Top Ten Albums of 2012 Count Down

 10. Rye Rye: Go! Pop! Bang!
On May 15th, after being delayed for the last four years Rye Rye's first full length album, Go! Pop! Bang! finally dropped! Riddled with brash vocals and featured guests including:Robyn on the album's standout track, "Never Will Be Mine" along with her fame sake M.I.A on "Sunshine" and "Better Than You" this unforgiving hip-hop electronic-pop fusion delivers what Rye Rye fans have been waiting for.

9. MNDR: Feed Me Diamonds
Tri-State socialite MNDR released her first LP, Feed Me Diamonds on August 14th. With brand new indietronica tracks "Faster Horses", "Burning Hearts", "Feed Me Diamonds","#1 In Heaven" and revamped versions of "I Go Away", and "U.B.C.L." MNDR's eccentricity shines on all 12 club hopping pop tracks.

  













8. Lana Del Rey: Born To Die
She may take herself a little too seriously but Lana Del Rey quickly became America's newest songstress sweet heart upon the release of her self proclaimed Hollywood Sadcore debut album Born to Die last January. Her low, classically trained sultry-blues vocals mixed with quirky lyrics such as You so fresh to death & sick as ca-cancer from the song "Blue Jeans" (one of my favorite songs off of the album) lace the entire melodramatic album with an essential,  fun twist.






 
7. Passion Pit: Gossamer
Passion Pit's third album, Gossamer garnered attention before it was released earlier this year with the captivating music video for the first single, "Take a Walk". Offering an optimistic outlook through heartache and ego-altering despair, the Passion Pit boys remain true to their alternative dance roots but still have not met the success they found with their 2009 LP, Manners.


 
 

6. Jack White: Blunderbuss
Jack White's very first solo record, Blunderbuss was released in April on his own record label, Third Man Records. White's undisputed, stripped down garage band acoustics and pleasantly predictable bluesy-ness  are heard throughout Blunderbuss yet a faster tempo is found on "Sixteen Saltines" and "Freedom At 21", the grungier guitar filled single has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Song. 




5. Metric: Synthetica
Indie-rock's favorite Canadians Metric wasted no time dropping an F-bomb four words into "Artificial Nocturne" the first track off of their 2012 album, Synthetica.  Later in 2012 Metric released a deluxe version of Synthetica, which features acoustic versions of songs on the album, as well as a cover of "Strange Weather" by Tom Waits but I prefer the fully plugged in original version.






4. Poliça: Give You The Ghost
Polica have reshaped the recognizable connection between rythmn and blues with an underlying electronic tone on their debut album Give You the Ghost.  Channy Leanagh's  tender vocals combined with not-so-suble synths, funky bass licks and swarming percussion are presented within  the album's polished, flawless production. Easily my favorite break through band of 2012, "Violent Games", "I See My Mother", "Form" and "Happy Be Fine" are my favorite Poliça tracks.


 

3. Crystal Castles: III
Crystal Castles seemed to have lightened up a bit with their third album, III. Though still very gritty with their tell-tale lo-fi quality, Kath and Glass updated their sound with a flashes of experimental brightness on "Affection" and "Wrath of God" but  familiarity from I and  II can be heard on "Kerosene", "Insulin" and "Plague". These synth-punks definitely put a new spin on Crystal Castles III and it's just as good as the their older stuff.







2. Santigold: Master of My Make Believe
Santigold's sophomore album Master of My Make Believe has a refreshing maturity yet unique youthfulness that I can't get enough of. Categorized as a reggae/hip-hop/dub fusion Santigold finds an even balance with what listeners were introduced to on her debut release in 2008 with tracks like "Freak Like Me", "GO!" (featuring Yeah Yeah Yeahs Karen O) and "Desperate Youth" the whole album will make you believe in Santigold.



1. Die Antwoord:Ten$ion
Ten$ion; the effortlessly raunchy, zef heavy second album from Die Antwoord packs a one two punch from beginning to end.  Right off the bat the first track Never Le Nekmise  gnaws at stress levels while pint sized Yo-Landi Vi$$or steals the show from her counter part Ninja throughout this sensationally titillating album which sounds nothing like any thing else released this year! 

Honorable Mentions: 
- Japandroids: Celebration Rock
- Lana Del Rey: Paradise 
- MSMR: Candy Bar Creep Show (EP)
- Friends: Manifest!
- Gossip: A Joyful Noise