Best of 2012, Part 1

Dirty Laundry TV’s Top Albums of 2012

1. Future of the Left – The Plot Against Common Sense
2. Bob Dylan – Tempest
3. Guided By Voices – Class Clown Spots A UFO
4. Fergus & Geronimo – Funky Was The State Of Affairs
5. Natural Child – For The Love Of The Game
6. Parquet Courts – Light Up Gold
7. Django Django – Django Django
8. Grass Widow – Internal Logic
9. Freshkills – Raise Up The Sheets
10. The Orwells – Remember When

Har Mar Superstar’s Top 5 Albums of 2012

1. Father John Misty “Fear Fun”
2. Polica “Give You the Ghost”
3. P.O.S. “We Don’t Even Live Here”
4. King Tuff s/t
5. Donnie and Joe Emerson “Dreamin’ Wild” (reissue)

Hardly Art Records – Sarah’s Top 12 Albums of 2012

1. Andy Stott – Luxury Problems & live at Decibel Fest
2. Perfume Genius – Put Your Back N 2 It & live at the Frye
3. White Lung – Sorry
4. The Men – “Open Your Heart”
5. Grass Widow – Internal Logic
6. Terry Malts – Killing Time
7. Cat Power – Sun
8. Light Asylum – In Tension EP (2011) & live at Neumos
9. Bat for Lashes – The Haunted Man
10. The Babies – Our House on the Hill
11. Trust – TRST
12. The Fresh & Onlys – Long Slow Dance

Hardly Art Records – Reuben’s Top 12 Albums of 2012

1. Protomartyr – No Passion/All Technique (Urinal Cake)
2. Tyvek – On Triple Beams (In the Red)
3. Lost Animal – Ex Tropical (Sensory)
4. La Luz – Damp Face EP (self released tape)
5. King Tuff – King Tuff (Sub Pop)
6. Tronics – Love Backed By Force reissue (WYR?)
7. Window Twins- Wish (Volar)
8. Subsonics- In the Black Spot (Slovenly)
9. Evening Meetings – Evening Meetings (Sweet Rot)
10. Cop City/Chill Pillars- Hosed (Florida’s Dying)
11. Liars- WIXIW (Mute)
12. Shoppers- Silver Year (Feeble Minds)

Hardly Art Records – Jason’s Top 5 Most Forward-Thinking Records of 2012

1. Gatekeeper – Exo
2. Fatima Al Qadiri – Desert Strike EP
3. Grimes – Genesis
4. Andy Stott – Luxury Problems
5. Pete Swanson – Pro Style EP

Hardly Art Records – Jason’s Top 10 Best Records of 2012

1. Sam Flax – Age Waves
2. Inner Tube – Inner Tube
3. Bat for Lashes – The Haunted Man
4. DIIV – Oshin
5. Purity Ring – Shrines
6. Daphni – Jiaolong
7. Deep Time – Deep Time
8. Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes
9. Naomi Punk – The Feeling
10. Black Marble – A Different Arrangement

Talk Normal – Andrya’s Best of 2012

1. Matthew Dear, Beams – dark dance grooves and a languid baritone voice.  These jams could roll on for hours and I’d be content.

2. Angel Haze, Reservation – I love every ounce of this album.  This little pip has whole lot of soul and talent.  And she’s smart.  I find myself stopping what I’m doing to listen to her heartfelt (and often wrenching) stories.  She commands sincere attention.  Just waiting for her to blow up.

3. U.S. Girls, Gem – Wow!  Finally U.S. Girls is exposing her voice.  I’ve been waiting for this album and knew Meghan Remy had it in her.  Plus the arrangements and songs rule.

4. Daughn Gibson, All Hell – totally just bobbing to this as I type.  Great sounds.  Great re-invention of past genres/styles w/ timeless feelings.  Plus Gibson’s a weirdo.  I love it.  Great arrangements/orchestration too.

5. Future Islands, 7″ “Tomorrow” / “The Fountain” – in regards to “Tomorrow,” as Sam from FI says himself, “this song’s just a good piece of soul.”

6. Liars, WIXIW – it took me a while to like this one (sorry Liars).  And then it just clicked.  I could feel the fire from earlier albums with a more slick glitch approach.  Goddamn drummer rules and makes me feel the possibility of beats, whether digital or of this tangible earth.

7. The Dreebs, Bait an Orchard –  it has moments of Butthole Surfers meets Brainbombs w/ more unusual and interesting guitar work – sometimes shimmering, sometimes disturbed.  Sorry to pigeon-hole.  I just like them, plus all of the above bands mentioned.

8.  Frank Ocean, Channel Orange – Frank is just stunning.  The whole album.  The whole experience.

9. Julia Holter, Ekstasis – beautiful album.  I very much like her imagination.

10. Grimes, Visions – I’m a total sucker forVisions. The production is excellent.  Such good ear candy and I love her wackadoo aesthetics.

Runners Up:

Lower Dens, Nootropics – admittedly this second album is more jammier than I expected BUT some songs just take off!  The band is killing. And Jana with all her vocal subtleties is transcendent.

Sic Alps, Sic Alps – a quieter and cleaner pasture for Sic Alps.  Still weird and beautiful.  I’m still sitting with this one.  I feel I will love it soon…

Karrie K’s (Host for DLTV) Top 10 Albums of 2012
10.) “Mature Themes” – Ariel Pink
9.) “End of Daze” – Dum Dum Girls
8.) “Nocturne” – Wild Nothing
7.) “Oshin” – DIIV
6.) “Fear Fun” – Father John Misty
5.) “Interstellar” – Frankie Rose
4.) “System Preferences” – Earlimart
3.) “Family Perfume” (Volume 1 and 2) – White Fence
2.) “For The Love Of Game” – Natural Child
1.) “Lonerism” – Tame Impala

Katy Goodman’s (La Sera, Vivian Girls, Dirty Laundry Host) Top Albums of 2012
in no particular order

Magic Trick – Ruler of the Night
Father John Misty – Fear Fun
Cold Showers – Love and Regret
Audacity – Mellow Cruisers
King Tuff – S/T
The Babies – Our House on the Hill
Chairlift – Something
Tame Impala – Lonerism
Grizzly Bear – Shields
Dan Savage – Savage Love Podcast

Suicide Squeeze – David Dickenson’s Best of 2012

Best Album: Merchandise “Children of Desire” (Katorga Works)
Best Soul Album: Lee Fields & The Expressions “Faithful Man” (Truth & Soul)
Best Hip Hop Album: Kendrick Lamar “good kid, m.A.A.d city” (Interscope)
Best Reissue: Donnie & Joe Emerson “Dreamin’ Wild” (Light in the Attic)
Best Track: Tame Impala “Apocalypse Dreams” (Modular)
Best Live Show: White Lung at Rendezvous
Best Hotel: Los Feliz Lodge – Los Angeles
Best Television Show: First 48
Best Video: Grimes “Oblivion” (4ad)
Best New Artist: Jessica Pratt (Birth Records)

Wade Ryff of Races Best of 2012

Father John Misty– Fear Fun
Hands down my  favorite album of the year. It’s rare that I hear timeless albums anymore.

Sharron Van Eten– Tramp
I have these vivid memories associated with this album. On tour,  driving across the country in the middle of the night,  on an all night drive,  listening to “Give Out” on repeat,  and dreaming about  what it would be like to be lead across the country by Sacagawea.

Moon Casale– Moon Casale
New album with a new moniker from Keith Zarriello of the Shivers. He’s one of my favorite songwriters and  huge inspiration.  Disturbingly honest.  It’s refreshing to know that there are still contemporary  artists that don’t fall into the “indie” genre, who rely only on the  power of a guitar,  a voice and a story… and can pull it off. No contrivance. 

Leonard Cohen– Old Ideas
Thankfully there’s someone out there taking on the task of re-writing the Bible.

Kendrick Lamar- Good Kid M.A.A.D City
The best rap record to come out of Compton since Eazy E’s “It’s on (Dre) 187 Killa.

Chelsea Wolfe- a collection of acoustic songs
The first time I heard Chelsea Wolfe it was just her and an acoustic guitar.  I was instantly entranced. For the last few years I’ve been asking myself when she’s gonna release an acoustic record.  She also recently released a haunting  Sibylle Baier cover (that isn’t on the record, see it here). Anyone who reps Sibylle Baier is golden in my book.

Lana Del Rey– Born to Die
Not ashamed to say it…There are some great songs/production on this record. How much she is responsible for that, I don’t know, but I’m into it.