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We are about at the midpoint of 2012 and you know what that means: Obligatory best-of-year-so-far list!
The Men – Open Your Heart (Sacred Bones)
Despite some issues with my review being available too early and the issues that caused, I can certainly not hold any of it against the album. It’s just fucking riveting.
Crocodiles – Endless Flowers (Frenchkiss)
Like, The Men, these guys just keep getting better with every release. It’s improbable.
Lotus Plaza – Spooky Action At A Distance (Kranky)
Lockett Pundt of Deerhunter has, in my opinion, leapfrogged Bradford Cox’s Atlas Sound as far as Deerhunter solo projects. Strangely, he does so by being more Cox-ian.
Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself (Mom + Pop)
Best effort since at least 2005, if not his best ever.
Lee Ranaldo – Between The Times And The Tides (Matador)
Hope for a post-*Sonic Youth* world.
Mark Lanegan Band – Blues Funeral (4AD)
I love Mark Lanegan but I must admit that it took me forever to get into the album. I had such preconceived notions on what it should sound like but once I got over them, I came to appreciate the album a lot.
El-P – Cancer For Cure (Fat Possum)
After some good, not great, mixtapes, Jaime Meline’s first official album in five years does not disappoint. Not even a little.
DIIV – Oshin (Captured Tracks)
It wouldn’t be a list of mine without some dreampop action and this certainly fits the bill. By far, my favorite debut album of the year.
The Cult – Weapon Of Choice (Cooking Vinyl)
It’s nice to have just a straight-up rock band on the list. My full review tells the whole story.
OFF! – OFF! (Vice)
Largely, the same album as the four EPs but that’s not really a bad thing.
