A number of lessons have been learned in the year of 2012. Firstly it was proved that music and political activism go hand in hand especially when your band name entails vaginal vulgarities. Here, here Pussy Riot! Similarly, the much less vaginally orientated campaign of Obama saw him cushioning between the likes of Jay Z and Queen Be which undoubtedly helped him thrash Romney – proving it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Romney’s efforts in celebrity campaigning were however much more questionable. A Bumbling Clint Eastwood struggled to validate any Republican ideologies proving that the Republicans just ain’t down with the kiddies, which is more than could be said for the likes of Jimmy Saville and Ian Watkins. Apologies to America are due this year as Britain well and truly sodomized American popular culture with those pretty One Direction and Wanted boys, leaving skid marks and sperm stains all over the states. Soz! 2012 also sadly saw the very saddening death of Ninja Tune protégé Offshore (Ewan Roberston) for whom this entry is dedicated too. 2012 has been somewhat of a troublesome year where war has festered, children abused, towns flooded, EL James actually achieving publiction, Hulk Hogan’s sex tape surfacing, and Nick Grimshore’s ever vile presence on Radio 1. Yes, an awful year indeed. However in music we find salvation. So here is Red Light Fever’s 2012 album rundown.
2012 saw the growth of Zef culture as founded by South Africa’s sketty duo Die Antwoord. Zef culture being an amalgamation of vulgarity, crassness and ignorance brewed together in a broth of happy hardcore, Dutch noise. Imagine The knife meets Scooter and you’re half way there to understanding DA’s Ten$ion. Watkins Tudor Jones and Ulanda bumped a few youtube views this year after rejecting GaGa’s invitation to support her Monster tour. This followed with a response video from DA for tune Fatty Boom Boom where a male GaGa impersonator gives birth to an insect. Freeky! That Yolandi sure is a sweet looking girl too. Sort of a Thumbelina meets Lindsay
Lohan.
4 First Aid Kit - The Lions Roar
When you consider that these babes found their fame in the same fashion as Justin Bieber via YouTube and at a similar age, it’s incomprehensible to think it’s taken them almost double the amount of time to become universally recognized, considering that these girls ACTUALLY have talent. In spite of their young age, Klara and Johanna’s self-assured confidence accompanied with their lyrical maturity has made for a one hell of a follow-up second album, full of edge and with some utterly simple but deeply effecting country tunes. Wonderful.
3 Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N 2 It
Mike Hadreas aka Perfume Genius may sound like he’s cupping his balls with one hand and fingering his A with the other, but the boy could even make the likes of Putin shed a soulful tear – voice of a gay-ngel. The boy has been through some troubles in his time as revealed in Put Your Back N 2 it; torture, heartache, molestation, suicide, just to name a few minor topics. You can’t help but feel for the lad, however his musical output is so sugar coated that on times it’s impossible to even hear lyrics such as "The hands of God were bigger than grandpa's eyes/ But still he broke the elastic on your waist" (Dark Parts), especially when the composition sounds so ethereal, like a dolphin farting in blissful solitude. The boy is just so dreamy he makes Enya comparable to Slipknot.
2 iamamiwhoami- Kin
A Swedish friend once told me that Swedes are notoriously known from their over sexed persona's. They love sex! Verification of such a generalization can be found in iamamiwhoami’s audio-visual project/album Kin. Front woman Joanna Lee has no qualms in floundering her fanny about the place, and all to a wonderful electronic, tranquil hum. For that reason iamamwhoami is Red Light Fever’s third best album of 2012.
1 Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
The question of Lana Del Rey is a puzzling one. Multi-talented musical extraordinaire or daughter of a multimillionaire who can afford to buy her talent? Fuck the latter! She’s the Laura Palmer of the 2000’s. If you actually take the time to really verse yourself in Born To Die, you will understand the sheer devotion and dedication of LDR fans. It’s the kind of record that when you listen to it you can’t help but seduce your room with scarcely scattered candles, comfortably lay on your bed and wap out your foof or little Albert, and either fantasize about being her or being in her. Although to many Born To Die may be nothing more than an over produced, synthetic homage to the Hollywood glamor of yesterday dusted with a thin and hollow trip-hop undertone, it does it does in many respects offer music lovers an escape from the drivel that has become popular music today. The girl may not have the strongest voice nor are her lyrics that intelligible, but she is enigma people can't quite seem to understand. This leaves RLF with only one thing left to say for 2012. Lana, sit on my face, let me guess your weight.