I feel like I'm leaving things out, but here goes:

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

9. 10. 11. 12.

13. 14. 15. 16.

17. 18. 19. 20.

21. 22. 23. 24.

25.

I don't think there are any huge surprises. I'm pretty loyal to my favorite bands, and it shows with their side-projects' rankings. Albums I really liked but just didn't spend enough time with:

Will Johnson - Scorpion
Calexico - Algiers
GYBE! - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
Good Old War - Come Back As Rain
Kopecky Family Band - Kids Raising Kids
Midtown Dickens - Home
Matthew E. White - Big Inner
Murder of Crows - Imperfecta
Paul Banks - Banks

Biggest Disappointments:

Beach House - Bloom
Jack White - Blunderbuss


Here's to a great 2012, and an amazing 2013.

nice, a few that will be on mine. JP Harris! Love that record.

I like the sound that TbT and Mumford go for, but don't really like either of them. Liked some old TbT record though.

Like Patterson's record but only listened to it once and Alabama Shakes is one of my most played of the year, so much that I can hardly get through half of it anymore.

AMERICA

Surprised, but pleased, to see mewithoutYou on your list. That'll definitely be high on mine.

What's #3?

Patterson Hood.

i like the grid system you have going there

Haha, I always want to create something that looks good and then I'm like "ah screw it...google images". Its so hard to format via phpbb.

What's #19?

A few on hear that I'd wanted to check out - Kin & Psychedelic Pill, mainly - but just didn't get around to. Still plan to. And I should listen to that Lee Ranaldo, too.

Interesting list. It seems like we have less and less overlap over time.

19 = Mewithoutyou

This is true, Drinky. Its odd how my tastes have changed over the past handful of years. I can't explain it. I think K and I had this conversation as well last year after I posted my list.

My laptop apparently isn't wide enough for that--I see a row of three, then a row of one.

Is your laptop 800x600 resolution?

You've definitely skewed more bluegrass ever since the Truckers took over your life there for a while.

Well, that started happening when I started dating my wife. She comes from a bluegrass fam and has an incredibly extensive knowledge of the genre. Also, in the recent year WAMU has extended their broadcast to our town so we can listen to bluegrass 24/7/365. That kinda exposes me to a lot more.

Strangely enough, it seems like FR and I have more and more overlap now. Well, only 1 of his (KIN) will make my list but a lot of it is much much closer to my wheelhouse.

Not much overlap anymore between our lists...however, every year I end up finding three or four albums from your list that I really like a lot, so I am very much looking forward to digging in to some of these. I am surprised to not see that Iris Dement record on here, thought for sure that would rank pretty high for you.

Always one of the list I look to, especially in these past few years where keeping up has been hard for me to do. Always looking for more bluegrass, though. Will definitely check a few unheard albums out.

I should've included that Trampled By Turtles in my honorable mention/probably should've spent more time with list. The 6 or so times I listened to it I dug it.

nice to see Sigur Rós on there. i don't think i ever saw your thoughts on it. i just remember most people here being bored by it. it definitely grew on me though it's absolutely a mood album. i'm looking forward to seeing the new songs live finally this spring.

We've been listening to a lot of Best Of 2012 stuff around the house lately, and I noticed two trends. One is the Banjo Rock thing anchored by Mumford & Sons, and the other is the "Hand claps and shouts with reverb" thing anchored by Edward Sharp / Magnetic Zeros. I keep hearing bands in these mixes with uber-fast banjo behind the otherwise-notmal indie rock, though maybe they're all Mumford. And I swear there are at least 3 bands who had "hit" songs with exactly that same "HEY (clap)" sound - always horn lines, reverbed shouts and hand claps.

[/grumpy old man]

Sounds like the playlist on The Spectrum on XM, which I like as a channel even if I would never buy or even own most of the newer music they play.

Dump Jack accurately described it as a great mix for a party where you dont want to get hammered.

Perfect description.

It's actually been either KEXP, 8track.com, or New Normal Music. But it's pretty much the same list. Or hell, the cd's she got from an old friend that always does year-end wrap ups. Lotta common songs.

Lumineers is one of the hey/clap bands you're referring to.

American Idol winner Phillip Phillips has had one of the biggest radio and sync placement hits of the year with his Mumford rip-off single, "Home"

AKA the American Women's Gymastics Team theme song.

Didn't really spend much time with it to be honest with you. It was one of those records that I had in the back of my mind to flip on, but never got around to it. There's always the "Things I missed in 2012 that were really good" list, right?



I think I'm gonna do a top 10 bluegrass of 2012 list at some point.



Count me among the folks that thought it was boring, until I spent enough time with it and found a time that suited me listening to it. This wasn't like their other records with songs that immediately bowled you over. It took time to matriculate, with each listen revealing something new. I'm really enjoying it still, and it may end up being one of my favorites of '12 in the long-run. Not seeing them on this tour. Can't imagine seeing them in an arena. Call me a snob--but they just don't seem suited to blast their music into the rafters of a basketball arena.



Oh, the fact that this style of music is now trending isn't escaping me. I think that's why you're hearing Mumford saying that they're gonna add some elements to their next record--whether tongue-in-cheek or not. Lumineers continue to rise. Just got an email saying they are playing DAR Constitution Hall in DC. They were opening for OCMS this year, and now headlining? Yeah, big things in store.

The Handclap/HEY sound is like Etsy weddings... already starting to be very very dated.

Just listened to that Punch Brothers cover of Kid A and am blown away. Those Infamous Stringdusters guys are crazy damn good too. Not something I will listen to a ton, but dudes are seriously talented for sure. Big thanks for the heads up on those man.