12 Albums To Watch For In 2012
Just in case you feel like you've had enough of looking back at 2011 with lists that tally up the most intriguing albums of the past year, here's a little bit of a forward glance for you. Even though its only a few days old, 2012 is already shaping up nicely, with no shortage of striking sonic occurrences in store over the next few months. So here's a rundown of the 2012 albums you'll want to keep an eye out for in the first quarter of the year.
Underworld - 1992-2012: Anthology (Cooking Vinyl, 1/31)
It's been a decade since the last comprehensive Underworld anthology, so it's a perfect time for this three-disc summing-up of the U.K. electronic duo's eclectic ride. But if you're feeling like something a little more concise, the single-disc Collection is being unveiled simultaneously.
Various - Pop Ambient 2012 (Kompakt, 1/31)
With the latest installment in this long-lived series, legendary Cologne label Kompakt proves there's still plenty of life left in the ambient scene, by offering a batch of new tracks by everyone from Superpitcher and Wolfgang Voigt to Loops of Your Heart and Simon Scott.
Air - Le Voyage Dans La Lune (Astralwerks, 2/7)
Having apparently decided that Daft Punk shouldn't be the only ones scoring science fiction films, Air has crafted their own soundtrack to the iconic 1902 French silent film Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip to the Moon), with guests Au Revoir Simone and Beach House's Victoria Legrand chiming in.
Lindstrøm - Six Cups of Rebel (Smalltown Supersound, 2/7)
On his latest outing, the Norwegian wonder who put the Space Disco sound on the map shows no signs of slowing down. House beats, prog-rock riffs, hell, even a cathedral organ -- you name it, Lindstrøm is willing to make it a part of his cosmic dance party, and somehow it all makes sense.
Goldfrapp - The Singles (Astralwerks, 2/7)
Hitting the highlights of Goldfrapp's decade-plus career, The Singles isn't a comprehensive collection of all the duo's singles, it's simply the pair's first-ever best-of, but it also offers us a bonus in the form of a couple of previously unreleased tracks, "Yellow Halo" and "Imaginary Sky."
Phenomenal Handclap Band - Form & Control (Tummy Touch, 2/14)
New York City's PHB turned heads on its first album with a mix of disco, funk, electronics, synth-pop, and more, and on their second (not counting a remix record), they seem to remain in pursuit of a sort of universalist dance-party aesthetic that incorporates influences from Chic to The Human League.
Pet Shop Boys - Format: B-Sides & Bonus Tracks 1996-2009 (Astralwerks, 2/14)
There also happens to be an album of new Pet Shop Boys material in the works for 2012, but details on that are just about nonexistent so far. In the meantime, here comes the two-CD sequel to Alternative, the British duo's 1995 B-sides collection, handily picking up right where that one left off.
School of Seven Bells - Ghostory (Vagrant/Ghostly International, 2/28)
This NYC synth-pop outfit is down to a duo for their third album, but maybe the departing Bell was scared off by the theme running through the record -- the album is said to be inspired by the ghosts that follow us around, but according to the group, they're more like ghosts of failed romances than anything explicitly supernatural.
Mouse On Mars - Parastrophics (Monkeytown, 2/28)
If you're among the many Mouse On Mars lovers who have been waiting ever since the 2006 album Varcharz for the German duo to get their butts back in gear, your prayers have finally been answered. Toma and St. Werner are back on the block at last, squiggling, stomping, buzzing, and thumping their way back into your heart once more.
120 Days - 120 Days Vol. 2 (Splendour, 3/6)
If something intriguing and electronic-oriented is coming out of Norway, it shouldn't be surprising to find that Lindstrøm has his hand in it. His label released the debut album by electro-rock outfit 120 Days, and though the follow-up is out on Oslo label Splendour, he co-produced the cut "Dahle Disco," bringing his imprimatur of cool to the quartet's cutting-edge sound.
Paul Van Dyk - Evolution (Mute, 3/20)
As the first full-length album superstar DJ/producer Paul Van Dyk has released in five years, Evolution is bound to catch us all up on some of the changes that have occurred in the Berlin beatmeister's sonic universe. And guests like Dev and Adam "Owl City" Young are on hand to add their own touches along the way.
Macy Gray - Covered (429 Records, 3/27)
Don't even try telling us that you can hear about an album where Macy Gray covers tunes by Eurythmics, Radiohead, Kanye West, Arcade Fire, and Metallica — among others — and not want to find out what it sounds like when the singer lends her spectacularly soulful pipes to such an eclectic array of songs.
