The Top Ten EPs of 2012:
1. Dawn Richard - Armor On (Our Dawn)
Dawn Richard was already on my radar thanks to her work on the still criminally underrated Diddy Dirty Money record, Last Train To Paris. But in the intervening years she's really revealed herself as her own unique voice in the R&B world. This EP, if you can call something 45 minutes long an EP, was the introduction to her Goldenheart trilogy, but to date I think it's her most cohesive statement. Just full of her own sound that is truly unique and worlds away from what the Rihanna's of the world are doing now.
2. Azelia Banks - 1991 (Interscope)
Because we really needed a hip house resurgence, seriously. But whatever the genre tag you wanna give her, Azelia is a true talent to watch out for. "212", justifiably, got the most buzz, but each of the four tracks on here is a winner. I can't wait to hear her full-length.
3. Katy B - Danger EP (Columbia)
Her debut album snuck up on me in the end, I found it to be a lot more engrossing and varied than I had initially thought. Even more surprising was the way this EP snuck out into the world and unleashed "Aaliyah" on an unsuspecting public. Easily her best song yet and proof that she's only getting started. The other three songs are interesting diversions on her sound, but "Aaliyah" on its own was enough to catapult this EP to my top 5.
4. Dum Dum Girls - End of Daze (Sub Pop)
These girls aren't only perfecting their fuzzy take on girl-pop, but they're pretty much perfecting the art of the EP. Their 2011 EP topped my list that year and this one is nearly as good. Three songs were, perfectly great, outtakes from Only In Dreams, but it is the Strawberry Switchblade cover that won me over.
5. Inverloch - Dusk/Subside (Relapse)
Or the newest project from Paul and Matthew from the legendary Disembowelment, actually Inverloch started out as a vehicle to just cover Disembowelment songs. Thankfully they kept on and released their own material, even if it amounts to only a short EP thus far. They've got their own, surprisingly varied take on doom, but it still ties into the blunt force trauma of the parent band. I can't wait for a full-length.
6. Blues Pills - Bliss (Crusher)
This is one of the band's I discovered by trawling through all of those stoner rock blogs out there, though Blues Pills rocks more of a 70s hard rock sound than anything else. It's a great one though and I think they've got big things ahead of them.
7. Todd Terje - It's the Arps (Smalltown Supersound)
"Inspector Norse" made quite a stir on the internet, but I found the whole EP to be quite a thrill. It's more of that space-disco kind of stuff that guys like Prins Thomas and Lindstrom do so well, but with a more grounded take.
8. Melvins - The Bulls and The Bees (Scion A/V)
People want to complain about Scion bringing their commercial intents to metal, but I think they're actually pretty subtle and doing a lot of good for young bands. Not that the Melvins are remotely any sort of "young" anything, but its great to get a free EP from them, no matter the source. Even better is how damn good this is. They've been on one hell of a streak since the merge with Big Business and this is another five great tracks.
9. Craft Spells - Gallery (Captured Tracks)
Another result of my ongoing love affair with the Brooklyn label Captured Tracks, Craft Spells have a wonderfully retro dream-pop sound that proves even more effective in the limited doses of the EP format.
10. Burial - Kindred EP (Hyperdub)
It took me a long time to come around on this guy and, honestly, I think I prefer his material from the last few years over the super hyped early stuff. This EP in particular finally helped me realize how great he was, I love the unsettled feeling that creeps up my spine while listening.
The Top Ten Reissues/Compilations of 2012:
1. Can - The Lost Tapes (Spoon)
Of course a great band like this is going to have a great pile of studio scraps. Essential listening.
2. Blur - Blur 21 (Food/Virgin/Parlophone)
Nothing new, naturally, but a gorgeous package and a great way to get everything wrapped up at once.
3. The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness [Deluxe Reissue] (EMI)
Another gorgeous package, this time appending a lot more studio scraps to one of my all-time favorite albums.
4. Witch - We Intend To Cause Havoc! (Now Again)
A killer four-disc retrospective of an African zam-rock band that deserves to be worldwide huge. This makes for amazing listening.
5. My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything/Loveless/EPs 1988-1991 (Sony)
Cheating a bit here, but 2012 finally saw the release of the long-rumored reissued MBV albums and EPs collection. Great to have cleaned up copies of the two albums, but even better to have all the EPs collected for those of us that missed out on 'em the first time.
6. Causa Sui - Pewt'r Sessions 1-2 (El Paraiso)
7. feedtime. - The Aberrant Years (Sub Pop)
8. Kylesa - From the Vaults, Vol. 1 (Season of Mist)
9. Various Artists - Country Funk 1969-1975 (Light in the Attic)
10. Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band - One of My Kind (Team Love)
The Top Five Live Releases of 2012:
1. Swans - We Rose From Your Bed with the Sun in Our Head (Young God)
2. Phish - Chicago '94 (JEMP)
3. Sonic Youth - Smart Bar: Chicago 1985 (Goofin')
4. Led Zeppelin - Celebration Day (Atlantic/Swan Song)
5. Blur - Parklive (EMI/Parlophone)
