Best everything:
Frank Ocean – Channel ORANGE
Clever social media build up, smart personal branding, excellent songs. The controversial tumblr post brought mostly good things, and disgrace on a bunch of archaic machos (there are a few left). The rest is all groove and sexyness and melancholy: Frank Ocean often feels like Little Stevie Wonder doing Janet Jackson. R&B at its best.
Meilleure collaboration qui fait regretter de ne pas avoir été une petite souris en studio :
Leon Ware feat. Quadron – Orchids For The Sun
Quand la jeune garde de la soul rencontre une des légendes vivantes de la Motown, celui qui a écrit If I Ever Lose This Heaven pour Quincy Jones, celui qui a écrit Inside My Love pour Minnie Riperton, celui qui a écrit Musical Massage après s’être fait piquer I Want You par Berry Gordy qui l’a refilé à Marvin Gaye… Tellement élégant / joli / touchant / léger / lumineux. La GRANDE classe.
Best proof that you don’t need a record deal to put out one of the loveliest albums of 2012 :
Nicholas Ryan Gant – Promises
2012 has been a very good year on the R&B/Soul scene. Frank Ocean, Solange, Miguel, Cody Chesnutt, THEESatisfaction, AlunaGeorge, Lianne La Havas, Amma Whatt, Carlitta Durand… I could only be superficial, and I highly recommend Bama Love Soul among other reliable sources. After all the terrible « urban » tracks we’ve heard from the big acts, there is hope from an upcoming generation of producers and songwriters. Too many collaborators have come with easy gimmicks and old ideas. Seriously, do you remember any of the songs from Beyoncé’s 4? The beautiful closing piece on Alicia Keys’ Girl On Fire is a good example: co-written by Emeli Sandé, 101 brings something new to another release that could have gone completely forgettable. Besides all these considerations, I’ve been cherishing Nicholas Ryan Gant’s album because it felt completely in place, from beginning to end, where unheard structures and uncommon melodies met familiar grooves and harmonies. And I really love his falsetto.
Meilleur mauvais album :
Madonna – MDNA
J’en ai déjà parlé au moment de sa sortie, je ne vais donc pas revenir sur (les qualités et) les défauts de cet improbable bien que jouissif gloubi-boulga. Presque un an plus tard, l’album est déjà tombé aux oubliettes de la pop, mais sa tournée 2012 a rapporté plus d’argent que toutes les autres, Lady Gaga et Justin Bieber sont bien largués. Même petitement successful sur le plan des ventes, Madonna continue à faire ce qu’elle veut, quitte à se mettre ses fans ou Marine Le Pen à dos (Sarah Palin, sans doute flattée qu’on se souvienne d’elle, a préféré fermer sa gueule)… Et quand elle se copie elle-même, cela ne choque personne, alors que le vague emprunt (hommage ?) des One Direction aux Clash leur a valu les pires insultes. Même le Rihanna de saison est moins horripilant que les années précédentes. Les lecteurs du Billboard américain ont donc fastoche élu la mémé de la pop Most Valuable Player de l’année. Ce qui n’est pas sans une certaine ironie étant donné le carton de sa prestation à la mi-temps du Super Bowl : il y a eu plus de spectateurs devant la dame en playback que devant les finalistes qui jouaient pour de vrai (d’ailleurs, on a oublié qui a gagné)… Programmée pour 2013, la diva Beyoncé fait déjà dans sa culotte à l’idée d’attirer moins de monde.
Best « best is yet to come »:
Midnight Magic – Walking The Midnight Streets
Everyone who knows me for real has already heard Beam Me Up or Drop Me A Line at least a hundred times. Midnight Magic could have received the award for Best live band in regards of their crazy show at Flash Cocotte party, with less-than-half-naked fans litterally throwing themselves on stage. They also could have had the Audience rescuers medal after they woke up the dullest and blasé crowd (at Silencio club, of course). They even could have gotten the Most resilient artists prize from the Chacha club which had them put on a party for 3 people. But they’re all more than that, sick basslines, crazy keys, incredible drums and amazing vocals, sweet fellas, children of Deee-Lite and Sylvester, yet not a tribute band at all. I’m looking forward to seeing them perform with full lineup. Then, probably, I shall forget about trying to fit them in any reductive category.
Meilleur groupe qui porte bien son nom :
Poolside – Pacific Standard Time
Parce qu’avec un nom pareil, ces Californiens te font croire qu’ils jouent de la musique à écouter sur un transat au bord de la piscine. Et ça marche : à chaque fois que j’entends un de leurs morceaux, j’ai l’impression d’être nu au soleil, même quand je me les gèle sous la doudoune. Bien ouej, les gars.
Best cover album that doesn’t sound like « American Idol meets Glee »:
Meshell Ndegeocello – Pour une âme souveraine – A dedication to Nina Simone
Take one of my favorite deceased singer-songwriters, then take one of my favorite living singer-songwriters, then blend it into the undisputedly best tribute album to Nina Simone. Meshell has managed to pay her respects to Simone’s songs as much as give them a new life (and new dawn, and a new day…). And it’s feeling good. As funny as it seems, and it’s probably not a coincidence, the only song on the album that puts the piano forward is Leonard Cohen’s Suzanne, not a song written by Nina the pianist herself. All the other tracks make the best out of Meshell’s raw soul, bass witchcraft, electric funk and devilish jazz energy. The album requires a few listens to blossom musically, lyrically and politically, considering the material and the performers. House Of The Rising Sun comes out as one the best versions ever (and Youtube knows it’s been covered quite a few times already). Pour une âme souveraine made me discover some gems, such as Nobody’s Fault But Mine featuring the immense Lizz Wright and Either Way I Lose that I knew from another great soul singer, Bettye LaVette. Last track on the CD is probably my favorite, Four Women manages to stay as haunting and desperate without the final « Peaches » scream that would probably creep the audience out each time Nina did it.
Meilleure voix qui te fait oublier un look de merde :
Gregory Porter – Be Good
J’ignore si cette cagoule est une coquetterie de Gregory Porter, une prescription de son médecin ou une idée à la con d’un chef de produit, mais c’est encore pire que les perruques multicolores de Nicki Minaj. On s’en fout un peu : cela ne gâche en rien l’organe balèze du monsieur, les morceaux archi bien foutus et une suavité efficace qu’on n’avait pas entendue depuis longtemps chez un chanteur de jazz, plus gospel singer que crooner. Cœur cœur cœur, comme dirait l’autre.
Best Soundcloud bootlegger/bootyshaker:
Cyril Hahn
Until recently, I thought I’d give an award to Virgin Magnetic Material, because his remix of David Bowie’s Space Oddity is EPIC. But then I realized that, even though Soundcloud is a great platform that every device has access to, I still like to have my favorite tracks stored on a hard drive, be the Cloud blown away. So less prolific Cyril Hahn wins the prize, because, at least, he doesn’t pretend to own a song that he obviously borrowed from someone else, and shares it willfully in order to make the whole world a disco.
Meilleur retour en arrière :
Jessie Ware – Running (Disclosure remix)
Toi et moi avons énormément kiffé la vibe sur I Follow Rivers cet été, sauf que le morceau de Lykke Li et son remix par The Magician datent seulement de 2011. Alors les gagnants 2012 sont les chouchous anglais Disclosure (masqués comme Daft Punk mais uniquement à la palette graphique parce que ça coûte moins cher) grâce à leur remix qui fait machine à danser dans le temps, direction les années UK Garage, 1994-97 more or less. Rendez-vous en 2028 pour chevaucher avec grâce et nostalgie sur un morceau qui nous rappellera ce bon vieux Gangnam Style. Oppa !
Also/aussi en 2012 :
Regional Garland . Mixed Sugar : The Complete Works 1970-1987 – Le1F . Dark York – Le Nonsense – Estèphe – SIMØNE – Zebra Katz feat. Njena Reddd Foxxx . Ima Read – The 2 Bears . Be Strong – Adele . Skyfall – Chromatics . Kill For Love (Drumless) – Michael Mayer . Mantasy – Huerco S. – Fakuta – Zimmer – Mabuana . Only The Facts – Skip & Die . Riots In The Jungle – Klub des Loosers . La fin de l’espèce – Robert Glasper Experiment . Black Radio – Lindstrøm . Smalhans – Philip Glass Rework – Alex Gopher & Xavier Jamaux . Motorway OST – Bill Laswell . Means Of Deliverance – Flying Lotus . Until The Quiet Comes – Little Boots – Jonti . Sine & Moon – Le Crayon – The Best Of Disco Demands – Future Disco presents Poolside Sounds – Personal Space: Electronic Soul 1974-1984 – Kitsuné America …
Bonus track
Best song that bears the same title as another favorite song of mine:
Mickey feat. Monarchy – Love For Sale (Extended mix)
How could I forget this one? It was ON REPEAT for the first six months of 2012. This Belgian guy is a dance music phenomenon, a lot less nostalgic than many other hip producers. Everything I’ve heard from him is infectiously catchy. On Love For Sale (not to be confused with Love For Sale), he brings freshness and youth to a straightforward love song. And he makes me want to throw my heart on the floor, just like the rest of my body.
Remember Dave Brubeck, Ravi Shankar
Etta James & Donna Summer.