Best Records of 2012

            At long last, here is this year's Trash Flow Radio "Best Records of 2012" list.  This year, I ranked 30 albums and 40 singles, and supplemented those lists with unranked lists of "Best Reissues" and "Honorable Mention."  To avoid conflicts of interest or gushes of parental pride, I refrained from listing or ranking the self-released debut CD ("Climb A Tree") by Nathan Katkin's great band The Social Rejects Club.  But FYI, The Social Rejects Club have a Bandcamp page from which you can download (free) their debut single "Hello Bright Spark."  And if you like what you hear, you can purchase the "Climb A Tree" CD from Shake It Records in Cincinnati, which sells it for $7 per copy in-store or via the Web.
 

             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:  

1. The Frogs - Count Yer Blessingsz/Squirrel Bunny Jupiter Deluxe MP3-Double-Album (Frogs)
2. Bitch Prefect - Big Time LP/CD (Bedroom Suck)
3. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Americana LP/CD (Reprise)
4. Scott & Charlene's Wedding - Para Vista Social Club LP/CD (Bedroom Suck/Critical Heights)
5. VA - Listen, Whitey! The Sounds of Black Power 1967-1974 2LP/CD (Light In The Attic)
6. VA - Love Songs for Lamps: The Believer 2012 Music Issue CS (complied by Calvin Johnson) (The Believer)
7. Woollen Kits - Four Girls LP/CD (R.I.P Society/Trouble In Mind)
8. Royal Headache - Royal Headache LP/CD (R.I.P. Society/What’s Your Rupture)
9. The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth LP/CD (Merge)
10. Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet On Sky LP/CD (Jagjaguwar)
11. Neil Hamburger - Live at Third Man LP (Third Man)
12. Limiñanas - Crystal Anis' LP/CD (HoZac)
13. Philip Glass & Robert Wilson - Einstein on the Beach Highlights CD+DVD (Orange Mountain) (1984)
14. The Music Tapes - Mary's Voice LP/CD (Merge)
15. Nick Cave & the Bootleggers - Lawless OST LP/CD (Sony Masterworks)
16. Toy Love – Live At The Gluepot 1980 LP/CD (Real Groovy/Goner)
17. Rocket From The Tombs - Extermination Night: RFTT Live in 1974 MP3-Album (Hearpen)
18. VA - Play It Like You Did Back To George Street: An Anthology of Cincinnati Blues 1927-1936 2LP (Shake It)
19. Lee Ranaldo Band -  Between The Times & The Tides LP/CD/DA (Matador)
20. Plaided‎– Playdate LP/CD (Fettkakao)
21. Daniel Johnston - Space Ducks OST Book+MP3 Album (Yip Eye)
22. Chris Brokaw - Gambler's Ecstacy LP/CD (Damnably/12XU)
23. John Cage - Song Books 2CD (Sub Rosa)
24. Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold LP/CD (What's Your Rupture)
25. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Wrecking Ball LP/CD (Columbia)
26. Literature - Arab Spring LP/CA (Austin Town Hall/Square of Opposition/Like Young)
27. VA - Work Hard, Play Hard, Pray Hard: Hard Time, Good Time, & End Time Music, 1923-1936 3LP/3CD Box (Tompkins Square)
28. VA - Bring Beer comp LP (12XU)
29. Liquor Store - Yeah Buddy 2LP/CD (Almost Ready)
30. Secular Joy - Made for Better Things CD (Unhinged)

Top 40 Singles of 2012 (Ranked):

1. Pussy Riot - Putin Lights Up The Fires MP3 (Consequence of Sound)
2. Withered Hand - Inbetweens 10"EP (Fence)
3. The Mynah Byrds - "It's My Time"/"Go On And Cry" 7"45 (UMe)
4. Margaret Cho & Neil Hamburger - I Drink 7"45 (Drag City)
5. Sic Alps - Pangea Globe 7"EP (Drag City)
6. Abner Jay - "Hambone"/ "Rattle the Bones" 7"45 (Social Music)
7. Veronica Falls ‎– My Heart Beats /Killing Time 7"45 (Slumberland)
8. Bonnie "Prince' Billy - Hummingbird 10"EP (Spiritual Pajamas)
9. Nobunny - The MaximumRockNRoll EP 7"EP (Goner)
10. Mickey Newbury & Bill Callahan - "Heaven Help The Child" 7"45 (Drag City)
11. America Hearts - Angsty MP3-EP (America Hearts Singles Club)
12. Belle And Sebastian - Crash 7"45 (Another Late Night)
13. Laura Cantrell - No Way There From Here MP3 (Radio Free Song Club)
14. Fucked Up - Year Of The Tiger  12"EP (Matador)
15. VA - Trouble in Mind RSD 2012 4-Way Covers Split 4x7"EP (Trouble In Mind)
16. Oxes w/ Will Oldham & Bob Weston/Microkingdom w/ Sam Herring - Split 7"45 (Friends)
17. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks / L.A. Guns Split 7"45 (Matador)
18. Keel Her - Riot Grrl 7"45 (Critical Heights)
19. R.Ring - Mr. DNA CD-Single (Phratry)
20. Mike Watt & The Missingmen/Chuck Dukowski Sextet ‎– Sweet Honey Pie (live)/My War 7"45 (Original Recordings)
21. Dead Moon – Too Many People 7"EP (Mississippi/Change)
22. Wussy/Buffalo Killers - Dangerous Highway Vol. 2 Split-7"45 (Shake It)
23. Jennifer Herrema/Kurt Vile - Before They Make Me Run 7"45 (VolCom)
24. Cheap Time - Macbeth 7"45 (Third Man)
25. Mississippi Fred & Annie McDowell - Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed 7"45 (Yeti)
26. Beck‎– I Just Started Hating Some People Today / Blue Randy 7"45 (Third Man)
27. Kurt Vile & Meg Baird - "Classic Rock in Spring"/"Another Story"  7"45 (Matador)
28. Superchunk - "This Summer" b/w "Cruel Summer" 7"45 (Merge)
29. The Pictish Trail / Kid Canaveral - Split 7"45 (Fence)
30. Withered Hand - Heart Heart 7"EP (Fence)
31. Wooden Wand/Catherin Irwin - Sings the Songs of Hazel Dickens 7"EP (PIATPK)
32. Sic Alps/Freakapuss - Split 7"45 (Drag City)
33. Dan Melchoir - HoZac Hookup Club 7"EP (HoZac)
34. Bedroom Problems - "Oceans/Obligated" MP3-Single (Bandcamp)
35. Pierced Arrows - Keep Pushin' / Little Did I Know 7"45 (Tombstone)
36. Sweet Apple‎– Elected/No Government 7"45 (Outer Battery)
37. A Burning Bus (Don Howland) - Anti-/Paranoia Paradise 7" (Harvest)
38. Danny & The Darleans - Don't Ask the Question/You're Driving Me Insane 7"45 (Nero's Neptune)
39. Stag ‎– Get Used To It 7"EP (Disembraining Machine)
40. Curious Mystery - Be Still 7"45 (K Records)

 Best Reissues of 2012 (Alphabetical):

• 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)