#bestalbumsof2012

Fifteen years ago, after leaving his seminal band Spaceman 3 and having completed two recordings under the moniker Spiritualized, Jason Pierce created his masterpiece. Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space was a beautiful and transcendental expression of love, drugs and the love of drugs. Whenever someone asks me about my favorites LPs, I bring this up stating that "What Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon was for acid, Ladies and Gents is for heroin.". Pierce's following years have been defined by that LP as well as near death experiences and subsequent health issues. In 2012, the cosmic puzzle finally clicked again on Sweet Heart Sweet Light, an album that nearly reaches the same lofty heights where he once gracefully soared. Where the morality and tenor on Ladies is often fearful and malignant, Sweet Heart is comparatively bright and aggressive, washing the listener with unadulterated hope. Spiritualized still employs many of the same religion-based symbolism and music, but there is no juxtaposition of moralities. There is grace and beauty without cynicism or contempt and lots of gorgeous noise and circumstance to still fill your heart and soul.

Download "Hey Jane"

Download "Too Late"

Download "Freedom"

Download "I Am What I Am"

These are the albums I enjoyed the most throughout the past year. The albums' artists are in alphabetical order in their respective section. Enjoy!

41-50:

• David Byrne & St. Vincent - Love This Giant

• El-P - Cancer 4 Cure

• Jens Lekman - I Know What Love Isn't

• Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas

• Lost In the Trees - A Church That Fits Your Needs

• Lower Dens - Nootropics

• Merchandise - Children of Desire

• Sigúr Ros - Valtari

• The Walkmen - Heaven

• The xx - Coexist

31-40:

• Antony and The Johnsons - Cut The World

• DIIV - Oshin

• Hip Hatchet - Joy and Better Days

• Japandroids - Celebration Rock

• John Talabot - ƒIN

• Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music

• Liars - WIXIW

• Mac DeMarco - 2

• The Men - Open Your Heart

• Ty Segall - Twins

21-30

• Anaïs Mitchell - Young Man In America

• Angel Olsen - Half Way Home

• Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes

• Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!

• Hot Chip - In Our Heads

• How To Dress Well - Total Loss

• Jessie Ware - Devotion

• Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N 2 It

• Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light

• Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse

11-20:

• Andy Stott - Luxury Problems

• Animal Collective - Centipede Hz

• Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man

• Chromatics - Kill For Love

• Death Grips - The Money Store

• Flying Lotus - Until The Quiet Comes

• Julia Holter - Ekstasis

• Lambchop - Mr. M

• Mount Eerie - Clear Moon/Ocean Roar

• Ty Segall & White Fence - Hair

1-10:

• Beach House - Bloom

• Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan

• Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

• Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE

• Grizzly Bear - Shields

• Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d. city

• Scott Walker - Bish Bosch

• Sharon Van Etten - Tramp

• Swans - The Seer

These are the songs that I enjoyed the most throughout the year. The songs' artists are in alphabetical order in their respective section; I limited myself to three entries per artist. I hope you enjoy the list and find something that you might have missed throughout the year (because, what are lists for anyway?). Remember, this is just my opinion.

51-100: • Anaïs Mitchell - Young Man In America • Angel Olsen - The Waiting • Animal Collective - Applesauce • The Antlers - Drift Dive • Antony and The Johnsons - Cut The World • Bat For Lashes - Marylin • Beach House - Lazuli • Chairlift - I Belong In Your Arms • Cloud Nothings - Stay Useless • David Byrne & St. Vincent - Who • Death Grips - I've Seen Footage • DIIV - How Long Have You Known Me? • Dirty Projectors - About To Die • Father John Misty - Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings • Grimes - Genesis • Grizzly Bear - Half Gate • Hip Hatchet - Sing Me A Reprise • How To Dress Well - & It Was You • How To Dress Well - Talking To You • Jai Paul - Jasmine (Demo) • Jens Lekman - I Know What Love Isn't • Jessie Ware - 110% • John Talabot feat. Pional - Destiny • Kendrick Lamar - Backseat Freestyle • Killer Mike feat. Bun B, T.I. & Trouble - Big Beast • Killer Mike - Reagan

• Lambchop - If Not I'll Just Die

• Leonard Cohen - Darkness

• Liars - No. 1 Against The Rush • Lotus Plaza - Monoliths • Lower Dens - Brains • The Magnetic Fields - Andrew In Drag

• Marissa Nadler -  The Wrecking Ball Company • M.I.A. - Bad Girls • The Men - Open Your Heart • Merchandise - Become What You Are • Perfume Genius - Take Me Home • Rhye - The Fall • Rustie feat. AlunaGeorge - After Light

• Savages - Husbands

• Sharon Van Etten - Serpents

• Sigur Rós - Varúð • Sky Ferreira - Everything Is Embarrasing • Tame Impala - Feels Like We Only Go Backwards • Todd Terje - Inspector Norse • Tomas Barford feat. Kinert - November Skies • Ty Segall Band - I Bought My Eyes • Ty Segall - You Are The Doctor • The Walkmen - We Can't Be Beat • The xx - Angels

41-50: • Animal Collective - Amanita • Chromatics - Back From The Grave • Frank Ocean - Thinkin Bout You • Mac DeMarco - Ode To Viceroy • Mount Eerie - Through the Trees Pt. 2 • Old Apparatus - Mernom • Purity Ring - Fineshrine • Sharon Van Etten - Leonard • Swans - A Piece Of The Sky • Ty Segall & White Fence - Scissor People

31-40:  • AlunaGeorge - You Know You Like It • Angel Olsen - Acrobat • Dirty Projectors - Dance For You • El-P - The Full Retard • Fiona Apple - Werewolf • Julia Holter - In The Same Room • Lambchop - Gone Tomorrow • Major Lazer feat. Amber Coffman - Get Free • Miguel - Adorn • Scott Walker - Epizootics!

21-30: • AlunaGeorge - Your Drums, Your Love • Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Only In My Dream • Death Grips - Hacker • Fiona Apple - Left Alone • Grizzly Bear - Sleeping Ute • Hot Chip - Flutes • Kendrick Lamar - Swimming Pools (Drank) • Perfume Genius - Hood • Rhye - Open • Tame Impala - Elephant

11-20: • Andy Stott - Numb • Animal Collective - Today's Supernatural • Chromatics - Kill For Love • Frank Ocean - Bad Religion • Grimes - Oblivion • Jessie Ware - Wildest Moments • Julia Holter - Marienbad • Kendrick Lamar - Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst • Sharon Van Etten - Give Out • Usher - Climax

The end of the year brings many top albums lists from various blogs, magazines and radio stations. While my favorite albums of 2012 list is probably most closely aligned to Bob Boilen’s, there were five albums that I loved this year that didn’t seem to make it on anyone’s top lists which I thought was a shame. So here goes:

1. Dark Dark Dark – Who Needs Who

I discovered Dark Dark Dark earlier this year by chance when one of their songs randomly came up for me while I was playing the Spotify Fredrik radio station. I was instantly mesmerized by the dark undertones and beautiful lyrics on their 2010 album ‘Wild Go,’ and was equally as pleased with their follow-up album ‘Who Needs Who.’

The band includes Nona Marie Invie and Marshall LaCount who broke up during the middle of their tour for ‘Wild Go’ so the new album title and the subsequent songs are very fitting for a band still together but a couple who is not. ‘Who Needs Who’ is a beautiful, sad and melodic album.

Here is their track Tell Me.

2. Lucius – Lucius EP

Lucius is a five-piece band fronted by Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig who met at Berklee. They have an infectious sound that blends indie folk, country rock with a flare of the early 60s. They created buzz during CMJ for their self-titled debut EP. I discovered this band because they played at NPR’s tiny desk and their live show was incredible so immediately sought out their EP.

Here is the video for the very catchy Turn it Around.

3. Efterklang – Piramida

Piramida is the fourth album from the Danish band Efterklang.  The album was inspired by a nine-day session spent gathering field recordings in the abandoned Russian mining settlement – Piramida - on an island located somewhere between Norway and the North Pole. The end result is an album that is haunting, melancholic and overall interesting.  I discovered Efterklang because they were on NPR’s first listen earlier this year – they will be touring the US in the spring of 2013.

Here is a video for the song Apples.

4. Porcelain Raft – Strange Weekend

Porcelain Raft is the solo project of Italian Mauro Remiddi who now resides in New York. Strange Weekend is a nice mix of shoegaze, chill-wave and dream pop.  I saw them play earlier this year at the now-closed Red Palace in DC and the show was one of my favorites of the year.

Here is the video for Unless You Speak From Your Heart.

5. Tennis – Young & Old

Tennis is an indie pop band from Colorado made up of husband-and-wife duo Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley.  Young & Old is their second album and was produced by Patrick Carney of the Black Keys. The album has a modern lo-fi sound blended with sweet 50’s pop. I had a friend recommend Tennis after they saw them open for the Walkmen.

NYC-based Violens have a lot of comforting elements in their 2012 offering. There is Britpop and shoegaze, twee and new wave, but best of all, hooks to last well into the new year. The unassuming and effortless nature must be the reason why so many people may have overlooked the gems throughout True. It leans heavily on its well-worn influences, often charming with a warm falsetto or surprising with an effective drum fill or pedal-washed waves that blanket the atmosphere with electricity. This sound has made a big comeback this year, where comparisons to torch-carrying bands like Ride, Swervedriver and My Bloody Valentine are lovingly doled but at times carelessly placed. If True came out 1988, Violens would be among those unforgotten champions of modern music.

Download "Der Microarc"

Download "Unfolding Black Wings"