Los Campesinos! - My Year in Lists - (From - Hold On Now, Youngster…)

I was excited about them (here and here) and still fucking love it. Sorry, Maíra, You! Me! Dancing!, doesn’t have the line “You said, ‘Send me stationary to make me horny.’”

Lykke Li - Breaking it up - (From - Youth Novels)

Me and Kniquii have both been obsessing. Plus, my favorite video of the year. Check out those awesome Stevie Nicks moves!

Breaking it up – alternative live video. Filmed by: Christian Haag from Lykke Li on Vimeo.

M83 - Kim And Jessie - (From Saturdays=Youth)

Swoony, dreamy shoegazer pop picking up where MBV left off. Plus, second best album cover of the year.


Marnie Stern - Transformer - (From - This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That)

If you can keep yourself from bouncing around the room shouting, “The future is yourself let this part in, the future is yourself let this part in!” then I don’t think we can be friends. Best album title and best album cover of the year.

Mgmt - Kids - (From - Oracular Spectacular)

This is on everyone’s list. This and Fleet Foxes. I wanted to hate it and even told Josh that it’s for average people. But I can’t fucking help myself. It’s contagious, sucks you in like reality TV. Amazing driving music.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - We Call Upon the Author - (From - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!)

The man is fifty years old. What the fuck was Sir Paul McCartney doing at fifty? Or any of those Rolling Stone douchenozzles? I hope I’m at the height of my awesomeness at fifty…or sixty. Always be getting better.

No Age - Cappo - (From - Nouns)

I played this song for Oliver, really loud, in his little dreamy apartment and he said, “Oh Ok. I get it now. Fucking awesome.” Listen to this shit really fucking loud.

Together:
Parts and Labor - Nowheres Nigh - (From - Receivers)

Plants and Animals - Bye Bye Bye - (From Parc Avenue)

Both of these bands would probably be annoyed that I grouped them together but they just seem to belong together. Some kind of magical “post-classic-rock-new-psychedelia” nonsense. Radical.

Ponytail - Celebrate The Body Electric (It Came From An Angel) - (From - Ice Cream Spiritual)

What a beautiful, noisy fucking mess.

Quite Village - Victoria’s Secret - (From - Silent Movie)

Megan McArdle hates this record. Megan McArdle is clearly an idiot. Stick to economics Megan, for all of our sakes.

Ra Ra Riot - Dying is Fine - (From - The Rhumb Line)

The Ruby Suns - Tane Mahuta - (From - Sea Lion)

This reminds me of 800 things and I love them all.

Santogold - You’ll Find a Way - (From - Santogold)

Another favorite of the world. At first it annoyed me but now I love it. Bonus video I took from SXSW this year.

Santogold from J. Beaman on Vimeo.

She & HIm - Sweet Darlin’ - (From - Volume One)

This has no real place on this list. The best? Really? But Zoe Deshanel and M. Ward? I’ll take it. Yep.

Shearwater - Leviathan, Bound - (From - Rook)

I remember feeling sad when Okkervil River skyrocketed into the glowy love of indie semi-stardom leaving poor little Shearwater in the dust. But this year I was reminded that Shearwater’s brand of heartbreaking melodrama is like a dream. SBC, pause the Bon Iver and throw this on.

Sun Kil Moon - Heron Blue - (From - April)

I never really cared much about Red House Painters. Mark Kozelek ate at Firefly and I was like, “Meh.” That was huge mistake. I hear it and I want to make out with a dark and stormy, art school dropout with a recurring heroin problem. As I write that I realize that it doesn’t take much.

The Tallest Man on Earth - Honey Won’t You Let Me In - (From - Shallow Graves)

Micael told me to listen to this forever ago and I didn’t. Then I did and it makes my heart sing. Thanks Micael.

Vivian Girls - Where Do You Run To - (From - Vivian Girls)

This album is 22 minutes of pure garagey, spectory bliss.

The Walkmen - I Lost You - (From - You & Me)