I bought/legally downloaded/actually purhased over 80 albums this year. Most were very good. This was a very difficult list to make.

No particular order, only numbered for clarity.

1) Allo Darlin’ – Europe

Allo Darlin’ – Europe

Like their first effort, the best word I can describe Allo Darlin’ with is ‘happy’. If you don’t mind the lack of apparent depth, definitely give them a listen because its a good time. Cute songs, that usually cheer me up.

2) Jack White – Blunderbuss

He might be the most talented musician alive today. I hate him for it.

3) Blood Red Shoes – In Time to Voices

Following a trend, I seem to be listening to a lot of folk-indie bands led by female singers. Its a damn good album though.

4) Delta Spirit – Delta Spirit

I really can’t pinpoint what makes me listen to this album so much. I just really like it. Super indie, sometimes super poppy, but nobody else sounds quite like them.

5) Good Old War – Come Back As Rain

As part of my continuing musical education I’m moving way into a country/bluegrass/folk mood. Lots of good albums came out this year. Out of the group I could have picked Old Crow Medicine Show or The Avett Brothers but Good Old War just had a more unique sound.

6) Jesca Hoop – The House That Jack Built

She kinda came out of left field. Found her by accident and just fell in love with this album. I don’t know what else to say. Just listen to it.

7) Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again

Could have come out in the early 70’s smooth soul movement and would have fit right in. Straight outta Motown, this one.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

8) Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Heist

 Lots and lots of good hip-hop came out this year. And of course, I had to pick the white guy. Actually, easy racial jokes aside Macklemore puts some heartfelt, and pretty damn heartbreaking lyrics over Ryan Lewis’ superb beats. Incredible album for only being a sophmore effort. I passed over P.O.S. for this album which is a damn hard thing to do for an avid P.O.S. fan.

9) The 2 Bears – Be Strong / Staff Benda Bilili – Bouger Le Monde!

I was looking everywhere for this years GRUM, for an album that made me want to dance. The closest I came was narrowed down to these two and only one is at all understandable by me. Both are brilliant

10) Milo Greene – Milo Greene

Album is on my top 10 because it is both amazing and incredibly painful. A lot of emotion tied up in this album for me, just because of stuff that was going on in my life when I first heard it…then heard it many many more times.

Honorable Mention:

1) Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE

I really almost didn’t put this one on the list. I didn’t listen to it as much as any of the others. It wasn’t my groove. It was a good album and its acclaim is likely well deserved and I can’t deny the impact its had, but it just wasn’t my favorite of the year.

2/3) Jimmy Cliff – Rebirth / Bobby Womack – The Bravest Man in the Universe

 Two legends released albums this year. It was a good year to revive. Neither of them were perfect but they are both worth trying out.

First Aid Kit

4) First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar

Two lovely nordic ladies making melodic tunes. I like it.

5) Keane – Strangeland

Phitzy will hate me, but I really liked this album. Despite his chubby face, it was a very enjoyable album.

5) Maximo Park – The National Health

Catchy as hell and just a solid album. I wish it had something to put it over the edge.

DOOM’s motley crew of music aficionados are back to give you the rundown of what they’re digging this past month. This month is contributed by Katie Delz, Michael Harris, and Aaron Poole.

Katie:

This month’s recommendation does not come guilt-free. I confess to throwing my will-power out the window when leaks are involved. Such is the case of Beach House’s new album Bloom.

The official release for this album is May 15th, but I’m sure some people can understand the heartbeat-skipping joy I felt when I discovered the leak.

Beach House is a consistently good band, and their last album ‘Teen Dream’ was released 2 years ago. So it’s an understatement to say that I was anxious to hear what they put out.

Result? Nothing short of amazing. It helps that they used the same producer that they had on Teen Dream.

If you aren’t a super evil, leak-downloading person and want to have a taste of their new album, they did release the first track, ‘Myth’, as a teaser.

Michael:

Good Old War – Come Back As Rain (Released March 6, 2012)

Indie Folk. An ever growing corner of the musical world where I’m going to build a nice summer home. In fact, some days I feel as though I might not ever leave. Good Old War makes me feel like hanging out by the crick and reading poetry books to my best gal, bringing to mind images of tire swings and other such quaint nonsense, but slightly more modern, so possibly images of an iPad with a picture of a tire swing. With Come Back As Rain, the band only continues a wonderful tradition of making great music and giving me something wonderfully happy to listen to.

Standout Track: “Loud Love” (which we couldn’t find so here is a different one -Ed.)

The Shins – Port of Morrow (Released March 19, 2012)

Chutes Too Narrow firmly established this band in the realm of “Shut up and take my money” territory for me, and while Wincing the Night Away had its imperfections and just things that I didn’t enjoy, I was throroughly excited for Port of Morrow. Morrow, though not the Shins lineup that I have come to love and a very different one at that, is a lovely mix of new ideas. Frontman James Mercer and his new crew refined their sound to near perfection. New voices, both instrumentally and vocally make for a very new sound and a fantastic little album.

Standout Track: “For A Fool”

Dr. Dog – Be The Void (Released February 7, 2012)

I know that this came out last month and technically shouldn’t count, but I’m the one who’s writing this review and you can technically shut your face. That being said, I love me some Dr. Dog. This effort by the band is more pop oriented, a bit more…fun, than previous records like Shame, Shame or even Fate which were more subdued with key exceptions. Be The Void is a wonderful bit of freedom from the band, with some great experiments and some great new sounds.

Standout Track: “Heavy Light”

Aaron:

I don’t know at what point everyone started hating Coldplay but they do. It’s strange to me as the first time I heard “Shiver” when it was released, just over 10 years ago now, I was instantly smitten. Their debut album Parachutes was a moody, indie bombshell of awesome and they went stratospheric not long after that. But at that time, they were the cool indie band your mates hadn’t heard of. It seems, Coldplay’s biggest problem is that they got popular.

Now sneered at by the same musical elite who used to champion them, it’s weird how that effects you as a fan. I’ve been to a few Coldplay gigs and they’re incredibly tight live, in fact almost eerily so. They’re so polished that I start to see what people are moaning about. They’re the tidiest band in rock. So when the new album came out… I started to side with the nay sayers.

Well, after a few singles got released I got over myself and realised that no matter what people say, they’re one of the biggest bands in the world for a reason. They make solid records. Mylo Xyloto is their most Pop album to date, it even has a guest appearance from Rihanna on one of the tracks. The album as a whole is coehesive and incredibly listenable with some real sonic moments to grab your attention along the way. It’s not their best, but it’s still worth having in the collection.

If Florence + The Machine released this, the hipsters would shit themselves over how good it is.