Three Colours' Year End List (2012)

Not another Year End List

2012 is officially in the books, and Three Colours has compiled its very favorites of the year. In our opinion, here's the best music of 2012. You may be surprised to see a year-end list released this late into the year, but after all the life-changing events that have occurred over the year, I'm just happy to finally get this out there. 2012 was a crazy great year!

Top 13 LPs of 2012

13 :: Twin Shadow – Confess

It only took me 5 seconds to fall in love with Twin Shadow's newest LP. Confess is chalk-full of retro-stylized rock and R&B that somehow maintains a contemporary groove.

12 :: Grimes – Visions

Claire Boucher offers up a beautifully crafted album of otherworldly electro-pop, shape-shifting throughout the entire record. Visions may be the most unique album of '12.

11 :: The xx – Coexist

Picking up where they left off, The xx deliver yet another amazing collection of intimate, smooth jams. Lacking the catchy hooks found on their debut LP, Coexist is slightly less memorable.

10 :: Vacationer – Gone LP

After wowing listeners with the "Gone" Single and the Gone EP, Vacationer added some more hits on this long player. No travel guide necessary for where this album takes you.

09 :: Lord Huron – Lonesome Dreams

Lonesome Dreams plays out like an epic western adventure. One of my most anticipated albums of 2012, the debut lives up to hype generated by the Mighty and Into The Sun EPs.

07 :: Sharon Van Etten – Tramp

Emotion-fueled folksy ballads with lush arrangements make Tramp a powerful listen. This LP is the sequel to Fiest's The Reminder that I've been longing.

06 :: Tanlines – Mixed Emotions

Electro-pop at its finest. Tanlines harness their uncanny ability to write catchy tunes that never wear out after repeated spins. 

05 :: Django Django – Django Django

This self-titled masterpiece is probably one of the most fun albums on this list. Very interestingly new sound, which lots of jingle jangle grooves.

05 :: Tame Impala – Lonerism

Tame Impala's sophomore LP is part throwback to '60s psych rock, part something entirely new... all amazing.

04 :: alt J – An Awesome Wave

A serious amount of hype followed this UK band, and after one listen to this genre-jumping debut, you'll soon understand why. Alt J's unique mix of indie rock sensibilities makes them a breath of fresh air in a musical landscape of imitators.

03 :: Kishi Bashi – 151a

Kishi Bashi creates fantastical dreamscapes and magical fairy tales throughout the amazingly wonderful 151a. Regardless of your mood, this LP is guaranteed to lift the spirits of any listener.

02 :: St. Lucia – St. Lucia

While this technically is an EP, this self-titled 6-song record plays like a full-length and lands into the number 2 spot on this year's best of list. Maybe it's the South African accent or the tropical-infused instrumentation, but this album plays out like an exotic island vacation.

01 :: Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits

Faithful readers of Three Colours should find no surprise in 2012's best LP. When I witnessed Britt Daniel cover Wolf Parade's "Modern World" back in 2010, I told myself it couldn't possibly get any better than this. Fast forward to '12, while lamenting over the dissolution of Handsome Furs, I was soon rejuvenated by news of Divine Fits. Worlds collided, and the results were A Thing Called Divine Fits. Excitement alive, as this LP marks the beginning of a beautiful marriage of sound and style that hopefully produces future works of art.

Honorable Mentions

:: Poliça – Give You The Ghost
:: Grizzly Bear – Shields
:: Beach House – Bloom
:: Moonface – With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery
:: The Drums – Portamento

Top 13 Hump Day Power Plays of 2012

Since HDPPs technically started in December of 2011, I've decided to include some of the playlists that originally inspired me to embark on a year of weekly playlists, released every Wednesday, to aid in pushing through the Hump. Notably, a "Year-End" HDPP was compiled in an earlier post to capture the essence of 2012. Below you'll find some of the playlists that seemed to get the most play throughout the year.

13 :: Afternoon Dream Mix (4-18-2012)
12 :: Winter Blues Mix (1-25-2012)
11 :: Spencer Krug Mix (1-11-2012)
10 :: Winter is Coming Mix (11-14-2012)
09 :: Ghost Mix (10-31-2012)
08 :: Premiere Mix (12-7-2011)
07 :: New Wave/Surfer Rock Mix (12-14-2011)
06 :: Dan Boeckner Mix Vol 2 (9-26-2012)
05 :: Day 340 Mix (12-5-2012)
04 :: Hula Dream Mix (4-4-2012)
03 :: Stargazer Mix (6-6-2012)
02 :: Phantasmagoric Mix (7-25-2012)
01 :: Mighty Sea Mix (7-18-2012)

Most Underappreciated of 2011

In recent years, there's always been a few albums that I managed to miss. Whether I was purposely ignored the buzz surrounding these albums, or I just plainly failed to approach the record, they were later "discovered" and enjoyed. Strangely, there weren't any surprises this year that I mistakenly snubbed from last year’s “Best Albums of 2011” list. I will list three albums that I recognized as honorable mentions, but now enjoy probably more than I did after last year's Year-End List. Therefore, I acknowledge that the following were both great LPs and worthy of making the top of ’11.

03 :: Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation
02 :: PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
01 :: Toro Y Moi - Underneath the Pine

[playlist] Hump Day Power Play (1-2-2013)

Year-End Mix, 2012 Edition

Well that was fun! Over one full year of Hump Day Power Plays, and we've compiled 53 mixes to date! Since 2012 is officially in the books, I figured I've give a sample of my year-end list for best albums of 2012. I picked a song from some my favorite albums of 2013. I'm still working on the actual list, so pay no mind to the order in which these songs appear. Just sit back, listen, and enjoy the sounds of '12.

Stream the playlist below (or by clicking here).

:: Hump Day Power Play (1-2-2013) ::
01 ::"Fitzpleasure" – alt-J
02 ::"Flaggin a Ride" – Divine Fits
03 ::"Money" – The Drums
04 ::"Five Seconds" – Twin Shadow
05 ::"Why Won't They Talk To Me?" – Tame Impala
06 ::"Temporary" – White Rabbits
07 ::"Alphabet Song" – Lower Dens
08 ::"Not The Same" – Tanlines
09 ::"Oblivion" – Grimes
10 ::"Myth" – Beach House
11 ::"Dark Star" – Poliça
12 ::"Serpents" – Sharon Van Etten
13 ::"It All Began With A Burst" – Kishi Bashi
14 ::"We Got It Wrong" – St. Lucia
15 ::"The Man Who Lives Forever" – Lord Huron
16 ::"Chained" – The xx
17 ::"Yet Again" – Grizzly Bear
18 ::"Everyone Knows" – Vacationer
19 ::"I'm Not The Phoenix Yet" – Moonface
20 ::"No Future/No Past" – Cloud Nothings

:: Get Spotify ::

[playlist] Hump Day Power Play (10-31-2012)

Ghost Mix

This week's HDPP happens to fall on Halloween, so I thought if fitting to follow a ghostly theme. Of course, my all-time favorite Halloween-themed song is "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" by The North American Halloween Prevention Initiative (video below), but that's unfortunately not available on Spotify. 

Enjoy the playlist, and Happy Halloween!

Stream the playlist below (or by clicking here).

:: Hump Day Power Play (10-31-2012) ::
01 :: "Walking With A Ghost" – Tegan And Sara
02 :: "The Ghost Inside" – Broken Bells
03 :: "Ghost Pressure" – Wolf Parade
04 :: "The Ghost of You Lingers" – Spoon
05 :: "Anyone’s Ghost" – The National
06 :: "The Ghost On The Shore" – Lord Huron
07 :: "Little Ghost" – The White Stripes
08 :: "Tuff Ghost" – The Unicorns
09 :: "Is There A Ghost" – Band of Horses
10 :: "Banana Ghost" – Man Man
11 :: "I Saw a Ghost" – Black Lips
12 :: "Give Up The Ghost" – Radiohead
13 :: "Ghost To Me" – Youth Lagoon

:: Get Spotify ::

[first listen] Lord Huron - Lonesome Dreams

Hear Lord Huron's new album right now!

Head over to NPR's First Listen to hear Lord Huron's debut album Lonesome Dreams in it's entirety!!! To date, the Michigan natives have released two amazing EPs, and I'm so excited to feast my ears on their first proper long player. Physical copies of the album drop in stores October 9 on IAMSOUND Records (pre-order).

The album's second track "Time To Run" should be included in everyone's road trip mix tape. Just listening to it makes me want to hop in the car and start driving toward the wild!

Click here to visit NPR.

[new music] Lord Huron - Lonesome Dreams

Debut LP from Lord Huron!

Lord Huron just released the teaser for the band's debut album, entitled Lonesome Dreams. According to the video below, the album is set to drop on October 9. Check out the snippet of the beautifully crafted "Time To Run", which scores the LP trailer. The band has also announced a handful of tour dates that start in late August, which are posted below.

Lord Huron tour dates:
Aug 24 :: The Geffen Contemporary :: Los Angeles, CA
Sep 21 :: Mojo's :: Columbia, MO
Sep 25 :: Magic Stick Lounge :: Detroit, MI
Sep 27 :: Midpoint Music Festival :: Cincinnati, OH
Sep 28 :: Pygmalion Music Festival :: Champaign, IL
Sep 29 :: The High Watt :: Nashville, TN
Sep 30 :: The Bottletree :: Birmingham, AL
Oct 02 :: Dan's Silverleaf :: Denton, TX
Oct 03 :: Stubb's BBQ (Indoor) :: Austin, TX
Oct 05 :: Drunken Unicorn :: Atlanta, GA
Oct 06 :: Local 506 :: Chapel Hill, NC
Oct 07 :: Black Cat Backstage :: Washington, DC
Oct 08 :: KungFu Necktie :: Philadelphia, PA
Oct 09 :: Mercury Lounge :: New York, NY
Oct 11 :: Great Scott :: Allston, MA
Oct 12 :: Glasslands Gallery :: Brooklyn, NY
Oct 13 :: Mohawk Place :: Buffalo, NY
Oct 15 :: Schubas :: Chicago, IL
Oct 16 :: 7th St. Entry :: Minneapolis, MN
Oct 18 :: Larimer Lounge :: Denver, CO
Oct 19 :: Kilby Court :: Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 20 :: Neurolux :: Boise, ID
Oct 21 :: Barboza :: Seattle, WA
Oct 22 :: Doug Fir Lounge :: Portland, OR
Oct 24 :: The Independent :: San Francisco, CA
Nov 01 :: Casbah :: San Diego, CA

[mp3] Lord Huron - "Auld Lang Syne"

Happy New Year from Lord Huron!

Last January, Lord Huron released a very special holiday cover of "Auld Lang Syne". With the coming of the new year, I'd like to share (via ForceFeld PR) the beautifully crafted renditition of one of my favorite holiday songs. Enjoy, and happy new year!

[new music] Lord Huron - "Man Who Lives Forever"

New Song from Lord Huron

Back in October, Rollo & Grady posted a video series with Lord Huron, capturing the three-song private session that the band played for the LA music bloggers. Earlier, I shared links to two of those songs, "She Lit A Fire" and "The Stranger". A third song, "Man Who Lives Forever", was also shared later, and you can view/hear it above. It's really catchy, and makes me excited about the idea of Lord Huron LP (hopefully in the works).

Lord Huron tour dates:

01-13-12 :: Founders Hall at The Segerstrom Center for the Arts - Costa Mesa, CA

[video] Lord Huron - "Mighty" & "She Lit A Fire"

New video, new songs from Lord Huron

Lord Huron just debuted the video of the title track from their Mighty EP (see above), and they also showcased a new tune entitled "She Lit A Fire", which they performed for Rollo & Grady (see below). The new song was recorded during a three-song private session for the LA music blog, and it was accompanied by performances of "The Stranger" and yet another new song entitled "Man Who Lives Forever". Currently, you can only watch videos of the former two songs, but the latter song will be revealed later this October over at R&G.

In other news, Lord Huron will kick off a series of tour dates with the New Orleans band Givers. See below for the full list, and make sure to check these guys out in a city near you. Last time I saw them in Seattle, I was totally blown away (review here).

Lord Huron Tour Dates:
10/17 :: Raleigh, NC @ Kings Barcade *
10/18 :: Washington, DC @ Black Cat *
10/19 :: New York, NY @ Living Room (Paste CMJ Day Party)
10/19 :: New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge %
10/20 :: Brooklyn, NY @ The Rock Shop (CMJ) #
10/22 :: Clinton, NY @ Hamilton College
10/23 :: Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Downstairs *
10/24 :: Pawtucket, RI @ The Met Cafe *
10/26 :: Toronto, ON @ Wrong Bar *
10/28 :: Nashville, TN @ Exit/In *
10/29 :: Birmingham, AL @ The Bottletree *
11/12 :: San Diego, CA @ Sunset Temple
12/02 :: Los Angeles, CA Skybar @ Mondrian Hotel
12/03 :: San Francisco, CA Velvet Room @ Clift Hotel

* = w/ Givers
# = w/ Strand of Oaks, The Lonely Forest, Dinosaur Feathers
% = w/ Pink Cashmere, Hey Marseilles, The Lumineers, Lissie Trullie

[Letter From The Editor] Three Colours Is Back

When Will I See You Again?

Well, as you may have noticed, it's been a long while since anything has been posted here on Three Colours. I feel like a I owe someone out there an explanation. Sadly, things must always come to an end, and when I enrolled at the University of Washington for graduate school, I knew that my Seattle stint would be indefinitely long. Conscious of this, I think I really took advantage of all the wonderful music opportunities during my six years in the Emerald City. Hopefully I was able to share some of my favorite moments with readers that stumbled across this humble blog. My goal all along was to talk about the bands that I happened to discover and really enjoyed, exposing those bands to anyone willing to read about them. I'm very happy with how it all turned out. But alas, that story has run its course, and once again, I find myself in a new and unexplored land: Southwest Michigan.

Interestingly, one of the last concerts I attended in Seattle was for Lord Huron at the Tractor Tavern. Those who are familiar with these Michigan folksters have probably heard their beautiful "When Will I See You Again", which concludes their amazing Mighty EP. At the very least, it was an emotional night knowing that I could have been experiencing my last Tractor Tavern show for many years. And when this song began, the lyrics for "When Will I See You Again" became so apt for all my feelings of the night, almost like the song could have been a dialogue between me and Seattle. It so perfectly put everything in perspective and wrapped up a wonderful period in the history of my life.

Lyrics:
If you got what you came for why should you stay?
If you know where you're going why delay?
If you won't be returning don't say goodbye.
Turn you back on the ocean and follow the sun through the sky.

I've already forgotten all of your names.
And I cannot remember when you came.
Grab your things and get going. Don't say goodbye.
Turn your back on the ocean. Go see what's out there to find.

It's time to let go.
Goodbye and so long.
All the best along the way.
Couldn't I keep you another day?

When will I see you again?

I have, in fact, turned my back on the ocean, so to speak, and have made the long journey across the country to my new home. I refuse to say goodbye to land of bumbeshoots and sasquatches, because I'm sure I'll be back some day - keeping my Seahawks season tickets has assured me of that. And while Southwest Michigan may not be the musical hot bed that Seattle is, I'm a quick train ride from Chicago which I've already taken full advantage of since moving here (Pitchfork Fest was sweet!).

So I'm not sure what the frequency of posting will be in the future days here at Three Colours, but I hope to continue to share the bands that I'm listening to and maybe even do a concert review here and there. Until next post...

[interview] Lord Huron - Progress Report

Interview with the Lord

Ben Schneider (seen above), the lead singer/creator of Lord Huron, was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions for Three Colours. Currently, Lord Huron is riding a wave of buzz and touring through the heart of the country. Tonight marks the start of their headlining tour - most notably is their just-announced appearance at this year's Lollapalooza (exact date still TBD). The interview proceeds the tour dates. If you get a chance to see these guys live, I highly recommend it.

Lord Huron tour dates:

04/26 - Washington, DC - DC9
04/28 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
04/30 - Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar
05/02 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick Lounge
05/03 - Chicago, IL - Schuba's Tavern
05/07 - Norman, OK - Opolis Coffee
05/08 - Austin, TX - Emo's
05/10 - Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture
05/11 - La Jolla, CA - The Loft at UCSD
05/14 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
08/5-7 - Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza!

Lord Huron Interview

(Three Colours) There seems to be a lot of lore behind the creation of Lord Huron and your two EPs Into the Sun and Mighty. If I'm not mistaken, most of what ended up on these two records was conceived on the beaches of northern Michigan. Would you care to talk a bit about what images/emotions were going on in your life that created such beautiful soundscapes?

(Ben Schneider) My life was changing a lot at that time. Good and bad, as it often goes.

(TC) Did you know from the beginning when you first started writing this music that it would eventually lead to a band?

(BS) I hoped it would, but I didn’t really have any expectations. I really enjoy performing live, so that was always in the back of my mind. Thankfully people responded very positively to the recordings, and I’ve been able to put together a great group.

(TC) Now that you're touring across the country, you've had to adapt these solitary recordings into a road band. What have been the major challenges in this process?

(BS) There’s a lot happening on the records. Ideally I’d have twelve musicians with me every night, but that’s just impossible at this point. The biggest challenge has been attempting to recreate the size and intricacy of the recordings with 5 people. Thankfully, the guys are all incredibly talented. We’re still working it out to be honest. Things change night to night. We’ve only been together for a few months and it just takes time.

(TC) And what would you say has been the most serendipitous additions to your songs that you've experienced while playing these live?

(BS) It feels really great having other musicians to interact with. Each player brings his own personality to the music, and that’s been interesting to hear and work with.

(TC) You just released an EP back in November, but are there any plans to begin crafting an full-length LP, or is one already in the works?

(BS) I’ve continued writing and recording all the while. Not sure what this new material will turn into, but I think we’ll probably release an LP within the next year.

(TC) Will you be entering the studio as a collective, or will it be a solitary recording session again?

(BS) I’d definitely like to get these guys into the studio. I’m really interested in working with a producer as well. I think the right person could do a lot for the songs.

(TC) Do you think you will go back to the beaches of the mighty Huron for more inspiration, or will the Pacific do just the trick?

(BS) I’d like to keep working up there as much as possible. We shot a video there, too, and it’s just a great place to work. I think I’ll probably move back to Michigan before too long.

(TC) I'm a really big fan of your album art. Is that done by one of you guys?

(BS) Thanks. Yes, I do the artwork. Working on the visual aspect of the project has been really enjoyable for me.

(TC) I hate to label a band's sound, so I won't, but I can't help notice an overarching element that reminds me of backpacking through some far-off land. Has travel influenced the sound of these records?

(BS) Travel has been an important part of my life, and so has home. I’ve always had this internal struggle. A strong attachment to home vs. a raging wanderlust. Turns out touring is a pretty good way to handle this.

(TC) While touring, you've probably trailblazed through unexplored territories - do these new cities/places inspire new songs?

(BS) We’re just getting going, but we’ve already had some interesting adventures and encounters. Whether or not they’ll make it into the music remains to be seen.

(TC) Do you have any memorable touring moments that you'd like to share?

(BS) It’s all pretty memorable to us, but I doubt it would be very interesting to others. We’ve met a lot of good folks. No arrests yet, thankfully.

[review] Lord Huron @ Tractor Tavern (4-10-2011)

Lord Huron Went Wild

One would think a rainy Sunday night in Seattle would bear a tepid crowd at the Tractor Tavern. Not the case. Those devoted fans who braved the weather were more than rewarded for their dedication. The Michigan natives (by-way-of Los Angeles) who play under the moniker Lord Huron performed to an eager crowd last night, and they did not disappoint.

Lord Huron began as a solo project for lead singer Ben Schneider, but to put this show on the road, he enlisted the help of a childhood buddy and three other Michiganders. The effect is quite nice - the live version of the band has a rougher, louder edge. Even by falling victim to the Tractor's poor sound quality, the beautiful soundscapes that appear on the Lord Huron's two EPs Into the Sun and Mighty were transformed into a frenetic romp through the band's small catalog. To date, Lord Huron have seven total songs to their name, yet fans heard every single one of them in all their gloriousness. A set list is posted below, and highlights included a beautiful performance of "The Stranger", as well as "We Went Wild", which closed the set with an energy-driven climax. All in all, these guys are making some exciting tunes, and may be coming to a city near you. Check out the dates below, and be sure to catch this act if you can.

Set List :: Lord Huron @ Tractor Tavern (4-10-2011)
Mighty
Into the Sun
The Problem With Your Daughter
Son of a Gun
The Stranger
When Will I See You Again
We Went Wild

Tour Dates :: Lord Huron
04/09 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir*
04/10 - Seattle, WA - The Tractor*
04/12 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill*
04/13 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill*
04/19 - Salt Lake City, UT - The State Room*
04/20 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive*
04/21 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown*
04/22 - St. Louis, MO - Firebird*
04/23 - Indianapolis, IN - Radio Radio*
04/24 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom*
04/26 - Washington, DC - DC9
04/28 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
04/30 - Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar
05/02 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick Lounge
05/03 - Chicago, IL - Schuba's Tavern
05/07 - Norman, OK - Opolis Coffee
05/08 - Austin, TX - Emo's
05/10 - Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture
05/11 - La Jolla, CA - The Loft at UCSD
05/14 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour

* w/ Rural Alberta Advantage

[reminder] Lord Huron @ The Tractor (4-10-2011)

The Return of Lord Huron

Just a friendly reminder - Lord Huron will be playing at the Tractor Tavern this Sunday (April 10) in support of The Rural Alberta Advantage and Land of Pines. Tickets are still available (here) or at your local Sonic boom for a mere $10. Doors open at 8pm. Don't miss Lord Huron. And if you don't know who these bad asses are, watch their video of "The Stranger" above. It's awesome. Also, they earned Three Colours' Best EP honors of 2010, if that means anything to you.

Who? Lord Huron (w/ The Rural Alberta Advantage & Land of Pines)
Where? The Tractor Tavern
When? April 10, 2011 (Doors at 8pm)
How? $10 (here)