Favorites of 2012

So much to listen to, I never get tired of doing this! I'm so predictable, with my beloved Grizzly Bear at #1!  

1. Grizzly Bear: Shields
So, when I met Chris Taylor from Grizzly Bear a few years ago after one of their shows when they were touring after they released Veckatimest, I told him how Yellow House got me through my college years.  He said that the next one will get me through graduate school.  
2. Perfume Genius: Put Your Back N 2 It
3. Lambchop: Mr. M.
4. Zammuto: s/t
5. Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel…
6. Dirty Projectors: Swing Lo Magellan
7. Spiritualized: Sweet Heart Sweet Light
8. Ariel Pink and the Haunted Graffiti: Mature Themes
9. Daniel Rossen: Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP
10. Ty Segall Band: Slaughterhouse
11. The Walkmen: Heaven
12. Merchandise: Children of Desire
13. Wild Nothing: Nocturne
14. Sharon Van Etten: Tramp
15. Cloud Nothings: Attack On Memory
16. Guided By Voices: Let’s Go Eat the Factory, Class Clown Spots a UFO, The Bears For Lunch (3 albums released this year!)
17. Cat Power: Sun
18. Craig Finn: Clear Heart Full Eyes
19. Cate LeBon: Cyrk
20. Mission of Burma: Unsane
21. Andy Stott: Luxury Problems
22. Julia Holter: Ekstasis
23. Chairlift: Something
24. Laurel Halo: Quarantine
25. Menomena: Moms

Most Underrated:
Deerhoof: Breakup Songs
Matthew Dear: Beams
Calexico: Algiers
Here We Go Magic: A Different Ship
Dan Deacon: America
Titus Andronicus: Local Business
Scissor Sisters: The Magic Hour
Memory Tapes: Grace/Confusion
The Sea and Cake: Runner

Almost forgot:
Peaking Lights: Lucifer
King Tuff: s/t
Solange: True EP
Brian Eno: Lux
Iamamiwhoami: Kin
Dinosaur Jr.: I Bet On Sky
Taken By Trees: Other Worlds


I find Death Grips to be a bit too radical for me sometimes.

Death Grips on religion:
"It's toxic and poisonous to the human mind, and the development of humans in the modern world. In our own modest way, through our artwork, that's what it represents: pushing past everything that makes people slaves without even knowing it."

Frank Ocean is getting enough love this year, so it won't really help him to get any more love from me.  Good stuff though!

Just another album to look forward to in 2013! So some artists totally transcend the limits of their oddly-named genres.  Toro Y Moi is more than just another chill-waver.

R.I.P. Ravi Shankar

I actually haven't really listened to Ravi Shankar (yet), but from my own listening, I noticed that his influence is there on the Beatles' "Love You To" from the album Revolver.  I like how he always said that music itself can take the place of drugs, at a time when people were so reliant on drugs to take them places.

Another video from this bunch!

A new one from Wavves! Album coming in 2013, I am hearing.  

New music from Frightened Rabbit.  Via the Swollen Fox.  Hoping to see these guys in concert in upcoming months.  

I wish I had this book when I was an RA to throw at obnoxious residents.

New stuff coming from these guys! Yeah, there's more to Eels than just "Novocaine for the Soul."

Sally Shapiro.  Where have you been in my life? A new one from Sally, album coming in 2013.

His funniest moment.  R.I.P. Rick Majerus