Lots of good stuff this year. Lots of big names.

UPDATE

Late entries!!!

These would have been in my personal favorites, had I heard them prior to the time of publication.

• Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels

  Holy crap this album is a banger. El-P and Killer Mike mesmerizingly wind around each other like two halves of a double helix, spitting bars of the illest order; each word delivering the duo to new heights. Producer gave me a beat / said it’s the beat of the year / I said El-P didn’t do it / so get the fuck outta here!

• Jon Hopkins - Immunity

  This album offers some pretty subtle beats. Driving, quiet beats are followed by beautiful interludes and quite moments. The loud moments aren’t loud in the same way, but it reminds me of an electronic Explosions in the Sky which is a very good thing.

Great music from people we expected it from

• Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

  No need to Get Lucky; they crushed it.

• Arcade Fire - Reflektor

  While a little overly long in spots (okay, pretty much every track), this album is still a fantastic listen and somehow leaves you wanting to hear that song again even though it went on forever.

• Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City

  Fantastic from start to finish. Listen to it.

• Kanye West - Yeezus

  Admittedly, this took a few spins to get in to and there are a number of cringe worthy lyrics (I’m In It). The beats and raps on this album have a sort of beautiful, powerful anger that you can really rock out to.

Weird as shit

• Youth Lagoon - Wondrous Bughouse

  I don’t know what this guy was on when he made this record but it is fabulously out there. You will embark on quite the trip. Completely different from the gorgeous serenity Year of Hibernation.

Not horrible, but barely decent

C’mon son.

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito

• MGMT - MGMT

• The Strokes - Comedown Machine

• Jay-Z - Magna Carta… Holy Grail

Great EPs

These are some EPs that really rock from mostly new artists.

• Sir Sly - Gold

• Phantogram - Phantogram

• Until the Ribbon Breaks - A Taste of Silver

• Rabbit in the Rye - Tabled Fables

• Nico Vega - Fury Oh Fury

• Magic Man - You Are Here

Personal Favorites

• A$AP Rocky - LONG.LIVE.A$AP

  1Train.

• King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath the Moon

  This guy’s voice is magical.

• Lucius - Wildewoman

  Really fun, poppy album.

• Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace & Magic

  The name of this album says it all. This takes heavy inspiration from pretty much every band of every style in the 60s and 70s and completely nails it.

• Patterns - Dangerous Intentions

  Patterns is a band from Costa Rica sounds like they’re right out of the 80s and they too nail it completely. You will dance.

Personal Disappointments

• Vattnet Viskar - Sky Swallower

  I really loved their EP last year and had high hopes for this album and, while they maintain the same sound, it’s just not as emotionally gripping for me. Where the first one grabbed your attention and crushed you, this one kind of just passes by, never leaving a mark.

• Washed Out - Paracosm

  Within and Without was so good and this doesn’t capture any of that magic or spirit.