Single of the Week: Girl Band - "Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage" (Blawan cover)

As brilliant as the original is, there's evidently something about "Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage" that when let loose turns Blawan's most recogniseable tune from dread-y techno into noise-punk assault. Thank Albini that Girl Band found it then. The Irish group originally submitted their cover of  "Garage" as their contribution to Quarter Inch Collective's Quompilation #3, but it's a ferocious piece by itself; all tight, monotone drumming and held-out distortion reaching an inevitable climax and going over the top. With only eight words to work with the vocals rely on both the band's intensity and the inane excellence of the titular phrase; the results are quite spectacular. This isn't dance-punk (at least not in the DFA sense) but Girl Band's "Garage" encounters the possibilities when the doors between the two worlds are broken down.



For a comparison, here's Blawan's original:

Single of the Week: Rainer Veil - Struck EP

In Rainer Veil, Manchester's Modern Love label has found a duo similar in sound to their big gun Andy Stott, whose Luxury Problems album found great success for all involved at the end of last year. It's still early days for Liam Morley and Dan Valentine - Struck is their first release together - but there seems to be a lot more going for them in the EP's 25 minute stretch than simple copycatism or capitalisation. Amongst its influences sit the cerebral tropics of Clams Casino's Rainforest EP, especially on the busy jungle (no pun intended) of the title track and the 2-step stretch "Wade In". Elsewhere "Slow Beaming" revels in soft, forceful bass and heavenly vocal samples. The seven minutes of "Bala" are perhaps the most Stott-like and seem to repeat ideas put to better use elsewhere on the EP, such as "Yield", but overall Struck is a very impressive debut for Rainer Veil and maintains a consistent hazy atmosphere against the grain of the heterogeneous nature of their ideas.




Rainer Veil - Wade In from Rainer Veil on Vimeo.

Album Review: Darkstar - News From Nowhere

Growers often pass by unnoticed. Fads garner attention to collective sounds, but obscure individuals. Frozen in these moulds, these individuals are expected to dissipate along with the freshness of their sub-genre, be forgotten, maybe get a job at the Carphone Warehouse if they're lucky, and get on with life as underappreciated as the rest of us. We're a fickle lot.

Such is the curse of "post-dubstep". Here today (2010-2011), gone tomorrow (2012+). Naturally at the time we knew it was ridiculous to group any new UK bass-inspired pop musicians as being inherently alike, but we did it nonetheless. If the post-dubstepper wants another fair crack at the whip, there are two ways in which to progress. The safer, though less rewarding path to follow is the same one they walked roughly 2-3 years earlier, knowing that the fashions have changed, and the chances of ever releasing an album as successful as their debut have already floated away on the breeze. In the case of the xx, it's probably enough to get by. Musicians, consumers and critics alike are a lot more resilient to the second path, change. The second album is always a baptism of fire, but for Darkstar it's hopefully saved them in the long run.



It feels especially unfair to lump Darkstar in with the others (I'm bored of the word already, forgive me), given their careers' resemblance with an (admittedly marginally earlier) trajectory of the equally adored and reviled poster-boy James Blake, who is also setting co-ordinates for 2013 for his re-emergence. Originally a duo on Hyperdub Records, Darkstar's first public turning point was the introduction of permanent vocalist James Buttery, a decision which ushered their something-else-entirely debut album North with a cover of the rare Human League b-side "You Remind Me Of Gold" (ringing any bells?). But as I say, people still curiously fear change, even when a group have shown to be adept at it, and are eager to sneer at anyone attempting to do something beyond the one or two things they've been prescribed. Which bluntly, is ridiculous. The first steps for News From Nowhere were relocating from Hyperdub to Warp, and bringing in frequent Wild Beasts producer Richard Formby. A more drastic, inspired or brave proposal couldn't be made.



The album begins with soft, manipulted drones. "Light Clock Body Starter" really is lovely, and an avid, confident statement not necessarily of less being more, but certainly more beautiful. It cuts suddenly to the jack-in-the-box of "Timeaway", which is where we're really treated to the group's vocal harmonies (as are the vocals themselves). In fact on every song the vocals are vague, disconcerting, even pensive; greatly contrasting the album's playbox of colourful loops, synths and samples. It's something Darkstar have above the rest. Often song structures are abandoned for great periods of time, leaving the listener to wallow in uncertainty in their absence, like in "Armonica", or left hanging altogether ("Amplified Ease"). It's pleasant to find an altenative to the build/drop formula, one post-dubstep was previously inclined to keep in some form. Percusssion as a whole is used sparingly, yet effectively. Sometimes as compensation songs are vocal-led, recalling old nursery rhymes, or the Beach Boys. It's probably not intended to actively tug at nostalgia, but as ever its hard to say where these songs are really coming from.



Conversely, it can be argued that songs on the album don't really go anywhere either. This is true, and previously I may be inclined to say this is a bad thing. Even Animal Collective, the album's closest reference point, usually have a stronger direction to their music, for all their recycled bloatedness. But here Darkstar use aimlesness as a form of expression. Animal Collective would never release an album called News From Nowhere. Lost in the thick fog rising above second album wasteground, the trio courageously re-emerge with wide-eyed expressions, resisting the temptations of clinical IDM or old soul dirge for something more adventurous, yet introspective and unique. These conflicts of situation and intention result in a feeling of damp happiness. When distilled into "Amplified Ease", I'm rewarded with one of my favourite songs of the year so far.



"Hold Me Down", the album's final seven minutes is another great example of this feeling. Like Wild Beasts' Smother closer "End Come Too Soon" it's content to take things slowly in order to drip every last drop from Buttery's voice. It's sign of maturity, of being satisfied with reality and realism, and is ultimately more effective than absolute escapism and whimsy. The sleeve of News Frrom Nowhere evokes that of Animal Collective's Strawberry Jam, but instead of depicting an instantly digestible sugary substance it shows unnaturally coloured, inedible-looking  flowers and berries. Darkstar's album takes a little time, and may not sustain interest for the whole year, but for now is charming and different enough to justify being ingested in a different way.

Single of the Week: CHVRCHES - "Recover"

It's hard to understand the instant appeal of CHVRCHES' music; their successful formula that they've employed to the handful of songs they've so far released. It certainly has something to do with their simplicity. "Recover", from the upcoming EP of the same name, is the latest of their "#1-smash-hits-in-a-perfect-society", and goes some way to proving this point. It starts loudly and unexpectantly, vocal and sampled drum in unison, with no room for intro, a lengthy bridge, or any part that isn't verse or chorus (even then the former is only really there to accentuate the latter). But of course there is more going on here. Huge synth sounds are everywhere. Martin Doherty's breathy, processed male backing vocals are the softer companions to Lauren Mayberry's brasher, "anthemic" offerings. There isn't much variation between this single and their last, but that hardly matters. CHVRCHES understand how to adapt the dynamics of volume, tempo and intensity in a way that really works for them.



Here's a remix of "Recover" by Cid Rim, which presumably will also feature on the Recover EP:

Album Review: Serafina Steer - The Moths Are Real

In the video for "Island Odessy", the second single to be released in conjunction with The Moths Are Real, we see Serafina Steer on sun-glared beaches and in uninhabited coastal woods. The setting for this video shoot is not immediately apparent, but although there are shots of exotic-looking flora and fauna, I suspect that on this occasion she hasn't actually travelled beyond the British Isles. Sometimes we forget how strange and adaptive our home can be. The story of Britain is in itself an island odessy, which Serafina and her collaborators have expressed superbly on this new album.



The second-in-command cultural ambassador for The Moths Are Real may not be of a huge surprise to those in the know. Jarvis Cocker, who has apparently been waxing lyrical about the previous Serafina album Change Is Good, Change Is Good on his BBC Radio 6 show, takes the helm as the album's chief producer, also astonishingly his first role in the seat. However no-one comes across as a novice here; The Moths Are Real shines with confidence and sophistication, not least in Serafina's yarn-spun quests. Creating vivid locations appears to be one of her many fortes, whether it be the curiously attractive return to the street in "The Ballad Of Brick Lane", or the transformative whirring of "The Machine Room", which the narrator wishes to appease "in my boiler suit and hard hat", Serafina reveals her thoughtful character differently to these musical and thematic settings.

In addition to Cocker and roster of guests (fellow Pulp-man Steve Mackay, Polar Bear's Seb Rochford, Capitol K, David Cunningham and Simon Bookish), there are at least two other qualities Serafina possesses to boost the quality of The Moths Are Real. Her voice is one of them, and perhaps most significant. It darts between her harp (the other, more on that soon) and additional instrumentation as an extension to her often knotty and perplexing storytelling and enables her to surpass twee with a definite poise and latent sensuality. Consider "Skinny Dipping", which counterbalances the perversity of sneaking a glimpse at her fellow swimmer with a delicacy, even beauty. Or the following "The Removal Man", who Serafina scolds as he "called my cathedral a chapel", adding the baffling but not inappropriate "my removed patch, my arse" as a kiss-off. Jarvis's recognisable baritone adds to the mockery of the situation; they equally seem glad to be rid of him. Or better still the opener "Night Before Mutiny", which tells the story of departing seamen from the potent female perspective. The melancholic humour of The Moths Are Real may be expressed most perfectly here. "I kissed the captain but the cabin boy / Was the one that did it for me".



If not the voice, the predominant instrument on The Moths Are Real is the harp. Serafina's playing (do not file next to Joanna Newsom) is usually as tart and piquant as her lyrics, existing somewhere between functunal and elaborate. I'd say it gives the album evidence towards the idea of an instrument being an extension of its musician, captivating right from its opening notes. Serafina takes her harp to places it doesn't seem to have fit before, and bizzarely manages to make it work every time. In the "Machine Room" it feels airy when hovering over its rugged electronic drumbeat companion. It can signify an alien invasion in the song bearing the same name, giving an alternate soundtrack to English science fiction literature. And in "Disco Compilation", possibly the best thing here, it introduces the loneliness of the celebratory dancefloor not heard since Robyn's "Dancing On My Own". Jarvis's mix swells in a house beat and trumpet fanfare until the song is overwhelmed completely. He should be doing this more often.



Call it the real deal, or a complete package, or whatever you like; The Moths Are Real is the first great album of 2013. It has the personality and wit for the folkies, but the forefronted leftfield influences will likely keep the non-folkies interested in at least a few places. The title track serves as the album's closer, a beautiful piece of chamber-pop that shows the sweetness of Serafina's music's simplicity; a simplicity that's brave enough to keep the door ajar for any odessy.

"Feels like... a moth... to the light..."

Single of the Week: Melt Yourself Down - "Fix My Life" / "We Are Enough"

WARNING: Video contains strong flashing images

This single may appear to be the first attached to Melt Yourself Down, but a look through the band's credits reveals the project as a number of accomplished figures coming together, most notably Kushal Gaya, vocalist of the ever-vibrant Zun Zun Egui and Polar Bear/Acoustic Ladyland saxophonist Pete Wareham. These elements seem to represent the forefront of these two tracks. Kushal brings vigour to the mantras of  "We Are Enough" (a track that has been available since last October), whilst opting for mostly wordless, sporadic grunts and yelps to the superior "Fix My Life". Pete (and Shabaka Hutchings's) sax lines take the opposite approach on each track, being mantraistic and riff-like on "Fix My Life", and knotty and confounding on the b-side. Add to this the excellent contributions from drummer Tom Skinner (Hello Skinny), bassist Ruth Goller (Acoustic Ladyland), and percussionist Satin Singh (Transglobal Underground) and the result is a meeting of minds capable of inventing a new direction to take psychedelic Afrobeat and noisy electronics.

Recommended Albums: January 2013

New year, new format. This time I'm going to do a monthly feature of the new records I've recently enjoyed. No scores, no lists, only what I'm liking at this precise moment be it one album or ten. These are the ones for January:

Pantha du Prince & the Bell Laboratory - Elements of Light
A 45 minute piece of ambient techno led with a multitude array of bells. It's a direction that works well for the German producer and Norwegian bell players alike, and it's not like you're going to find this kind of thing anywhere else.



Villagers - {Awayland} 
Conor O'Brien's debut album as Villagers, Becoming A Jackal earned him both an Ivor Novello and a Mercury nomination. His second, {Awayland}, continues to showcase Conor's niche songwriting, this time with a welcomely expanded instrumental pallette.



Foxygen - We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
If you can put aside a few sleepy lyrics and melodies, and aren't put off by a band who wear their influences firmly on their sleeve, Foxygen ought to make you feel right at home. Their new album does a better job at coercing out those musical ideas than last year's Take The Kids Off Broadway, and there's a good chance that Wes Anderson will be back for them in the future.



Dutch Uncles - Out Of Touch in the Wild
There are a lot of bands being tossed off as art pop these days, but Manchester's Dutch Uncles truly possess the mettle. Out Of Touch is the band's third, and is the kind of colourful, catchy, time signature-hopping stuff you've doubtless heard attepmted elsewhere, but with few of the downsides.



Serafina Steer - The Moths Are Real
A charming and wonderfully varied record of English folk, Serafina Steer's fragile vocals, witty storytelling and masterful harp arangements give The Moths Are Real genuine character and originality. Produced by Jarvis Cocker there's a sense of adventure to every song that adds up to an intelligent, fully formed record.



Darkstar - News From Nowhere
It's not out until next month but the new Darkstar album caught my attention for its innovative range of electronic sounds and textures. It's great to hear a band develop so far into their own style, as News From Nowhere is quite different to their earlier Hyperdub work, and there are a few good songs on there too, so help yourself to a stream.



Four Tet - 0181 / Oneohtrix Point Never - The Fall Into Time
Both of these are albums of unreleased material from highly renowned elctronic producers. Four Tet's 0181 (below) collects some of his early material from 1997-2001, and is available for free download, whereas OPN's The Fall Into Time is a part of his recent 5LP reissue of Rifts that's available for streaming at The Wire. Both are worthwhile for fans of any form of electronic music.



Young Fathers - Tape One
I've already mentioned this as it originally came out through Bandcamp last year, but Young Fathers' Tape One has this month been reissued on Anticon, and it's defenitely worthy of pointing out again. Some of the most unique UK hip-hop of the last few years, and one to watch.



A selection of tracks from some of these albums will feature in my next Culture Shock mix, due out in a couple of days. There were certainly some albums I missed this month, so if you know of any why not leave a comment? Next month, expect albums from the likes of Iceage, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Atoms For Peace, Veronica Falls and others.

Single of the Week: Iceage - "Ecstasy"

Copenhagen's underground is home to one of the more interesting punk scenes of today. Iceage, who stand amongst the finest of Danish exports thankfully weren't satisfied with releasing only one album, 2011's 24-minute New Brigade, and the current impression of next month's sequel You're Nothing is that they may have raised the bar yet again. "Ecstasy" opens the set as one of Iceage's noisiest and most ferocious tracks so far, and of course the devil is in the details. Elias Bender Ronnefelt's lead vocal presence is positively chilling, not unlike that of a certain Ian MacKaye; and working out the song's message can also lead to some interesting conclusions. The ecstasy of pressure, or the pressure of ecstasy? It sounds like it could be either, or both.

Single of the Week: Golden Teacher - "Dante And Pilgrim"

Golden Teacher are a collaboration between disparate Glasgow groups Ultimate Thrush and Silk Cut, and "Dante And Pilgrim" is everything you'd want a dance track from a group named after a mushroom to sound like. A touched-up live recording that smacks of Arthur Russell, low slung with a bubbly throbbing reminiscent of Matthew Dear's Audion work; the track's most obvious benefit is its manic French vocals. Imagine if Jacques Brel had fronted Einstürzende Neubauten and took a turn for Moroder italo-pop. That's the kind of unique track we're dealing with here.

Single of the Week: Pete Swanson - "Life Ends at 30"

After leaving seminal noise duo Yellow Swans, Pete Swanson has spent the last few years creating his own adventures in high distortion in the techno-tinged project under his own name. And although his solo output so far has been heavy in that department, the broken static textures of "Life Ends at 30", the 13-minute closing track to his upcoming Punk Authority EP looks to have overtaken his other works' previous nastiness. It's the ever-expanding rhythm section underpinning the track that keeps it grounded in the listener's ear; while the tone of the piece is exhillerating, it's these interlocking rhythms that are the real interest here. Be sure to adjust your headphones: 2013 is looking to be very menacing indeed.

10 albums that may get released in 2013... and 10 that (almost) certainly will

Time to take a look towards the year ahead, in a not-so-grounded (i.e. mostly uncomfirmed), followed by a reasonably sound list of albums that may come to grace our ears in 2013. There are more comprehensive lists of this type elsewhere on the web - here, here and of course my own Upcoming Releases list - but this is a more compact, personal take of what I hope will turn out to be pretty great.

10 possible artists to release albums this year

Jai Paul
Jai Paul may have only put out two tracks officially so far, but the anticipation for new material bearing his name is huge. Jai clearly cares about the quality of what he puts out. Could 2013 be the year it arives in an album-sized package?

 
Kanye West
Many believe Kanye's last solo album, 2010's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy to be his best yet. Let's hope becoming a father or the rumoured Cruel Winter compilation don't prevent him from releasing another this year.

Black Hippy
OK, hear me out on this one. Both ScHoolBoy Q and Ab-Soul are working on upcoming projects, and Kendrick is taking a break after good kid, m.A.A.d city, but a whole album of the Black Hippy crew riding on the success of K.Dot makes so much sense from a marketing perspective, and I'm sure I'm not alone in wondering how it'd turn out.

 
Slint
Slint's last album was the legendary Spiderland, released back in 1991. However the band reunited a few years back, and guitarist David Pajo hints there may be more to come. If Swans and Godspeed have managed successful comebacks recently, why not?

Austra
Feel It Break was an excellent debut album, no doubt about that. No word on Austra's follow-up yet but a new song last year called "Painful Like" offers a tantilising new direction.



Liars
Angus Andrew has mentioned on more than one occasion that there are a number of outtakes from the WIXIW sessions that Liars are unsure what to do with. Although a Amnesiac style sequel seems a little too much like hero-worship, it would be great to hear these leftovers in some way. Maybe an EP or a live album?

Killer Mike and El-P
Likewise, El-P has expressed interest in working on an EP with Killer Mike, after the wildly enjoyable R.A.P. Music and Cancer For Cure albums. It would be great to hear the two MC's trading off lines and verses again.



Despot
Despot seems to be the butt of the Def Jux family's joke, having never released an album since his 2004 signing. But apparently he has recorded an album produced entirely by indie band Ratatat, and what I've heard of it has been pretty sweet.

Jay Electronica
Not sure which is more likely, Despot's album, Dr. Dre's Detox, or Jay Electronica's Act II: Patents of Nobility (The Turn). Still last year we got a tracklist, and promise of a Chris Brown-featured single, so something has to happen soon, right?



My Bloody Valentine
Technically this ought to be in the other list, but anyone can be forgiven when it comes to this particular release, if it can be legitimatly caled that. Apparently Kevin Shields has finished mastering the new My Bloody Valentine album he's been working on for 21 years, and supposedly it's going to be up on the MBV website soon. Watch this space, however long it may be.

10 albums we will (probably) see this year

The Bug - Angels & Devils
Kevin Martin has alrerady teamed up with Daddy Freddy, Inga Copeland, Miss Red (below) and Warrior Queen for his Acid Ragga 7" series, which will culminate in Angels & Devils, the follow-up to 2008 incredible London Zoo. Collaborations with Death Grips, Gonjasufi, Grouper, JK Flesh, Flowdan and the Spaceape are also promised.



Danny Brown - Old
Danny Brown's sequel to XXX also looks heavy on the features. In his case it's MC's A$AP Rocky, ScHoolBoy Q, Ab-Soul and Kitty Pryde, indie duo Purity Ring, and producers SKYWLKR, Paul White, Darq E Freaker, Oh No and Rustie.
 
The Knife - Shaking the Habitual
Expected 8th April via Mute
Not much is known about the new Knife album save for this video, and that their last, the lauded Silent Shout was released way back in 2006.



Phoenix - TBC
Expected April
Not much to report on this one yet either. It ought to be solid though.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Push the Sky Away
Expected 18th February via Mute
The ever-busy Nick Cave and Warren Ellis are never ones to disappoint. "We No Who U R" is a lovely lead single, and there's also one of those awesome studio recording montage videos. More of these please.



The Flaming Lips - The Terror
The world ought to be sick of Wayne Coyne and co's shenannigans (i.e. cuntish behaviour) by now, but as long as they keep releasing strong material there will always be an audience for them. With Steven Drozd having recently been released from hospital after battling with his drug addiction, there should hopefully be a new dynamic brought to The Terror.

CHVRCHES - TBC
You're right, Lauren. I can't get enough.



Factory Floor - TBC
Expected May via DFA
British live circuit mainstay and recipients of the first Single of the Week of this year, Factory Floor's album now has an (approximate) release date. Let's hope they stick to it.

Iceage - You're Nothing
Expected 19th February via Matador
If this album is anything like New Brigade, etc.



Arcade Fire - TBC / Yeah Yeah Yeahs - TBC
Expected late 2013 (AF) / Spring (YYY)
Lumped together because James Murphy is rumoured to be involved in both projects. Even if he isn't (and he won't be in both), more indie rock critic bait with a dance-ier direction is always worth a listen.

Keep your eyes on the Upcoming Releases page for regular updates.

Single of the Week: Factory Floor - "Fall Back"

Factory Floor have been taking their time when it comes to the issue of their debut album, releasing sporadically over the last few years and developing both their musical interplay as a band and their ferocious post-industrial sound on the stage (see Transverse, last year's live album collab between Factory Floor member Nik Colk Void and Throbbing Gristle's Chris & Cosey as Carter Tutti Void). But news of that as-of-yet untitled debut is on the way has been followed by its first single. "Fall Back" is a case of showing what the Londeners do best: 8 and a half minutes of unresolved, intensifying construction complete with pummeling electronic drums, relentless monotone bleeps and Void's sliced, ghostly vocals. "Did you feel like you were going to fall back?" "Did you feel like you were going to fall underground?" Provided the album makes the mark, this year should see great things for Factory Floor; and even if it doesn't, at least they have another quality single in the bag.

2012's ultimate post: The Culture Shock After Shock 2012 Celebration, the 100 for 2012 playlist and the Top 50 Albums of 2012

The Culture Shock After Shock 2012 Celebration
It's that time again. For this year's lists I've made a special edition of Culture Shock, celebrating some of the best tracks released in 2012, and counting down my ten favourite tracks of the whole year. Give it a listen below:

The Culture Shock After Shock 2012 Celebration by Culture Shock on Mixcloud

100 for 2012
Here's the complete playlist, my top 100 tracks of 2012. Firstly here's the Spotify version (note that a number of tracks are missing from the UK Spotify library):



And this is the list in full. I've provided links for the tracks missing from the Spotify version where appropriate:

1.    Death Grips - "Hacker"
2.    Matthew Dear - "Her Fantasy"
3.    CHVRCHES - "The Mother We Share"
4.    Torche - "Kicking"
5.    Angel Olsen - "Acrobat"
6.    Todd Terje - "Inspector Norse"
7.    El-P - "The Full Retard"
8.    Mac DeMarco - "My Kind of Woman"
9.    Hot Chip - "Flutes"
10.    Loma Prieta - "Fly By Night"
11.    Burial - "Kindred"
12.    Jai Paul - "Jasmine (Demo)"
13.    Sharon Van Etten - "Leonard"
14.    Cloud Nothings - "Wasted Days"
15.    Swans - "A Piece of the Sky"
16.    Icona Pop - "I Love It" (feat. Charli XCX)
17.    Amber London - "Low MF Key"
18.    Nicolas Jaar - "And I Say / With Just One Glance You" (feat. Scout Larue and Will Epstein)
19.    Perfume Genius - "Dark Parts"
20.    Andy Stott - "Sleepless"
21.    Aesop Rock - "Zero Dark Thirty"
22.    Frank Ocean - "Pyramids"
23.    Liars - "Brats"
24.    AlunaGeorge - "You Know You Like It"
25.    Kendrick Lamar - "Cartoon & Cereal" (feat. Gunplay)
26.    TNGHT - "Bugg'n"
27.    Bat For Lashes - "Laura"
28.    Lone - "The Animal Pattern"
29.    Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - "Only In My Dreams"
30.    Ab-Soul - "The Book of Soul"
31.    Grimes - "Genesis"
32.    Killer Mike - "Don't Die"
33.    Jessie Ware - "Running" (Disclosure Remix)
34.    War - "In Your Arms (Final Fantasy)"
35.    Spiritualized - "Hey Jane"
36.    Miguel - "Adorn"
37.    Evans The Death - "Telling Lies"
38.    Beach House - "Lazuli"
39.    Dinosaur Jr. - "Watch the Corners"
40.    Fiona Apple - "Regret"
41.    Wild Nothing - "Shadow"
42.    St. Vincent - "Krokodil"
43.    Big K.R.I.T. - "I Got This"
44.    Gorillaz, James Murphy and Andre 3000 - "DoYaThing"
45.    Tall Ships - "Murmurations"
46.    Chairlift - "Met Before"
47.    Jessie Ware - "Night Light"
48.    Foxygen - "Make it Known"
49.    Cassie – "King of Hearts" (Richard X Remix Edit)
50.    Arcade Fire - "Sprawl II" (Soulwax Remix)
51.    Jamie Lidell - "What a Shame"
52.    BADBADNOTGOOD - "Flashing Lights"
53.    alt-J - "Breezeblocks"
54.    Young Fathers - "Rumbling"
55.    Mosca - "What You Came For" (feat. Katy B)
56.    Animal Collective - "Honeycomb"
57.    King Krule - "Rock Bottom”
58.    The Walkmen - "Heaven"
59.    Solange - "Losing You"
60.    David Byrne & St. Vincent - "I Should Watch TV"
61.    The Men - "Open Your Heart"
62.    John Talabot - "So Will Be Now..." (feat. Pional)
63.    Laurel Halo - "Thaw"
64.    Dirty Projectors - "The Socialites"
65.    Kendrick Lamar - "Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst"
66.    Flying Lotus - "me Yesterday//Corded"
67.    Toy - "Motoring"
68.    Ty Segall Band - "Wave Goodbye"
69.    Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe"
70.    Japandroids - "The House That Heaven Built"
71.    ScHoolboy Q - "Hands on the Wheel" (feat. A$AP Rocky)
72.    Grizzly Bear - "Sleeping Ute"
73.    Sleigh Bells - "Comeback Kid"
74.    How To Dress Well - "& It Was U"
75.    Chris Cohen - "Optimist High"
76.    Of Montreal - "Dour Percentage"
77.    King Felix - "SPRING01"
78.    Frankie Rose - "Know Me"
79.    Dave Aju - "Rise"
80.    M.I.A. - "Bad Girls"
81.    Tame Impala - "Apocalypse Dreams"
82.    Big Sean, Jay-Z and Kanye West – "Clique"
83.    Cat Power - "Ruin"
84.    Jens Lekman - "Become Someone Else’s"
85.    Zammuto - "The Shape of Things to Come"
86.    Egyptian Hip Hop - "SYH"
87.    Baroness - "Take My Bones Away"
88.    Flying Lotus - "Between Friends" (feat. Earl Sweatshirt and Captain Murphy)
89.    Usher - "Climax"
90.    Scott Walker - "Epizootics!"
91.    The Shins - "Simple Song"
92.    Mister Lies - "Dionysian"
93.    Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - "Same Love" (feat. Mary Lambert)
94.    The Gaslamp Killer - "Impulse" (feat. Daedalus)
95.    Passion Pit - "Take a Walk"
96.    The Antlers - "Zelda"
97.    Kanye West - "White Dress"
98.    Deerhoof - "Fete D'Adieu"
99.    The Flaming Lips and Nick Cave - "You, Man? Human???"
100.    Mouse On Mars - "Polaroyced"

The Top 50 Albums of 2012
Now we're onto serious business. Unlike last year I've combined albums and EP's onto one list. Most of the albums here featured on the "2012 Recommended Albums" post; others did not. Here are a few honourable mentions:
Laurel Halo - Quarantine, King Felix - Spring EP, Frankie Rose - Interstellar, The Walkmen - Heaven: Great albums, all of which were on the "2012 Recommnded Albums" post, but there can only be 50 on the list! Unfortunately these were the ones that drew the short straws. I own all of these too, so maybe I'm just bored with them right now.
BADBADNOTGOOD - BBNG2: Mostly instrumental jazz reinterpretations of tracks by Odd Future, James Blake and My Bloody Valentine, balanced out with a healthy number of original compositions and improvisations, moreso than the first BBNG tape. Used as Culture Shock background music on more than one occasion. Pick it up for free at BBNG's Bandcamp.
Clams Casino - Instrumental Mixtape 2: If you picked up the first Clams Casino Instrumental Mixtape (which featured on last year's Albums list), you'll know the score. All those great LIVELOVEA$AP instrumentals and more. Another free download.
Nicolas Jaar - The Essential Mix: Without a doubt my favourite extended mix of the whole year, Nicolas Jaar recorded his Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1 back in May and takes us from Twin Peaks to Chilean classical pieces, Feist, Ricardo Villalobos and even N*SYNC. Along with The Seer it's been an indispensable part of my long train journeys this year. Here's the uninterrupted version you'll want to download. If you want more try the Don't Break My Love compilation.
Todd Terje - It's The Arps EP: Mostly here for the incredible "Inspector Norse" track.
Scott Walker - Bish Bosch: I wanted to like this but after listening to it a couple of times it's doing absolutely nothing for me right now. As I loved Scott's previous album The Drift and not having much time with this one (it was released late into the year) I'm giving it an honourable mention as I may change my mind about it. Recommended if you find The Seer too easy-going for your tastes.

Now for the top 50. The entries for the bottom half of the list are unnumbered and presented in alphabetical order. I didn't really feel the need to put these ones into a specific order, as they're all more or less of the same quality to me:

Ab-Soul - Control System (click for review)

Ab-Soul - Control System
Dave Aju - Heirlooms
alt-J - An Awesome Wave
AlunaGeorge - You Know You Like It (EP)
Amanda Palmer & the Grand Theft Orchestra - Theatre Is Evil
The Antlers - Undersea (EP)
Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man
Beach House - Bloom
Big K.R.I.T. - 4Eva N A Day (mixtape)
Chairlift - Something
Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory
Grimes - Visions

Hot Chip - In Our Heads (click for review)

Grizzly Bear - Shields

Himanshu - Nehru Jackets (mixtape)

Hot Chip - In Our Heads

Japandroids - Celebration Rock

Jens Lekman - I Know What Love Isn't

Melody's Echo Chamber - Melody's Echo Chamber

The Men - Open Your Heart

Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream

Daniel Rossen - Silent Hour / Golden Mile (EP)

Tall Ships - Everything Touching

Tame Impala - Lonerism

Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse

Wild Nothing - Nocturne

Deerhoof - Breakup Song (click for review)

25. Evans The Death - Evans The Death
24. Death Grips - NO LOVE DEEP WEB
23. Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N 2 It
22. Zammuto - Zammuto
21. Andy Stott - Luxury Problems
20. Torche - Harmonicraft
19. Deerhoof - Breakup Song
18. Flying Lotus - Until The Quiet Comes

Angel Olsen - Half Way Home (click for review)

17. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
16. Loma Prieta - I.V.
15. Lone - Galaxy Garden
14. Angel Olsen - Half Way Home
13. Burial - Kindred (EP)
12. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
11. Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan

10. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp

Tramp was an album I liked at first but grew on me immensely as the year continued. The opening three songs can demonstrate why. "Warsaw" is a short but great leading electric waltz. "Give Out" is drastically different; a solemn acoustic-led track, with Sharon's shaking confidence being fully cemented by "Serpents", a bitterly angry emotional assault on a lover. The central theme of Tramp is Sharon's desire to bury her past, to release herself from her previous burdens, even whilst suffering the pain of severing them. Produced by the National's Aaron Dessner the album has more than enough variety of moods and textures; at times dreamy, melancholic and potent, Tramp is a triumphant blend of modern folk and indie rock.

Essential track: "Leonard"
Built around a few mandolin chords, "Leonard" (named after Leonard Cohen) is the most gorgeous track Tramp has to offer. The way Sharon's voice wistfully hoversover the verses, unwrapping her story bit by bit during the choruses, is absolutely breathtaking. Seeing Sharon performing this song with a full band on a rainy Saturday morning at Latitude this year was one of this year's unforgettable moments.

9. TNGHT - TNGHT (EP)
If the idea behind Hudson Mohawke and Lunice's EP as TNGHT was to make the most unnecessarily sound-smashing, joyously addictive set of hip hop instrumentals, they most certainly succeeded. I don't think any other release made me smile as much per minute as the first time I put this EP on. Ridiculous levels of bass and pitched vocals offset the sounds of dogs barking, glass breaking and marching bands. Its brevity only makes me want to play it again and again. And we can see already that these guys are moving onto bigger and better things. Whatever the future holds for TNGHT, at least their influence is already being reverberated.
Essential track: "Bugg'n"
There's nothing on TNGHT that doesn't feel like a highlight, and "Bugg'n" doesn't represent the EP as well as "Higher Ground", but nevertheless it's the year's best instrumental. The opening "Are You That Somebody?" coo gives way to a clapping hi-hat rhythm, steady tempo and growling bass. The whole track feels like it's dripping across its unconventional rhythm, and above all else sounds like classic Timbaland updated for 2012.

8. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
Poetry in album titles isn't Fiona Apple's only skill. The Idler Wheel... is her most intimate album, and despite its stripped-down approach has plenty of interesting choices of field recordings and instrumentation from Fiona and her collaborator Charley Drayton. A children's playground, a factory and glass bottles all feature, making The Idler Wheel... resemble Fiona's version of Swordfishtrombones; but it's the singer/pianist that truly shines. Many a songwriter would chew off a limb for writing credits for "Every Single Night", "Jonathan", "Werewolf" or "Anything We Want", and the balance of longing and obsession was never more clearly demonstrated.
Essential track: "Regret"
Again, difficult to choose, for all the right reasons. "Regret" only just scrapes ahead of the pack. It's those strained choruses that help it along, and what a line - "I ran out of white horse feathers/To soak up the hot piss that comes from your mouth every time you address me". Towards the end Fiona mumbles into the phrase "leave me alone"; only after listening to The Idler Wheel... repeatedly does this stand out as an important moment.

7. Aesop Rock - Skelethon
One of the most important things I was looking for in albums this year was longevity; albums that could take me far past 2012 to unpack their meanings entirely. With Aesop Rock's Skelethon, I might never be able to unwrap all the lyrics. It's so dense yet adventurous; Aes is one of the most lyrical rappers there is, and with this album he brings not only a number of genuinely varied themes - late night trips to Bob's Donuts, haircuts, canine baby rescues and how to make a homemade mummy to name a few - but for the first time he handles all of the album's production, making equally strange and unconventional beats that fit together so perfectly. The recurring motifs of death and emptiness run so deep into the lyrics that it's a delight whenever I unearth a new one. More than Cancer For Cure, this is the lyricist rap fan's album of the year.
Essential track: "Zero Dark Thirty"
Another clear rap single favourite of mine this year. "Zero Dark Thirty" is essentially a warning to Aes's opponents, isolating himself as "down from a huntable surplus to one", but it's so much more complicated than that it takes ages to work it out. It also has Skelethon's best instrumental, mixing a crunchy bass riff and sombre violins seamlessly together.

6. Matthew Dear - Beams
Although not everyone may see it this way, Matthew Dear took a huge risk with Beams, abandoning large qualities of his trademark industrial disco-noir that culminated with 2010's Black City in favour of something poppier, bouncier and much more colourful. The album cover says it all; this is a portrait of Matthew with a full spectrum of sounds to present, and is also his strongest work yet. There's touches of Talking Heads' rubber-funk in "Earthforms", a palpable tenderness in "Ahead Of Myself", and a menacing humanity in "Shake Me". Matthew's baritone is also stronger than ever and lends itself to many an addictive vocal hook: proving that Beams is still overtly sexual, but encompasses love, loss, desire and uncertainty into Matthew's world.
Essential track: "Her Fantasy"
I seriously considered making this track my #1 of the year, I really did. "Her Fantasy" is Matthew Dear's finest hour (or six minutes), built around a delightful shoegazey synth riff. Matthew contemplates the effects of love on the human mind and body when he questions "Am I one heartbeat away from receiving a damaging shock to my life?" The huge sugary rise that proceeds seems to either know the answer, or celebrates the uncertainties that lie ahead in such a way that it no longer matters. Headphones necessary.

5. El-P - Cancer For Cure
From the very first beat of "Request Denied", Cancer For Cure feels like an occasion. El-P has always been a hip hop head's hip hop producer (which is probably why Killer Mike was so insistent on recruiting him to produce the entirety of his album R.A.P. Music, another of the year's strongest releases), and this album sees yet another progression of his underground skronk-rap style. It has a tight concept, a number of classic instrumentals, brilliantly written and delivered lines from El and all of his collaborators (Killer Mike, Danny Brown, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire and Despot all show up), and it flows as a momentous whole. I've given it more plays than any other album this year.
Essential track: "The Full Retard"
At first I was uncertain about "The Full Retard" as a lead single. But after a few listens I think it's one of the best rap singles in years. "So you should pump this shit/Like they do in the future" is as good as a mantra as any, and indeed I will be pumping this shit for a long time to come. It's also one of two great musical tributes to the late Camu Tao (the other being Aesop Rock's "Racing Stripes"). Kirk Lazarus was wrong. Always go Full Retard.

4. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city
Apologies for drawing the inevitable comparison, but Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d city rivals Frank Ocean's Channel Orange for critic's choice of album of the year, and both have made leaps from their 2011 efforts above and beyond what anyone could have hoped for with their major label debuts. Last year's Section.80 was easily one of my favourite hip hop albums but this one is something else entirely. Every one of good kid, m.A.A.d city's tracks is an essential component in the narrative Kendrick weaves. Whereas the other rap albums in this top 10 are mostly for fans of the genre, good kid, m.A.A.d city is everyone's rap album; the number of styles on display means no two tracks sound alike. As Kendrick said in a post-album celebratory track: "real people want real music, the jig is up".
Essential track: "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst"
This late album centrepiece returns to the most sobering track of Section.80, "Keisha's Song". In its first half Kendrick singles himself out for one-dimensionalising its subject, and by doing so readdresses his own fears of remorselessness. It's tragic, soulful and raises a lot of questions, reaching the conclusion that he's "dying of thirst", turning the whole album towards the path of redemption. This along with the non-album "Cartoon & Cereal" were high points of hip hop as a whole for 2012. For that reason I've had to include both in my "100 for 2012" playlist.

3. Liars - WIXIW
WIXIW got under my skin like nothing else this year. Liars' first attempt at making an "electronic" album certainly doesn't sound like much else in the genre, but instead stands as the band's most mature record. Starting with "The Exact Colour of Doubt", the palindromic WIXIW explores the space between wanting and not wanting, being and not being; a perfect balance of contradictions. Angus Andrew remains one of modern music's most tactile vocal presences, whose lyrics and delivery on the glowing looped drones of "WIXIW" and the post-kraut-glam-whatever of "Flood to Flood" capture the essence of this doubt.
Essential track: "Brats"
"Brats" is the most immediate of WIXIW's tracks, where the tension of what's come before is lifted out through a post-punk dance groove. It sounds strangely 90s, especially with the distorted effect on Angus's voice, and it's hard to make out what he's singing. I considered other tracks from this album, such as the magnificent centre "WIXIW", but "Brats" is the most fun by a distance, like a shot of vodka in a morning cup of bitter coffee.

2. Swans - The Seer
It's tough to say anything about this album that hasn't already been said. Not many people can make such life-affirming creations (destructions?) at this stage of their career, but at 58 Michael Gira (and his collaborators) prove that it's possible to release a two-hour gargantuan record with absolutely no wasted moments. It's easy to think of The Seer's longest tracks, (the 32-minute title track especially) as the result of off-handed improv sessions, but every piece is so meticulously crafted that once it clicks it becomes clear that this is some of the most exhilarating rock music you're ever likely to come across, and given you're in the right mood, is beaten by nothing else.
Essential track: "A Piece of the Sky"
Whereas much of The Seer (and much of Swans' output, for that matter) focuses on draining beauty out of its violence, "A Piece of the Sky" is purely beautiful. Beginning with the sounds of fire and ending in an almost doo-wop ballad where "the sun fucks the dawn", it doesn't even have to coerce you through its 19 effortless minutes. It's almost the album's reward, a stunning path of light leading through to the Somme of "The Apostate". I love this record.

1. Death Grips - The Money Store

Whether they'll be remembered as attention-whoreing dramatists or misunderstood musical free spirits spreading the gospel of true punk for this generation's finger-smearing Appleites (or both), 2012's most talked about band made for many one of its most interesting tales. In the space of ten months Death Grips evolved from beloved cult act (see Albums 2011) to arguably the most leftfield major label act back to simply a fan favourite (albeit with a much larger fan base than with what they began with). They released 28 songs (19 of which were free downloads), two officially commissioned Björk remixes, an instrumental album (also for free) and a handful of self-directed music videos; undertook a bizarre alternate reality game on 4chan's /mu/ board; collaborated with MTV for an (admittedly terrible) interactive music video; booked a tour, cancelled a tour; and of course sparked off one of the most notorious label fuck-you's of recent times, giving away their own album for free in the process. With a penis on the cover.

Strangely however, it was none of these acts that first bought them notable attention. For any fan of the group the meat and bones of this year came from the two albums Death Grips promised (and delivered). It was the release of the first of these, The Money Store, which brought exposure to the insular, disorientating world of Stefan "MC Ride" Burnett, Flatlander and Zach Hill. The group's first album/mixtape Exmilitary presented a glitchy, sample-heavy spatter of mp3s from the then-five member collective. Too abrasive for DatPiff-centric hip hop circles, and too obscure for noise fans, Exmilitary went largely ignored save for a few critical praises, and perhaps more importantly the vice president of marketing for Sony-owned Epic, Angelica Cob-Baehler, who got caught up in the group's impressive video creations; and after a reportedly awkward visit to the office of L.A. Reid Death Grips had signed a two-album deal.

As major label debuts go, The Money Store is right up there with the strangest. The musique concrète-style quality of the web of recognisable samples Exmilitary provided is gone for obvious logistical purposes, as well as a degree of Death Grips' (and particularly MC Ride's) anonymic intrigue. But the elements that remained were just as vital to The Money Store as they were its predecessor. The powerhouse of Zach Hill's drum patterns, inherited from his days in the math-rock duo Hella provides schizophrenic clatter, working through a multitude of time signatures. Producer Flatlander, a.k.a Andy Morin fills the void with huge, off-kilter synth patches and hefty low end. Nothing these two do is subtle; rather they provide an overwhelming, confusing display of fireworks for each instrumental, ensuring the requirement for multiple listens to comprehend, let alone enjoy. Between them they make up a wildly innovative production team that have almost nothing in common with modern hip hop, which in turn defines and expands the Death Grips sound beyond Exmilitary, and arguably to its fullest realization so far. "Blackjack", the album's first single builds its beat around a psychedelic guitar riff and Ride's barks are played in reverse beneath their forward selves. "System Blower" and "Bitch Please" bring brighter yet noisier tones to the front. Yet these moments are relatively unsurprising when sat alongside left hooks like the Indian chipmunk-folk intro to "Punk Weight", or the Salt-N-Pepa via Nine Inch Nails of album centrepiece "I've Seen Footage", a.k.a "the Death Grips song that even people who don't like Death Grips like". The siren-like cycles that nauseously stir "The Fever (Aye Aye)" into focus make for as thrilling a building exercise on any Death Grips release, and the whole track bears possibly the strongest consistent elements across projects.

But Hill and Flatlander, as taut and off-kilter as they are, aren't the most compelling force on The Money Store; clearly MC Ride can boast that achievement, or rather scream it out at full force. For Ride is something of a living myth in himself at this stage: a phenomenal vocalist whose performance and lyrics provide the essential piece of the puzzle. Naysayers will tell you he's nothing but flash, but taken as a rapper on his own terms he stands proudly as the ultimate anti-hero: his overbearing vocals at first distract from his terrifyingly sharp lyricism, but after a few repeats envelop it completely, and become inseparable. Opener "Get Got" may start the album from a quieter approach, but is used to perfectly demonstrate Burnett's abilities, his rage building through the vile imagery - "drilled a hole into my head / pierced the bone and felt the breeze" - and unique, pliable wordplay (who uses phrases like "lycanthropic manic cycles"?), like Chuck D on his very worst days. Yet the abundant detail is only there if you want it: The Money Store is as immediate as any major-label album, once the abrasive nature of the songs sinks into your skull. Ride's ear for hooks is almost as strong; the number of vocal earworms being too many to mention, but you'll probably know what I'm getting at. His voice would take on all new characteristics in NO LOVE DEEP WEB, but Ride's performance on this album is no less, well, gripping.
 
The Money Store may not have been the album Death Grips wanted to make, and who knows what cuts were made to keep it onside with Epic, but it's still their most essential record. No other group in recent memory has been able to produce such a polarising sound that doesn't feel temporary. In a recent Pitckfork interview Zach Hill talked of Death Grips as a separate entity, as though he, Burnett and Morin merely channelled their energy from elsewhere. "We never really once talked about what kind of sounds we'd make, or instruments we'd use" was one sentence that stood out from the occultisms and various philosophies that construed his explanations (entertaining reads in their own right). Which is maybe why it isn't hard to understand why they signed that contract in L.A. Reid's office. They're a group that no matter what may be thought of them musically (God knows I haven't done them justice) certainly have a lot to say, and for a short while, a substantial platform to say it on. The Money Store is a great testament to a moment of a band who seem to live permanently in the moment, but more importantly it's a great record, the most indispensable of 2012.

Essential track: "Hacker"
"Hacker" is hidden away at the back of The Money Store, but if there's one Death Grips track that needs to be heard, it's this one. It's first few seconds resemble Daft Punk's "Revolution 909", but enters a stutter-funk groove closer to LCD Soundsystem, with MC Ride as its very own James Murphy. Ride's lyrics reference everything and anything, echoing the trio's obsession (and to an extent control over) internet culture. If you've heard it you'll probably have your own favourite lines (there are so many!), but its indisputable apex (and by extension, 2012's apex) is the chorus scream "I'M IN YOUR AREAAAAAAAAA", letting loose Ride, Hill and Flatlander all at once. It doesn't stop being exciting after the tenth, hundredth or two hundredth time. "Hacker"'s message is one of physicality bursting through the hymen of the digital age, from the opening "Goin' back to Tangier" to the threatening "I know the first three numbers". Lyrically and sonically uncompromising, everything Death Grips promise in a single four minute track. Whenever I need to think about the alienating processes of modern culture, or just need to let off some steam, I reach straight for "Hacker", and press play.


That's all from me this year. What were your favourites? Did I miss anything? What do you think 2013 will bring?

Single of the Week: Solange - "Losing You"

The latest Solange single, "Losing You" sees the younger Knowles sister continuing to carve out a style and direction all of her own. Written with and produced by Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) the track bounces joyously off funk guitar and afrobeat-flavoured syncopated rhythms, that match the South Africa-shot footage found in its accompanying music video. Its lack of complication ultimately helps it along, although this shouldn't be confused with its lack of ambition. As it washes into tropical synthwork, under Solange's ready-for-the-radio R&B vocals, "Losing You" proves its worth amongst the countless other great songs of its ilk heard in recent memory.

Single of the Week: Death Grips - "No Love"

Unfortunately for me, there are no awards for predictability. Death Grips' second album of 2012, NO LOVE DEEP WEB was released by the band themselves yesterday so I've hardly had much time to decide a favourite track for certain yet, however as it stands "No Love" is a belter. In a way it signifies the best elements of the new album: the beat is much slower and sludgier than anything on the comparitively brisk The Money Store, and impossibly thick with bass. Zach Hill's drumming is unflashy and primal, providing only heavy support for the main driver of the track's momentum: MC Ride. Its hook stands out as one of Death Grips' best (a feat in itself), and Burnett's using his vocal range to immensely satisfying effect, but the lyrics of "No Love" could stand as the band's ultimate "fuck you" so far (if we ignore something large and pink for a moment). In light of recent label politics, Death Grips are at their most unapologetic here, and that can only be a good thing for those who fervently follow them.

STOP THE PRESS: Death Grips leak their own album

Looks like Death Grips' relationship with major label imprint Epic may have come to a turbulent end. The group had a deal with the imprint, insisting on releasing two albums before 2012 was over: May's The Money Store and NO LOVE DEEP WEB, which was apparently planned for public consumption at the end of this month. However no longer. Death Grips started posting cryptic messages on Twitter and Facebook last night, culminating in this one:

"the label wouldn't confirm a release date for NO LOVE DEEP WEB until "next year sometime " . the label will be hearing the album for the first time with you."

Now they've decided to post a number of links to the album over their website, Twitter and Facebook, and have also made it available for streaming on Soundcloud and Youtube channels. Also there's that completely inappropriate cover art, which I'm currently unable to upload is now below the Soundcloud player (NSFW).

I'd suggest even if you are a fan, or want to wait to own NO LOVE DEEP WEB on vinyl before you hear it or whatever now is still the time to download, as this window of opportunity may be brief, and who knows what kind of trouble Death Grips are in now. Also it completely makes up for the tour cancellation blunder earlier this year, the details of which were never explained.