The staff at End of All Music has been thinking long and hard on what our favorite records of the year are… it was not an easy decision, but there are some records we can’t stop playing. There were so many great records, both new releases and reissues, this year. To narrow it down to three is nearly impossible, but we tried (except for Jimmy–he insisted on a top five). So here they are…
David’s Favorite Records of 2012:
1. Spiritualized “Sweet heart, sweet light” (it was our LP of the Month for May)
2. Japandroids “Celebration Rock” (it was our LP of the Month for June)
3. Gentleman Jesse “Leaving Atlanta” (it was our LP of the Month for April)
Honorable mentions: Dent May “Do Things,” Brian Eno “Lux,” Big K.R.I.T. “Live from the Underground,” King Tuff s/t
Favorite Reissues: Smashing Pumpkins “Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness,” Royal Trux “Accelerator,” The Beatles catalog, Silver Jews “Early Times,” Wendy Rene singles collection, Weezer “Blue Album” Mobile Fidelity, My Bloody Valentine EPs collection
Bruce’s Top Records of 2012:
1. Rodriguez “Searching for Sugar Man”
2. Dan Penn “The Fame Recordings”
3. Jeff the Brotherhood “Hypnotic Nights”
Jake’s Favorite Records of 2012 (in no particular order):
Drop on Down in Florida CD/Book set (Dust-to-Digital)
Work Hard, Play Hard, Pray Hard box set (Tompkins Square)
Michael Hurley “Back Home with Driftin’ Woods”
Honorable mention:
Boyd Rivers – You Can’t Make Me Doubt (Mississippi)
Bed of Pain – Rembetika, 1930-1955 (Mississippi)
Bob Dylan – Tempest (Columbia)
Lonnie Holley – Just Before Music (Dust to Digital)
Woody Guthrie – Woody at 100 (Smithsonian Folkways)
To What Strange Place – Music of the Ottoman Diaspora (Mississippi)
Tyler Keith & The Apostles – Black Highway
Jimmy’s Favorite (top 5) Records of 2012:
1. Japandroids “Celebration Rock”
2. Water Liars “Phantom Limb”
3. Kendrick Lamar “Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City”
4. Melody’s Echo Chamber
5. Swans “The Seer”
Honorable mention: Fiona Apple “The Idler Wheel…”
Best Reissues: a tie between Blur “13” and Refused “The Shape of Punk to Come”
It’s been a great year and we’ve had a ton of fun. We hope 2013 is just as great. Stay tuned for a year-in-review blog post after the new year… Thanks everybody!
