So, 2012 is almost over, 2013 is looming like a great looming new year of a thing, which will bring with it all manner of exciting new things to Oxford’s thriving music scene. 2012 was pretty darned fun itself, and so in lieu of any ‘best of 2012′ lists – there are already enough of those out there to satisfy even the most desperate listoholic – here are some thoughts from some members of the MusicInOxford.co.uk team, in response to the simple question: “What were your favourite things in Oxford music in 2012?”
Andrew Jones
A local highlight for me was discovering the magical world of the Irregular Folk nights at The Cellar. Wonderful music, lovely atmosphere. I’m also happy to see that Truck Store is still with us, despite the dodgy economic climate. Cool store, cool folk. Also, seeing the mighty Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band for the first time at the O2 Academy; BG Records securing further funding to continue delivering their good works; Tiger Mendoza and Death Of Hifi delivering ace toonage.
Tal Fineman
My gigging highlight of 2012 was definitely seeing Komrad / Desert Storm / Grifter / Orange Goblin at the O2 Academy, back in April. It was fantastic to see that little upstairs room packed to bursting and sweaty as hell, just how it was intended to be! There have been some great Skeletor lineups I’ve really enjoyed too, like Crysis’ headliner in June.
Stuart Fowkes
The best thing in Oxford music this year, as far as I’m concerned, was Supernormal, which has gone from being a quirky weirdout with interesting but extremely patchy music to a weekend of totally ace leftfield delights. They surpassed themselves by getting Seefeel and The Telescopes down, but the real delights are wandering round the site and finding crazy art installations, lifesize humans made of bread, barns full of performance art or charming folksy music, and generally feeling like this is a little pocket of brilliance in Oxfordshire that we need to treasure.
Greg Lacey
Highlight of the year for me was Frank Turner at the O2 Academy. Having not seen him live since the very early days of him making his way on his own, I had been looking forward to this for years, and he didn’t disappoint. Mixing his folky sound with his punk rock roots, the show was full of energy, with the packed-out crowd bouncing and singing our hearts out for the whole show. The full band behind him added immensely to his sound, but the singalongs with just Frank Turner and his guitar were captivating, even in a larger venue than I’ve seen him in before. Easily the best show I’ve seen this year, and tickets have been bought to see him again.
Rory McCluckie
Highlight of the year for me was back in July when We Are Augustines came to town. They played an intimate little set at Truck Store in the early evening, during which, among the broken guitar strings and the self-deprecating commentary, you could make out the stirrings of the intensely emotional performer that Billy McCarthy becomes onstage. Then, up at the O2 Academy, we were treated to four of this city’s newer bands (ArtClassSink, Yellow Fever, Highway Alaska and Deer Chicago) as part of the venue’s regular BBC Introducing events, before the Brooklyn-based three-piece reappeared to deliver a raucous, passion-filled set that laid bare the enormous heart the band possesses and had the assembled crowd singing, dancing and, at one point, crying, to its every beat. It was an unforgettable day that was a great, great advertisement for Oxford’s local talent, the brilliant service Truck Store provides for the city’s music lovers and one of the most inspirational live bands around. Top class.
Simon Minter
This year’s Audioscope festival at the Jericho in Oxford was a great highlight. In the interests of full disclosure, I run this event along with fellow MusicInOxford.co.uk contributor Stuart Fowkes; but that doesn’t prevent me from enjoying primo performances from some of Oxford’s finest talent – Listing Ships, Message To Bears, Gunning For Tamar and ODC Drumline. Mix in a unexpectedly mind-melting set from Arbouretum and a genre-hopping selection of bands rounding out the rest of the day, and it left me proud and happy to have been involved. Stick on top of that the £2,700 the day raised for Shelter and, well, my little face beams even more.
David Murphy
This year, the greatest thing in Oxford music was the disembodied finger clicks and fragments of a track by the Shangri-Las in the Turner Prize winning video The Woolworths Choir Of 1979 by local artist – and ex-member of influential Oxford band Talulah Gosh – Elizabeth Price. I also enjoyed the fact that Fixers followed a sublime album with a drunken travesty of a Truck set, because consistency in art is fucking boring.
Mark Wilden
For me, the thing that’s made it easiest to keep in touch with the Oxford music scene has been Truck Store’s local acts section. It’s the only record shop I still regularly shop in, and the only place from which I know I’m guaranteed to walk away with something interesting, new and good. Random purchases there that I’ve particularly enjoyed included Ditte Elly and Jess Hall, as well as ones I had expected to like from Black Hats, Family Machine, Fixers, Spring Offensive and Witches. My favourite live acts of the year were Tiger Mendoza and Robots With Souls, and favourite shows were the Punt (particularly Tiger Mendoza, Leftouterjoin and The Long Insiders), Audioscope (particularly Land Observations and Warm Digits) and Gappy Tooth Industries’ January show featuring eccentric one man band Jon Cohen Experimental.