Cocking Ear To Detect '75 (Top Singles And Albums Through The Third Quarter Of 2012)

[koganbot]

My attempts at affirmative action in support of vocal cords of the nonyoung, the non-Korean, and the nonfemale haven't netted me much beyond Neil Young, though I'll admit that those attempts were half-hearted. My exploration of the nonmainstream was even less-hearted and, not surprisingly, less successful — except that the never-predictable indie-rapper E.via reverted to a gem of a failed attempt to crack the mainstream (on this list at 26, though never higher than 100 on Gaon).

In the meantime, my respect for the power of human stupidity was reaffirmed by the viciousness and hysteria with which the Internet mob scapegoated T-ara, none of which has changed my limited understanding of the group. Over the last three years, T-ara have made the most consistently good music in earshot. I wonder if now, going forward, cuteness will feel like less of an option for them, and what the result might be. I was listening to Pere Ubu's "Heart Of Darkness" the other day and tried to imagine what it would sound like with Jiyeon singing; had the fantasy that people thirty-seven years ago who were like what I was like thirty-seven years ago might be able to speak across time and say something more helpful to Jiyeon than what the world around her is currently offering.

The vid for Dev's "Take Her From You" first appeared a year ago, but Chuck reports that her Wikip page lists the song as a 2012 digital single, and Rhapsody is treating it as a stand-alone single. I've never been able to parse its lyrics, since whom the "you" designates keeps shifting back and forth, along with the identity of the designator.

TOP SINGLES Through Third Quarter 2012:
1. T-ara "Lovey-Dovey"
2. Trouble Maker "Trouble Maker"
3. ChoColat "I Like It"
4. Dev "Take Her From You"
5. Dev "In My Trunk"
6. Cassie "King Of Hearts"
7. Wonder Girls "Like This"
8. T-ara "Day By Day"
9. Sistar "Alone"
10. Davichi & T-ara "We Were In Love"

Watch on YouTube

11. 2NE1 "Scream"
12. Flashe "Drop It"
13. After School "Rambling Girls"
14. 4minute "Volume Up"
15. Miss A "Touch"
16. ChoColat ft. Sung Hyo Ram "One More Day" (also called "Same Thing To Her")
17. Yoon Jong Shin ft. Kim Wan Sun "I Love You All Days"
18. Nicki Minaj ft. 2 Chainz "Beez In The Trap"
19. Chi Chi "Sexy Doll"
20. Miranda Lambert "Fastest Girl In Town"

Watch on YouTube

21. Nicki Minaj "Stupid Hoe"
22. Girl's Day "Oh! My God"
23. Rihanna ft. Chris Brown "Birthday Cake (Remix)"
24. Orange Caramel "My Sweet Devil"
25. Paulina Rubio "Boys Will Be Boys"
26. E.via ft. Lee Su Jung "I Know How To Play A Little"
27. Orange Caramel "Lipstick"
28. Kanye West, Jay-Z, Big Sean "Clique"
29. Diamond Rings "I'm Just Me"
30. Javiera Mena "Luz de Piedra de Luna"

Watch on YouTube

31. Sunny Hill "The Grasshopper Song"
32. T-ara "Sexy Love"
33. Wonder Girls "The DJ Is Mine"
34. T-ara "Round & Round"
35. The Cataracs ft. Dev "Sunrise"
36. Crystal Castles "Plague"
37. Clazzi ft. Koti & Jubi & MYK "Sexy Doll"
38. Lil Chuckee "Da Wop"
39. Bobby Brackins ft. Iamsu & Roach Gigz "Golden State"
40. After School "Flashback"

Watch on YouTube

41. Eden's Edge "Too Good To Be True"
42. Kara "Pandora"
43. A-Jax "Hot Game"
44. Jhene Aiko "3:16"
45. Tyga ft. Lil Wayne "Faded"
46. DJ Raff "Digital Rain (En El Desierto)"
47. Y.N.RichKids "Hot Cheetos And Takis"
48. Kendrick Lamar ft. Dr. Dre "The Recipe"
49. Super Junior "Sexy, Free & Single"
50. Usher "Climax"

Watch on YouTube

51. Knife Party "Bonfire"
52. Jess Mills "Pixelated People"
53. Da' Zoo "La La La (Hot Girls)"
54. Bella Thorne "TTYLXOX"
55. Blush "Up Up & Away"
56. Teedra Moses ft. Wale "Another LuvR"
57. B.o.B ft. André 3000 "Play The Guitar"
58. Kara "Speed Up"
59. Melanie Fiona "4 AM"
60. Yangpa ft. Lee Boram & Soyeon "I Know"

Watch on YouTube

61. Shinhwa "Venus"
62. Cloud Nothings "No Future/No Past"
63. Justin Bieber "Boyfriend"
64. Gangkiz "Honey Honey"
65. Kim Wan Sun/Clazzi "Can Only Feel"
66. Kang Mi Jin "MIA" (webrip)
67. Tyga "Rack City"
68. M.I.A. "Bad Girls"
69. Dawn Richard "Automatic"
70. Dawn Richard "Bombs"

Watch on YouTube

71. Chi Chi "Leon"
72. Tony & Smash "Get Your Swag On"
73. Groove Armada ft. Slarta John "Pull Up"
74. Ryu Hwayoung "Hwayoung Rap"
75. Psy "Gangnam Style"

TOP ALBUMS Through Third Quarter 2012:
1. T-ara Funky Town (repackage of Black Eyes) EP [Core Contents Media]
2. ChoColat I Like It, The First Mini Album EP [Paramount]
3. T-ara Mirage (repackage of Day By Day) EP [Core Contents Media]
4. E.via E.viagradation Part 1. (Black & Red) EP [Dline Art Media]
5. Miss A Touch EP [JYP Entertainment]
6. DJ Bedbugs Teenpop Lock And Drop Volume 2 [self-released]
7. 4minute Volume Up EP [Cube Entertainment]
8. Neil Young & Crazy Horse Americana [Reprise]

Watch on YouTube

9. After School Playgirlz [Avex]

Comments

From Chuck Eddy (Not Anonymous)

[(Anonymous)]

Hey Frank -- I actually sent you a package with a bunch of duplicate 2012 albums; assuming you own a CD player, maybe one or two of those will click for you. As for Pazz & Jop, I would not be totally surprised (given the latest music editor turnover at the Voice) if it doesn't happen this year; even if it does, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people decide not to vote, in solidarity with Maura. (Or maybe it will happen and nobody will boycott -- who knows -- just saying that I wouldn't be shocked.) P&J or no P&J, I still consider EPs albums for list purposes, too. But unlike you, singles is where I don't even know how to keep up, or keep track, anymore. I no longer try hard to hear everything I might possibly like, and rarely check to see if album tracks I like are singles; just seems impossible. And I don't *relisten* to singles like I do albums. So my singles list is pretty random and haphazard and probably very wrong, but here's where it stands:

1. Dev – In My Trunk
2. Kasey Musgraves – Merry Go Round
3. Dev – Take Her From You
4. Primitive Calculators – Cunt Life
5. Trouble Maker – Trouble Maker
6. Cassie – King Of Hearts
7. Psy – Gangnam Style
8. Plan B – Ill Manors
9. ZZ Top – I Gots To Get Paid
10. I:Cube – Lucifer En Discothéque
11. PPC - Fufuteller
12. D’Banj – Oliver Twist
13. 3 Inches Of Blood – Leather Lord
14. Freedom Hawk - -Indian Summer
15. Meat Loaf Muzik - Protect Yo Fetus
16. Lasertronik - Поехали! / Poehali! ( Let's Go )
17. Pistol Annies – Takin’ Pills
18. T-Ara – Lovey Dovey (Club Mix)
19. King Mob – Selene Selene
20. Axe Ripper (formerely Hash Blazer) – Losing Streak

REISSUES (The top couple of which could *conceivably* wind up on a theoretical Pazz & Jop album ballot, assuming I fill out one):

1. (Various) – Tension: Spanish Experimental Underground 1980-1985 (Munster)
2. Feedtime – The Aberrant Years (Sub Pop)
3. (Various) – Giant Single: Profile Records Rap Anthology (Profile/Legacy)
4. Coven – Worship New Gods (Shadow Kingdom)
5. Pagan Altar – The Time Lord (Shadow Kingdom)
6. Manilla Road – Invasion (Shadow Kingdom)
7. (Various) – Country Funk 1969-1975 (Light In The Attic)
8. Rat At Rat R – Ameri$ide: Rock & Roll Is Dead Long Live Rat At Rat R (Ektro)
9. Thin Lizzy – Thin Lizzy (Light In the Attic)
10. (Various) – Personal Space: Electronic Soul 1974-1984 (Chocolate Industries)