We’re different, we’re the same. Everyone and their dad has done a ‘Best _____ of 2011’ post and we are officially the last to the party. Today marks the first releases of 2012 and we wanted to wait until the last possible second to share our favorites of the past year. We put these lists together as an introspective activity for the celebration of the music and the memories that were created this past year. The friends we made, the places we went, and the adventures that ensued all have a strong connection to many of the artists featured below. Witness This gathered a few select friends to participate in sharing what the past year was to them musically.
Top 10 Releases
01. Craft Spells – Idle Labor
02. WU LYF – Go Tell Fire to the Mountain
03. Wise Blood – These Wings
04. Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation
05. Rainbow Arabia – Boys and Diamonds
06. Cults – Cults
07. The New Division – Shadows
08. Hanni El Khatib – Will the Guns Come Out
09. The Drums – Portamento
10. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
Top 10 Songs
01. Unouomedude – “Frequency“
02. A$AP Rocky – “Palace“ (produced by Clams Casino)
03. Starfucker – “Julius“
04. Black Light Dinner Party – “Older Together“
05. Slow Magic – “Corvette Cassette“
06. Coolrunnings – “Rusk“
07. Georgiaa – “Weeks“
08. Abadabad – “Indiana“
09. Work Drugs – “Dirty Dreams“
10. Is Tropical – “Lies“
Top 5 Shows
01. WU LYF – Echo
02. Youth Lagoon & Young Magic – Casbah
03. Cults – Soda Bar
04. Tennis – Tin Can Ale House
05. Yeasayer – Belly Up
Top 10 Releases
01. Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation
02. Washed Out – Within and Without
03. The New Division – Shadows
04. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
05. Cut//Copy – Zonoscope
06. Holy Ghost! – Holy Ghost!
07. The Decemberists – The King is Dead
08. Vetiver – The Errant Charm
09. Gotye – Making Mirrors
10. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re dreaming
Top 10 Songs
01. Gotye – “Somebody That I Used to Know“
02. The Decemberists – “January Hymn“
03. Youth Lagoon – “Afternoon“
04. Pat Walter – “Guessing Game“
05. Fleet Foxes – “Helplessness Blues“
06. Starfucker – “Astoria“
07. The New Division – “Sense“
08. Keren Ann – “My Name Is Trouble“
09. Vetiver – “Worse for Wear“
10. Martin Solveig feat. Thomas Mars of Phoenix – “The Night Out“
Top 5 Shows
01. Cut//Copy – Coachella
02. Miami Horror – El Rey Theatre
03. Beach House – Music Box
04. Fred Falke – Pacific Festival
05. Gotye – Satellite
Top 10 Releases
01. Mirrors – Lights and Offerings
02. Washed Out – Within and Without
03. Phantogram – Nightlife
04. Kith & Kell – Wilderness King
05. The New Division – Shadows
06. Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation
07. Beat Connection: Surf Noir
08. Craft Spells – Idle Labor
09. SBTRKT – SBTRKT
10. Ventriloquilizing – Fujiya & Miyagi
Top 10 Songs
01. Hooray For Earth – “No Love”
02. Kith & Kell – “Wilderness King“
03. Junip – “White Rain“
04. Karl Blau – “Dark Sedan“
05. Lust – “Dark Water“
06. Lana Del Rey – “Blue Jeans“ (Penguin Prison Remix)
07. Love Inks – “Blackeye“
08. Cassius – “I <3 U So“
09. Little Dragon – “Please Turn“
10. SBTRKT – “Wild Fire“
Top 5 Shows
Bon Iver – Spreckles Theatre
Bag Raiders – Pacific Festival
Yeasayer – Belly Up
Youth Lagoon – The Casbah
Cut Copy – Coachella
Top 10 Releases
01. Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation
02. The New Division – Shadows
03. Washed Out – Within and Without
04. Gotye – Making Mirrors
05. The Decemberists – The King is Dead
06. Starfucker – Reptilians
07. Vetiver – The Errant Charm
08. Radiohead – The King of Limbs
09. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
10. Holy Ghost! – Holy Ghost!
Top 10 Songs
01. Gotye – “Somebody That I Used to Know“
02. Washed Out – “Soft“
03. Martin Solveig feat. Thomas Mars of Phoenix – “The Night Out“
04. Keren Ann – “My Name Is Trouble“
05. The New Division – “No Health“
06. Little Dragon – “Crystalfilm“
07. Slow Magic – “Corvette Cassette“
08. The Decemberists – “June Hymn“
09. Fleet Foxes – “Someone You’d Admire“
10. Jessica Lea Mayfield – “Our Hearts Are Wrong“
Top 5 Shows
01. Kings of Convenience – The Music Box
02. Fred Falke – Pacific Festival
03. The Twelves – Pacific Festival
04. Crystal Castles – Coachella
05. Cut//Copy – Coachella
Top 10 Releases
01. Cant – Dreams Come True
02. Little Dragon – Ritual Union
03. A$AP Rocky – LiveLoveA$AP
04. Starfucker – Reptilians
05. Puro Instinct – Headbangers in Ecstasy
06. Elite Gymnastics – r u i n 1 and r u i n 2
07. Pure X – Pleasure
08. Chad Valley – Equatorial Ultravox/ fthrsn – hysteria
09. SBTRKT – SBTRKT
10. Blood Orange – Coastal Grooves
Top 10 Songs
01. The Babies – “Somebody Else”
02. Clams Casino – “Wizard”
03. Crystal Stilts – “Shake the Shackles”
04. A$AP Rocky – “Bass”
05. Bibio – “Wake Up!”
06. Chad Valley – “Now that I’m Real”
07. Tyler, the creator – “Sandwitches”
08. White Hinterland – “Icarus”
09. The Head and the Heart – “Down in the Valley”
10. Chalk and Numbers – “I Hope You Do”
Top 5 Shows
01. WU LYF – Echo
02. Mark Sultan – Bar Pink
03. Thundercat – The Getty
04. Guards+Cults – Soda Bar
05. Yeasayer – Belly Up
