I would like to take this time to note that I would’ve put the special edition 10 year anniversary of Interpol’s Turn On the Bright Lights on this VERY list, but I thought it was a cheap shot so I left out it. I miss my old Pure Poppers and hope everyone is doing well. Hi Mike! Hi Tanner! Miss you all. Spin American Water for me just once, would ya?

Here’s a link to soundcloud upload of a song from the Mistys album listed above.

https://soundcloud.com/the-mistys/moy

Honorable mentions:

Forest Swords: Engravings

Emptyset: Recur

Deafheaven: Sunbather

Grouper: The Man Who Died In His Boat

The biggest impression that was left on me this year is how fleeting a big release can be. We saw the first album from My Bloody Valentine in 20 some odd years, we got a new album from David Bowie, his first in a while, records from critical darlings like Kanye West and Arcade Fire, and it just seems that it takes a shorter amount of time nowadays for these monster releases to become old news. Doesn’t it seem like people should not have gotten over the fact that MBV actually happened? Granted it was at the beginning of the year, but still.

Music fans are growing up in the age of “Best New Music” and being eager to hear the next big thing. It’s all great! I think that there is a lack of absorption though. People are quick to judge and move on, even when they think something is fantastic.

The quality and quantity of music released this year has been staggering, but unlike last year, I didn’t have such an easy time picking my favorite, and it was difficult for me to narrow my list to just five. I chose not to rationalize any of my choices, because I doubt I could do them justice. Give them a try if you haven’t already.

My name’s Shawn, by the way. I’m a student at Clarkson University, where I study biochemistry. Anyway, I feel obligated to mention a few other albums, so here they are:

6. “Shaking the Habitual” by The Knife
7. “New History of Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light” by Colin Stetson
8. “Overgrown” by James Blake
9. “Immunity” by Jon Hopkins
10. “Obsidian” by Baths
11. “Loud City Song” by Julia Holter
12. “Settle” by Disclosure
13. “Trouble Will Find Me” by The National
14. “Fetch” by Melt Banana”
15. “Reflektor” by Arcade Fire
16. “Sunbather” by Deafheaven
17. “Midcity” by Clipping.
18. “Fetch” by Melt Banana
19. “Clash the Truth” by Beach Fossils
20. “We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic” by Foxygen
21. “R Plus Seven” by Oneohtrix Point Never
22. “Excavation” by The Haxan Cloak
23. “mbv” by My Bloody Valentine
24. “You’re Nothing” by Iceage
25. “Pain is Beauty” by Chelsea Wolfe

SO tough to do lists like this. So much good stuff. And I’m sure so much stuff I didn’t even get to listen to. People say, There’s no good music made now. Yeah? You’re living in the past, maaaaaan. There is. You’re just not paying attention. Or you prefer trotting out that well-worn phrase online to sound cool. Shut up and start digging and confabbing with other people. And listening. There’s always new stuff, and hey – some of it is awesome. AND…support your local independent record store. (No, I was not paid to say that. I’d hope it was common sense.)

Hi, I’m Josh LaClair, and I worked at Pure Pop a long time ago. I pretty much only listen to electronic music these days, as you probably can gather from my list. Here are the five other releases that rounded out my top ten this year:

6. Shifted – “Crossed Paths”
7. Old Apparatus – “Realise/Alfur/Harem”
8. Gerry Read – “Jummy”
9. Peter Van Hoesen – “Perceiver”
10. Phon.o – “Black Boulder”

Hi, I’m Gary. I’m a songwriter, guitarist, electronics tinkerer, Doctor Who fan, and former Burlingtonian doing a little stint out in the Phoenix for the time being. This list was difficult to compile and arrange in a ranked format, all of these were my #1 at some point this year.

Honorable Mentions:

Black Dice: Mr Impossible
Eric Copeland: Limbo / various 7″ releases
Xiu Xiu: Always
Scott Walker: Bish Bosch
Metz: S/T
Grizzy Bear: Shields
Andy Stott: Luxury Problems
Bob Mould: Silver Age
Converge: All We Love We Leave Behind

I am a former Pure Pop employee and have been putting together my favorite albums every year since my wonderful tenure at the ol’ Pop.
In addition, I really enjoyed:
Xiu Xiu – Always
Dum Dum Girls – End of Daze EP
Burial – Kindred EP
Holy Other – Held
Aluna George – You Know You Like It EP (For anyone that loved that Katy B album last year)
Grimes – Visions
Ty Segall – Twins
Swans – The Seer
Crystal Castles – III

I’m John, but you can call me Travis Birkenstock. I’m a senior at UVM. I review music and DJ at WRUV. For all the excellent music that came out around the world in 2012, some of the best are yet to come and most of it is coming from Burlington. Maryse Smith’s new album is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard, tooth ache.’s new project Slow Oceans is amazing, and Shelly Shredder is recording their debut!

Besides these five albums, here are a few that I also dug:
Japandroids-Celebration Rock
Swans-The Seer
White Suns-Sinews
Death Grips-The Money Store
Cloud Nothings-Attack on Memory
Until the Quiet Comes-Flying Lotus
Fiona Apple-The Idler Wheel is Wiser……

A life long VT resident, St. Michael’s student, and employee at Pure Pop, I like the usual things: music, coffee and books. There’s other stuff too but I don’t what. Hooray for all the music this year. It’s been fun.