Best EPs of 2012

It wasn’t easy, but here they are, Aesthetes Anonymous’ five favorite EPs of 2012.

#5 The Griswolds – Heart Of A Lion

Because sometimes you just need some good indie dance floor bangers. I mean who doesn’t like a spontaneous dance party erupting from their speakers at 10:30 on a Wednesday morning with the full force of an all-night rager fueled by booze, coke, and ecstasy.  

Manically upbeat with its infusion of calypso beats and African stylings, but unlike Vampire Weekend, The Griswolds are just out to have a good time and tear up the floor. Think Cut Copy/Empire of the Sun meets Vampire Weekend.

#4 Cruiser – Cruiser

Summer never sounded so good, thanks to Cruiser and the good folks that produced Youth Lagoon’s debut album. Fuzzy vocals, 50s surf pop, and sugary sweet lyrics will have you rushing to the beach to lounge about in a hazy cloud of smoky relaxation.   

#3 NO – Don’t Worry You’ll Be Here Forever

New Wave meets surf rock? Hash tag. Mind. Frickin. Blown.

With booming floor toms, a deep baritone reminiscent of The National’s Matt Berninger, brain-searingly catchy hooks, twinges of the California sun, and lyrics filled with the hopeful yearning for a distant dream, NO shows you a side of the West Coast you never knew existed.

#2 The Preatures – Shaking Hands

I don’t know what it is about Australia, but lately they’ve produced a crop of killer southern blues inspired bands lately. It wasn’t easy deciding which one would make it to the top 5, but ultimately, it had to be The Preatures.

Rather than charging through everything with rollicking foot stomping barn burners (which is always a good thing), The Preatures saunter and leer their way through a kaleidoscopic swirl of influences. Swinging from dark psychedelic Doors-esque rock on “Pale Rider” to the bluesy Motown of “Take A Card” and “Young Brave Me” to the steamy “Threat,” the Shaking Hands EP is undeniably magnetic with its unique blend of styles. 

#1 Savages – I Am Here

Hell hath no fury like Joy Division incarnate. 

It’s not complete hyperbole to say that Savages is the second coming of Ian Curtis and his merry band. Nasty, short, and brutish, Savages exist in a state of nature with their punishing rhythms, Spartan minimalism, and violent energy that is seething with raw malice and wicked deliciousness. 

I haven’t seen a band with this much hype surrounding it that not only lives up to every expectation but exceeds it. Keep an eye out for big big things from this quartet in 2013.