Tony Breed writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2012 (Tony Breed)

Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its members’ top albums of 2012. Our next list is from CHIRP Board Member, Marketing Co-Head, and Friday Morning DJ Tony Breed.

This year I vowed not to agonize over my top 10 list, but it appears I failed. I just really wanted to make sure I included the music I'd be listening to again and again, rather than stuff I appreciate but rarely want to listen to. Only time will tell if I've got it right.

Songs of the year:
You know those songs you hear on the radio that just grab you? The songs that make you say, what is this? These were those songs, for me, in 2012:
Georgia Anne Muldrow, "Seeds"
Alabama Shakes, "You Ain't Alone"
Calexico, "Para"
Quantic & Alice Russell with the Combo Bárbaro, "Look Around the Corner"

Albums of the Year:

1. Quantic & Alice Russell with the Combo Bárbaro - Look Around the Corner (Tru Thoughts)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   A jazz-soul retro hybrid that I just love—I've listened to it more than anything else this year.
2. Shearwater - Animal Joy (Sub Pop)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   Shearwater is a reliable source of excellent music. I don't think they've covered new ground here, but I really don't need them to; they do what they do so well.
3. Calexico - Algiers (Anti-)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   Have I just not been paying enough attention to Calexico? Or is this actually their best album ever? It's one really strong song after another.
4. Kelan Philip Cohran & the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - Kelan Philip Cohran & the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (Honest Jon's)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   Jazz that really moves. All that brass gives it an edge of marching band sound.
5. Serengeti - C.A.R. (Anticon)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   Serengeti's been around for a while, and is really in top form for C.A.R. Songs like "Go Dancin" manage to be uptempo and sad at the same time.
6. Anaïs - A l'eau de Javel (Universal/Polydor)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   French chanteuse revisits songs (mostly French) from the 30's to the 80's (mostly older) in a variety of styles. Anaïs shifts easily between vocal and musical styles; the songs are sometimes silly, but she is always a master.
7. Rupa & the April Fishes - Build (Ingrooves)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   So many different styles in this album! So great, so captivating.
8. Bettye LaVette - Thankful N' Thoughtful (Anti-)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   How cool is Bettye LaVette? She takes a song like Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" and gives it meaning you didn't know was there.
9. Cains & Abels - My Life is Easy (Whistler)
   BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
   A really solid second album from Chicago's own Cains & Abels. It's the quality of the vocals that pushed this into my top 10. If you like bands like Fleet Foxes, you owe it to yourself to check out Cains & Abels.
10. Jens Lekman - I Know What Love Isn't (Secretly Canadian)
    BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
    Any day can be instantly improved by listening to Jens Lekman. This is a scientific fact. The new album is more melancholy than his previous, but so so good. I'm going to listen to it all winter. In fact, I think I'll put it on right now.

Honorable Mentions

• Air - Le voyage dans la lune
  Artichoke - Etchy Sketchy Skies
  Bob Mould - Silver Age
  Cat Power – Sun
  Damon Albarn - Dr Dee
  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
  Kelly Hogan - I Like to Keep Myself in Pain
  The Magnetic Fields - Love at the Bottom of the Sea