BEST WEBSITE 1. Twitter 2. SoundCloud 3. Facebook 4. TheMusic =5. Pitchfork =5. Tumblr PREVIOUS WINNERS: SoundCloud (2011), Facebook (2010), Facebook (2009)
Inpress 2012 Wrap Up huge year in Melbourne, but really, as the cultural capital of the country, when is it not? And remember people, it’s not gloating if you’re telling the truth. With shows from Grimes, Kanye West and even two from Refused, we had our calendar fully marked from January through to December; not even the non-event that was Prince’s after party could take away from the gleam of an absolutely bumper year. Locally, Melbourne acts of all substance took it to the masses: Chet Faker moved feet with his electronic jams, Alpine brought the harmonious love behind songs from their cracker debut and 360 won the adulation of every cap-wearing kid in our city and practically any other, or so it seemed.
A
BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Radiohead 2. Prince 3. Kanye West 4. Spiritualized =5. Grimes =5. Grizzly Bear PREVIOUS WINNERS: Gang Of Four (2011), Pavement (2010), The Flaming Lips (2009)
Even against the conditions, outdoor music sounded just as good as the indoor guff. In searing heat we all made the annual pilgrimage out to Meredith Music Festival once again to sway deliriously at the Natural Amphitheatre to the likes of Spiritualized, Primal Scream, Turbonegro and Twerps, while roughly a month before CherryFest took over Cherry Bar and ACDC Lane, putting together a super varied line-up of loud that attracted respected internationals such as Omar Rodriquez-Lopez and Eyehategod, the event even pulling together local stoner rockers Dern Rutlidge for another crack of the whip. Harvest (thankfully) happened without
Beach House - Bloom
ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 2. Visions GRIMES =3. An Awesome Wave ALT-J =3. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 5. Shrines PURITY RING 6. Bloom BEACH HOUSE 7. Coexist THE XX
Prince
writers’ poll 2012 8. The Haunted Man BAT FOR LASHES 9. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 10. Spring And Fall PAUL KELLY PREVIOUS WINNERS: Let England Shake PJ HARVEY (2011), Innerspeaker TAME IMPALA (2010), Merriweather Post Pavilion ANIMAL COLLECTIVE (2009)
MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Nuggets: Antipodean Interpolations Of The First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968 VARIOUS 2. Trilogy THE WEEKND =3. The Velvet Underground & Nico (45th Anniversary) THE VELVET UNDERGROUND =3. The Soul Of Melbourne VARIOUS
Chet Faker
writers’ poll 2012 BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE
a hitch this year and there were all the festival expected standards earlier in the year that went off famously.
1. Twerps 2. Chet Faker 3. Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes 4. Pond 5. Tame Impala
Venue-wise we lost a couple of the good ones this year. There will be no more Pony 2am sets, at least in the near future, as one of our most esteemed live venues sadly shut its doors a few weeks ago after over a decade of good, honest hedonistic fun. There’s been talk of a new lease and further good times following renovations though, so we cross our fingers to hang onto the nag. Brunswick’s Phoenix Public House was another room closing up for its last time, with property leasing once again a contentious issue. After fighting so hard for live music in our city it’s always a body blow when a few venues are culled; this makes it even more imperative to get out and see some bands in 2013!
PREVIOUS WINNERS: Grinderman (2011), Eddie Current Suppression Ring (2010), Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (2009)
PREVIOUS WINNER: 12 Days To Paris (reissue) HUXTON CREEPERS (2011)
SONG OF THE YEAR
Plan B - iLL Manors
1. Elephant TAME IMPALA 2. Feels Like We Only Go Backwards TAME IMPALA 3. iLL Manors PLAN B 4. Breezeblocks ALT-J =5. Ruin CAT POWER =5. Pyramids FRANK OCEAN
PREVIOUS WINNERS: Somebody That I Used To Know GOTYE (2011), Tightrope JANELLE MONÁE (2010), Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) BEYONCE (2009) Twerps
Mad Men
BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. Mad Men 3. Girls 4. Homeland 5. Boardwalk Empire PREVIOUS WINNERS: Breaking Bad (2011), Mad Men (2010)
BEST MOVIE 1. Skyfall 2. Moonrise Kingdom 3. The Dark Knight Rises 4. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower 5. The Avengers PREVIOUS WINNERS: The Tree Of Life (2011), Inception (2010)
We probably can’t have a wrap-up either without giving mention to our everyman pop hero Gotye. His success of last year subsequently rolled over into 2012, where his inescapable Kimbra duet, Somebody That I Used To Know, found its way to the top of the charts in the US, the UK and enough other countries to keep his passport continually stamped for the year’s duration. He also managed to snag three Grammy nominations for his troubles, including a nod in the much sought after category, Record Of The Year. The aforementioned single has now shifted a lazy ten million units, while his record, Making Mirrors, has gone through two million checkouts. Not bad for a bloke who really just likes tinkering with sounds at home. And following that horrible fall at his home late last year, local larrikin and music industry legend Molly Meldrum made a full recovery, even seeing the funny side of the whole incident by doing a live cross at the ARIAs from atop a ladder while simultaneously putting Guy Sebastian’s sexuality into question – what a man!
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Beautiful rock pigs and club gurners of Melbourne, we salute you for sharing this fun and vibrant ride with us throughout 2012. But stay strapped in, ‘cause we want to take this ride all over again. Have a good holidays and we’ll be back here writing for you first thing next year.
1. Frank Ocean 2. Grimes 3. Tame Impala 4. Twerps 5. Radiohead PREVIOUS WINNERS: PJ Harvey (2011), Kanye West (2010), Lady Gaga (2009)
Primal Scream pic by Leah Robertson
Skyfall
The Inpress Team