Alright I've done some heavy thinking on it and I think I've got my list in order.
10. BADBADNOTGOOD - BBNG2
While I can't say I'm a big fan of the source material these guys used, I can't help but respect how they managed to turn it into something truly beautiful. Incredibly talented musicians at a very young age who know exactly how to hit you where it hurts. I would really like to see them live.
09. Wovenhand - The Laughing Stalk
Definitely one of David Eugene Edwards' heavier albums with elements of noise-rock thrown into sweeping songs about guilt, redemption, and faith. He's really one of the few Christian musicians I can respect because he never forces his viewpoint on you, he merely invites you to inspect it.
08. Sigh - In Somniphobia
Well it took them over a decade but they really did manage to craft something that was similar to the chaotic joy of Imaginary Sonicscape without sounding like a rip off of their own material. In effect Sigh have continued to produce amazing album after amazing album and really are one of the most interesting bands in metal right now.
07. Matt Elliott - The Broken Man
Miserable folk music is miserable. It's definitely not the album you want to listen to on a sunny day or in a car with friends, but it is an album to put on if you're feeling down and just need someone to empathize with. Songs can go on a little too long, but still, a solid album is a solid album.
06. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...
Catchy, witty, and a solid mainstream reaction, sometimes things in life just work out, and this is definitely one of them.
05. Aesop Rock - Skelethon
I can't say I was the biggest fan of his previous solo effort None Shall Pass nor was I all that engaged with last year's Hail Mary Mallon, so I was a little skeptical that this album was going to be as good as his early '00's stuff. Not only is it as good, I think (over time) it will be looked up as superior, as with age comes wisdom and that will always help an artform based largely around wordplay.
04. Tindersticks - The Something Rain
This one caught me completely off-guard and I did not expect to like it anywhere near as much as I did. While I would have changed the opening track "Chocolate" to be the closer, it does showcase Stuart Staples' talent as a writer, with a diction and syntax that really reminded me of "The Gift" by The Velvet Underground, right down to the bizarre turn of events by the end of the song. Do not let this one slip by.
03. Grimes - Visions
While I'm no stranger to saying I love misery and discomfort, occasionally something penetrates my veneer of bitterness and drowns out the voices that tell me to set homeless people on fire. In the case of 2012, this goes to the indie electronic Canadian group Grimes and their retardedly catchy and fun Visions which just doesn't get old no matter how many times I listen to it on repeat in the car.
02. Killing Joke - MMXII
Despite featuring some of the most atrocious artwork I've seen in a very long time, Killing Joke have once again demonstrated that despite their age, they still wear the pants in the world of alternative music. Jaz still manages to contain his youthful fury and the rest of the band members still know how to write heavy, slow, and beautiful music. Killing Joke really might be the most important band in rock music right now.
01. El-P - Cancer4Cure
Like with Grimes, I've had a really hard time turning this album off. I deliberately made sure to use the opening and closing songs on my "Best of Hip Hop 2012" playlists just so I had more chances to hear them in the car when I'm browsing what CD to listen to. Really there's not much I can say that hasn't already been said, but El-P has demonstrated once again that he still holds the talented and ferocity of many younger emcees.
There are a bunch of other albums this year that I loved, but these are the 10 that I found myself listening to the most.
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