[Matteo] We all know what they are. Captchas have become a staple of pop culture, like Nutella or the conspicuous absence of colored people in sitcoms. For those of you who don’t know what they are, we’re talking about those mangled sets of letters and numbers you need to insert when prompted, mostly when you’re trying to download something illegally.
[Matteo]
5. Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N 2 It
I didn’t jump on the Perfume Genius bandwagon back in 2010 when it would have been considered ‘cool’, but this intoxicating mix of Sufjan Stevens and Anthony and the Johnsons captivated me from the very beginning. It’s a long relentless funeral dirge, a kind of cohesive piece that I don’t hear very often anymore.
4. Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself
Andrew Bird’s material has become more and more introspective as time progressed, becoming downright obtuse with Noble Beast in 2009. Break It Yourself sees him become less cerebral and more humane, and let’s all rejoice for that.
3. Magnetic Fields - Love At The Bottom Of The Sea
The anticipation behind this record was so incredible you would have thought they were returning after a decade-long hiatus, and yet the Magnetic Fields have put out consistently good records without cease. What’s new about this record is that it sees them returning to the more electronic sound that gave them a name in the early 90s. Stephen Merritt is at his best lyrically: Andrew In Drag, no-brainer of a choice for lead single, has some of the finest couplets you’ll hear in 2012, but there’s plenty of quirky, hilarious, but also earnestly romantic material to go through here
2. Grimes - Visions
Grimes’ new record is a perfect marriage between atmosphere and pop appeal, between darkwave and RnB and all kinds of unlikely influences blended together. The emphasis is on rhythm at all times - the chord progressions are often little more than an afterthought, which actually helps the ambient mood set in. We’ll hear more of Grimes: the girl has got a kick-ass personality.
And some thick-ass eyebrows.
1. Damien Jurado - Maraqopa
I already raved at this record earlier this year, and my impression has only gotten stronger since then. The way this record mixes pupil-dilating psychedelia with the best brand of intimate singer-songwriting never ceases to amaze me: it feels like Jurado is constantly floating between fairy tale places and real ones, in and out of consciousness. It’s a strange and beautiful world you’ll want to inhabit.
(Source: mentifactsmusic)
[Joey]
5 Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory
Cloud Nothings continue to build on their growing momentum. Attack on Memory feels like a real statement piece that packs a mix of nod your head to pump your fist anthems. It’s an album that recalls power of their influences without being too wistful or derivative for its own good.
4. Liberteer – Better to Die on Your Feet Than Live on Your Knees
Let’s be clear on one thing; this album is not for everyone, which is what makes it so captivating. Coming in at a frantic 27 minutes, the 17 songs produce a blend of banjo, horns, guitars, and growls that would make Hank III salivate at the seamlessness.
3. Loincloth – Iron Balls of Steel
With an album title like this, you know what you’re getting. A pounding 38-minute triumph, Loincloth enters the arena with one goal in mind: to punch you in the mouth with sheer riff and technicality. This isn’t for the faint of heart, but those who choose to explore it will be pleasantly surprised by amount of work and craftsmanship that went into making the first LP from the band.
2. First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar
Depending on the day of the week, this album could easily fall into the top spot. This duo is arguably doing folk better than anyone in the game right now. For a Swedish group, they pay better homage to Americana than most in the country that coined the term. This album has as much hushed confidence as it does earnest self-awareness. Sorry boys, but 2012 is looking to be the year of the woman.
1. Sharon Van Etten – Tramp
When I first heard Epic, I immediately became a Sharon Van Etten fanboy. I considered it to be a silent, criminally underrated album of 2010. And then I waited to see if my enthusiasm would pay off on her next album. I had to pull myself out of my “I <3 SVE” daze to realize something deeper. She’s got “it”. What is “it”? An acute sense of self-reflection that shines through darkness and introspection to create a beautiful, sonic experience that seems to be about much more than the music at times.
(Source: mentifactsmusic)
[Jaap] So, I’ve recently purchased a MacBook. Now that I’ve joined the club, so to speak, I’ve started to pay attention to other Macs out there. All MacBooks look alike, so Apple fanboys need to use drastic measures to customise their respective computers. One means of customisation has especially drawn my attention: the Dock. It serves in principle as a handy interface that allows one to quickly start an application or to browse through one’s documents. In principle, that is.
(Source: mentifactsmusic)
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[Matteo] Oíche Mhaith [Goodnight in Irish for those wondering] is a flash game (click here to play it) where you impersonate a little girl by the name of Eimear, who lives in an abusive household and is subjected on a daily basis to all kinds of physical and psychological violence.
(Source: mentifactsmusic)
[Maria] The Internet has opened up a world of communication, random thoughts and opinions for its visitors to explore. One of the more popular trends is #FirstWorldProblems: comments on the Internet from people who are sad that they had to finish their ice-cream before they were free to use their hands to type.
