It’s that special time of year when media outlets begin to dictate to you what albums you were supposed to enjoy this year. Dictate! Guess nobody told them live in a democracy, man. Earlier this month you chose the leader of the free world, you can handle choosing the year’s best albums. But how about also choosing the year’s best videos, songs, new acts, indie rock crushes, TV shows, movies, and viral videos?
Welcome to the annual Gummy Awards, and as always, the Stereogum and Videogum families invite you to play a plum role in determining which artworks and humans are remembered as 2012′s finest. This year we’re sweetening the pot by giving away an iPad With Retina Display (WiFi + Cellular, 32GB) to one lucky voter selected randomly. To enter, fill out the ballot below AND share your Best Album pick in the comments. This is real. Gummys The Vote™. Here we go:
Polls close on Wednesday 12/5 at 12 PM EST. Check out last year’s winners here.
 |
 |
Leave a Reply
Sign in Sign in with FacebookYou must be logged in to post, reply to, or rate a comment.
Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas
Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music
also, Best Show – Downton Abbey
SYBIIIILLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is every music publication going to have Channel Orange as album of the year kinda like with MBDTF a few years back or will it be mixed?
for the first time i can remember, i would have no problem with a sweep.
it’s too long, and yes in a bad way
I feel like that’s one that everyone was crazy about when it came out but didn’t seem to be the clear album of the year as other records came out.
I would put a sweep to either Channel Orange or good kid, m.a.a.d city
I really hope “good kid, m.A.A.d. city” doesn’t sweep. the voicemail messages get old quick and “Compton” is a weak closer. Should’ve ended on “Real” with the film reel winding down.
It’s definitely one of the best albums of the year because all other tracks are fire, but I feel like those are enough flaws to knock it out of the #1 running.
wow I completely agree with you
I’m really wanting to combine the beginning of Backseat Freestyle with the end of the Krispy Kreme video nomination.
UH
Krispy had a Kreme
Krispy had a KREME
KENDRICK HAVE A KREME
All my life I want money and doughnuts…
u base everything off pfork ratings?
If Fiona Apples album doesn’t win, it’s just because people can’t remember the full title.
Also, I’d be surprised if any video could top “Every Single Night” (though I am willing to be pleasantly surprised0.
I voted MIA’s “Bad Girls” for that spot, because it’s fucking awesome.
I was having a small discussion with Raptor Jesus about these awards yesterday, and I had to laugh about the history of the “Indie Hottie” (male) away. When Pitchfork had its People’s List, there was an article from a feminist blog about how most of the voters were overwhelmingly white and male, and I would imagine that would be a similar breakdown here. What I’m getting at is that it’s a little funny realizing that the Male Indie Hottie superlative is most likely chosen not by legions of beautiful indie-listening babe, but by a bunch of frumpy heterosexual white music dorks, who I am sure are all comfortable with their sexualities anyway.
I also posted my 25 Best Songs of 2012 this week. I would love to hear what all my well-versed-in-indie-ish-music frienemies here think!
What’s your website? I’m interested in seeing your list but the link to the website isn’t on your page anymore
I’ll put it back in my profile for the time being, so you can find it there.
Good list. I’m surprised to see the Liars on there. No. 1 and no. 2 I’m in close agreement with you.
Thank you, sir. You always make sense, Sentz.
Google “Awkward Sound” — he took down the web site link on his profile.
This year I left the Indie Male Crush Blank because nothing came to mind instantly and I didn’t feel like dwelling.
Female crush is Zola Jesus obvs; we have same last name.
I think that’s called incect RJ
Worked for the Targaryens! Why not Jesus?
female crush was definitely the category that I had to put the most thought into, don’t want to get that one wrong
I dunno man, Jessie Ware puts the weight into my little heart.
does janelle monae qualify as “indie?”
apropos only to the fact that i didn’t know about this until this morning and i think some of you might like to know about it too… did you guys realize there was a 60-song collection of Frank Ocean songs from back when he was Lonny Breaux in the pre-”Nostalgia, Ultra” days?
I’m gonna do this in a way less graceful way than Michael_, (http://happymusicsadmusic.blog.com/2012/11/21/frank-oceans-lonny-breaux-collection-dozens-of-early-tracks/) but I’ve spent the day listening through all sixty of these songs and I can honestly say there’s not a single BAD song among them….
dude’s a fucking genius you guys, seriously….
#1 and #2 are GREAT choices. Also it’s good to see “I’ll Be Alright” getting its due props.
i voted 4 u michael_
every category
Kind of beside the point, but I remember reading an article somewhere (possibly the same one you’re talking about) complaining that Pitchfork’s People’s List only represented Pitchfork’s readers.
…And that was the day I came to realize that people are stupid.
Ah yes, that was the Slate article written by Jody Rosen. Terrible points abounded. The comments section was fun, though.
nice list mikey. love the comeback kid inclusion – SUCH a jam
Thanks, D-tits! Hope you enjoy some very moist, succulent turkey tits this Thanksgiving.
lol suckled off many a succulent turk-tit back in October up here in Canada, EH during our annual giving of thanks for the land. i sure do miss those turk juices though…
you enjoy your t-giving and i hope the juices flow like the milk from a turktit
I do think there would be a similar white male breakdown, but as we learned in the comment sections of the Thomas Gabel transitioning to Laura Jane Grace articles, there’s an awful lot of us gays here. That might kinda even out the accuracy of the “Indie Hottie” (male) category a little. (Although I’m just in crazy-stalker-love with Justin Vernon so I feel like my vote is too biased to be counted, if I’m honest :P)
I was about to comment on the problem of no one in indie being hot, but then DAUGHN GIBSON!!!
*Votes*
Tough call between Dee Dee and Frankie Rose for crush, but I ended up going with Dee Dee.
Parenthetical Girls’ Privilege (even if its been released over the past 2 years in 4 track EPs).
Truly a testament to the evolution and maturation of their songcraft over their career. Best life act ive seen this year too.
agreed
agree.[img]http://s07.flagcounter.com/mini/DymW/bg_ffffff/txt_fffffc/border_ffffff/flags_0/.jpg[/img]
Ty Segall – Slaughterhouse
Ty Segall Band*
Which technically makes it a new artist doesn’t it?
Grizzly Bear, Grizzly Bear, Tame Impala!
Grizzly Bear, Grizzly Bear, Mac DeMarco!
Best Album: A. C. Newman — “Shut Down the Streets”
Cloud Nothings – Attack On Memory
I hope people still remember it!
Wow I almost forgot about that, thanks for reminding me. That album is my jam.
Album: Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan
Song: Todd Terje – Inspector Norse
Video: Rhye – The Fall
New Artist: Elite Gymnastics
TV show: Mad Men
Song of the year: SLEEPING UTE!
I had to go with “Five Seconds”
Always came across as perfect to me.
channel ORANGE – Frank Ocean
Purity Ring – Shrines
Metric – Synthetica
you are a gem
father john misty – fear fun
Dirty Projectors killed it this year with Swing Lo Magellan.
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Mature Themes
I thought I might be the only one! I don’t mean to burn any bridges, but I can’t get enough of those bitches.
The Walkmen – Heaven
Voted for Lace Curtains-The Garden Of Joy And The Well Of Loneliness despite it having less than 0 percent chance of winning. Hope Japandroids and Cloud Nothings get a nice voter turnout also.
Grimes – Visions
Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory: Superb.
The Music Tapes – Mary’s Voice
Winterfylleth- The Threnody of Triumph
METZ – METZ
Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory for best album,
The Henry Clay People – Twenty-Five for the Rest of Our Lives is a very close second
Also, St. Vincent holds the top ranking for Indie Crush, though Claire Boucher is getting up there.
I loved a lot of records this year—DPs, Cloud Nothings, Perfume Genius, El-P—but the one I loved the most was “Tramp” by Sharon Van Etten.
Song: Death Grips “I’ve Seen Footage” (almost went with Japandroids)
Video: Perfume Genius “Take Me Home”
New Act: Can’t remember if I put Azealia Banks or Kishi Bashi. Short-term memory is going.
Crush: Damian Abraham / Annie Clark
Show: Toss-up between Parks and Rec and Louie.
Movie: Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Yes! Serpents is such an amazing song
Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory
song: Laura – Bat For Lashes
video: Bad Girls – M.I.A.
new act: Frank Ocean
crush: Zooey Deschanel
show: Mad Men
movie: Moonrise Kingdom
viral video: I don’t know what any of those things mean
i own too many beach house shirts to not vote for beach house/victoria
The Shins – Port of Morrow
I’m glad someone said this, because it really is a great album. Unfortunately, people seemed to move on after a couple weeks.
Yeah, I just based it on what I played the most. I found I kept coming back to this one.
Purity Ring — Shrines
Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II get my vote.
Dan Deacon – America
Chromatics — Kill For Love
Definitely. Also I put Johnny Jewel for male crush. (Female crush: Charli XCX of course. “Heartbreaks and Earthquakes” is my second favorite album of the year.)
Oh snap?! Michael_ just got me listening to XCX and I was unawares of a mixtape. It’s a Thanksgiving miracle!
Also Johnny Jewel is a good call. Just last night I was thinking, “Oh yeah Frank Ocean! He’d even be down…”
Her “Super Ultra” mixtape is pretty good too, especially the second half.
On another note, I admit I have seen none of the “Best Viral Videos,” and there’s no option to not select one. So I guess “Drunk Man Sings Seal To Cat” is going to win, since it’s first on the list. And that’s a video I don’t even need to watch. All I need is the title and my imagination.
I’m really looking forward to Jojo’s new mixtape next month, this was a great year for throw-back Pop and R&B.
Saw this comment a while ago, and it occurred to me that the last I’d heard or seen of JoJo was when she was in “RV” with Robin Williams. I admit this made me a bit skeptical about the potential quality of her music. Then I listened to “Demonstrate,” “In the Dark,” and her cover/remix of “Marvin’s Room”. Short story long, I’ll be paying attention to her from now on. And I will not doubt you again, Sloth.
Have you heard the drumless version they put out? It’s pretty great and I think some of the songs even benefit from being stripped down like that (The Page and Kill For Love in particular).
Agreed. Loved Drumless and burned a copy and jammed it in the car even (Only way to listen to Chromatics is in the car IMO).
“The River” is another highlight, although it got a better stripped down version recorded as “Streets on Fire” at the end of SYMMETRY’s “Themes For An Imaginary Film”.
I like how Mr. Jewel re-sequenced the Drumless version. His dedication to his art is unmatched.
Grimes – Visions
How To Dress Well – Total Loss
It was a “good” (kid, maad city) and “bad” (Girls- MIA video and “” Religion- Frank Ocean) year
Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan
HEY HOLD ON A SECOND ON THAT BEST ALBUM DECISION PEOPLE!!! Remember the year isn’t over until Kevin Shields says it is….
I saved the top spot on my top 10 list for this album, if he actually drops it. Even if it sucks it’ll probably be #1 anyway.
Seeing as how my #1 album of the year has an album cover that is more or less an homage to “Loveless” — I too would likely trump all other albums for new MBV.
Frank Ocean – Channel Orange
Song: Tame Impala – feels like we only go backwards
New act: Lord Huron
Crushes: Frank Ocean and Claire Boucher
TV Show: Breaking Bad
Video: HYFR
Movie: Room 237
hell yes on that feels like b-wards
Liars – WIXIW
Me too: Liars – WIXIW. Absolute mood masterpiece.
Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
… This came out in 2011, but yeah who gives a damn, my REAL favorite albums of 2012 were the A.R. Kane Singles Collection and the Ram Remaster.
Good point sloth, there’s a lot of albums that I just started listening to but didnt come out in 2012. Andrew Jackson Jihad’s Knife Man is amazing
He is a hungarian.
Synthetica by Metric. Happy Thanksgiving everyone
Jherek Bischoff – Composed…. not that anybody else seems to have listened to it…
It’s absolutely awesome!
my votes:
Album: Swans – The Seer
Song: Future – Same Damn Time
and some other stuff, including a vote for Game of Thrones in the TV show category.
speaking of The Seer, I finally got the money together and bought the 2CD/DVD Edition and to my surprise, Michael Gira actually signed it on the back, which is fucking awesome. Excited to check out the bonus DVD.
though I might want to change my album choice if Scott Walker or Big Boi blow my mind in December. hopefully they don’t get too overlooked for coming out so late in the year.
Purity Ring- Shrines
Best Album: good kid, m.A.A.d city
Best Song: channel ORANGE
Best Video: Gangnam Style
channel orange isn’t a song…
Jack White – Blunderbuss
Japandroids – Celebration Rock is a very close 2nd
Japandroids – Celebration Rock
Swing Lo Magellan for album, though I did really like the new Deerhoof and almost voted for it.
My actual favorite albums are probably Accelerando by Vijay Iyer and Made Possible by the Bad Plus. But those are “jazz,” which, as far as Sgum is concerned, doesn’t exist.
Tame Impala – Lonerism
(obvs)
yo hoe what about commenter of the year? this shit is a 9 to 5 for some of us and the management needs to scratch our bellies (and lower) every once in awhile or else WE WILL unionize duuuuurrrrrrr
Certainly we can take a vote in a Shut Up, Dude in the coming weeks.
Doesn’t Stereogum do a Top 50 comments of the year post too? Or is that just Videogum? We could take that list, give like 50 points to #1 comment, 49 to #2, etc., etc. and then figure out who killed it overall this year.
Surely Don Tittimus Maximus has multiple high ranking comments in 2012.
This is brilliant. Vote it up so it happens!
shiiiit I’m no RJC, that’s for sure, but I do what I can.
I’m more of a paul mccartney post-breakup. A lot of shit with a few absolute bangers (post-ram obvs – and not including creation in the b-yard, dbl obvs).
or maybe I’m more of a ringo. just consistently good output during the glory days and the class acts appreciate the level of skill and the rest think I suck, but then every so often I drop a little help from my friends or it don’t come easy and everything matches up.
or maybe I’m more of an idiot lolz.
I think your Paul but yr haters clearly think you’re Ringo.
D-Titties, you’ll always be a Coachella headlining Macca in my books :-D
I hate that I fucked up the first “you’re” and got it right by the end of the sentence. It’s almost as if you’re watching me improve at English in real time.
goddammit if you ain’t sweeter than a turkey tit’s milk then I don’t know what is. and that’s the highest compliment I could give anyone.
Karma pays back quick in the Internet age.
Tame Impala playing in my state on my birthday. Oh Yeah!!!
Thee Oh Sees – Putrifiers II
Lonerism. This is easy. They’ve nailed down their own sound, and made one beast of an album.
retread
Frank Ocean – Channel ORANGE
Deftones – Koi No Yokan
The Men — Open Your Heart
Aidan Knight — Small Reveal
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Mature Themes
Japandroids – Celebration Rock
Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory
Mount Eerie-Clear Moon
Regina Spektor – What We Saw From the Cheap Seats
Sleigh Bells – Reign Of Terror
Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory
Was debating putting Gossamer
Best song: The Only Place
It was between this, Take a Walk, and Every Single Night (my best video choice)
Lower Dens – Nootropics
HELL YES
A Place To Bury Strangers – Worship
Swans – The Seer
Wow I really had to think hard on this, too much stuff this year that was excellent, but I chose Chairlift – Something
Swans – The Seer
Swans – The Seer
El-P – Cancer 4 Cure
Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city
ya bish
Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
At first I thought you were telling us why you voted the way you did but then I realized it’s just the album title 0.0
Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d. city
If there was a category for ‘Best blend of two songs on an album’ that would most def go to Titus Andronicus’ ‘Ecce Homo/Still Life With Hot Deuce On Silver Platter’
I voted for Lotus Plaza’s new record, but in all honesty I haven’t even started to think about this yet. Usually a post-Thanksgiving activity for me.
totally forgot about that album and it is SUCH a goodie
I’m starting to think Lockett is the strongest force in Deerhunter now. Two of my favorite Halcyon Digest songs were his: “Desire Lines” & “Fountain Stairs”.
But Spooky Action At A Distance is an incredible feat. Dare I say it is better than any of the Atlas Sound LPs? Such a good listen and “Monoliths” is as big a song as its name implies. Plus I enjoyed the video for “Black Buzz” — not often you see an album’s closing track get music video treatment.
“Jet Out of the Tundra” I think is my favorite. Well, on this album. MY FAVORITE Lotus Plaza song is the one he released as a 10″ – the 9-minute-OMG-Srsly?-track “Come Back” — Seriously, search that song and let your brain thank you. Just… the best.
Thank you for the reminder. this was on heavy rotation this summer.
album: ty segall – twins/slaugterhouse (2. Woods: Bend Beyond; 3. The Men: Open Yr Heart)
song: king tuff – “wild desire”
new artists – royal headache
TV show: The Walking Dead
thank you
Right on man. Woods is my 2nd choice too. I feel like they arent getting nearly enough recognition
Indie Rock Crush: Victoria Legrand
Grizzly Bear – Shields
I’ve got four solid favorites: Beach House’s Bloom (clear favorite for me), Dirty Projectors’ Swing Lo Magellan, Animal Collective’s Centipede Hz, and Perfume Genius’s Put Your Back N 2 It.
Let us NOT forget Perfume Genius.
Thank you! That Perfume Genius album is incredible, I can’t believe it didn’t get more attention.
Indie Crush Leonard Cohen, that is one sexy old bad ass man.
FIONA APPLE – THE IDLER WHEEL…
Chromatics – Kill For Love
Frank Ocean — channel ORANGE.
…There’s really no other way this can go.
So apparently I’ve got the only negative comment on this entire page.
Feels bad man.
Chromatics- Kill For Love
Could have easily been Swing Lo Magellan or Flying Lotus, though.
Blu – Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them
totally underrated.
Japandroids – Celebration Rock
Magic Mike
Grizzly Bear- Shields
The Darkness- Hotcakes. This album totally rocks listen to street spirit (fade out.) DO IT!!!!
Best Album: Chromatics – Kill for Love
Beach house – Myth
Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan
Album: Liars – WIXIW
Song: The Music Tapes – ‘Playing Evening’
Music video: Night Beds – ‘Even If We Try’
New act: Ed Schrader’s Music Beat
Crushing on: Mike Hadreas (Perfume Genius) and Ruth Radelet (Chromatics)
My actually-favourite album this year was Cats On Fire but I sticking to stuff covered on the ‘gum.
Liar’s WIXIW deserves lots of love, in deed.
Animal Collective – Centipede Hz
Although I voted for Cloud Nothings, Lotus Plaza really stole the show this year. Lockett’s shoegazey pop really resonated with me. It’s still my nighttime driving music of choice.
Oh crap I totally forgot about OFF! !!!
I’m in the Frank Ocean boat for albums but what I really hope is that Holy Motors gets some votes for best movie.
Sharon Van Etten – Tramp
Meredith Brooks – Bitch