Open Mike Eagle has been featured on here before. This is an incredible performance and makes me endorse him and love him even more. The conversation is even worth watching. If you have never watched any of the KEXP, watch the others. Mac DeMarco, Local Natives, and Spoon are all great. Enjoy.
Category: hip hop
End of Year Review – 2012
End of Year Review – 2012
Hello again,
As many many many people do around this time, I have compiled my favorite music for 2012. This is now the 4th year in a row that I have done this. I have recieved a varying degree of interest from friends, strangers, and robots. I think that I have started to just do it for my sake. I enjoy it. I like to recap the year in music and figure out what I liked the most. I also like to possibly inspire a few people to listen to something new and interesting. As always, this is my list of artists and songs that I have listened to. Remember being a college or high school student with nothing to do for like 5 hours straight? That doesn’t happen anymore. I try to listen to as much stuff as possible, but as you all know life gets in the way. Of what I heard, these are my lists. If there is something missing that you think I should listen to, let me know. I am always looking for something new.
Enjoy.
Top 20 Albums of 2012:
1. Kendrick Lamar – good kid m.A.A.d. city
2. Beach House – Bloom
3. Grizzly Bear – Shields
4. Killer Mike- R.A.P. Music
5. Aesop Rock – Skelethon
6. The xx – Coexist
7. The Shins –Port of Morrow
8. Passion Pit – Gossemer
9. Joey BadA$$ –1999
10. El-P – Cancer 4 Cure
11. Captain Murphy – Duality
12. Yeasayer – Fragrant World
13. Action Bronson – Rare Chandeliers
14. Tame Impala – Lonerism
15. P.O.S. – We Don’t Even Live Here
16. Open Mike Eagle – 4NML HSPTL
17. Miike Snow – Happy To You
18. alt-J –An Awesome Wave
19. Ab-Soul – Control System
20. JJ DOOM – Key to the Kuffs
Kendrick Lamar -good kid m.A.A.d. city
My #1 album of the year comes from Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar. good kid m.A.A.d. city is a concept album that might have ruined concept albums for any other artist for the rest of time. It is really that good. It is unfair to other rappers. He is an incredible wordsmith without sounding too wordy. Something about his music is effortlessly real. This, unlike most things that come out in the 21st century, is an “album”. Listening to these tracks on their own does not do the album justice, it has to be listened to in its entirety. I am really impressed with Kendrick’s ability to put out the album that he wanted to make. I was a little worried when I saw the features and I had a feeling it was going to be a “first major” commercial sounding release. It’s not. It is very good and if you like hip hop and think, “No one makes real hip hop anymore”. You are wrong. This is it. Enjoy.
Top 50 Songs of 2012: (Top 10 Audio/Video at the bottom of Post)
1. Danny Brown – “Grown Up”
2. Grizzly Bear – “Yet Again”
3. Kendrick Lamar – “Cartoons and Cereal”
4. Kendrick Lamar – “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
5. Joey Bada$$ – “Waves”
6. Killer Mike – “Untitled”
7. Grimes – “Oblivion”
8. Tame Impala – “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”
9. Beach House – “The Hours”
10. The Shins – “Simple Song”
11. Passion Pit – “Carried Away”
12. Tennis – “Petition”
13. alt-J – “Breezeblocks”
14. The xx – “Angels”
15. P.O.S. – “Bumper”
16. David Byrne and St. Vincent – “Who”
17. Yeasayer – “Henrietta”
18. A$AP Rocky – “Goldie”
19. Ab-Soul ft.Danny Brown and Jhene Aiko – “Terrorist Threats”
20. The Shins – “Bait and Switch”
21. Kendrick Lamar – “Backseat Freestyle”
22. G.O.O.D. Music – “Mercy”
23. Miike Snow – “Paddling Out”
24. El-P – “Drones over BKLYN”
25. Passion Pit – “Constant Conversations”
26. Joey Bada$$ ft. Capital STEEZ – “Survival Tactics”
27. Aesop Rock – “Zero Dark Thirty”
28. The Lumineers – “Ho Hey”
29. Action Bronson – “The Symbol”
30. Grizzly Bear – “Sleeping Ute”
31. Sleigh Bells – “Comeback Kid”
32. Open Mike Eagle ft. Has-Lo – “Your Back Pack Past”
33. Yeasayer – “Longevity”
34. Aesop Rock – “Crows 1”
35. JJ DOOM -”Guv’nor”
36. The xx – “Fiction”
37. P.O.S. – “How We Land”
38. Beach House – “Troublemaker”
39. Killer Mike ft. El-P -”Butane”
40. Tame Impala – “Why Won’t They Talk To Me?”
41. Death Grips – “Get Got”
42. Captain Murphy – “The Killing Joke”
43. Lumineers – “Ho Hey”
44. Action Bronson – “Mike Vick”
45. Of Monsters and Men – “Little Talks”
46. Kendrick Lamar – “The Art of Peer Pressure”
47. Two Door Cinema Club – “Handshake”
48. DIIV – “How Long Have You Known”
49. Dirty Projectors – “Gun Has No Trigger”
50. OFWGKTA – “Oldie”
Biggest Pleasant Surprises:
Tame Impala – Lonerism
Joey Bada$$ –1999
alt-J – An Awesome Wave
Biggest Disappoint(s):
Sleigh Bells –Reign of Terror
Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor II
JJ DOOM – Key to the Kuffs
Albums that didn’t come out in 2012 but I listened to a lot:
Kendrick Lamar – Section .80 (2011)
Danny Brown – XXX (2011)
Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago (2008)
Overrated Albums:
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Mature Themes
Schoolboy Q – Habits and Contradictions
Death Grips – The Money Store
Albums to look forward to in 2013 with fingers crossed:
Smith Westerns – TBA
Local Natives – Hummingbird
Blackstar – ???
Dr. Dre.-Detox…3 year in a row this has been on my list. He did have a hand in making g.k.m.c. so I have to give him some credit.
Thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful holiday season filled with prosperity and happiness.
Your friend and colleague,
Bojan Jovanovic
TOP 10 Songs for 2012
1. Danny Brown – “Grown Up”
2. Grizzly Bear – “Yet Again”
3. Kendrick Lamar – “Cartoons and Cereal”
4. Kendrick Lamar – “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
5. Joey Bada$$ -“Waves”
6. Killer Mike – “Untitled”
7. Grimes – “Oblivion”
8. Tame Impala – “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”
9. Beach House – “The Hours”
10. The Shins – “Simple Song”
End of the Year Lists (Sorry for the typos)
Busdriver ft. Nocando x Open Mike Eagle – “Werner Herzog”
I love all three of these guys. They never take themselves too seriously and have always put out quality work. Arguments With Dreams is out for free Here I love this video, song, and dance. Enjoy.
JJ Doom – “Guv’nor” (Video)
Mentioned this release a while back and it is now it’s here. I just got Key to the Kuffs a couple of days ago, I can’t give a full review of the release just yet, but here is a video treatment for a highlight “Guv’nor”. Cool video, good song. The Villain is a unique brand of hip hop. If you are a DOOM fan, you will like this. If you have never listened to him before, try Madvillainy first. It’s better. Jneiro Jarel is the best producer out that you’ve never heard of. Enjoy.
Killer Mike -“Untitled” (Video)
Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music has been a highlight for RAP Music this year.(Sorry for the easy wordplay) “Untitled” is a stand out track and has one of my favorite opening verses on any song ever. “You, you, you, you you…” El-P’s boom bap thumping production suits this track more than any other on the entire LP. It feels natural.
This video has imagery of Mike as a revolutionary, killer, dictator, and victim. A highlight for me is El-P rolling himself out of his lab or bed to hold Mike’s head on a platter. I love this song so much that I didn’t need any sort of video treatment to enjoy it but it’s cool. “I’m only going once, a coward dies a thousand times.” Perfect. Enjoy.
Open Mike Eagle ft. Has-Lo – “Your Back Pack Past”
If you have grown out of Gang Starr and Wu-Tang this is not for you. If you like to make fun of those changes in Hip Hop culture, this is. Open Mike Eagle and Has-Lo do a great commentary on the industry and what it has become about. They also are making fun of the guy trying to do it all Madonna style to get big or even be relevant part of it. “Your Back Pack Past” is definitely worth the listen. 4NML HSPTL is good and underrated and under the radar. Enjoy.
Kendrick Lamar – “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
Kendrick Lamar is so damn impressive. 3 songs have leaked off of good kid, m.A.A.d city which is supposed to drop October 2nd. To be honest my least favorite is the “radio hit” type song, “The Recipe” which features Dr. Dre and I just heard it on WGCI the other day. “Cartoons and Cereal” and now “Swimming Pool (Drank)” are perfect cloud rap tracks. He’s got some Outkast in him. He’s got a little Lupe in him. He is like Kid Cudi, but he’s a good rapper. Kid Cudi wishes he could do this. Kendrick’s stuff is what Kid Cudi thinks his stuff will sound like when he walks into the studio but not when he walks out. Kendrick is good, I am exited for what’s to come. Enjoy.
Joey BadA$$ – “Waves”
I am shocked that this kid is only 17. He is very good. This is a nice summer track and he shows off some of his best lines. I love the beat. Joey BadA$$ is not running away from his youth. Skateboarding around, hanging out with friends, and the always gangster walking around your high school. I love that he owns it. This is “Waves” of the very good 1999. Enjoy.
JJ Doom – “Banished”
Say what you want about the “Villian”. Love him, hate him, I don’t care MF Doom is still exciting and unique as a hip hop artist. I have loved his brand weirdo cartoon super hero/villain rap for years. He seems to be losing some of his fans and friends because of sending fake Dooms out on concert stages who then are performing to a backing track. Or, just generally being an asshole.
Imagine watching the first guy lip lynch through the whole set and paying $40 to see it.
I have the solution. I think everyone should just boycott his performances and buy his records. I am excited about his new project with one of the most underrated producers in the game Jneiro Jarel called Key To The Kuffs which is slated to drop August 21st. Doom can still rap but has struggled with production when not matched with a major producer like Danger Mouse or Madlib. The producer seem to give him direction, which he doesn’t have when left alone. This should be good. I’m intrigued. Here is the first single, “Banished”. Enjoy.
AMS – “Moonwalking” ft. ESHR
This is one of my favorite local underground Chicago emcees. Full disclosure, I know this guy. I am pushing him and I don’t care. I am not ashamed. This is my damn blog. Agent Mos, AMS, The King of the Nerds has many names, metaphors, and deep thoughts. I have always loved his delivery and the intricate wordiness of his rhymes. You might need to rewind this track and his other stuff several times to achieve full appreciation. If interested I listed links to get his older stuff. I have truly been looking forward to this new release for several years now. It is called Natural(Influence): The World and What We Made of It and I have no idea when it is going to drop. I hope it doesn’t take 3 years. Enjoy.
http://www.agentmos.bandcamp.com
http://www.vaderwins.tumblr.com
http://www.facebook.com/agentmos
http://www.twitter.com/thetruenerdking
Jugo + Rada Records 