As graduation has come and gone, and the job search in a big city becomes the highest priority, I have been coming to grips with the fact that I am probably growing up, and I have mixed emotions about the whole thing. I figured by now I would have a lot of things figured out, mainly dealing with self-esteem and the like, but I suppose truly being an adult is realizing that things aren’t as idealistic as we imagine them to be when we leave high school, and that life is a jumbled, unorganized mess of experiences and lessons that gradually develop us into who we truly are, and also that these experiences and lessons never stop. They come at you every day, and at some point, the only one who can present change in your meaningless life is yourself, the one who knows you the best.

Wow. A paragraph in and I’m already rambling.

So I’ve been thinking of my life at a high level lately, as I am wont to do when a chapter of my life ends and a new one begins. That and I’m spending a LOT of time alone and at home, with no one to entertain but my cat, so these nostalgic, big-picture, “how did I get here” thoughts naturally creep up. And since I am dying to be productive in some capacity, I decided to utilize this thought process that has no definite answer into a series of blog posts related to music. Because ultimately, on my thought train, I relate EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE to music. Because music is, and will always be, the glue that holds me together, and the most important thing in my life. Sorry, future wife and children.

I begin this series, which will be presented in chronological order, with the greatest band in the history of recorded music, the Beatles, and their first album, Please Please Me, recorded in one day on February 11, 1963. It is most definitely one of the most important albums ever made, but almost no one, including myself, will say it’s the best Beatles album. That honor usually is debated amongst the group’s later work – The White Album, Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road, Magical Mystery Tour (the correct answer), Rubber Soul, and Revolver are generally the nominees. On occasion, Let It Be creeps in there as well.

Historians can tell you about the album on a track-by-track basis, which I believe is the one with the most amount of covers and the least amount of Lennon-McCartney compositions. Even then, though, the duo was already making a name for themselves with chart-topping originals like “Love Me Do” and the title track. And of course, you can read about the vocal-shredding one-take of Lennon’s “Twist and Shout,” which was the last song recorded for that very reason.

My dad introduced me to the Beatles, and Please Please Me is the first music I ever remember hearing. I was probably two or three years old. I will never forget that old stereo system, with those giant Hi-Fi speakers on both sides of our 80′s era entertainment system. Those big knobs on that oversized amplifier, that now-antiquated CD player, which my dad probably bought the first day it was sold. I would later spend so much time using that system, more than my dad, and when everyone was away, I would blare the Beatles to full volume, eventually blowing out the bottom right subwoofer. To this day, Dad doesn’t know that was me, but who else would it have been? I imagine when my dad brought home all those copies of remastered Beatles on CD (which were released in 1987) and plugged in Please Please Me and saw the look on my face, he knew his son would appreciate this medium more than he ever did. In short, he had done what would ultimately be inevitable; he had created a monster. His son was a music lover and all it took was a single CD.

Initially, as most fathers do, he was probably thrilled his young, impressionable son was in love with the music of his childhood. But by the time I graduated high school, it’s safe to say Dad probably would have been okay if he never heard a Beatles song again. I took that introduction and ran with it, eventually commandeering all those Beatles CDs when I got my own CD player and listening to them for hours and hours, obsessed with the band, their culture, their history, every single word, every single song. And my entire family had to put up with it. And so began what would be a lifelong passion that evolved with my own generation’s creations, and something I didn’t see until long after I left home – that my dad and I, like most fathers and sons, don’t completely understand each other, but we are extremely similar in many, many ways. If it wasn’t for my dad, I wouldn’t have discovered my favorite pastime, my reason for being, my life force. Music. I imagine my dad would say the exact same thing about his discovery of what he loved, and who showed it to him (his father), and how that person wasn’t really someone who completely understood him, but that ultimately that doesn’t matter, because you love him anyway.

I have always stood by the old adage that music brings people together in so many ways. When I started writing this post, I didn’t intend for it to be about my dad. I was going to write about my vivid memory of the first time I heard “I Saw Her Standing There,” how I would stand right by the speaker and pretend I was playing guitar (something I still do in the privacy of my apartment at age 26), how I would get in trouble for playing it too loud. In short, I was going to write about Please Please Me, which you can listen to in full here, and I encourage that you do. At the very least, you’ll hear a great album from a great band, and at most, you’ll get a sense of who I am.

But when I think of The Beatles, and in particular Please Please Me, I think of Dad. Because, even as I mature and watch him grow older and he watches me become who I’m supposed to be, the Beatles are still one of the very few things we have in common. There isn’t much else in terms of interests or beliefs or ideals. And when I was younger, I found that truth to be annoying. But as a whole, it’s quite the opposite. It’s just the way it is. The way it’s always been, the way it will be. And the discovery that love for your father has nothing to do with compatibility, or even understanding, really, is refreshing. It’s a blessing to realize after years and years, that these things aren’t important. It’s the experiences together. And my father and I have plenty of those. And we also have the Beatles.

And who could want anything else?

Most of the above has culminated into today, where I and three of my fellow cohorts this afternoon will give a Capstone presentation to a local online digital production company. We have utilized all of our skills and experience, everything we’ve learned from this program. We have had several meetings, made phone calls, sent emails, scheduled Google Calendar reminders , had lunch pow wows, printed at home because Kinko’s is too expensive, and drunk lots and lots and lots of coffee. It almost feels like I’m an adult. Almost.

And we’re going to nail it.

And then? We’re MBAs.

I have a tendency in moments like this to get sappy, but this is who I am, so deal. I consider this day to be an important one for me. The ceremony on Saturday doesn’t mean much to me, frankly, other than making it official with a cap and gown, and making Mom happy. After this presentation, where my team will prove we are who we say we are, after the employees have left and the reports have been passed out and the grades have been jotted down, I am a student no more. Finally.

Most people will ask, well, now what? I’m asking the same thing….another day. Today is not the day to ask that question. Today I am busting my ass until 5pm, and then I am celebrating. Then my family is coming into town to celebrate with me. One thing is for sure, 2013 is not over, the work is never done, and there’s still questions to be answered. This time around, though, I’m optimistic, more confident. But that is a thought for another day, a day that’s around the corner.

I am lucky to have been given this opportunity to pursue graduate work, to have a supportive family, to have understanding friends that I need to start hanging out with again, to have a life in my favorite city, to be able to study in such an innovative, amazing program that isn’t perfect, but I can’t say I haven’t learned anything. Quite the opposite. I have learned so much about my industry and others. I have learned a plethora of knowledge about the world of business. I have learned things about myself, my traits, my hobbies and habits, my ethics, my values, my esteem. I have learned all this from remarkable people. People who were hired to teach, and people who weren’t and have no idea they’ve taught me these things.

But most of all, I’m lucky to have been a part of the group that took the ride along with me. More than the schoolwork, the lifelong lessons, I have made friendships with remarkable people, friendships I hope and believe will last a lifetime. In terms of what would normally be classified as qualifiers for diversity, we didn’t really make the grade. But to say there wasn’t diversity in the Season 7 cohort is obtuse. The unique views and opinions, the insightful discussion, the jokes, the flat-out arguments were probably the most valuable experiences of this entire two-year daytime program, and I wouldn’t trade any of it for anything. I came to school everyday to learn about business, but it’s decisions like these that make you realize you are learning things all the time by everyone around you, that people are remarkable, and unique, and sometimes straight-up amazing. And that, through this program, I have made an unspoken bond with a group of people, some of whom I may never talk to again, some of whom I will talk to for years to come. But it’s a bond that will serve as a reminder through action and recommendation, through support and encouragement, a bond that reminds us: we all went through something pretty spectacular together.

And of course, from now until the end of time, there’s not a doubt in my mind:

Abe
Austin
Blake
Brandon
Chris M
Chris P
Jarad
Johnny
Kyle
Mike
Nick
Rachel
Rhys
Sam
Sawyer
Sean
Whitney
and Will

We are The Best Cohort.™

Here’s to you guys.

My buddy Austin pointed me to this video that’s gone viral from Jimmy Kimmel. It’s a Lie Witness News report his show did during Coachella where they ask some attendees if they’re excited to see bands like the Obesity Epidemic and the Chelsea Clintons and they all express that yeah, they love those bands so much and can’t wait to see them. But here’s the catch: those bands don’t exist.

Now there’s probably 3 reasons for this, all of which I think are valid.

1) People who go to Coachella aren’t really going to see music or bands, so they probably wouldn’t be able to tell you who’s playing anyway (this one’s more accurate than you think).
2) They’re just being polite to the people asking them questions and don’t want to look like an idiot with a camera in their face.
3) They’re hipsters.

I would like, for the purposes of this little spiel, to focus on #3, though the other two are probably correct in some fashion as well. While the video was funny, I kept thinking to myself throughout the course of it, “Wow. I used to do that ALL THE TIME.” I remember being a young, impressionable 20-year-old, hanging out with new friends from bigger cities who I met in undergrad, trying to fit in, be cool, lying about how I know every lyric to every Mountain Goats song ever and how the Decemberists’ first album is way better than their last two, etc. These are conversations young hipsters have all the time. Yes, I too was a young hipster. I struggled to fit in with my musical friends, who I’ve now come to realize may have not even liked music at all anyway, or at least the trite shit they claimed to like.

At 26, I now understand my true self. I hate the Mountain Goats. John Darnielle’s voice is atrocious and his speaky-singy delivery irks me to no end. This is merely my opinion, but the difference between my age-26 Mountain Goats opinion and my age-21 Mountain Goats opinion, other than the opinions themselves, is that one is sincere and one is not. One is from a kid who thinks too much about what other people think about him. The other is from an older guy who is tired of listening to shit he will never like and tired of trying and doesn’t really care anymore. But it took me a while to get there. I spent a lot of time on music I respect greatly in retrospect, but ultimately I have determined just isn’t for me.

Meanwhile, I back-burnered a lot of music I LOVED simply because it didn’t fit with the current catalog of “Things Okay To Like.” These are purely subjective, arbitrary things that make no sense to me whatsoever at age 26, but at age 21, I lived by The Code. I had to be cool, I had to gauge someone else’s reputable opinion of a band before I claimed my opinion. This was highly pretentious, it was sad, it was necessary. It was a period of self-discovery and it made me who I am today, a more self-aware, musically intelligent, but overall less snobby human being. But it was pretty bad, and I know if it was bad for me in Lubbock, Texas, I can only imagine what kids at Coachella 2013 are going through. THE PRESSURE.

I say this all a bit tongue-in-cheek, of course, because we all know that being insincere and insecure about your music taste is a dumb thing to dwell on to the point of flat-out lying about it. But these kids are dealing with it, and I can understand that. And it will take some time. It’s all part of a big painful process called growing up and your twenties and self-discovery and blah blah blah. All of which is easier said than done. And one thing that never happened to me during this time was I never ended up looking like a jackass on national television during this developing period of my life. So I kind of feel for these kids, even if you can look in their eyes and see nothing but complete cluelessness and low self-esteem and the general physical effects of recreational drugs. Because all they did was show up to have a good time, and then some millionaire has his interns put a microphone in their face and they opened their dumb mouths and pretended to know what they were talking about, like young hipsters do, and got called out for it on YouTube, and now they’re sitting in their chemistry class totally embarrassed and sunburnt and hungover. And this is part of the process. And it’s funny, funny, funny, hilarious stuff. But also, a little sad. But mostly funny.

Because we have to laugh at ourselves. That’s the first step to getting out of your young hipster phase. And most of them will get there. Some never do, unfortunately. And that’s not funny at all. That’s annoying. Because if there’s anything worse than a young hipster, it’s an old hipster.

Top 10 Albums

10. Flume – S/T

9. The Strokes – Comedown Machine

8. FIDLAR – S/T

7. My Bloody Valentine – MBV

6. Wavves – Afraid of Heights

5. Parquet Courts – Light Up Gold

4. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – II

3. Bad Religion – True North

2. A$AP Rocky – LONG.LIVE.A$AP

1. Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience

Top 20 Downloads

20. Parquet Courts – Borrowed Time
19. A$AP Rocky, Drake, 2 Chainz – Fuckin’ Problem
18. Disclosure – White Noise (feat. AlunaGeorge)
17. Popstrangers – What Else Could They Do?
16. Justin Timberlake – Mirrors
15. Ra Ra Riot – Binary Mind
14. Wavves – Demon to Lean On
13. Tegan and Sara – Closer
12. Rustie – Slasherr
11. Classixx – Holding On
10. Waxahatchee – Coast to Coast
9. Roosevelt – Around You
8. Dungeonesse – Shucks
7. A$AP Rocky – Fashion Killa
6. Ra Ra Riot – Beta Love
5. Drake – Started From the Bottom
4. Sam Amidon – My Old Friend
3. Liz Primo – XTC
2. AlunaGeorge – Attracting Flies
1. Justin Timberlake – Pusher Love Girl

Top 5 Remixes

5. Carly Rae Jepsen vs. Nine Inch Nails – Call Me a Hole
4. Fatty DL – She Sleeps (Gang Gang Dance Remix)
3. Haim – Falling (Duke Dumont Remix)
2. Justin Timberlake – Suit and Tie (Four Tet Remix)
1. Sky Ferreira – Everything Is Embarrassing (Unicorn Kid Remix)

So when I started this blog back in 2010, it was designed to be a forum for me to maintain what at the time I considered to be my greatest asset as a recent Texas Tech graduate and an unemployed barfly in my college town – my craft of writing. I still consider that to be a strength, especially now that I’m about a month away from earning an MBA. I’ve done more writing in the past two years than I ever wanted to, and due to time constraints (and the strange need I invented for myself to post something every day) this cool little blog turned into a place where I would just repost pop culture stuff, mostly embedded videos, because that was the quickest remedy.

I always wanted to focus this blog on pop culture (mostly music, of course, but also film, television, sports, news, politics, etc.), but I also wanted it to be a place where I could vent and celebrate, where I could relate these cultural aspects to my menial life, my personal experience, and my present-day comprehension. A place where I aped Chuck Klosterman, more or less. That happened for a while, but of course I got busy and lazy. I started hating blogging, I put it off until it was overwhelming, and then I would phone it in. And guys, I’m not going to do that anymore. But I’m also not going to blog all the damn time either. I’m going to use this for what it was designed. So that means sporadic posts that are higher in quality and ultimately more meaningful to me. Because really this blog is for me, and about me, and I could really care less if anyone reads it, to be totally honest. But thanks for being here anyway. You’re a good friend.

I’m running into the realization that I’m approaching a period of my life I’m all too familiar with – with an emerging graduation, no certain career lined up currently, a dwindling social life, and a continued nonexistent romantic life, I’m going to have a TON of free time, where I’m alone with my thoughts, my anxieties, my uncertainties, and an obscenely fast Internet connection. And my cat, of course. 2013, I can safely say, might be the scariest year of my life. My future is a giant question mark in almost every category.

At the same time, I am more optimistic this time around for whatever reason. Maybe it’s because I’ve surrounded myself with people who have given me confidence and self-worth. Maybe it’s because I’ve taken to heart my lessons from grad school. Maybe it’s because I have finally stopped comparing myself to others and matured to the point where I’m finally just comparing myself to the past version of myself. Maybe it’s because I know that I have a family that supports and loves me, that will always tell me they’re proud of me, that will always make sure I always have a roof over my head and food on my plate. It’s probably all of the above. Ultimately, I know if I turn negative, I’ll just give up on everything, and I feel I’ve made a lot of significant steps in my life, and to do so would be foolish, because it’s all uphill from here. The 2010 guy who started this blog has come a long way, and I feel pretty great about that, and I firmly believe in that old adage everyone’s mother always told them – that if you just give it 100%, everything’s going to work out in your favor in the end. I don’t sweat the small stuff like I used to, I don’t worry about what others think as much as I used to, I don’t get angry like I used to, and I don’t fret over things I can’t control like I used to. All in all, I’m on a very uncertain path, but I feel pretty good that I have the intellect to make things work out in my favor – if not immediately, then eventually.

So what else, since we’re playing catch-up? 2013 music has been blowing 2012 out of the park. I’ve finally started going to the movies again (shout out to the Saturday Morning Matinee Club!), I’ve been dating (!), and baseball is back in season, so that’s been taking up most of my time recently. Yu Darvish is my hero. Spring time is my favorite time of the year, hands down. I still live in the best city in Texas. SXSW was amazing this year, maybe the best of my seven years of going. I’m going to have some serious platinum badge withdrawals in 2014. I saw Green Day, Justin Timberlake, caught some amazing panels, some hilarious movies, saw some old friends, and did it all in a fairly responsible fashion. Like, with minimal hangovers and all that jazz. I know, right?! Well, I guess this is growing up. Sorta.

That’s another thing, guys. I don’t think I’m ever really going to grow up. I know 26 is still very young, but at the rate I’m going right now, which is moderate, I don’t perceive slowing down or settling down or being a miserable old man anytime soon. No matter where I end up, be it Austin or Portland or Dallas (ugh) or London or wherever, I’m going to find the right balance between work and play, and probably ruin the balance occasionally. But only occasionally. Because, really, that’s the way I’ve always done it. Minus my 18-month Lost Weekend in 2008-2009, I’ve been able to keep my head above water, because I was raised by sensible people who taught me good morals and let me do my own thing.

So here’s to 2013, what could possibly be the greatest year of our lives, because we were all supposed to die in December, remember? And here’s to the return of this wasteland blog. Since I’m a personal goal-setter of sorts (with the exception of physical activity), I’ll probably make a concerted effort to post on this thing at least once a week, if not more. But if I’m not inspired, I’m not writing. Them’s the rules. So cheers!

As a final housekeeping note, yes I know what day it is: the next post here will be the Quarterly Review, and hopefully I can hash that out this weekend. Fingers crossed!

Sure, No Deliverance was a fun reunion album, but it lacked the punch of the early material.  No more; PLAY.ROCK.MUSIC seamlessly blends the old with a new, raw sound that carries Toadies’ now-legendary Texas rock swagger into the new millennium the way we true fans have always imagined.

29. METZ – S/T

Quite probably the coolest post-hardcore troupe to fashion themselves hype in our ever-accelerating times, Metz is abrasive, loud, terse, and confrontational.  Their entire self-titled debut is a kick to the gut with distorted guitars, echoey vocals, and 100% headbanging.

28. Beach House – Bloom

The indie darlings return refreshed and sounding sharper than ever.  While the effort doesn’t have as many standout tracks as the the breakout album Teen Dream, Beach House have concocted a collection that, on its own, is stronger as a whole.  Recommended for repeated listens all the way through.

27. The Walkmen – Heaven

With 2012, The Walkmen have perfected the art of a band that can never come close to making a bad album.  While not everything out-of-the-box works on Heaven, we still see some sharp reminders of the strength of the group, not to mention a few return-to-form numbers that will leave lifelong fans such as myself very very happy.

26. Eternal Summers – Correct Behavior

The Commonwealth delivers this “dream punk” outfit right to our doorstep with this breakthrough album, a single serving of unabashed, yet undeniably catchy and charming, lo-fi rock and roll.  Minus “Summerset,” Correct Behavior clocks in for a very brief, fun listen – an easily digestible treat for 2012.

25. Two Gallants – The Bloom and the Blight

It’s about damn time.  Our favorite alt-country duo have finally followed-up their impressive output of the mid 2000′s with a strong statement that more than makes up for lost time.  From the crunch of the opener “Halcyon Days” to the last notes of closer “Sunday Souvenirs,” The Bloom and the Blight is a must-listen for the year and a quick reminder of why we loved these guys so much in the first place.

24. TNGHT – S/T EP

The biggest critical darling EP of the dance-loving publications this year is worth the hype.  Lunice and the always-impressive Hudson Mohawke go together like peanut butter and jelly.  With a track like “Higher Ground,” you can’t say no to not having this small sampling of brilliance scattered throughout your next party playlist.

23. Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music

If Killer Mike’s sixth studio album doesn’t cement his place as a modern elder statesmen for a younger generation of comparably bland hip-hop, perhaps it will help further demonstrate just how amazing El-P is at producing.  Either way, you get two of rap’s greatest minds collaborating on probably one of the best hip-hop albums of the decade.

22. Tourist – S/T EP

One of the overlooked treasures of 2012, this short instrumental EP takes just about everything relevant about electronic music and turns it on its head in a beautiful, cascading, and infectious fashion.  I don’t know much about this group, other than this EP is all at once alluring, addictive, danceable, and incredibly beautiful.

21. Grimes – Visions

So much has been written about this fantastic newcomer female electro-pop artist that I’m not going to cover any new ground here.  Just know that her show at Lambert’s this year was spectacular, and this album also was.  You’ve seen it on every other list, most of them ranking it even higher than I did.  Do yourself a favor and immerse yourself in it.

20. Diplo – Express Yourself EP

Speaking of amazing modern producers of our time, let us not forget the megastar that’s popular enough to swoon ladies in a Blackberry commercial and still produce amazing dance music.  His latest EP is a collection of his Major Lazer-based beats and other house-influenced candy.

19. Ben Folds Five – The Sound of the Life of the Mind

One thing better than one of your all-time favorite bands reuniting?  That band getting back in the studio.  Granted, there’s a lot of pressure for veterans to pick up where they left off, but the Five do their legacy justice, only occasionally veering into Folds-solo territory and mainly focusing on the dirty bass-and-piano dirge they’re best known for.

18. Dent May – Do Things

He may have hung up his ukulele, but Dent May hasn’t quit his irreverent, semi-sarcastic, and musically sunny take on music.  They’re may be more synths than strings this time around, but the vibe is still the same – an album that was perfect for the summer of 2012, and any summer after.

17. Ceremony – Zoo

Very easily the loudest album on my list this year, the much-ballyhooed Ceremony has produced one of the finest post-hardcore albums of 2012, receiving ongoing praise throughout , as well as many celebrated live performances.  Take one listen to “Hysteria” and you’ll be compelled to throw a fit of just that very thing.

16. Twin Shadow – Confess

George Lewis, Jr. continues his ongoing trek of songwriting perfection.  While not as completely sharp as his previous effort, Twin Shadow’s Confess is still a memorable, and one of the best, indie rock records of the year, combining a Ringwald hop with some of the most romantic tunes you’ll hear for the next twelve months, maybe more.

15. Sleigh Bells – Reign of Terror

Rather than stick to the tried-and-true formula, this relentless duo trade in the Jock-Jams-On-Speed mantra (for the most part) and replace it with cleaner guitar sounds, polished vocals, and brighter melodies filled with optimism.  It’s not perfect, nor as memorable as the debut, but Reign of Terror proves this unique pairing is much more than a flash in the pan.

14. Schoolboy Q – Habits and Contradictions

The Black Hippy Collective domination continues.  Taking the silver for the year is Schoolboy Q, a more in-your-face counterpart to the more successful and introspective Kendrick Lamar.  If the Collective’s star laments the consequences of one’s actions, Q encourages them, providing a fresh perspective on the hedonistic times we live in.  And there’s plenty of general hip-hop bravado to be found here as well, for those wishing to merely dip their toes into Schoolboy’s psyche.

13. Death Grips – The Money Store

You might call Death Grips’ 2012 a year of ultimate rising and falling in quick succession, but I seriously doubt the group sees it that way.  If anything, being signed and then cut from a major label almost overnight only adds to the brand of this impressively talented, extroverted, and seemingly lawless crew.  Take one listen to their best album of 2012 (they had another one that I’m sure you’ve at least heard about….because of its album cover) and you’ll understand just what I mean.

12. Passion Pit – Gossamer

Passion Pit’s second full-length is more of the same, really: catchy electro-pop tunes, that now-trademark falsetto, and a beat foundation that will keep your hips shaking.  There aren’t enough points of differentiation here that distinguishes this one from Manners, unless you count the fact that this time around, there’s more filler.  And the juxtaposition of upbeat tunes with bleak subject matter, of course.  Still, sticking with what works isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and this is without a doubt a shining spot in 2012.

11. Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel

She’s finally back, warts and all.  Fiona’s return to the spotlight has brought with it the classic Apple we’ve all loved to watch: incredible live performances, dramatic onstage rants and press releases, and a new album full of music so unbearably beautiful we should be grateful to be alive in this moment in time, for we are the first of generations to hear it in its fresh glory.  Magnificent.

10. Miguel – Kaleidoscope Dream

If you’ve given up on popular music, you shouldn’t.  Case in point: Miguel.  This up-and-comer has one of the biggest radio hits of 2012, which is our generation’s “Sexual Healing.”  I’m of course talking about “Adorn,” but there’s so much more R&B brilliance on this no-filler of an album.  Listen all the way through many many times, preferably with someone you love.  You won’t regret it.

9. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange

And we’ve come to probably the most acclaimed album of the year, and rightly so.  Ocean’s had a hell of a year, publicly and musically, and without putting too fine a point on the former, we can see how it resonates to the latter.  The mesh of styles and sounds on Channel Orange is all at once overwhelming, exhilarating  and unforgettable.  If you’re one of the few lost souls who hasn’t yet heard this, do yourself a favor.

8. Bob Mould – Silver Age

Ironically named, for it’s Mould’s first proper foray into the sounds of his youth.  It’s no surprise that this year Bob embarked on a tour playing Copper Blue from his old outfit Sugar in its entirety, then retired the album at Fun Fun Fun.  After doing so, he launched into “The Descent,” the primary cut from this album, and the result is mainly indistinguishable.  And that’s a wonderful, wonderful thing.  Finally.

7. Purity Ring – Shrines

Their spattering of leaked tracks rocked my 2011, and all of those can be found here, alongside many more goodies that embody the influence of the Knife and the undeniable charm of simple pop music.  Sometimes creepy, sometimes beautiful, always a breath of fresh air.

6. Green Day – Uno!, Dos, Tre! Trilogy

Being a Green Day apologist and loyal fan until I die, I’m not going to pretend I didn’t play these three albums nonstop.  Or that I wasn’t upset with the Billie Joe meltdown and postponing of promotions and subsequent slumping of sales.  But maybe this outing was a bit much; these three could have been condensed into a pretty stellar single disc, in my opinion.  So, yeah, there, I said it, not the band’s best work.  I still loved it.  And I love what I love.  And like Green Day….I still don’t really care.

5. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city

Hip-hop has become a force to be reckoned with, not just in sales, but in smarts.  I feel like it’s becoming more and more regular for a rap album to easily garner Album of the Year.  There’s just simply so much of it challenging the status quo, not just of its own genre, but popular music in general.  And Kendrick Lamar is the latest to up the ante.  If Section.80 was his introduction to ruling the world, let this one be his magnum opus.  And it’s going to take a lot to dethrone the king this time around.

4. Japandroids – Celebration Rock

What Japandroids are doing with rock and roll is just perfect for the times we live in.  While pop radio promotes partying away our economic collapse, hip-hop gets introspective, and rock music all but dies, this incredibly loud duo defibrillates the sound while combining the mantras of the other two.  A pinch of the too-epic nature of Titus Andronicus, the noise of the surprisingly-forgotten No Age, and the melodic chops of rockers before them like Superchunk, and it is indeed rock to celebrate.

3. Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory

If Japandroids perfected their sound, Cloud Nothings pretty much abandoned theirs.  Dylan Baldi’s bipolar nature led his project to nail a 180, turning their rep of lo-fi post-punk catchiness to angry, heavy, distorted madness.  Still, Baldi wasn’t able to shed his knack for writing great songs, as we hear on “Stay Useless,” “Fall In,” and the nine-minute self-loathing ode “Wasted Days.”  Baldi has proclaimed this is the direction the band is headed in, and if the aptly-titled Attack On Memory is any indication, it’s one worth keeping an ear on.

2. Dwight Yoakam – 3 Pears

It only took seven years, but the king of the hillbillys, the heir to the honky-tonk throne, the new bastion of Bakersfield, Mr. Dwight Yoakam, has finally given us an album of new material, and the result was worth the wait.  The living legend blends his signature style of roots rock and Hollywood country with pop, modern rock, and Americana, and features production from none other than Beck.  It’s so nice to see one of my favorites return to the limelight, only to have roses thrown in his direction.  Yoakam’s old sound not only ages well, his new material promises to stand the test of time alongside it.

1. Deftones – Koi No Yokan

It’s probably unprecedented, but for two out of the last three years, my favorite album belongs to the Deftones.  And while Koi No Yokan doesn’t pack the punch Diamond Eyes did back in 2010, they still easily trump the output of every other.  Encompassing more grit, more atmosphere, more soundscape, more experimentation, and even more accessibility in places, this time around isn’t as consistent by any measure, but it’s certainly more interesting.  And it continues this band’s post-traumatic trend of composing some of the best material they’ve ever come up with in their near-twenty-year career.

Keep note that this is probably the least diverse track list I have ever made, and I’ve been doing this for a while. This year, due to an increasing indifference in “indie rock,” a busier schedule, a large bias towards general hedonism, and an overall “I don’t care anymore” attitude, this list is probably as close to a personal “favorites” of the year as I’ve ever come. In other words, no one likes this list as much as I do, at least at this point in time. You will find a lot of dance and hip hop here, as well as a large sampling of tracks from artists I’ve publicly proclaimed to be my all-time favorites. Having said all this, there’s plenty here to chew on, and I have always prided myself on my diversity, so I believe there is still something here for everyone.

Rock the Spotify playlist below. I’ve provided the text list below with YouTube/Soundcloud/Pitchfork links to tracks that aren’t available on Spotify. Enjoy!

200. El-P – The Full Retard
199. Divine Fits – Would That Not Be Nice
198. Chromatics – Lady
197. Bloc Party – Kettling
196. Hot Chip – Flutes
195. Ringo Deathstarr – Drain
194. Avicii – Silhouettes – Original Radio Edit
193. Vacationer – Trip
192. Killer Mike – Big Beast – feat. Bun B, T.I., and Trouble
191. Dr. Dog – Lonesome
190. Frankie Rose – Know Me
189. Lotus Plaza – Out of Touch
188. Ben Folds Five – Erase Me
187. Owl City – Good Time
186. ††† (Crosses) – Prurien†
185. The Walkmen – We Can’t Be Beat
184. Escort – All Through the Night
183. Tyvek – Wayne County Roads
182. Eternal Summers – Wonder
181. Tame Impala – Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
180. Two Gallants – Halcyon Days
179. Menomena – Plumage
178. Ice Choir – A Vision of Hell, 1996
177. The Gaslight Anthem – Mulholland Drive
176. AlunaGeorge – Just A Touch
175. Jeff The Brotherhood – Sixpack
174. Ab-Soul – Nibiru
173. Garbage – Automatic Systematic Habit
172. Plants and Animals – Lightshow
171. Chiddy Bang – Out 2 Space – feat. Gordon Voidwell
170. Ke$ha – Wherever You Are
169. Candy Claws – Do You Ever Feel That Way
168. Schoolboy Q – There He Go
167. Deftones – Entombed
166. Cities Aviv – G A L L E R Y G U R L Z
165. Fang Island – Asunder
164. The Tallest Man On Earth – 1904
163. Evian Christ – Payo Rent
162. The xx – Angels
161. Bob Mould – Keep Believing
160. Star Slinger – Take This Up
159. Gorillaz featuring Andre 3000 and James Murphy – DoYaThing
158. Ceremony – Ordinary People
157. Icona Pop – Ready For The Weekend
156. Dent May – Parents
155. Saint Etienne – I’ve Got Your Music
154. Dwight Yoakam – Rock It All Away
153. MNDR – Fall in Love with the Enemy
152. The-Dream – AK47
151. Diamond Rings – Put Me On
150. Taylor Swift – We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
149. Dirty Projectors – About to Die
148. Passion Pit – Carried Away
147. Elliphant – Down On Life
146. Twin Shadow – Run My Heart
145. Purity Ring – Crawlersout
144. Wallpaper. – Shotgun
143. Beach House – The Hours
142. Jonn Hart – Who Booty
141. Alabama Shakes – Hold On
140. Royal Headache – Psychotic Episode
139. E-40 – Function (feat. YG, IAmSu & Problem)
138. Kendrick Lamar – Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe
137. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Swim and Sleep
136. Dana Buoy – Call to Be
135. Metz – Headache
134. Escort – Makeover
133. Tame Impala – Elephant
132. A*M*E – Play The Game Boy
131. Frank Ocean – Forrest Gump
130. Meek Mill – Amen – feat. Drake
129. The Walkmen – Song for Leigh
128. Cadence Weapon – Conditioning
127. The Gaslight Anthem – Keepsake
126. Cloud Nothings – Wasted Days
125. Death Grips – Hustle Bones
124. Holograms – Chasing My Mind
123. Angel Haze – Werkin’ Girls
122. Sohn – The Wheel
121. AlunaGeorge – You Know You Like It
120. Green Day – Wild One
119. Two Gallants – Song of Songs
118. French Montana – Pop That – Explicit Version
117. Chairlift – Amanaemonesia
116. Diamond Rugs – Call Girl Blues
115. Frankie Rose – Interstellar
114. Chiddy Bang – Talking to Myself
113. Schoolboy Q – Hands On The Wheel (feat. A$ap Rocky)
112. Katy Perry – Wide Awake
111. Santigold – The Keepers
110. Jack White – Sixteen Saltines
109. Star Slinger – Ladies In The Back
108. Ben Folds Five – Draw A Crowd
107. S-Type – Billboard
106. Colleen Green – Goldmine
105. Ceremony – Citizen
104. KATE BOY – NORTHERN LIGHTS
103. Dent May – Home Groan
102. Killer Mike – Butane – feat. El-P
101. Mr MFN eXquire – Huzzah – Explicit Version
100. David Byrne & St. Vincent – Weekend In The Dust
99. FIDLAR – Cheap Beer
98. Django Django – Default
97. Bob Mould – Star Machine
96. Japandroids – Fire’s Highway
95. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
94. King L – Val Venis
93. Wallpaper. – #STUPiDFACEDD
92. Ke$ha – C’Mon
91. Mykki Blanco & Brenmar – Wavvy
90. Purity Ring – Obedear
89. Melody’s Echo Chamber – Endless Shore
88. Diamond Rings – All The Time
87. MNDR – #1 in Heaven
86. Childish Gambino – Shoulda Known {prod. Childish Gambino}
85. Fiona Apple – Every Single Night
84. Tanlines – All Of Me
83. KOOL A.D. – GIRLS AND WOMEN
82. Dwight Yoakam – Take Hold Of My Hand
81. Ice Choir – Teletrips
80. Juicy J feat. Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz – Bandz A Make Her Dance – Explicit Version
79. Escort – Cocaine Blues
78. Frank Ocean – Pyramids
77. Twin Shadow – Five Seconds
76. Holograms – ABC City
75. Death Grips – @deathgripz
74. Kreayshawn featuring 2 Chainz – Breakfast (Syrup)
73. Deftones – Leathers
72. The Walkmen – Line By Line
71. CHVRCHES – The Mother We Share
70. AlunaGeorge – Your Drums, Your Love
69. Saint Etienne – Tonight
68. Nicki Minaj – Beez In The Trap
67. Chairlift – I Belong In Your Arms
66. Pandr Eyez – Again and Again
65. Sleigh Bells – Comeback Kid
64. Green Day – Let Yourself Go
63. The Darkness – Nothin’s Gonna Stop Us
62. M.I.A. – Bad Girls
61. Dent May – Wedding Day
60. Passion Pit – I’ll Be Alright
59. Ben Folds Five – Sky High
58. Miguel – Adorn
57. Cloud Nothings – Fall In
56. Kanye West – Clique
55. The Gaslight Anthem – Biloxi Parish
54. Ceremony – Hysteria
53. School Of Seven Bells – Secret Days
52. The-Dream – Dope Bitch
51. Kendrick Lamar – Backseat Freestyle
50. Meek Mill – Flexin’ On ‘Em
49. Ruby Goe – Sq1
48. Sky Ferreira – Everything Is Embarrassing
47. Tyga – Faded
46. Wallpaper. – FUCKING BEST SONG EVERRR
45. Diamond Rings – Day & Night
44. MNDR – Faster Horses
43. Ke$ha – Die Young
42. Grimes – Oblivion
41. Torche – Kicking
40. Garbage – Blood For Poppies
39. Diplo feat. Lazerdisk Party Sex – Set It Off (feat. Lazerdisk Party Sex)
38. Outer Limitz – I Kontact
37. Eternal Summers – Millions
36. Mister Lies – Cleam
35. Psy – Gangnam Style (강남스타일)
34. Diamond Rugs – Gimme A Beer
33. Twin Shadow – Be Mine Tonight
32. Jessie Ware – Wildest Moments
31. Star Slinger – Chain Dumbin’ (feat. Project Pat, Juicy J)
30. Childish Gambino – One Up (ft. Steve G. Lover)
29. Schoolboy Q – Sexting
28. Dwight Yoakam – Dim Lights, Thick Smoke
27. Chiddy Bang – Mind Your Manners – feat. Icona Pop
26. TNGHT (Hudson Mohawke x Lunice) – Higher Ground
25. How To Dress Well – & It Was U
24. Fun. – Some Nights
23. Saint Lou Lou – Maybe You
22. Danny Brown – Grown Up
21. Charli XCX – You’re the One
20. Deftones – Swerve City
19. Angel Haze – New York
18. Pinback – Proceed to Memory
17. Toadies – Summer of the Strange
16. Sleigh Bells – Born to Lose
15. Passion Pit – Take A Walk
14. Green Day – Dirty Rotten Bastards
13. Tourist – Placid Acid
12. Miguel – Use Me
11. Fiona Apple – Hot Knife
10. Tyga – Rack City
9. Purity Ring – Fineshrine
8. Kanye West – Mercy
7. Icona Pop – I Love It – feat. Charli XCX
6. Frank Ocean – Thinkin Bout You
5. Death Grips – I’ve Seen Footage
4. Japandroids – The House That Heaven Built
3. Bob Mould – The Descent
2. Cloud Nothings – Stay Useless
1. Kendrick Lamar – Swimming Pools (Drank)

10. Rihanna – We Found Love (Star Slinger Refix)
9. Physical Therapy – Drone On (feat. Jamie Krasner) (Supreme Cuts Mix)
8. Chromatics – Birds of Paradise (Amtrac Remix)
7. Cassie – King of Hearts (Kanye West Remix)
6. Frank Ocean – Whip Appeal (SBTRKT Edit)
5. Darq E. Freaker and Danny Brown – Blueberry (Star Slinger Remix)
4. Jessie Ware – Running (Disclosure Remix)
3. Buraka Som Sistema – We Stay Up All Night (Star Slinger Remix)
2. Rye Rye – Boom Boom (Kat Krazy Remix)
1. Evil Nine feat. Danny Brown – The Black Brad Pitt (Gesaffelstein Remix)

I mean, let’s be honest. Do you guys remember the heydays of the burgeoning Internet? The blogs? The relevance of Pitchfork? All these awesome groups with buzz that seemed to be somewhat justified? Is it just me? Am I getting old and jaded? Probably. But it seems like good music is happening less.

And this is coming from a guy who really tries to keep up with this junk. I scour notable web zines every day for the hottest new band and track and tour date, etc. I don’t know, I guess I started feeling it around SXSW when I realized there really weren’t a lot of up-and-comers I was dying to see. Granted, there were a few, and there’s been a lot of newcomers that have been great. And a lot of my all-time favorites released new music this year. It’s been pretty good. Just not great. It could be better. I feel like 2012 isn’t memorable in the grand scheme of things. It’s just a stepping stone to the next big movement. Not just for music, either.

Granted, 2012 has probably been the busiest year of my life, as I (FINALLY) make the shift into this thing called “adulthood” and get a job and try to date people and take a more proactive approach to actually figuring out who I am and what I want. This year has been a big one for me. So naturally, I listened to less and less albums and went to less and less shows and bought less and less vinyl. I’ve been a bad music fan this year, guys. I mean, look at this damn blog. This is the most I’ve written here in months. I’ve officially kicked the addiction of regurgitating another website’s content just so I can get impressions here, simply because I’ve got so much more pressing things to do nowadays and I really would like to make this site more of a place where I go when I actually have something of substance to say. And of course, to run down the year and make lists. Which I still love to do. Like a lot.

So yeah, it’s probably an amalgam of things. First being I’m busy. But also because, when I run through new tracks and albums, which are now easily accessible and totally legal via Spotify, which has completely changed my life and many other people I know, …I find myself skipping through more than taking in and putting on repeat. And that’s because the output isn’t as great overall….right? People seem kind of lost. Musicians. Critics. Tastemakers. There’s some great stuff, sure. But overall, it’s underwhelming. But with years like this, there usually comes a moment of clarity, a renewed purpose, and a slew of awesome bands. It will happen. It happened in 2003. 2007. 2009. We’re due for another. It will happen again. Like I said, check the title….baby steps. We’re all taking them. Together.

So anywho, tomorrow you’ll get remixes, then tracks on Friday, then albums on Saturday. There’s less this year.  My albums are cut down to 30.  My remixes are cut down to 10.  My tracks….yeah, those are still 200.  Tracks are easy, and my favorite part.  I could’ve have done a 300, no sweat, but that’s a bit much, I figured.

I promise it will be unlike any other best-of list series you’ve seen. Because due to my schedule and the other reasons listed above and the feeling of “I like what I like and I don’t care” that comes with your late 20′s, that less cynical, less pretentious, more self-aware and honest, but increasingly jaded and crabby, vibe….my list is focused on favorites. Some made other lists. Some didn’t. And really the only person in the world who will like my lists the most will be me. But isn’t that the reason we make lists anyway? They’re more for ourselves. Sure, it’s fun to share. But at the end of the day, the process of seeking validation and gratification is tiresome. As a young rapper once said, and then everyone in the world proceeded to repeat all year long ad nauseam: YOLO.

I like what I like and I don’t care.

Happy New Year, kids!

Top 10 Albums

10. Pinback – Information Retrieved

9. Green Day – Dos!

8. Diamond Rings – Free Dimensional

7. Ke$ha – Warrior

6. Icona Pop – Iconic EP

5. Metz – S/T

4. Miguel – Kaleidoscope Dream

3. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city

2. Green Day – Tre!

1. Deftones – Koi No Yokan

Top 20 Downloads

20. Win Win – After the Wait
19. A$AP Rocky feat. Drake, 2Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar – Fuckin’ Problem
18. Green Day – Wild One
17. Tame Impala – Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
16. Star Slinger – Ladies In the Back
15. Metz – Headache
14. Cities Aviv – G A L L E R Y G U R L Z
13. The-Dream – AK47
12. Tyvek – Wayne County Roads
11. Kate Boy – Northern Lights
10. S-Type – Billboard
9. Elliphant – Down On Life
8. Sohn – The Wheel
7. A*M*E – Play The Game Boy
6. Chvrches – The Mother We Share
5. Ke$ha – Die Young
4. Kendrick Lamar – Backseat Freestyle
3. Green Day – Dirty Rotten Bastards
2. Deftones – Swerve City
1. Miguel – Adorn

Top 5 Remixes

5. Jessie Ware – Night Light (Joe Goddard Remix)
4. Kendrick Lamar – Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe (Star Slinger Via London Refix)
3. Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up (Major Lazer Remix)
2. Purity Ring – Belispeak II (feat. Danny Brown)
1. LOL Boys – Changes (CFCF Remix)