2012

• Lana Del Rey – Born To Die (S/R)
• Diego Garcia – Laura (Nacional)
• The Helio Sequence – Negotiations (Sub Pop)
• Korallreven – An Album By Korallreven (Acephale)
• The Mallard – Yes On Blood (Castle Face)
• JD McPherson – Signs & Signifiers (Rounder)
• Nada Surf – The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy (Barsuk)
• The People’s Temple – More For The Masses (Hozac)
• Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra – Reel To Reel (Ubiquity)
• Slug Guts – Playin’ In Time With The Deadbeat (Sacred Bones)
• Tennis – Young & Old (Fat Possum)
• The Walkmen – Heaven (Fat Possum)
• Wild Nothing – Nocturne (Captured Tracks)
• Yppah – Eighty One (Ninja Tune)

• Actress – R.I.P. (Honest Jon’s)
• Andy Stott – Luxury Problems (Modern Love)
• Blawan – Long Distance Open Water Worker (Black Sun)
• Boys Noize – Out of the Black (Boysnoize)
• Burial – Kindred (Hyperdub)
• Clark – Fantasm Planes (Warp)
• Death Grips – No Love Deep Web (Third Worlds)
• Four Tet – Pink (Text)
• Golden Retriever – Occupied with the Unspoken (Thrill Jockey)
• J. Soliday – Nonagon Knives (C.I.P.)
• John Bischoff – Audio Combine (New World)
• John Talabot – ƒIN (Permanent Vacation)
• Lorn – Ask The Dust (Ninja Tune)
• Maggi Payne – Ahh-Ahh – Music For Ed Tannenbaum’s Technological Feets, 1984-1987 (Root Strata)
• Mark Fell – Sentielle Objectif Actualité (Editions Mego)
• Mouse On Mars – Parastrophics (Monkeytown)
• Mr. Oizo – STADE 3 (S/R)
• Oneohtrix Point Never / Rene Hell – Oneohtrix Point Never / Rene Hell Split LP (NNA Tapes)
• Otto Von Schirach – Supermeng (Monkeytown)
• Percussions – Birds Songs / Rabbit Songs (Text)
• Peter Seligman – FDD (S/R)
• Peter Seligman – Swing Freeze (S/R)
• Peter Seligman – Whale (Immigrant Breast Nest)
• Richard Devine – Risp LP (Detroit Underground)
• RL Grime – GRAPES EP (Wedidit Collective)
• Robert Hood – Motor: Nighttime World 3 (Music Man)
• Rrose – Wedge of Chastity (Eaux)
• Salo – Is This Jazz? (Immigrant Breast Nest)
• Sepalcure – Eternally Yrs (Hotflush)
• Shawn Lee – Synthesizers in Space (Eighteenth Street Lounge Music)
• Simian Mobile Disco – Unpatterns (Wichita)
• Skeleton Lipstick – Glows Then Melts (Airlines Tapes)
• SpaceGhostPurrp – Mysterious Phonk: The Chronicles Of SpaceGhostPurrp (4AD)
• Squarepusher – Ufabulum (Warp)
• Suicide Booth – How You Get Ants (S/R)
• Various Artists – The Sine Wave Vol. 1 (Sine Field)
• Various Artists – Beat Stew Vol. 4 (Proximal)
• Various Artists – Universus Vol. IV (Circuitree)
• Wake – Oakland Blackouts (Proximal)
• Wake – The Fifth Finger (Proximal)

Best Ofs are a tricky lot, as they are like ideas, coming and going, fulfilling but never quite lasting. So, I offer to you, dearest listener, an extremely whittled down version of the albums that I discovered and rescued last year, discarded, unwanted, and stranded in thrift stores (with the exception of Golden Retriever, my one 2012 release endorsement to you) that I offer to you as a lasting legacy of petroleum gone good (mileage may vary).

• Phil Harris – “Some Little Bug Is Gonna Find You” – Southern Comfort (Mega)
• Audience – “The House on the Hill” – The House on the Hill (Elektra)
• Richard Linhas – “Rhizosphere” – Rhizosphere (Aural Experience)
• Darrell De Vore – “?” – Gravikords, Whirlies and Pyrophones (Ellipsis)
• Various Artists – “Side 1” – Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle (Scholastic)
• Christine Price – “Momotaro” – Japanese Folk and Fairy Tales (CMS)
• Narrators – “Side 2” – Crystal Odyssey (CBS)
• Golden Retriever – “Serene Velocity” – Occupies With The Unspoken (Thrill Jockey)
• Henry Mancini – “Charlie’s Angel’s” – Mancini’s Angels (RCA)
• Johnny Western – “Cowpoke” – Have Gun, Will Travel (Columbia)
• The Couriers – “There’s No One” – S/T (Hymntone)
• The Lamplighters – “Salty Dog” – Gabe’s Dirty Blues (Gabe’s)
• Rosemary Clooney – “Why Don’t Ya Haul Off and Kiss Me” – Rosie’s Greatest Hits (Columbia)
• Harry Nilsson – “Joy” – Son of Schmilsson (Victor)
• Wendy Carlos – “1. Allegro” – Switched On Brandenbergs (CBS)
• Ween – “Stroker Ace” – White Pepper (Elektra)
• Mel Torme – “Superstition” – Live at the Maisonette (Atlantic)
• Box of Chocolates – “Good Side” – Fearful Symmetry (High Beem)
• Prefab Sprout – “Faron” – Two Wheels Good (Epic)
• Comateens – “Cinnamon” – Pictures on a String (Mercury)
• Sparks – “Wonder Girl” – Collection (Rhino)
• Nina Hagen Band – “White Punks on Dope” – Nina Hagen Band (CBS)
• Jamie Linders – “The Great Pretender” – Menopause the Musical (S/R)
• Bugs and Yosemite Sam – “Heartbreak Hotel” – Bugs and Friends Sing Elvis (WB)
• Andre Previn – “Toccata in D Minor” – Rollerball (UA)
• Narrator – “Side 2” – Hear How to Handle Your Boat (Hear Now)
• Don Buchla – “Thunder and Lightening” – Gravikords, Whirlies and Pyrophones (Ellipsis Arts)
• Narrator – “Side 1” – Crystal Odyssey (CBS)
• Narrator – “Side A” – Exploring the New World (Standard School Broadcast)
• Golden Retriever – “Serene Velocity” – Occupies With The Unspoken (Thrill Jockey)
• George Benson – “Come Together” – Shape of Things to Come (A&M)
• Ray Charles – “Sinner’s Prayer” – Hallelujah (Atlantic Recording Corp)
• Ike and Tina Turner – “Find a Substitute” – It’s Gonna Work Out Fine (Sue)
• Chambers Brothers – “To Love Somebody” – Love, Peace and Happiness (Columbia)
• Janice Joplin – “Work Me, Lord” – Kozmic Blues (CBS)
• Henry Mancini – “What’s Happening!!! Theme” – Mancini’s Angels (RCA)
• Jimmy Cliff – “Look at the Mountain” – Follow My Mind (Reprise)
• Poogy Tales – “Track 5, Side 2” – S/T (Hed-Arzi)
• Norman Connors – “Jump Street” – Slewfoot (Buddah)
• Yellow – “The Race” – Flag (Polygram)
• Spike Jones – “Frantic Freeway” – Spiked (BMG)
• Frankie Goes to Hollywood – “Scrapped and Trapped” – S/T (ZTT)

• A-1 – The Thurl Tape (s/r)
• Aesop Rock – Skelethon (Rhymesayers)
• Aisha Fukushima – RAPtivism (s/r)
• DaVinci – The MOEna Lisa (SWTBRDS)
• E-40 – The Block Brochure (Heavy on the Grind)
• 40Love – Dreams Don’t Sleep (s/r)
• Gift of Gab – The Next Logical Progression (Quannum)
• Iamsu! – KILT (s/r)
• JB Nimble & Poe - Candlespit Collective Presents JB & Poe in…The Park (Ear Peace)
• Kero One – Color Theory (Plug Label)
• Le Vice – Neverland (s/r)
• The Coup – Sorry to Bother You (Anti-)

20 Favorite Hip Hop Releases

• Action Bronson / Party Supplies – Blue Chips (Fool’s Gold)
• Add-2 – Save.Our.Souls (s/r)
• Aesop Rock – Skelethon (Rhymesayers)
• Ana Tijoux – La Bala (Oveja Negra)
• Apollo Brown & O.C. – Trophies (Mello Music Group)
• Big K.R.I.T. – Live from the Underground (Def Jam)
• Brother Ali – Mourning in America and Dreaming in Colour (Rhymesayers)
• Dark Time Sunshine – ANX (Fake Four Inc)
• El-P – Cancer 4 Cure (Fat Possum)
• Homeboy Sandman – First of a Living Breed (Stones Throw)
• Kendrick Lamar – good kid M.A.A.D. city (Aftermath)
• Killer Mike – R.A.P. Musik (Williams Street)
• Lushlife – Plateau Vision (Western Vinyl)
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Hei$t (s/r)
• Marcus D – Melancholy Hopeful (s/r)
• Nas – Life is Good (Def Jam)
• Oddisee – People Hear What They See (Mello Music Group)
• Sene – Brooklyknight (Plug Research)
• Skyzoo – A Dream Deferred (Duck Down)
• Quakers – S/T (Stones Throw)

20 Favorite Outside of Hip Hop (OOHH) Albums

• Actress – R.I.P. (Honest Jon’s)
• Asbjørn – Sunken Ships (s/r)
• B.Lewis – A Lion’s Aperture (s/r)
• Breakbot – By Your Side (Ed Banger)
• The Chromatics – Kill For Love (Italians Do It Better)
• Debo Band – S/T (Next Ambiance)
• Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan (Domino)
• Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes (Warp)
• Four Tet – Pink (Hostess)
• Frank Ocean – Channel Orange (Island Def Jam)
• Jessie Ware – Devotion (Island)
• John Talabot – Fin (Permanent Vacation)
• Lee Fields & the Expressions – Faithful Man (Truth & Soul)
• Lone – Galaxy Garden (R&S)
• Miguel – Kaleidoscope Dream (RCA)
• Quantic & Alice Russell with The Combo Barbaro – Look Around the Corner (Tru Thoughts)
• Robert Glasper Experiment – Black Radio (Blue Note)
• Snarky Puppy – Ground Up (s/r)
• Tame Impala – Lonerism (Modular)
• Thriftworks – Rainmaker (s/r)

1. Superchunk – “This Summer” – This Summer 7″ (Merge)
2. The Mountain Goats – “Cry For Judas” – Transcendental Youth (Merge)
3. Tame Impala – “Elephant (Todd Rundgren Remix)” – Elephant 12″ (Modular)
4. Japandroids – “The House That Heaven Built” – Celebration Rock (Polyvinyl)
5. Desaparecidos – “Backsell” – MariKKKopa 7″ (S/R)
6. John K. Samson – “When I Write My Master’s Thesis” – Provincial (ANTI-)
7. Jack White – “Weep Themselves to Sleep” – Blunderbuss (Third Man)

Top 7 EPs of 2012

1. Tsar – The Dark Stuff E.P. (Aderra)
2. Chicano Batman – Joven Navegante (S/R)
3. Matmos – The Ganzfeld EP (Thrill Jockey)
4. Lenz – Under Neon (Tic Tac Totally)
5. Thee Oh Sees – Putrifiers II EP (In The Red)
6. Azure Ray – As Above So Below (Saddle Creek)
7. Blasted Canyons — 2nd Place (Castle Face)

Top 7 Live Shows of 2012

• The Soft Moon, Weekend – The New Parish – February 1
• The Olivia Tremor Control – The Garage (UK) March 7
• Jeff Mangum All Tomorrow’s Parties (UK) – March 9-12
• Dr. John – The Independent – August 16
• Twin Shadow – Great American Music Hall – August 17
• Six Organs Of Admittance – Bottom of the Hill – September 27
• Afghan Whigs – The Fillmore – November 8