MATTadors's Top 12 of 2012!

2012,  it's been pretty epic in the world of new music and I'm about to give you my top 12 of 2012 but before I do I need to send out a massive, massive thank you to every one who has taken the time to read my blog and support my FB page.  Lets just hope 2013 can stand up to the tall expectations set by the past 12 months.

Here we go in no particular order, (click the link for a direct link to the song) Peace!

12 - Chet Faker - "I'm Into You"   I'm starting here and setting the bar extremely high, this man is a genuine troubadour who swooned and seduced his way into my heart with this beautiful song. Expect massive massive things to come from this guy, after all before 2012 he was widely unknown!

11 -  Ball Park Music - "Coming Down" This Brisbane outfit just keeps on producing, 2nd album in 18 months and the quality just keeps on improving.  Harmony oozes from their bones and spills all over this track - love it - well done to my home town band!

10 - The XX - "Chained" From one of my favourite albums of 2012 picking just one song was the hardest part.  Beautiful Lyrics and simply stunning sounds define the XX, dreamy and discreetly powerful - lock this into the list.

9 - The Bamboos - "I Got Burned" Coming straight at ya with the bluesy funk that only Tim Rogers could deliver, the bamboos could not have chosen a better guest to perform this song.  The longer the year went the more and more I played this song.  Old school groove with a 2012 twist - sweet sweet vibes!

8 - The Mystery Jets - "Someone Purer" I fell in love with this track the very second I heard it, vocally it absorbed my attention completely and musically it builds up and up until it erupts like a volcano - I said it at the time via this blog - easily one of my favourite tracks of 2012.

7 Flume - "Holdin On" - This song came from nowhere and held off some serious competition for it's spot (artists like Rudimental), but this unassuming laid back artist from Sydney Australia is world class and deserves everything that comes his way - kudos to you Mr Flume!

6 First Aid Kit - "King of The World" - Everything I love about folk music (and Sweden), Beauty pours from the souls of these two sisters.  Harmonies, acoustic guitars and a lyrical base that drives each and every verse.  Add to that a cameo from Conner Oberst (best known as "Bright Eyes") and the MATTador is a very happy man!

5 Tuka - "Die a Happy Man"  - A fresh change for the Aussie Hip Hop Scene Tuka has produced a cracker of a tune, questioning the simple and complex issues that we deal with every day and what it takes to die a happy man..... simplicity is the key, Jane Tyrrell backs up the tune with angelic interludes, perfect!

4 Frank Ocean - "Lost" - Mr Ocean..... you own the new age R&B, never a favourite genre of mine but converted I am!  This track is dripping with sex appeal and creates an atmosphere of it's own, soft and smooth beats consealed in well constructed lyrics - holds a firm place in my top 12!

3 The Trouble with Templeton - "Six Months in a Cast" - If you told me he was from New York I wouldn't have questioned you, However Sam and his 4 piece band are from my back yard, Brisbane, Australia.  This track has everything, powerful and emotional lyrics, absorbing music progression and an intimate feel that offers the illusion of a one on one performance, get lost in this and enjoy!

2 Jack White - "Love Interruption"  Short and sweet this musical genius has laid a track that blames love for getting in the way of love, slightly confusing yes, but its quality.... unquestioned.  This song came out early in 2012 and has never waivered in my eyes, love this song!

Although this list is in no particular order there is a reason I have left this next track till last....  Triple J's Hottest 100 is the world's largest music poll and as I cast a vote each year for my top "10" I am asked for my Number 1 Track of the year and why - in 2012 this is it...............

1 MS MR - "Hurricane"  With the lyrics "Welcome to the workings of my mind" this song instantly struck a chord with me, from that point on nothing has reviled it for originality.  I love the lyrical content as it stretched my thoughts to places it had been before, but this duo penned it in ways I couldn't have described.  The music is amazing with strong beats and beautiful silences where the voice takes control.  I also loved the the ambience this song created - almost cinema like, Thank you MS MR you win, The Music MATTadors' favourite track of 2012.

Notable omissions -

Rudimental
Macklemore & Ryan Harris
Chance Waters
The Lumineers
The Medics
Hayden Calnan
Alt-J
Cosmo Jarvis
Django Django
The Rubens
Of Monsters and Men
Dirty Projectors
Something for Kate
The Black Keys
Asta

And many many more..........  Take care in the new year and Ill check ya all soon Peace!

Robert DeLong

2012 has been a pretty amazing year for new music but I think that one of the most original artists has been left to top it all off!  Robert Delong, a name that in no time at all will be universally known across every dance party playlist and atop the requet hotline of every radio station game enough to play his tracks!

A Genre jumping mix up of folk inspired lyrics, exotic drum beats and electro house rythems blend up better than your favourate Christmas inspired cocktail. 

This baby faced music visionary has kicked off his journey as a solo artist after saying goodbye to his day job as the drummer in a folk band.  His stage setup will blow your mind, full drum kits, drum pads, laptops, keyboards and wait for it..... a Wii and Sega game controllers that alter the effects via his movement.   This one man seamlessly loops his electro beats, sweet as lyrics and his high energy stage show as good as any four piece band that has come before him!

Meandering around the stage from one piece of equiptement to another he consumes the crowd with the beat while conecting soulfully with the lyric, this kid is something special!

Not for everyone and defiantly not for anyone offended by an expletive or ten but seriously this tune will get stuck in your head and make you want to dance!

The lyrics in this track are thought provoking and intuitive, the complete opposite to the norm when you speak of dance music, take the time to have a read while you listen.  The second vid below is a short piece recorded live which gives you a bit of a teaser to his live performance!  Hope your ready....

Plan B

The artist in this link is a man by the name of  Benjamin Paul Ballance-Drew, otherwise know in musical circles as 'PLAN B'.   An English artist that decided on his  name after initially trying his hand at R&B (as an 18 year old) then later deciding that this was not his thing.  Plan B is one amazing guy that when you sit back and think about exactly what he can do it should truly inspire you all to give something new a go.  When you think of most musicians you would probably assume that they can sing possibly play an instrument or 2 and maybe even write a few songs.  Well....

Check this out for a resume - Singer, Songwriter, Musician (gutair - self taught at 14), Rapper, Poet, author, actor, movie writer, movie producer and as he describes himself a 'Real life storey teller'.
 
This week I have two songs for you - the first was the one that took my attention about 18 months ago it is a live version of a song that came out in 2010 that I really loved, quite honestly I thought it was two totally different people singing until I dug a little deeper.  Performed from 'RAK' studios in London , this is a unique version of his song  "She Said".  

The second is the latest single of his 2012 critically acclaimed album "Ill Manors", once again he uses a broard range of skills with heart and soul singing matched up with some English flavour Rapping.

                        

Flight Facilities

Not a lot is know of this Sydney Duo, they have managed to hide their identities extremely well deep in the abyss that is the eletro-pop underground.

Their initial offerings to the musical world came in the form of mixing tracks for other Australian artists including Bag Raiders and Sneaky Sound System.  They made a name for themselves on the airways with their first release 'Crave You' that featured the beautiful voice of Giselle Rosselli and drew critical acclaim across not only their homeland but the US and Europe alike.

Their latest release 'Clair de Lune' is simply magical, seven minutes long and so perfectly constructed that it will ease you into a false sence of serenity before dropping you by way of the accompanying film clip.  I'm not going to spoil it but whatever you do don't become attached to the outcome as reality has a funny way of letting you know its there at the seven minute mark!

'Clair de Lune' - French for Moonlight but this phrase has as many other meanings as there are guesses as to Flight Facilities true identity - search it and you will discover that this title is somewhat symbolic of the two themselves, elements of simplicity combined perfectly with true mystery and beauty!

It will say no more other than wow, Australian music is not only holding it's own but punching well above it's weight with world class tracks like this - please enjoy...

Tuka

So I'm a bit late but it's gota be Friday somewhere in this wide world of ours right?  I am gunna mix it up a little this week and hit you up with my favourate Aussie Hip Hop track of 2012.

Tuka (pronounced tucker) is one third of the acclaimed crew from NSW, Thundamentals.  After releasing their sucessfull second full length album last July they hit the road, and Tuka (in between gigs) hit the note pad day and night penning his latest release "Feedback loop'.  After an age of hitting the stage and wowing  Australian audiences as a member of Thundamentals, rumpunch and Sketch the Rhyme, his time has come to take the lead.

Tuka has delivered an album that strives to seek out the deepest of his inner thoughts, he gives you his insight into the world and his interpretation of the society in which we live.  The title and lyrical content strewn throughout these songs appealed to me straight away as it asks questions of the listener, either by making bold statements or subtle suggestions,  it not only makes you smile but it makes you think and question your beliefs.   
 
This track is an instant head nodder, "Die a Happy Man" the second release off the album sucks you in with a big band sound and simple but additive beat.  It moves almost unnoticeable through slight piano loops and movie soundtrack sounding interludes before the angelic voice of Lauren Tyrell takes you on a magic carpet ride through the corus.

I'm sure this wont tick the boxes for you all but for anyone ho can appreciate the talents of those that call themselves MC's this one is for you, get ready to bounce!

   

Ball Park Music

Its pretty hard to avoid the barrage of kickass tunes making it's way out of my home town at the moment.  That's right, good old Brisbane town is setting the standard and ever since I voted this band into my hottest 100 last year they have been demanding more and more attention.

This week I want to introduce you all to the indi rock/pop five piece know as "Ball Park Music".  With the release of their debut EP in 2009 these guys have been gathering momentum at a ridiculous pace, right now after their second full length album release in twelve months their future is as bright as any band in this country, seriously I don't see not much standing in their way to the top of the Aussie indi music pedestal.

Thier latest offering 'Museum' is a slightly more serious take on their previous work -  I get the feeling it delves a little deeper into their conscious without taking out the fun element they have made their own.  Thier third release off the new album is a cracker, 'Coming Down' it's a subtle example of the bands slight shift in direction.  It's built around the mesmerising vocal of lead singer Sam Crowmack, it's simple but incredibly effective in drawing you in and feeling the pain that he describes.

Take a listen and more importantly take note of this killa Brisbane outfit, Prediction- this is your new 'Powderfinger' (for anyone overseas reading this do yourself a favour and look them up) this band will be knocking ya socks off for many, many years to come.

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First Aid Kit

I'm willing to bet that there are a handful of you who have already heard of this folk due from Sweden? However, being that their latest release was earlier this year I'm going to draw a long bow and attempt to label it as 'new' music, for this week I hope that you can allow me to indulge.

I had always planned to cover these guys at some stage but the longer time went on the less 'new' I felt they were. It was a song called 'Lion's Roar' that first took me by surprise, a completely honest and beautiful approach to music that in this day and age is almost a forgotten art.

Simplicity is the backbone of folk music, the combination of a heartfelt story, a guitar and a voice that captures the imagination.  The difference between this folk act and most is almost indescribable, it's a touch of musical magic that you very rarely find, a believability that is unquestioned and the ability to force the listeners eyes closed as they deliver a story that is not only being told but has also been lived.

First Aid Kit is the collaboration of Klara and Johanna Söderberg, a sister act that began performing and composing music together in 2007 before a YouTube cover of "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" by Fleet Foxes went viral and ultimately led to them performing the song on stage with the band.  Their vocal harmonies are sublime as their voices complement each others' to perfection.  Put in it's simplest form First Aid Kit have everything that is inherent with all the great folk singers of days past, and being that they have only just begun there are big things in store for them in years to come.

The final straw that lead to this review was the track 'Wolf', the more I hear the more I fall in love.....  Below is two links, the first is the Title track to their 2012 release 'Lions Roar' and the second is their latest release 'Wolf'.  If you've made it this far please leave a comment and visit my facebook page to share your support!