Year-End Report: Looking Back at 2012 - Odds & Ends

As you can tell, this is coming a bit late. Now that you have had the time to shake off the year-end lists from lesser tastemakers, you can pursue the one true 'best of' from Stereo Typing. Fine, that's not exactly why this was posted so late, but it does give you a chance to look over this feature and judge on its own merits. The first part of my coverage is examining just about every aspect of entertainment apart from the almighty album. The Top 50 Albums of 2012 will follow shortly. Below are the top EPs, 7"s, shows, and a few other categories of interest. There will be links to previous reviews where appropriate, otherwise I took the time to say a few words and/or link to material. Please check it all out after the jump, and don't forget to leave a comment if you discovered something new!

J.Nolan x Reese Jones – The Archetype EP

Hip-hop has become contrived, right? I mean, is this guy even trying? Can you really take this guy seriously? Enter J.Nolan who has restored my faith in in the genre. Nothing sounds lazy on his latest release, The Archetype EP. The 22-year-old rapper pairs with 18-year-old producer Reese Jones for this collaboration of complex beats and captivating rhymes. Nolan doesn’t meander his way around the rich production; he spits fire and does justice to the meticulously crafted beats. The EP displays an affinity for jazz samples that recalls A Tribe Called Quest records. Standouts “U4-ia” and “Tonight’s the Night” are perfect examples of Nolan’s fluid wordplay. What makes this release a keeper is that the music has soul and Nolan has something to say. The EP becomes more impressive when you realize that it was completed in a span of about 9 days. It’s clear these guys have a seriously bright future ahead of them. The whole thing is available for free on bandcamp so get at it!