2012 Review: Top 50 Songs (10-1)

And finally, we've reached the top 10 songs of 2012. There was a lot of great music released this year and of all of those songs these are the 10 best. Take a listen, leave a comment and most of all enjoy.

2012 Review: Top 50 Songs (20-11)

This is where things start to get really good. Out of the tens of thousands of songs that came out this year, over the next two days the 20 best will be revealed. If you missed any of the previous days go back and check them out (50-41, 40-31, 31-21) and be sure to come back tomorrow for the definitive top 10 songs of 2012.

2012 Review: Top 50 Songs (31-21)

Due to a slight oversight, in my original making of the list, everything has been moved back one spot and this list has become the top 51 songs of 2012. Whoops. Anyway, go back and check out 50-41 and 40-31 from Friday and Saturday and keep checking back for the top 20. 

2012 Review: Top 50 Songs (40-31)

The top 50 continues with #s 40-31. Be sure to look back at 50-41 from yesterday if you missed it and check back tomorrow as the list continues.

2012 Review: Top 50 Songs (50-41)

December is always an exciting time for media lovers and list lovers alike. Its a time to revisit all those things (albums, books, films, concerts, plays, etc.) that we loved and obsessively turn those things into lists. So during this relative dry period, in terms of new music releases, go back and revisit the best that 2012 had to offer. I will be revealing my top 50 songs of the year over the next few days. Once again, I've followed my rule of one song per artist to give the most complete possible picture of music in 2012.

Listen: Titus Andronicus' New Album, Local Business

"Okay, I think now that we've established everything is inherently worthless, and there's nothing in the universe with any kind of objective purpose."

I cannot think of a line that better encapsulates what Titus Andronicus is all about. Lyrically, "Local Business" has a lot of similar themes to their previous albums (minus the whole civil war plot of course) but musically this is a much different record from their brilliant sophomore album "The Monitor". "Local Business" has substituted many of the overly dramatic (in the best way possible) elements from "The Monitor" for a more straight forward and raw rock n' roll record. Follow the link below to stream the album in its entirety over at NPR's First Listen.

Titus Andronicus - Local Business

American Freedom Defense Initiative Post Anti-Jihad Ads in NYC Subways

It is rare that I ever feel the need to speak about things going on in the world. Normally, I take everything that happens with a massive grain of salt and reconcile with the fact that the world is fucked and go on living. However, every now and again something irritates me to the point where I feel a burning desire to say something. Anything.

If you aren't familiar with the situation, a pro-Israel group, the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) have recently postered the NYC subway system with signs comparing Jihadists to savages and calling for the support of Israel. The MTA originally tried to block the ads but the AFDI won the ensuing court and as a result the signs were posted yesterday.

Before I get to talking about my main issue with the signs, I feel that I should make two things clear. First, I am in no way trying to say the AFDI are not well within the constitutional rights to post these ads. They rightfully won their court battle with the MTA and should be allowed to post these signs according the United States Constituion. Second, I wholeheartedly disagree with the message put forth by these posters. To relegate any group of human beings to that of a savage is wrong no matter the atrocities they may have committed. Doing so is counterproductive to the goal trying to be accomplished by this organization and takes away any credibility this organization has with the "civilized" people they are trying to appeal to.

Now to the main point of my writing this.

How simpleminded and obtuse can this organization possibly be? If these people are the "savages" you suggest, then how does publicly antagonizing them serve any purpose? The ads have been posted in the aftermath of violent reactions to an anti-Islam YouTube video that ridicules the Prophet Mohammed. The AFDI claims they are trying to protect innocent people from "the tens of thousands of rockets going into Southern Israel from Gaza. The blowing up of a bus of Jewish women and children in Bulgaria." While these are undoubtedly abhorrent acts that deserve retribution, how do these ads do anything but exacerbate the situation? The answer: "they don't".

The only purpose the ads serve is to potentially endanger the millions of innocent people that ride the subway every single day. We have already seen the reaction to the YouTube video in the middle east and now with these signs, it feels as though its only a matter of time before there is a reaction in New York City.

Its extremely disconcerting that this organization cannot see the fundamental flaws in this ad-campaign and have gone ahead despite the public outcry. The executive director of the AFDI, Pamela Geller was quoted as saying "I will not sacrifice my freedom of speech so as not to defend a savages." It is this kind of short-sighted fulfillment of constitutional rights, without internalizing the potential consequences, that endangers the American way of life conservatives like Pamela Geller work so hard to protect.

Titus Andronicus - "In A Big City"

Patrick Stickles and co. are back with their follow up to 2010's The Monitor. The new album, due out October 22nd via XL recordings, is entitled Local Business and you can now listen to the first single "In a Big City".

Judging by the first song, we're all in for another brilliant album and more hilarious commentaries on the current state of the world. "I grew up on one side of the river, I was a distrubed dangerous drifter. Moved over to the other side of the river, now I'm a drop in a deluge of hipsters," is just one of the gems from this great new track. I, for one, am very excited!

Stream the new Grizzly Bear album over at NPR

The most handsome band in indie rock is back with a follow-up to their universally acclaimed 2009 album Veckatimest. The album, which featured the band's breakthrough song "Two Weeks" and the heartbreakingly beautiful "Foreground", provided the listener with beautifully crafted vocal harmonies and picture-perfect production values. In other words, the album could not have sounded any better.

You can now stream the new album, Shields, over at NPR by following the link below. Enjoy!

Grizzly Bear - Shields

Touche Amore - "Whale Belly"

I can't believe a band with this kind of touring schedule had any time at all to write and record a new song, but somehow, Touche Amore have gotten in the studio and created an absolute beast in the form of "Whale Belly". The song comes from an upcoming 7" split with The Casket Lottery. The split will feature one original song and one cover from each band. Touche Amore will have this song and a cover of "Unsatisfied" by The Replacements (Rad!). The Casket Lottery's new track will be called "White Lies" and they will tackle a cover of "Myth" by Beach House (Double Rad!). Could this be any more awesome!?!??  Check out "Whale Belly" below via NPR!


  Touche Amore - "Whale Belly"