Best of 2012?

I always find it difficult doing an end of year “best of” list, but I thought I’d give it a crack this year. Any glaring omissions? Tell me some good albums to check out!

My Favourite Albums of 2012

1. METZ – s/t

For fans of Drive Like Jehu, The Melvins and Rock Music.

2. Japandroids – Celebration Rock

For fans of having a nice time, parties and smiling.

3. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange

For fans of geniuses, stage diving Dalai Lamas and Outkast.

4. The Futureheads – Rant

For fans of folk club singarounds, real ale and Black Eyed Peas.

5. Field Music – Plumb

For fans of plumb coloured vinyl, bands that should’ve won the Mercury Music Prize and Kev Dosdale.

6. Make Do And Mend – Everything You Ever Loved

For fans of Jimmy Eat World, Foo Fighters and bands that remind you of 2003.

7. The Unthanks – Song From The Shipyards

For fans of the River Tees, the North East and being proper Northern.

8. Mutiny On The Bounty – Trials

For fans of Minus The Bear, The Mars Volta and Luxembourg.

9. Bat For Lashes – The Haunted Man

For fans of Kate Bush, people called Laura and naked fireman’s lifts.

10. Tall Ships – Everything Touching

For fans of I Was A Cub Scout, Battles and the Big Scary Monsters roster (past & present.)

11. Spector – Enjoy It While It Lasts

For fans of The Killers, not taking yourself too seriously and big indie-pop sing-a-longs.

12. Beach House – Bloom

For fans of really good bands making really good records.

13. Grimes – Visions

For fans of shimmering synths, the internet and 80s pop.

14. Tame Impala – Lonerism

For fans of The Beatles, Metronomy and 70s psychedelic rock bands that I’ve never heard of.

15. Stealing Sheep – Into The Diamond Sun

For fans of those nice tea & coffee shops in Liverpool, Fleetwood Mac and Warpaint.

16. Pinback – Information Retrieved

For fans of American Analog Set, Modest Mouse and, well, Pinback!

17. Alt-J – An Awesome Wave

For fans of triangles, pans for hi-hats and wearing glasses.

18. David Byrne & St. Vincent – Love This Giant

For fans of David Byrne, St Vincent and brass sections.

19. The Maccabees – Given to the Wild

For fans of Coldplay, Arcade Fire and wishing that all Maccabees songs still sounded like The Rat by The Walkmen.

20. The Gaslight Anthem – Handwritten

For fans of Bruce Springsteen, Hot Water Music and shouting whoa-oh.

Here’s a Spotify playlist to accompany this post:

 

Honourable mentions to Band Of Horses, The Cribs, Grizzly Bear, Minus The Bear, Hot Chip and The Shins, who all released perfectly acceptable new albums which all served to make me go and listen to their older records.

Natasha Haws

This should’ve been my next tea house gig, but unfortunately Natasha Haws has just had to cancel due to illness: