And here we go. Getintothis annual countdown of the finest new music released over the last 12 months assembled into some form of coherence – beginning with the 50 records which didn’t quite make it into our Top 50 Albums of 2012.
100. 
Chilly Gonzales: Solo Piano II
Gentle Threat
Beautifully introspective controlled mania from Montreal’s one-man melodica.
Getintothis reviews Chilly Gonzales live
99. 
Lindstrøm: Six Cups Of Rebel
Smalltown Supersound
The Norwegian producer turns his hand to big beat, prog and chaotic pop on this scatter-gun take on dance with wildly differing results. The title track is stunning, uniquely so.
Getintothis reviews Lindstrom live at the Kazimier
98. 
Pelican: Ataraxia/Taraxis
Southern Lord
An 18 minute mini epic displaying what Pelican do best – soaring guitars and scintillating atmospherics.
97. 
Jonquil: Point Of Go
Blessingforce
Tricksy guitar motifs wrapped in a pop parcel. Fun, if lightweight.
Getintothis reviews Jonquil live at Sound City
96. 
Grizzly Bear: Shields
Warp
Colossal in scale with a hit and miss conclusion yet contains some of their best work yet.
95. 
Crocodiles: Endless Flowers
Souterrain Transmissions
Pastiche at times but a powerful performance from this super-fun San Diego outfit.
Getintothis reviews Crocodiles at Liverpool Sound City.
94. 
Egyptian Hip Hop: Good Don’t Sleep
R&s
At last the Mancunians drop their debut proper. Jerky, dreamy clatter abounds. Was it worth the wait? Kinda.
Getintothis on Egyptian Hip Hop live in Liverpool.
93. 
Tame Impala: Lonerism
Modular
Indebted to John Lennon, psych and all things retro, Lonerism wasn’t as good as some people would have you believe. But it was good – and even better when taken to the stage.
92. 
Fresh and Onlys: Long Slow Dance
Souterrain Transmissions
Straight up, honest rock and roll with an old school big hearty charm.
Getintothis reviews Fresh & Onlys at the Kazimier
91. 
Neneh Cherry and The Thing: The Cherry Thing
Smalltown Supersound
Fusing improv jazz with Buffalo Stances‘ really shouldn’t work. It did. Especially on a quite incredible cover of Suicide.
90. 
Great Medical Disaster: Die, You Bitch, Cried Architect
Pronoia Records
In many respects this lot have a chance of being the next Oceansize: Mancunian post-rock, heavyweight tendencies with hilarious song titles. All’s they need now is a bit of consistency.
89. 
Hot Chip: In Our Heads
Domino Recording Co
It seems churlish knocking Hot Chip for delivering just another very good Hot Chip record – but that’s what this felt like. Nothing more, nothing less.
88. 
Cloud Nothing: Attack On Memory
Wichita Recordings
Stand out Wasted Days is a furious assault, pity then some of this felt distinctly underwhelming by comparison.
87. 
Tamaryn: Tender New Signs
Co-operative Music
More superlative shoegaze meanderings from the washed out American generation.
86. 
Ronin: Fenice
Santeria
Marrying sludge, Morricone drawls, hefty guitar theatrics and textured ambience, this Italian collective were a complete surprise package.
85. 
Light Asylum: Light Asylum
V2
A leather-studded disco ball loaded with ferocious power. Imagine Grace Jones assaulting you in the most indecent manner possible.
84. 
Maps and Atlases: Beware And Be Grateful
Fat Cat
Bracing rhythmic anthems sung with an effortless verve. And in Fever, contains one of the most criminally overlooked tracks of 2012.
83. 
Alt-J: An Awesome Wave
Infectious
Considered, catchy yet clinical in the extreme. A fine debut, let’s hope the buzz doesn’t brake em.
Getintothis on Alt J winning the Mercury Prize 2013 – What have we learnt?
Getintothis reviews Alt-J live at the Kazimier
82. 
Dan Deacon: America
Domino Recording Co
Another ambitious opus from Deacon which for the most part works – especially on the sprawling USA suite.
81. 
Tan Lines: Mixed Emotions
True Panther
An infectious bundle of synth and emotive heart string pullers from the ever reliable True Panther stable.
80. 
The Very Best: MTMTMK
Moshi Moshi
Slamming tribal dancefloor monsters which could literally frazzle your body and mind.
79. 
Bear In Heaven: I Love You It’s Cool
Dead Oceans
Devilish metallic pop unsafe for late night listening.
Getintothis reviews Bear In Heaven at Leaf during Sound City
78. 
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti: Mature Themes
4AD
Raunchy and rather all over the place, Ariel’s penchant for the perverse resulted in a wild explosion of ideas – some of which should have been confined to the cutting room floor.
Getintothis reviews Ariel Pink at the Kazimier
77. 
Bang On: [sic]
Ninja Tune
Lyrically, few can match Bang On but his debut suffered when measured up to early singles Got It and Hands High.
GIT Award profile and interview with Bang On.
Getintothis on Got It by Bang On.
76. 
The 2 Bears: Be Strong
Southern Fried
Cuddly and lacking in subtlety as their name suggests, this knowing nod to club classics couldn’t help but feel like a joyous celebratory listen.
75. 
Animal Collective: Centipede HZ
Domino Recording Co
AnCo dispense with the immediacy of My Girls, Brother Sport et al and go heavy on acid fried layered mania. It works, in parts.
Getintothis reviews Animal Collective at the Warehouse Project
74. 
Paul Weller: Sonik Kicks
Island
Weller’s most consistent, and genuinely inventive, set in years. Yep, inventive, honestly.
73. 
Yeti Lane: The Echo Show
Sonic Cathedral
While Doves take some time out, sit back and enjoy their cousins Yeti Lane who mix kraut, ambient electro and meld it into a semblance of melody and confusion.
72. 
The Mars Volta: Noctourniquet
Warner Bros
To some extent this was The Volta’s straightest offering; jams largely dispensed with, replaced by spiky electronic stabs. Still prog, like.
Getintothis on The Mars Volta’s new jams.
71. 
Felix: Oh Holy Molar
Kranky
Elegiac, minimalist piano-led ghostly refrains on one of Getintothis‘ favourite imprints.
70. 
Yeasayer: Fragrant World
Mute
The very definition of difficult third album; Yeasayer muddied their raft of ideas and lost their pop touch. Of course, there’s enough textured craft (like the corking Henrietta) to stick with this very special of bands.
Getintothis interview with Yeasayer ahead of their UK tour.
69. 
Beach House: Bloom
Bella Union
Like Teen Dream with added oomph.
68. 
NZCA/Lines: NZCA/Lines
Loaf
Tight, smart electro funk jams with a cerebral centre. Catchy as hell.
67. 
Sleigh Bells: Reign of Terror
Columbia
They may have toned down the volume, but this was still a storming set of obnoxious noise. Great cover artwork too.
Getintothis reviews Sleigh Bells live at MOJO.
66. 
Marconi Union: Different Colours
Just Music
Weightless Eno expansiveness dripping with languid slow grooves. Pure ice-cream melt marvellousness.
Getintothis on Marconi Union.
65. 
Delicate Steve: Positive Force
Luaka Bop
Steve Marion makes toy town progressive pop chopped into bitesize chunks – and the results are very tasty indeed.
64. 
The xx: Coexist
XL
On first listen, it seemed a lack lustre return after that sensational debut, however repeat listens revealed hidden depths lurking beneath an further stripped back dub collection.
Getintothis on The xx live at the Kazimier
63. 
Neil Halstead: Palindrome Hunches
Sonic Cathedral
Like a big audio hug channelling the spirit of Nick Drake. Just lovely.
Getintothis reviews Neil Halstead live at Liverpool Philharmonic
62. 
Moon Duo: Circles
Souterrain Transmissions
Moon Duo continue were they left off; churning sozzled cyclical guitar jams. Time for a change next time round, maybes.
Getintothis reviews Moon Duo at the Kazimier
61. 
Lindstrøm: Smalhans
Smalltown Supersound
Lindstrøm’s second, and best album of 2012, returns to his comfort zone of spacious epic grooves.
Getintothis reviews Lindstrom live at the Kazimier
60. 
Errors: Have Some Faith In Magic
Rock Action
The Scots produced a more restrained second outing after Come Down With Me but there’s much to pour over in this synthesis of primal electronica and melodic noise.
Getintothis reviews Errors live at the Kazimier
59. 
Flaming Lips: The Flaming Lips & Heady Fwends
Bella Union
Come Dine With Me Flaming Lips-style. Results: deliriously messy.
58. 
Purity Ring: Shrines
4AD
Candy-coated yelps deep from within a Fever Ray-like beat box storm.
Getintothis reviews Purity Ring live at the Kazimier
57. 
Friends: Manifest
Lucky Number
Perhaps the most ‘fun’ debut album of the year yet like their predecessors, CSS, addled with wild inconsistencies. A great live show and in Samantha Urbani one of indie music’s finest performers.
Getintothis chats to Friends ahead of UK tour
Getintothis reviews Friends live at the Kazimier
Getintothis picture gallery of Friends and Wet Mouth live at the Kazimier, Liverpool.
56. 
Dirty Projectors: Swing Lo Magellan
Domino Recording Co
Dave Longstreth reduced his audio algorithms yet there were still many dexterous delights to digest. Another winner for the Dirty P’s canon.
55. 
Calexico: Algiers
City Slang
The criminally under-rated New Orleans outfit boxed off another gem oozing full of unclassifiable dirt-pop winners.
54. 
The Walkmen: Heaven
Bella Union
Their strongest set since Bows + Arrows; taut, swaggering, snarling and epic.
53. 
Clinic: Free Reign
Domino Recording Co
With Daniel Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never) manning the decks, Clinic produced their characteristic fucked up boogie while adding inner spaciousness to proceedings. Rhythmic insanity abounds.
Getintothis reviews Clinic at Static Gallery
Getintothis picture gallery featuring Clinic’s unique cassette installation
Clinic talk to Getintothis about their new whacked out sounds.
52. 
Daphni: Jiaolong
Jialong Records
The clubland alter ego of Caribou‘s Dan Snaith produced a harder, faster, quite possibly sexier beast than his day job. However, this doesn’t quite match the high standard of Swim.
51. 
Wild Nothing: Nocturne
Bella Union
Jack Tatum‘s shimmering soundtrack of dreamy abandon recalls Real Estate at their sophisticated best.
Getintothis‘ Top 100 Albums of 2011
Getintothis‘ Top 50 Albums that didn’t make it into Getintothis’ Top 50 albums of 2011
Getintothis Top 50 Albums of 2010.
Getintothis Top 50 Albums of 2009.
Getintothis Top Albums 100 of 2008.
Getintothis Top Albums 50 of 2007.
