Still, despite the extra sheen, they’ve got more than a few good tracks on here. Highlights: Genesis, Oblivion, Vowels = Space and Time, NightmusicĪs they get further and further from their punk roots, the quality slowly declines. I can’t really say why it works, but it does. All of the slickness in those artists is obliterated in a sort of Cubist re-imagination of genres. But the key thing is that Grimes somehow takes all the good bits and pieces and mash them together into something that goes beyond its references. I held out on this one for a long time because most of the reviews RIYLed a bunch of artists that I don’t like that much (Mariah Carey, The Knife, Kylie Minogue, Lykke Li, etc.). It’s DIY electronica with dreamy pop movements and vocals that sound like they are being sung through a wormhole from Alpha Centauri. Highlights: Yon Two Crows, Hill Farmer’s Blues (Unmixed 2-Track), Haul Away, Radio City Serenade, Seattle Pick your favorite 13 songs from the bunch, and you’ll have a very solid record. But still, out of 25 songs, you’re going to get a ton of fantastic guitar-playing and Knopfler’s voice is one of the rare ones that has been able to age really well. There are too many bluesy numbers that don’t really work for me to be able to fully endorse it. Hope you enjoy some of them as much as I do.Ī double album from one of my all-time favorite artists. This is a list of the records I liked this year. But really, the top 11 are a class above the rest, and #1 is miles ahead of anything else.Īs always, this is a subjective project.

I settled on 20 albums for this list because these are the ones I can recommend wholeheartedly.

If you’ve got your heart on a sleeve and a guitar in hand, chances are I liked your record most. But as far as complete records go, rock pretty much rules the roost. There was a lot of great electronica, folk, and hip-hop–some of which is represented here and a bunch more will be on my list of songs. For me, 2012 was essentially a year for good old fashioned rock and roll.

Petra beyond a shadow of a doubt music