The Best of 2012

Scott Wood from the interview show Shares the best of 2012 With You!

By Scott Wood

Hello folks, Scott Wood here! I'm the host of the interview show, a syndicated radio program you can find on several campus community radio stations across Canada (see the list on the left). Every year, I send all my friends a list of all my favorite tracks. This year, I thought I would share with you all.

The Heavy “What Makes A Good Man” (Radio Edit)
You will know The Heavy from their 2009 track "How You Like Me Now?"—which has been licensed to TONS of movies, TV shows and commercials. The UK indie outfit returned in 2012 with this single on their new record. I play this tremendously uplifting track on my way to work on the train.

Bahamas “Caught Me Thinkin’’’
Afie Jurvanen aka Bahamas has cut his teeth playing guitar for Canadian legends Feist, Jason Collett, and Zeus to name a few. All this experience shows. His whole second record Barchords is filled with easy listening indie rock tunes just like this one.

Jeremih ft Natasha Mosley “Fuck U All The Time”
Most of hip hop in 2012 lived at that sweet spot between introspective rhymes and R&B beats. This track adds elements of “trap,” making his 2013 record even more highly anticipated.

Grimes “Oblivion”
This was the year for Vancouver/Montreal indie artist Grimes. She became an indie music fashion icon (mostly due to her hair), went on tour with Skrillex and her record Visions was a critical favorite.

Husky “History’s Door”
If you like Fleetfoxes and Imagine Dragons, you should check out these little known Australians.

Myths “Labyrinth”
This year, this pair of electronic sorceresses went on tour supporting their bestie Grimes. This song is neat because it starts using the crunching of boots on snow as percussion.

DZ Deathrays “Gebbie Street”
I loved DFA 1979 back in the day. DZ Deathrays are following the same blackout drunk, ear drum bursting path.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft Mary Lambert “Same Love”
2012 was the year hip hop started to re-examine its long tradition of homophobia. Frank Ocean came out and mainstream Seattle-based rapper Macklemore voiced his support for the gay community in this track.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft Ben Bridwell “Starting Over”
I don’t want to put any artist on here more than once, but I had to include this track. “Same Love” may have got all the attention, but Macklemore is at his best when talking about his own battles with substance abuse.

Patrick Masse “Mend the Man”
If hip hop can finally embrace homosexuality in a big way, why not country music too? Here is a track from Vancouver-based, openly-gay country singer Patrick Masse.

Son Real & Rich Kidd “Mind All Day”
Vancouver rapper Son Real collaborated with Toronto rapping-producing sensation Rich Kidd to release a team up record just as they are both poised to go to the next level. Here’s a track about the curse of having a hot girlfriend while trying to get shit done.

Feed Me “Green Bottle”
While I have nothing against mainstream radio juggernauts like David Guetta and dubstep, I am anxiously awaiting the next big trend in dance music. Here’s one UK producer I’ve been watching.

Ryan Hemsworth “Slurring” (Bauuer remix)
While studying n Halifax, Hemsworth made all the right friends on the internet and in 2013 is poised to become the next “big thing” electronic music and hip hop producer.

Tanlines “Real Life”
If you’ve wandered into one of those “kewl” stores anytime this year, you have heard Brooklyn’s Tanlines.

Liars “Brats”
In 2012, Liars returned with a new record WIXIW and pulled a phoenix, changing their sound again. This time, they get electronic and it’s nice.

Rich Aucoin “PUSH”
Another Maritimes boy making sweet electronic music.

Death Grips “Hacker”
The most exciting thing happening in hip hop right now. The perfect antidote for people tired of sensitive guys rapping about their relationships. And I won’t even go into how they lost their major label record deal in 2012.

A.Skillz & Krafty Kuts “50 Years of Bond Mini Mix”
These two dancer floor wizards celebrate the so-so new Bond blockbuster with a tribute mix, distilling everything they like about the previous films in under 8 minutes. Excellent.

AlexisOnFire “To A Friend” (Adventure Club Remix)
2012 saw the farewell tour of Canadian post-hardcore legends AlexisOnFire. This remix by Montreal dance upstarts Adventure Club is a fitting tribute.

RAC ft Penguin Prison “Hollywood”
One of my favorite dance producer-remixers teams up with one of the smoothest voices in indie music to create this catchy indie track. I hope these two do more together.

Grimes “Genesis” (Ryan Hemsworth Remix)
Here is a prime example of the power of the internet. Montreal-based indie ingénue Grimes releases her track “Geneisis.” In Halifax, Ryan Hemsworth does a bootleg remix and posts it online. Then North Carolina rapper Deniro Farrar finds the remix and raps over it. All three create one of my favorite remixes of 2012.

Scuba “The Hope”
Smart, direct dance music from a UK expat living in Berlin.

The XX “Reunion” (Owl Vision Remix)
The XX are a hard group to remix. Owl Vision transforms the perfect sex music track into a remix that evokes the latest young lovers feature film trailer.

Chromatics “These Streets Will Never Look The Same” (Recycle Culture Night Bus Remix)
Great to see the Chromatics back in this great remix. The man behind the Chromatics scored Drive—that awesome Ryan Gosling noir film.

Top Less Gay Love Techno Party “Robin”
It is hard to escape a TLGLTP show without confetti in your clothes. This track perfectly sums up those nights on the dance floor (and after) with MDMA.

Tom Vek “One Horse Race” (Vengeance Remix)
One of my fav singer-songwriters from 2005 returned in 2012. The music landscape may have changed, but this excellent Vengeance remix takes me back to the place where dance music and indie tracks mixed up dirty.

Thanks for reading. Hopefully you enjoy these tunes. Listen to upcoming episodes of the interview show for interviews with your favorite indie artists!