out. The bands they're normally compared to or lumped together with can't hold a candle to them and the direction they've taken the fairly maligned nu-metal genre.
 
Definitely need to check them out, in that case. Should have just done it two years ago :(.
 
I know one song by The Early November and it's crazy good. I always meant to listen to an album and never have :hmm:.
 
First time I've seen converge make one of these lists. I haven't listened to them since I was in college.
 
I gave up list making ages ago, but, my tiny handful of favorites:


Fiona Apple

Tame Impala

Father John Misty

Wild Nothing

Beach House

Frankie Rose

Shearwater (2nd favorite album of the year)

Bloc Party

Twin Shadow

Stars

Cloud Nothings

and the best album I listened to is from Grizzly Bear

I forgot "Kill for Love"
 
I still need to check that out. Not because of you, Mikal, let's make that clear.

Sometimes the things you say online remind me of one of my good friends in the real world. He's one of the funniest people I know. So you should take that as a compliment.




FUCKIN' THEAD said:
Back on FUCKIN' topic!

Anyway, listening to Lonerism after giving it a break for a couple weeks. And holy shit, still so very amazing! Easy number one for me.
 
Since Cobbler's not around to post this, here's the year-end list from FasterLouder. It's basically just a bunch of Aussie albums amidst the usual cliche international picks, but at least Alpine's at #10: Top 50 Albums of 2012


I know I'm one of the very few people who gives a shit, but here goes anyway:

Rush on a metal list, really? Really? And ugh, I can't believe people listen to that Diablo Swing Orchestra gimmick shit (I say this on the basis of their previous stuff, having no desire to hear the new album).

But wow, I really have drifted away from metal this year. The only two albums I've heard on that list are Alcest and Converge (both good picks, especially Alcest) and I've been meaning to get around to the Krallice and Enslaved albums. Didn't know there's a new Panopticon album; might have to get onto that.

Surprised they didn't include Ne Obliviscaris or Atoma, and if fucking Rush count, so does Om's cool new album.
 
Well now I'm all embarrassed for ranking Wrecking Ball so highly the way you all are acting :(
 
It's a good album, but best of the year? That's ridiculous.

In 20 years only The Rising has come close to classic status and even that album has some missteps.
 
I think I have it at 4th right now.

The Rising is probably my 4th or 5th favorite STEEN album, but it's pretty closely followed by Magic.
 
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