DAE's top 12 albums for 2012...and another 12 that could have made it.

Hum, unlike my talented friend Toddrick I can't define myself as a geek... although I wish I'd spent more time locked in my room between 12 and 18 obsessing over music. But it's not too late and this year brought its fair share of great albums. Here's my list (though I cheated and included an EP): 

 1. Daniel Rossen - Silent Golden Mile Part I (Warp)  

 2. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave (Infectious / Warner)  

 3. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange (Def Jam)  

 4. Father John Misty - Fear Fun (Sub Pop)  

 5. Django Django - Django Django (Because Music)  

 6. Hiatus Kaiyote - Tawk Tomahawk (Self Released) 
Listen to "Lace Skull" here. 
 7. Schoolboy Q - Habits & Contradictions (Top Dawg Entertainment) 
 Listen to "Sacrilegious" here. 
 8. Ty Segall - Twins (Drag City) 
 Listen to "The Hill" here. 
 9. Poor Moon - Poor Moon (Sub Pop) 
 Listen to "Come Home" here. 
 10. Field Report - Field Report (Partisan) 
 Listen to "The Year of The Get You Alone" here. 
 11. Flying Lotus - Until The Quiet Comes (Warp) 
 Listen to "Putty Boy Strut" here. 
 12. Aaron Embry - Tiny Prayers (Self Released) 
Listen to "Ode to If" here. 

 Also:

 - Zombie Zombie - Rituels d'Un Nouveau Monde 
 - Land Observations - Roman Roads 
 - Ray Stinett - A Fire Somewhere 
 - Kindness - World, You Need A Change of Mind 
 - Ane Brun - It All Starts With One 
 - Chromatics - Kill For Love 
 - Cody Chestnutt - Landing On A Hundred 
 - The Growlers - Hung At Heart 
 - My Best Fiend - In Ghostlike Fading 
 - Nick Waterhouse - Time's All Gone 
 - Peaking Lights - Lucifer 
 - Tame Impala - Lonerism

Take Five.

Albums Toddrick loved this year aka I recommend you go buy these 30 records right now.

Yes I'm a nerd. So naturally I get super excited for this time of year - the holidays are nice and all - but I truly geek out going over every one's end of the year lists. So here's mine...

1. Father John Misty - Fear Fun (Sub Pop)

My favorite record of the year. Hands down. This record is on my turntable, the cd is in my car, and it's on repeat on the 'pod. One of the coolest albums to come out in years, Fear Fun has even worked it's way onto my "desert island" list. It is an ode to Los Angeles steeped with magic, death, sex, and broken souls - poetry that's every bit as LA as Charles Bukowski, John and Exene, Charlie Manson, and Nathaniel West.
BUY IT.

Check this amazing performance on Letterman of "Only Son of the Ladiesman". Killer.

2. The Evens - The Odds (Dischord)

In a world lacking Fugazi, we can at least take comfort that Ian Mackaye is still angry and still producing relevant punk art. The Odds is brilliant, minimal, political and one of the best records of 2012. I can listen to "King of Kings" over and over - so so good.
BUY IT.

Listen to "King of Kings" here.

3. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave (Atlantic)

Atlantic sent me this record and it was sitting in my massive "to be listened to" pile when I was driving in Danny Exum's car and it was playing. "What is this, dude?" "Alt-J." "This is Alt-J? Holy shit. This is rad!" I immediately moved it from the "to be listened to" pile to constant rotation. I could simplify this stuff and say it's kinda like Welsh TV On The Radiohead, but these tracks are more than that - and they keep on giving - layers reveal themselves on repeat listens. Highly recommend this no matter what Mojo, Pitchfork and the NME say. This shit is rad.
BUY IT.

Here's the video for single "Tesselate". Check it.

4. Meat Wave - Meat Wave (Self Released)

I'm obsessed with this band. My friend Brian posted a youtube link on facebook to the song "Brother" and it's been on repeat ever since. Something is bubbling in Chicago right now with Meat Wave and bands like The Orwells out there raging away. Turn it up!!!
BUY IT.

Listen to "Brother" here.

5. Doomtree - No Kings (Doomtree Records)


I was kind of seriously bumming on the majority of indie hip hop before I heard Doomtree. There was some decent stuff here and there, but outside of Flying Lotus and Why? I hadn't gotten super jazzed on anything. I know every one is gonna be all up on Kendrick Lamar and Macklemore this year (and those are both rad records) but neither has hit me the way No Kings did. Plus after seeing these guys perform like 3 times this year they have just consistently BROUGHT IT. AND they totally did that insane Wugazi mash up record. So yeah. The win goes to Minneapolis.
BUY IT.

Here's a tour diary video from the tour where I saw them live for the first time.

6. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Now Here's My Plan EP (Drag City)

Um... Will Oldham revisiting tunes from his earlier records? Yes. Loving these new arrangements.
BUY IT.

Watch the AMAZING video for "I See A Darkness" here.


You should also seriously consider buying these records (in no particular order):

Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral (4AD) BUY IT.
Ane Brun - It All Starts With One (PIAS America) BUY IT.
King Tuff - King Tuff (Sub Pop) BUY IT.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! (Constellation) BUY IT.

No - Don't Worry, You'll Be Here Forever EP (Origami Records) BUY IT.
Mirel Wagner - Mirel Wagner (Friendly Fire) BUY IT.
Liars - WIXIW (Mute) BUY IT.
Amon Tobin - ISAM (Ninja Tune) BUY IT.

Alan Wilkis - Prints EP (Self Released) GET IT.
Feral Hymns - Forward Toward Something (Self Released) BUY IT.
Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory (Carpark) BUY IT.
Metz - Metz (Sub Pop) BUY IT.

The Men - Open Your Heart (Sacred Bones) BUY IT.
Sharon Van Etten - Tramp (Jagjaguwar) BUY IT.
Chelsea Wolfe - Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs (Sargent House) BUY IT.
Exitmusic - Passage (Secretly Canadian) BUY IT.

OFF! - OFF! (Vice) BUY IT.
Jaill - Traps (Sub Pop) BUY IT.
Marvin Etzioni - Marvin Country (Nine Mile) BUY IT.
ESP - ESP EP (Self Released) BUY IT.

Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light (Fat Possum) BUY IT.
Young Magic - Melt (Carpark) BUY IT.
Santigold - Master of My Make Believe (Atlantic) BUY IT.
Ceremony - Zoo (Matador) BUY IT.

File Under: Rad!

In honor of the 60th anniversary of Mr Potato Head, Hasbro's Dee Dee Ramone Potato Head! via Neatorama RAD!

11 Music Moments In Cinema That I Freak Out About.

While speaking on a panel at my friend Ann's Music Supervision class at UCLA tonight, Jason Kramer asked the students what their favorite music moment in film was. It got me thinking about my favorite scenes... so here they are... 11 of my favorite music moments in cinema...

Kid humming along to Canned Heat "On The Road Again" in Alice In The Cities:


"The Madison Dance" by Michel Legrand in Band of Outsiders:


Liars "The Other Side of Mt Heart Attack" in 50/50:


Michael Boddicker's "End Credits" for The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension:


Dean Stockwell's unbelievable lip sync of "In Dreams" by Roy Orbison in Blue Velvet:


The Graham Bond Organisation performs "Harmonica" in Gonks Go Beat!


The Lady In The Radiator sings "In Heaven" from Eraserhead:


Steve Coogan music supervises the landscape with Joy Division "Atmosphere" in The Trip:


Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds perform "From Her to Eternity" in Wings of Desire:


Rebekah Del Rio's haunting spanish version of Roy Orbison's "Crying" in Mulholland Drive.


and finally, Orson Wells priceless facial expression is brought even more to life by Anton Karas' amazing zither score in The Third Man:

Pearblossom HWY Premiere!

Massive congratulations to the entire Pearblossom HWY cast and crew on an amazing premiere last night at AFI Fest! Anyone who wasn't able to get into the sold out screening has another chance to check it out on Wednesday afternoon. Check the AFI Fest site for info!!

A Special Mix For All You Ghouls

Happy Halloween! What would Halloween be if not for my all time favorite youtube video EVER.


To celebrate the holiday and all things Glenn Danzig, I've put together a special mixtape for all you ghouls tonight... I hope you enjoy it...

It's The Great Pumpkin, Glenn Danzig: A Special Mixtape for Halloween!

DOWNLOAD THE MIX TAPE 

Track list:

1. The Misfits "Night of the Living Dead"

2. Danzig "Her Black Wings"

3. The Misfits "Horror Business"

4. Danzig "Not Of This World"

5. The Misfits "Hybrid Moments"

6. Samhain "The Howl"

7. The Misfits "Halloween"

8. Danzig "Blood and Tears"

9. Danzig "Sistinas"

10. Danzig "Am I Demon?"

11. Samhain "All Murder, All Guts, All Fun"

12. The Misfits "I Turned Into A Martian"

BONUS TRACKS:

13. Coliseum "Am I Demon?"

14. Bonnie "Prince" Billy "Am I Demon?"

Happy Birthday Lux!

Happy Birthday to one of the greatest frontmen in rock n roll history! You are missed, sir!

Happy Birthday Dee Dee.

75cent Pop Art!

This is way rad. http://sketch42blog.com/2012/09/pop-soup/

Goats!

Check out the trailer to indie flick Goats, music supervised by High Bias' own Toddrick Spalding! The awesome song in the back end is "Adulthood" by Philly via NYC's JUKEBOX THE GHOST.

Jupiter has landed!

Our friends from Paris, Jupiter are embarking on a DJ tour of North America and it all kicks off this weekend! Their debut full length album, Juicy Lucy, is influenced by a wide range of sounds - there are bits of Giorgio Moroder, Sly & Robbie, Alan Parsons Project and even the Beastie Boys. To whet our appetites for their touring dance party, the duo has shared a rad mixtape on soundcloud! Rad. Listen below!!

Tracklist:

Bananarama – Cruel Summer
Moon Boots – Aretha (Zimmer Remix)
Thomas Bangalter – Club Soda
Panama – Magic (Midnight Magic Remix)
Hey Today! – 83
Azari & III – Into The Night
Little Boots – Headphones (Moon Boots Remix)
Echo Park- Go
The Supermen lovers ft. Herr Styler & Christine – C’est Bon
Stuck In The Sound – Brother (Yuksek Remix)
Midnight Magic – Calling Out (Jupiter Remix)
White Shadow – If You Like It (Rick Rude Remix)
Michel Polnareff – Holidays

File under: RAD!

Our friends at Aquarium Drunkard have posted an amazing mix of rocksteady just in time to be the soundtrack to our 4th BBQ! Stoked!



Check it out here:
http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/2012/07/02/bomboclat-island-soak-3-a-vintage-rocksteady-mixtape/#more-30154

30 Beats!

Check out 30 Beats. Great score by our friend CC Adcock!

Strauss - Blind Digital Citizen

Awesome video by Blind Digital Citizen. Get ready for a trip in high altitude!

Unreleased CAN!

I'm so excited to hear this stuff... I've been a massive fan of Holger Czukay and crew for some years now. I'm anxiously waiting by my mailbox! Read more here or watch the video below for some Damo Suzuki awesomeness...

So it begins...

Follow @highbiasmusic for live SXSW tweets and snarky comments from the HB crew all week!

RIP Davy Jones.

Sigh.

RIP Michael Davis.

Thank you for all you've done for rock n roll man.

Heavenly Sweetness!

We love this label. Check this rad video sampler of one France's most rad jazz and soul imprints...

High Bias' Favorite Albums of 2011

Happy New Year!! 2011 was a great year for recorded music. Amazing new records from some of our all time favorite artists (Tom Waits, Wilco, Will Oldham, Bill Calahan, and 2/3 of Sleater-Kinney all dropped rad records). It was a stellar year for punk rock - Bass Drum of Death, Black Lips, Total Control, Trash Talk really brought it in '11 ... and the 90s are straight up back (looking at you Touché Amore, Yuck, Smith Westerns, Seapony, and Cloud Nothings). Below are lists of the records that caught our ear and made an impact in our record collections. Without further adieu, High Bias' picks for 2011...

11 Records Danny Dug In 2011:




Adele "21" (XL/Columbia)
Big K.R.I.T. "Return Of 4Eva" (Self Released)
Black Lips "Arabia Mountain" (Vice)
Charles Bradley "No Time For Dreaming" (Daptone)
Danny Brown "XXX" (Fool's Gold)
Hanni El Khatib "Will The Guns Come Out" (Innovative Leisure)
Jay-Z & Kanye West "Watch The Throne" (Def Jam)
Portugal. The Man "In The Mountain, In The Cloud" (Atlantic)
Shabazz Palaces "Black Up" (Sub Pop)
TV On The Radio "Nine Types Of Light" (Interscope)
tUnE-yArDs "whokill" (4ad)


David's Top Ten Albums of 2011 (in no order!)


Aladdin "We Were Strong We Got Lost" (Versatile)
Beirut "The Rip Tide" (Pompeii)
Bibio "Mind Bokeh" (Warp)
The Black Keys "El Camino" (Nonesuch)
Blood Orange "Coastal Grooves" (Domino)
Charles Bradley "No Time For Dreaming" (Daptone)
Destroyer "Kaputt" (Merge)
James Blake "James Blake" (Universal)
Jonathan Wilson"Gentle Spirit" (Bella Union)
Thundercat "The Golden Age of the Apocalypse" (Brainfeeder)

20 Albums Angel Liked in 2011


Alias "Fever Dream" (Anticon)
Andy Stott "Passed Me By / We Stay Together Eps" (Modern Love)
Balam Acab "Wander Wonder" (Tri Angle)
Clams Casino "Rainforest EP" (Tri Angle)
Exitmusic "From Silence EP" (Secretly Canadian)
Future Islands "On The Water" (Thrill Jockey)
Gauntlet Hair "Gauntlet Hair" (Dead Oceans)
Gazelle Twin "The Entire City" (Anti-Ghost Moon Ray Records)
Girls "Father Son and The Holy Spirit" (True Panther Sounds)
Iceage "New Brigade" (What's Your Rupture?)
Modeselektor "Monkeytown" (Monkeytown)
Radiohead "King of Limbs" (Self Released)
Shabazz Palaces "Black Up" (Sub Pop)
Tim Hecker "Ravedeath 1972" (Kranky)
Tombs "Path Of Totality" (Relapse)
tUnE-yArDs "whokill" (4ad)
Tycho "Dive" (Ghostly)
Wild Flag "Wild Flag" (Merge)
Wu Lyf "Go Tell Fire To The Mountain" (L Y F Recordings)
Zomby "Dedication" (4ad)

30 Albums That Never Left Toddrick's iPod in 2011


Ryan Adams "Ashes & Fire" (Pax Am/Capitol)
Bass Drum of Death "GB City" (Fat Possum)
Black Lips "Arabia Mountain" (Vice)
Bonnie "Prince" Billy "Wolfroy Goes To Town" (Drag City)
Caveman "Coco Beware" (Magic Man)
Charles Bradley "No Time For Dreaming" (Daptone)
Cloud Nothings "Cloud Nothings" (Carpark)
Crystal Antlers "Two Way Mirror" (Self Released)
Crystal Stilts "In Love With Oblivion" (Slumberland)
Death Grips "Exmilitary" (Self-Released)
The Decemberists "The King Is Dead" (Capitol)
Doomtree "No Kings" (Doomtree)
Fool's Gold "Leave No Trace" (IAMSOUND)
Charlotte Gainsbourg "Terrible Angels EP" (Because/Atlantic)
The Men "Leave Home" (Sacred Bones)
Modeselektor "Monkeytown" (Monkeytown)
Pure X "Pleasure" (Acephale)
Seapony "Go With Me" (Hardly Art)
Shabazz Palaces "Black Up" (Sub Pop)
Soft Moon "Total Decay EP" (Captured Tracks)
Colin Stetson "New History Warfare Volume 2: Judges" (Constellation)
Total Control "Henge Beat" (Iron Lung)
tUnE-yArDs "whokill" (4ad)
Tom Waits "Bad As Me" (Anti-)
We Were Promised Jetpacks "In The Pit Of The Stomach" (FatCat)
Wilco "The Whole Love" (Anti-)
Wild Flag "Wild Flag" (Merge)
Wolves Like Us "Late Love" (Prosthetic)
Wu Lyf "Go Tell Fire To The Mountain" (L Y F Recordings)
Zola Jesus "Conatus" (Sacred Bones)

Toddrick was also asked by our friends at Sub Pop to compile a wrap up of the year - you can read it here if yr so inclined: http://www.subpop.com/channel/blog/top_10_of_2011_friends_of_sub_pop_edition

Happy 2012!!!