Sound Influx Albums of 2012: 10-1

10. Tame Impala - Lonerism 

Lonerism is a record that resonated on a lot of levels but personal feelings aside, Tame Impala’s second album is a massive progression in the Australian five piece’s sound, both sonically and lyrically. The word “psychedelic” is bound to crop up in almost all pieces of writing about Tame Impala and whilst that has connotations with drugs, frontman Parker has frequently stated in interviews that Lonerism was not a drug-fuelled record, although it perhaps helped at times. This psychedelic edge is imbedded with relatable lyrics and bubbling, analogue synth lines as well as the familiar recorded-in-a-garage sounding drums. Whilst there are a lot of downbeat moments on the album, single ‘Elephant’ raises spirits with the most brilliant bassline of the year. It may have only been released in the back end of 2012 but Lonerism has made quite the impact. Aurora Mitchell

9. Grizzly Bear - Shields 

Grizzly Bear aren't necessarily a band who push the boat out, but the signature sound they stick to they do oh so well. Shields is very much building upon previous records, the fragile Yellow House and the dreamy Veckatimest. However Shields still manages to be a fantastically enchanting record, with it's mix of melancholy philosophical musings that hit as hard as they are soft, and the more adventurous musically accomplished tracks that the band have always been celebrated for. Songs like 'Yet Again', 'A Simple Answer' and 'Sun In Your Eyes' manage to be simultaneously uplifting and impressive - with life affirming chord lifts and heavenly vocals primarily from frontman Ed Droste. The more thoughtful tracks like 'Gun Shy' and 'The Hunt', revel in their own beauty in a really special under-stated way that marks Shields out as an astonishingly well thought out album, and arguably the band's best output to date. Toby McCarron

8. Animal Collective - Centipede HZ 

It's never easy to follow up a landmark album; 2009's Merriweather Post Pavilion sprung Baltimore's finest experimental electronic group to new heights critically and commercially and remains as one of the most iconic albums in a long time. But it seems unfair to completely compare Centipede HZ to Merriweather, as the more considered and emotive soundscapes have been replaced by something altogether more challenging and messy. Centipede HZ is Animal Collective super-charged with ideas, with many of them being sprayed onto the record often simultaneously creating a cacophony of noise where one really has to look deep for the hidden gems. There are the more outright accessible songs like Today's Supernatural and Rosie Oh, but both still carry something otherworldly about them whether it be Avey Tare's impassioned yelps or Panda Bear's meandering coos. Tracks like Monkey Riches and New Town Burnout also showed off a more ambitious side to the group to dizzying effects, with barrages of colour and vibrancy oscillating through the listener's mind. It might not be their most affecting album to date, but it's certainly an experience to listen through, and an often rewarding one at that. Toby McCarron

7. Purity Ring - Shrines

If like me, you’ve spent a large amount of the year trying to defend what’s left of the guitar scene now that anyone that listens to Mumford and fucking Sons or their American cousins The Lumineers is branded an indie kid; you’ll probably be reluctant to listen to Shrines. Luckily for my ears, as the first twinkling sounds of 'Crawlersout' found their way into my ears, I was converted. Having heard 'Lofticries' for the first time a long time ago, I was thinking there’d be a similarity, or that the album would hang off it, but the likes of 'Fineshrine'; which almost has a powerful chorus (in electronic music?!) and 'Odebear' - which is almost begging to be an RnB track more than assist in lifting this album from alright to standout. It’s by no means perfect, but for a first effort it’s not bad. Another 4AD triumph. Braden Fletcher

6. Grimes - Visions

Canada has unsurprisingly had an amazing year for music in 2012, including the likes of Japandroids, Purity Ring and Crystal Castles amongst others releasing brilliant LPs. However, no Canadian artist has had such a climatic year as Vancouver based electronic artist Grimes. In Visions, Boucher has crafted a record that seeps a ghostly, fragile atmosphere but mixed with clunky, video-game music esque production. Her oddball, at points shrieky, vocals are an acquired taste and whilst there are some more left-field vocal takes on songs such as ‘Eight’, there lies some gentle and more pop-driven vocals as epitomised in standout singles ‘Genesis’ and ‘Oblivion’. Claire Boucher may have constantly divided opinions throughout this year and although she’s inspired by the mainstream side of pop such as Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber; her take on pop in Visions is darker and mystical. A unique record that unravels something new to love with every repeat. Aurora Mitchell

5. Liars - WIXIW

It’s not uncommon to hear of artists locking themselves away in isolated places to get a record finished and to inspire them. Well Brooklyn trio Liars chose a warehouse in downtown LA, a place without windows. As you can imagine, this location influenced their 6th album WIXIW – a very eerie, murky and claustrophobic listen. It feels very weird to play this record in daylight what with all the unsettling nuances, Angus Andrew’s low-register, almost incomprehensible vocals and weird melodies. Touted as their ‘electronic’ album, it’s not necessarily an album you can dance to (maybe with the exception of ‘Brats’) and instead is a more introverted electronic sound that’s hard to make sense of at first. Liars also leaned away from modern electronic production techniques, acquiring organic sounds from everyday objects and processing them electronically. WIXIW is by no means an instant album and it really does require all the attention you can afford to give it to appreciate the minute details that Liars have slaved over. Aurora Mitchell

4. El-P - Cancer For Cure

Cancer for Cure is exactly what you want a rap record to sound like in 2012, with a predication for narrative-driven songs and an emphasis on exhibiting every facet of the beats. In that respect it’s miles ahead of its peers. Whilst rap as a whole is moving into a new era of self-obsession it’s positively shocking to hear one adopting a first-person perspective that isn’t their own (or an extension of their own). Its conscious rap without preachiness, you could dance or you could ponder its lyrical themes. You could do both (in fact, it wants you to do both, ‘Oh Hail No’ features a Danny Brown guest spot that’s funny and word-smart, spat over a thrumming beat that shifts and clangs endlessly).

A fully-formed jolt of uninhibited rage, delivered as a sermon, a story and a lecture. Denser than an album three times its size and more opinionated than a hundred Lupe Fiasco’s, it’s easily the most enthralling record that’s come about in a very long time. Ned Powley

3. Death Grips - The Money Store

Way back in the first quarter of the year when Death Grips began trickling out songs and videos from an album that was (presumably) on the cusp of being released, it felt as if they were trying to say something. Not some grand artistic statement or message of intent but something much neater and more focused. That statement turned out to be a series of increasingly polarising decisions that included cancelling a tour, signing to a major label (Epic), leaking their next album and leaking confidential emails with their label, which led to a clusterfuck of legal arguments which ended their relationship with Epic completely. It was impossible to see inside their world or predict their next step.

What they weren’t trying to say with those gradually teased-out releases was “buy our album”, which is good because barely anyone did. The majority of its songs compromise of dense, blown out instrumentation layered over sharp electronic noises but the formula is fucked with so much on every occasion that by its close it’s impossible to remember what it started out sounding like. You could just about dance to it and you could easily throw your body into someone else’s to it, to such an extent that listening to it through alone becomes alienating and unpleasant. Though the aims of the band and the driving themes of The Money Store remain unclear, its immediate purpose was obvious: this was music that treated the listener as a receiver and nothing else. Ned Powley

2. Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan

Rarely does a band fill every moment of their music with such detail and thought. A sum of all previous parts of Dirty Projectors’ discography, Swing Lo Magellan balances the excessively intelligent with the accessible and honest. Each twist and turn reveals something dynamic: ‘Just From Chevron’ is heart-warming and fragile; ‘The Socialites’ is beautifully suave; ‘About to Die’ is triumphantly infectious and ‘Unto Caesar’ is incredibly well controlled chaos. Some moments recall previous records like 2004’s Slaves, Graves and Ballads or 2007’s Rise Above, while other moments feel reminiscent of Talking Heads or mid-era Beatles, yet the album still feels distinctly unique. An astounding display of songwriting and musicianship, Swing Lo Magellan cements David Longstreth’s Dirty Projectors as one of the greatest bands in the world.   William Hall

1. Django Django - Django Django

So what is it that makes this album from a slightly nerdy looking Scottish four-piece with a silly name our album of the year? Well for a start, the tunes this album packs is almost unparalleled by anything else to have come out this year. The spine-tingling transition between Intro and Hail Bop before it explodes into impeccable harmonies and a chorus catchy as anything, the unabashed stomp of the anthemic Default and the pulse-quickening Wor, the bass throbs and building percussion on Waveforms, and the more subtle classiness of more restrained songs Firewater and Storm which still pack mighty hooks. 

Likeability is the key to this album, it seems near impossible to have much of an objection to anything displayed here. The vocal harmonies are tight, the musicianship is innovative albeit in a way that is accessible to the common person and doesn't alienate, and importantly the record sounds wonderfully quirky and definably British. Django Django can appeal to anyone, the chin-stroking Quietus reader, the edgy 20-somethings who although seeking purely intelligent music still find solace in a great melody, the average Joe on his way home from work who taps his foot to Default on the radio, and the teenage girl who appreciates boys in bands making catchy pop tunes but not entirely adhering to the conventions exploited by The Vaccines or The Maccabees. 

Functioning both as a fun pop album, and a clever musically precise indie record, Django Django are a shining beacon of the mantra of not taking yourself too seriously but still maintaining integrity (A Mercury Prize nomination and critical praise across the board would suggest). An essential listen but ultimately the most enjoyable of the year. Toby McCarron

Oh Canada! (The expansion of the music scene, and the role Grimes has played)

The Polaris Prize 2012 Longlist has just been announced and it’s safe to say that Canada always brings forward some of the best music as this year’s nominees include Azari & III, Drake, Grimes and The Weeknd amongst many others. Last year’s winner was the obvious choice with Arcade Fire taking the title whilst two of our favourite bands to come out of last year, Austra and Braids, received recognition through the prize. However, this year it looks like it could be a closer race as you’ve got the massive, universally appealing Drake record against the critically acclaimed Grimes album as well as electro-house group Azari & III and The Weeknd all vying for the title. 


Undoubtedly the rising Canadian artist of the year – despite releasing two other albums, ‘Geidi Primes’ and ‘Halfaxa’ which all garnered considerable acclaim – Grimes has managed to gain a pretty solid fanbase since her first 4AD release, ‘Visions’. Whilst many have sat up and started to listen to Grimes’ music and take an interest in her as an artist; they have also been paying attention to the artists that Grimes affiliates herself with. One of the positive things about artists having Twitter apart from the rants we get treated to from Kanye ever so often is the ability to promote music that they’re into. Just a couple of days ago, Grimes posted a tweet about Montreal based band Solar Year, calling them a ‘really sick Montreal band’ so naturally we checked them out and their song Lines is in the same vein of Grimes’ music, to be listened to late at night with good headphones on.




Another Montreal artist who has gone under the radar is Mozart’s Sister. Sounding similarly oriental-pop inspired as Grimes and featuring the same hypnotic beats with punchy drums – although a lot of Montreal based artists’ sound palettes come from similar places, they’re all equally enjoyable and show the multi-faceted nature of electronic and experimental music. Mozart Sister released an EP last year titled Dear Fear but an extract from it, Don’t Leave It To Me, an abrasive song with odd-pop sensibilities, was recovered from the past and posted on Pitchfork at the start of the month, bringing it to my attention. Whilst its textural grooves are akin to Grimes’ music, Caila’s vocals are less shy and indirect than Boucher’s and more in-your-face.

Grimes mentioned the Montreal scene in a recent interview with The Quietus – commenting, “I think Canadian music - especially in Montreal, songwriting is really important, but everyone makes electronic music. I guess that's what's really distinctive about bands like Purity Ring and Grimes, or Blue Hawaii, Mozart's Sister... It's electronic music and it has those pop-dance elements but I think the songwriting is really strong across the board. And that's not something you see so much in blog music these days. I know texture is really important, but I think texture and stuff precedes songwriting a lot of the time these days.” It’s definitely true that it seems that ‘everyone makes electronic music’ as labels such as Warp, Tri-Angle and Hyperdub are so in demand; with new signings such as Mount Kimbie, AlunaGeorge and Laurel Halo all generating a lot of interest. However, as Boucher says, Canadian artists are creating something different – and this is true in all cases but especially with Cadence Weapon, who makes rap with attitude over hip-hop beats but also brings in experimental elements and has had Grimes produce his track ‘88’ as well as remixing his material.




More commonly associated with Grimes are d’Eon, Doldrums and Blood Diamonds, all of which have had Boucher lend vocals to tracks of theirs. However, they all have distinctly different sounds. d’Eon’s recent sound lends to a wholly religious theme whilst also playing on the idea that technology rules our lives which such songs as ‘My iPhone Tracks My Every Move’ and ‘I Look Into The Internet’. Doldrums is completely different, whilst I first expected my ears to be hit with overblown tinny bass-heavy drums from the name alone; I was at first surprised to hear otherworldly melodies accompanied by Animal Collective-esque vocals. Although I have grown to enjoy his sound; especially on new song ‘Egypt’ which takes a new direction, sounding more house-y whilst still keeping the vocals in line with earlier material.






Most recent offering from Blood Diamonds is ‘Phone Sex’ featuring Grimes and whilst it’s pretty strange lyrically for a song called Phone Sex, the steel drums accompanied by Boucher’s delayed vocals [sounding like her KEXP live set] give the track a Balearic feel that makes me wish that the sun would stay out for more than a couple of hours. Another notable electronic Canadian artist is Majical Cloudz who featured on Grimes’ song Nightmusic, one of my personal favourites from ‘Visions’ – also having collaborated with Boucher on ‘Dream World’ and ‘Song For Ric’; a part of the Ad Hoc campaign. Boucher has also lent her dancing and vocals to Kuhrye-oo’s ‘Give In (For The Fame)’ which showcases a wispier and more fragmented version of her voice than usual as snippets that only last a breath are dispersed throughout the 3 minute period. This also shows how multi-talented Grimes is as a brand, able to sing, produce, draw artwork, dance and have mostly creative control over her music videos – as the original version of the video for ‘Crystal Ball’ from her Darkbloom split with d’Eon was removed from her Youtube as she expressed a dislike to it and vowed to have more creative control over future videos.







A little less serious piece of music to finish off on, is ‘Don’t Smoke My Blunt Bitch’, a song that surfaced early in the week under the moniker ‘L$D’ featuring ‘Kreayshawn x Tragik x Grimes x Blood Diamonds’, a song written in 10 minutes and a video to accompany that took an hour. You can pretty much believe it as lyrics ‘I be that Grimey motherfucker’ and ‘Don’t smoke my blunt bitch’ are repeated throughout as the video accompanying features Grimes in trousers and a coat both covered with a marijuana leaf pattern and drinking Corona on the hood of a car with Kreayshawn, as well as chilling out in a heavily graffiti phone booth as Boucher playfully dances around with the phone in her hand.



Grimes’ stays true to her Canadian heritage when collaborating and whilst there is already a thriving Canadian music scene every year, providing some of the most diverse and exciting artists out there – Claire Boucher has created a tight knit group of artists that are definitely all worth your attention. Although blogs and the music industry often group artists together in terms of how their music sounds like, think about Toro Y Moi, Washed Out and Neon Indian in the whole ‘chillwave’ tag. As Alan Palomo said in a Pitchfork interview, “I think somebody might have this image of all of us sitting around watching Back to the Future Part II, but that doesn’t really exist.” However, in the case of these Canadian artists, they all seem to genuinely hang out together a lot and work together on material through their love of making music.





Aurora Mitchell

Field Day 2012 - Preview

On the second of July, Field Day returns to London's Victoria Park to bring out their usual eclectic line up. And the mixture of cult favourites with acclaimed modern acts is insanely good this year, with the likes of R. Stevie Moore, SBTRKT, Sleigh Bells, Liars, Franz Ferdinand, Austra, Metronomy and Peaking Lights playing, there's none short of constant entertainment.

But who do you choose to see when so many great artists are on offer?
Here's our tips of 5 acts you should definitely check out:

Grimes

Having produced one of the albums of the year, performed on Jools and even expanding to jewellery, launching a jewellery line with pussy rings, it's safe to say that Claire Boucher is having the best year. Having already put on a competition-only show for The Fly and about to play a sold out gig at XOYO this month, it's an understatement to say that she's been in demand lately. Whether she'll be performing solo or with her band, it's going to be something you definitely don't want to miss. 

Django Django

Although they've been around since the early days of 2009, Edinburgh based four-piece Django Django released their brilliant self-titled debut album back in late January. Although, don't expect live shows to sound the same as there are so many layers on the album that they can't even remember all of the instruments on it. Let's hope they at least play Default which still ceases to leave my head whenever I hear it. 

The Men

The Men's most recent album 'Open Your Heart' was an impressive tumult through a variety of genres. Everything from Classic Rock, to Punk to Country was taken on board and riffed out sonically to create a mind-blowing album from start to finish. With an already acclaimed energetic live show, The Men are sure to pack a punch at Field Day, likely drowning out all the other stages with the abrasive likes of 'Animal' and 'Ex-Dreams'.

Gold Panda

Since 2010's Lucky Shiner, Gold Panda has been keeping a relatively low profile, communicating through his Twitter, falsely proclaiming that he's been 'musically disappointing since 2008'. With this festival appearance and the emergence of new jam '4' recently, which he says he made in 10 mins whilst waiting to DJ, could this mean a new album is on the way? Perhaps this means Derwin will be playing some new material at Field Day.

Here We Go Magic

   Off the back of their recent album 'A Different Ship', the Nigel Godrich backed Here We Go Magic will take their live show to Victoria Park. Expect exquisite artistry from the off, this music is truly soundscapes to get lost in. Let's just hope their heartfelt paeans come across well above the other noisier stages (we do not want a Sleigh Bells / HWGM clash).

Buy tickets here: Seetickets
Ticketweb 
WeGotTickets 


 For more info go to:  http://www.fielddayfestivals.com/

 

Aurora Mitchell

Grimes - Visions

After the female tour de force of 2011in which Merrill Garbus and Annie Clark both released widely acclaimed records and the elusive Lana Del Rey caused waves in the mainstream, Canadian songstress Claire Boucher, more commonly known as Grimes, has taken the duty of kicking off the new year with her attempt at continuing this feat.

Visions is a highly ambitious release, with Grimes having recently been signed to illustrious label 4AD. The album is a series of acidy bass lines and whimsical ghostly vocals that upon first listen flitter faintly before fading away often without lasting effect or impression. Yet, with each play of the record, the depth of the album is defined. Much like with the work of James Ferraro, the choice of instrumentation on the album is kitsch and cheap, yet as the Ferraro proved with last year’s Far Side Virtual; that doesn’t matter so long as the music is good.

Nevertheless, there is a key problem on Visions; its consistency, or more to the point, lack of consistency. Tracks like ‘Vowels = Space and Time’ and ‘Circuambient’ come across as cuts from a long – and purposefully - forgotten era, and ‘Eight’ is a painful clash between pitch bent vocals. Furthermore, these songs sit amongst a collection in which a continuous theme is unapparent. Whereas, for example, Balam Acab’s broodingly concentrated debut Wander/Wonder was woven together with persistent loops and thematic melodies, Visions represents at times a messier, less intricate side of electronica. ‘Circuambient’ starts with crackles of static, and the ‘outro’ ‘Know The Way’ is laden with liquid noises, however neither of these are recurring, and therefore give the impression that Boucher just wants to cram as many different ideas and sounds into the record as possible.

Despite these criticisms, the excessive ideas do pay off at points, with highlights like ‘Oblivion’, a brilliantly crafted pop song that erupts into enjoyably tacky synth arrangements around the half way mark, as well as the vaguely familiar and massively catchy ‘Be a Body’. The previously mentioned closer ‘Know the Way’ recalls the oriental orchestration of Glasser’s debut LP Ring, whilst many of the tracks have the haunting backing vocals used by CocoRosie on their album Grey Oceans. Much like the latter, Boucher’s voice is often difficult to approach, as she squeaks and wails her way through complicated vocal lines, yet much like the music that supports it, her voice becomes comfortable and accessible after repeated listens.

What Grimes misses in consistency, she more than makes up for with confidence and ambition. Her ideas and intentions are often undefined, but they’re still there, as visible in the layers that build and build to produce the heavy whirring, spinning feeling of each track. Whilst this album may be a fairly ‘hit and miss’ affair, the positive aspects really shine through and provide hope for what one would expect to be a strong and productive future.

6/10

By William Hall

Grimes - Genesis

If first single ‘Oblivion’, or a recent signing with 4AD is not enough for you, Grimes new single ‘Genesis’ definitely should be. Montreal’s Claire Boucher, or Grimes as she’s better known as, has released her second single in the build up to her debut album ‘Visions’, out on 12th March this year.

Gentler than the debut single, ‘Genesis’ sees Boucher’s vocals drift in and out at whim, seeming so effortless amongst the twinkling synths and swooping keys. The rushing and whooshing is something that could potentially be becoming part of Grimes’ trademark. The gradual build up of this, combined with the arrival of percussion and the dipping in and out of sparseness, gives a whole new dimension to the song, bringing excitement with it.

Strangely relaxing yet simultaneously exciting, this track (coupled with the previous Oblivion) provides a propitious start to Grimes, and has already set a standard for her album. 

By Emily Arc

Grimes - Geidi Primes (Re-Release)

This year has brought fresh talent and well deserved hype from the country that is Canada. Although popular trash electronic duo Crystal Castles have taken somewhat of a hiatus after headlining the NME Awards Tour show earlier this year, there has been an increase of promising artists from a great country. From soulful r’n’b crooner The Weeknd to hazy art pop quartet Braids, Canada proves itself a diverse and cultural country when it comes to music as this year’s Polaris Prize (Canadian equivalent to the Mercury Prize) nominations prove. Unfortunately, this re-release of Grimes’ 2010 debut album Geidi Primes doesn’t live up to the high standards.

Sounding like a Cocteau Twins record left in a cupboard for years, covered in dust and scratches from too many listens, Geidi Primes sounds like a washed up version of Cocteau Twins’ popular 80s record Treasure. Maybe this is one of those things that people will complain ‘You just don’t understand it’ but I’m not sure what’s not to be understood about the fact that Claire Boucher is whining like Veruca Salt and accompanied by an instrumental that is far from imaginative. After opener ‘Avi’, the rest of the album manages to slide into the background and if you’re looking for background music then this could be perfect for you.

Although this sounds like a weak imitation of Zola Jesus, the faded haunting vocal seems to be appealing as Rachel Zeffira adopted a whisper-y voice instead of using her classically trained vocals, for Faris Badwan’s side project Cat’s Eyes. Throughout each song, the chord progressions stay the same and after 11 songs, listening just feels like a monotonous chore. On ‘Shadout Maps’, Boucher creates harmonies with herself, possibly aiming to create a layered texture to her music but instead it just sounds like seagulls cawing relentlessly in the background.

My biggest concern though is that she has re-released an album despite releasing her sophomore effort Halfaxa earlier this year in February. If an album needs to be re-released, they’re probably just interested in the money side of it or there was something wrong with it in the first place. Being described as ‘post witch-house’, I’m just not sure Grimes is relevant anymore and her eccentric offerings fail to make a lasting impact.

4/10

By Aurora Mitchell