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. 

John and Jehn – Time For The Devil

I'm still reeling from the Savages' show at Mercury Lounge a few weeks ago and started to do a bit of digging into this enigmatic band and found lead singer Jehny Beth’s other project John & Jehn, a killer New Wave duo with some absurdly catchy tunes.

Bear with me if you like totally know this, but I couldn’t help but wonder how Savages was able to erupt onto the scene as full-fledged force of nature, and the fact that Savages co-founder and guitarist Gemma Thompson backed up Jehny Beth and her partner in crime John aka Nicolas Conge during their UK tour a few years back explains a lot.

Anyhoo, check out John & Jehn’s killer “Time For The Devil,” the title track off their second album as well as “And We Run.” Oh yea, and aside from their two killer albums, John & Jehn started the Pop Noire record label which Savages and LESCOP are signed to. NBD, they just kinda of sort of do it all.

Savages @ Mercury Lounge 10/19 [Show Review]

Silent, enigmatic, and vicious, Savages sonically obliterated Mercury Lounge last Friday. With hardly a word between songs and barely a moment’s rest, Savages launched barrage after barrage of rhythmically brutal, bass heavy, post-punk malice.

In an attempt to stand out from the cacophony online, bloggers readily veer towards ridiculous hyperbole, however I mean this in the sincerest of ways – Savages’ set at Mercury Lounge was an event, a rare moment in time that will doubtlessly be talked about as the band hurtles onward to dizzying levels of indie darling-hood. Like the name of an exotic cheese loudly uttered at pretentious parties, hepcats will be telling anyone that will listen about the time they saw Savages at Mercury Lounge.

Never before have I witnessed such a minimal set. No banter, no small talk – just wave after wave of music that left eardrums tattooed and perforated. Bathing the audience in their heavily Joy Division inspired sound that’s been updated with the guitar screeches and howls of shoe gaze, Savages left no time to catch your breath, let alone process what was occurring.

It’s rare to see bands today that can cut through our collective consciousness that has been deadened by the ubiquity of readily available caffeine, prescription drugs, cheap booze, and sex, but Savages is a flurry of fresh air that stands a cut above the rest of the bands out there right now.

No obvious jangling 50s rock references, no sugary sweet 60s pop inspiration, no dance floor ready electronic beats, Savages inhabits a unique space in the current world of music – similar to Television in the mid-70s, Joy Division in the late 70s, and dare I say it, the Strokes in the early aughts. Lofty references I know, but since that moment, just a few months ago, when Savages burst from out of nowhere as a fully-formed band replete with a coherent sound and aesthetic they’ve pummeled growing audiences with their audacious brand of post-punk.

In the span of only a few short months, they’ve released a freakishly good EP, sold out shows faster than Swedish House Mafia (not that I like the band, it’s just absurd how quickly they can sell out shows), and have been the subject of Hedi Slimane’s lens. Needless to say, this band’s headed places. My only fear is that the intense adoration, rocket-like rise, and close scrutiny in such a short amount of time will have an adverse effect, but I’d love to be proven wrong. Well, if their star does ever burn out, we’ll always have Mercury Lounge.

Have a gander at some raw footage taken by some nice folks who took the time to film it, I on the other hand, was far too busy thrashing about like a mad man to do anything. 

Hedi Slimane and Savages

I was checking in to see what visual delights Hedi Slimane had dreamed up, and, lo and behold, what should I see, but an entire photo series featuring London’s hottest new post-punk band, Savages.

To say nothing of the fact that they’ve smashed the indie world in the face and sprung from the womb of Joy Division as a fully formed force of nature, these photos are amazing. Slimane’s crisp black and white photos fit perfectly with the bands black and white aesthetic, so really it’s a match made in heaven.

Have a look at a few of my favorites below and be sure to head over to Slimane’s photoblog to see the rest oh and be sure to listen to "City's Full" and "Flying to Berlin."

Savages – Flying to Berlin

Ever since Savages kicked in the door and sent wood splinters flying everywhere, metaphorically speaking of course, I haven’t been able to get enough of their dark malevolence.

With a sound steeped in Joy Division, listening to Savages feels like you’ve unleashed Pandora’s Box and as the world quietly slides into chaos, you watch numbly in stunned silence. Darkly sensual, yet with an underlying malice, there’s something eerily provocative about French-born Jehnny Beth’s vocals.

Listen to “Flying to Berlin” below and get your skin crawling – but in a fun, sexy way.

Savages – “City’s Full”

The cold, distant style of Joy Division lives on in Savages. Infusing that wondrous spacey sound with plenty of noise rock, this quartet from London will blow your mind.

Aside from the thrumming Tranmission-esque riff, the vocals draw you in with all their primordial glory – there’s something about those short screams and screeches that are oddly charming.

Watch the live performance of “City’s Full,” filmed at the band’s debut London show at Shacklewell Arms, below.