Finally, it’s time for the annual playlist that caps off my countdown. Rather than do a ranking of favorite songs, I choose to compile what I think is a good representation for the year in music, all on an 80 minute CD-R. This year, many of my favorite songs were just too long to fit on this mix, (“Pyramids”, “Wasted Days”, “Hey Jane”, “Nothin’ But Time”, etc…) and of course I always have to leave off some of my favorites because of dead time in the track due to production techniques of its respective album.
Other notes: I managed to squeeze 20 tracks onto this years mix, up one from 2011. The lowest ranked album that has a song appear on the mix comes from an album I didn’t really care for, Port of Morrow by The Shins which was my #63 album of the year. In addition to that track, there are 3 other songs coming from albums outside my top 25. There are nine tracks representing my #11-#25 albums, and 7 tracks from my top 10 albums. As usual, the order of the Mixtape is not a ranking, but rather an order based on how the song appears on its respective album.
Below, you’ll see the tracklist, and after the jump you can listen to every track if you so choose. If you happen to be a Spotify user, I’ve also created a Spotify playlist of my Mixtape (not including “Wildest Moments” and “Tallulah” due to them not being available on Spotify), which you can link to below. Also included is a link to my Amazon.com list which has my entire top 25 albums of the year, nice and neat in a one page form (as well as access to my all my lists since 2001). And finally, for the 5th straight year I give thanks to Amy Boyd for providing me with the album art for my Mixtape. She’s now a Pentagram employee, making this album art the most legit thing on my blog right now.
So, there you have it for 2012. I’m already 3 albums into my 2013 releases, so if you’ll excuse me I’ve got some listening to do.
The Countdown can now begin with my 15 albums that make up #11 through #25. There’s really no logic governing which albums I chose to do a write up for here. I didn’t want to write something about all of them, but felt like a few deserved a little blurb.
#25) Titus Andronicus – Local Business
Titus Andronicus’s previous album was my 2010 album of the year and quite possibly my favorite album of the last half-decade, so a let down was to be expected on their follow up release. Local Business certainly doesn’t reach the heights of The Monitor but there’s no shame in that, especially when Patrick Sickles and crew continue to pump out punk-rock anthems few bands can match. With a smaller cast of musicians, Titus has tightened up a good bit musically leading to maybe the most radio friendly track they’ve produced in “In A Big City” and a focused set of songs without sacrificing their spontaneity. The album opens with the line “I think by now we’ve established everything is inherently worthless / and there’s nothing in the universe with any kind of objective purpose”, so their nihilistic world view remains in full force, but there probably isn’t a better example of a band today who believes rock ‘n roll might just be powerful enough to reverse that thinking.
[“In A Big City” – Local Business]
#24) Animal Collective – Centipede HZ
#23) Chairlift – Something
The second album from the Brooklyn duo is a polished set of synth laden indie-pop songs which could be used as a shining example of how to create such music. This is just plain an enjoyable album full of exquisite pop songs carried by the voice of Caroline Polacheck but built around catchy melodies and an 80’s nostalgic vibe. In no song is this more evident than in the glorious “I Belong In Your Arms” which feels ripped directly from a John Hughes teen flick. Something is accessible enough to get immediately immersed in, but complex enough to not come across superficial. It’s a confident and elegant release that announces Chairlift as a pop band not to be forgotten.
[“I Belong In Your Arms” – Something]
#22) Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls
#21) Jessie Ware – Devotion
#20) Allo Darlin’ – Europe
London-based Allo Darlin’s second album of sophisticated indie-pop is a step forward for the Elizabeth Morris fronted group. On Europe, Morris has penned songs more maudlin than twee which serves her well as it gives these songs a depth that puts Allo Darlin’ in the same breadth as Belle & Sebastian or better yet, Camera Obscura. The songs are instantly memorable but have a heartfelt sensibility allowing for a stunning ukulele soliloquy “Tallulah” to stop the listener dead in his or her tracks. “Tallulah” is the kind of song that can completely overshadow an album, and as one of the best songs of the year, it does that to an extent. But that’s more a testament to its greatness and not the quality of the other songs on Europe. Start to finish, this is an album of infectious brit-pop overflowing with warmth and richness.
[“Tallulah” – Europe]
#19) The Mountain Goats – Transcendental Youth
#18) Twin Shadow – Confess
Another notch in the bedpost of 80’s pop revivalism, Brooklyn’s Twin Shadow has created another nostalgic album channeling 80’s pop mainstays from The Police to Prince. The brainchild behind Twin Shadow is Dominican born George Lewis Jr, and for Confess, Lewis fully embraced his 80’s persona churning out song after song of new wave synth-pop that instantly conjures images an era he clearly reveres. Whether it’s the power ballad of “Be Mine Tonight” or the driving rhythm and guitar hooks of “Five Seconds”, Lewis unabashed esteem for 80’s pop is clearly on display, but in no way ironic. Sure, the stylization may be a little on the nose and contrived (I mean, just look at that album cover), but who cares when the music is crafted so masterfully.
[“Five Seconds” – Confess]
#17) Father John Misty – Fear Fun
#16) Grimes – Visions
The eccentricities of Claire Boucher really can’t be discussed without first mentioning her failed attempt to house-boat down the Mississippi River, an example of her ambitious confidence that is scattered all throughout her breakthrough album Visions. Listening to this hodgepodge of an album, it’s hard to nail down a specific genre Grimes is conveying as the tunes are an eclectic mix of influences yet somehow incredibly cohesive. But when she’s writing more straightforward electro-pop songs, the results are breathtaking, as seen on “Genesis” and “Oblivion”, a couple early album stunners that showcase her knack for melody and sweetness with an underlying darkness, intensity, and well, feminism. Visions is one of the most original albums of the year from an artist allowing us a peek inside the workings of her idiosyncratic mind.
[“Genesis” – Visions]
#15) Beach House – Bloom
#14) The Walkmen – Heaven
#13) Spiritualized – Sweet Heart Sweet Light
#12) Swans – The Seer
Adjectives that can be used to Swans monumental, career defining album: Dark. Heavy. Intense. Powerful. Terrifying. Progressive. Experimental. Challenging. Demanding. Exhausting. Ambitious. Beautiful. Atmospheric. Brutal. Bleak. Immense. Bold. Epic. Triumphant. Brilliant. I could go on…
[“Lunacy” – The Seer]
#11) Sharon Van Etten – Tramp
The third album from Van Etten is her best work yet featuring guest spots from Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner, Beirut’s Zach Condon, and The Walkmen’s Matt Barrick, to name a few, but the smartest move she made was in recruiting The National’s Aaron Dessner to produce these 12 tracks. (Dessner’s brother, Bryce, also appears on lead single “Serpents”.) Dessner takes Van Etten’s folk tunes to new levels of significance fully realizing her songwriting potential as well as emphasizing her voice and emotional depth of her music.
Posted by Hawkins 
A Round of Sound 