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Readers,
I have failed you this year. It has been a rough one and I should have found solace in music-sharing. But I didn’t. So here is a (very) modest peace-offering to you - my very favorite (eight) albums of 2012. In the next few days I will post several new songs and hopefully this will start us off into 2013 in a good way.
(in alphabetical order)
Cold Specks, I Predict a Graceful Expulsion (listen here): probably my favorite discovery of the year. This gal put together an incredibly mature album considering its her first and she is 24…Can’t wait to hear more.
Dirty Projectors, Swing Lo Magellan: This band is for the haters to hate on, full-time. But I love them. They prove life’s truism that things that start off rocky and are hard to get into, will ultimately offer the best rewards. Give it a chance, will ya? You can even buy the album for a mere $5 here.
First Aid Kit, The Lion’s Roar (here): These sweet Swedish sisters brightened up a-many days this year. For that reason alone, their surprisingly folksy album deserves prime real estate on this list.
Grizzly Bear, Shields (sample): Yeah, this album is genius. Listen to it on repeat. I have nothing else to add (other than - Half Gate is especially incredible).
Lord Huron, Lonesome Dreams (here): this album unfolds very sweetly and slowly, ultimately - in my case - leading to somewhat of an obsession.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, The Heist (yum): white dudes from Seattle with a point of view. Rapping, and doing it real well. A little simplistic for you? Listen to the lyrics, you’ll quickly be disproved.
Sharon Van Etten, Tramp (here here here): More than any other albums I listened to in 2012, this one takes them all. Van Etten’s vulnerability and rawness resonated more than I’d care to admit. I’ve listened to the songs, and whole album, on repeat as if I was a high school girl again. It isn’t often that a piece of music touches me like this. I owe her a lot!
Bobby Womack, The Bravest Man in the Universe (a sampling can be found here): incredibly soulful. Just oozes honesty and grit.
Love.
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