A few weeks ago all of the KCRW DJs were instructed to turn in our top 10 albums for 2012. In a year with so much great music, being limited to only 10 really sucks. I stand by my original top 10, but I pleaded with Rachel to let me augment it with another 20-25 picks, but even that became untenable so I finally settled on a top 50 53.
So here it is. (And I feel better now)
1. Chromatics – Kill For Love (Italians Do It Better)
2. Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg (Mercury)
3. Poolside – Pacific Standard Time (Day & Night)
4. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city (TDE/Aftermath/Interscope)
5. Nick Waterhouse – Time’s All Gone (Innovative Leisure)
6. Tanlines – Mixed Emotions (True Panther)
7. Meek Mill – Dreamchasers 2 (Self Released)
8. Bonde Do Role – Tropical/Bacanal (Mad Decent)
9. VA – G.O.O.D. Music: Cruel Summer (Island/Def Jam)
10. Allah-Las – Allah-Las (Innovative Leisure)
11. Santigold – Master Of My Make Believe (Atlantic)
12. Whitey – Great Shakes Vol. 2 (Self Released)
13. Usher – Looking 4 Myself (RCA)
14. Tame Impala – Lonerism (Modular)
15. Breakbot – By Your Side (Ed Banger)
16. Jam City – Classical Curves (Night Slugs)
17. Big Boi – Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors (Island/Def Jam)
18. Miguel – Kaleidoscope Dream (RCA)
19. Yan Wagner – Forty Eight Hours (Pschent)
20. Donnie & Joe Emerson – Dreamin’ Wild (Light In The Attic)
21. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange (Island/Def Jam)
22. Matthew Dear – Beams (Ghostly International)
23. Grimes – Visions (4AD)
24. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – Trouble (Polydor)
25. John Talabot – Fin (Permanent Vacation)
26. Pop Levi – Medicine (Counter)
27. Joey Bada$$ – 1999 (Self Released)
28. Rihanna – Unapologetic (Def Jam)
29. Cleaners From Venus – Box Set (Captured Tracks)
30. Cat Power – Sun (Matador)
31. 2 Bears – Be Strong (DFA Records)
32. Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music (Williams Street)
33. Goat – World Music (Rocket Recordings)
34. Cymbals – Sideways, Sometimes (Tough Love)
35. VA – Holy Spirit: Spiritual Soul & Gospel Funk (Harmless)
36. Labrinth – Electronic Earth (Syco Music)
37. Whitey – Lost Summer (Self Released)
38. Com Truise – In Decay (Ghostly International)
39 Can – Lost Tapes (Mute)
40. Azealia Banks – Fantasea (Self Released)
41. Sleigh Bells – Reign Of Terror (Mom + Pop)
42. Future – Pluto (Epic)
43. Win Win – Double Vision (Vice)
44. Air – Le Voyage Dans La Lune (Astralwerks)
45. Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do (Epic)
46. Teen – In Limbo (Carpark)
47. Willis Earl Beal – Acousmatic Sorcery (XL)
48. Howler – America Give Up (Rough Trade)
49. Holograms – Holograms (Captured Tracks)
50. Jack White – Blunderbuss (Third Man/Columbia),
VA – Country Funk (Light In The Attic),
Jeremih – Late Nights With Jeremih (Self Released),
John Tejada – The Predicting Machine (Kompakt) (tie)