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Matt Garman writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2012 (Matt Garman)

CHIRP Radio Best of 2012

Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its members’ top albums of 2012. Our next list is from DJ Matt Garman.

 

 

 

 

2012 saw a few amazing albums and a few good, solid full-lengths. Rather than rank my Top 10, I'm listing them in alphabetical order. Truth be told, I heard more than 10 standouts, and if you want to know what else I liked, visit my DJ bio page for a link to my mailing list.

  • Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself / Hands of Glory EP (Mom + Pop)Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself / Hands of Glory EP (Mom + Pop)
    BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
    I can't believe I had to move to Chicago to really start listening to this guy. He's got the goods, people. A pop savant, multi-instrumentalist/whistler/violinist, old-timey gentleman who writes songs I wish I could sneak into his dreams and steal.
  • Jherek Bischoff - Composed (Brassland)Jherek Bischoff - Composed (Brassland)
    BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
    Beautiful, carefully crafted orchestral pop. I can't believe he recorded this mostly one track at a time, on a laptop, at times traveling to the musicians themselves to capture performances in living rooms and studios.
  • Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits (Merge)Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits (Merge)
    BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
    I have a serious Britt Daniel/Spoon fixation, and his new egalitarian project with Dan Boeckner and Sam Brown is sublime. Much like Spoon, this album is lean, precise, and tough.
  • Future of the Left - The Plot Against Common Sense (Xtra Mile)Future of the Left - The Plot Against Common Sense (Xtra Mile)
    BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
    I also have an Andy Falkous fixation. The 3rd full-length from this Welsh post-punk band is snarly and clever, brutal and withering. Featuring 2/3 of mclusky, and you can tell, because it is awesome.
  • The Intelligence - Everybody's Got It Easy But Me (In The Red)The Intelligence - Everybody's Got It Easy But Me (In The Red)
    BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
    A terrific collection of fun, oddball tracks that entertain and confound, from acoustic strummers with woodwinds to squonky repetitive atonal crunch 'n' synths.
  • Japandroids - Celebration Rock (Polyvinyl)Japandroids - Celebration Rock (Polyvinyl)
    BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
    Springsteen-esque. Replacements-esque. Canadian. Just 2 dudes. Fantastic.
  • Michael Kiwanuka - Home Again (Interscope)Michael Kiwanuka - Home Again (Interscope)
    BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
    Thoroughly retro folk-rock from this North London singer-songwriter whose family emigrated from Uganda. Breezy, soulful, authentic.
  • Menomena - Moms (Barsuk)Menomena - Moms (Barsuk)
    BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
    I've been a fan of Menomena since before you, unless you're from Portland in 2001. On their latest LP the trio is now a duo, and they maintain their quirky pop aesthetic while introducing some seriously heavy lyrics.
  • Monophonics - In Your Brain (Ubiquity)Monophonics - In Your Brain (Ubiquity)
    BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
    San Francisco-based psychedelic soul. Sure is funky. Can't get enough of dude's voice, not to mention those grooves.
  • Frank Ocean - Channel Orange (Def Jam)Frank Ocean - Channel Orange (Def Jam)
    BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
    Okay I lied. This may be my favorite album of the year. Soul music from a kid who clearly grew up on Stevie Wonder and D'Angelo, this shit is smooth, deep and affecting. Can't stop spinning it. Tyler the who?

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Categorized: Best Albums of the Year

Topics: best of 2012, reviews

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