In what will come to be known as the year of revealing, for music and world news alike, there is no question that 2012 had surprises around every corner. There have been an unprecedented number of standout albums this year and a frighteningly large amount of disappointments as well. Some bands reformed, some bands split up, and a record number of debut bands came racing out of the gates. The Superbowl XLVI halftime show featuring Madonna, LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, MIA, and Cee Lo Green demonstrated the power of pop music by setting the record for the most watched TV event of all time (118 million). Let’s not forget that it was a year of sorrow for fans, family, and friends of musical legends Whitney Houston, who died at the untimely age of 48, Donna Summer, 63, and Doc Watson, who left us at 89, and then the very recent loss of the musical giants Dave Brubeck and Ravi Shankar. While 2012 had its ups and downs, we would like to reflect on all of the amazing music that was released over the last year. Here are our 2012 Albums of the Year:
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By Carey Uhl Posted in Features A Fine Frenzy, A Place to Bury Strangers, Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra, Anywhere, Back Moth Super Rainbow, Between the Buried and Me, Carina Round, Cat Power, David Byrne and St. Vincent, Devin Townsend Project, Dntel, Drop the Lime, Extra Life, Flying Lotus, frank ocean, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, heartless bastards, Horse Feathers, Howlin Rain, husky, Jack White, Ken Stringfellow, Lavender Diamond, mark lanegan band, patrick watson, Redd Kross, Santigold, Scott Kelly Steve Von Till Wino, Sharon Van Etten, Sleigh Bells, Starring, taken by trees, TEEN, The Big Sleep, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, the darkness, The Mountain Goats, The XX, Twin Shadow, Virgin Forest

2012 was a thunderous year for music. So much is released on a daily basis, in fact, that many find it impossible to keep up with all these happenings. Fortunately for you, that’s what mxdwn does best. The following tracks signify what matters in music in our modern age. Sit down, chill out, and listen to what we consider to be the most important songs of the year.
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By Carey Uhl Posted in Features Alt-J, Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra, Andre 3000, Andrew Bird, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Beck, Ben Folds Five, Ben Howard, Between the Buried and Me, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Bob Mould, Cat Power, Dethklok, Devin Townsend Project, Extra Life, Flight of the Conchords, Florence and The Machine, Foxy Shazam, Gorillaz, Grimes, Horse Feathers, Howlin Rain, Jack White, James Murphy, Josh Homme, Ken Stringfellow, M.I.A., Only You, passion pit, patrick watson, Santigold, Scott Walker, Sharon Van Etten, Sleigh Bells, TEEN, the darkness

Irresistible: A Banquet of Syrup-Drenched Calories

When spandex-clad dynamo Justin Hawkins dropped out of The Darkness just after their 2005 LP, One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back, there seemed little hope for a reunion, much less a follow-up album. The frontman succumbed to drug and drink, went to rehab (as a good boy should), then re-emerged with a comically rambunctious splinter act in Hot Leg. The remainder of The Darkness, having also lost Scotch bassist Frankie Poullain leading up to Justin’s big exit, were left to form the gruff, AC/DC-leaning Stone Gods. With a little distance and each camp allowed to sow some creative wild oats, their trails coalesced once again with the announcement of a 2011 reunion tour, the headband-wearing Poullain included. Now with all the old players back in place comes Hot Cakes, a prettified musical flibbertigibbet whose very substance is often its seeming lack thereof. Read more…

By Owen Schumacher Posted in High Fidelity, Reviews the darkness

May 25th

Stubb’s

$25 tickets

British Glam rockers The Darkness are back to save the masses from taking their music too seriously. There’s no need to lie here, we all know you still catch yourself every now and then, out of blue, wanting with all your heart to sing that lovely song that made them an iPod staple a few years back, “I Believe In a Thing Called Love.” It’s perfectly okay, we all get that feeling from time to time, it’s just so darn catchy. These guys put on a great show, and it will be more fun to sing “that song,” as well as any other favorites at the top of your lungs with the band live. Plus, those outfits, and that hair. Openers Girl In a Coma are pretty fierce too, and are worth coming out early for.

Check out what The Darkness has been up to these days here.

Check out Girl in a Coma here.

By Sania Parekh Posted in Austin girl in a coma, stubbs, the darkness

British group The Darkness are returning with their third album, Hot Cakes with the same edgy chords and catchy choruses that made them popular. Find out when and see tour dates after the jump.

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By Hallie Harmon Posted in News the darkness

They may look like they stepped out of a rock-n-roll time machine circa 1985, but the members of English glam rock band The Darkness are bringing their electrifying style of rock-n-roll to Canada and the states for a North American tour in 2012. The tour starts on February 1 in Toronto at the Phoenix, and will send the band Boston, New York, Philly and Washington D.C. before hitting a slew of mid-west and west coast shows, including a  February 20 date at L.A.’s House of Blues. It concludes on February 21 at San Fransisco’s Fillmore. Read more…

By Dan Newman Posted in News the darkness