Top 16 Albums of 2012

It's that time again! The world didn't end, so here's my Top 16 Albums of 2012. So much good music over the last 12 months, so little space to include it all. Frank Ocean & Tame Impala seemed to absolutely kill it this year on everyone's Best Of lists, and for good reason too. Check out my song pick for each record next to the respective entry. Cheers!

1. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Trouble listen
2. Tame Impala - Lonerism listen
3. Frank Orange - Channel Orange listen
4. Beach House - Bloom listen
5. Grizzly Bear - Shields listen
6. John Talabot - Fin listen
7. DIIV - Oshin listen
8. El-P - Cancer 4 Cure listen
9. Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls listen
10. Jessie Ware - Devotion listen
11. Santigold - Master of My Make-Believe listen
12. Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes listen
13. Kindness - World, You Need a Change of Mind listen
14. The Walkmen - Heaven listen
15. Lianne La Havas - Is Your Love Big Enough? listen
16. XXYYXX - XXYYXX listen

Honorable Mentions:
Niki and The Dove - Instinct listen
Dan Deacon - America listen
Poolside - Pacific Standard Time listen
Allah-Las - Allah-Las listen

Previous 'Best Of' lists:
2011
2010
2009
2008

MIXTAPE: Burning Down The House

The purpose of this mixtape is to embody the Heavy Accents' interpretation of house music. I've unfortunately taken out the usual disco flare this time around, but packed the mix in deep / tech / indie house, with some UK garage vibes, and rounded it out with an indie electro number from Digitalism's DJ-Kicks Exclusives EP that came out over the summer.

If the title sounds familiar, Burning Down The House is taken from the name of a Talking Heads song, which is not even remotely relevant to house music. But nonetheless, house music is the subject of the day, and here is my personalized serving for those willing to listen. And just a little secret, that house icon on the cover was hijacked from a Webding :-).

Tracklist:

1. Nicolas Jaar - And I Say (Xinobi Edit)

2. Justin Jay - Femme Fatale

3. Marvin Gaye - Sunny (Mercury Edit II)

4. Dusky - Flo Jam

5. Simian Mobile Disco - Everyday

6. Zombie Disco Squad - Be Down

7. Jessie Ware - Running (Disclosure Remix)

8. Groove Armada - Don't Take Your Love Away (92 Mix)

9. Jacques Greene - Ready

10. Julio Bashmore - Au Seve

11. Audiojack - Kicks For Kicks

12. Sneaky Sound System - Really Want To See You Again (Kink Remix)

13. Riva Starr - OPA! (Dub Mix)

14. Digitalism - Silenz

Stream/Download:

MP3:
Burning Down The House
(51 min | 71 mb)

REMIX: Delta Spirit - California (Heavy Accents Remix)

Here's my second Heavy Accents remix! It's of Delta Spirit, an indie rock band from San Diego, CA, and their song "California" (how fitting) off of their self-titled 2012 album. The stems were provided for a Lollapalooza remix contest, but I figured I liked the song enough (I heard it played on KCRW many times and the lyrics always stuck in my head) that I'd steal the stems and put together this bootleg remix just for fun.

The Original:


Instead of going for a more traditional dance pace, I kept the track at its original tempo and kept the vocals and most of the guitar work in place (with a few tweaks). Below are links to stream and download the remix. Cheers!

Stream/Download:


Download:
Mediafire

MIXTAPE: S.P.F (Super Pacific Frequencies)

S.P.F. is my latest mixtape bringing it back to basics on the disco tip + classic house vibes. It is in part inspired by the persistently awesome weather in California, as well as by everyone's need for a little SPF when summer rolls around. Though in my world, SPF means "Super Pacific Frequencies" :-).

The mix opens with a tropical toe-tapper from Count Jackula (aka Moullinex) and leads into sunblockers like a b-side from Todd Terje's superb It's The Arps EP, a Bottin edit of Lio's "Sage Comme Une Image", a cut from Session Victim's excellent debut full-length The Haunted House Of House, my current Kraak & Smaak song obsession, and Turbotito's fantastic twist on a new Bonde de Role single.

Protect yourself this summer, grab some S.P.F. below!

Tracklist:

1. Count Jackula - Slowburner

2. U-Tern - You Don't Know Me

3. Perseus - Russian Girlfriends

4. Moon Boots - Got Somebody

5. Joakim - Nothing Gold (Todd Terje Remix)

6. Mario Basanov - Lonely Days

7. Chris Malinchak - Tango In Paris

8. Todd Terje - Swing Star (Part 2)

9. Bottin - Sage Oil

10. Session Victim - Good Intentions (Album Mix)

11. Jonas Rathsman - Feeling You

12. Gigamesh - Your Body

13. Kraak & Smaak - This Feeling

14. Bonde Do Role - Kilo (Turbotito Reggae Party Remix)

15. Mercury - Running Back To You (feat. Christopher McCray)

Stream/Download:


MP3:
S.P.F (Super Pacific Frequencies)
(40 min | 56 mb)

MIXTAPE: The Well Said Mix (Presented By Well Connected)

It's been a little quiet on the blog this year, but time for my first mixtape & blog entry for 2012, The Well Said Mix! Created for Los Angeles' own music & fashion curators at Well Connected, this mix embodies 15 deep- & tech-house cuts that were permeating my sound scope crossing from 2011 into 2012.

If you couldn't tell, I'm a huge sucker for TWR72 (the R72 half = Rogerseventytwo, the man behind this smanger). The mix is closed with a track taking a fun sample from Phil Collin's "I'm Not Moving" from 1981. What?! Anyways, stream the mix and/or download it all at Well Connected's Soundcloud link below.

Tracklist:
1. Thomas Bangalter - Club Soda
2. Lovebirds - Keep Coming
3. Azari & III - Tunnel Vision
4. DJ T - City Life Feat. Cari Golden (Maceo Plex Remix)
5. John Lord Fonda - What's Going On? (TWR72 Remix)
6. Mercury - You Lift Me Up
7. Hot Natured - Forward Motion feat. Ali Love
8. Adam Port - Weekend
9. Underworld - Always Loved A Film (Christian Martin Remix)
10. ZZT - Vulkan Alarm!
11. Chromeo - Hot Mess (Djedjotronic Remix 2)
12. NOOB - Spell (Maelstrom Remix)
13. TWR72 - Paradox
14. Mosca - Bax
15. Pitto - Feelin'

Listen / Download: