Vinnie the Intern #27: My Top 5 Albums of 2012

Here are my top albums of 2012. You may notice that this list is predominantly hip-hop. To me, this has been a year for hip-hop to remember. This year albums have been created by many artists that are working hard to transcend genres and push the envelope. Death Grips has been notable for their record label shenanigans and the mystery behind Captain Murphy was fun to see full circle. These were not gimmicks. They did not solicit controversy to cover up a lukewarm album. These albums are innovative and memorable. 

I also had a couple stipulations: EPs, box-sets, and reissues do not count.

Of course there are many albums I enjoyed this year that are not on the list. Some of you may be shocked to see that the new Animal Collective or Dirty Projectors didn't make it on my list. While I adored those albums, these five albums are the best that 2012 has to offer. Albums that you can immerse yourself in and continuously find a new aspect you love about it . This is just my opinion, so feel free to comment on what your favorite album of the year is.

5. Joey Bada$$ - 1999

1999 is a success in every way, shape and form. Not only an incredibly realized debut mixtape, Joey Bada$$ happens to only be 17. But that is all besides the point. It is not a great album due to his age or his lack of prior work. It is great for bringing back the sound of 90s gritty, New York hip-hop. His group PRO ERA is featured on a majority of tracks and fortunately they can keep up with his mic skills. "Survival Tactics" and "Killuminati" feature some of the best wordplay of the year, not to mention some absolutely outstanding beats. With the bar is set incredibly high, Joey Bada$$ has a bright future ahead of him.

4. Captain Murphy - Du∆lity

Steven Ellison (also known as Flying Lotus and now as Captain Murphy) has had a busy year. Not only releasing his lush and dreamy Until the Quiet Comes, he has been creating quite a following as the anonymous villain: Captain Murphy. Punctuated by maniacal laughter, pitched vocals, and an amazing video, Duality has everything that you could want from a hip-hop album. While the lyrics delve into dark subject matter, it is not done in a cheesy way due to the skill with Captain Murphy's lines which can border as dark as they are humorous  The beats are where Duality really shines. For the amount of different artists who dipped their pens into the ink, it sounds very cohesive. It may be due to many of the artists being of the Brainfeeder collective.

3. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kendrick Lamar's major label debut creates a narrative of his upbringing in Compton. Kendrick, a genuinely good kid, is stretched in every way of his life: his positive and loving upbringing with his parents keep him a hardworking youth who knows that knowledge is the way out of the hood while his friends play the bad influence bringing him to get involved in robbery and gang violence. Probably one of the more diversified albums on this list, there is a little bit of everything here beat-wise. From the spacey "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" to the G.O.O.D-esque "Backseat Freestyle," this album has a bulk of variety, the perfect amount of guest performers that don't overpower the album, and a story that inspires hope that "a flower bloomed in a dark room."

2. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti have outdone themselves with their latest, Mature Themes. Where some may think that Before Today was the better of their post-Paw Track releases, I found this album to be an album that defines their craft as songwriters. Tracks like "Only in My Dreams," a shimmery pop gem, showcase refinement and more mature (as the title would imply) arrangements. Even some of the would-be filler (Schnitzel Boogie) is catchy in just how odd it truly is. The flow works really well, too. Especially the back half of the album. Putting the last track, a cover of Joe and Donnie Emerson, was a smart choice as it didn't take away from the consistent nature of the Ariel songs. An album that wears its nostalgia on its sleeve, it's not afraid to indulge in it's strong suits: making songs that were the norm in the late 70s/early 80s with a modern edge.

1. Death Grips - The Money Store

I don't even know where to begin with an album that is as awarding as it is challenging. Death Grips, after releasing last year's outstanding mixtape, Exmilitary, chose to sign to Epic Records, release the Money Store, cancel their tour, release NO LOVE DEEP WEB without their label's permission, and get dropped from their label. This album started the rise to their turbulent, yet productive year. As where Exmilitary was more cluttered (due to much of Zach Hill's percussion) and NLDW was more central to MC Ride as a lyricist (due to it's sparse instrumentals), The Money Store is the healthy medium with some of the most unique instrumentals ever created in hip-hop. This can be much praise to Flatlander. Genre-bending and proud of it, The Money Store commits to being a no holds barred aural assault while still demanding the listeners attention. I have probably listened to this entire album 40+ times and due to the murk and grime and I am still digging through it to hear things I did not find on prior listens. If you have followed any of my blogs or know my musical tastes, this album being number one should in no way surprise you. I wholeheartedly love this album and will attest that you will be hard pressed to find anything like this again any time soon.

Vinnie the Intern #26: Top 5 Favorite Music Videos of 2012

Starting off my top lists of the year are my top five favorite music videos. While it is hard to quantify videos, these have been some of my favorite videos of the year. 

5. Joey Bada$$ (Feat. Capital STEEZ) - "Survival Tactics"

A group that captures the Wu Tang spirit more than other in the early part of the decade is PRO ERA. Grainy videos and a list of talented emcees encapsulate all the videos from the outstanding 1999 mix-tape from Joey Bad$$. This collective has a considerably even skill set when compared to groups such as Odd Future or A$AP Mob. Joey Bada$$, the 17 year old Brooklynite, has created quite a following in 2012 and this is a prime reason as to why.

Vinnie the Intern #14: Some Great Videos

Here are ten videos that I keep on coming back to. They are a mix of live, official, and unofficial videos. Down below you can watch Ariel Pink jump into his crowd for a make out session, watch Tim Harrington of Les Savy Fav eat a pear while giving a riotous performance, and much more. Hope you enjoy!

Side note: Death Grips fans can check out an unreleased cut from The Money Store on [adult swim]'s Singles Program. The song called "@deathgripz," titled after the groups Twitter page. "@deathgripz" is a spastic cut featuring all of MC Ride's vocal abilities from mellow to abrasive, giving it a jumpy quality that fits well with the instrumental. Their second album titled NO LOVE DEEP WEB is expected for an October release.

Modest Mouse - "Dramamine" (Unofficial Video)

The Streets - Computer & Blues Interactive Film

Les Savy Fav - "Lips 'N Stuff" (Acoustic, Mahogany Sessions)

Monster Machismo - "Me Blindfolded Vs. Mike Tyson"

Los Campesinos! - "You! Me! Dancing!"

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - "Beverly Kills" (Live)

Hank - Peas (WEFT 90.1 FM Studio Performance)

Dirty Projectors - "Swing Lo Magellan" (Unofficial Video)

Cap'n Jazz - "Basil's Kite" (Light & Noise)

Mayer Hawthorne - "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out"

Vinnie the Intern Blog #10: The End of Summer.

The summer is about to end and this intern must resume his scholarly duties. But don't worry, if you have at all enjoyed these blogs, there will be much more on the way. I am happy to report have been given the go-ahead to continue writing a weekly entry for Saki. 

I want to extend a big thank you to everyone who has read these blogs and to Carrot Top who took me in for yet another summer! This was a busy summer of press releases, inventory, and preparing shipments. It is something I surely will miss but I know the good folks at Carrot Top and Saki have not seen the last of me. With four months left in the year, there is still so much talk about. I will be writing about the newest albums and judging by this fall's large amount of highly anticipated releases, I should not be short on music to talk about.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes

Bonus blog within a blog: The new Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti album, Mature Themes, is now streaming on NPR. The album opens with the zany "Kinski Assassin." This Doors-"Light My Fire"-esque track contains the usual Ariel charm: lyrics first seeming out-there and laughable which become infectious upon multiple listens. Try to not repeat the hook "Who sunk my battleship? I sunk my battle ship!" to yourself during your listening pleasure. "Only In My Dreams" is a love song in the way that only Ariel Pink can do love songs and is an immediate standout. Most comparable to their 2010 breakout, Before Today, more-so any other in their catalogue proves to be a good thing. The basslines are just as solid and even possibly improved is Ariel Pink's voice. Anyone looking for the weirdness that is present on their earliest releases can rest easy knowing that it is still very present. "Schnitzel Boogie" is among the more odd tracks including lyrics about eating schnitzel set to a catchy bassline and a gang of lively backing vocalists. "Pink Slime" features some glowing synths and hyper-active vocals which is followed by the dreamier, Beach Boy styled croon of "Farewell American Primitive." The flow of the album is vital to the album's success. Acting as a true closer, the seven-minute murky, hypnotic "Nostradamus & Me" has Ariel announcing "goodbye" through a progressive drone (a contradiction, I know.). "Baby," the actual closer is another stand out. While it is undeniably Ariel, I felt it was best that it put the Donny and Joe Emerson cover at the end of the record as to not disrupt the album's flow as a whole. The album is out August 20th. Make sure you check this one out! Highly recommend!

JJ DOOM - Key To the Cuffs

Animal Collective - Centipede HZ (Set to premier next week!)

Death Grips - NO LOVE DEEP WEB

WHY? - Mumps, Ect.

I will also be preparing a top 50 songs of 2012 in early December. For now I will leave you with "Twenty Seven;" the bizarre, tempo shifting gem from the new WHY? EP, Sod In The Seed, which can be downloaded in its entirety off of their label, Anticon's Soundcloud. Enjoy!

Vinnie the Intern's Blog #6: A Great Week For Music

I had many options on what to write this week. In fact, too many options. So I'm just going to cover them all. It has truly been a great week in music. Four albums have been released over this past week that, I feel, have exceeded all expectations and have much lived up to their hype. I will be going over The Dirty Projector's Swing Lo Magellan, Frank Ocean's Channel Orange, Azealia Banks' Fantasea, and Passion Pit's Gossamer, as well as previewing Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's forthcoming album, Mature Themes, due this August.

1. Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan

The newest album from David Longstreth and Company is easily their most accessible to date. Swing Lo Magellan features exceptional guitar playing, an emphasis on handclaps (or just rhythm in general), and expansive vocal range that they are often noted for. This album is the last place I would have expected them to travel to after 2009's Bitte Orca, but then again, I said the same thing after listening to the that album after 2007's Rise Above. The unexpectedness that I get with every release is the reason why I love this band. Some immediate standouts for me were: "Dance For You," "See What She's Seeing," "Swing Lo Magellan, and "Just From Chevron."

2. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

Odd Future affiliate had a lot prove with Channel Orange. In the past month and a half he has released the sprawling ten minute track "Pyramids" featuring John Mayer and received much praise from a letter he released on his Tumblr regarding his sexuality which he followed with his performance of "Bad Religion" on Live On Jimmy Fallon last Monday. Channel Orange can be streamed on Frank Ocean's Tumblr. The album has similar subject matter to Nostalgia, Ultra, such as his references to retro gaming (the opener "Start" contains a sample of the opening sounds of a Playstation One). But the difference between the two albums is his focus. There is not one song that drags on or overstays its welcome. Frank Ocean has grown into quite the storyteller, containing much more ambiguity and strength in his songwriting. Some standouts are "Thinking About You," "Crack Rock," "Pyramids," "Lost," and "Pink Matter" featuring two standout verses by Andre 3000.

3. Azealia Banks - Fantasea

I feel that I talk about Azealia Banks a little too much. This must be the third time that I have mentioned her in one of my posts, but I can't help this considering her continuous release schedule and the overall quality of the bulk of her songs. Fantasea, her newest mix-tape is available for free download. Some tracks to check out are "US," "Luxury," "Esta Noche," and "Jumanji." Her third and final release of the calendar year, Broke With Expensive Taste, is scheduled to come out this fall.

4. Passion Pit - Gossamer

Passion Pit's second full length album, Gossamer, is set for release on the 24th, but can be streamed on NRP now. I would say this album is stronger than their great first full length Manners from 2009. The sticky-sweet poppy element is still present, so it is not a large deviation away from the Passion Pit formula, but it is a little more varied due to the album's glitchy textures, probably best exemplified on "I'll Be Alright." Michael Angelakos' falsetto (which is usually the obstacle when I talk to people about Passion Pit) is stronger and better than ever, in my opinion. Tracks to check out: "I'll Be Alright," "Constant Conversations," "Cry Like A Ghost," and the closer "Where We Belong."

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Only In My Dreams (Single)

The last thing that I was excited for this week was the new Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti song "Only In My Dreams" which can be downloaded on 4AD's website. So far, there have been two tracks released, the other one being the Donnie and Joe Emerson cover "Baby," from Mature Themes, their newest album. It is scheduled for release on August 20th. Before Today was an incredible album and Mature Themes has a lot of expectations to live up to, but if any of the aforementioned artists have proved, this seems to be a good time to do so.