It was a good year. All links lead to video or audio, some of which may be NSFW. Be warned.
Top 20 Albums of the Year (in ascending numerical order):
20. The Walkmen-Heaven [Sub Pop]
19. David Byrne & St. Vincent-Love This Giant [4AD]
18. Merchandise-Children Of Desire [Katorga Works]
17. Menomena-Moms [Barsuk]
16. Cloud Nothings-Attack On Memory [Carpark]
15. Grimes-Visions [4AD]
14. Japandroids-Celebration Rock [Sub Pop]
13. Liars-WIXIW [Mute]
12. Dirty Projectors-Swing Lo Magellan [Domino]
11. METZ-METZ [Sub Pop]
10. Lower Dens-Nootropics [Ribbon Music]
9. The Men-Open Your Heart [Sacred Bones]
8. Swans-The Seer [Young God]
7. Sharon Van Etten-Tramp [Jagjaguwar]
6. Death Grips-The Money Store & NO LOVE DEEP WEB [Epic/self-released] (Note: Unorthodox, but it makes sense to me to include these together.)
5. Titus Andronicus-Local Business [XL]
4. Royal Headache-Royal Headache [What’s Your Rupture?]
3. Divine Fits-A Thing Called Divine Fits [Merge]
2. WHY?-Mumps, etc. [anticon.]
0. ibid.-Gaols [self-released]
5 Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order):
…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead-Lost Songs [Richter Scale/Superball]
Dan Deacon-America [Domino]
Hot Chip-In Our Heads [Domino]
Mount Eerie-Clear Moon [P.W. Elverum & Sun]
White Lung-Sorry [Deranged]
Assorted Awesome Songs, Many of Which Have Killer Videos, from Non-List 2012 Albums or Albums That Aren’t Out Yet (in no order):
Autre Ne Veut-“Counting” (from Anxiety, forthcoming)
Savages-“Husbands” (from “Husbands”/”Flying To Berlin” split 7″)
Manhattan Murder Mystery-“Mostly My Life Has Just Been Dumb“(forthcoming? Audio recorded live at Occidental College, 10/20/12)
Doctor L/cast of Holy Motors–“Let My Baby Ride” (R.L. Burnside cover) (from Holy Motors soundtrack)
Usher-“Climax” (from Looking 4 Myself. Prod. Diplo)
Buke And Gase-“Misshaping Introduction” (from Function Falls EP)
OFWGKTA-“Oldie” (from The OF Tape Vol. 2)
Earl Sweatshirt-“Chum” (from Doris, forthcoming)
Ty Segall Band-“Wave Goodbye” (from Slaughterhouse)
Alt-J-“Tessellate” (from An Awesome Wave)
Grave Babies-“Over And Under Ground” (from Crusher, forthcoming)
Crystal Castles-“Pale Flesh” (from (III))
kitty pryde-“Okay Cupid” (from haha, i’m sorry EP. Prod. Beautiful Lou)
Grizzly Bear-“Sleeping Ute” (from Shields)
Pop. 1280-“Crime Time” (from The Horror)
Shit That Might Have Made the List If It’d Listened to It More/At All (in no order):
OFWGKTA-The OF Tape Vol. 2
El-P-Cancer For Cure
Pop. 1280-The Horror
Godspeed You! Black Emperor-ALLELUJAH! DON’T BEND! ASCEND!
Buke And Gase-Function Falls EP
Savages-I Am Here EP
Chelsea Wolfe-Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs
Mount Eerie-Ocean Roar
Holly Herndon-Movement
Sleigh Bells-Reign Of Terror
Mi Ami-Decade
Killer Mike-R.A.P. Music
Ty Segall-Twins
Flying Lotus-Until The Quiet Comes
Bat For Lashes-The Haunted Man
Clinic-Free Reign
Egyptian Hip Hop-Good Don’t Sleep
Memory Tapes-Grace/Confusion
+ – serenity: ocarina of time
Groves-Intradelia
Older Shit That I Discovered and Fell in Love with This Year, Leading Me to Listen to Less of the Above Shit (in no order):
Drive Like Jehu-Drive Like Jehu (1991)
Drive Like Jehu-Yank Crime (1994)
The Jesus Lizard-Goat (1991)
The Jesus Lizard-Liar (1992)
Chavez-Gone Glimmering (1995)
Fiona Apple-When The Pawn… (1999)
Manhattan Murder Mystery-Women House (2011)
Wipers-Is This Real? (1980)
HEALTH-GET COLOR (2009)
-GM, station manager