Another disappointing year for music. I must be getting old. I checked out most of the critic's picks for this year but didn't find much that blew me away. I spent another year and 90% of my music $ on oldies/rarities which have recently become available (e.g., Howard Tate, Don Covay, Rodriguez, Klaatu, Toots & the Maytals, Gun Club, Taj Mahal, Badfinger).
Here's the new stuff I liked in 2012:
King Tuff - Self-titled
Ravens & Chimes - Holiday Life
Divine Fits - A Thing Called
The Walkmen - Heaven
Jason Lytle - Dept of Disappearance
Allo Darlin' - Europe
Stars - The North
Great Elk - Autogeography
The Memories - Self-titled
Apache Dropout - Bubblegum Graveyard
Sonny & The Sunsets - Longtime Companion
Young Rival - Stay Young
Do you have any favorites of 2012?
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Paste's Top Albums of 2012
50 Grimes - Visions
49 Kelly Hogan - I Like To Keep Myself In Pain
48 Lord Huron - Lonesome Dreams
47 Baroness - Yellow and Green
46 Damien Jurado - Maraqopa
45 Punch Brothers - Who’s Feeling Young Now?
44 Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
43 Stars - The North
42 Bettye LaVette - Thankful N’ Thoughtful
41 Of Monsters And Men - My Head is an Animal
40 Todd Snider - Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables
39 Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
38 Dr. John - Locked Down
37 Shovels & Rope - O Be Joyful
36 Cat Power - Sun
35 King Tuff - King Tuff
34 Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory
33 Howler - America Give Up
32 Woods - Bend Beyond
31 The Avett Brothers - The Carpenter
30 David Byrne & St. Vincent - Love This Giant
29 Killer Mike - R.A.P Music
28 Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits
27 John K. Samson - Provincial
26 Bob Dylan - Tempest
25 Grizzly Bear - Shields
24 Justin Townes Earle - Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now
23 Jens Lekman - I Know What Love Isn’t
22 Hospitality - Hospitality
21 The Lumineers - The Lumineers
20 The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth
19 Rufus Wainwright - Out Of The Game
18 Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city
17 Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself
16 Tame Impala - Lonerism
15 Jack White - Blunderbuss
14 The Walkmen - Heaven
13 The Shins - Port Of Morrow
12 El-P - Cancer 4 Cure
11 The Men - Open Your Heart
10 First Aid Kit - The Lion’s Roar
09 Beach House - Bloom
08 Japandroids - Celebration Rock
07 Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
06 Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
05 Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
04 Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel …
03 Titus Andronicus - Local Business
02 Father John Misty - Fear Fun
01 Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
The Fly's Top 50 LPs of 2012
50 Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester
49 Lucy Rose - Like I Used To
48 Lotus Plaza - Spooky Action At A Distance
47 2:54 - 2:54
46 Egyptian Hip Hop - Good Don't Sleep
45 Errors - Have Some Faith In Magic'
44 Stealing Sheep - Into The Diamond Sun
43 Pulled Apart by Horses - Tough Love
42 Trash Talk - 119
41 Two Door Cinema Club - Beacon
40 Allah-Las - Allah-Las
39 Mystery Jets - Radlands
38 Best Coast - The Only Place
37 The Invisible - Rispah
36 Liars - WIXIW
35 Howler - America Give Up
34 David Byrne & St. Vincent - Love This Giant
33 Animal Collective - Centipede Hz
32 Beach House - Bloom
31 Here We Go Magic - A Different Ship
30 Graham Coxon - A+E
29 Poliça - Give You The Ghost
28 TOY - TOY
27 Chairlift - Something
26 Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man
25 Melody's Echo Chamber - Melody's Echo Chamber
24 Daughn Gibson - All Hell
23 Twin Shadow - Confess
22 Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
21 The Cribs - In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull
20 King Tuff - King Tuff
19 Diiv - Oshin
18 Pond - Beard Wives Denim
17 The xx - Coexist
16 The Vaccines - The Vaccines Come Of Age
15 Purity Ring - Shrines
14 Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes
13 Grizzly Bear - Shields
12 Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
11 Lana del Rey - Born To Die
10 Tame Impala - Lonerism
09 The Maccabees - Given To The Wild
08 Kindness - World You Need A Change Of Mind
07 Field Music - Plumb
06 Django Django - Django Django
05 Jessie Ware - Devotion
04 Cat Power - Sun
03 Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
02 Grimes - Visions
01 Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
NME
01. Tame Impala - Lonerism
02. Grimes - Visions
03. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
04. Crystal Castles - III
05. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
06. The Maccabees - Given To The Wild
07. Pond - Beard Wives Denim
08. The Cribs -In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull
09. Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg
10. Jack White - Blunderbuss
11. Django Django - Django Django
12. David Byrne & St Vincent - Love This Giant
13. DIIV - Oshin
14. The XX - Coexist
15. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
16. Melody's Echo Chamber - Melody's Echo Chamber
17. Grizzly Bear - Shields
18. Tribes - Baby
19. Toy - Toy
20. Howler - America Give Up
21. Cat Power - Sun
22. Beach House - Bloom
23. Richard Hawley - Standing At The Sky's Edge
24. Merchandise - Children Of Desire
25. Ariel Pink - Mature Themes
26. Spector - Enjoy It While It Lasts
27. Jessie Ware - Devotion
28. Spiritualized - Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
29. Mac DeMarco - 2
30. Breton - Other People's Problems
31. Kanye West - Cruel Summer
32. Graham Coxon - A+E
33. Hot Chip - In Our Heads
34. Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man
35. Metz - Metz
36. The Vaccines - Come Of Age
37. Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood Of Colour
38. TEED - Trouble
39. Liars - WIXIW
40. Polica - Give You The Ghost
41. Ty Segall - Twins
42. Paul Weller - Sonik Kicks
43. Ratking - Wiki93
44. Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, MAAd City
45. Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
46. Bobby Womack - The Bravest Man In The Universe
47. John Talabot - Fin The
48. 2 Bears - Be Strong
49. Flying Lotus - Until The Quiet Comes
50. Purity Ring - Shrines
MOJO's Best LPs of 2012
01. Jack White - Blunderbuss
02. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
03. Bill Fay - Life is People
04. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
05. Dexys Midnight Runners - One Day I'm Going To Soar
06. Black Keys - El Camino
07. Django Django - Django Django
08. Dr John - Locked Down
09. Julia Holter - Ekstasis
10. Bob Dylan - Tempest
11. Scott Walker - Bish Bosch
12. Tame Impala - Lonerism
13. The xx - Coexist
14. Hot Chip - In Our Heads
15. Cat Power - Sun
16. Bobby Womack - The Bravest Man in the Universe
17. Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral
18. Orbital - Wonky
19. Advance Base - A Shut-In's Prayer
20. Lee Fields & The Expressions - Faithful Man
Rough Trade's Top 10 Albums of 2012
10 - Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
09 - Alabama Shakes - Boys and Girls
08 - Django Django - Django Django
07 - Alt J - An Awesome Wave
06 - Damien Jurado - Maraqopa
05 - Goat - World Music
04 - Allo Darlin' - Europe
03 - Toy - Toy
02 - John Talabot - Fin
01 - Grimes - Visions