2012 Top Ten Indie-Rock Releases

1. Swans, The Seer (Young God)

2. Frankie Rose, Interstellar (Slumberland)

3. Dirty Projectors, Swing Lo Magellan (Domino)

4. Animal Collective, Centipede Hz. (Domino)

5. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, “Only in My Dreams” (4AD)

6. Grizzly Bear, “Gun-Shy” (Warp)

7. Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! (Constellation)

8. Liars, “No. 1 Against the Rush” (Mute)

9. Dan Deacon, America (Domino)

10. Sun Araw and M. Geddes Gengras Meet the Congos, Frkwys Vol. 9 (RVNG International)

2012 Top Ten local Indie-Rock Releases

1. Dan Deacon, America (Domino)

2. Horse Lords, Horse Lords (Ehse)

3. Dope Body, Natural History (Drag City)

4. Roomrunner, Super Vague (Fan Death)

5. Beach House, Bloom (Sub Pop)

6. Flock of Dimes, “Prison Bride” / “I Can’t Tell You Why (screwed mix)” (Friends)

7. Chester Endersby Gwazda, Shroud (Friends)

8. Wye Oak, “Spiral” (Williams Street)

9. Dead Mellotron, Glitter (Sonic Cathedral)

10. Smoke Bellow, Old Haunts (self-released)

2012 Top Ten Hip-Hop Albums

1. Future, Pluto (A1 Free Bandz/Epic)

2. Meek Mill, Dreams and Nightmares (Mayback Music Group/Warner Bros.)

3. Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d. city (Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope)

4. Nas, Life Is Good (Def Jam Island)

5. E-40, The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil 1, 2,and 3 (Heavy on the Grind Ent./EMI)

6. 2 Chainz, Based on a T.R.U. Story (Def Jam Island)

7. Gunplay, 601 and Snort (Mayback Music Group/Def Jam Island)

8. Mike Will Made It, Est. in 1989 (Part 2) (LiveMixtapes.com)

9. Styles P, The World’s Most Hardest MC Project (D-Block/E-1 Music)

10. Roc Marciano, Reloaded (Decon)

2012 Top Ten Local Hip-Hop Albums

1. Von Vargas, World Famous Lexington Market (Major Influence)

2. Tate Kobang, The Book of Joshua (mixtape)

3. DDm, Winter and the Tinman’s Heart (mixtape)

4. Tombstone Da Deadman, Death Lives (GUniverse)

5. Rye Rye, Go! Pop! Bang! (N.E.E.T./Interscope)

6. StarrZ, Best Mixtape Ever (mixtape)

7. LenWood, Truth Be Told: The Story of Lennie Walker (mixtape)

8. Kane Mayfield, Rhymes by Kane: Thievery Corporation Edition (Mania Music Group)

9. Height With Friends, Rock and Roll (Friends/Cold Rhymes)

10. Rickie Jacobs, Live Epic (mixtape)

2012 Top Ten Local Experimental and Avant-Garde Albums

1. Labtekwon, Hardcore: Labtekwon and the Righteous Indignation/Rootzilla vs. Masta Akbar (self-released)

2. Dan Deacon, America (Domino)

3. Baklavaa, Hairmoans (self-released)

4. Liz Meredith, Liz Meredith (self-released)

5. Zomes, Variations Vol. 1 (Thrill Jockey)

6. Cex, Presumed Dead (Automation Records)

7. Curse, Curse (self-released)

8. Sexgender, Transgenital (self-released)

9. Bamboo, Jams (Friends)

10. Gaybomb, Weather Man (Ehse/Suspicious Stimulus cassette)

2012 Top Ten Experimental and Avant-Garde Albums

1. Gate, Damned Revolutions (Ultramarine)

2. Scott Walker, Bisch Bosh (4AD)

3. Prince Paul, Negroes On Ice (Nature Sounds)

4. Oren Ambarchi/Keiji Haino/Jim O’Rourke, Imikuzushi (Black Truffle)

5. Nadja, Dagdrøm (Broken Spine)

6. Vatican Shadow, Ornamented Walls (Modern Love)

7. Joshua Abrams, Represencing (Eremite)

8. Grass Roots, Grass Roots (AUM Fidelity)

9. The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation, Egor (Denovali)

10. Guardian Alien, See the World Given to a One Love Entity (Thrill Jockey)

2012 Top Ten Heavy Albums

1. Anaal Nathrakh, Vanitas (Candlelight)

2. Author and Punisher, Ursus Americanus (Seventh Rule)

3. Ed Schrader’s Music Beat, Jazz Mind (Load)

4. Gaza, No Absolutes in Human Suffering (Black Market Activities)

5. haarp, Husks (Housecore)

6. Locrian, The Clearing/The Final Epoch (Relapse/Fan Death)

7. Metz, Metz (Sub Pop)

8. Mutilation Rites, Devoid (Forcefield)

9. Nachtmystium, Silencing Machine (Century Media)

10. Pig Destroyer, Book Burner (Relapse)

2012 Top Ten Local Heavy Albums

1. Ed Schrader’s Music Beat, Jazz Mind (Load)

2. Locrian, The Clearing/The Final Epoch (Relapse)

3. Pig Destroyer, Book Burner (Relapse)

4. Multicult, Spaces Tangled (Sleeping Giant Glossolalia)

5. Roomrunner, Super Vague (Fan Death)

6. Ilsa, Intoxicantations (A-389)

7. Cemetery Piss, Rest in Piss (Vaginal Apocalypse)

8. Old Lines, Old Lines (Bridge Nine)

9. Moss Icon, Discography (Temporary Residence)

10. Sick Fix, Vexed (A-389)

2012 Top Ten Dance Tracks

1. PSY, “Gangnam Style”

2. Flo Rida featuring Sia, “Wild Ones”

3. Ne-Yo, “Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)”

4. Ellie Goulding, “Anything Could Happen”

5. The Cataracs featuring Waka Flocka Flame and Kaskade, “All You”

6. Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch, “Sweet Nothing”

7. Skrillex featuring Sirah, “Bangarang”

8. Rye Rye, “Boom Boom”

9. Nicki Minaj, “Pound The Alarm”

10. Kylie Minogue, “Timebomb”

2012 Top Ten Baltimore Club Tracks

1. Murder Mark, “Dreaming in the Club”

2. Doo Dew Kidz featuring Comp, “Too Pumped (Remix)”

3. Matic, “OMFG”

4. KW Griff featuring Porkchop, “Bring in the Katz (L-Vis 1990 Dub)”

5. Beyonce, “End of Time (DJ Pierre’s Club Remix)”

6. Say Wut, “MerryGoRound (Circles)”

7. DJ Los, “Got You All in Check 2k12”

8. Diamond K and Thunderbird Juicebox, “Shake That Booty Girl”

9. Bohemian Groove, “Day Rain”

10. DJ Technics, “Dick Like a Newjack”

2012 Top Ten Jazz and Blues Albums

1. Hugh Masekela and Larry Willis, Friends (House of Masekela)

2. Cris Jacobs Band, Songs for Cats and Dogs (self-released)

3. The Thelonious Monk Quartet, The Complete Columbia Studio Albums Collection (Sony Legacy)

4. Robert Cray Band, Nothin’ But Love (Mascot)

5. Darius Jones Quartet, Book of Mae’bul: Another Kind of Sunrise (Aum Fidelity)

6. Lafayette Gilchrist and the New Volcanoes, Live at the Windup Space Vol. 1 (Creative Differences)

7. The Todd Marcus Quartet, Inheritance (HiPNOTIC)

8. Arturo Sandoval, Dear Diz (Concord Jazz)

9. Chick Corea and Gary Burton, Hot House (Concord Jazz)

10. Ravi Coltrane, Spirit Fiction (Blue Note)

2012 Top Ten Country and Folk Albums

1. Justin Townes Earle, Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now (Bloodshot)

2. James Hand, Mighty Lonesome Man (Hillgrass Bluebilly)

3. Iris DeMent, Sing the Delta (Flariella Records)

4. Marty Stuart, Nashville Vol. 1: Tear the Woodpile Down (Sugarhill)

5. Jason Isbell, Live from Alabama (Lightning Rod)

6.. Todd Snider, Agnostic Hymns and Stoner Fables (Aimless Records)

7. Carolina Chocolate Drops, Leaving Eden (Nonesuch)

8. Dwight Yoakam, 3 Pears (Warner Bros.)

9. Billy Joe Shaver, Live from Austin, TX (New West)

10. Chatham County Line, Sight and Sound (Yep Roc)

2012 Top Ten Local Country and Folk Albums

1. Her Fantastic Cats, i (Lovesaurus)

2. Letitia Van Sant, Breakfast Truce (self-released)

3. June Star, Slow Dance (self-released)

4. Caleb Stine, The Fall of the Rebel Angel (self-released)

5. Baltimore String Felons, Roaches, Lice, Bedbugs, Mice (Soulgasm)

6. The Manly Deeds, Hard Times for the Animal Kingdom (Scenic Route)

7. ellen cherry, Please Don’t Sell the Piano (self-released)

8. Victoria Vox, 52 Original Songs Project (self-released)

9. Oella, Oella Live at Shakemore (Carroll County Bootleggers)

10. Michael Beresh, South Paw (self-released)

Read More 2012 Top Ten

Top Ten Most Intriguing Local Stories | Top Ten Films | Jed Dietz and Eric Allen Hatch’s Top Ten Films | Top Ten Home Video | Top Ten Albums | Top Ten Local Albums | Top Ten Releases by Genre | Top Ten Shows | Top Ten Fiction | Atomic Books’ Top Ten Bestsellers | Top Ten Non-Fiction | Top Ten Art Shows | Gary Kachadourian’s Top Ten Art Shows | Top Ten Stage | Top Ten Restaurants | Top Ten Twelve Wines