I'll take back anything I might have said about this being maybe a light year. Album-wise, for sure, there isn't anything that scored a 9-plus or even a good stable of 8-pluses. Singles-wise, it's easy to get discouraged wading through thousands of samey singles. Ugh, what an awful mass of dreck there is out there. It was a different story for me though when I started drilling down to my favorites. Taken by themselves, away from the huge noise-to-signal that is indie music now, it's not a bad bunch. I couldn't even get down to my usual 20-song mix.
Here's the 2012 Mix I'd make at this minute, in mix order rather than rank order:
Lost In The Trees - Golden Eyelids -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9MoKKuvrvo
The Joy Formidable - This Ladder Is Ours -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_t4s-HX3z0
Whirr - Junebouvier -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLsk5ju2oWc
Metric - Breathing Underwater -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZuLsz4yPPM
Stars - Hold On When You Get Love And Let Go When You Give It -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9PYiIGAsM8
Letting Up Despite Great Faults - Postcard -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-8FfrmuzZQ
Savages - Husbands -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y-cVzbBBQ8
Holograms - ABC City -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOrRmH4azlk
Shrag - Show Us Your Canines -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6BzbpWga4c
Mission Of Burma - Semi-Pseudo-Sort-Of Plan -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGV_CigT4M4
British Sea Power - Facts Not Right -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrdGT8KD12Q
Admiral Fallow - Guest Of The Government -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmR0wCf1aPI
Now, Now - Thread -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfi_WUxfKP4
Margot & The Nuclear So And So's - Prozac Rock -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQbuxNDmCkA
The Tontons - Golden -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpV3_E-nHcM
La Shark - Mr Modern Man -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pn0GugynfM
Hands & Teeth - Hunting Season -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NutPqQtE5cI
Bearhug - Angeline -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk9WOTwtUO8
Get Well Soon - A Gallows -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPT-q5RNEhk
Little Gang - Evert's Song -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeRUGfwocxo
And here are the honorable mentions in alphabetical order, some easily swappable with above:
Cats On Fire - My Sense Of Pride -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCra6nGEcyo
Chairlift - Sidewalk Safari -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y63Al0EaJtQ
Field Mouse - Happy -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvIrxWsfWiQ
The Foreign Resort - Take a Walk -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Occr4GpJKAk
Foreign Slippers - Avalanche -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaSwsikXdss
Fort Lean - The Mall -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r5kE3id1W0
Hey Chica! - Feels like Sunday -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZjPfOw5qKU
Mr. Gnome - Ate The Sun -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_yQjxR8K9U
Palma Violets - Best of Friends -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poFXWUTEs1k
Saint Hotel - Puzzle Pieces -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7bQGM14mJI
Sharon Van Etten - Warsaw -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AurxyoeF_oA
Strawberry Whiplash - Now I Know It's You -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPyBBaBEmsE
Tamaryn - I'm Gone -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsaRS3P04fU
The Sea And Cake - On and On -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j8mVotuJZ0
The Spinto Band - Take It -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn7kS1HOEXo
Two Wounded Birds - To Be Young -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiU2NeInung
Wild Nothing - Midnight Song -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nzM4h_9v5Y