![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-frYgpMltf1w/UNYdry1pvAI/AAAAAAAANqk/A6uhdOzEQVw/s0/this_is_40.jpg)
I'm not even gonna attempt to put these in any type of order other than alphabetical (by artist name) because A) I'm a lazy P.O.S., and B) I tried, I honestly did, but gave up, the moment I found myself weighing the merits of a drone doom album with its electronic, jazz, and alt-rock counterparts and just drawing a blank. Can't do it. Just can't do it. Alphabetical it is. Now for what it's worth, I like to think I've got an eclectic palette, but that doesn't necessarily mean I intercept all the music that's released (at least not as thoroughly as I try to keep it RE: hip hop). For instance: I didn't even know that the Menahan Street Band released an album this year until it made the Deen's list (see what I did there?). So while this list may seem authoritative (at least to me), I'm sure there are plenty of amazing records that dropped in 2012 that simply slipped past my radar. That's what the comments section is for, I guess. Here we go...
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Y5WbLqpKPwI/UNYXDp3xs9I/AAAAAAAANk8/Z7g4VHsKw-I/s0/A%252520Fine%252520Frenzy%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Pines.jpg)
A Fine Frenzy - Pines
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uinHQA1hkk8/UNYXEgGuWII/AAAAAAAANlE/OpZVZQDrm1M/s0/Animal%252520Collective%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Centipede%252520Hz.jpg)
Animal Collective - Centipede Hz
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_0Nezqdldqc/UNYXFQp3fZI/AAAAAAAANlM/eGF5_ggNfw8/s0/Anya%252520Marina%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Felony%252520Flats.jpg)
Anya Marina - Felony Flats
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/--KFA-f1VAio/UNYXF8_LonI/AAAAAAAANlU/O49vLRF8jUM/s0/Baby%252520Woodrose%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Third%252520Eye%252520Surgery.jpg)
Baby Woodrose - Third Eye Surgery
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cZlM55o43C0/UNYXGu1iPmI/AAAAAAAANlc/DVyrEoUhl0Q/s0/Bat%252520for%252520Lashes%252520%2525282012%252529%252520The%252520Haunted%252520Man.jpg)
Bat for Lashes - The Haunted Man
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-yn1lp5EWrqg/UNYXHAonfcI/AAAAAAAANlk/tvDPgsoNbSw/s0/Beach%252520House%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Bloom.jpg)
Beach House - Bloom
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-vGJ0fXyNchs/UNYXHykMflI/AAAAAAAANls/wgzsNv68QdI/s0/Black%252520Bombaim%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Titans.jpg)
Black Bombaim - Titans
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7xHoXp24_zM/UNYXIi7KSdI/AAAAAAAANl0/cQ-DbjSHi9E/s0/Black%252520Moth%252520Super%252520Rainbow%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Cobra%252520Juicy.jpg)
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Cobra Juicy
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-qo0yoHU23Mg/UNYXJDc6p4I/AAAAAAAANl8/Tyq0eymmFAc/s0/Cat%252520Power%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Sun.jpg)
Cat Power - Sun
![](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-j6a2M_Jk6ws/UNYXKDpNHbI/AAAAAAAANmE/G364fB1mOyY/s0/Dr.%252520John%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Locked%252520Down.jpg)
Dr. John - Locked Down
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Xgrh6EoU_74/UNYXL3tr0LI/AAAAAAAANmM/tysDZOGOc_0/s0/Earth%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Angels%252520of%252520Darkness%25252C%252520Demons%252520of%252520Light%252520II.jpg)
Earth - Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II
![](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-HYyRIFAIKBs/UNYXNEmBTKI/AAAAAAAANmU/YaCr_TDZ4T8/s0/Esperanza%252520Spalding%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Radio%252520Music%252520Society.jpg)
Esperanza Spalding - Radio Music Society
![](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-AM97v60aVXw/UNYXOP-xMMI/AAAAAAAANmc/BOQkC4_AgFg/s0/Estoner%252520%2525282012%252529%252520The%252520Stump%252520Will%252520Rise.jpg)
Estoner - The Stump Will Rise
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-nl8Lt6YNbFI/UNYXO6pT0UI/AAAAAAAANmk/rE8EclJTJCc/s0/Fiona%252520Apple%252520%2525282012%252529%252520The%252520Idler%252520Wheel.jpg)
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ujUdrTJuTb0/UNYXPetnzuI/AAAAAAAANms/OHDqeNvx2vM/s0/Frank%252520Ocean%252520%2525282012%252529%252520channel%252520ORANGE.jpg)
Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-BdZI6KTZu8k/UNYXQXc2RAI/AAAAAAAANm0/dF5k_TBVVJM/s0/Gary%252520Clark%25252C%252520Jr.%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Blak%252520and%252520Blu.jpg)
Gary Clark, Jr. - Blak and Blu
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bIm1ftfNExM/UNYXQwbHtOI/AAAAAAAANm8/nAnflWbfZqM/s0/Grizzly%252520Bear%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Shields.jpg)
Grizzly Bear - Shields
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Igp9ER56wWI/UNYXR8QT8LI/AAAAAAAANnE/eKKjx5hQMNk/s0/Hot%252520Fiction%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Apply%252520Within.jpg)
Hot Fiction - Apply Within
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-jBSXcCYDELc/UNYXTpzo9JI/AAAAAAAANnM/J2zxT1zcqFM/s0/Jack%252520White%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Blunderbuss.jpg)
Jack White - Blunderbuss
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mLci0e6j1T8/UNYXUBTg2MI/AAAAAAAANnU/aMfW_9eVUwE/s0/Lana%252520Del%252520Rey%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Born%252520to%252520Die.jpg)
Lana Del Rey - Born to Die
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-k4--Hn5V6ro/UNYXUiGRBYI/AAAAAAAANnc/kMAmR1qGT0Q/s0/Leonard%252520Cohen%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Old%252520Ideas.jpg)
Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
![](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-3Y7OVyGsZjc/UNYXVsAHJ-I/AAAAAAAANnk/DSbGUA8ToPg/s0/Melody%252527s%252520Echo%252520Chamber%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Melody%252527s%252520Echo%252520Chamber.jpg)
Melody's Echo Chamber - Melody's Echo Chamber
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-UpZVU9rBU2s/UNYcQ28vvbI/AAAAAAAANqY/1iTR3ztJHFk/s0/Menahan%252520Street%252520Band%252520%2525282012%252529%252520The%252520Crossing.jpg)
Menahan Street Band - The Crossing
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9cFd4GGk3rA/UNYXWWz5txI/AAAAAAAANns/x-8U8gmQH4A/s0/Milo%252520Greene%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Milo%252520Greene.jpg)
Milo Greene - Milo Greene
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-83RB22YA8tM/UNYXXSspbCI/AAAAAAAANn0/c3ghSdi-ZLs/s0/Mount%252520Carmel%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Real%252520Women.jpg)
Mount Carmel - Real Women
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fTRxZ3aT2HU/UNYXX8LcgeI/AAAAAAAANn8/g2RC411FqJE/s0/Nick%252520Waterhouse%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Time%252527s%252520All%252520Gone.jpg)
Nick Waterhouse - Time's All Gone
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-7-dA2d7ycNk/UNYXZNUqZzI/AAAAAAAANoE/QrxRWONMdgs/s0/Norah%252520Jones%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Little%252520Broken%252520Hearts.jpg)
Norah Jones - Little Broken Hearts
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rl_uT0VFW5I/UNYXZkQGpNI/AAAAAAAANoM/UAbyZRzeo9E/s0/Patti%252520Smith%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Banga.jpg)
Patti Smith - Banga
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-lCW4Ns3IzGI/UNYXamN2DiI/AAAAAAAANoU/B9VHLDTyaVQ/s0/Pelican%252520%2525282012%252529%252520AtaraxiaTaraxis.jpg)
Pelican - AtaraxiaTaraxis
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0zlph46thRs/UNYXbpIhdcI/AAAAAAAANoc/gh9OVCJ_l9Q/s0/Robert%252520Glasper%252520Experiment%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Black%252520Radio.jpg)
Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio
![](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kotYWP7sUFw/UNYXcfnYpqI/AAAAAAAANok/-SOBCZZpiTQ/s0/Shaolin%252520Afronauts%25252C%252520The%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Quest%252520Under%252520Capricorn.jpg)
The Shaolin Afronauts - Quest Under Capricorn
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-vwrv7-IMIJY/UNYXdHE3NMI/AAAAAAAANos/KD3dc57KkZ4/s0/Shawn%252520Lee%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Synthesizers%252520in%252520Space.jpg)
Shawn Lee - Synthesizers in Space
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Pxjd9kondLg/UNYXeHxUoDI/AAAAAAAANo0/0L3O5Lmzd5c/s0/Sic%252520Alps%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Sic%252520Alps.jpg)
Sic Alps - Sic Alps
![](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-CBT45935UFU/UNYXevxfIqI/AAAAAAAANo8/FP6pyLZAIGk/s0/Skylar%252520Grey%252520%2525282012%252529%252520The%252520Buried%252520Sessions%252520of%252520Skylar%252520Grey%252520%25255BEP%25255D.jpg)
Skylar Grey - The Buried Sessions of Skylar Grey [EP]
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-InUvYmY6mQM/UNYXfAcOp2I/AAAAAAAANpE/_95NvcqQKrM/s0/Sleigh%252520Bells%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Reign%252520of%252520Terror.jpg)
Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bVy0d8jdUTg/UNYXf1uXqPI/AAAAAAAANpM/xbnJNC6Ofdo/s0/Smashing%252520Pumpkins%25252C%252520The%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Oceania.jpg)
The Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-dkkF9OatCOU/UNYXg70jvLI/AAAAAAAANpU/vXzF75gh__g/s0/Tame%252520Impala%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Lonerism.jpg)
Tame Impala - Lonerism
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-cw9QglCQk3I/UNYXh0k_m1I/AAAAAAAANpc/GlZX2m0oo2w/s0/Ty%252520Segall%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Twins.jpg)
Ty Segall - Twins
![](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-kayTHJN8uFk/UNYYEmSu2rI/AAAAAAAANp0/isaO-kgShKM/s0/Ty%252520Segall%252520and%252520White%252520Fence%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Hair.jpg)
Ty Segall & White Fence - Hair
![](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CR1zNMpVu4g/UNYXjv-tOeI/AAAAAAAANps/f74rCi2Grxw/s0/xx%25252C%252520The%252520%2525282012%252529%252520Coexist.jpg)
The xx - Coexist
So what'd I miss? Lemme know...