No. 2

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Kiss the Anus of a Black Cat - Weltuntergangsstimmung

If I had to name one band that I discovered in 2012 that I have gone on to absolutely love, it's these guys. This was my first introduction to them and I just cannot stop listening to it. I love the synth-tinged post-punk vibe of the album - with a Gothic edge - and I think they go really well with the lyrical content. What impresses me about them overall is that this album was a massive shift from their usual Neo-Folk/Alt-Country sound, but you wouldn't know.

I am not known as a guy who takes more than a few listens to judge albums - and that wasn't the case here - but I have noticed some people really just didn't get all that into this record. I would advise people to keep coming back, unless they totally hated it, because it will click.

Where's number one

???

I am going to do it tomorrow.

Perfection takes time

I haven't started it lol

No. 1

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Aesop Rock - Skelethon

Where to start? The guy is my favourite MC of all time, he released my favourite album of all time (Labor Days) and is the artist I have listened to more than any other (1,606 plays on last.fm) - yet he still doesn't cease to amaze me. I love the direction he took with this project, deciding to handle all of the production himself. It feels a lot more rock/electronic rooted than previous works, and I think he incorporates this really well with the lyrical themes and rhyming style.

My favourite song on the album has too be "Zero Dark Thirty" - which probably goes down as my favourite Ace track ever at this point - and I think it absolutely displays everything good about this album. Great production, cryptic lyrics, awesome hook and that feeling of total control. There's not a lot that I would change about most of these tracks, but very rare do you listen to a song that is absolutely perfect.

Man, this album. Pete said it somewhere that maybe it won't instantly rank as one of his best right now, but the nature of Aesop's work is that it gradually penetrates your very being, so I can see ones status being elevated over the years.

There you have it, my list. To see the rest follow this link...

http://rateyourmusic.com/list/TomCla..._best_of_2012_