2012

1. Mexican Institute of Sound – Politico (Nacional)
2. The Coup – Sorry to Bother You (Anti)
3. Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang – En Yay Sah (Luaka Bop)
4. Ali Fuat Aydin and Cenk Güray – Bir (Felmay)
5. Magnetic Fields – Love at the Bottom of the Sea (Merge)
6. Moon Hooch – The Moon Hooch Album (Crowd Control)
7. Deerhoof – Breakup Song (Polyvinyl)
8. Markus Mehr – On (Hidden Shoal)
9. William Britelle – Loving the Chambered Nautilus (New Amsterdam)
10. Endah Laras and Dedek Gamelan Orchestra – S/T (Felmay)
11. J.D. McPherson – Signs & Signifiers (Rounder)
12. Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music (Williams Street)
13. Ethel – Heavy (Innova)
14. Alexander Tucker – Third Mouth  (Thrill Jockey) 
15. Taraf de Haïdouks and Kocani Orkestar – Band of Gypsies 2 (Crammed Discs)
16. Mati Zundel – Amazonico Gravitante (Waxploitation)
17. Joe Locke/Geoffrey Keezer Group – Signing (Motema)
18. Novalima – Karimba (ESL)
19. Squarepusher – Ufabulam (Warp)
20. Kayhan Kalhor – I Will Not Stand Alone (World Village)

1. Prince Rama – Top Ten Hits for the End of the World (Pawtracks)
2. Swans – The Seer (Young God)
3. Tame Impala – Lonerism (Modular)
4. Bob Mould – Silver Age (Merge)
5. Psychotic Pineapple – Where’s the Party reissue (Richmond)
6. Grass Widow – Internal Logic (HLR)
7. Neon Piss –S/T (Deranged)
8. Tragedy – live and Darker Days Ahead (Tragedy)
9. The Coup – Sorry to Bother You (Anti-)
10. Red Kross – Researching the Blues (Merge)
11. Jawbreaker – Bivouac reissue (Blackball)
12. The Babies – Our House on the Hill (Woodsist)
13. Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory (Carpark)
14. Santigold – Master of My Make Believe (Atlantic)
15. Sugar – Copper Blue reissue (Merge)
16. Dead Ending – S/T EP (Alternative Tentacles)
17. Golden Void – S/T (Thrill Jockey)
18. Imperial Teen – Feel the Sound (Merge)
19. Divine Fits – A thing called… (Merge)
20. Alice Bag – Violence Girl (Weirdo)

• Art Elliot – Earth Abides
• Father You See Queen – 47 (Flingco Sound Systems)
• Foxygen – Take the Kids Off Broadway (Jagjaguar)
• Keith Jarrett & Charlie Haden – Jasmine (ECM)
• Neil Jendon – Corporate Laughter (Crippled Intellect)
• Amanda Palmer & Grand Theft Orchestra – Theatre is Evil (8 Ft.)
• Steely Dan – Gaucho (MCA)
• Sult – Bark (Conrad Sound)
• Swans – The Seer (Young God)
• Taming Power – Selected Works (Early Morning)
• U.S. Girls – GEM (FatCat)
• Yek Koo – Love Song for the Dead C

1. Nick Waterhouse – Time’s All Gone (Innovative Leisure)
2. Bahamas – Barchords (Brushfire)
3. Jessica Pratt – S/T (Birth)
4. Terry Malts – Killing Time (Slumberland Records)
5. Standard Fare – Out of Sight, Out of Town (Melodic)
6. Allah-Las – S/T (Innovative Leisure)
7. Allo Darlin’ – Europe (Slumberland)   
8. Gentleman Jesse – Leaving Atlanta (Douchemaster)
9. Lee Fields & the Expressions – Faithful Man (Truth & Soul)
10. The Babies – Our House on the Hill (Woodsist)
11. Parquet Courts – Light Up Gold (What’s Your Rupture?)

• Listen Whitey! Sounds of Black Power 1967-74 –V/A (Light in the Attic)
• The Coup – Sorry to Bother You (Anti-)
• Krzysztof Penderecki/Jonny Greenwood  – Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, etc. (Nonesuch)
• Swans – Seer (Young Gods)
• Sleepy Sun – Spine Hits (The End)
• Father John Misty – Fear Fun (Sub Pop)
• Ty Segall – Twins (Drag City)
• Ty Segall & White Fence /Hair (Drag City)
• Thee Oh Sees – Putrifiers II EP (In The Red)
• Coal Porters – Find the One (Prima)
• Los Straitjackets  – Jet Set (Yep Roc)
• Mark Lanegan Band – Blues Funeral (4AD)
• Amadou & Mariam  – Folila (Nonesuch)
• Dr. John – Locked Down (Nonesuch)
• Menahan Street Band – Crossing (Daptone)
• On With the Show – The Johnny Otis Story Volume 2: 1957-1974 (Ace)
• Magnetic Fields  – Love at the Bottom of the Sea (Merge)
• Lee Fields & the Expressions  – Faithful Man (Truth & Soul)
• Jim White – Where It Hits You (Yep Roc)
• Dan Melchior – Backward Path (Northern-Spy Records)
• Howlin’ Rain – The Russian Wilds (Columbia/ DMZ)
• Todd Snider – Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables (Aimless)
• Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas (Columbia)
• The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Meat and Bone (Mom and Pop)
• Chuck Prophet – Temple Beautiful (Yep Roc)

Best Shows of 2012

• Dick Dale at the Uptown, Oakland
• Tenacious D at the Fox, Oakland
• Willie Nelson at the Fox, Oakland
• George Clinton at the Regency Ballroom, SF
• The Magnetic Fields at the Fox, Oakland
• Dan Hicks at Davies Symphony Hall, SF
• Sleep/Oxbow at the Fox, Oakland
• Quintron and Miss Pussycat at New Parish, Oakland
• Dumpstafunk at New Parish, Oakland
• Mount Carmel at One Eyed Jacks, New Orleans
• Treme Brass Band at Louis Armstrong Park, New Orleans
• Washboard Chaz at the Spotted Cat, New Orleans
• Bonerama at the Blue Nile, New Orleans
• Foreverland at New Parish, Oakland
• Jason Brock at Martuni’s, SF

• The Thing That Ate Larry Livermore (Adeline)
• Toys That Kill – Fambly 42 (Recess)
• Classics of Love – S/T (Asian Man)
• Bob Mould – Silver Age (Merge)
• Neon Piss – S/T (Deranged)
• Infinite Void – S/T (Posion City)
• Terry Malts – Killing Time (Slumberland)
• Born Petrified – Townes Said (PB&J)
• Guantanamo Baywatch – Chest Crawl (Burger)
• Coup – Sorry To Bother You (Anti-)
• Typical Cats – 3 (Galapagos4)
• Jimmy Cliff – Rebirth (Universal)
• JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound – Want More (Bloodshot)

Shows That Knocked My Socks Off

• 1-2-3-4 Go!’s Go! Go! showcase – New Parish
• Bouncing Souls – Slims
• Aquabats – Slims
• Phenomenauts and Pansy Divison – 924 Gilman
• La Plebe – Bottom of the Hill
• Tornado Rider – Rickshaw Stop