First 2012 Top Music List

I've got a few top music lists for 2012, but I'm still working through all the music I want to hear from the year, so I'll introduce them one post at a time. The first list, true to my pessimistic nature, is my 12 most overrated records from '12. In general 2012 was a great year for music, but, like any year, there are some artists who received a lot of attention for reasons I can't understand. Here are the records you may have been told to check out but I am warning you to avoid. This list should also explain why some records don't appear on my top records of 2012, coming out later this month.

1)    Lana Del Rey – Born to Die

There’s an okay song and another that doesn’t suck (“Blue Jeans” and “Born to Die”). Do people like this record just because you can see her bra through her shirt on the album art?

2)    Mumford and Sons – Babel

The band plays with great energy and harmony, but in two records it still feels like they have only written one song and just love to play it over and over.

3)    Jack White – Blunderbuss

“Love Interruption” was a good song, and the rest of the record was either uninspired (“16 Saltines”) or cute (“Shaking”). Certainly nothing special.

4)    Andy Stott – Luxury Problems

 I’m not sure what’s so amazing about removing all musical elements from a song and replacing them with boring rhythms and aimless, uninspired vocals. (I had the same problem the “Swans” new acclaimed record.)

5)    Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes

It feels like he isn’t even trying. Such boring music.

6)    Passion Pit – Gossamer

 Any more trebly synth patches and dogs will start to cry.

7)    Tame Impala – Lonerism

 There are good songs, like “It Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” and “Elephant” (sure, add “Keep Lying”). That’s not enough to make up for the rest of the album and its terrible production quality: annoying at best, angering at worst. It might actually have been a good record if I didn’t have to strain my ears to hear anything but noise for most tracks.

8)    Robert Glasper Experiment – Black Radio

 Robert Glasper is okay, and his writing is okay. That’s all. No need to ogle over the Experiment that hasn’t yet produced results.

9)    Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid M.A.A.D. City

 His voice is annoying, his lyrics are often so ridiculous they might as well be jokes, and the beats behind him are only occasionally good.

10)  Beach House – Bloom

 Every indie rock stereotype lives! In no way does Beach House distinguish itself from any other band.

11) Alabama Shakes – Boys and Girls

If they work hard, they might sound as good as the BellRays someday.

12)  Baroness – Yellow and Green

A double record avoiding the band’s best qualities in order to showcase their mediocre singing? I’d have rather listened to them play two discs of instrumental metal.