2012 Fluxblog Survey
January 25, 2013 11:52 AM   Subscribe

Matthew Perpetua (of Buzzfeed) posts his annual survey at Fluxblog: This 10-disc, 191-song mix is a survey of some of the best and most notable music from 2012.

This is the 11th annual collection of songs, all of which are still available on his site.
Matthew Perpetua previously, again, and again, yet again, and even another time.
posted by Red Loop (21 comments total) 34 users marked this as a favorite
 
This is consistently wonderful, so thanks!

Also, here's a Spotify playlist with all of the music from this mix that was available on Spotify.

Failing that, you can just listen to The XX on repeat for the next two weeks. It's perfect Winter music. Also, go see them live. Oh my god, go see them live. Perfection.
posted by schmod at 12:07 PM on January 25, 2013 [2 favorites]


Whee! Just in time for the MeFi Music Swap!
posted by Celsius1414 at 12:07 PM on January 25, 2013


It's a good guide to having what would seem to many to be a very diverse taste in music, whilst displaying almost no depth or surprises in any of the genres represented.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 12:08 PM on January 25, 2013 [1 favorite]


The idea that it's basically a guide to feigning diverse taste seems kind of uncharitable...
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 12:19 PM on January 25, 2013 [1 favorite]


Every year I am presented with more and increasingly vivid proof of how out of touch I am.
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:20 PM on January 25, 2013 [3 favorites]


It's a good guide to having what would seem to many to be a very diverse taste in music, whilst displaying almost no depth or surprises in any of the genres represented.

Hmm...yes. I agree as well. Shallow and pedantic.
posted by Sangermaine at 12:23 PM on January 25, 2013 [1 favorite]


Cool post, haven't seen this before, thank you.

I see what you mean Dee X, and probably agree with you. The John Talabot inclusion on the final disc is the most out there thing that I noticed on first glance... There are a few rap things on there that aren't big - Le1f and Zebra Katz (though they've both got pub/hype, to be sure)... It's a little flat, sure.

But this is supposed to be "some of the best and most notable music from 2012" and I think the fellow does a fair job.
posted by J0 at 12:25 PM on January 25, 2013


It's a good guide to having what would seem to many to be a very diverse taste in music, whilst displaying almost no depth or surprises in any of the genres represented.

That's actually what I like about Fluxblog's picks. His year end mix is a great way to get the year's "greatest hits" of genres you might be less familiar with. I can never keep up with the best hip hop and R&B during the year, but the year end Fluxblog mix always has a few tracks I end up loving. Deep cuts and obscure picks are all well and good for people who are already familiar with the genres he's covering, but they're kind of besides the point for dabblers or casual listeners.
posted by yasaman at 12:28 PM on January 25, 2013 [3 favorites]


It's a good guide to having what would seem to many to be a very diverse taste in music, whilst displaying almost no depth or surprises in any of the genres represented.

These bands suck, you've probably heard of them.
posted by kmz at 12:41 PM on January 25, 2013 [7 favorites]


Just looking at each collection (especially 2006-2009) makes me feel so nostalgic. Great snapshots of the years they're from. Thanks for this! I used to read fluxblog all the time but dropped off in the last couple years.
posted by sonmi at 1:00 PM on January 25, 2013


The John Talabot inclusion on the final disc is the most out there thing that I noticed on first glance

Yeah but he chose Talabot's "popular" song.

In all seriousness, though, that song and the album it's from are awesome.
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 1:17 PM on January 25, 2013 [1 favorite]


Andy Stott is also pretty out there compared with the rest of the songs/artists.
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 1:21 PM on January 25, 2013


Wait what there's a Squeeze song in there? Does that mean I missed a Difford/Tillbrook release or is that another band by the same name?
posted by immlass at 1:24 PM on January 25, 2013


It's a good guide to having what would seem to many to be a very diverse taste in music, whilst displaying almost no depth or surprises in any of the genres represented.

that's not what i really want from this or what i like about this - i simply want to hear a selection of popular or semi-popular music that's fairly representative of the year's notable music

i don't necessarily like a lot of it, but that's not my purpose in listening - i just like to know what's going on

(no dead sara, though? - hmmmph)
posted by pyramid termite at 2:54 PM on January 25, 2013


YES! I've been trying to catch up with music that's been coming out recently and love these compilations. They are often missing depth, but I think that's more than made up for by breadth. I like these because they provide me with a jumping off point, otherwise there's just so much music and so many blogs I'm paralyzed by the variety.
posted by nTeleKy at 3:00 PM on January 25, 2013


Sweet fancy Moses, this is amazing. I can't believe I never knew about either this list or this site. Thanks for the great link!
posted by scblackman at 3:48 PM on January 25, 2013


It's a good guide to having what would seem to many to be a very diverse taste in music, whilst displaying almost no depth or surprises in any of the genres represented.

Well, we can't all go deep in every direction, can we? Not enough time, money, hard drive space ... but mostly time. So Fluxblog tosses us a comprehensive selection of leaping off points. Our job then is to listen to all manner of stuff, go deeper when we find something that truly intrigues our ears.

I find nothing wrong with this. Thanks for the post, Red Loop.
posted by philip-random at 4:20 PM on January 25, 2013


Thanks for posting this. I've been drilling down into certain genres pretty exclusively this year, so this is a great overview of what the music mags/blogs have been referencing.

whilst displaying almost no depth or surprises in any of the genres represented

Don't really get this attitude at all. So, the compiler was supposed to present the best and most notable music 2012 plus all the obscurely hip and hiply obscure cuts that would validate the hipster/cognoscenti crowd? My suggestion would be that this contempt for the compiler's choices motivate a survey in response that spans another 10 CDs.
posted by the sobsister at 4:27 PM on January 25, 2013


While the blog's been running for ten years, he's only been posting annual surveys since 2010. The previous years - 2002 through 2009 - he posted in 2012. The amount of music he must have gone through, and the time for sorting and organizing, is kind of mind-boggling.
posted by Pronoiac at 11:01 AM on January 26, 2013


It's a good guide to having what would seem to many to be a very diverse taste in music, whilst displaying almost no depth or surprises in any of the genres represented.

I, too, was a bit disappointed. I really like Fluxblog, but every year this list is disappointing. There are certainly some great songs, and some discoveries to make, but it's not much better (for me) than taking crapshots with music in general on the Internet.

Also, there's a bit of "oh you picked that song" ... like "Do Your Own Time" instead of "There's Money in New Wave" or "No. 1 Against the Rush" instead of "His and Mine Sensations" or really any of the other songs off that most excellent album ... or "Anything We Want" instead of "Daredevil," "Werewolf," "Left Alone," or again, pretty much any other song off that other most excellent album ... or "Apocalypse Dreams" instead of "Elephant" or or or ...

If I don't trust the choice picks from the known albums, why would I bother listening to the artists I don't? Again, it's a crapshoot. So every year I start downloading this thing and then realize I'm not gonna listen to it and throw it away.

Just a personal aesthetic difference, I suppose, so I should shut up or contribute positively...

To me, the biggest notable missing artists/tracks of 2012 in this survey are:

* Miike Snow - "The Wave"
* Bad Books - "Friendly Advice"
* Faded Paper Figures - "San Narcisco"
* Mystical Weapons - "Whispers the Blue Tongue" (might be 2013)
* Moonface and Siinai - "Yesterday's Fire" + "Shitty City" (need both together - the latter may end up being my favorite song of 2012)
* Tussle - "Moondog"
* Foxygen - "Shuggie"

My suggestion would be that this contempt for the compiler's choices motivate a survey in response that spans another 10 CDs.

I am lacking motivation and ambition. A whiny post with an old LP's worth of music that you have to convert from YT->MP3 at the end of a thread 'bout 4 days after all activity has ceased seems like a much much more appropriate response to me. But I'll let you know when I have 10 CDs worth.
posted by mrgrimm at 8:51 AM on January 30, 2013



If I don't trust the choice picks from the known albums, why would I bother listening to the artists I don't?


My impression is that all the Fluxblog selections are mp3s that the artists/record labels chose to make freely available for download. So in this regard, if you don't like which track has been selected, don't take it out on Fluxblog -- it's just the messenger.

And a big fat lesson to artists/labels -- choose wisely the tracks that you choose to make available. For many listeners, these will the the only songs of yours they'll ever hear.
posted by philip-random at 11:55 AM on January 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


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