Zoë Wyner has played in various Boston bands (most recently No Comply) and has worked at a number of local record stores over the years (Planet, Dynamite (RIP), Weirdo, etc). She also DJs semi-regularly – her next DJ appearance will be held at the Brookline Booksmith as part of Mr. Ian Svenonius’ bookreading/seance. Stay tuned for new musical projects in 2013.
Her list:
Zoe Wyner’s Top 10 from 2012 (or 5 reasons to love australia)
Boomgates – Double Natural
I didn’t intend to list these albums in any sort of order, but this definitely has ended up being my album of the year. This weird Australian jangle pop “supergroup” (or whatever) is comprised of members of eddy current supression ring and dick diver, among others. There are plenty of double vocals & jangly guitars that meet somewhere between the anxious energy of eddy current and the spacier/occasionally jazzier dick diver. cannot recommend enough, listen a million times over.
Lenz – Under Neon EP
Andy Human has continued down whatever fantasticly glam-y road he’s been on, and both of his releases in 2012 certainly did not disappoint. This is sort of garage-y power pop meets proper ’80s goth in the best of ways.
Dick Diver – New Start Again
As mentioned above, slightly more chilled out side of australia’s current jangle pop output. Steph Hughes (from Boomgates) occasionally provides vocals for this project, which are some of my favorite moments off the record.
Deep Time – Deep Time
Deep Time – “Clouds” from Hardly Art on Vimeo.
New yellow fever project, but definitely darker, and probably more accessible. It’s less minimalistic than yellow fever, for sure, and perhaps a little more stereolab-esque (see: change in adifer joneseslas’ vocal quality).
White Fence – Family Perfume Vol. 1 & 2
It’s hard for me to get into most stuff these days that tries to pull the tripped-out syd barrett card or even the west coast hippie one, but these guys definitely do it right. Maybe it’s because they somehow come across as being more sincere than most.
Grass Widow – Internal Logic
This record is probably grass widow’s catchiest – they definitely took the best elements of past time and worked from there. One of the best shows of the year (they played twice, even).
Pop Singles – All Gone
This album is easily one of the best jangle pop records to come out of 2012. definitely reminiscent of mccarthy/the dentists, but maybe too sincere (which mostly just ends up being entirely endearing).
Woollen Kits – Shelley 7″
Woollen Kits came out with a full length this year, too, but the 7″ the preceded it is probably my favorite thing they’ve released so far. Clean worship/i <3 you flying nun/etc Chain and the Gang – In Cool Blood
This is on here in part because we are all eternally in love with Svenonius and he can do no wrong, but mostly because that show at Whitehaus in August was truly one of the greatest moments of 2012, RIP. Seriously though, it’s a natural progression for Svenonius. A bit more sparse than the make up/more chilled out than weird war (although this is only really the case on record). Come hug him at the Brookline Booksmith in 2013.
Scott & Charlene’s Wedding -Para Vista Social Club
More Australia, but this time via New York. These guys have been playing out for a couple years, and totally blew me away when i saw them open for Wet Hair/Tyvek over the summer. again, jangles, the clean, etc etc etc
