Cougar writer Nicole offers her top ten albums for our Top albums of 2012 feature.
Divine Fits -‘A Thing Called Divine Fits‘
Slick, straight forward rock n’ roll with a vaguely new wave vibe. This collaboration between Britt Daniel (Spoon) and Dan Boeckner (Handsome Furs) is too cool for school. Case in point, when delivering the lyrics, “She could really get me going” they can’t be bothered to say “going“. No, they’re so cool they say “gone“. But what really sealed the deal was seeing an absolutely magnetic live performance. These fellas live and die by rock n’ roll, that much is evident.
Gary Clark JR. – ‘Blak & Blue‘
Heavy blues balanced with soulful R&B. He is my new Dan Auerbach. Somehow between the dirty blues riffs and the smooth vocals I get a vibe reminiscent for me of The Black Keys, Brothers. I was smitten by the handful of gnarly guitar tracks that anchor the album. But the songs interspersed between them hit all the right notes, creating an incredibly well-rounded experience.
Santigold – ‘Master Of My Make Believe‘
The sheer volume of great tracks makes Santigold‘s sophomore album one of my best of the year. She’s right at home making melodic, high-energy dance tracks with tons of attitude (check out “Look At These Hoes“). Plus, it’s got one of my personal favorite songs of the year, “F.A.M.E.“, a slow-jam of epic proportions.
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – ‘Here‘
Included in the Cougar Microbes albums of 2012 here.
Fiona Apple – ‘The Idler Wheel‘
Can’t say it any better than NPR DJ, Anne Power, who described this album as, “raw as a bite of garlic, sweet as honey dripped on flesh…“. I hung onto every word of Apple‘s nuanced delivery on the first track, “Every Single Night” and the deal was done hearing her guttural plea mid-way through the second track, “Daredevil“. A musically sparse album, it comes across almost as spoken word.
Japandroids – ‘Celebration Rock’
Included in the Cougar Microbes albums of 2012 here.
Hot Chip – ‘In Our Heads‘
Included in the Cougar Microbes albums of 2012 here.
First Aid Kit – ‘The Lion’s Roar‘
Included in the Cougar Microbes albums of 2012 here.
Deadmau5 – ‘>Album Title Goes Here<‘
Two words: “Fn Pig“. Hands down one of the catchiest dance tracks of the year.
Cody Chesnutt – ‘Landing On A Hundred‘
In his own words: rock n’ roll, gospel, soul, the truth. This is a beautifully modern record if you’re seeking any of those classic intangibles.
