Cannes Film Festival 2013

Top 10 Best Albums Of 2012: Fiona Apple, Kendrick Lamar, Swans, Miguel

Where do Death Grips, Grizzly Bear and Frank Ocean land on Immaculate Noise's list?


If there had to be any trend from my top 10 albums from 2012, the word of the year would be "lean." I admire the understated displays of self-editing. Fiona Apple's album didn't have a note or breath wasted; Miguel's tracklist was tidy, whereas Frank Ocean could learn to trim; Kendrick Lamar and Killer Mike ably balanced comedy and drama with carefully selected words; and mostly-instrumentals like Swans, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and the Dirty Three sequenced those excesses into something tangible and rare.

Other trends: I fell in love with very few country and Americana albums this year, though there will be plenty of those artists that dominate my songs lists. I did, however, fall in love with Emeli Sande, who is clearly the Real Deal. So is How to Dress Well, who broke my heart 10 different ways. I don't think Tallest Man on Earth or Grizzly Bear can make a bad album. Hundred Waters -- who were the first signees to Skrillex's label -- surprised the hell out of me and I hope the hype index of the IDM poster-child won't have a negative impact on their future successes. Matthew Dear, Goat, Burial and Diiv make dark-rooms music.

You can hear samples of most of these albums -- if not just most all of the artists -- on Immaculate Noise's 2012 Top Albums Spotify list.

Some people make great collections of songs, and some artists make albums. Here are 30 of my favorite albums from 2012, with their artists, because 30 is a nice round number...

  1. Fiona Apple, "The Idler Wheel…"
  2. Matthew Dear, "Beams"
  3. Emeli Sande, "Our Version of Events"
  4. Kendrick Lamar, "good kid, M.A.A.d city"
  5. Swans, "The Seer"
  6. Miguel, "Kaleidescope Dream"
  7. Killer Mike, "R.A.P. Music"
  8. Godspeed You! Black Emporer, "Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!"
  9. Hundred Waters, "Hundred Waters"
  10. Dwight Yoakam, "3 Pears"
  11. How To Dress Well, "Total Loss"
  12. Dirty Three, "Toward the Low Sun"
  13. Thee Oh Sees, "Putrifiers II"
  14. Goat, "World Music"
  15. Diamond Rugs, "Diamond Rugs"
  16. Metz, "Metz"
  17. Death Grips, "No Love Deep Web
  18. Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves of Destiny, "Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose"
  19. Frank Ocean, "Channel Orange"
  20. Tame Impala, "Lonerism"
  21. Sean Price, "Mic Tyson"
  22. ***CHEATERS ADDITION" Polica, "Give You The Ghost" (technically late 2011, mass distro in 2012)
  23. Titus Andronicus, "Local Business"
  24. Tallest Man on Earth, "There's No Leaving Now"
  25. The Chariot, "One Wing"
  26. Jamey Johnson, "Living for a Song: Tribute to Hank Cochran"
  27. Diiv, "Oshin"
  28. Grizzly Bear, "Shields"
  29. Graveyard, "Lights Out"
  30. Japandroids, "Celebration Rock"

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  • Annie8bit_talkback_profile

    Stormshadow4life

    Coheed and Cambria gets my #1 vote. But we obviously run in very different musical circles....as I haven't even heard of half of these groups...and the half I do know, I don't enjoy at all.

    December 18, 2012 at 8:24PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Fabulous-stains_talkback_profile

      katie, a princess hey, you never know what you'll find...

      December 19, 2012 at 12:50AM EST
    • Default-avatar

      Jordan Roland Choeed and The Chariot might sound drastically different but are without a doubt in the same music circle. I mean, The Dillinger Escape Plan's former drummer was part of Coheed for a good while.

      December 19, 2012 at 2:06PM EST
    • Annie8bit_talkback_profile

      Stormshadow4life Jordan, I'm not gonna lie....I really have no idea what you're talking about...at all.

      December 19, 2012 at 10:56PM EST
    • Fabulous-stains_talkback_profile

      katie, a princess what Jordan is saying is that The Chariot bat in the same league as Dillinger.

      He's assuming you're a fan of Dillinger, because you like Coheed -- they've shared a drummer, and they've toured together.

      Thus, you might like The Chariot, which is on the list. And for that matter -- since you said you have know idea what he's talking about -- you might like Dillinger Escape Plan.

      December 20, 2012 at 11:51PM EST
    • Annie8bit_talkback_profile

      Stormshadow4life thanks. because I never heard of "The Chariot", I thought he was making fun of Coheed and Cambria's name (Choeed and The Chariot). Makes a lot more sense now. lol
      I have heard of Dillinger Escape Plan though! go me!

      December 21, 2012 at 2:45PM EST
  • Guypic_talkback_profile

    Guy Lodge

    Completely agree with your #1, and looking forward to catching up with some of the titles here I haven't heard yet.

    December 18, 2012 at 9:07PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    sweetmusic

    Number 1 is spot on....but where is nas on this list?...

    December 19, 2012 at 12:49AM EST Reply to Comment
    • Fabulous-stains_talkback_profile

      katie, a princess Nas would be somewhere in 30-40... I felt like it was front-loaded?

      December 19, 2012 at 12:51AM EST
    • Default-avatar

      Trent Exitmusic?

      December 19, 2012 at 1:28AM EST
    • Fabulous-stains_talkback_profile

      katie, a princess loved the title track to that LP, and SeCa is one of my favorite labels. next one I feel like will be the doozy. is "passage" near the top of your list?

      December 19, 2012 at 1:37AM EST
  • Default-avatar

    MusicalMack

    Brandi Carlile's BEAR CREEK is definitely a favorite of mine for 2012. Still a shame she wasn't nominated for any Grammys.

    December 19, 2012 at 3:29AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Shaggy_werewolf_talkback_profile

    That Werewolf Guy

    My personal favourite this year wasthe new Bananafishbones album 12 SONGS IN ONE DAY. I don't know if it's available outside of Europe, but you should really check this one out! It's a miracle that these guys aren't a bigger name among itnernational alternative fans.

    December 19, 2012 at 3:36AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Dark_helmet_talkback_profile

    darkhelmet13

    I'm surprised Macklemore & Ryan Lewis's The Heist wasn't on here. I found the lyrics to be personal and inspiring while Ryan Lewis's compositions have set a new bar for what can be achieved musically in hip hop.

    December 19, 2012 at 3:11PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Fabulous-stains_talkback_profile

      katie, a princess album wasn't great, but their singles are SO STRONG. looking forward to what they do in 2013.

      December 19, 2012 at 5:24PM EST
  • Mastershake_talkback_profile

    War Chief Shake Zula

    Not even a single death metal shoutout? This list is automatically a sham. Everyone knows metal is the only legitimate musical form left. All others are manufactured by computers rather than actually asking the "artists" to perform anything.

    December 19, 2012 at 11:20PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Default-avatar

      49pct Haha

      December 27, 2012 at 3:11AM EST
  • Default-avatar

    Nikki

    Wow, great list! Love it. http://ow.ly/gspwa

    January 2, 2013 at 12:52AM EST Reply to Comment

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