Pickled Priest Mixtape: Our Favorite Songs of 2012
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- 14 min read
I've been delinquent keeping up on the 21st century years in this recurring feature, so today we pound out 2012, which apparently happened at some point. Here are our favorite songs from that year and it's staggering how many songs were considered. In the end, these fought off all competition.
PICKLED PRIEST'S FAVORITE SONGS OF 2012
SIDE A
26 "Black Holes in My Brain" | Barry Adamson
I might be suffering from black holes of the brain myself. The lost memories are stacking up: album titles, car keys, passwords, birthdays, why I went downstairs, names of people I met yesterday, etc. At least I now have a plausible explanation thanks to Barry Adamson, one-time bassist for Magazine and early member of Nick Cave's Bad Seeds. He's been around forever it seems and has some pretty eclectic solo records to his name (at least the ones I've heard). They are usually funky, jazzy, cinematic, and experimental all at the same time. His 2012 album, I Will Set You Free, starts off with "Set Your Mind Right" and segues into "Black Holes in My Brain," which indicates that getting into his right mind might not be possible anymore due to an unexpected cranial glitch. I can relate. Thankfully, Barry repeats the song's title at the end of each lyric which makes the main hook impossible to forget. Problem solved!
25 "Castro Halloween" | Chuck Prophet
Is the pain all yours? Is the pleasure mine?
Don't you think it fair that we trade sometime?
Chuck Prophet's vastly underrated Temple Beautiful is perhaps the closest San Francisco will ever get to having their own localized version of Lou Reed's 1989 album, New York. It has a similar deep level of familiarity with its surroundings, making it a highly credible cultural document of a complex, multi-layered city with a rich history. Temple Beautiful was the name of a short-lived punk club in SF in the late-70s/early-80s (set between the Fillmore West and Jim Jones's Peoples Temple, no less!) and the album has the feel of an 'insider's guide' that cannot be faked, even when a song does not reference specific places or characters. There's never a moment when it feels like a song could be set anyplace else. I wouldn't say "Castro Halloween" is a sister song to Reed's "Halloween Parade" but I wouldn't say it isn't either. One thing is for certain, it's certainly worthy of such esteemed company.
24 "Old Lady" | Sinead O'Connor
When you think of Sinead O'Connor you don't immediately think of her sense of humor, but she most certainly had one. "Old Lady" is an atypical love song that finds Sinead playing the long game with a love interest. For now, showing her true feelings is deemed "uncool," so her convoluted plan is to ignore her chosen man in the present and circle back to him later in life, where they will presumably grow old together. (No wonder she got divorced four times!) The reasons for this approach are not provided. All she knows is that she longs for the day when he will call her "his girl" and make her "laugh like an idiot, not be so serious." It's a satisfying image. I like the idea of Sinead letting her guard down and laughing like an idiot. I only wish we got to see that side of her more often.
23 "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards" | Tame Impala
"Feels Like We Only Go Backwards" is like floating (backwards) down a kaleidoscopic black hole only to emerge serendipitously in 1967. The lyrics, on the other hand, take the Summer of Love and jam it in reverse gear, where every attempt to move a relationship forward is futile. A psychedelic classic manufactured in the 21st century is the end result.
22 "Same Love" | Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (ft. Mary Lambert)
I know some have quibbles with certain parts of this song, but I think we can all agree with the powerful overarching message of acceptance and equality, which is undeniably powerful, not to mention moving. Any song that elicits such a deeply felt physical reaction has accomplished something substantial. Damn right I support it.
21 "Give Out" | Sharon Van Etten
There were your eyes
In the dark of the room
The only ones shining
The only set I had met in years
What a poet. You can feel the high stakes in Sharon's stark, resigned vocal, especially when she admits,You're the reason why I'll move to the city / Or why I'll need to leave. You can just tell when a song is real and this song puts your right there as her mind contemplates ending or continuing a relationship. It's also an indictment of self to a degree. She asks herself at what point will she give out instead of holding out? Is she able to? The more she contemplates the situation, the more she repeats her dilemma, the more likely the song's title seems to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
20 "Smoke 2 Joints" | Macy Gray
I can't think of many artists more qualified to cover the Toyes "Smoke 2 Joints" than Macy Gray (possibly Snoop, but that would be almost too obvious). The original is a solid reggae groover from 1983, but Macy elevates it to, uh, a higher level here, as only someone with her naturally eccentric disposition can. And don't talk to me about Sublime's sub-sublime cover from 1992. It's OK to admit that it sucks now, we're all friends here. Let's face it, Macy on her best day sounds like she's at least a few spliffs deep and her personality just fits the song better than anyone who has ever covered it. So it's decided, the definitive version belongs right here with the divine Ms. Gray.
19 "Swimming Pools (Drank)" | Kendrick Lamar
Add this to the list of great songs about the bottle and the damage done, even though some might co-opt the "swimming pool full of liquor/dive in" chorus as a party anthem when on the dancefloor. Gotta listen more closely when Kendrick works, however, as the rest of the song isn't anything to celebrate. Even more powerful as the lead-in track to Lamar's 12-minute epic, "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst"—a devastating daily double if there ever was one.
18 "Generals" | The Mynabirds
Laura Burhenn, the soulful force behind the Mynabirds, doesn't fuck around. She's a badass, plain and simple. "Generals" is preach and practice all in one song, the feminist anthem women needed at the time and still need now. I don't understand why it didn't become one. There's still time. It's got the precision stomp of a military parade and a Braveheart-esque rallying cry for a chorus. I'm a guy and this still makes me want to join the fight.
17 "Your Parent's Cocaine" | The Coup
I will make a mixtape for every year from 1955 onward by the end of this mixtape series and only one of those songs will prominently feature the kazoo. Yup, you guessed it, now is that time. It isn't much of a shock that Boots Riley and the Coup are the ones responsible for making that happen. You can always expect the unexpected from Boots, a guy who, to say the least, lives outside the box (I mean, have you seen his directorial debut film, Sorry to Bother You?). So, as a result, we get a song loaded up with copious amounts of glorious kazoo. Things that will never be said: I've got a fever and the only cure is more kazoo. True, it'll never ascend to cowbell status, but it does fit the playful absurdity of this song perfectly, which takes on spoiled trust fund babies and their cocaine snorting parents. You know, the people everyone loves to hate. Which explains the song's final lyrics: Now do the world a favor and blow your fucking brains out! I never claimed he didn't take things too far.
16 "I Love the Way You Seal a Deal" | Santah
I discovered this Chicago band at a VFW hall in a far distant suburb of the city entirely by happenstance one night in 2012 and I was immediately smitten by their dreamy pop sound. There's nothing I love more than stumbling into a great new band unexpectedly. They played to about 50 people that night but you'd think it was a major label showcase based on how they performed. Total dedication, total immersion. They played love songs of some kind, but quite unusual ones despite the typical topical. "I Love the Way You Seal a Deal" alone sold me on their EP, You're Still a Lover, and so did their 2010 debut record, which I bought from the band after I spent some time gushing about the show to their two lead singers. I left hoping they'd make a mark someday. Sadly, they didn't stay together for long. A bummer, but at least I'll always have the music I heard that evening.
15 "Sixteen Saltines" | Jack White
Jack's blue period has been fruitful, but it initially proved its viability (like it was ever in doubt) with the titanic opening riff of "Sixteen Saltines." It's a monster. The whole record was a wild, weird, demented affair and that's exactly how I like him.
14 "Really in Love" | Royal Headache
Get back together already! I lament the breakup of Sydney, Australia's Royal Headache to this day. They checked all of my boxes. Raw, real, loud, live, spontaneous, reckless, soulful, and sloppy (in the best way). It was a joy to behold when these qualities all came together as they did throughout their self-titled 2012 LP. The early press packet asked "What would Otis Redding have sounded like fronting a punk band?" and that had me positively frothing at the mouth to get at this album. I'm not sure the claim was entirely apt, but I got the point despite the hyperbole. Picking a song from the album is akin to picking one Ramones song from their debut album—you can't do it without a lot of hand-wringing. So "Really in Love" is the choice, a song that shows a bit of a softer side of the band (at least lyrically). The whole album is 30-minutes of back-alley drag racing of the highest order, so go all in every time.
SIDE B
13 "Kill My Blues" | The Corin Tucker Band
The great thing about Sleater-Kinney is that the two frontwomen balanced each other out perfectly. A little Corin, a little Carrie, often both at once. But what if we carved one out and put them on her own? Well, it worked once, back in 2012, when the the Corin Tucker Band released their second record post-S-K hiatus. "Kill My Blues" would've been a sure-fire Sleater-Kinney classic if recorded with the band, but Corin's plaintive wail is full-throttle all over the record, with more nuance added than ever before, so it is not one to skip.
12 "Dougou Badia" | Amadou & Mariam
This married Malian duo cut three of the best albums of the new century with their trio of albums Dimanche à Bamako, Welcome to Mali, and 2012's Folila (Music). The duo was always pushing into new areas and "Dougou Badia" found them hooking up with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs Nick Zinner on guitar. Hence, it's no surprise then that this record rocks the most of the three. A&M are still the focal point, but there's an added bite at points that leans toward a modern rock influence. It wasn't needed necessarily, but it still worked. Amadou passed away in 2025, so that's all we'll get from this phenom collaboration of soul mates. But do not, under any circumstances, pass on these records. They are all essential listening.
11 "Carried Away" | Passion Pit
How was "Carried Away" only the fourth single from Passion Pit's 2012 popsterpiece, Gossamer? I don't know how you hear this song and slot it anywhere but in first position. Either way, this little electro-pop gem may be about falling for someone who is bipolar, but it's chorus captures the joyful feeling of not having control of your heart. It was the most infectious pop single of 2012; the best thing ABBA never recorded.
10 "Going Home" | Leonard Cohen
One of the most magical evenings I've ever spent was a 2009 concert by Leonard Cohen at the majestically ornate Chicago Theater. It was where I first witnessed the aging, debonair Leonard Cohen plying his trade with reverence before an adoring audience. On that night, a seemingly endless string of classic songs from his earlier years resonated with me more deeply than they ever had before. I loved the way his sandpapered vocals brought his poems to life once again, but in an entirely different way. He was less ladies man, more dignified gentleman this time. It's now the version of Leonard that I default to most often when I need a Cohen fix. Live in London, which memorialized that tour, is now among my Top 10 most played live records of all-time. I love that record so much; for Leonard's songs, for his self-deprecating humor, for the backing vocals, for the appreciation of his musicians, for the memories it jogs. That would've been enough, a proper fade out, if it wasn't for the series of brilliant solo albums that followed—Old Ideas, Popular Problems, You Want it Darker, and Thanks for the Dance—each demonstrating that once a poet, always a poet. What a way to go out, too--with four records that stand with your best work. "Going Home," featuring a conversation with a higher power, is the first track from his first "comeback" record and it starts off with one of my favorite lines ever written. It was only the beginning of a decade-long denouement that will likely be the soundtrack to my own slow fadeout someday...
I'd love to speak with Leonard
He's a sportsman and a shepherd
He's a lazy bastard
Living in a suit
09 "Home Again" | Michael Kiwanuka
A song that sounds like it should've come with Earth when they originally took it out of the box billions of years ago, there's the distinct feeling that's it has always been with us floating in the ether waiting for its moment to arrive. Michael Kiwanuka was just the right guy to harness its soulful, healing quality. It's an eye-closer. It's a soul-tender. It's a ballad for tired limbs and trampled hearts. No wonder the idea of home has such a soothing effect on many people. It's the only place you can truly be yourself and comfortably ease your mind.
08 "World Upside Down" | Jimmy Cliff
"World Upside Down" may have been inspired by the Occupy movements of 2011-2012, but it seems even more relevant today, with income inequality growing more and more by the day and world affairs in a constant state of upheaval. Jimmy Cliff's music has always had the ability to transcend time and he gifted us one last masterpiece in 2012 with the fittingly titled Rebirth, an album loaded with insightful commentary on the human condition. Don't let the joyful reggae beats fool you--these are songs of great societal importance. In the music of Jimmy Cliff, you'll find everything you really need to know about existing on this troubled planet.
07 "Myth" | Beach House
Victoria Legrand's name sounds like a brand of piano—and an expensive one. Next up on the program at the Chopin International Piano Competition, playing a Victoria Legrand, is...fill in the name of your favorite classical ivory tickler. It's a pleasant coincidence that Legrand also plays the keys herself, albeit of the organic variety. It lends just the right dreamy bed for her voice to soar and settle as she desires, emanating more than projecting, as if emerging out of a rising fog bank. When a Beach House song comes on I have a tendency to stop what I'm doing and listen. How many other singers have that same effect? Extra credit for the synth-generated cowbell-esque clang intro that leads into the dramatic swell of the song's legrand opening. I love little touches like that. Didn't have to be there, but is.
06 "3, 6, 9" | Cat Power
I don’t love this song because I, too, get fierce hangovers when I drink too much wine—that’s just an added bonus. If it was her singing about a field goal kicker adding points to the board, I’d still love it. It just has a soulful cadence you can only find on a Cat Power record—slinky, sexy, cool.
05 "Bang Bang" | Monophonics
I can't help but think that Monophonics' cover of Sonny & Cher's (and later Nancy Sinatra's) simmering "Bang Bang" would've been a great Bond film theme song. It's about time they use a soulful theme again—after all, they've worked well before (Tina Turner, Shirley Bassey, Gladys Knight). "Bang Bang" is white soul at its finest, with Colemine Records' MVS (Most Valuable Singer) Kelly Finnigan ripping through a nasty take on a song that has historically been done in more of a spaghetti western style in the past. So get Barbara Broccoli on the phone, stat. Or fucking Bezos, whomever. It's never too late to bring some real soul back to the British Secret Service.
04 "Death to My Hometown" | Bruce Springsteen
It’s hard not to view this song in the context of Bruce's classic Born in the U.S.A. ballad, "My Hometown." It's embedded in its title, after all. Even though it’s not an outright sequel—if anything, a prequel—it does deal with the demise of a hometown. This time, the responsible parties are targeted more directly. Only Bruce could use the term "robber barons" in a 21st century song and get away with it. Where "My Hometown" was relayed with resignation, "Death to My Hometown" is told in a much angrier voice. Aging has a way of bringing out one's "zero fucks" persona, especially as you witness the same greed-based scenarios play out over and over with no ramifications or accountability. In a brilliant take, Bruce gives the song the feel of an Irish jig from the 1800s, which only highlights the fact history repeats itself. It's a song that can be sung by working stiffs in a local pub or at a barn dance in the rolling Irish countryside. The lyrics hit hard, just like the material Bruce recorded for his Seeger Session album. Some themes are tragically timeless. Thankfully, as long as he’s alive, Bruce seems more game than ever to take up a righteous cause—proven by the 76-year-old's recent tour, where he's been louder and angrier and more direct than ever before. He's never taken things lying down and he ain't about to stop now.
03 "Getaway" | Dr. John
Very few artists deserve the ‘National Treasure’ tag, but Dr. John is most certainly one of them. To get such a designation, you have to be a true original, a real talent, and being a voodoo priest doesn’t hurt either. He was a living legend until he died, which is how it usually goes; now he's a dead legend. He left this world as one of thee definitive New Orleans musicians. He positively embodied that cajun mystique. I saw him live in a suburb of Chicago once years ago and even during that show he was spreading his voodoo spells (literally), shaking bells and releasing potions like he was exorcising an evil pox from the theater stage. While Dr. John was thought by many to be a curio from another right time and right place, his 2012 Dan Auerbach-produced LP, Locked Down, quietly became our #3 record of that year. Over a decade later, it hasn’t budged. “Getaway” brings with it a groove manufactured by time, location, and possibly a couple chicken legs, the tooth of a bayou witch, a scoop of graveyard dirt, and hummingbird feather.
02 "The Only Place" | Best Coast
Why would you live anyplace else? I say dump the current state song ("I Love You, California") and swap it for this audio postcard from the Golden State. Apologies to the Beach Boys, but it's all right there in the band name. West Coast, Best Coast. How many times have you told someone "There's no place I'd rather be right now"? Maybe you even meant it. But, in reality, everybody knows they'd rather be in California.
01 "The House That Heaven Built" | Japandroids
They titled their album Celebration Rock as if they knew that's exactly what rock and roll needed in 2012. Hell, it's what it needs today—to not worry about the genre's longevity, viability, or place in modern society. Instead, it deserved to be glorified and invigorated with the infectious enthusiasm of two drunken buddies on an midnight bar crawl through the city. This is the sound of cruising down the highway with the windows down, vocals yelped at top volume, as the city lights rush by in a blur. We all know nothing is built to last anymore and Japandroids was short-lived by design—after all, you can't live this way forever—but supernovas are spectacular as they happen and stick in your mind long after they're gone. Chanting along to the wordless chorus of "The House That Heaven Built" is my eternal reminder of the power of rock & roll to keep us young at heart.
______________________
Oh, oh, oh, oh,
Oh, oh, oh, oh!
Cheers,
The Priest