I
apologize for being late. I was busy visiting friends and didn’t have time to
write. Without further delay, here are the albums that ranked 4, 3, and 2 on my
‘Favorite Albums of 2012’ list. Just a warning: these three albums all contain
explicit lyrics or content so be aware of that if you listen to them.
4. Savage by MoXiie
MoXiie
is an independent artist whom I found while wandering around the Internet. She
makes a genre of music that she calls ‘Jungle Pop’, which (to borrow from her
bio) “fuses everything that ever made you lose your mind on a dance floor. (It
is) packed with chants, hints of electro, pop, and world music…” I love MoXiie
and her Jungle Pop; the artist is very hard working and in touch with her fan
base and her music is catchy and has an energy that rubs off on the listener. “Savage”
is the artist’s debut album, but it is preceded by an EP as well as a single.
“Savage” is a very solid album and it goes so hard that it’s pretty safe to say
that it lives up to its name. That’s not to say that MoXiie can’t be vulnerable
– she’s a versatile singer/songwriter who’s not afraid to be honest about her
emotions. She doesn’t shy away from darker subjects either. Her song, ‘Hell Out
Of Heaven’ is a perfect example because its lyrics discuss struggles that many
people go through. The music video that MoXiie released for the song takes the
lyrics a step further; it makes you think and consider the lyrics in a
different light. In the ‘About’ section under the video on Youtube, MoXiie
explains her thought process behind making the visual, “I wanted to communicate
the ways we tend to create our personal hell…” I am impressed by how much
thought she put into making her music video because so many music videos by
mainstream artists who have big budgets lack a plot completely and focus on
making the artist look good. Now, back to the music. My favorite songs off the
album (at the moment) are ‘Hell Out Of Heaven’; ‘Hurt Me Now’, one of the more
vulnerable moments on the album; and ‘Serial Killer’, a song about a merciless
heartbreaker. If you like dance/pop music with meaningful lyrics then you
should definitely give MoXiie a chance.
3. ‘Til The Casket Drops by ZZ Ward
ZZ
Ward is an artist who sings a unique blend of blues and alternative music. It’s
so different from what I’m used to that when I first listened to her music I
wasn’t sure what to think about it. After giving it the benefit of the doubt
and listening to it a second time the song grew on me and from then on I’ve
been hooked. I even have my younger sister hooked on Ward’s music because I
played it around the house so much. Ward accents her music with handclaps and
pieces of melody sung on words without meaning, such as ‘Ooh’. It gives the
music a very organic feel. Before releasing any original music, Ward released a
mixtape called “Eleven Roses” by re-writing pre-existing Rap songs. One of the
songs, ‘Criminal’, used the music from a song by Freddie Gibbs called ‘Oil
Money’. Gibbs was a fan of Ward’s interpretation so he asked to be a part of
the song when it was released officially. ‘Criminal’ is one of my favorite songs
off the album because of its moody sound and the grove that the ‘Oohs’ add to
the song. My other favorites are the title track, which very uniquely
illustrates just how loyal Ward is, and ‘Cryin’ Wolf’, a song that dances the
line between singing and talking and features handclaps, ‘Oohs’, and a verse by
Kendrick Lamar. The songs off “’Til The Casket Drops” are much different from
the rest of my music library, which is comprised mostly of Pop music. Wards
music would probably have been at home in past decades but I love it here and
now.
2. Electra Heart by Marina And The Diamonds
If
you’ve read some of my previous posts then you may have read one entitled
‘Artists You Should Know: Marina & The Diamonds.” In it, I discuss my newly
found love for Marina’s music so I was excited when I heard that she was
working on her sophomore album. After many delays, “Electra Heart” was finally
released. When creating her second album, Marina decided to take a chance on
big Pop producers and give co-writing a try. Previously, she had been afraid
that co-writing and working with big producers would strip her music of what
made it hers. Fans of her debut, “The Family Jewels”, might say that Marina
sold out, but I think otherwise because her wit and sarcasm is still prevalent
in the lyrics of these new songs. All she did was try something new, which
shows artistic growth – I find that admirable. Then again, I am a fan so I know
I’m biased. If you don’t like her new sound then take a listen to the acoustic
versions of ‘Primadonna’, ‘Starring Role’, ‘Lies’, and ‘Radioactive’.
‘Radioactive’ in particular has a very different sound when compared to the
studio version; the studio version is backed by energetic Dance music and it
sounds upbeat while the acoustic version is backed by a piano and sounds
melancholy. The acoustic version of ‘Radioactive’ can be downloaded from Marina’s
website in exchange for joining her mailing list. The other acoustic songs are
bundled together in an EP called “Primadonna Exclusive Acoustic EP”, which can
be purchased from her UK webstore but is not available in the US. I don’t
understand why artists would release different material in different regions in
this day and age because the fans that can’t buy the music in their country
will just download it from the Internet for free. For whatever reason, the UK
and US versions of “Electra Heart” have different songs on them. The US version
lacks ‘Living Dead’ and bonus tracks ‘Lonely Hearts Club’ and ‘Buy The Stars’. ‘Lonely
Hearts Club’ doesn’t do much for me but ‘Living Dead’ (a catchy, up-beat song
that questions where your life is headed) and ‘Buy The Stars’ (a rare
vulnerable moment where Marina sounds sweet) would’ve been nice to have on the
US version. ‘How To Be A Heartbreaker’, a fun cheeky song is the only song that
the deluxe edition of the UK album lacks
- but that’s because the song was written after the album was released
in the UK and before it was released in the US. My favorite songs on “Electra
Heart” are ‘Fear And Loathing’, a dark and introspective song; ‘Starring Role’,
a confessional (and at times angry) song about wanting to be number one in a
person’s life; and “Power & Control”, a song about the power struggle that
exists between people in a relationship. All in all, I find the album a fine
addition to Marina’s catalogue.
‘Til The Casket Drops by ZZ Ward
Power & Control by Marina & The Diamonds
So there you have it. In my next post I will reveal my
favorite album of 2012. Thank you to anyone who has read my blog posts and
thank you for bearing with me. Let me know what you think about my favorite
albums of 2012.
Comment responsibly,
Nico Black
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