THE PROCRASTINATOR’S
gift guide
ew ’ s
Twin Shadow
Confess
TOP 12 ALBUMS
t
of 2012
he ongoing proliferation and fragmentation of music production, especially nonlabel productions,
makes choosing the top 12 albums of 2012 an impossible and foolish task — but here at EW, we’re
OK with attempting the impossible and playing the fool sometimes. And as far as last-minute gifting
goes, there aren’t many things as easy to give as music — it’s affordable and ubiquitous, whether it’s
a download, CD or vinyl. To make it even easier, we’ve singled out each album’s hot tracks, because what’s more
fun than making and giving a mix tape?
running, and Delayed Reaction is a wizened amuse-
bouche that samples the band’s considerable range,
moving from high-octane pop (“Gravity,” “The
Juice”) and alt-country (“By the Way”) to unshakeable
melodic gems (“Into the Light,” “Take Manhattan”).
track: “Into the Light (Breaking Horses)”
— Rick Levin
Sinéad O’Connor
How About I Be Me (and You Be You)
Kendrick Lamar
good kid, m.A.A.d city
If you haven’t heard of Kendrick Lamar, you should
probably drop what you’re doing and queue up a tune
from his autobiographic sophomore studio album,
good kid, m.A.A.d city. Lamar is the artist all your
favorite hip-hop artists are listening to, and his album
plays out like a powerful, beat-heavy biopic. Start with
“Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter’s Daughter” and let the
album unfold in order, closing with “Compton.” Lamar
— who points to Tupac Shakur as his greatest musical
influence — writes smart and poignant songs, drawing
on his upbringing in Compton, eloquently singing or
dropping lyrics like “Everybody gonna respect the
shooter/ But the one in front of the gun lives forever,”
(“Money Trees”). “Swimming Pools (Drank)” is a
moody, boozy, party-ready gem, accompanied by an
equally atmospheric music video.
track: “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst”
— Alex Notman
Soul Asylum
Delayed Reaction
Reared in an ’80s Minneapolis scene that also bred
Hüsker Dü and The Replacements, Soul Asylum has
been plying its gritty pop-punk-rock for three decades
Sinéad O’Connor is that
rare pure thing: an unrecon-
structed rebel and coura-
geous artist possessing
oodles of talent and a golden
throat. At 45, having sur-
vived a nearly mythic rise
and fall, O’Connor has pro-
duced her finest work: not only the comeback of the
year but perhaps 2012’s best album, a tour-de-force
containing at least three certifiable classics in “Rea-
son with Me,” “Old Lady” and “The Wolf Is Getting
Married.”
track: “The Wolf is Getting Married”
— Rick Levin
Perfect for your friend
who watched “Drive” as
much for the synth-pop
soundtrack as for Ryan
Gosling’s piercing baby
blues. George Lewis Jr.’s
second album has a dis-
tinct ’80s power dance feel, with sharp lyrics, infec-
tious beats and shredding guitars. As Stefon of Satur-
day Night Live fame would say, “It’s got everything.”
track: “You Call Me On”
— Jackie Varriano
Grimes
Visions
Claire Boucher, a
pint-sized (and occa-
sionally eyebrow-less)
electronic princess
who uses the stage
name Grimes, is Can-
ada’s best musical
export since Alanis. Her album “Visions” is a falsetto-
ridden romp through a world filled with loops and
layers, perfect for someone with a fondness for cotton
candy and technology. Slightly lisped lyrics make it
virtually impossible not to sing along.
track: “Oblivion”
— Jackie Varriano
Lindi Ortega
Cigarettes & Truckstops
Having cut her teeth
for a decade-plus in the
Toronto indie scene, Lindi
Ortega relocated to Nash-
ville and cut Cigarettes &
Truckstops with producer
Colin Linden, who has
worked with Lucinda Wil-
liams, Emmylou Harris
and The Band, among others. Talk about a match
made in country music heaven: Linden captures the
crystalline perfection of Ortega’s voice, which is
redolent of such greats as Tammy Wynette and Dolly
Parton, with a dark edge that is all her own.
track: “Demons Don’t Get Me Down”
— Rick Levin
Regina Spektor
What We Saw from the Cheap Seats
Not just for your adorkable friend, the gift of
Russian-born pixie Regina Spektor’s latest album is a
gift full of stunning sentimentalism. Good for giving
rainy days a sun-filled injection, Spektor’s thoughtful
lyrics will charm even the cynics. With the must-have
song “Don’t Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas),” why not
learn a foreign language phrase while doing a happy
dance?
track: “Don’t Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)”
— Jackie Varriano
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December 20, 2012 • eugeneweekly.com