The Misplaced Modifiers' 27 Favorite Albums of 2012

Early on, I struggled to care about music released in 2012.  Mid-January, I caught wind of an editorial change at the Source Weekly.  By February, they were ignoring emails and phone messages.  I was still receiving music to review, just without an outlet.  It took me until October to decide to use this blog to post my music thoughts.

I also link my general disinterest in 2012 music to the epic demise of Mediafire (a one-stop shop for all things zip and rar).  The December '11 take down of Megaupload proved to be the undoing of the only truly trusted file sharing site (Mediafire).

This past November, I reserved a dozen albums from the library.  It was not by coincidence all 12 of these recordings were released in 2012.  Despite not caring about new music as much as I have in previous years, the year end lists started to poke up and caused a state of panic.The library had 2012 recordings from such standbys as The Sea and Cake, Calexico, Mission Of Burma, Baroness, Sharon Van Etten, and sophomore releases from Tame Impala and Twin Shadow.

I am still waiting for Andy Stott's Luxury Problems, Anais Mitchell's Young Man in America, and Beach House's Bloom.  I guess my biggest frustration with year end lists is I never know how many records a specific reviewer or site truly listened to.  I listened to around 70 new albums.  But my top 27 is clearly a result of not buying much 2012 music, relying on labels to send digital downloads for review, and stocking up at my local library late in November for stand out records.  That said, I'm fortunate to have the ability to get new music without much financial involvement.  

Before I get to my list, I want to mention albums I haven't listened to.  I think it's valuable to see what others haven't, as well as have, listened to.  

One record I thoroughly enjoyed, Shearwater's Animal Joy, was given a nod by the respectable Joe Tangari.  It placed tenth on his top ten records of 2012.  I've yet to find any other reviewer, magazine, or music site applaud Animal Joy as I want to.

Twenty-Seven Praise Worthy Records I Haven't Listened To:

Andy Stott - Luxury Problems

Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man

Beach House - Bloom

Bill Fay - Life Is People

Cat Power - Sun

Chairlift - Something

Chromatics - Kill For Love

Damien Jurado - Maraqopa

Death Grips - The Money Store

DIIV - Oshin

Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...

Flying Lotus - Until The Quiet Comes

Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

Goat - World Music

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!

Grizzly Bear - Shields

High on Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis

Japandroids - Celebration Rock

Jens Lekman - I Know What Love Isn't

Julia Holter - Ekstasis

Matthew E. White - Big Inner

The Men - Open Your Heart

METZ - METZ

Pallbearer - Sorrow and Extinction

Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light

Swans - The Seer

The Walkmen - Heaven

I've never been interested in Ms. Apple and I lost interest in G. Bear.  But that is one thick list.  Possibly missing Chris Cohen's Overgrown Path.

Here's what I digested and/or got terrible heartburn from in 2012:

Acid Mothers Temple - Son Of A Bitches Brew

Aki Onda - Cassette Memories Volume 3: South Of The Border

Alcest - Les Voyages De L'Âme

Alex Winston - King Con

Antony & The Johnsons - Cut The World

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes

The Babies - Our House On The Hill

Baroness - Yellow & Green

Calexico - Algiers

Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory (10)

CocoRosie - We Are On Fire/Tearz For Animals

Craft Spells - Gallery

Cut Chemist - Outro (Revisited) EP

Dan Deacon - America

The Daredevil Christopher Wright - The Nature Of Things

Deerhoof - Breakup Song

Denison Witmer - The Ones Who Wait

Dent May - Do Things

Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan

Duane Pitre - Feel Free (20)

Earlimart - System Preferences

ESP - ESP EP

The Fresh & Onlys - Long Slow Dance

Generationals - Lucky Numbers EP

Grimes - Visions

GRMLN - Explore EP

Helado Negro - Island Universe Story One

Icebreaker with BJ Cole - Apollo

James Blackshaw - Love Is the Plan, the  Plan Is Death

Jessica Pratt - Jessica Pratt (30)

Jóhann Jóhannsson - Copenhagen Dreams

Jozef Van Wissem & Jim Jarmusch - Concerning the Entrance Into Eternity

Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d. city

L A N D - Night Within

Lambchop - Mr. M

Levek - Look A Little Closer

Lorelei - Enterprising Sidewalks

Major Stars - Decibels Of Gratitude

Martin Eden - Dedicate Function

Melody's Echo Chamber - Melody's Echo Chamber (40) 

mewithoutYou - Ten Stories

Mission Of Burma - Unsound

Mount Eerie - Clear Moon/Ocean Roar

MV & EE - Space Homestead

Mystery Jets - Radlands

Nude Beach - "II"

ONUINU - Mirror Gazer

Overhang Party - Complete Studio Recordings 1; 2; 4; Last Recording (4 CD's)*

Parenthetical Girls - Good Christian Men Rejoice, It's Parenthetical Girls (50)

PAWS - Cokefloat!

Retribution Gospel Choir - The Revolution EP

Roberts and Lord - COVERS

The Sea And Cake - Runners

Sharon Van Etten - Tramp

Shearwater - Animal Joy

Shintaro Sakamoto - How To Live With A Phantom

The Tallest Man On Earth - There's No Leaving Now

Tame Impala - Lonerism

Teen Daze - All Of Us, Together (60)/Inner Mansions

Twin Shadow - Confess

Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse

Vex Ruffin - Same Thing Tomorrow

Vinyl Williams - Lemniscate

The Welcome Wagon - Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices

WHY ? - Mumps, etc./Sod In The Seed EP

Willis Earl Beal - Acousmatic Sorcery

Woods - Bend Beyond (70)

Wovenhand - The Laughing Stalk

Yann Tiersen - Skyline

*Overhang Party released these four albums separately prior to Important Records reissue.  Not a true 2012 album, but damn deserving reissue.

Albums of 2012 Receiving Most Ear Time (not necessarily due to greatness):

1. Shearwater - Animal Joy

2. WHY? - Sod In The Seed EP/Mumps, etc.

3. Wovenhand - The Laughing Stalk

4. L A N D - Night Within

5. Jóhann Jóhannsson - Copenhagen Dreams

6. The Tallest Man On Earth - There's No Leaving Now

7. Retribution Gospel Choir - The Revolution EP

8. PAWS - Cokefloat!

9. Earlimart - System Preferences

10. Aki Onda - Cassette Memories Volume 3: South Of The Border

11. Alcest - Les Voyages De L'Âme

12. Helado Negro - Island Universe Story One

13. Dan Deacon - America

14. Overhang Party - Complete Studio Recordings (4 CD's)*

15. The Welcome Wagon - Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices

16. Shintaro Sakamoto - How To Live With A Phantom

17. Duane Pitre - Feel Free

18. Mount Eerie - Clear Moon/Ocean Roar

19. James Blackshaw - Love Is the Plan, the  Plan Is Death

20. Lambchop - Mr. M

21. Jozef Van Wissem & Jim Jarmusch - Concerning the Entrance Into Eternity

22. Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory

23. Woods - Bend Beyond

24. Denison Witmer - The Ones Who Wait

25. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes

26. Mystery Jets - Radlands

27. The Daredevil Christopher Wright - The Nature Of Things

The Misplaced Modifiers' 27 Favorite Albums of 2012:

1. Shearwater - Animal Joy

2. L A N D - Night Within

3. Jóhann Jóhannsson - Copenhagen Dreams

4. Retribution Gospel Choir - The Revolution EP

5. Alcest - Les Voyages De L'Âme

6. Helado Negro - Island Universe Story One

7. Overhang Party - Complete Studio Recordings (4 CD's)*

8. The Welcome Wagon - Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices

9. Shintaro Sakamoto - How To Live With A Phantom

10. Duane Pitre - Feel Free

11. Lambchop - Mr. M

12. James Blackshaw - Love Is the Plan, the  Plan Is Death

13. Mount Eerie - Clear Moon

14. Mount Eerie - Ocean Roar

15. Jozef Van Wissem & Jim Jarmusch - Concerning the Entrance Into Eternity

16. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes

17. Wovenhand - The Laughing Stalk

18. Woods - Bend Beyond

19. Mission Of Burma - Unsound

20. Denison Witmer - The Ones Who Wait

21. Mystery Jets - Radlands

22. The Daredevil Christopher Wright - The Nature Of Things

23. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp

24. Willis Earl Beal - Acousmatic Sorcery

25. The Tallest Man On Earth - There's No Leaving Now

26. Grimes - Visions

27. Baroness - Yellow & Green **

** What's up with the lyrical content and vocal deliveries.  Am I the only one who finds it highly cornball?

The Misplaced Modifiers' Favorite Songs of 2012:

1. '2B2' - Lambchop

2. 'Cut The World' - Antony & The Johnsons

3. 'Lucky Numbers' - Generationals 

4. 'Paz A Ti' - Helado Negro

5. 'Pushing The River' - Shearwater

6. 'Maize' - Wovenhand

7. 'There's No Leaving Now' - The Tallest Man On Earth

8. 'Give Out' - Sharon Van Etten

9. 'The Animal Of Choice' - The Daredevil Christopher Wright

10. 'Animal Life' - Shearwater