I'm kicking off my year-end list-making as I usually do, with my picks for the best albums of 2012. Below is my list: The top ten albums and then ten more honorable mentions. All of this music can be found on my "best of 2012" spotify playlist. I also created a "best songs of 2012" playlist. Enjoy!
10) The Shins, “Port of Morrow” 9) Andrew Bird, "Break It Yourself" 8) Damian Jurado, “Maraqopa” 7) Santigold, “Makers of My Make-Believe” 6) The Walkmen, "Heaven" 5) Fiona Apple, "The Idler Wheel" 4) Hot Chip, "In Our Heads" 3) Cat Power, "Sun" 2) Wild Nothing, "Nocturne"
1) Frank Ocean, "Channel Orange." It's the predictable choice this year, but for good reason. Nothing in music this year was as memorable as Frank Ocean's spectacular debut. It was the album I listened to the most, hands down; the perfect album to listen to during the many, many hours I logged on Los Angeles freeways in 2012. If you saw his performance of "Bad Religion" on Jimmy Fallon's show or "Thinkin Bout You" on SNL, you know that all the fuss is indeed about something.
Honorable Mention: First Aid Kit, “The Lion’s Roar”; Beth Orton, “Sugaring Season”; The Tallest Man On Earth, “There’s No Leaving Now”; Sun Kil Moon, "Among the Leaves"; Passion Pit, "Gossamer"; Jessie Ware, "Devotion"; Beach House, "Bloom"; The Antlers, "Undersea"; Mumford & Sons, "Babel"; Menomena, "Moms."