A big 1990’s music renaissance was inevitable, but if you are patiently awaiting the return of grunge rock and Doc Martens, you might have to wait another year or so.
Music from the ‘90’s came roaring back in 2012 in the form of R&B, according to Pitchfork music founder and editor Ryan Schreiber. Schreiber told KRCU’s Jason Brown that he personally missed out on early 1990’s pop and R&B while immersing himself in that decade’s indie music.
“In many cases what sort of comes back, at least among the independent music subculture, is not necessarily what it valued or paid the closest attention to the first time around,” Schreiber said.
He believes today’s young listeners who dedicated the last ten years to indie rock and electronic music are finding R&B with fresh ears. Schreiber says there’s some twisted nostalgia to new R&B music for many Pitchfork writers, who grew up listening to radio dominated by R&B and hip hop.
“Even with a record like Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange, there’s an element of nostalgia to it even while it’s forward-looking,” Schreiber said.
Schreider says R&B and hip hop musicians churned out a lot of good releases in 2012, and he noted the the rise of classically-inspired electronic music like Holly Herndon and experimental dance musicians like Andy Stott.
“I think there is probably more R&B and hip hop in our top ten in years past on our singles list” he said.
One of 2012’s breakout artists is the Canadian electronic musician Claire Boucher, who goes by the stage name Grimes. Her album Visions has gathered critical acclaim, and Pitchfork listed the track “Oblivion” as the top song of the year.
“She is doing something that is just a little bit different. There wasn’t a lot else when she came out with her sound that sounded quite like exactly what she was doing,” Schreiber said. “Now we’re starting to hear more artists that subscribe to that sound.” Schreiber refers to the music of Grimes, Purity Ring and Elite Gymnastics as a futuristic take on electronic pop.
“It’s almost a movement that is not so based in sound as it is in a specific aesthetic and this idea of futurism,” Schreiber said.
Pitchfork listed Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” as the 29th best track of the year. Schreiber says he is one of the few people at Pitchfork that doesn’t like it.
“Most people here are pretty steadfast in their appreciation for that track. It’s really genuine,” Schreiber said. “It showed up there the same way anything else does. It was voted.”
Pitchfork is typically one of the last publications to release its year end lists. Since there are few new music releases during the last few weeks of the year, Pitchfork writers take a break from reviews and focus their attention on their favorite albums of the year.
“I actually really enjoy that our list comes out last, and that it still remains, despite all the other lists that are out there, such a major talking point,” Schreiber said.
Schreiber is not concerned if other websites have the same top album as Pitchfork.
“It’s unsurprising because obviously there are a lot of records out there that gain consensus throughout the year. There are records that are roundly appreciated,” Schreiber said.
Metal albums get their own best-of list because it is a niche genre. Schreiber calls metal a “massive world unto itself” like other genres, but it has less crossover appeal.
“You’re either really into metal or you’re not,” Schreiber said. “There’s not a lot of people on our staff who are casual metal dabblers.”
Pitchfork editor Brandon Stosuy writes the website’s metal column and compiles the Best Of list. This year’s top metal album is Sorrow and Extinction by the Little Rock, Arkansas band Pallbearer. Schreiber called it was one of the metal albums that really spoke to him in 2012.
“I love a lot of metal music from my youth, but I don’t keep up with it as much as I used to. But that Pallbearer record is really enjoyable,” Schreiber said.