The Pitchfork News/reviews thread

[SoulDischarge]

Predictions for top 10 albums? I'm saying Frank Ocean takes the top spot, the rest being filled out by Grimes, GYBE, Kendrick Lamar, Tame Impala, Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, Beach House, Fiona Apple, and maybe Swans.

Pretty damn close.

Their albums list seems really lackluster this year, even if I like a ton of stuff on it. It's more about what's not there, which I guess is stuff that's typically to the sidelines of what they cover anyway. I think their songs list this year is a bit more solid as a whole.

And I don't know why Beach House get shit for making the same album over and over again when plenty of well respected bands do the same fucking thing. I wouldn't put Bloom in my top 10 or 20, but it's as solid as anything they've done with some of the best songs of their career.

[bmack86]

I guess for me it's that I've never been impressed by Beach House as a whole. They are nice on the surface but the songs never stick with me whatsoever. I feel like I could start humming the melody from one song and not even realize that I'd transitioned to another. Counter that to the Ramones, for example, who accurately meet the description of making the same album four times, but each one was chock full of classic tunes that could actually be differentiated. A formula is great if you do it well, but for me Beach House is exactly what they bitch about in that quote you had on the last page: all surface with not enough song to back it up.

[bmack86]

Then again, I'd also define 2012 as the year I became extraordinarily bored with pretty, proper indie music. The loud stuff spoke to me so much more.

[TallGuyCM]

Pretty damn close.

Their albums list seems really lackluster this year, even if I like a ton of stuff on it. It's more about what's not there, which I guess is stuff that's typically to the sidelines of what they cover anyway. I think their songs list this year is a bit more solid as a whole.

And I don't know why Beach House get shit for making the same album over and over again when plenty of well respected bands do the same fucking thing. I wouldn't put Bloom in my top 10 or 20, but it's as solid as anything they've done with some of the best songs of their career.

Yeah. Bloom is a substantial step forward in song writing and production for the band. It's got a much more lush, full sound than Teen Dream, and if you really think it's "the same album four times in a row" then you need to go back and listen to Irene again. Never before have they penned a tune that has featured such a post-rockesque crescendo, far and away my favorite song of the year. Sure, there are a lot of similarities to their past albums on this one, but there are also plenty of differences. And to be honest I'm perfectly happy with the band acknowledging what they're good at and sticking to it.

[SoulDischarge]

I agree with the second point, but I think Beach House are one of the few that are keeping NPR indie engaging. I guess it just falls to taste as usual. I've been on board with them since the first album, and while yeah, they can be kinda samey, especially over the course of an entire album, I disagree that they're surface only. If nothing else, they have a sound that is completely their own, which is more than 90% of these polite indie bands can claim. And while that alone isn't enough to carry any band over four albums, I'd say a song like "Myth" isn't too far from pop perfection. They're never going to be a favorite band or something that gets me extremely excited, but damned if they don't scratch a very specific itch when I'm in the mood.

[TallGuyCM]

I've heard several people say that they're boring. What cracks me up is that usually when someone says something is boring (and I'm not talking about anyone specifically from this board) what they really mean to say is that something is subtle, and that they have the attention span of an 8-year old.

[Phantasma Del Mar]

Or that, y'know, they actually find it boring.

[bmack86]

I've heard several people say that they're boring. What cracks me up is that usually when someone says something is boring (and I'm not talking about anyone specifically from this board) what they really mean to say is that something is subtle, and that they have the attention span of an 8-year old.

I find them boring. And I've listened to each album a decent amount of times. I enjoy them live where they can push the atmosphere more, but none of their albums has stuck with me beyond the time it took to play.

[Gribbz]

I enjoy Beach House live and on record. It doesn't surprise me when someone labels them "boring" or as a "one trick pony" though.

[Spooks]

Killer Mike's R.A.P. Music > Kendrick

This is a really good list. Real hip hop...

Questlove's top 50

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/li...-time-20121217

[Spooks]

I'm surprised they gave the shaft to Godspeed over Grizzly Bear!

It's Pitchfork! You do realize that if you follow Pitchfork enough to know what they promote in order to disagree with them then you are the biggest loser in the galaxy, maybe the universe With that said, what happened to Converge~!!!!!@@!@!@#!@#!@#!@#!

[xanman86]

It's Pitchfork! You do realize that if you follow Pitchfork enough to know what they promote in order to disagree with them then you are the biggest loser in the galaxy, maybe the universe With that said, what happened to Converge~!!!!!@@!@!@#!@#!@#!@#!

http://pitchfork.com/features/show-n...lbums-of-2012/

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I guess i REALLY need to listen to that pallbearer album.

[bmack86]

Yup. It's killer.

[stochasticism]

Yup. It's killer.

Agreed.

Also, It took me a few listens to get into it but that Royal Thunder record is quite good. Thanks for the recommendation. Probably not in my top 5 metal records of the year, though, as it was a stellar year for metal.

[Miroir Noir]

New Pitchfork-branded "visual arts" website:

http://nothingmajor.com/

[LickTheLizzard]

http://www.vice.com/read/best-of-the...2012-pitchfork

[bmack86]

AKA Garage Rock dude pisses on everything that's not garage rock.

[faxman75]

I've heard several people say that they're boring. What cracks me up is that usually when someone says something is boring (and I'm not talking about anyone specifically from this board) what they really mean to say is that something is subtle, and that they have the attention span of an 8-year old.

I liked their album Devotion. I would define it as subtle and pretty. Live they were the opposite of engaging, their musicianship at that point was not up to par with the album production and dull seemed to perfecty define their performance.

[Miroir Noir]

No kidding, people like this should be required to submit their own top ten lists. I guess in his case, he could rank his favorite Ty Segall albums or something.

[LickTheLizzard]

I thought #5 was funny

05. Swans, The Seer

You should definitely have this on vinyl. It sounds way better when you never listen to it on vinyl.

[SoulDischarge]

I’m not sure I even like music.

Sums it up pretty well.

[Still-ill]

I like Taco Leg

[SoulDischarge]

Top 100 tracks of 2012 posted in the group.

[sonofhal]

Beach House have never clicked with me, either live or recorded. Then again, there are quite a few artists that people hold in high regard that leave me cold. Jeff Mangum is probably top of that list, along with James Blake and St. Vincent.

[SmellyBath]

http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-...-readers-poll/

Some funny contradictions in here. Most obvious being Animal Collective getting most Underrated album then clocking in as the Most Disappointing...I fall in the former category but regardless, interesting to see the differences between readers and writers.

[Miroir Noir]

Every year there's a pretty big overlap between most underrated and most disappointing. That trend tends to impact poorly-received albums by established b(r)ands, where you have a split between the fanboys and the more reflective fans on the critical establishment's "meh". See, Limbs, King of.

[TallGuyCM]

I like this idea.

http://pitchfork.com/news/49057-welc...bum-streaming/

[Miroir Noir]

I like this idea, too. I just hope they don't let it color their critical coverage of albums they stream.

[TallGuyCM]

Local Natives land an 8.1.

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17537-hummingbird/

Kind of surprising, it's not a bad album, but it's just kind of...there.