- Top Tens
Top Albums
1. Jagwar Ma Howlin
2. Johnny Marr The Messenger
3. Frightened Rabbit Pedestrian Verse
4. Local Natives Hummingbird
5. Camera Obscura Desire Lines
6. Haim Days are Gone
7. White Denim Corsicana Lemonade
8. Neko Case The Worse Things...
9. Night Beds Country Sleep
10. San Fermin San Fermin
- Top Tens
Top Albums
1. Arcade Fire Reflecktor
2. Arctic Monkeys AM
3. The National Trouble Will Find Me
4. John Grant Pale Green Ghosts
5. Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City
6. Queens of the Stone Age Like Clockwork
7. Foals Holy Fire
8. Manic Street Preachers Rewind the Film
9. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Push The Sky Away
10. Laura Marling Once I was an Eagle
Reg
- Top Tens
Albums
1. The National- Trouble Will Find Me
This record maintains a level of sophistication that no other album has this year and includes a number of standout songs. A fantastic record, and one in my view, that deserves to number one.
2. Milo Greene- Milo Greene
So near, yet so far. This record was my number one for most of the year, but fell at the final hurdle. This west coast pop rock band have produced a fine record filled with great songs, catchy riffs and lyrics to match. Only downside is its length.
3. The Kissaway Trail- Breach
A fantastic record from the Danish trio. It's been a few years since their last offering and after loosing a few members they have come back with an equally strong record this time round.
4. Sigur Ros- Kveikur
There aren't too many superlatives left to describe this album, but after taking time out, and losing members, Sigur Ros have come back bigger and better than before with their best album since Takk...
5. Local Natives- Hummingbird
The second record from the Los Angeles natives, produced by The National's Aaron Dessner was a corker to say the least. Nearly four years since the release of their debut, most people could be forgiven for forgetting about this band, but boy are they back.
6. Peace- In Love
A band from Worcester, who act like they are from Brooklyn. This is a debut that provides the swagger and rock n roll that a lot of indie bands lack.
7. Paul McCartney- New
Whatever you do, don't underestimate this record. Macca may have been on the tail end of some dodgy hits over the past decade, but this proves that working with the right people really does deliver.
8. Dutch Uncles- Out Of Touch In The Wild
The second coolest thing to ever come out of Marple, Dutch Uncles bring their typical time signatures to the mainstream with their toe tapping third record.
9. Everything Everything- Arc
Everything Everything returned this year with a sophisticated indie record that put them well on the road to success. This singles filled album is one that has seen their song writing improve tenfold.
10. White Denim- Corsicana Lemonade
Amazingly, their sixth album, this is a record that saw White Denim take a leaf out of The Black Keys book of success. A change from their usual sound to a catchier indie rock that, the masses want. A band to watch on the rise in 2014.
- Top Tens
Top Ten Albums 2013
1. The National Trouble Will Find Me
To me, a greatest hits album straight off of the bat, I can play and sing-a-long to this album all day long.
2. Eluvium Nightmare Ending
An epic and awesome ambient masterpiece from Portland’s Matthew Cooper
3. David Bowie The Next Day
The Thin White Duke returned as cool as ever
4. Israel Nash Gripka Rain Plans
A new discovery this year. His latest album took over the Jonathon Wilson mantle of last year. Neil Young esqe and superb with it.
5. Jason Isbell Southeastern
Ex Drive By Trucker. This album puts him up there with Ryan Adams as one of Americana’s finest songwriters.
6. Low The Invisible Way
This band keep churning out gems, this time with Mimi Parker’s vocals to the fore on the record with stunning results.
7. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Push the Sky Away
A master of the musical narrative and yet again with the Bad Seeds they didn’t disappoint, even getting back to a performance high with this record.
8. Neko Case The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You
A career high on a record that does not shun away from the dark side of the topics covered on this devastatingly great LP
9. Heirlooms of August Down At The 5-Star
Ex-Red House Painter Jerry Vessel with a truly beautiful second album as Heirlooms of August
10. Haim Days Are Gone
Could not stop playing this infectious record for a month. Toes are still tapping!
- Top Tens
if you would like your Top Ten added for 2013 just drop us a mail with your selections to:
Categories are:
- Top Tens
Thank you all who cast their votes this year.. 88 albums received individual votes and our combined Top Ten Albums of 2012 looks like this:
1. Django Django Django Django
2. An Awesome Wave Alt-J
3. Crown & Treaty Sweet Billy Pilgrim
4. Given To The Wild Maccabees
- Top Tens
Top Ten Records of 2012
1. Nada Surf - The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy
2. Beach House – Bloom
3. Grizzly Bear – Shields
4. The Figgs - The Day Gravity Stopped
5. The District Attorneys – Slowburner
6. Ben Gibbard - Former Lives
7. First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
8. Earlimart - System Preferences
9. Fanfarlo - Rooms Filled With Light
10. Guided By Voices - Class Clown Spots a UFO
Chris
- Top Tens
Only 3 as almost everything I bought in 2012 came out in 2011!
Top Three Records of 2012
1) Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
2) Django Django - Django Django
3) Father John Misty - Fear Fun
Top Ten Gigs
1) Jeff Mangum - Union Chapel
2) Stone Roses - Heaton Park
3) Django Django - SBE
4) Eddie Vedder - Apollo
5) Jack White - Brixton
6) Santigold - Heaven
7) Jonathan Wilson - Lexington
8) Laura Marling - Colston Hall
9) The Shins - Forum
10) Kurt Vile and the Violators - Forum
Only went to End of the Road so I've limited my list to 5:

Top Five Festival performances
1) Alt-J - EOTR
2) Antlers - EOTR
3) Alabama Shakes - EOTR
4) Jonathan Wilson - EOTR
5) Patti Smith – EOTR
Best Song
Alt-J - Breezeblocks
Best Musical experience of the year:
The overwhelming sense of love and happiness in the audience at the Stone Roses' Heaton Park Sunday gig.
Most disappointing musical experience of the year:
Leonard Cohen cancelling his Hop Farm gig and shifting it to Wembley (I claimed my refund)
Best Book
Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan
Best Film
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Lou @ReluctantLou
- Top Tens
Top Ten Records of 2012
1. The Maccabees, Given To The Wild
2. Mystery Jets, Radlands
3. Hot Chip, In Our Heads
4. Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves of Destiny, Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose
5. Spector, Enjoy It While It Lasts
6. David's Lyre, Pictures Of Our Youth
7. Beach House, Bloom
8. Field Music, Plumb
9. RoloTomassi, Astraea
10. Django Django, Django Django
Top Ten Gigs
Beach House, London Roundhouse


Hot Chip, Southampton Guildhall


Race Horses The Lexington


Beth Jeans Houghton And The Hoves of Destiny, Southampton Cellar


Rolo Tomassi, Xoyo


Spector, 100 Club


Ed Harcourt, Cecil Sharp House


Guillemots, Village Underground


Jake Bugg, Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
Polica, Heaven
Bombay Bicycle Club, Portsmouth Guildhall

Top Ten Festival performances
Richard Hawley, No Direction Home
The Low Anthem, Truck Festival
Pulled Apart By Horses, XFM All-Dayer, Camden Barfly

Django Django, No Direction Home
Peace, Dot-to-Dot Nottingham

Alt-J, Bestival
Mystery Jets, Truck Festival
Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo, Bestival
Willis Earl Beale, Bestival
Beth Jeans Houghton And The Hoves of Destiny, No Direction Home

Best Song
Beth Jeans Houghton And The Hoves of Destiny, Lilliput

Best Musical experience of the year:
The BSP Krankenhaus club night series. We went to all 7 Brighton events, each one a different eclectic mix of bands and fun, including an early view of some up n coming 2012 bands like Palma Violets, and Savages first ever live performance.

Most disappointing musical experience of the year:
Getting to Lucy Rose gig a bit late at Winchester Railway and getting stuck at the back with the chattering Winchester youth.

Best Book
How To Watch The Olympics

Best Film
The montage of film clips screened by Public Service Broadcasting as a backdrop to their fantastic live sets
- Top Tens
Top Ten Records of 2012
1. Maccabees "Given To The Wild"
2. Polica "Give You The Ghost"
3. Tame Impala "Lonerism"
4. Mystery Jets "Radlands"
5. Hot Chip "In Our Heads"
6. Beach House "Bloom"
7. Jake Bugg "Jake Bugg"
8. Django Django "Django Django"
9. The Walkmen "Heaven"
10. Alt J "An Awesome Wave"
Top Ten Gigs
Maccabees -
Foals - 60 Million Postcards
Peace - Joiners
Polica - Heaven
Jack White - Hammersmith Apollo
Beach House -The Roundhouse
Hot Chip -
The Walkmen - Village Underground
The Bots - Joiners
Top Ten Festival Performances
Pond - Dot 2 Dot Notts
Mystery Jets – Truck
Sigur Ros – Bestival
Peace - Dot 2 Dot
Father John Misty - No Direction Home
Jake Bugg - Dot 2 Dot
Alt J – Bestival
Brontide – Truck
Michael Kiwanuka - Bestival
Film of the Year
From The Sea to the Land Beyond (British Sea Power Soundtrack)
Song of The Year
"Feel to Follow" Maccabees
Most Disappointing Musical Experience:
Booking tix to see Christopher Owens at St Giles at 11 am and falling ill by 2pm and missing the gig!
Best Musical Experience:
Any 1 of the 6 British Sea Power Krankenhaus Club Nights (7 if you include Kristmas Krankenhaus!) every one a winner!
Other mentions go to:-
Gabriel Bruce - love it when the support is a surprising find and the next one to watch!
Rodriguez - A fab night at The Roundhouse discovering "The Sugarman'
Sally @sally_wally
- Top Tens
Top Ten Records of 2012
1 Django Django - Django Django
2 Bill Fay - Life is People
3 Father John Misty - Fear Fun
4 Shearwater- Animal Joy
5 Sweet Billy Pilgrim - Crown and Treaty
6 Hot Chip - In Our Heads
7 Lower Dens- Nootropics
8 Lau - Race the Loser
9 Madness -Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da
10 First Aid Kit -The Lions Roar
Top Ten Gigs
1 Father John Misty - Xoyo - 22.11.12
2 Jason Isbell - Boogaloo - 1.5.12
3 Phil Beer - Green Note - 16.12.12
4 Withered Hand/D Hayman/S Fogarty - The Shacklewell Arms - 3.2.12
5 Horse Feathers/Crooked Finger - Borderline - 19.11.12
6 Madness - O2 - 22.12.12
7 Carter USM/Neds Atomic Dustbin/Cud -
8 Dawes - Borderline - 5.3.12
9 Darren Hayman - Lexington - 29.8.12
10 Meursault/Withered Hand -
Top Ten Festival Performances
1 Grandaddy - End of the Road
2 Billy Bragg - Apple Cart
3 Midlake - End of the Road
4 Lau –
5 Dry the River –
6 Django Django - Field Day
7 Dirty 3 - End of the Road
8 Aidan Moffat & Bill Wells - Apple Cart
9 James Vincent McMorrow -
10 Stornoway - Apple Cart
Song of The Year
Django Django – Storm
Best Musical Experience
The beer at End of the Road Festival
Most Disappointing Musical Experience
Mark Kozelek - 'Mr Charisma' at the Union Chapel 9.11.12.
Book of the Year
Bring Up the Bodies- Hilary Mantel
Film of the Year
The Hobbit
Matt @mjcartledge
- Top Tens
Top Six Records of 2012
1 Richard Hawley – Standing At The Sky’s Edge
2 Cold Specs – I Predict A Graceful Expulsion
3 Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls
4 Alt J – An Awesome Wave
5 Field Music – Plumb
6 Grizzly bear – Shields
Top Ten Gigs
1 Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – Albert Hall London 18th June
2 Ryan Adams – Nottingham 25th April
3 Gov’t Mule ( with John Paul Jones) – Under The Bridge London 4th July
4 Blur – Hyde Park London 12th Aug
5 Rachel Sermanni – CB2 Cambridge 19th Feb
6 Mersault with Withered Hand – Islington Assembly Hall London 6th Nov
7 Field Music – Kazimier Liverpool 6th October
8 Simon Felice – Bush Hall London 27th April
9 Admiral Fallow – Fat Sams Dundee 22nd May
10 Wild Beasts – Colchester Arts Centre 13th March
Top Five Festival Performances
1 The National – ATP Camber Sands 9th Dec
2 Elbow – Latitude 14th July
3 Richard Hawley – No Direction Home 10th June
4 Cold Specs - No Direction Home 10th June
5 Granddaddy – End Of The Road 2nd Sept
6 Levellers – Latitude 15thy July
7 Alabama Shakes – Latitude 15th July
8 Patty Smith - End Of The Road 2nd Sept
9 Alt J - End Of The Road 1st Sept
10 Roy Harper - End Of The Road 31st Aug
Ken