Oh man, this is late. But up in time for New Year’s Chinese New Year Russian New Year Tax Day Memorial Day Fourth of July Labor Day Halloween Thanksgiving Hanukkah Christmas so there’s that. This sat in “draft” for most of this year, mostly finished. So I decided to finally wrap this up. There are only streams and buy links for the top 20 album, but I’ve got at Spotify playlist with everything (that was available on Spotify). Dig into that.
Anyway, hope you find something in here you haven’t heard before. Let’s hope my act is a little more together for the 2013 list.
1. Saint Etienne – Words And Music By Saint Etienne (Heavenly)
An album about one’s relationship with music through the years — from nights as a child spent watching Top of the Pops to, as an adult, geeking out on music message boards about strange #1 singles — is the kind of stuff bound to excite music nerds. Add to that insanely catchy songs (co-produced by the Xenomania hit factory) makes for Saint Etienne’s best record in ages, maybe ever. Not bad for 20 years into their career.
LISTEN:
SPOTIFY | BUY
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2. Parquet Courts – Light Up Gold (Dull Tools)
Parquet Courts aren’t the first band to get compared to the Minutemen and Pavement, but they are one of the few who live up to it. It’s the attitude, man, and they got it. Formed from Texas transplants in NYC (including Andrew Savage of the recently-departed Fergus & Geronimo), the band were clearly inspired by their new surroundings, making music that is nervy, danceable, catchy as hell… and has way more to say than almost any other band of their ilk. A genius debut.
LISTEN:
BANDCAMP | BUY
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3. Cate Le Bon – Cyrk (The Control Group)
Unlike her relatively normal singer-songwriter debut album, Cate Le Bon lets her Welsh freak flag fly on the wonderful CYRK. Pastoral psych, dreamy ballads, skronky guitar blasts and great great songs meld into a distinct, original musical vision. Also one of the best live shows of the year.
LISTEN:
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4. Eternal Summers – Correct Behavior (Kanine)
Roanoke, VA’s Eternal Summers made a giant leap sonically and with songcraft on their second album, which is absolutely brimming with terrific songs. This is the kind of indie rock you don’t hear so much these days, but pop this good never goes out of style.
LISTEN:
SPOTIFY | BUY
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5. Hospitality – Hospitality (Merge)
For a while there, it felt like we were never going to get a Hospitality album but their self-titled debut was more than worth the wait. Erudite and hook-filled; prim but not afraid to rock when necessary and serious musicianship powering the whole thing, Hospitality was 2012’s first great album and has stayed in rotation since January.
LISTEN:
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6. Shrag – Canines (Fortuna Pop)
Easily the band’s best record to date, retaining the band’s scratchy snarl but letting a few rays of sunshine (and mid-fi production) to lighten the proceedings and up their pop side just a bit. You still get those big Fall-like basslines and shouty choruses, just just cleaned up a little. There’s no dulling the lyrics, though, that still aim for the jugular. This is an album with big hooks and a bigger bite. How do they follow this up? They don’t — they’re breaking up in March. BOOOO.
LISTEN:
BANDCAMP | BUY
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7. Django Django – Django Django (Because/Ribbon Music)
These guys really took their time making their debut record, to the point where I thought they’d broken up a couple times. But no, Django Django were just making sure everything was right in their kitchen sink world of sound. Nearly half of the record had been previously released, usually a dealbreaker for me, but the new songs fit seamlessly with early singles “Love’s Dart” and “WOR” that it all just works. Endlessly inventive and just plain fun.
LISTEN:
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8. Melody’s Echo Chamber – Melody’s Echo Chamber (Fat Possum)
I liked Tame Impala’s Lonerism just fine, but this was the best thing Kevin Parker was involved with in 2012. Pairing his psychedelic aural experiments (and amazing drumming) with girlfriend Melody Prochet’s icy Francophone stylings was a match made in heaven.
LISTEN:
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9. Terry Malts – Killing Time (Slumberland)
It’s pop. It’s punk. But it’s NOT pop-punk. (Even though it is). Pierced with feedback squalls and boundless energy, Killing Time is hardcore for listeners who prefer their lyrics crooned than screamed.
LISTEN:
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10. The Babies – Our House On The Hill (Woodsist)
Ridiculously good Americana indie rock from members of Woods and Vivian Girls (and others). I think I like the Babies more than either of those bands. There is chemistry here that is undeniable. Great album.
SPOTIFY | BUY
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11. Stealing Sheep – Into The Diamond Sun (The Control Group)
I think I am the only person who likes this album, but I find this Liverpool trio utterly bewitching. Somewhere between faery folk and early-’80s post punk, nobody else sounds like Stealing Sheep. Terrific songs, beguiling harmonies, inventive arrangements. Give this one a chance.
LISTEN:
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12. The Intelligence – Everybodys Got It Easy But Me (In the Red)
Lars Finberg moves to Los Angeles and…remains the brilliantly snarky crank we’ve come to love. The songs are as catchy as ever, and finds him stepping out of his tightly-wound garage and into the sunshine just a scootch. The record opens with him counting to 44 and, personally, I’d be entertained hearing him count to 4400.
LISTEN:
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13. Bertrand Burgalat – Toutes Directions (Tricatel)
Still making the regal French pop that got him noticed in the late ’90s, Bertrand Burgalat does it so well that you don’t really want him doing anything else. This is easily his best record in ages, classy bachelor pad disco with élan.
SPOTIFY | BUY
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14. Toy – Toy (Heavenly)
Who would have thought that a couple guys from Joe Lean & the Jing Jang Jong would go on to make awesomely gothy motorik guitar rock? Not, I, but here we are. Sort of like The Horrors if Faris didn’t sound like he was always auditioning for Bauhaus.
LISTEN:
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15. Goat – World Music
Here’s the soundtrack for your next psychedelic freakout, Italo-horror movie voodoo blood sacrifice. Made only as could be by a bunch of Swedes. Brilliant!
LISTEN:
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16. Grass Widow – Internal Logic (HLR)
One of the more obtuse indie rock bands of the last few years, Grass Widow tried to go pop on Internal Logic which means it’s still pretty odd but hooks are definitely more plentiful. That’s good news for everyone.
SPOTIFY | BUY
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17. Erik Blood – Touch Screens (Self Released)
A concept album about pornography written from all possible angles (hello!), Erik Blood makes shoegaze that doesn’t sound stuck in the ’90s. It’s about porn, not actually porn which is why Touch Screens is pretty sexy stuff.
SPOTIFY | BUY
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18. Ty Segall – Twins (Drag City)
Ty Segal released like 27 albums this year and they are all pretty good, but Twins seems to be the one he saved all the best tunes for. Ever-expanding from his garage rock roots, Twins adds a sprinkling of glittery glam to the proceedings making for his most polished set yet. Mind you, “polished” is a relative term for Segall and definitely a good thing. Twins rocks like crazy.
SPOTIFY | BUY
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19. El Perro Del Mar – Pale Fire (The Control Group)
Continuing her partnership with Studio’s Rasmus Hägg, El Perro Del Mar drifts even further from the dour folk of her early albums into full-on dancefloor chantuesse territory on her fifth album. Hägg’s interest in ’90s balearic sounds and Sarah Assbring’s soulful vocals make for slinky grooves, not that far removed from Sade, especially on the terrific single “Walk on By,” but the whole record is excellent.
SPOTIFY | BUY
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20. Frankie Rose – Interstellar (Slumberland)
Removing herself 100% from her low-fi beginnings, Frankie Rose made a massive leap forward with her second album, full of glistening, widescreen pop.
SPOTIFY | BUY
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21 – 50 below…
