Before I get into what I deem my "favorites" of 2012, I'd like to preface it with the fact that I have mixed feelings about end of year lists. I do enjoy reflecting, sharing and hearing what others enjoyed this year. But, at the same time, what if I change my mind? What if I hear or see something in January or even December 2013 that came out in 2012 that was better that something I put on my list? So, just as a disclaimer, you should know that these are my favorites as of right now, this very moment in time. I haven't listened to every album or seen every movie that's come out this year. Though, until time travel is possible, my favorite live shows for 2012 is pretty solid. So, here it is...

TORI'S FAVORITES OF 2012.

Albums

Girls & Boys/Alabama Shakes
Lex Hives/The Hives
The Carpenter/The Avett Brothers
Blunderbuss/Jack White
Carry Me Back/Old Crow Medicine Show
The Way We Move/Laghorne Slim
Wilderness/The Features
The Lumineers/The Lumineers
Fear Fun/Father John Misty
The Sheepdogs/The Sheepdogs
Be the Void/Dr. Dog
O' Be Joyful/Shovels and Rope
Heavy Mood/Tilly and the Wall


EPs

Foreign Spells/The Young Evils
Willy Moon EP/Willy Moon
Ahoy!/Punch Brothers
Benchwarmers/Finn Riggins


Live Shows

Jack White
The Hives


Movies

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Liberal Arts
Moonrise Kingdom
Ruby Sparks
Hitchcock
Jiro Dreams of Sushi


And now here's a compilation of good songs from 2012

No big surprises here. Some of my favorite bands and musicians released new music this year, which is always exciting. I haven't posted this due to the nagging feeling that I have forgotten plenty. I am a forgetful person. Also, I keep discovering music. It never ends. However, these are the things that kept me company throughout the year. Thanks, music and things. 
 Love, Christina 

 Favorite 20 Albums (in no particular order, really.) 
 1. Circa Survive- Violent Waves
 2. Benjamin Gibbard- Former Lives
 3. Say Anything- Anarchy, My Dear
 4. Sucre- A Minor Bird 
 5. The Avett Brothers- The Carpenter
 6. Passion Pit- Gossamer
 7. Fiona Apple- The Idler Wheel is Wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More than Ropes Will Ever Do 
8. Sufjan Stevens- Silver & Gold 
9. The Walkmen- Heaven 
10. First Aid Kit- The Lion’s Roar 
11. Anthony Green- Beautiful Things
 12. Good Old War- Come Back as Rain 
13. The Avett Brothers- The Carpenter
 14. Father John Misty- Fear Fun
 15. M. Ward- Wasteland Companion 
16. Best Coast- The Only Place
 17. Titus Andronicus- Local Business
 18. Andrew Bird- Break it Yourself 
19. Bad Books- II
 20. Japandroids- Celebration Rock 

Songs: 
 1. One of my Kind- Conor Oberst 
2. Cry for Judas- Mountain Goats
 3. The Only Place- Best Coast 
4. MariKKKopa- Desaparecidos
 5. Simple Song- The Shins
 6. The North- Stars (both)
 7. Cherokee- Cat Power
 8. Lost River- Murder By Death
 9. 192 Days- Eisley 

 Best new discoveries: 
1. Laura Gibson
 2. St. Vincent 
3. Mutemath
 4. Titus Andronicus 
5. Japandroids
 6. Frank Ocean 

 Favorite TV Shows: 
1. Gossip Girl 
2. New Girl
 3. Ben and Kate 
4. 90210 (Don’t judge me.)
 5. Hart of Dixie 

 Favorite Movies: 
1. Dark Knight Rises
 2. Beginners 
3. Midnight in Paris 
4. Young Adult 
5. Moonrise Kingdom 
6. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World 

 Favorite Books (that I read in the last few months…)
 1. The Sea is My Brother- Jack Kerouac 
2. The Marriage Plot- Jeffrey Eugenides
 3. Freedom & The Corrections- Jonathan Franzen 
4. Newlyweds- Nell Freudenberger
 5. Wuthering Heights- Emily Bronte
 6. Incendiary- Chris Cleave 
7. Interpreter of Maladies- Jhumpa Lahiri
8. Plainsong- Kent Haruf

I went and saw Ty Segall last night. Really good but what I can't stop thinking about (yet again) is the opening band, Seattle's very own Night Beats. I had looked them up before the show and really enjoyed their album. Their live performance wasn't particularly impressive though I've been told it was just an off night for them. But, while I was watching them, it hit me. They sound like The Cramps! They sound just like The Cramps!
If you're not familiar with The Cramps, they're a psychedelic punk band from 70's and I love them. They are considered the progenitors of psychobilly (a punk sub-genre of punk with rockabilly and psychedelic influences). Though, I've heard the band prefers not to be categorized into that genre.
I spent some time today comparing and researching the two bands. While they still have their own distinct sound, Night Beats definitely has a similar sound to The Cramps. Night Beats claim to have soul influences (which I can agree to) where The Cramps have a more rockabilly influence. Though, I was somewhat disappointed to not find and attribution of The Cramps to their sound. Because it's definitely there. Maybe they have just never hear The Cramps? That would be surprising. Or maybe they really don't sound that much like The Cramps and I'm totally wrong. Whatever.
Either way, you should listen to both bands. They're good. Here's a cool Night Beats music video. I couldn't find a good Camps video. Probably because they're old and punk rock like that. So you get a link to spotify instead.

I've been trying to make my way through Sufjan Stevens' new Christmas Album (Silver and Gold) over the last few weeks. I'll be honest sometimes I lose interest. There are over 50 songs and I don't have the patience to listen to all of them. That doesn't mean I don't like it. In fact I think I love it. It's just a little overwhelming.
With that being said, there are two songs that stand out over the ones I've listened to. You can listen to them below.

Hey, here is some more of my favorite music from 2012. I'll call these songs the "honorable mentions". Enjoy!

Earl

1		The Walkmen			54
2		Titus Andronicus			25
3		The Rolling Stones			20
4		fun.			17
5		Japandroids			13
6		The Avett Brothers			9
7		Sharon Van Etten			7
7		Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band			7
7		Father John Misty			7
10		Diamond Rugs			6

For those of you like me who are tired of hearing the same Christmas songs sang over and over, listen to this one by John MaCauley (Deer Tick) from his side project Diamond Rugs.

I've heard about Titus Andronicus for a long time, but every time I saw that most of their songs were over 5 min, I couldn't build up the patience to make it through an album.
About a month ago Stereogum posted their best videos of the week. One of their videos was "In a Big City" by Titus Andronicus. I watched it and loved it. I'm not sure why it's my favorite video. There's something about the way it's filmed or maybe it's the way Patrick Stickles (lead singer) stares at you with crazy eyes. It doesn't matter, just watch it for your self.

In a Big City - Titus Andronicus

Dave Brubeck photographed by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair

As many of you may have already heard, jazz legend Dave Brubeck died this morning. I don't typically get very emotional over the death of famous people. I'm generally not a very emotional person. I've been trying not not to cry today while I've been at work. Dave Brubeck holds a very special place in my heart. He's the reason I fell in love with jazz and if you know me, you know I love jazz.
Brubeck was played often in my home growing up and he's the first jazz musician I was really familiar with. And I loved him. It even took me a while to let myself listen to other jazz because I love his work so much. I still even hesitate a little to listen to something else when I could listen to Dave. His compostions are powerful and distinct. He's famous for his unusual time signatures and rhythms. His work has a clear classical influence that really sets him apart from other jazz composers. When you're listening to Brubeck, you know.
He came to Seattle in the Fall of 2007. My first semester of college. I was in Idaho and my dad flew me home just for the night so he and I could go see him. Ramsey Lewis Trio opened. They played the Paramount which is a large theater. Although jazz was made for intimate settings, Dave's performance was incredible. I'll never forget watching this tiny little white-haired man slowly walk on stage, sit at his piano and play jazz as if he were 60 years younger. It was an experience that I'll cherish forever. Dave Brubeck, you've changed my life for the better.

In honor of him, here's a playlist of a few of my Dave Brubeck favorites.

Favorite Albums of 2012

1. Heaven - The Walkmen
2. Fear Fun - Father John Misty
3. The Carpenter - The Avett Brothers
4. S/T - Hospitality
5. Mirage Rock - Band of Horses
6. The Lion's Roar - First Aid Kit
7. Break it Yourself - Andrew Bird
8. II - Bad Books
9. Mariqopa - Damien Jurado
10. Gossamer - Passion Pit
11. Former Lives - Benjamin Gibbard
12. Local Business - Titus Andronicus 
13. Ten Stories - mewithoutYou
14. The Idler Wheel... - Fiona Apple
15. The North - Stars

1. One of My Kind - Conor Oberst and the MVB
2. The Only Place - Best Coast
3. House That Heaven Built - Japandroids
4. We Can't Be Beat - The Walkmen
5. Fun Times in Babylon- Father John Misty
6. Cry For Judas - The Mountain Goats
7. The North - Stars
8. Simple Song - The Shins
9. In a Big City - Titus Andronicus 
10. Runaways - The Killers
11. Emmylou - First Aid Kit
12. Stars - Fun.
13. Lost River - Murder By Death
14. Friendly Advice - Bad Books
15. Take a Walk -  Passion Pit
16. "45" - Gaslight Anthem
17. MariKKKopa - Deciparicidos
18. Hang Loose - Alabama Shakes
19. Cherokee - Cat Power
20. Honeycomb - Animal Collective 

Paste released their Christmas sampler today, and it's free! (I guess that's at the core of a sampler though, right?) Anyway, the one they put out last year was great, so I am excited about this. Download it here:

Favorite Music of 2012

Albums

Bloom – Beach House
Moms – Menomena
Heaven – The Walkmen
Slaughterhouse – Ty Segall Band

Songs 

The House That Heaven Built – Japandroids
Hey Jane – Spiritualized
Yet Again – Grizzly Bear
Fete d’Adieu - Deerhoof
Apocalypse Dream – Tame Impala

Band of Horses' new album, Mirage Rock, tops my list of most listened to artist this week. It's another example of an album that critics hate, but that I love. 

There are bands I know are amazing. I listen to them often, tell everyone about them, and geek out over anything I see or hear of theirs. I'm almost certain every music lover has these bands. I believe most music lovers also have bands they love but always forget they love. At least I do. These are the bands that I know are really great but for some reason or another don't listen to often. Then, when they come up I fall in love again and kick myself for not listening to them more. I'll listen to them a lot for a couple days then, somehow, forget about them for another year. For me, these are the bands that make music-loving worth the work. They're the reason I don't stick to my top five favorite bands. They're the reason I force myself to shuffle through my music every once in a while. They keep me on my toes.
The Strokes are one of those bands in my life. I know they're great. Like, really great. But I never listen to them. I can't figure out why. I just don't. I love them though. They're so fantastic. I fall in love every time I listen to them. I can't seem to figure this phenomenon out. I know everyone has these bands because I've talked with other people about it. Maybe it's a subconscious thing? Maybe I love that I get to fall in love with them all over again and look forward to forgetting about them in order to do so? I don't know. I won't worry about it too much. I'll just enjoy this music until I forget about them again.

If you don't enjoy this there's something wrong with you. Oh my gosh, this is amazing. Watch all of it.