Afternoons, the – Fan Fiction : mildly interesting power-pop
Asteroids Galaxy Tour, the – Out Of Frequency : big-sound Danish r&b/pop
Ben Kweller – Go Fly A Kite : power-pop; nearly great, instead tepid
Boy Friend – Egyptian Wrinkle : mildly-interesting dream-pop
Cate Le Bon – Cyrk : folk-tinged pop; sleepy afternoon muzik
Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory : guitar-grizzled indie; needs more “pop” IMHO
Damien Jurado – Maraqopa : good mix of folk songwriting and eclectic/electric ambience
Delilahs – Greetings From Gardentown : standard-issue fem-vox alt rock; #notbad #notgood
Delta Spirit – Delta Spirit : better sound, worse songswriting
Digital Leather – Sponge : awesomely lo-fi punkish delights
Dr. Dog – Be The Void : catchy classic-rock; ALMOST hooked me, not quite
Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II : hypnotically elegant, dusty heavy-drone; awesome
Expo ’70 – Journey Through Astral Projection : Kraut-inflected drone; awesome in the right mind-space
Ezra Furman – The Year of No Returning : quirky, well-written, shambling tunes; fun high spots, needs more rolicking
First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar : complexly sweet choral folk-rock; SWE, natch
Foxy Shazam – Church of Rock & Roll : ridiculously over-the-top power rock
Gonjasufi – MU.ZZ.LE : weirdly anti-groove psychedelic beats; not compelling
Islands – A Sleep And A Forgetting : I tried and tried, but I just got more and more bored
Joseph Arthur – Redemption City : sprawling lo-fi bohemian (mild)-rockers
Keepaway – Black Flute : somewhat interesting, not at all original
Klaus & Kinski – Herreros y Fatigas : not great indie-pop from Spain
Lambchop – Mr. M : gorgeous, downcast, ethereal, and sprawling; a whole lot of not much
Leonard Cohen – Old ideas : lyrically brilliant, musically a mess
Little Willies, the – For The Good Times : an unmitigated horror show
Mark Lanegan Band – Blues Funeral : viscerally furious, falls apart as a whole
Nada Surf – The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy : solid indie-pop; somewhat indistinct
Of Montreal – Paralytic Stalks : schizophrenic psych-pop ramblings; aka an Of Montreal record
Paul McCartney – Kisses On The Bottom : not-horrible adult-contempo standards; #whoispaulmccartney
Pontiak – Echo Ono : well executed psych-stoner-rock
Rosie And Me – Arrow Of My Ways : soft countrified Americana
Rosie Thomas – With Love : cute ‘adult’-pop with some regrettable lyrics
Royal Baths – Better Luck Next Life : crunchy, dirty blues-rock I can really get behind
Sleigh Bells – Reign Of Terror : crunchy riffs, jump-rope beats, and a dose of pure pop; #amitooold
Summer Twins – Summer Twins : sugar-coated summer-style cutesie-pop; New Girl-indie
Tennis – Young And Old : without the buzz is there anything there?, at times interesting
Thee Brandy Hips – Raincoat : fun Spanish power/indie-pop
Ting Tings, the – Sounds From Nowheresville : kooky electro-pop genre-hopping; #toohipforme
Alabama Shakes – Boys And Girls : solid, fresh, and fun
Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself : the smartest, most luxurious pop delight in the land
Bad Weather California – Sunkissed : groovy, fun indie-pop/rock
Badly Drawn Boy – Being Flynn OST : gentle, smooth, pleasant soft rock; welcome back BDB
Bleeding Knees Club – Nothing To Do : fun, buzzy, girl-obsessed indie beach-rock/pop
Bright Moments – Natives : cute, elegant indie-pop
Craig Finn – Clear Heart Full Eyes : s/s narratives, professional but ho-hum
Date Night, the – A Friend in Paris : absolutely fucking horrible
Dirty Three – Toward The Low Sun : big, rambling mess-o-boring
Disappears – Pre Language : punk/shoegaze + the fall + CAN
Explorers Club, the – Grand Hotel : highly enjoyable throwback 70’s pop/rock
Howlin Rain – The Russian Wilds : mildly interesting classic rock sound
Jonquil – Point Of Go : quirky indie-pop; decent
Kaiser Chiefs – Start The Revolution Without Me : crazily wide-reaching; occasionally brilliant, largely ho-hum
Little Wings – Made it Rain : lo-fi bedroom ramblers; mostly covers
Magnetic Fields, the – Love At The Bottom Of The Sea : returm to the wry synth-driven indie-pop, smart as ever
Margot And The Nuclear So And So’s – Rot Gut, Domestic : the sound of indie-rock desperately reaching
Mars Volta, the – Noctourniquet : crazy prog that ages very well; #letitmarinade
Men, the – Open Your Heart : extremely fun guitar rock
Oberhofer – Time Capsules II : nice melody-forward indie pop; overdone
Phenomenal Handclap Band, the – Form & Control : electro disco-pop with a psychedelic bent; mostly garbage
Phèdre – Phèdre : mellow, downbeat electro-pop
Pond – Beard, Wives, Denim : shares a psych feel with it’s Tame Impala genetic cousin; adds some great variety
Punch Brothers – Who’s Feeling Young Now? : hot-shit mandolin + ho-hum songs
Robert Pollard – Mouseman Cloud : guess the prose: “mostly decent, a few gems, uneven as all hell”
Shins, the – Port of Morrow : painfully bland
Slow Animal – Slow Animal : swell, buzzing lo-fi garage/surf
Terry Malts – Killing Time : fuzzy guitar-punk with a pop backbone
Treefort – Très Fort : a lovely little album of fuzzy indie guitar-pop
Wedding Present, the – Valentina : solid Gedge
White Rabbits – Milk Famous : very good “wish we were Spoon” album
Wooden Sky, the – Every Child A Daughter, Every Moon A Sun : contemplative alt-counrty; #mostlydull
Yukon Blonde – TigerTalk : solid 70’s soft(ish) rock
22-20’s – Got It If You Want It : interesting but tepid indie-rock; style-bytin’
Allo Darlin’ – Europe : sweet jangly pop
Beach House – Bloom : elegantly organic gauzy dream-pop
Black Market Karma – Comatose : awesome psychedelic rockers
Bobby Conn – Macaroni : kooky electro-dance-rock; middling
Bronx Cheerleader – Real Punks Don’t Sing About Girls : precious little indie-pop/rock songs; vwell executed
Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball : fine; classic-sound Bruce
Children Collide – Monument : bounces between chaotic guitar-rock and Brit-pop
Electronic Anthology Project, the – Of Dinosaur Jr : a million times more interesting than it should be
Emily Wells – Mama : very interesting approach to pop
Flaming Lips, the – The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwends : wacky insanity from Wayne and the gang
Frank and Walters, the – Greenwich Mean Time : nope, not at all
Futureheads, the – Rant : fucking idiotic ‘acapela’ album
Gemma Ray – Island Fire : very nice pop; #iwouldneverlistentothis
Graham Coxon – A+E : “cold, hard and gritty” (+pop)
Inclined Plane – The Backward Frontier : promising indie-psych-gaze-pop; decent
Jack White – Blunderbuss : very fun JW tour-de-force
La Sera – Sees the Light : nice indie-pop
Lee Ranaldo – Between The Times and The Tides : thoroughly enjoyable guitar-wrapped pop songs
Lumineers, the – The Lumineers : trying to jump the Mumford bandwagon; saaaaaapy
Macy Gray – Covered : the parts that aren’t mildly interesting are god-awful
Monochrome Set, the – Platinum Coils : color me bemused
Mystery Jets – Radlands : decent enough indie-pop
Negative Nancy – The Urge : aggressively lo-fi, fuzzy, rockers
Neon Trees – Picture Show : some interesting hooks amid a stream of 80’s synth-rock slurge
Paul Weller – Sonik Kicks : fun, if scattered, PW; always reaching
Principles of Geometry – Burn the Land and Boil the Oceans : way more enjoyable than I would have expected
Races – Year Of The Witch : saaaaaaapppppy
Ramona Falls – Prophet : adventurous and arty; occasionally quite satisfying
Rocky Votolato – Television Of Saints : simple, well-recorded s-s/folk
Sleepy Sun – Spine Hits : well-done rockers; some brilliance here
Soundtrack Of Our Lives, the – Throw It To The Universe : that classic TSOOL sound of 60’s/psych rock
Spirtualized – Sweet Heart Sweet Light : Jason lays out another glorious hazy pop album
Strawberry Whiplash – Hits In The Car : noisy, jangy indie-pop gems
Sébastien Tellier – My God Is Blue : weirdo downtempo electronic pop
Toddi Wellman – . : completely-freaking-crazy-person music; #possiblygenius
Trampled By Turtles – Stars And Satellites : mostly boring s/s fare
Ty Segall & White Fence – Hair : awesomely chaotic retro-rock; +chaos!!
Best Coast – The Only Place : better sound, not-better songs
Brendan Benson – What Kind of World : super-solid power-pop/alt-rock; not quite great
Cribs, the – In the Belly of the Brazen Bull : Decent guitar-rock/pop; some fun hooks
Dandy Warhols, the – This Machine : very, very uneven
Feeder – Generation Freakshow : uninspiring guitar rock; untolerable
Japandroids – Celebration Rock : less punk, more rock, all awesome!
Mind Spiders – Meltdown : rough, high-energy punk-pop
Spinto Band, the – Shy Pursuit : enjoyable indie-pop
Unknown Valley – Humming From the Grave : super-lo-fi, sludge rock
Wave Pictures, the – Long Black Cars : very solid & very smart pop; awesome sonics, vox annoy
Windmills – Keep Moving : bedroom indie- folk/pop
Young Prisms – In Between : nice tunes at the intersection of shoegaze/dream-pop
Angus Stone – Broken Brights : highly enjoyable rootsy rock; #agrower
Black Bananas – Rad Times Xpress IV : such a mess; often enjoyable; #buriedgenius
Bonnie Raitt – Slipstream : very well done, very enjoyable, playing around in a blues style
Brian Jonestown Massacre, the – Aufheben : occasionally excellent, shambolic psychedelia
Chromatics – Drumless : kooky gimmick + autotune = #deathbyathousandcuts
Cult, the – Choice Of Weapon : muscular rockers
Dallas Frasca – Sound Painter : high-energy blues-rock, needs more grit; #fromoz
Diamond Rugs – Diamond Rugs : sloppy, slobbery, Replacements-esqu rockers; #themessisthefun
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – Here : hippy-rock that falls very flat
Enemy, the – Streets In The Sky : yucky guitar rawk
Exitmusic – Passage : vibrant, cinematic electro-scapes
Get Cape Wear Cape Fly – Maps : hipster-iest of all hipster-iness
Guided by Voices – Class Clown Spots a UFO : fun GBV outing; bpollard wins in collab
Heidi Harris – In The Lee : mellow, ambient-esque folk; in the end a bi…zzzzzzzzzzzz
Iggy Pop – Après : wait, is this a joke?
Joey Ramone – Ya Know : stupid and insipid; you could just listen to the catalog, ya know
Meiko – The Bright Side : perfectly OK pop; like a soap bubble – shiny on the outside but only air inside
MV and EE – Space Homestead : awesomely stoned Americana/folk
New Cassettes – Winterhead : straightforward pop-punk; #funenough
Pomplamoose – Hey It’s Pomplamoose : not as cute as on video
Regina Spektor – What We Saw From The Cheap Seats : brutally, punishingly ‘cute’, or at least trying to be
Richard Hawley – Standing At The Skys Edge : gorgeous/gritty psychedelic soundscapes; #epicandawesome
Saint Etienne – Words And Music : POP; delightfully grown-up pop
Scissor Sisters – Magic Hour : 70’s style disco, could be fun but trying to be ‘hip’; #notwinning
Silversun Pickups – Neck Of The Woods : tepid indie-arena-rock
Smoke Fairies – Blood Speaks : moody bluesy/folk
Sonny & The Sunsets – Longtime Companion : country as the day is long
Soulsavers – The Light The Dead See : lushly, epic emo; this time w/Depeche Mode singer…
Still Flyin’ – On a Bedroom Wall : very fun, if light, energetic pop tunes
Teeth – The Strain : messy heavy/grunge/noise rock
Violens – True : hazy dream pop; dime-a-dozen
A Place To Bury Strangers – Worship : heavy garage-psych; mildly interesting
Beach Boys, the – That’s Why God Made The Radio : the satisfaction may prove fleeting, but this is a very fun listen!
Bobby Womack – The Bravest Man In The Universe : fairly interesting; #overproducedlikeaboss
Cookie Duster – When Flying Was Easy : very, very fun indie-pop
Crocodiles – Endless Flowers : hip deep in hooky guitar buzz; #lessjetengineismore
dEUS – Following Sea : interesting – not terribly compelling; #badpacingfallsflat
Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel : perfectly nice modern pop; why listen twice?
Future of the Left – The Plot Against Common Sense : smart, angular punk-ish smashings
Giant Giant Sand – Tucson : wonderfully Tuscon; epic soundscapes bound in a “country-rock-opera”
Golden Boys, the – Dirty Fingernails : party-time retro rockers with a punk spirit; #thirtyquickminutesoffun
Hives, the – Lex Hives : fun party garage-rock
Julia Stone – By the Horns : interesting atmosphere, dull-as-hell vox; #toomellowbyhalf
Maccabees, the – Given to the Wild : solidly boring
Mastersons, the – Birds Fly South : very nice sunday morning drive tunes; great m/f vox harmonies
Metric – Synthetica : solid rock and roll; #swoonforemilyhaines
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Americana : garage-rock campfire tunes
O. Children – Apnea : 80’s inflected rockers, compelling vox; can’t get my ears to enjoy
Patti Smith – Banga : expansive, literate and intense; highly enjoyable
Peaking Lights – Lucifer : exquisitely executed electro-pop-dub-+++
Piano Magic – Life Has Not Finished With Me Yet : interestingly emotive atmospherics, yet overall flat
Sea Of Bees – Orangefarben : heart-on-a-sleeve adolescent pop
Smashing Pumpkins – Oceania : solid rock album, missing a spark
Suede – 8 Track Mind : moderately interesting but immediately forgettable
White Fence – Family Perfume Vol. 2 : psychedelic-rock tour-de-force; some absolute gems here
Wintersleep – Hello Hum : bombastic indie-rockers; overreaching?
Young, the – Dub Egg : very fun mix of 70’s & 90’s rock
Antony And The Johnsons – Cut The World : terrifyingly beautiful
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Mature Themes : weird about sums it up
Beachwood Sparks – The Tarnished Gold : 70-style AM cali-country; serenity now!
Black Market Karma – Cocoon : perhaps a bit too much ‘gaze’, but great psychedelia
Cat Power – Sun : more and more and more to the accessible radio sound; all the life sucked out
Cory Chisel And The Wandering Sons – Old Believers : quite fun tour of ramshackle americana sounds
DIIV – Oshin : interesting guitar-based chill/beach/vibe tunes; lovely at times, sleepy at times
Empires – Garage Hymns : straight rock; tolerable, not memorable
Family Band – Grace And Lies : there’s something here, almost…
Fang Island – Major : enjoyable throwaway fun
Hacienda – Shakedown : straightforward party rockers; extremely fun
Haight-Ashbury – Haight-Ashbury 2 The Ashburys : “like a psychedelic ABBA” is a beautiful description; #wishihadcomeupwiththatone
Jaill – Traps : very fun summer rock-pop tunez
Laetitia Sadier – Silencio : exceptionally well-done pop with hints of funkiness, lounge and krautrock
Magic Castles, the – The Magic Castles : overlong, rambling psychedelia
Passion Pit – Gossamer : crystal-sharp indie pop; very fun
Peggy Sue – Peggy Sue Play the Songs of Scorpio Rising : delightful spin on some r&b/pop gems
Penelopes, the – Never Live Another Yesterday : fairly crap disco-pop trying to be ‘dark’
Redd Kross – Researching the Blues : sharp, crisp, power-pop/rock-and-roll
Rocket Juice & The Moon – Rocket Juice & The Moon : the “close your eyes and party” album of the year
Stomacher – Clara : darkly epic arena-indie; exactly the shit I hate
These United States – These United States : fun, rambling, multi-genre ‘americana’ rockers
Two Door Cinema Club – Beacon : better-than-most dance-rock; still a one-listen-and-done album
Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse : epically gnarly garage rock
Vaccines, the – Come Of Age : I’m rapidly becoming a huge fan
View, the – Cheeky For A Reason : moving right along…
Work Drugs – Absolute Bearing : 100% forgettable; 80s’pop/chillwave
Animal Collective – Centipede Hz : deeply weirdo pop; lovingly not-normal
Black Pistol Fire – Big Beat ’59 : occasionally inspiring southern-rock/blues/garage two piece; the songs that miss are painfull
Black Swans, the – Occasion For Song : music for jumping off bridges; #sorrowonthewaydown
Bloc Party – Four : not earthshattering, but solidly enjoyable
Dinosaur Jr. – I Bet On Sky : doesn’t approach the Dino apex, but a nice little rock album
Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits : tight, concise, spacious; lovely
Fergus & Geronimo – Funky Was the State of Affairs : very weird slabs of angular punk(-ish) rawk(-ish)
Fresh And Onlys, the – Long Slow Dance : extremely well executed psych pop-rock; less lo-fi, more polished
Heavy, the – The Glorious Dead : solid retro-garage-r&b; mostly unmemorable
M. Ward – A Wasteland Companion : decent fun, as far as indie-folk-s/s goes
Murder By Death – Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon : interesting somber rockers; occasional rambunctiousness a plus
Owl City – The Midsummer Station : 100% pre-packaged elecro/dance/emo; #gonnafuckinshootsomeone
Spook Houses – Trying : enjoyable 90’s-slacker-ish rockers
Terranova – Hotel Amour Nightporter
Thee Oh Sees – Putrifiers II : a bit cleaner, sweeter, and pop’er; #stillgaragerock
White Wires, the – WWIII : terrifically executing that delightful mix of garage-rock/power-pop/punk
Yeasayer – Fragrant World : darkly dense weirdo modern electro-r&b
Young Fresh Fellows – Tiempo De Lujo : snappy, fun, and goofy pop songs
Avett Brothers, the – The Carpenter : pop-rock? folk? somewhere in-between…; #mostlybland
Band of Horses – Mirage Rock : perfectly executed drabness; #nothingtolikenothingtodiss
Bitch Prefect – Big Time : lo-fi garage pop from AUS; #fairtomiddling
Black Market Karma – Easy Listening : solidly 3-for-3 @ 2012 in the psych-rock department
Bob Dylan – Tempest : ol’ uncle Bob again shows the kiddies how to write a song
Bob Mould – Silver Age : solid return-to-form; palpably satisfying #musicislove
Calexico – Algiers : missing some ‘adventure’, but still a fine smoky, atmospheric feel
Chairlift – Something : slick 80’s pop/disco
Dark Dark Dark – Who Needs Who : at times interesting art-folk-pop
David Byrne & St. Vincent – Love This Giant : smashes expectations via brass band; #geniusatwork
Dollyrots, the – The Dollyrots : (very) simple power-pop. heavy on the POP
Foxygen – Take the Kids Off Broadway : very fun, take 70s Bowie/disco Stones/Brooklyn psych-pop and toss them all in the blender; #needsaneditor
Imagine Dragons – Night Visions : crappy arena pop-rock
Lyle Lovett – Release Me : great collection of (mostly cover) songs, executed in the impeccable Lyle fashion
Menomena – Moms : excellent art-rock/pop; tight as hell and deeply interesting throughout
Milk, the – Tales from the Thames Delta : barely tolerable pub-rock (brit flavor)
Mountain Goats, the – Transcendental Youth : another excellent set of tunes with tons of heart
Music Tapes, the – Mary’s Voice : very interesting, not so very compelling; #longliveE6
Public Image Ltd. – This is PiL : never really “got it” when they were at there height, which they damn-sure aren’t here
Raveonettes, the – Observator : gorgeously fuzzy surf-pop; crystal clean production sounds awesome
Robert Pollard – Jack Sells the Cow : tight, jangly and fun
Sea Wolf – Old World Romance : earnest indie; #waytoocoldplay
Sheepdogs, the – The Sheepdogs : fun, if a bit tepid, boogie blues; #thisisaliveband
Tame Impala – Lonerism : awesome psych/art-rock; #justenoughpop
Tilly and the Wall – Heavy Mood : highly enthusiastic indie-pop!; fun!
Toy – Toy : snappy debut of modern-indie; plenty of room to grow, but some great spots
Two Gallants – The Bloom and the Blight : still a relatively unique mix of punk and folk/blues
Vandelles, the – Strange Girls Don’t Cry : sun-and-reverb-drenched rockers
Whigs, the – Enjoy the Company : solid, straightforward rockers; #lovetheswing
ZZ Top – La Futura : fun and loose, if uninspiring, ZZ Top songs; a couple gems here
Angie Stone – Rich Girl : nondescript neo-soul crooning
Balmorhea – Stranger : nicely done instrumental
Beth Orton – Sugaring Season : engaging electro-acoustic folk
Earlimart – System Preferences : gentle melodic pop; #definitionofbland
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Meat and Bone : aggressive, kitchy, pounding blues-rock; #allinballsdeep
Left Lane Cruiser & James Leg – Painkillers : gritty, dirty, howling covers; #dirtybluesboogiesupergroup
Local H – Hallelujah! I’m A Bum : indie rock
Matt & Kim – Lightning : cute
Mazes – Mazes Blazes : fun, quick, oddball pop-rock bursts
Mumford & Sons – Babel : ho-hum over-emotive “arena-americana”
Nighthawks, the – Damn Good Time : “good time” blues/roots; #damnistoostrong
Pinback – Information Retrieved : tight, “manicured”, pop songs; #soundslikePinback
R. Stevie Moore – Free Pussy Riot : is “just roll tape” considered a ‘style’?
Ringo Deathstarr – Mauve : very good woozy reverb rockers; #creationforever
Sam Flax – Age Waves : interesting, if forgettable, broken psych-pop
Seapony – Falling : sweet, summery dream-pop
Sic Alps – Sic Alps : deeply odd, highly manicured, and profoundly broken rock songs
Soft Pack, the – Strapped : ho-hum indie rockers
Sondre Lerche – Bootlegs
Tragically Hip, the – Now For Plan A : top-shelf Canuck indie rock; #leavesmeflat
Turbo Fruits – Butter : solid fun rockers here; +pop for joy, +shredding for fun
Wooden Wand – Blood Oaths Of The New Blues : gorgeous blues/roots-based psychedelia; #wakeandbake
Woods – Bend Beyond : delightfully sunny guitar-pop; #justenoughpsych
Yppah – Eighty One : sexy, spacy IMD-ish electronica
1 Minute Miracles – Don Van Vliet : fuckingweird
AC Newman – Shut Down The Streets : great 70’s AM feel
Bad Books – II : occasionally interesting, mostly wimpy, modern power-pop
Ball Park Music – Museum : fun indie-pop; #mostlythrowaway
Beth Hart – Bang Bang Boom Boom : juicy soul-rock, great voice; #coverripoff #nikocaserules
Black Moth Super Rainbow – Cobra Juicy : super-fun music, the vox kills it dead
Chris Cohen – Overgrown Path : chill broken-pop
Cosmic Birds – Chronicles Of The Windwar : mildly interesting Spanigh pop; #pianoflourishoverkill
Cowbell – Beat Stampede : that classic garage rock sound
KingBees, the – Stepping Out ‘N’ Going : tolerable rockabilly/swing via SWE
Little Comets – Life Is Elsewhere : instantly forgettable
Moneybrother – This Is Where Life Is : fun genre-spanning party music; #veryJoeStrummer
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Psychedelic Pill : the 30 minute first song/jam sets the tone
Nine Black Alps – Sirens : mediocre 90’s grunge
Polyphonic Spree, the – Holidaydream Sounds of the Holidays Vol. One
Samantha Glass – Mysteries From The Palomino Skyliner : dub-echo keyboards + metronomic drum machines = hazy lo-fi psych oddness
Sea Pinks – Freak Waves : excellently executed jangling indie-pop; #just enoughPOWERpop
Summer Girlfriends – Shockwaves : simple, 60s-inflected indie pop/rock
Tim Hecker & Daniel Lopatin – Instrumental Tourist : interesting electro-ambient
Ty Segall – Twins : how much awesome can one band pump out?
U.S. Girls – GEM : lo-fi 60’s pop; #mmmmmeh
Wallflowers, the – Glad All Over : very solid roots-rock; #tooradio #noinvention
Yellow Ostrich – Strange Land : solid (indie-)rockers
Allah-Las – Allah-Las : delightfully summer-inflected indie jangle-rock
Birdfingers – Birdfingers II : interesting “orchestral folk”; #feelingsleepy
Brian Eno – Lux
Ex-Cult – Ex-Cult : straightforward punk rawk with huge promise
Fidlar – Fidlar : hooky, three-chord power-pop/punk; #fuckyeah
Guided by Voices – The Bears for Lunch : and another; #funnotspecial
Guy Forsyth – The Freedom To Fail : lovely open-hearted americana blues
Haunted Leather – Red Road : excellently done stoner-psych
He’s My Brother She’s My Sister – Nobody Dances In This Town : loosely promising
Indian Jewelry – Peel It : modern-ified psychedelic drone, needs work; #rockpluselectro
King Tuff – King Tuff : holy-shit awesome!
Kopecky Family Band – Kids Raising Kids : extremely promising indie-rockers
Mark Lanegan – Dark Mark Does Christmas
Pop Levi – Medicine : insanely over-the-top glam-rock-funk weirdness; #toomuchismorethanenough
Rosebuds, the – Love Deluxe : full album covered, Sade; #fml
Soundgarden – King Animal : 1000% irrelevant; #alsosucks
White Fangs – White Fangs : old school garage-punk
-live-
Ha Ha Tonka – Agave, Avon CO 01-13
Howlin’ Rain- Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn NY 02-08
Team Genius – Glasslands, Brooklyn 02-22
Wussy – Cake Shop NYC 03-03
Gary Clark Jr. – Waterloo Records, Austin TX SXSW 03-16
Heartless Bastards – SXSW 2012, Hotel Vegan, Austin TX 03-17
Punch Brothers – Live at the Fillmore March 08, 2012 EP
War On Drugs – Bowery Ballroom NYC 04-08
fIREHOSE – Fulton 55, Fresno CA 04-13
Deer Tick – Georgia Theatre, Athens GA 04-25
Dean Wareham & Britta Phillips – Hemlock Tavern, SF (Galaxie 500 show) 05-11
Luther Dickinson – Joe’s Pub, NYC 05-14
Wandering, the – Joe’s Pub, NYC 05-14
White Fence – Aquarium Drunkard Lagniappe Sessions May 2012
Ha Ha Tonka – The Casbah, Durham NC 06-12
Pontiak – 285 Kent, Brooklyn NY, NYCTaper Northside Festival Showcase 06-14
Calexico and The German Film Orchestra Babelsberg – Potsdam, GER FM 06-30
Lucius – Backyard Brunch Sessions, Brooklyn NY 07-14
Calexico (Duo) – Rough Trade East in-store, London UK 09-13
Calexico – Konzerthaus, Vienna AUS 09-22
Mountain Goats – Bowery Ballroom, NYC 10-16
First Aid Kit – Live on KCRW
Mark Lanegan Band – Live In Studio Antwerp December 2011
Decemberists, the – We All Raise Our Voices To The Air
Afghan Whigs, the – Live in New York City
Karen Elson – Live At Third Man Records
Young Fresh Fellows – Live At The Triple Door December 3rd 2011
White Stripes, the – Live at The Gold Dollar
Tig Notaro – Live
Calexico – Spiritoso (tour only)
Dinosaur Jr. – Chocomel Daze (live 1987)
Lloyd Cole – Acoustic Sessions August 2012
-re-release/comps/mixes-
Alex Chilton – Free Again The 1970 Sessions
R. Stevie Moore – Ariel Pink’s Picks Vol. 1 : hot mess
va – David Bash’s Top 100 Vol 1 (1-25)
va – Pop Ambient 2012
va – Mojo Presents: Power, Corruption & Lies: Covered
va – Mojo Presents: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen: Covered
va – Tribute to the Fab Four – One (the PPC best of)
Archers Of Loaf – Vee Vee (deluxe reissue)
Civil Wars, the – Barton Hollow (deluxe ed)
Belle & Sebastian: Late Night Tales vol. 2
DJ Kicks: Photek
DJ-Kicks: Maya Jane Coles
DJ-Kicks: The Exclusives
va – Mojo Presents 04-2012: Come On Let’s Go! A Modern Jukebox
va – Mojo Presents 06-2012: Pet Sounds Revisited
va – Record Store Day Presents Coachella
Centro-matic – 24 Songs (2cd sampler)
Amon Tobin – Boxset Sampler
Features, the – Still Lost Volume One
Johnny Cash – The Essential Collection
My Bloody Valentine – EP’s 1988-1991
va- Kitsune America (Deluxe Ed)
va – Mojo Presents 05-2012: The World Of The Small Faces And Beyond
va – Tributes Or Not Tributes Vol 7
Daniel Johnston – Space Ducks_Soundtrack
Pains of Being Pure at Heart, the – Acid Reflex (remixes)
va – Third Man Records – Single Releases 2011
va – Hooks On The Beach
va – Just Tell Me That You Want Me A Tribute To Fleetwood Mac
Felice Brothers, the – God Bless You Amigo
Mountain Goats, the – Hot Garden Stomp
Mountain Goats, the – The Hound Chronicles
DJ Shadow – Total Breakdown Hidden Transmissions From The MPC Era. 1992-1996
Kiss – Destroyer [Resurrected] : cute pop-rock
va – Re-Machined A Tribute To Deep Purple’s Machine Head
DJs Food/Cheeba/Moneyshot – Caught in the Middle of a 3-way Mix : awesome tribute to Paul’s Boutique
of Montreal – Daughter of Cloud : fun rarities
va – Lowe Country – The Songs Of Nick Lowe
va – We Walk The Line – A Celebration Of The Music Of Johnny Cash
Association, the – The Complete Warner Bros. and Valiant Singles Collection
Patrick Wolf – Sundark and Riverlight : same tone/emotion 16 times?
Be Good Tanyas, the – A Collection : super fun sunday morning album
Joseph Arthur – Junkyard Hearts
Rolling Stones, the – Grrr!
Sufjan Stevens – Silver & Gold (v6-10)
Mogwai – A Wrenched Virile Lore
-singles/EPs-
British Sea Power – EP 1 : bbbbboring
Houseboat – Would You Rather EP
Lana del Rey – Born To Die EP
Wooden Shjips – Remixes 12″ : good, good, good, good, good
Eisley – Deep Space EP : ho-hum quiet-loud-quiet
Beach Fossils – Shallow-Lessons single
Josh Ritter – Bringing In The Darlings EP
Kills, the – The Last Goodbye EP
Mary Onettes, the – Love Forever EP : yuck
Veronica Falls – My Heart Beats EP
Animal Collective – Transverse Temporal Gyrus 12″
Arcade Fire – Sprawl II Ready To Start 12″
Beach House – Lazuli 7″
Black Angels, the – Watch Out Boy/I’d Rather Be Lonely 7″
Clash, the – London Calling [2012 Mix] 7″
David Bowie – Starman 7″ (picture disc)
Deerhoof and Of Montreal – split 7″
DZ Deathrays – No Sleep EP : fun punked-out anthems
Feistodon – split 7″
Flaming Lips/Mastadon – A Spoonful Weighs A Ton split 7″
Grass Cannons – Vet Dream EP : fantastically turbulent
Lambchop – Democracy EP
Miles Kane – First Of My Kind EP
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Songs From The Great White North 12″
Real Estate – Easy 7″
Richard Hawley – Leave Your Body Behind You single
Rosie Thomas & Sufjan Stevens – Hit and Run Vol. 1 split 7″
Santigold – Disparate Youth single
Shins, the – Port Of Morrow [Bonus Tracks]
Soap and Skin – Voyage Voyage single
St. Vincent – Krokodil 7″
Two Door Cinema Club – Acoustic EP 12″
Ty Segall & Feeling Of Love – tour split 7″
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – We Almost Lost Detroit 12” EP
Raveonettes, the – Into The Night EP : girl-group + JMC yumminess
Yppah – Film Burn CDS
Amen Dunes – Ethio Covers 7”
Nobunny – La La La La Love You single
White Stripes, the – Dead Leaves vault single
Alabama Shakes – Heavy Chevy EP
JEFF the Brotherhood – Hypnotic Knights EP
Karen Elson – Milk & Honey 7”
Louise Quinn and Kid Loco – Oh Jackie EP
Andrew Bird – Give It Away EP
Antlers, the – Undersea EP
JJ – High Summer EP
Sebadoh – Secret EP
T. Rex – Electric Sevens 4×7”
Vaccines, the – No Hope EP
Black Moth Super Rainbow – Windshield Smasher single
Bobby Champs – Drag Queen EP : brain-tickling techno+dance+80s; #notmything
DJ KIcks: Photek – Levitation (The Remixes) single
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Everybody’s On The Run single
Three Mile Pilot – Maps EP
Vaccines, the – Please Please Do Not Disturb EP
Why? – Sod In The Seed EP
Chalk Talk – Bad Influences EP
Guided By Voices – Jon the Croc single
Magnolia Shoals – Life Danced In The Flesh EP : dark, moody, promising; #baritonehelps
Ringo Deathstarr – Rip single
Dum Dum Girls – End of Daze EP
First Aid Kit – iTunes Session EP : gorgeous versions!
Mountain Man – Two EP
Woods – Cali in a Cup single
Yo La Tengo – Stupid Things EP
Frankie Rose – Night Swim EP
I LIKE TRAINS – Beacons EP : mmmmeh
Times New Viking – Over and Over EP
Andrew Bird – Hands of Glory EP
Triangulo de Amor Bizarro – Ellas se Burlaron de mi Magia/Sus Hijas Entonaban Tus Cánticos Inflamados single : #shoegazeonacid
Fresh & Onlys, the – Presence of Mind single
Fresh & Onlys, the – Yes or No single
Ride Into The Sun – Drown Your Soul bw The Devil’s Soul 7”
Shark Week – EP : fun entry-level lo-fi garage rock
Shins, the – No Way Down / Fall of ’82 (Swift Sessions)
Spiritualized – Little Girl single
Tenacious D – Jazz 12”
Time Machine – Time Machine EP
Babies, the – Out House on the Hill
Green Day – Uno! – Dos! – Tre!
Joy Formidable, the – Cholla EP
Flaming Lips, the – One More Robot