BLUR / Parklive [2012]

In celebration of Brit-pop act Blur's brief reunion, they released a colossal box set, a brand new single and performed a massive 2 hour concert with New Order in Hyde Park during the closing ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

One day after the concert, they quickly released the 2-disc recording of that show called Parklive without so much as a hint of rushed quality.  Fingering through the entire career, including some rare b-sides, Blur are on the top of their game hardly missing a note and capture the crowd just as well as they did 20 years ago.  With some slight reworkings of older songs and crowd participation, Parklive is a show I will always regret not being able to see live, based on the companion DVD spectacle.  A must have  victorious live CD for any longtime fan of Blur.

4 even Phil Daniels was there out of 5

Songs Of Note: Beetlebum; The Universal

MONO / For My Parents [2012]

Japan's instrumental act, MONO step further away from their post-rocks roots and closer into neo-classical music on 2012's For My Parents.

While they remain at heart a "rock band", the addition of cellos and violas allow the bittersweet drama of the music to flourish into an astonishingly cinematic vibe reminiscent of Ennio Morricone's spaghetti western scores.  Being the first album in many years without Steve Albini producing made me wonder if they'd achieve the same sonic wall of sound they're so good at and I'm happy to report it's firmly in place here.  What is missing is the strength in their dramatic crescendos and clever moments of thoughtfulness.   There's some good attempts of recreating it but it just isn't the same as their previous albums.  

3 constant feelings of love out of 5

Songs Of Note: Legend; Nostalgia

NORAH JONES / Little Broken Hearts [2012]

Norah Jones strays from her usual jazzy sound by working with producer Danger Mouse on her 5th record, 2012's moody break-up album, Little Broken Hearts. 

Normally Jones & DM wouldn't sound like a good mix but here they create a hauntingly beautiful cinematic sound both organic & spacey at the same time.  Normally, "break-up" albums get annoyingly mournful filled but Jones reamains hazily grounded and upbeat to prevent things from getting stale. 

The album isn't edgy enough for the indie-schmuck crowd nor is it friendly enough for the soccer mom crowd but will fit nicely on anyone's shelf that doesn't have a specific taste in good music.

4½ Russ Meyer posters out of 5

Songs Of Note: Little Broken Hearts; Miriam

KENDRICK LAMAR / good kid, m.A.A.d. city [2012]

Using Compton as a narrative backdrop is nothing new to hip-hop, yet Kendrick Lamar's 2012 major label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d. city brings it a sense of character and depth unlike anyway it's been portrayed before.

It tells the story of Lamar's smooth-talking experiences growing up in the crime-riddled neighborhood, through smooth downbeat production, tingling piano notes, hallucinatory hooks and frantic, yet low-key, tripped out rhythms.  Like N.W.A., there is an obvious love for his hometown but like The Clash or Springsteen, he intelligently knows it's a terrible place to live as well.  Lamar's lyrical delivery isn't interested in sucker punches or witty punchlines but yearns to tell a story that needs to be told and that's what gives it heart, as rockhard as it is.

4 short films out of 5

Songs Of Note: The Art Of Peer Pressure; Swimming Pools [Drank]

DEFTONES / Koi No Yokan [2012]

Over the years, nu-metal act Deftones have explored a heavier sound as well as going into an more experimental prog-rock sound and 2012's Koi No Yokan sort of comes up in the middle.

While they retain the aggressively heavy, yet beautifully harmonious sound, Deftones don't really seem to explore much in the way of anything new on this album and leaves much to be desired.  After hearing the risk-taking perfection they are capable of before, one can't help but be a little disappointed in them for staying in a danger-free comfort zone.  

3 inevitable love out of 5

Songs Of Note: Leathers; Tempest

MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS / Electra Heart [2012]

Marina Diamandis' (aka Marina And The Diamonds) second album, 2012's Electra Heart, is a concept album attempting to dissect American pop culture and it's need to destroy what it makes.  

Her music jumps between thumping New Wave pop songs and "genuine" bubbly pop crap, that makes me wonder about what exactly Diamandis was attempting.  While satirizing the American pop music scene, she's also recreating the real thing which wouldn't be out of place on the radio next to Katy Perry and that almost defeats the purpose.  I'll call that the Natural Born Killers syndrome and let it the kids squabble over that notion.  It's got ambition but ends up drowning in the same gene pool it was trying to break free from.

1 American Dream destroyed out of 5

Song Of Note: Bubblegum Bitch

METZ / Metz [2012]

Canadian noise punks Metz make their full-length debut on a 2012 self-titled record clocking in at barely 30 minutes.

While they are a fantastic live act to catch, the studio recordings don't do them justice.  It's still loud, noisy and abrasive but there's a finely polished tone to it that I just can't seem to shake.  You're going to hear a lot of comparisons to Nirvana's Bleach days and for good reason, there's a lot of similarities to that sound only this time around it's a harsher sonic assault to the ears.  Not to say Metz is a bad band, it's just without the frenzy of their live performance, you realize just much they are in need of diversity in their songwriting.  

3 fall downs out of 5

Songs Of Note: Knife In Water; The Mule

LIARS / WIXIW [2012]

Alt-dance act Liars redefine their sound with each album without completely ostracizing their fanbase, so it's no surprise they eventually entered into the tripped-out electronic sound on 2012's curiously palindrome titled album WIXIW.

Swirling with eerie shimmering synth textures pulsating back and forth between splashes of soft base tones and bizarre percussive experimentation, the album somehow creates a surreal paranoid mood lost in a frantic slo-mo setting, with heavy hints of Radiohead thrown into the mix.  As new as they are to the electro sound, Liars sound as if they're vets in the genre as they perform it with such confident ease.

4 wish you's out of 5

Songs Of Note: Octagon; Brats

PUBLIC ENEMY / The Evil Empire Of Everything [2012]

Released only a few months after their last album, Public Enemy's 2nd album of 2012, The Evil Empire Of Everything is noticeably angrier and more confident than their previous record.  

Right off the bat, PE aims to disturb and make you think, with a horrifying sound collage centered around the Trayvon Martin 911 calls and it only gets grittier & more politically charged with face-stomping rhythms, face-punching lyrical deliveries and the inevitable collaboration with Tom Morello & Henry Rollins.  Public Enemy prove they know how to age gracefully, without hanging onto the glory days or aiming to please the present day mainstream and only staying as strong as they've ever been.  

4 problems with rap music out of 5

Songs Of Note: 1 (PEace); Broke Diva

FRANK TURNER / Last Minutes & Lost Evenings [2012]

After a long string of shows with Social Distortion, Green Day & The Gaslight Anthem it's become quite apparent folk-punker Frank Turner is about to breakout in North America. So it would only make sense to release a compilation of his best songs, hand-picked by Turner himself, to introduce the uninitiated to his foot-stomping brand of upbeat, spitting folk rock.  

2012's Last Minutes & Lost Evenings is tight little package of fan favorites that showcases Turner's irresistible charms and witty songwriting.  For fans that already own all his albums, it comes with a fantastic DVD of a complete 26-song performance in Wembley Stadium that proves he is a born showman with the type of power and passion that will make the hairs on your neck stand up.  Now release the damn live show on CD for listening on the run.

3½ somebodies to love out of 5

Songs Of Note: The Real Damage; I Still Believe [DVD]

AESOP ROCK / Skelethon [2012]

Seeing as Aesop Rock was at the forefront of the rise of underground hip-hop in the late '90's makes it an event, for anybody who's been following the scene, whenever he releases a new record.  

2012's Skelethon is an angry, lash back at at all the problems A-Rock faced over the past few years, which would explain the sudden lyrical obsession with death.  The production is heavy on riotous drum rhythms, fuzzy guitar work and industrial synth-drones possibly to counter-balance the exposed vulnerability A-Rock is feeling on this album.  Not his best album but still a confirmation that Aesop Rock remains one of the best in his genre.

4 walks into the light out of 5

Songs Of Note: Zero Dark Thirty; Ruby '81

THE CRANBERRIES / Roses [2012]

2012 seemed to be the return of several bands from the early '90's so it would only makes sense to see The Cranberries jump into the mix with Roses, their first new album in over a decade.  

Returning a little less angry and somber with a stronger sense of confidence seems to hurt the once fragile, yet appealing, sound of The Cranberries.  It's no secret that Dolores O'Riordan's voice was the strongest thing about the band, so it's nice to hear that's still the same only now stripped of it's dream-like reverb effects, grounding the lovely airiness of that as well.  It's a lukewarm return that really wasn't necessary at all.

2 OBE's out of 5

Songs Of Note: Conduct; Show Me

SCOTT WALKER / Bish Bosch [2012]

Starting out as a surf pop teen idol in the '50's, it's quite apparent Scott Walker has come a LONG way since then based on 2012's Bish Bosch.
It's an extremely difficult listen, if not downright grating but after some time you'll find it's effects have haunted you and a need to return is inevitable.  Only then, will you begin peeling back the layers and take a finer look at the intricate details and see it for what it is.  Nearing 70 years in age, it's quite clear Walker is a batty old man with some pent up anger and despair to throw at you as he laughs like a maniac.  Utilizing everything but the kitchen sink to create the world that he wants us to visit, Walker disturbs, humours and challenges the listener while his baritone voice mocks you.

4 Christmas funerals out of 5

Songs Of Note: Just watch the trailer and take it from there.

HYBRYDS / Music for Rituals (1992)

Belgian ritualistic ambient music that's very hard to describe in words, because it's not something that can be easily picked apart. It's like a wave lapping a shore, if that wave carried within it the seeds of a story not yet written and the shore was your subconscious. It's designed to work on a specific part of your brain, making it a perfect accompaniment to the acts for which it's named, or, if you prefer, could be equally useful in aiding sleep.

Songs of Note: The Garden at the Sea; Ritual for Quetzalcoatl

4 drifting shadows out of 5

BATHORY / Blood Fire Death (1988)

Blood Fire Death isn't just a collection of quality songs, it's a truly ground-breaking, momentous achievement, the importance of which can't be stressed enough. The use of acoustics, the Viking symbolism, the choirs, the thundering intro, the cleaner vocals, the pounding drums, the torturing wail of the guitars, the pure fucking Armageddon heaviness of it all was something that the world had never experienced before. It literally changed the face of metal forever, and in the process made Quorthon a living legend in certain circles.

Songs of Note: Oden's Ride Over Nordland; A Fine Day to Die

5 horses for the Allfather out of 5