Year-End Lists

Sasha Frere-Jones of The New Yorker: 40 Best Albums of 2012 (listed chronologically, exceptional albums marked with asterisks)

• Rick Ross – Rich Forever
• Heems – Nehru Jackets
• Demdike Stare – Elemental: I-IV
• Sleigh Bells – Reign of Terror
• E-40 – The Block Brochure
• * Sun Araw, MGG & Congos – Icon Give Thank
• * Actress – R.I.P.
• Death Grips – The Money Store
• Kool A.D. – Fifty-One
• Shackleton – Music For The Quiet Hour / The Drawbar Organ EPs
• * Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music
• El-P – Cancer For Cure
• Swans – We Rose From Your Bed With The Sun In Our Head
• * Neneh Cherry & The Thing – The Cherry Thing
• * Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel…
• Christian Fennesz – Aun soundtrack
• * Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE
• * Mungolian Jetset – Mungodelics
• * Swans – The Seer
• Cat Power – Sun
• Deadbeat – Eight
• Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin – Live
• * METZ – METZ
• Godspeed You! Black Emperor – ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
• Peace – The World Is Too Much With Us
• * Daphni – Jiaolong
• Tussle – Tempest
• Jamey Johnson – Living for a Song: Tribute to Hank Cochran
• Andy Stott – Luxury Problems
• * Old Apparatus – 4 EPs (Derren, Harem, Alfur, Realise)
• * Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d. city
• Tayor Swift – Red
• Karriem Riggins – Alone Together
• * Christiaan Virant – Fistful of Buddha
• Various – Get Lost V (mixed by Acid Pauli)
• Neneh Cherry & The Thing – The Cherry Thing Remixes
• Lana Del Rey – Paradise
• * Brian Eno – Lux
• Moon Wiring Club – Today Bread, Tomorrow Secrets
• Scott Walker – Bish Bosch