Totally Unauthorized 2012 Mid Year Recap: Top 10 First Half Albums

It is no understatement to say that 2012 has been a crazy good year for music. This year has seen my tastes shift much more towards bands that are big on the indie circuit, although there's a great deal a variety within the stuff I've been spinning. Metal and hip-hop have been a bit disappointing, but here's to hoping they'll bounce back big in the second half of 2012. With that said, here's the best of the best, so far:

Honorable mentions:

Badbadnotgood - BBNG2
Porcelan Raft - Strange Weekend
Burial - Kindred EP

10. Orbital - Wonky

Looking to make a comeback? It's tough to do it much better than Orbital, who returned the rave/techno scene after an eight year hiatus sounding like they'd never left. The brothers Hartnoll display their ability to set a beat, incorporate dub elements, and even successfully remix/remake an old classic. Even if it takes another eight years for a followup, something tells me it'd be worth the wait.

9. Lambchop - Mr. M

It requires more effort from the listener, but a little subtlety from an artist can go a long way. Lambchop's Kurt Wagner is a master at this. He mixes his folky alt country approach with a little bit of lounge jazz, but he's comfortable enough to poke fun at many of the sounds he emulates. Tracks like "Buttons" and "The Good Life" also deliver a very welcome dose of personality.

8. Eluveitie - Helvetios 

You mean to tell me folk metal masters Eluveitie have put out a concept album about a Gaulish war, told from the viewpoint of an Irish tribe? People have grown mutton chops for less. Unlike many metal bands, Eluveitie aren't confined to just guitar and drums. Bagpipes, accordions, flutes, and much more are called in to create a compelling sound. You may not be able to pronounce their name, but you can tell it spells awesomeness.

7. Jack White - Blunderbuss

Fresh off the dissolution of The White Stripes, Jack White knew he had to hit back in a big way. Blunderbuss touches musical styles rooted deep within our psyche, from blues to country and rock and roll. But in the midst of it all, White shows he still has a knack for turning out his trademark garage rock sound with "Sixteen Saltines," one of the year's most captivating singles.

6. Lotus Plaza - Spooky Action at a Distance

Lockett Pundt is a thoughtful songwriter. As one of the key players in Deerhunter, he's also got a sound of his own. On his second solo album, he guides us through personal narratives that range from heavy, feedback drenched rockers to melodic Deerhunter like pieces, while also touching base on exploratory Stereolab influenced numbers and even smoky westerns. Even apart from his primary band, Pundt is still redefining the boundaries of music as we know it.

5. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...

Shame on me for sleeping on Ms. Apple. With The Idler Wheel... she has released a gut churning collection of avant-garde pop. As always, her lyrics cut through to the heart of her condition. She sounds pretty emotionally and psychologically exhausted here. If not, she's putting on one hell of an act.

4. Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory

When you're ready to kick things to the next level, you'd best go all out. That seemed to be Dylan Baldi's mantra as he worked on Cloud Nothings' breakthrough album Attack on Memory. The Cleveland indie/punker teamed up with famed producer Steve Albini to produce a collection of songs that range from bitter and acerbic to bouncy and free spirited. Few can claim to approach the craft with near as much fervor or sincerity as Baldi.

3. The Tallest Man on Earth - There's No Leaving Now

There's nothing flashy about what Kristian Matsson does, and he doesn't go out of his way to break new ground. What he does do is make music for the soul. His sound is always rich, vibrant and outward looking. With just a simple acoustic guitar and a scratchy voice, Matsson says the things we've always wanted to say but never knew how. 

2. Beach House - Bloom

When dream pop is done right, it is one of the most enchanting forms of music known to man. On their fourth album, the Baltimore duo improve upon the formula that made their breakout album, Teen Dream, such a success. Bloom presents a deeper, denser sound, atmospheric instrumentals, and the always engaging voice of Victoria Legrand.

1. Iamamiwhoami - Kin

It's a shame this album won't be better known. Jonna Lee's voice is always icy, yet at the same time hypnotic and entrancing. She covers the spectrum of emotions, from full of love and passionate to dissonant and industrial sounding. There are fat dance beats, and there are subdued numbers. But the main reason she stands at the top is because she has done more than any artist this year to challenge my notion of what music can be. This may not be the only album of its kind, but I wouldn't want to be tasked with finding it.

Lambchop's Mr. M subtly crafts a distinctly American pastoral epic

In a city well known for its music scene, Lambchop may be the best Nashville country band you've never heard of.

To call them full fledged country would be a mistake. Band leader Kurt Wagner borrows from a vast array of styles, including alt-country, lounge jazz, and old southern soul. It melts together to form a blend that is distinctly American, but unmistakably unique.

The key to Wagner's songwriting approach is that everything is very subtle. His voice has a folksy timbre with a quaint delivery, while a backing crew of organs, strings, and acoustic guitars quietly fill in behind. You may be wondering if the music is this subdued, are there even any strong hooks to get attached to? There are hooks, but you have to be paying attention. Mr. M is one of those records that reveals more and more with repeated listenings.

For those looking for comparisons, Red House Painters and perhaps Wilco's Being There album seem appropriate, but anything beyond a cursory glance reveals there's far more to it than that.

Mr. M often sounds something like old man's parlor music, but Wagner gives it a kick in the ass. The opening track, "If Not I'll Just Die," opens with an elegant string arrangement, and you might be thinking this is going to sound like a snooty lounge record in the vein of Steely Dan's Aja, but when Wagner drops a profanity of the very first line of the song it quickly becomes evident he has something much different in mind.

That's not to say that he only means to parody this music. From listening to his previous records, it is clear the sound heard here is indeed Lambchop's signature sound. However, Wagner is one of those rare musicians who can play music like this without taking it too seriously, and in fact can even poke fun at the genre's overindulgences. That's what makes Mr. M such an uncommon record.

There are specific moments when you get to see this in action. For example, consider the self effacing "The Good Life (Is Wasted)." The track sees Wagner reveal that underneath the moody organs and glorious strings, he's just an average guy who really knows about as much of country clubs and swanky ballrooms as any average citizen, perhaps even less.

This motif is not stated throughout the whole record, however. "Gone Tomorrow," perhaps the best song on the record, features a melody that freely flows like water running from a brook. The track's best feature, however, is the instrumental interplay from the rest of the band. Peaceful piano chords are complemented by descending melodies on the synthesizers, while drummer Scott Martin puts on an all-star performance.

There are plenty of cozy colloquialisms to be found in Wagner's lyrics. He touches upon many creature comforts, such as the joys of cooking, lounging around in your grandfather's living room, or taking down the Christmas lights in the mid February. "Mr. Met" shows him at his most sentimental, recalling the profound impact that friends, fear and knowledge play in our lives.

Wagner is also well known for his dry brand of humor. "Buttons" is the best example of this, on which Wagner tells the tale of a stubborn man down on his luck. He details his efforts to try to find a crappy job and stay out of jail, and then ridicules him for landing a girl and driving her away. All before revealing that he used to be just as big of a prick himself.

There are a pair of instrumental tracks here that show how each interlocking segment of the band's sound fits together to form a whole. "Betty's Overture," in particular gives the synthesizer a chance to shine. It all wraps up with "Never My Love," which is surprisingly brief and direct for this album's standards. It is Wagner's concise but unassuming thoughts on where he would be without the love of his life.

Mr. M is a smashing success because it blends several musical styles that are very familiar, yet have rarely been brought together the way Wagner manages to do here. It also impresses with its beatifically realized minimalist mission; this is a record that seems to communicate more with what it doesn't say that with what it does. It is a subdued pastoral masterstroke of the highest order, and one you owe it to yourself to get lost within.

Score: 91/100

Lambchop's low key approach holds hometown crowd spellbound

There is nothing like a homecoming. Especially in a city like Nashville.

Nashville's long standing alt-country heroes Lambchop wrapped up their latest tour with a show in their hometown, and it couldn't have felt more like home.

Lambchop's leader, Kurt Wagner, takes a unique approach to his song craft. Most of what he does is extremely subtle. He weaves an unusual blend of alt-country, lounge music, and soul in a compelling fashion, but if you aren't paying attention you're bound to miss the meat of his message. That might explain why the packed crown at VFW Post 1970 listened in near silence Saturday night. You really can't afford to miss a word he says.

Lambchop's Kurt Wagner lays down a mean lick during his May 12 show at VFW Post 1970.

Their latest album Mr. M, which released in February, sounds like fancy, rich man's parlor music, but Wagner gives it a kick in the ass. Consider "If Not I'll Just Die," which is very proper sounding, wine and jazz type music. But when Wagner drops an F-bomb on the very first line, you quickly get the picture that this affair isn't quite going to play out the way you thought.

Wagner's folksy delivery sparkled as he led us through the majority of the Mr. M album. The keyboard and organ added a barely noticeable coloring to the music, while the bass and drums are probably the most noticeable elements after Wagner's mellow timbre. The music is designed to sound like everyone's doing their own thing, but obviously there's much more to it than that. Then, in the rare moments when the entire eight-piece band comes together, it will blow you away.

Some of the night's best tunes included "Gone Tomorrow," the best representation of aforementioned instrumentation, "Mr. Met," which features some of Wagner's most insightful lyrics, and "Buttons," which showcases Wagner's offbeat sense of humor. The song tells the story of a bullheaded man down on his luck. But it drew a chuckle from the audience for its most caustic verse, in which Wagner derides the song's subject for landing a girl and driving her away, before admitting that he is just as big a prick himself.

I also discovered that I'm becoming a big fan of Scott Martin's drumming style. He specializes in gentle brushstrokes, which discreetly but unquestionably provides its own flavor to the music. It's just so chill. And he possesses a  special ability to move all around the kit with various fills and rolls, all while perfectly playing off the rest of the band.

William Tyler's mellow playing energizes Lambchop.

After finishing off the Mr. M songs, Kurt and crew got a little more talkative. His pianist engaged in a bit of banter, Courtney Tidwell got a chance for a vocal show off, while Wagner exhibited more of his patented humor.

"We're going to play a few more songs," Wagner announced. "Then I can start drinking."

The venue itself was rather small and cramped. It was obviously a pretty old building, and the white Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling made it feel like the kind of place that might host your 20 year high school reunion.

But the tight confines gave a special feel to the evening, as though being a part of the crowd made you a small part of a much larger collective on hand to witness an extraordinary performance. The only real negative was that my head was swimming by the end of the night due to the overabundance of cigarette smoke.

The Altered Statesmen opened the night with a brief 30 minute set. Steve Poulton warmed up the crowd with a soulful 50s style croon. It reminded me of music you would hear at a Las Vegas wedding reception. Not bad, per se, but ehhh. Not really my thing.

There was one other really nice touch. After the show, Wagner was standing outside the front door, thanking patrons for coming out to see his show. He proves he's not only a first rate performer, but a real class act to boot.