Most people do their year-end recaps in December. That might have been nice for us at Those Who Dig, but we just didn't get there. On the plus side, we can recap the full twelve months now. Today we have a look at some of the highlights of our blog during 2012.
It was a good year for us. Several things happened that we were really excited about. The first was starting Those Who Dig podcasts, aka Digcasts. We did eight in our first year of production and have plans for many more. Subscribe on iTunes here. The episodes were:
- I: A solo roundup I did at the end of January
- II: Dave interviewed Jonny Fritz (Corndawg at the time)
- III: Dave & I shared some of our favorite songs released in the early part of the year
- IV: Dave interviewed Ronald Pearl
- V: Dave & I did another set of picks in the spring
- VI: My first NYC podcast with five songs and five interviews from local bands
- VII: Dave interviewed Mickey Free & Secret Weapon Dave
- VIII: NYC podcast #2
The other really exciting new thing was our venture into show promoting. We threw our very first "TWD Presents" show in Brooklyn in November at Muchmore's. Featuring friends of the dig Oh! My Blackbird, Palomino, and David Pollack, the event was a ton of fun and a successful benefit for Super Storm Sandy relief. Photo recap is here. Our second gig happens next week 1/18 at Union Hall (come!!!) and not to give much away, but there even are more coming soon!
Dave launched a cool new featured called Flashback Fridays and took us back to 1987, 1971, and 1963. I tried a something I called First Impressions for new releases, which were one-time, stream of consciousness reviews. It didn't really take, but I did review Bruce Springsteen, Andrew Bird, and The Delta Spirit.
Many of our previous features continued as well:
- There were probably at least 40 new Weekly Roundups in some form or another.
- We promoted a ton of shows in New York City and Baltimore and even had all the digsters together (including founder Kyle, who bid regular posting goodbye early in 2012) for Jonny Fritz at Union Pool in Brooklyn in August.
- This Book Is A Song started in late 2011 and I had high hopes for doing this once a month. Sadly, I only added two new entries on A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (with songs that reminded me of my brother) and Friday Night Lights (songs that reminded me of my days playing basketball), but I liked them, and Dave discovered the amazing David Bowie Space Oddity picture book. Look for this feature to return more frequently in 2013.
- In Scenes & Songs, I talked about the my "better late than never" viewing of the disco epic Saturday Night Fever and talked about Paul Thomas Anderson's use of music in his films Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love & There Will Be Blood. Dave took a look at the joining of Woody Allen & George Gershwin in Manhattan and the latest Muppets film.
- The Shrine didn't see too many inductions, but I added Brother Ali's "Forest Whitaker" (on Valentine's Day) and Andrew WK's "She Is Beautiful" (on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary tour for I Get Wet) and Dave enshrined Doc Watson (upon his passing), Chet Baker's Let's Get Lost, and Charles Mingus "Moanin'," plus the Bowie book.
- I wrote an essay about the passing of Levon Helm & Adam Yauch and waxed philosophic while reviewing a great, art-centric album from Soy La Vid. Dave had some interesting pieces on "No Other Love" and the concept of repeat offenders via Professor Penguin, plus we welcomed guest Brian to remember Elliott Carter.
- Not many Music Video Throwbacks this year, but what a solid pair that did make it: Placebo's "Pure Morning" and the glorious "Dangerous" video by Busta Rhymes.
- Dave added new writings to Episodes in Virtuosity and One Note One Phrase.
- I completed Label Year on Arts & Crafts 2011 catalogue. I might bring this feature back in 2013 with a new label.
Also, I did a dozen interviews, many in conjunction with my NYC podcasts. All of them were really enjoyable.
- Andrew WK
- Cultfever (NYC Podcast #1)
- Town Hall (NYC Podcast #1)
- Field Mouse (NYC Podcast #1)
- Palomino (NYC Podcast #1)
- Scout (NYC Podcast #1)
- The Great American Novel (NYC Podcast #2)
- Los Encantados (NYC Podcast #2)
- Oh! My Blackbird (NYC Podcast #2)
- Grand Resort (NYC Podcast #2)
- Chase King (NYC Podcast #2)
- Amanda Krieg of Tadpole Audio, in a very Scenes & Songs-centric talk about music supervising
Altogether, it was a pretty swell year for the Dig and we are hoping to keep it coming in 2013. I will have another post with all my "Best of 2012" up soon, too. Thank you all for supporting us in 2012. This year should be even better. You dig?