David Bash's Best of 2012, Part 1.

Just when you thought you were done with Best of 2012 lists, it's time once again to bring you David Bash's year-end lists, which are even more comprehensive than mine. To keep things manageable, today's post is limited to new material, and tomorrow I will follow up with his reissues lists. So without further ado, I turn the floor over to Mr. Bash:

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Hi Everyone,

Here are my lists of favorite albums of 2012. As is my usual custom, I've broken this down into several categories, as I'm just not comfortable ranking unlike entities on one list.

Contemporary Categories

Those marked with an * are LP-only releases and those marked with an ** are download-only releases. I’m hoping I didn’t forget to include some of the download-onlies: my filing system for them isn’t too efficient. 

I’ve probably obtained more albums in 2012 than I have in three or four years, and it definitely showed in the quality level. I’d planned to limit the first category to 100, but it quickly became clear that there were just too many releases I thought were list-worthy, so I kept going. I decided to stop at 125 because I didn’t want to test your patience (as if 100 wouldn’t do that!), but even then there were several albums I was sorry didn’t make the cut.

Ok, without further ado, here are the lists!

I. Top 125 Albums

1. Nelson Bragg-We Get What We Want (Steel Derrick)
2. Marty Graveyard-Summer Holiday (V2)
3. David Myhr-Soundshine (Lojinx, Thistime)
4. The Tor Guides-Strawberries & Chocolates (Self-Released)
5. Green Day-Tre! (Reprise/Warner Bros.)
6. Throwback Suburbia-Shot Glass Souvenir (Self-Released)
7. King Washington-The Gears (Self-Released)
8. Sweet Diss and The Comebacks-Emerald City Love Song (Thistime)
9. The Kik-Springlevend (Excelsior)
10. Sitcom Neighbor-Charmed (Gravy Works Music Group)
11. The dB’s-Falling Off The Sky (Bar None)
12. The Trashed Romeos-Where Dreamers Never Go (Trashy Creatures)
13. The Primitives-Echoes and Rhymes (Elefant)
14. Shoes-Ignition (Black Vinyl)
15. Jared Lekites-Star Map (Self-Released)
16. The Explorers Club-Grand Hotel (Rock Ridge Music)
17. Wanderlust-Record Time (Zip)
18. Green Day-Uno! (Reprise/Warner Bros.)
19. Kurt Baker-Brand New Beat (Collector’s Club)
20. Ruby Free-Introducing Ruby Free (Sodastar)
21. The Demos-Lovely (Thistime)
22. Chris Richards and The Subtractions-Get Yer La La’s Out (Gangplank)
23. Cliff Hillis-Dream Good (Tallboy)
24. Mark Crozer & The Rels-Mark Crozer & The Rels (Planting Seeds)
25. Uncle Green/3 Lb. Thrill-Rycopa (Self-Released)
26. Latvian Radio-Kill The Static (Belpid)
27. Secret Powers-More Songs About Her (Self-Released)
28. A.C. Newman-Shut Down The Streets (Matador)
29. Bryan Scary-Daffy’s Elixir (Paper Garden)
30. The Corner Laughers-Poppy Seeds (Mystery Lawn)
31. Redd Kross-Researching The Blues (Merge)
32. Wes Hollywood-Fantasy Arcade (Sweet Science)
33. Green Day-Dos! (Reprise/Warner Bros.)
34. The Breakup Society-So Much Unhappiness, So Little Time…(Get Hip)
35. The Moons-Fables Of History (Schnitzel)
36. The Junipers-Paint The Ground (Self-Released)
37. The Anderson Council-Looking At The Stars (Sinclair)
38. The Afternoons-Fan Fiction (Saturday)
39. Lannie Flowers-New Songs, Old Stories (Aaron Ave.)
40. The Mayflowers-Plymouth Rock (Rooster)
41. The Blood Rush Hour-Shrink (Nicola)
42. The Well Wishers-Dreaming of The West Coast (Thatwasmyskull)
43. Paul Rocha-Crayons (Crackback Flause)
44. Peter Baldrachi-Back To The Start (Prodigal Son)
45. Gavin Guss-On High (Fin)
46. The Housekeeping Society-Postcards (Self-Released)
47. Frederick Herrmann-Fairy Tale Musik (Self-Released)
48. Christopher Holland-Corner Green (Cosmic Harmony)
49. Lukah Boo-Calidad De Vida (Rock Indiana)
50. Kontiki Suite-On Sunset Lake (Self-Released)
51. Brendan Benson-What Kind Of World (Readymade)
52. Kevin Martin-Throwback Pop (Self-Released)
53. Holmes-Complication Simplified (Groove Gravy)
54. Three Minute Tease-Three Minute Tease (Untitled Music)
55. Hot Freak Nation-Lifetime To Lifetime (Trashy Creatures)
56. Oberon Rose-Wunjo (ThouArt)
57. Graham Gouldman-Love and Work (Rosala)
58. Rob Bonfiglio-Mea Culpa (Damask)
59. Bubble Gum Orchestra-II (Out Of This World)
60. The Sunny Boys-Freeboobin’ (Self-Released)
61. Jay Gonzalez-Mess of Happiness (Self-Released)
62. Ben Folds Five-The Sound of The Life of The Mind (Sony Music)
63. The Hi Risers-Hang Around With You (R &R)
64. The Jigsaw Seen-Gifted (Vibro-phonic)
65. Kjarr-Kjarr (Self-Released)
66. Jeremy-Love Explosion (Jam/Rock Indiana)
67. Ben Kweller-Go Fly A Kite (The Noise Company)
68. Sidewalk Society-Venus, Saturn and The Crescent Moon (Grandioso)
69. Marmalade Army-All Tomorrow’s Yesterdays (Modern Artichoke)
70. Trevor Childs-Spirit Guide (Self-Released)
71. Juan Antonio Ross-Durante El Fin Del Mundo (Clifford)
72. Goodfellows-Happynitol (Kzoo Music)
73. Eytan and The Embassy-Everything Changes (Self-Released)
74. Norman Kelsey-On The Rebound (Self-Released)
75. Brad Brooks-Harmony of Passing Light (Mouth Magic Music)
*76. Suzi Chunk-Girl From The Neck Down (State)
77. The School-Reading Too Much Into Things Like Everything (Elefant)
78. Spygenius-The Comforting Suture (Whammo Whammo Whammo Excellent)
79. Metropolitan Farms-Our Hero Pleads His Flimsy Case (Braceling)
80. Stay-The Fourth Dimension (Subterfuge)
81. Peter Buzzelle-Museum of Peter Buzzelle (Self-Released)
82. The Condors-3 Item Combo (Vital Gesture)
83. Paul Starling-Shipwrecked Commotion (Tomboy & Twine)
84. The Breakups-Running Jumping Falling Shouting (Self-Released)
85. Dave Birk-Speed Queen Mystery Date (Self-Released)
86. Archie Powell & The Exports-Great Ideas In Action (Good Land)
87. The Cheeks-Featured Tigers In A Magic Zoo (Teen Sound)
88. Ed Tulipa-Pop Terapia (Lapro Duktiva)
89. The Catholic Girls-Exposed! (Cinema)
90. Salim Nourallah-Hit Parade (Tapete)
91. The Floorettes-Pocketfull Of Soul (Waterfall)
92. The Galileo 7-Staring At The Sound (State)
93. Michael Carpenter-SOOP #5 (Self-Released)
94. Cow-Dedicated To…The Mighty Drum (Self-Released)
*95. Kenny Howes-Tornadoes Here & Past (YEAH!)
96. The Flashcubes-Sportin’ Wood (Air Mail)
97. Grahame/Steinberg-Grahame/Steinberg (Dog Turner)
98. Vinnie Zummo-Swinging Guitar Sounds Of Young America, Vol. 3 (VAZ Music)
99. Kent-Jag Ar Inte Radd For Murkret (Universal)
100. The Lemon Clocks-Now Is The Time (Jam)
101. William Seen’s Transport Music-Can I Sit Here And Absorb? (Crane Lake)
102. Pony Taylor-How To Fold Paper In Half Twelve Times (SuperHomard/Clifford)
103. The Sick Rose-No Need For Speed (Rock Indiana)
**104. Peelgreems-Big Adventure
105. Nine Times Blue-Fading Slowly (Renegade)
**106. Andy Goldberg-Moonlighting
107. Beyond Veronica-Hard Times For Dreamers (Fetish Pop)
108. Matt Purcell & The Blessed Curse-Mathew Street (Self-Released)
109. The Standards-A Slight Distraction (Schnapps House)
110. The Jac-Faux Pas (Egomaniac Music)
111. Magatha Trysty-Your Clothes Will Wear Themselves (Self-Released)
112. The Sunchymes-Let Your Free Flag Fly (Self-Released)
113. Paul Bohan-For Now & Ever (1969)
114. Smash Palace-…Do It Again (Zip)
115. I Am Next-How To Tell The Phonies From The Phakes (Self-Released)
116. The Electric Mess-Falling Off The Face of The Earth (Self-Released)
117. The Pozers-The Sun’s Going Down (Mirror Town)
118. The Seasongs-Out Of The City (Self-Released)
119. Jeff Litman-Outside (Born Enormous Music)
120. Jason Karaban-Shift (Ascend)
121. The Jooles-To Mr./Mrs. (Waterfall)
122. Mark Lane-Something New (Orange Deuce)
123. Your Gracious Host-1Up 2Down (Meccanic)
124. The Honey Wilders-Singles For Singles (Rubber Bucket)
125. The Ace-Next Time Around: Images In Sound (Self-Released)

II. Top EPs

Disclaimer alert: I’m not a big fan of EPs, as they always seem to leave me wanting more. For this reason, I never seek them out the way I do full-length albums, and 2012 was no exception. A few of them came my way, regardless, and I will list those I particularly enjoyed, in alphabetical order. I realize my rationale for not actively pursuing EPs is anything but…rational…and I will definitely seek to change this in 2013.

The Freddie Steady 5-1000 Miles
The Iveys-Days & Nights
The Jellybricks-Suckers
Nushu-Joystick
Fernando Perdomo-Home Is Wherever You Are
*Sunday Sun-I, II, and III
**Talk Tonight-A Single Day
Two Sheds Jackson-The Collaboration Series, Movement One

Note: some people have combined the three Sunday Sun EPs and ranked the aggregate on their “best album” list. I’m not going to do that because I believe that the cream of these EPs will come out as an album in 2013.

III. Top 5 Compilations-Various Artists

International Pop Overthrow: Vol. 15 (Pop Geek Heaven)
Power Pop Planet: 30 Bands-30 Smiles (Pop Geek Heaven)
Powerpopaholic Fest-Original Soundtrack Vol. 1 (Powerpopaholic)
The New Sell Out (Futureman)
Pop Garden Radio-The Rock On The Road Tour (Pop Garden Radio)

IV. Best DVD

Beatles Stories-A Fab Four Fan’s Ultimate Road Trip, By Seth Swirsky

V. Some Fine 2011 Releases I Found Out About Too Late To Be Ranked Last Year (In Alphabetical Order)

The Ash & The Oak-Searching For The Soft Rays
The Broken Vinyl Club-The Broken Vinyl Club
Mark Carroll-In Silence
Ivan Mudd-Greetings Earthlings
The Hazey Janes-The Winter That Was
Ben Jones-Kaleidoscope
The Little Black Bottles-Let Them Eat Red Velvet Cake
The Sons-The Prime Words Committee

VI. 2013 Releases I’ve Heard And Am Excited About (In Alphabetical Order)

The Beat Rats-Have Mersey! (Cavern)
Paul Bertolino-Where The Buildings Hit The Sky (Kool Kat)
The Bottle Kids-Such A Thrill (Self-Released)
The Fast Camels-Dead Rooms And Battery Dreams
Goodman-What We Want
Stephen Lawrenson-Obscuriosity (Kool Kat)
Peachfuzz-Fall Down Dreaming
The Popdogs-Cool Cats For Pop Dogs (Self-Released)
The Resonars-Crummy Desert Sound (Burger)
Secret Friend-Time Machine
Chris Stamey-Lovesick Blues (Yep Roc)
Surf School Dropouts-Summer Is A State Of Mind