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Show 5 ARTS www.dailyutahchronicle.com Wednesday December 5, 2012 MELANIE RONA JAPANDROIDS CELEBRATION ROCK RICE +41:4$ ALBUMS OF 2.012 y Frances Moody and David Mondragon STANDOUT MUSIC In the post-mixtape era, it is rare to find an album that can be considered excellent in its entirety.The frequency of singles going viral and the death of hard-copy albums have contributed to a diluted poo of all-around good albums. Of the paltry group of notable albums of the year, here are some of our favorites. ' FIL • 1 1. "CHANNEL ORANGE" - FRANK ORANGE DEHAM Ocean sealed his place in pop cultural history by coming out as a bisexual rap/ R&B artist. His coming out was received remarkably well by the hip-hop community with Jay-Z, Russell Simmons and bandmate Tyler, The Creator all showing their support. Despite the media hype surrounding the artist himself, Ocean followed through with an excellent album. Ocean dazzles with his smooth falsetto in "Thinkin Bout You" and the finger-snapping track "Pilot Jones." Most importantly, he stands alone as a solo album except for a cameo by Earl Sweatshirt on "Super Rich Kids" and a one-minute track featuring an extended guitar solo by John Mayer. D.M. 2. "BLOOM" - BEACH HOUSE SUBPOP The smell of pumpkin pie might .., • ,a, • an, • ■• • 0 an Iffir ,.., ■• • ■• ,., • • IMI, ..., Iso take you back to the Thanksgiving 1411 ,... 111, Aft, gir .,, •OP .., • w• a 0 0 .1..... when your drunk grandpa reenacted ..._ IV ... 0 mr a • 0 a wit a ■ 0 w ler vs, w • the "Macarena." The sight of the 0 0 116 • 0 0 01 410 0 • II lb lb 0 house you grew up in possibly could lio 0 0 0 0 11. o 1. Iso o 11. RO ft ‘I• • • • • to evoke the feelings you had when le 11. v. 41. • • •0 0 • •0 • • 4.■ vis 4. Dad left the family for good. And, 0 0 ft • • 0 • 0 0 ■ s • • •a • • gir ib ip • • • • the sounds of a song could bring w • ib go ° • m.gb. 04. ill • • % liv ft lb S • 0 • II • * el■•'b back the melodious emotions that II. .1k* (lb qn ea %Olio.* lb * II, ■■ lb ID ■ lb • II • ■ .1 * tingled throughout your body when • • , I) * , ■• * . • *° * II 1)% * 1■ • • * qt . • • 1:: • • the girl next door kissed you for the ■■ ••• .1) • • % • • .... TA first time. Beach House's album, "Bloom," makes it evident music might as well be called the sixth sense. Instead of using the chronological pattern of storytelling, Beach House draws in emotions to represent pictures of human life. For instance, in the song "Wishes," Victoria Legrand sings long, sorrowful tones of "the moment when a memory aches," showing music can bring back memories as well as make them. F.M. ,... g•P 3. "GOOD KID MAO CITY" - KENDRICK LAMAR 4. "PORT OF MORROW" - THE SHINS TOP DAWG, AFTERMATH, INTERSCOPE AURAL APOTHECARY, COLUMBIA RECORDS, INTERSCOPE It is pretty much a guarantee I will love any album endorsed by grantland. corn writer, Rembert Brown. But if Brown's recommendation isn't enough, When Natalie Portman's quirky character from "Garden State" introduced James Mercer (the mastermind behind The Shins) to the world, who could have guessed this brainchild would coin the sound for pure nostalgic music. Mercer has made it a point not to follow musical trends, which is something needed in the world of booming dubstep music and overly produced songs. "Port of Morrow" screams The Shins from the top of the roof. Mercer's lyrics seem to formulate the sounds of an entirely new instrument, especially when the talent of musicians such as Greg Kurstin and Janet Weiss accompany them. Lamar has been anointed the new torch bearer of gangsta rap by rap royalty Snoop Lion, Dr. Dre and The Game. Lamar's second studio album certainly doesn't disappoint. Bringing back similar cadences found in N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton," Lamar manages to match the traces of bravado found throughout with his own prowess and mastery. The album has the fingerprints of his West Coast predecessors all over it with constant references to his own upbringing and the lyrics of previous rap classics. He still captures serious and casual rap fans with guest appearances by Drake and Jay Rock. Certainly my favorite album of the year, it is a worthy listen for any music fan who laments the death of rap in the West. F.M. D.M. 5. "I BET ON SKY" - DINOSAUR JR. JAPANDROIDS JAGJAGUWAR At first, the reuniting of popular late '80s and early '90s band, Dinosaur Jr., stuck the grown-up grunge scene as three old men trying to relive the glory days of something seen as "so passé." Since the 2005 reunion, the band has released three post-angry grunge records. The third one, "I Bet On Sky," offers the softer side of the rock band. With more poppy songs such as "Watch the Corners," "I Bet On Sky" shows Dinosaur Jr. is a band that has learned to evolve. A hint to listeners: "Watch The Corners" has a great music video to boot. t4. 6. "CELEBRATION ROCK" - JAPANDROIDS POLYVINYL RECORD CO. The Japandroids know how to party hard, play hard and rock hard. No wonder the follow up to the band's 2009 debut album, "Post-Nothing," inspires angry youth to act up in a fist-pumping frenzy. "Celebration Rock" is meant to invoke the feelings of a generation caught in between the woes of responsibility and the pure pleasure of the party Iifestyle.With lyrics such as, "Long lit up tonight, and still drinking. Don't we have anything to live for? Well of course we do, but until they come true, we're drinking," it is clear this Vancouver-based band writes songs meant to speak out to its fans. F.M. F.M. CELEBRATION ROCK 7. "SWING 10 MAGELLAN" - DIRTY PROJECTORS 8. "OLD IDEAS" - LEONARD COHEN DOMINO RECORDS COLUMBIA Not a huge fan of the band before this album, I was surprised I was not being able to stop listening to "Swing Lo Magellan." Best described as a weird listen, the album features tracks worthy of the "Back to the Future" soundtrack, the occasional bizarre, grunge-era guitar sections and unique shifts in time signature. For those new to the band, the good news is the album is under $8 in the iTunes Store. It's a cheap, weird, but worthwhile listen. For the wee lads and lasses out there, Cohen is the original singer of the song "Hallelujah" you hear in a million auditions on "The X Factor" and "American Idol" each year. Cohen's 12th studio album follows his usual slow and pensive tones. His half-spoken and half-sung style makes for a mellow listen, but allows for piqued attention with his thoughtful lyrics. D.M. D.M. 9. "SOMETHING" - CHAIRLIFT 10."A THING CALLED DIVINE FITS" - DIVINE FITS COLUMBIA, YOUNG TURKS (UK) MERGE RECORDS In their first studio album since founding member Aaron Pfenning departed for a solo career, Chairlift manages the balance between smooth, often lyrically dense tracks that illicit a feeling of anxiety and unpredictability. Despite its release in the early parts of 2012, it remained a solid album throughout the year. Twilight Concert enthusiasts were — to say the least — disappointed when the news broke out that Passion Pit would no longer rock the stage at the popular series. However, Salt Lake hipsters were pleasantly surprised when they heard a preview of the album, "A Thing Called Divine Fits," by replacement headliner The Divine Fits. Known as the new indie super group, the Divine Fits meshes the spontaneity of front man Dan Boeckner from the Handsome Furs, and the pop sound from Spoons' Britt Daniel. Pulling from literature and a psychodrama molded by Roman Polanski, "A Thing Called Divine Fits" contains lighthearted pop songs with heavy connotations. D.M. F.M. |