The Academy of Joey Awards 2012: The Best Music of the Year!

2012 is wrapping up and that means that it's list season. Lists of the best food, movies, stupid things said by Michele Bachman, etc. are popping up everywhere and, not one to be left out, I'm compiling a list of the only thing in pop culture I actually pay attention to/give a rat's ass about: Music!

Your other option was a list of the best psychological studies of 2012 so be thankful it's not that.

Here are my picks for the best of the best of my little slice of the music world. Feel free to let me know what some of your favorites are or bitch about me not picking your favorite artist because *GASP* different opinions!!!

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Get ready for the shocked gasps when you see that my pick for the artist of the year is...

METRIC

Have you all recovered from this surprising revelation? I know, me picking Metric for the best overall artist is earth shattering but you need to calm down. COLLECT YOURSELF, GODDAMMIT.

Okay good. This was without question the year of Metric. Now before you go all, "But [insert breakthrough act/shitty pop artist/old school artist who had a hit here]..." let me explain. Yes, Metric's most recent album, Synthetica, didn't crack the top 10 on Billboard sales but hot damn, they came in at number 12. Pretty good for a band that runs their own label, effectively putting out their own records and not getting help from the major label music machines. They sold out shows all over the world, they played VH1's Divas thingy, they headlined festivals, they grabbed the attention of Rhianna (who could take notes from Metric on how to make less awful music), and scored a film with Howard Shore. They may not be topping charts but they're doing their own thing, winning fans on their own terms, and they're showing the world that you CAN stay true to yourself and be successful in the entertainment industry.

And they had the honor of hanging out with us after their Minneapolis show.

 Now, considering I saw them three times this year (two of which were in a different country), I don't think it'd be fair to include them for consideration for the rest of the categories as they'd sweep them all so I am removing Metric from the running for the rest of my picks... but know that everything they do is perfection.

 LIVE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

I go to a lot of concerts so this category is always a difficult one for me to pick. Throw in Osheaga, the music festival I went to this year, and things get even more difficult.

 STARS

I managed to see these guys twice this year (Once at an intimate show at the Triple Rock and once when they opened for Metric) and hot damn do they put on an excellent show. Their energy and awkward dance moves is infectious. Amy and Torquill have voices that melt together to produce something more beautiful than Ryan Gosling's abs. They also are genuinely thankful for all the love from the audience and, on top of it, Amy is the most adorable person on the planet. Also, my favorite jam off The North, their most recent release, "Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It" is even more stellar live than it is recorded.

Honorable mentions

The Ting Tings: It was tough not to pick these two. Despite only having two members, they manage to put on a show that's full of pure rock goodness. I honestly never sweat that much in my life from all the dancing. I was exhausted, but didn't want it to end.

Sleigh Bells: If I were to describe everything a rock show should be, it would be a Sleigh Bells show: Loud guitars, hot chicks (in the form of their lead singer, Alexis Krauss), crowd surfing WHILE STILL SINGING AND PLAYING GUITAR by both Alexis and Derek, rowdy dancing... I was honestly shocked by how great these two were.

Doomtree: I usually am not a fan of rap but these guys are so freaking great. They have high energy, deep lyrics that aren't just "fuck a ho and drank some Patron," and Dessa. Dessa is her own category of awesome.

Feist: This lady puts on a show. Not only does she interact with the audience, but she has them participating in various aspects of her show. She played multiple instruments and wowed the crowd of 40 thousand at Osheaga. And, in a personal favorite part, she stopped mid song to accept a palm tree that had been passed up through the crowd as a gift from a fan. Why they picked a palm tree is a mystery, but it was awesome regardless.

BEST NEW ARTIST

Another difficult category to pick for me. There were a ton of great new artists that came to my attention this year. However, I think one sticks out a little more than the rest.

KIMBRA

Most of you probably know Kimbra from her song with Gotye, "Somebody That I Used To Know," but she's a great artist in her own right. This spritely little Kiwi has an amazing voice and does all sorts of interesting things with her vocals. She also has the coolest outfits I've ever seen. I read somewhere that she makes most of her clothes herself... Multitalented! I look forward to seeing what she has to offer in the future!

Honorable mentions

Hey Ocean: These guys were the first band I saw at Osheaga and it was a great way to kick off the festival. Super high energy and Ashleigh Bell is a great vocalist. There's a great video of them doing a cover of "Sprawl II" by Arcade Fire that I suggest you check out.

Polica: A great local band from Minneapolis that I also saw at Osheaga (and saw on the plane there... and awkwardly ran into them at the festival). They use a lot of autotune but unlike most uses of autotune, it's not to make up for a lack of vocal prowess. It actually enhances the music and live, Channy is able to let her impressive vocal abilities shine through.

blondfire: These guys have been getting a lot of hype regarding their song "Where The Kids Are" and they absolutely deserve it. The music video for the song is whacky and the song is catchy as hell (and a great song to snowboard to!). But they're more than just a one hit band. Check out their other music, as well. It's pretty great!

SONG OF THE YEAR

Ahhh, the best single song of the year. With the sheer volume of music released this year, how to pick just one song?

"PUSH AND SHOVE" BY NO DOUBT (FEAT. BUSY SIGNAL AND MAJOR LAZER)

Gwen Stefani is probably the only white girl on the planet who can get away with talking about hustling and not sound like she's trying too hard. This song is a sort of bizarre mash up of genres. It's a bit pop, a bit dance, a bit reggae. The lyrics are kind of quirky but in the context of the song, they work. This sounds like it would end up as a musical hot mess but it actually works... Really, really well I might add.

Honorable mentions

"Somewhere to Hide" by Shiny Toy Guns: Shiny Toy Guns' latest release is a great album overall (more on that in a bit) but this song stands out to me and, in my opinion, is a wise choice for their most recent single. Singer Carah Faye Charnow does an absolutely killer job on vocal, perfectly blending her powerful pipes with the completely danceable beat.

"The House That Heaven Built" by Japandroids: These guys have been getting a lot of attention this year and even sold out THREE shows in Minneapolis. This song is largely what has been driving this hype. It's a really simple, repetitive rock and roll jam that's infectious and will remain stuck in your head all day.

"I Don't Recall" by Lavender Diamond: I heard of Lavender Diamond a few years back and wasn't overly impressed by them (I also think their name is rather tacky). However, this song is so full of emotion and realism that I decided to give them a second chance. The vocals are sincere and the lyrics, despite their simplicity, manage to express everything they need to without frills.

 ALBUM OF THE YEAR

This is the category that I would consider my biggest honor. A whole album, with 12ish songs that are actually worth listening to, is rare. So who put forth the best effort this year?

 HALCYON BY ELLIE GOULDING

I'm going to admit something I probably shouldn't: Sometimes I cry from how perfect Ellie Goulding is and how much I love her. Now that I've outed myself as absolutely pathetic, we can move on. Halcyon is an absolute treasure. Despite being a pop artist, Ellie doesn't really do what anyone else is doing in pop music today. She plays with her vocals and reaches soaring high notes on the opening track, "Don't Say A Word," and "Hanging On." She mixes her airy voice with dubstep beats on numerous songs and, on songs such as "Explosions," and "I Know You Care" she uses minimal instrumentation and REALLY shows off that she can sing. My personal favorite, "Only You," starts out with a strange autotuned vocal section and moves on to be largely based on a repetitive beat that wiggles in your brain long after the song has finished. For those who get a physical copy with bonus content, the album comes with a bonus track, "I Need Your Love." This song features Calvin Harris and has some of the best synthesizers I've hear in a long time (and it's great to snowboard to!).

Honorable mentions

  

III by Shiny Toy Guns:  STG fans have been waiting years for this album, which features the return of Carah Faye on vocals and man, does she make the wait totally worth it. Their other lead singer, Chad, does just as great of a job. The band manages to infuse a lot of rock influences with electronic dance music and the result is a hard rocking, futuristic treat for your eardrums.

Sounds From Nowheresville by the Ting Tings: The Ting Ting's first album had a lot of great singles but didn't flow as well as album as Sounds does. This album is a great sophomore release and Katie White even gets a chance to prove that she actually can sing on tracks like, "Day To Day." I suggest giving the acoustic version a listen in addition to the original.

Give You The Ghost by Polica: I believe I said everything I need to say about Polica in their Best New Artist honorable mention, but I'd really like to stress it again: Go give them a listen. Their debut album is gorgeous and I'm sure you'll be seeing them on my favorites lists in future years.

So that's it! Those are my picks for favorite music for this year. Looking ahead, 2013 already looks exciting with the Joy Formidable, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Tegan and Sara, Lady Gaga, and more set to release new material and many exciting concert tours, including Fleetwood Mac, Stars, and, hopefully, No Doubt! I hope everyone has a great 2013 and that the music gods are just as wonderful to us as they were this year!

On a side note, this is my 100th blog! Woo hoo! Given my sporadic blogging, I'm surprised I've managed to somehow bust out 100! 

A comforting lie can't last

I'm on a bit of self improvement binge as of late, trying to rid my life of some of the negativity I have been experiencing and generally trying to make the world a more pleasant place. And that's why I've decided that it's time for me to stop my double life of sorts I've been living.

Those of you who know me fairly well know that in addition to being ignored, being lied to is one of the things that I find most hurtful and rude. I've also never been a fan of people who put on a facade, whether it be to seem like they're a good person but behind the scenes they're not or just to make someone like them. Well, I realize I've been doing these last two and it's time that it stops. Maybe this lie, the second face I've been putting on for some of you, is why I'm experiencing so many problems lately. Maybe it's not. But either way, this is my attempt at detoxifying my life.

Yes, as I'm sure all of you who I haven't already told suspected, I'm gay.

Now, I really don't want to make a big deal out of this. Why? Because it's not really central to who I am as far as I'm concerned. There are so many more interesting things about me. Like did you know that I'm an ordained reverend and can legally perform weddings? Much more interesting than who I'm potentially attracted to.

So please, don't make a big deal out of this. I've known for a long time. I'm still the same person I was before. My love of Metric, Canada, HIV advocacy, meeting new people, doing nerdy things like reading theoretical physics books for fun, Gwen Stefani, drinking like a fish, being a general badass, posting articles about current events and science that no one reads, yoga, the 7 Deadly Sins Games, randomly giving out complements to people I barely know on Facebook, and so many more things that really make up who I am haven't changed. I'm still the same old Joey, with all my quirks and flaws and positive attributes and my tendency to care a little too much about other people. I'm just finally able to show who I am in my entirety.

This was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do partially because I've been scared of how people will react and partially because I'm not really friends with any guys, let alone gay ones, so I don't know what others have gone through. That's why I really appreciate any support you can give me.





I can assure you all of one thing:

No more lies.

Day 19: A song from your favorite album

I'd like to start out by admitting something: I'm getting really sick of this challenge. I'm sure many of you have noticed due to my relatively short posts that are filled with meaningless dribble... Oh wait, that isn't anything new, is it? Regardless, I refuse to give up when I'm almost 2/3 done! So please, bare with me loyal readers and randos who occasionally stop by over these next 11 days. We'll get through this together.

I'm not really sure what album would qualify as my favorite but one of my favorites of all time is the No Doubt classic Tragic Kingdom. Without question this album is one of the greatest albums of all time and if you think otherwise... I'll shiv you in the kidney.

A favorite track of mine has always been "Just A Girl." Holy fuck, that song rules so hard. It's super catchy and features one of my favorite features a song can possibly have, angry female vocals. Gwen's expressing her frustrations about being stereotyped because she's a girl, something I can relate to... kind of. Not about being a girl, but about being a man. My whole life there have always been these expectations about how I should be simply because I possess a penis and I've never really lived up to them so I've gotten a lot of shit. People would tell me, "You can't listen to bands with girl singers! That's GAY!" or "You can't be friends with girls unless you want to FUCK 'EM!" or "You look up to a woman? You can't do that!" Well you know what? Fuck you all. I'm sick of being told I have to fit this mold because I'm a man.

Yes, I like a lot of bands that have female singers. Their voices sound better to me. SO WHAT?

Yes, I consider Gwen Stefani to be my idol. She can teach anyone a thing or two, man or woman. SO WHAT?

Yes, I actually respect women on a non-sexual level and see past gender when it comes to abilities and qualifications... SO WHAT?

We need to get over these culturally set up gender roles. They're so stupid. And it's not like anyone perfectly fits them, either. So get over yourselves and stop acting like you're hot shit just because you (think you) live up to what society tells you a man should be.

Day 15: A song that describes you

If asked to describe myself in one word, the word "insecure" is one of the first that comes to mind. Thankfully, I've learned to deal with insecurities (and there are many of them!) much better than I did when I was a teenager largely thanks to one woman who happens to be just as insecure as I am: Gwen Stefani. Yes, you read that correctly; despite being one of the most attractive and talented women on the planet, Gwen went through her own insecure phase and it is documented on No Doubt's album "Return of Saturn." One song where Gwen's insecurities become particularly apparent is "Magic's in the Makeup." While I can't relate to the makeup aspect of the song, I can relate to her feeling unsure about your identity and feeling the need to hide part of yourself in order to attract a mate.

The second verse of this song is one of my favorite verses from any song ever. It goes like this:

If you bore me then I'm comfortable
If you interest me I'm scared
My attraction paralyzes me
No courage to show my true colors that exist

But I want to be the real thing
But if you catch my eye can't be authentic
The ones I loath are the one's
That know me the best

That's exactly how I feel whenever I find someone attractive; I get so afraid that I can't do anything about it and end up coming off as this awkward weirdo (not a far cry from reality, I guess haha). I know it's normal to be nervous but I think I take it to a new level in that I can't move or speak or anything. Kinda pathetic.

On a side note, this blog marks the halfway point through my 30 day blog challenge... Woo hoo! Not gonna lie, kinda ready for this to be over. As much as I've enjoyed picking a song for each day, sometime it's hard to find stuff to say about each song. I am, however, going to keep going. Only 15 days left!

Day 11: A song from your favorite band

I realize I've been kinda skimping on the blog post the last few days; while I have been doing them, they haven't been very long and were kind of rushed. I've been hella stressed from jury duty and haven't exactly had enough time to write long, extensive blogs.

As many of you know, I consider both No Doubt and Metric to be my favorite band and use them interchangeably seeing as I'm pretty goddamn obsessed with them. I have already written a heartfelt blog about Metric, however, so today's blog goes to No Doubt (although I'd probably write about them anyway).

The song I chose for today is "Simple Kind of Life" because this song was what originally sparked my obsession though I really didn't know it at the time. When I was younger, going to my grandma's house was a treat for many reasons one of which happened to be that she had cable when we didn't at home. I stuck mainly to Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network as most 10 year olds would but I had been hearing about this station called MTV from some of my more badass peers. Wanting to be one of the cool kids, I felt the need to check it out. One day when my parents and grandparents were out of the room I flipped through channels until I found MTV. I was enthralled by all the weird ass people who were apparently among America's coolest.

The show that happened to be on was TRL. Remember that show? People would call in or go online or use carrier pigeons to vote for their favorite videos and then they'd countdown the top 10. They wouldn't play the whole video, however, just part of it with the occasional shot of an audience member making a shout out and screaming, "WOOOOOO!!!" After some babble and shots of some beautifully robotic people, they decided to play the first video. I was perplexed by the video they showed. I wondered who the strange, pink haired woman was running around smashing wedding cakes...



Little did I know that someday that bizarre pink haired woman would be tattooed on my leg. I watched the whole thing but decided that, no matter how much I liked the song, I couldn't listen to it yet because it was "adult music" and I was only 10 (I was a weird child, don't judge me) so I didn't look much into it but that video stuck with me. Shortly thereafter, I entered a phase where I literally didn't listen to music for a few years. Ironic considering how I am now, I know.

Eventually, I got over my no music phase but it took a few years. As soon as I did, one of the first bands I got into was No Doubt and it didn't take me long to become obsessed because they're just that great. I can't even begin to describe how much this band has meant to me. Their music has gotten me through so much and I've met so many wonderful people because of them. I can't imagine life without them. It would be... awful.

Day 3: A Song That Makes You Happy

Today's song is The Sweet Escape by God (a.k.a. Gwen Stefani) featuring Akon. How can this song NOT make you happy? It makes me just want to snap my fingers and sing along. I remember when the album of the same name came out this song was one I instantly clicked with despite that album... not being my favorite of Gwen's work.

On a related note, I'm really looking forward to No Doubt's new album. I've been waiting for this for YEARS. YEEEEEEEEARS. Apparently they have nine songs done already, too!!! Hopefully by this time next year we'll have some brand new ND and a tour to boot!