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....