To me, the big story in 2012 was the
Australian Underground explosion, spearheaded by the R.I.P Society and Bedroom
Suck labels down-under, and promoted by many astute US indies and
bloggers. Readers with photographic
memories will recall that the debut 7"EP by Aussie up-and-comers Bitch
Prefect took "#1 Best Single of 2011" honors here last year; it's no
surprise that Bitch Prefect's follow-up debut album ranked very high in 2012, as
did the debut albums by several like-minded countrymen. Other than Aussies, the other big surprise (to
me) in 2012 was a resurgence of worthwhile "classic rock" releases: I
spent a lot of time this year enjoying both concerts and albums by Neil Young,
Bob Dylan, Philip Glass, Dinosaur Jr.--and even Bruce Springsteen, who made my
list this year for the first time in recorded history!
Finally, and unsurprisingly, several long-time
favorite artists of mine put out solid new records in 2012 (some featuring archival--but
previously unreleased--material) that ranked high on this year's list. As my esteemed former housemate Dr. Anthony
Procaccino recently noted on his essential "A Wicked Company"
blog: "It's not as if I’m playing favorites here . . . , but then
again, faves are faves for a reason." So The Mountain Goats, Daniel Johnston, Nick
Cave, Toy Love, Chris Brokaw, Rocket From The Tombs, and this year's #1 album
winners THE FROGS (RIP Dennis Flemion June 6, 1955 – July 7, 2012) may all have
had some wind at their backs going in to this year's race, but that doesn't
mean they didn't all run damn good races.
The Frogs in particular have been very near and dear to my heart for
many years, both as a band and as friends and human beings. Dennis Flemion's tragic passing in a freak
boating accident in July 2012 cast a shadow on the entire year in music. It is only a small consolation that THE FROGS
had been able to release their first new albums in a decade--together, the best album of
2012, IMHO-- just one short week earlier.
Top 30 Albums of 2012:
- The Frogs - Count Yer Blessingsz/Squirrel Bunny
Jupiter Deluxe MP3-Double-Album (Frogs)
- Bitch Prefect - Big Time LP/CD (Bedroom Suck)
- Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Americana LP/CD (Reprise)
- Scott & Charlene's Wedding - Para Vista
Social Club LP/CD (Bedroom Suck/Critical Heights)
- VA - Listen, Whitey! The Sounds of Black Power
1967-1974 2LP/CD (Light In The Attic)
- VA - Love Songs for Lamps: The Believer 2012
Music Issue CS (complied by Calvin Johnson) (The Believer)
- Woollen Kits - Four Girls LP/CD (R.I.P
Society/Trouble In Mind)
- Royal Headache - Royal Headache LP/CD (R.I.P.
Society/What’s Your Rupture)
- The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth LP/CD
(Merge)
- Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet On Sky LP/CD (Jagjaguwar)
- Neil Hamburger - Live at Third Man LP (Third
Man)
- LimiƱanas - Crystal Anis' LP/CD (HoZac)
- Philip Glass & Robert Wilson - Einstein on
the Beach Highlights CD+DVD (Orange Mountain) (1984)
- The Music Tapes - Mary's Voice LP/CD (Merge)
- Nick Cave & the Bootleggers - Lawless OST LP/CD
(Sony Masterworks)
- Toy Love – Live At The Gluepot 1980 LP/CD (Real Groovy/Goner)
- Rocket From The Tombs - Extermination Night:
RFTT Live in 1974 MP3-Album (Hearpen)
- VA - Play It Like You Did Back To George
Street: An Anthology of Cincinnati Blues 1927-1936 2LP (Shake It)
- Lee Ranaldo Band - Between The Times & The Tides
LP/CD/DA (Matador)
- Plaided– Playdate LP/CD (Fettkakao)
- Daniel Johnston - Space Ducks OST Book+MP3
Album (Yip Eye)
- Chris Brokaw - Gambler's Ecstacy LP/CD
(Damnably/12XU)
- John Cage - Song Books 2CD (Sub Rosa)
- Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold LP/CD (What's
Your Rupture)
- Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -
Wrecking Ball LP/CD (Columbia)
- Literature - Arab Spring LP/CA (Austin Town
Hall/Square of Opposition/Like Young)
- VA - Work Hard, Play Hard, Pray Hard: Hard
Time, Good Time, & End Time Music, 1923-1936 3LP/3CD Box (Tompkins
Square)
- VA - Bring Beer comp LP (12XU)
- Liquor Store - Yeah Buddy 2LP/CD (Almost Ready)
- Secular Joy - Made for Better Things CD
(Unhinged)
Top 40 Singles of 2012 (Ranked):
- Pussy
Riot - Putin Lights Up The Fires MP3 (Consequence of Sound)
- Withered
Hand - Inbetweens 10"EP (Fence)
- The
Mynah Byrds - "It's My Time"/"Go On And Cry" 7"45
(UMe)
- Margaret
Cho & Neil Hamburger - I Drink 7"45 (Drag City)
- Sic
Alps - Pangea Globe 7"EP (Drag City)
- Abner
Jay - "Hambone"/ "Rattle the Bones" 7"45 (Social
Music)
- Veronica
Falls – My Heart Beats /Killing Time 7"45 (Slumberland)
- Bonnie
"Prince' Billy - Hummingbird 10"EP (Spiritual Pajamas)
- Nobunny
- The MaximumRockNRoll EP 7"EP (Goner)
- Mickey
Newbury & Bill Callahan - "Heaven Help The Child" 7"45
(Drag City)
- America
Hearts - Angsty MP3-EP (America Hearts Singles Club)
- Belle
And Sebastian - Crash 7"45 (Another Late Night)
- Laura
Cantrell - No Way There From Here MP3 (Radio Free Song Club)
- Fucked
Up - Year Of The Tiger 12"EP
(Matador)
- VA
- Trouble in Mind RSD 2012 4-Way Covers Split 4x7"EP (Trouble In
Mind)
- Oxes
w/ Will Oldham & Bob Weston/Microkingdom w/ Sam Herring - Split
7"45 (Friends)
- Stephen
Malkmus & The Jicks / L.A. Guns Split 7"45 (Matador)
- Keel
Her - Riot Grrl 7"45 (Critical Heights)
- R.Ring
- Mr. DNA CD-Single (Phratry)
- Mike
Watt & The Missingmen/Chuck Dukowski Sextet – Sweet Honey Pie
(live)/My War 7"45 (Original Recordings)
- Dead
Moon – Too Many People 7"EP (Mississippi/Change)
- Wussy/Buffalo
Killers - Dangerous Highway Vol. 2 Split-7"45 (Shake It)
- Jennifer
Herrema/Kurt Vile - Before They Make Me Run 7"45 (VolCom)
- Cheap
Time - Macbeth 7"45 (Third Man)
- Mississippi
Fred & Annie McDowell - Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed 7"45
(Yeti)
- Beck–
I Just Started Hating Some People Today / Blue Randy 7"45 (Third Man)
- Kurt
Vile & Meg Baird - "Classic Rock in Spring"/"Another
Story" 7"45 (Matador)
- Superchunk
- "This Summer" b/w "Cruel Summer" 7"45 (Merge)
- The
Pictish Trail / Kid Canaveral - Split 7"45 (Fence)
- Withered
Hand - Heart Heart 7"EP (Fence)
- Wooden
Wand/Catherin Irwin - Sings the Songs of Hazel Dickens 7"EP (PIATPK)
- Sic
Alps/Freakapuss - Split 7"45 (Drag City)
- Dan
Melchoir - HoZac Hookup Club 7"EP (HoZac)
- Bedroom
Problems - "Oceans/Obligated" MP3-Single (Bandcamp)
- Pierced
Arrows - Keep Pushin' / Little Did I Know 7"45 (Tombstone)
- Sweet
Apple– Elected/No Government 7"45 (Outer Battery)
- A
Burning Bus (Don Howland) - Anti-/Paranoia Paradise 7" (Harvest)
- Danny
& The Darleans - Don't Ask the Question/You're Driving Me Insane
7"45 (Nero's Neptune)
- Stag
– Get Used To It 7"EP (Disembraining Machine)
- Curious
Mystery - Be Still 7"45 (K Records)
- Andreas
Dorau - Blumen Und Narzissen LP/CD (Bureau B) (1981)
- Avengers
- The Avengers 2LP/2CD (Water) (1983)
- John
Bender– Memories Of Mindless Mechanical Monologues 1976-1985 7LP
(Vinyl-On-Demand) (1976-1985)
- Bilders
- Soloman's Ball 12"EP (Unwucht) (1982) + Die Bilder - Schwimmen In
Der See 12"EP (Unwucht) (1982) + Bilders - High Thirties Piano
12"EP (Unwucht) (1982)
- Bizarros
- Complete Collection 1976-1980 2LP (Windian) (1976-1980)
- Bottomless
Pit - Lottery: 2005-2012 (Home Recording Is Killing Music / Comedy Minus
One) (2005-2012)
- Bush
Tetras - Happy CD (ROIR) (1997)
- John
Cage - Empty Words (Parte III) 3LP BOX (Mirumir) (1977)
- Captain
Beefheart - various 7"45 reissues (Sundazed) (1967-75)
- Tony
Caro & John - Blue Clouds LP (Drag City) (1972-78)
- Alex
Chilton - Free Again: The "1970" Sessions 2LP/CD (Omnivore)
(1970)
- The
Clean – Oddities 2LP (Five Forty Records) (1983)
- Cleaners
From Venus - Box Set Vol. 1 3CD (Captured Tracks) (1980-83)
- Codeine
- When I See the Sun 6LP+3CD box set (Numero Group) (1990-94)
- Leonard
Cohen/Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah 7"45 (1984/1994)
- Coloured
Balls– Ball Power LP (Sing Sing) (1973)
- Brian
Crook – Bathysphere LP (Meds) (2000)
- Dead
C - Harsh 70's Reality: 20th Anniversary Edition 2LP (Siltbreeze) (1992)
- Dicks
– Hate The Police 7"EP (1-2-3-4 Go!) (1980)
- Feedtime
– The Aberrant Years 4LP/4CD box set (Sub Pop) (1979-89)
- Folke
Rabe - What?? CD (Important) (1967)
- Kim
Fowley - King of the Creeps: Lost Treasures from the Vaults 1959-69: Vol 3
LP/CD (Norton) (1959-69)
- Great
Unwashed - Clean Out of Our Minds LP (Exiled) (1983)
- Lee
Hazlewood - The LHI Years: Singles, Nudes, & Backsides 2LP/CD (Light
In The Attic) (1968-71)
- Doug
Jerebine – Is Jesse Harper LP (Drag City) (1970)
- Jack
Kerouac - The Complete Collection 2CD (Chrome Dreams) (1958-68)
- Kidda
Band - Fighting My Way Back / Saturday Night Fever 7"45 (Carrere/Last
Laugh) (1979)
- Lame
Drivers - Cruisin Classics 2003-2010 vol. 1 MP3-Album (Bandcamp)
(2003-2010)
- Lives
of Angels -Elevator to Eden LP (Dark Entires) (1983)
- Longmont
Potion Castle - Vol 4 MP3-Album (ADR/PR) (2001)
- Lyres
- Lyres Lyres LP/CD (1985) and On Fyre LP/CD (1987) (Munster)
- Moss
Icon - Complete Discography 3LP (Temporary Residence) (1989)
- Mountain
Goats - The Hound Chronicles/Hot Garden Stomp) 2CD (Shrimper) (1992-93)
- Neutral
Milk Hotel 2LP + 2 10"EP + 3 7"45s Box Set (Elephant 6)
(1993-1998)
- Pin
Group – Ambivalence LP/CD (Flying Nun) (1981-83)
- Plimsouls
– Beach Town Confidential (Live At The Golden Bear 1983) LP (Alive)
(1983)
- Primitons
- Don't Go Away: Collected Works CD (Arena Rock) (1985-87)
- Pussy
Galore - Feel Good About Your Body 7"EP (Shove) (1985)
- Reactionaries
- 1979 LP (Water Under The Bridge) (1979)
- Mike
Rep & The Quotas – Rocket To Nowhere b/w Quasar (Mighty Mouth) (1978)
- Rites
Of Spring – Six Song Demo 10"EP/CD (Dischord) (1985)
- Clara
Rockmore - Music In And On The Air CD (Romeo) (1979)
- Scientists
- Rubber Never Sleeps 2LP (Bang) (1978-82)
- Screamin'
Jay Hawkins - Rare, Unissued or Just Plain Weird LP (Rumble) (1953-59)
- Screaming
Urge - Homework/Runaway 7"45 (Sing Sing) (1980)
- Sentridoh
(Sebadoh) - Weed Forestin' LP/2CD/CA (Sebadoh) (1990)
- Shoes
- One in Versailles LP (1976) +
Bazooka LP (1975) + Black Vinyl Shoes LP (1977) + Present Tense:
Demos 1978-1979 LP (1978-79) (Numero Group)
- Silver
Jews - Early Times LP/CD/CA (Drag City) (1990-93)
- Tronics
- Love Backed by Force LP/CD
(What's Your Rupture) (1981)
- Moe
Tucker - I Feel So Far Away: Anthology 1974-1998 3LP/2CD (Sundazed)
(1974-1998)
- The
Trypes – Music For Neighbors LP (Acute) (1984)
- VA:
It's Zimmerman's World...We Just Live in It LP (PET) (1965-67)
- VA:
Michigan Mixture Volumes 1 & 2 2CD (Particles) (1967-69)
- VA
- Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From First Psychedelic Era 2LP/2CD (Rhino)
(1965-68)
- VA:
Time To Go: The Southern
Psychedelic Movement (Flying Nun) (1981-86)
- Velvet
Monkeys - Everything Is Right CD (Thick Syrup) (1981-82)
- Velvet
Underground & Nico 45th Anniversary 6CD Box set (Polydor) (1966)
- Velvet
Underground - Scepter Studios Acetate LP (Polydor) (1966)
- Weird
Paul - 25 Lo-Fi Years CD (Thick Syrup) (1987-2012)
- Woody
Guthrie - Woody at 100: Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection 3CD Box
(Smithsonian/Folkways) (1939-1948)
- Wussy
- Buckeye CD (Damnably) (2005-2011)
Honorable Mention (Alphabetical):
- Hasil
Adkins - Evening Shadow Road LP (Nero's Neptune)
- Anonymous
Choir– Anonymous Choir LP (Nero's Neptune)
- Beck
- Song Reader - Book (McSweeney's)
- The
Beets - Let The Poison Out LP/CD (Hardly Art)
- Big
Dipper - Crashes on the Platinum Planet CD (Almost Ready)
- BMX
Bandits – In Space LP/CD (Elefant)
- Bonnie
'Prince' Billy - Now Here's My Plan 12"EP/CDEP (Drag City)
- The
Cairo Gang - The Corner Man LP (Endless Nest)
- Can
- Lost Tapes 5LP/3CD (Mute)
- Guy
Capecelatro III - North for the Winter CD (Dromedary)
- Carolee
- EP1 12"EP (12XU)
- Chain
& The Gang - In Cool Blood LP/CD (K Records)
- Cheap
Time – Wallpaper Music LP (In The Red)
- Wild
Billy Childish and The Spartan Dreggs
- Coastal Command LP (Damaged Goods)
- Citizen
Blast Kane - The Lobster Dinner Demos CD (Bandcamp)
- Corin
Tucker Band - Kill My Blues LP/CD (Kill Rock Stars)
- Cotton
Candy - Off The Hook and Out of Control CD (Teenbeat)
- Yod
Crewsy & The Dark Marbles - Variety Pack CD (Dark Marble)
- Crusaders
of Love - Take It Easy. . . But Take It LP/CD (FDH)
- dBs
- Falling Off The Sky CD (Bar/None)
- Dirty
Three – Toward The Low Sun LP/CD (Drag City)
- Bob
Dylan - Tempest 2LP/CD (Columbia)
- Eddy
Current Suppression Ring/UV Race – Live At Missing Link Split-LP (Almost
Ready)
- The
Evens - The Odds LP/CD (Dischord)
- Ezra
Lbs - Ezra Lbs CD (Thick Syrup)
- Bill
Fay – Life Is People 2LP/CD (Dead Oceans)
- Fist
City - It's 1983, Grow Up CD (Black Tent)
- Rebecca
Gates - The Float LP/CD (12XU/Parcematone)
- Golden
Boys – Dirty Fingernails LP (12XU)
- Grass
Widow - Internal Logic LP/CD (HLR)
- Guided
By Voices - Let's Go Eat The Factory LP/CD (GBV)
- Hive
Dwellers - Hewn From The Wilderness LP/CD (K Records)
- Home
Blitz – Frozen Tracks 12"EP (Mexican Summer)
- Homemade
Drugs - Homemade Drugs CD (Dark Circles)
- Human
Hearts (Franklin Bruno) - Another 2x10"EP/CD (Shrimper)
- Hunx
- Hairdresser Blues LP/CD (Hardly Art)
- The
Intelligence - Everybody's Got It Easy But Me LP/CD (In The Red)
- Int'l
Shades - Hash Wednesday LP/CD (Thick Syrup)
- Catherine
Irwin - Little Heater LP/CD (Thrill Jockey)
- Jack
Lesser Lewis's Awkward Energy - Lvov Swims The Willamette CD
(Stitch-Stitch/ Ample Play)
- Jesus
Is My Son - 1914-1918 CD (FF HHH)
- Karl
Hendricks Trio – The Adult Section LP+CD (Comedy Minus One)
- Liechtenstein
- Fast Forward LP (Fraction)
- Mad
Scene - Blip LP (Siltbreeze)
- Magnetic
Fields - Love at the Bottom of the Sea LP/CD (Merge)
- Major
Stars – Decibels Of Gratitude LP/CD (Twisted Village/Important)
- Dan
Melchior - The Backward Path LP/CD (Northern Spy)
- The
Men - Open Your Heart LP/CD (Sacred Bones)
- Mission
of Burma - Unsound LP/CD (Fire)
- Cheyenne
Marie Mize - We Don't Need 10"EP/CDEP (Yep Roc)
- Mmoss
- Only Children LP/CD (Trouble In Mind)
- Moon
Duo - Circles LP/CD (Sacred Bones)
- Mount
Eerie – Clear Moon / Ocean Roar LPs/2CD (P.W. Elverum & Sun/7EP)
- MV
& EE – Space Homestead LP (Woodsist)
- Nazi
Gold – A Message Of Love LP (Super Secret)
- New
Toys - Made In Buffalo CD (Circumstantial)
- Randy
Newman - I'm Dreaming of a White President MP3 (download)
- Nude
Beach – II LP/CD (Fat Possum/Other
Music)
- Doug
Paisley - Golden Embers LP (No Quarter)
- Paul
K - The Switch Back Lounge & The Blue Mosque CD (Shrunken Stomach)
- The
Pictish Trail - The Summer Is Empty Of Idiots 7"EP (Fence)
- Public
Image Ltd. - This Is PiL 2LP/CD (PIL)
- Pussy
Riot - Kill The Sexist! MP3-EP (free download)
- Randall
Douglas Matson - Minor Motion Picture CDR (Old 3C)
- The
Ready Stance - Damndest LP/CD (Damndest)
- Rule
Number Three - Rule Number Three MP3-EP (Bandcamp)
- Schwervon!
- Courage LP/CD (Olive Juice)
- Screaming
Females– Ugly 2LP/CD (Don Giovanni Records)
- Sebadoh
- Child of the Apocalypse CD (Sebadoh)
- Sebadoh
- Secret MP3-EP (Sebadoh)
- Ty
Segall - Twins LP/CD/CA (Drag City)
- Shonen
Knife - Pop Tune CD (Damnably/Good Charamel/P-Vine)
- Sic
Alps - Sic Alps LP/CD/CA (Drag City)
- Six
Organs of Admittance – Ascent LP/CD (Drag City)
- Sleeping
Bag – Women Of Your Life LP (Joyful Noise)
- Sweet
Lights– Sweet Lights LP/CD (Highline)
- Talk
It (Andrew Beaujon) - Talk It CDEP (Teenbeat)
- Thee
Oh Sees - Putrifiers II LP/CD (In The Red)
- Times
New Viking – Over & Over 12"EP (Siltbreeze)
- Trembling
Bells & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - The Marble Downs CD (Honest Jon's)
- Trembling
Bells, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, & Muldoon's Picnic - The Duchess
12"EP (Honest Jon's)
- Turf
War - Years of Living Dangerously CD (Old Flame)
- VA
- El Primer Nino: RSD 2012 Denver 4x7" comp (Snappy Little Numbers)
- VA
- John Singer Sergeant (The Music And Songs Of John Dufilho) LP/CD
(Kirtland)
- VA
- This Must Be The Place OST 2LP/CD (Vinyl Factory/Moshi Moshi)
- Verlaines
- Untimely Meditations CD (Flying Nun)
- Virals–
Virals 12"EP (Tough Love)
- Waco
Brothers & Paul Burch – Great Chicago Fire CD (Bloodshot)
- Wooden
Wand - Briarwood (Deluxe Edition) 2CD (Fire)
- C.S.
Yeh - Transitions LP/CD (De Stijl)
- Neil
Young & Crazy Horse – Psychedelic Pill 3LP/2CD (Reprise)