Stream/Download: The Dirty Nil ​/​ Northern Primitive Split 7"

Featured in my 7 favorite 7”s from last year. The Dirty Nil have since released a split 7″ with their friends and fellow Ontario band Northern Primitive. The A-side "Zombie Eyed" is a heavily fuzzed out Weezer-esque anthem. It’s one of their catchiest tracks yet and it’s damn fun to sing along to as they scream "I guess I'm just zombie eyed!" The B-side from Northern Primitive is a slow burning distorted haze that has a soft underlying melody drifting in and out throughout its length. If we were using zombie flicks as reference points, The Dirty Nil’s side would be Zombieland, fun and aggressive, whereas Northern Primitive’s would be 28 Days Later, eerie and brooding. The digital is available for name your price, so jump on that immediately then purchase yourself a copy of the vinyl for later. Below is also a brilliant performance video of both tracks.

Get to Know Lorde: The Love Club & "Tennis Court" Single

I get defensive when it comes to pop music I enjoy. I think a lot of music bloggers do. Just because I predominantly listen to garage rock and music of the type doesn’t mean that I don’t (or can’t) listen to pop music as well. There is no discriminating at Stereo Typing (ironic, I know) and I find myself with the urge to listen to and write about everything from death metal to twee, as long as I truly believe it to be good. Over the past few months, I found myself continually revisiting The Love Club EP by an up-and-coming New Zealand popstress who performs under the name Lorde. The release is not the typical offering I jump all over, but I find it irresistible, in no small part due to the single “Royals”, one of the most infectious tunes I can think of from the past year.

Stream: Priests - Radiation ​/​ Personal Planes 7"

I recently read a piece titled “Defending Community Spaces” from The Media, a publication featuring former Boston Phoenix (RIP) contributors. It serves as a nice indirect response to what has been going on in Boston. For those who don’t know, the Boston Police have been posing as “punks” in order to shut down shows held in DIY spaces. The article is effective because it addresses the issue as a societal and universal one since it is not from a Boston resident but a touring musician from Washington DC. The musician in question is Katie Alice Greer of Priests (also in Chain and the Gang). She advocates for unmitigated community space and explains her criteria for booking the band’s upcoming tour stating, “It is important to me, and the other 3 members of my band, that we play our music in places where anyone who would like to attend the performance can do so.”

New Track Rundown

Stereo Typing has become the blog that refuses to die. I've put it on the back burner while I focused on more important things like getting my life into functional order. The good news is that I feel like things are moving along well enough to post this quick update complete with a fantastic downloadable playlist. I've seen a lot of my favorite blogs throw in the towel (RIP Built on a Weak Spot) and I've been tempted to do so myself many times over. However, I feel if I don’t put too much pressure into trying to stay relevant and instead focus on posting material when I feel compelled, I can still turn people onto good music and that’s what matters. In an effort to catch readers up with at least a portion of the amazing tracks released this year, I have compiled 23 of my favorites along with the 23 best music videos.

Year-End Report: Looking Back at 2012 - Favorite Music Videos Playlist & Best of Mix

Think of this as the Best of 2012 epilogue. The first playlist contains the 40 best music videos of 2012. Despite contrary belief, music videos keep getting better and better, and these are solid evidence of that. It almost makes one long for some kind of “music television” channel that had curated playlists of videos. Oh well, one can dream. I also kept a continual playlist of tracks, which I threw every song I really enjoyed into over the course of 2012. By the year’s end, I concluded with a massive 340 songs. The playlist serves as a good way to sample bands you've been meaning to check out, as I probably have their best track in there.

Year-End Report: Looking Back at 2012 - Top 50 Albums 10-01

I think I've made it clear over the course of this blog that I have a serious music addiction, probably worthy of its own show on TLC, the “learning” channel. I’m not sure how big the audience is for watching me strung out around a pile of records, listening to my tenth of the day, and ranting about Brian Eno's genius; but hey, I’m willing to field offers from networks. Anyway, we have reached my Top 10, which I have culled from an astonishing 433 albums that I listened to in 2012. If you are wondering how I knew that number, I kept a list that I continually updated after I listened to something new. Sure this borders on insanity, but the records that made the cut mean more to me than I can probably put into text. These are the ones that came with me through many important and often frustrating moments in my life over the past year. Without further ado, I give you the definitive ten best albums of 2012.

Year-End Report: Looking Back at 2012 - Top 50 Albums 20-11

The ten albums that start my Top 20 countdown contain many that others were disappointed with but I still loved. Whether I have an affinity towards the odder entries in a band’s discography or I’m just a hopeless fanboy is for you, the internet troll to decide. Either way, these records left an indelible impression on me. I believe that a lot of these have simply evaded other music critics and are remarkable albums that deserve a larger audience, so I urge you to check out everything after the jump.

Year-End Report: Looking Back at 2012 - Top 50 Albums 30-21

We’re getting to the meaty center of our countdown. Hopefully, you’re enjoying this look back at 2012 so far. This next ten continues the blistering pace of some of the last section but also introduces my left-of-center electronic favorites. As I am writing this, there is still no sign of that elusive My Bloody Valentine album that we were promised. Kevin Shields teased fans at a recent performance by saying it “might be out in two or three days’ time.” Surely, he laughed manically to himself when he was outside earshot of press. Nonetheless, if you need a good shoegaze release to tide you over, one of the best in recent memory is featured among the albums below.

Year-End Report: Looking Back at 2012 - Top 50 Albums 40-31

It’s amazing what ended up paired together when I was finished my Top 50. The ten I previously posted were mostly laid-back indie rock albums, but these next ten are some serious rockers. 2012 had its fair share of amazing garage rock releases and they start to appear in this set. In fact, last year was kind of a flagship year for lo-fi aggressive rock ‘n’ roll. Apart from the aforementioned garage rock, below you will also find some metal, post-punk, and avant-garde tunes. I know you are dying to dig in, so I'll spare you the longer introduction.

Year-End Report: Looking Back at 2012 - Top 50 Albums 50-41

My look back at the past year resumes with my Top 50 Albums of 2012. I will be counting them down ten at a time and will include a stream of my favorite track from each via Spotify. This first ten finds several of my old favorites releasing their best albums in a long time. This section ended up being a lot more chill and relaxed than the subsequent ones. It’s amazing that these are so far back in the countdown, because as I was writing about them, I was remembering some significant memories attached to the tunes found below. If you aren't already familiar, get ready to discover some new favorites that may be associated with your own (hopefully positive) memories.