And here it is: the end of this music countdown with the 25 best tunes of 2012, always in my modest opinion, of course. Hope you have enjoyed this personal music ride!
Hope you are enjoying the Bloodbuzzed Songs of the Year 2012 so far.After theprevious two chapters now it's time for the tunes ranked between positions 50 to 26,
with the mandatory grooveshark playlist to listen them included. The
final part, with the top 25 songs of 2012 will be online tomorrow.
Have your say!
After the books and concerts, is time to review 2012 in music releases. It's been a year full of wonderful EPs (only EPs, no singles, 3 to 5 songs), so they deserved a list of their own. Needless to say, this is a very personal list(comments on each band clicking on their links). Hope you enjoy it!
Swans, a quality and prestigious name but very far from my tastes was filtered a couple of days ago. Today, Gabi Ruiz tweeted the full line-up of the Primavera Club 2012 (December 5 to 9) will be announced next Tuesday12th. So, as I did with Primavera Sound last spring, here's how my wish list would like... aside from my impossible and recurring dreams (I guess) of bringing The Very Most, The Hermit Crabs, Nat Johnson or Electrelane to Barcelona, I just made the list from bands that could be possible seeing their agendas so far... so here's hope!
Alpaca Sports. Well, they are simply one of the most delicious acts that have appeared this year. Corin Tucker Band, The. The album is just arriving, so they should present it, so why not Barcelona? Or maybe for Primavera Sound 2013. Another amazing option (would love to have both) is to include Wild Flag, still have to come here! Echo Lake. Touring UK in October.... Evans the Death. Similar case to Echo Lake. ExLovers. No dates means options? Hope so. Fonda. They release a new album very soon, so the time is right.... Fountains. The best new band of the year? Hospitality. My Nº1 choice of the list. They end their American tour in November so... Motorama. Finally, finally, finally, please... School, The. Another must-see. Shrag. "Canines" deserves a stop in Barcelona! Softies, The. The Chickfactor celebrations gathered them for some gigs. Needless to say that would be a dream come true... Stealing Sheep. Recently discovered, and completely haunted. How will they sound live? Strawberry Wiplash. Wouldn't it be nice if Matinée Recordings had a special section at Primavera each year? Toy. Similar case to Stealing Sheep. Counting the days for the record to arrive... Wild Nothing. Their calendar dates seems to fit nicely... Young Romance. Favourites from the blog, Claire and Paolo are an absolute must.
Double review of the so far fantastic releases from Fountains, one of the most celebrated discoveries of 2012 on Bloodbuzzed!
No Sleep EP
Discovered them on March, and their debut EP has been on repeat mode since then at home and on my Mp3, being also featured on the playlist of best songs of the year so far. All this praise is well deserved, as the London group is capable of doing something really remarkable, and quite unusual nowadays: they really blow you out.
The EP opens with the slow-burner title track "No Sleep", that from the very first second carries you away to a very special place. It's a cold & grey place, but there are still glimpses of hope (careful listen to the wonderful backing vocals from Bex). The music soars, guitars and drums find their way to scatter the clouds and Jonathan voice rises like a mantra. Epic five minutes. I remember writing that it sounded to me like The Wild Swans meeting Joy Division. What an opener.
"Insecure" offers a different side: an uptempo melody, in which guitars take more prominence, delivering raw lines that share the anger and desperation of Jonathan's tone and lyrics. And explodes, and leaves the listener longing for more.
And it does come. "You're Not Welcome" begins like "No Sleep", the guitar intro suggesting a rumbling number that turns into an abrasive mist of sound. Jonathan spokes among celestial guitar and drum melodies. The tempo accelerates, the lyrics hurt. But Fountains decide to hide their final ace with a radical change in the melody, before the concluding, relentless assault to your ears. And you don't want the song to end.
You can download the EP right now for FREE via bandcamp. RUN and do it!!!! Amazing debut. SCORE: 8,25/10
Easy Led If that isn't enough, since the end of July Fountains have a new single for you to enjoy. And what a single (you can order it here)! "Easily Led" is mesmerizing. It sounds like a proper companion of the "No Sleep EP": cascades of guitars, a majestic wall of sound, gloom and light. But the combination of Jonathan and Bex singing propels the tune to another dimension. I have to hear this song live, in particular it's last minute.
Second song of the single is "Repetition". Quite a slow intro that radically drifts into a song that recalls vividly to Interpol (from the good times) or another beloved band of this blog, Motorama. Atmospheric, opressive... Another impressive tune. Fountains - Easily Led by Beautiful Strange
SCORE: 8,5/10
5 songs so far, 5 masterpieces. Needles to say, Fountains are a band to follow closely.
All good things come to an end. My holidays are over, and despite going back to work, the neverending heatwave in Spain, our corrupted politicians and the despicable Republicans on the American campaign, and the unacceptable Pussy Riot imprisonment in Russia (what a dictatorial regime) are enough to depress everyone, but at least not today. We still have many songs on the agenda to enjoy.
My beloved Beth Orton is showing us bits of her new album, "Sugaring Season", out in October 2nd. Hear her below, playing three tunes "Dawn Chorus", "Candles", and "Poison Tree" plus personal favourite "Sweetest Decline" on acoustic, stripped down versions. Magic.
I'm pretty sure you want more, so here's "Magpie", gorgeous first song of the album (you can download it too). Can't wait for the record! Beth Orton - Magpie
And another blog discovery to end the post. Post-punk/shoegaze band Fountains latest single is "Easily Led" and is spectacular. Do this guys now they have penned an instant classic? Please have a listen! Review coming shortly!
Like we did last year, it's June, time for taking a look to what has 2012 offered so far in terms of music. Here's a playlist with the best 30 songs (in my opinion, of course) of the year to date. Like its 2011 predecessor, several songs have been dropped because the selection followed two criteria: songs released during 2012, and just 1 song per group/artist, so I could include different proposals. They are not in order of preference, just trying to combine them in a good playlist. Hope you enjoy!
Fountains. The most exciting band to reach my inbox lately is this five-piece based in London. Only three songs available (run to their bandcamp, download freely and get the ultra-limited tapes!), but what an impressive debut is this "No Sleep" EP, out since February (review coming soon). The Wild Swans meeting Joy Division? The combination sounds too great to believe it, but this tunes are THAT BIG. They define themselves as shoegazers, but I dare to say this is "just" astonishing indie music. They've told me they are looking for the right label now. If there's hope in this planet they should have their phone collapsed by calls.
Maple Leaves. Still in Glasgow (with a bit Northern England) for our third proposal. Maple Leaves formed at an open mic night in 2008 by Anna Miles and Julian Corrie, quickly evolving into a trio. They made quite a buzz, receiving the praise of Stuart Murdoch from Belle and Sebastian, who selected Miles as a singer on his "God Help the Girl" project. They debuted in 2010 with the EP "Golden Ether", and now as four-piece, they will release "Robots" EP this spring. Skilled but dreamy and compelling indie-pop, infused by a folkie and lush instrumentation (that flute). Lovable band.
25. Ununiversizable Us- The Very Most 
