Once or twice a season, I’ll compile a playlist of all the music I’ve been listening to. This is my playlist for the Fall of 2012:
A$AP Mob- Bath Salt (feat. Flatbush Zombies)
Two of my favorite modern hip hop artists (A$AP Rocky and Flatbush Zombies) combine and make a pretty killer horrorcore track in the process.
Aesop Rock- Abandon All Hope
It’s been out for a while but the quiet menace of this track never gets old for me.
Axidance- I Know the Sky Loves Me
Melodic blackened crust. Shit gets real around 3:47.
Bruce Springsteen- Used Cars
Even if you think you’re too cool for The Boss (you’re not but you’re entitled to your opinion), it’s worth your time to check out this haunting acoustic track off Nebraska.
Cattle Decapitation- Lifestalker
I had written off Cattle Decapitation as having become a generic, boring deathgrind band but the addition of clean vocals (well, clean for a band called Cattle Decapitation) on their newest album proved that they still have some originality about them.
Cerce- Concussion
Punishing, uncomfortable hardcore. If you’re into this sort of music and haven’t heard Cerce yet, get on it.
Clair Cassis- Pearls & Pinesmoke
Luxurious black metal that gets groovy and, dare I say, catchy at times.
Clamant- La Estructura Del Engaño
Mexican screamo with those slightly off-key vocals that really make you feel something.
The Congos- Ark of the Covenant
The song that finally made me understand what people see in reggae. Lee “Scratch” Perry’s reverb-soaked production compliments this music perfectly.
Converge- Tender Abuse
Converge hasn’t put out a bad album yet and their newest, All We Love We Leave Behind, is no exception.
Crystal Castles- Transgender and Child I Will Hurt You
I love III so much, I couldn’t pick just one song. Crystal Castles have always been at their best when they’re making spacey, sad music and I’m glad they’ve moved even further in that direction with their new album. I feel pretty comfortable using the word “gorgeous” to describe these songs.
Danny Brown- Lie4
This is the sound I’m always looking for when I listen to grime (Dizzee Rascal made a huge impression on me) and even though he’s an American, Danny Brown is filling that hole in my life quite nicely.
DARKLORDZ- American Horror Story (remix)
I’m sure by now we’ve had enough womp-womp for one lifetime but the dark, grinding AHS theme was ripe for a dubstep remix. Play it at a party, flip on the strobe light and have yourself a time.
Dead Can Dance- Ocean
Lisa Gerrard’s soaring, middle-eastern influenced vocals over world music infused darkwave are the things my goth wet dreams are made of. I’m still kicking myself for missing these guys when they played a show near me recently.
Death In June- The Accidental Protege
Neofolk meets post-punk meets atmosphere. My mom liked this and she has pretty great taste in music, so that’s a ringing endorsement.
Does It Offend You, Yeah?- We Are Rockstars
This makes me feel like I’m in one of the party scene from Skins. It’s also the closest I’ll ever get to that sort of excitement (at 23 I’m already too old for fun). I miss vocoders, autotune just isn’t the same, dammit!
Flatbush Zombies- Thug Waffle
The second appearance of my newest rap crushes, Flatbush Zombies. This beat is sick and both Meechy Darko and Zombie Juice’s flows are even sicker.
Kanye West- Cold (feat. DJ Khaled)
Kanye weaves his usual web of magic over a hype-as-shit track. I’m still not sure what DJ Khaled really does but he seems to have good taste in beats, so, kudos to him.
Gattaca- Chceme Zpet Svuj Cas
Epic Czech neocrust. Off the same split as the Clamant song earlier on the list.
Grimes- Genesis
I’m late to the game on this one but I just recently fell in love with Grimes. Something about this song makes me want to dye my hair lavender and wear giant heart-shaped sunglasses all the time. Call me a romantic.
Invincible- Sledgehammer
Israeli-born Invincible taught herself english by listening to hip hop and her powerful flow shows it. That flute on the backing track is killing me in the best way.
Kendrick Lamar- m.A.A.d. city (feat. MC Eiht)
One of the bouncier tracks off Lamar’s fantastic good kid, m.A.A.d. city.
Last Words- Waters
No video for this one, just a link to their bandcamp. Straight edge punk (you know, the real kind) from Raleigh, NC. I saw them a week ago at a house show and they ripped.
Lil Ugly Mane- Lean Got Me Fucked Up
That sample of a little kid singing is terrifying. The kind of hip hop you have a seance to.
Main Attrakionz- Take 1 (feat. A$AP Rocky)
Cloud rap is a genre I can really get behind and with a beat made by Clams Casino, you can’t lose.
November 13th- Spark
Crust punk with an almost Alexisonfire-esque vibe to it.
Rolo Tomassi- Illuminare
Their new album may not be as mathy as I hope it would be but that doesn’t do anything to change the fact that this band can write a hell of an album closer.
Shyy- The White Sheet Faces The Dark Light
It’s black metal! It’s shoegaze! It’s post punk? Whatever it is, it’s awesome and those clean vocals are pretty mint. (I’m a big sucker for cleans, if you couldn’t tell.)
Torche- Healer
Old but still sounding as fresh as it ever did. This is what pop music should sound like.
Uffie- Pop The Glock
Is Uffie a good rapper? Absolutely not. But there’s something about her attitude that’s infectious. Ke$ha before Ke$ha.
Velvet Cacoon- Avalon Polo
Swirling, fuzzed-out black metal from the members of Clair Cassis before they were Clair Cassis.
Xasthur- Telepathic With the Deceased
Putting the “depressed” in “depressive black metal,” Xasthur makes music to waste away to. The well-adjusted can enjoy this too but this is definitely music for a bad day.
Pop Culture Is My Boyfriend 