Big Ugly's Favorite Albums of 2012

It might be a little late to put out a favorite album list for 2012 but we always love sharing our favorites with you, no matter what time of year. Out lists have never been a "Best of..." or the top albums of the past year but instead a collection of some of the music that we listened to over and over again. So as today's new albums come out and we begin again to slowly build our favorites for 2013 we present to you some of Big Ugly Yellow Couch's favorite albums of 2012.

"Rot Gut Domestic" - Margot & The Nuclear So and So's

"Holiday" - Port St. Willow

"Skeptic Goodbye" - You Won't

"Little Broken Hearts" - Norah Jones

"Shields" - Grizzly Bear

"Neck of the Woods" - Silversun Pickups

"Strange Land" - Yellow Ostrich

Port St. Willow - Live at Glasslands

We added Nick of Port St. Willow to our roster of blog performin' buddies one year ago when he stopped by the couch during a trip out east. And, in typical time flies fashion, the gent has done a lot in the days that have passed by. Though some are huge (He released "Holiday", which Pitchfork  gave nearly eight thumbs up to) and some are far (a move from Portland to Brooklyn, which deserves massive musician street cred), he's been playing all over town so, naturally, we stopped by.  As he did one year back, Port St. Willow played the standout track "Amawalk" — only this time, the restrained, essential drumming of Jake Nussbaum added so much to Nick's soaring and heartbreaking voice. 

Don't believe us? Thankfully, technology made it possible to show, instead of tell you. Will this make writing obsolete? Who knows, but with tunes like these, we're fine with just lettin' 'em roll...

PREMIERE: TAN VAMPIRES' "DIGITAL ROT"

There are lots of things we don't understand: Air conditioners. GIF blogs. The type of person who follows a tornado for fun. But, whether you get your kicks from babies making wide-eyed faces on repeat or nature's own theme parks, we've got our hands on something we all collectively won't be able to wrap our brain candy around: Tan Vampires' new video.

 Now, I've seen some tricks in my day — well, more like just a lot of David Blaine documentaries — but I have no idea how this shit happened. Or how it worked. Or why no one went, "wait, this is kind of a pain in the ass, no?" before blowing the rest of the video budget on value menu treats at Wendy's. But, thankfully for all of us, these artists are more dedicated to projects and less obsessed with Frostys than I am.

The (ed. note: brilliant) director discussed how big of an (ed. note: near-psychotic) endeavor this truly was, but you can't truly get a grip on how hard and deep-into-the-cranium-cavern this is without giving it a look. So, look. 9 movies, 9 cameras, one video. Makes all of those other one-shot videos look a whole hell of a lot less special. 

COUCH SESSION: JONQUIL

Couch Session #43: Jonquil

There's something we do at Big Ugly that goes quite undiscussed,
it comes up, it's featured, but often with a hush.
For whoever comes by and plays tunes for us two,
we provide a whole spread, their favorites to chew.
We've had cookies and cakes, chips and dips galore,
but with these boys, it was our falafel they very (very) much adored.
For their second-to-last day in the states before traveling overseas,
we got to play host with hometown comforts to put them at ease.
It's an interesting twist, to do our best to make them relaxed,
when their songs bring to mind many free times that have passed
The bouncy melody on "Mexico", with those punchy keyboards
Two trumpets blaring on "Too Cold" and the reverberating chords,
These guys just sound to us like vacation in a bottle,
a summary of warmer times we wanna obtain full-throttle,
While the band's back at home, living their lives,
and we're here in the city, with a new home in which to thrive,
listening to these songs takes us back with ease,
to a time where palm trees swayed in the summer breeze.
It's rainy today, so if the tropics can't come soon enough,
have Jonquil whisk you there. We promise, it won't be tough:

MP3

Jonquil - "Mexico (live on Big Ugly Yellow Couch)"

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Jonquil - "Real Cold (live on Big Ugly Yellow Couch)"

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Download the entire session
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NEW HOME, SAME BIG UGLY YELLOW COUCH

Yerp, you heard that right. The walls are freshly painted in our favorite shade of Nickelodeon orange, the stuffed animals are snuggling like nothing's changed, and the couch is still as soggy, faded and stunning as always. We might be the only New Yorkers who have moved this many times and lived to tell about it, but if life's an adventure, we're glad to be it's magic carpet. Or something like that.

The Big Ugly HQ have bounced from Williamsburg to Bushwick to our new loft in Greenpoint, where we are just painfully close to Peter Pan doughnuts and awaiting your delivery of them to us as a housewarming gift. Any time of day! Any day. Any hour! (Sorry, Donald. Save me a half.)

If your little Brooklyn biking legs can't get you to the undisclosed location where music magic and internet recordings happen, then don't fret your head for a second. The best part of our big news is that you'll be able to get a peek at our new place so soon. Crazy-kooky-soon. Like, tomorrow soon. Check back in 24 for a glimpse at our newer (better) space, and a band we're terribly excited to share with you.

Over and out,

c+d