LUV NY - LUV NY

While it slightly disappoints by being a bit short and a super compilation rather than a super group album, I like how this came out of nowhere and slapped me in the face with something completely unexpected and thoroughly enjoyable.

Heems - Nehru Jackets

This album really spoke to me. Especially the track about Jason Bourne, but especially the track about computers. I also liked the idea of getting fat and developing thug handles and then telling the doctor to please just let me ball.

Quakers - Quakers

As previously discussed, Quakers is just too big to fail. The team behind it need to be commended for overcoming the sheer logistics of compiling 41 tracks and a shit-ton of rappers. Let the history books take note that 'Dark City Lights' is my track of the year, boom!

Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson - Dice Game

Apollo Brown's big brass production perfectly complements Guilty Simpson's grimy voice and alleyway tales. While said tales are a bit depressing, they are definitely ones that I keep coming back to.

Homeboy Sandman - Chimera

The Homeboy's third release this year. The guy is a natural lyricist and being an ex-teacher and law student his intellect manages to rub off on every track. Picks would be the boasting titles of 'Cops Get Scared of Me' and 'I Do Whatever I Want'.

Black Pus - PUS MORTEM

Pus Mortem was a masterpiece of hypnotic driving beats and post-apocalyptic industrial-level drone. Really great music to zone out to as you train for your next ultra-marathon or appearance at the Brazil Olympics for quad sculls.

Heems - Nehru Jackets / Wild Water Kingdom

Already covered Nehru Jackets earlier on in the year, it is really good. Wild Water Kingdom is also really good. Both are just Heems (+ some other guys e.g. Big Baby Gandhi and Lakutis) doing raps. Heems' rhymes are reminiscent of the early Das Racist mixtapes and the album I suppose, but with a more overt political bent on certain tracks (e.g. 'NYC Cops' and 'Alien Gonzalez'), and elsewhere with a more comedy bent e.g. 'Computers' where he talks about how he really really likes computers. The title track 'Wild Water Kingdom' lyrics include gems such as I'm with my family at wild water kingdom and I'm Hang-10 Heems and everybody looooves me, and I'm the Jamaican crab from the mermaid movie etc etc, it is all clever and funny and interesting and presented in the typical laid back manner of the artist. Both releases were released for free on the internet. Free!

Bangladeafy - This is Your Brain On Bugs

Bangladeafy were/are supposed to have an album out this year, The Briefcase, which was scheduled for "late summer/fall release." Dunno how that is going or whatever, in the meantime we had This is Your Brain On Bugs, which came out in 2011 but that doesn't matter cos um…. what is to say the moment when a piece of music was recorded was any better than any other moment? They are all moments and 1 Jan 2012 is just an arbitrary division in an everlasting continuum that spans all of man's existence. It was added to the reviewers iTunes library at 8:00am on the 17/07/2012. Bangladeafy are very good at what they do and this shit will change how you think about bugs and their relationship to music. The first track of the album is called 'Where The Steer Go To Die" and features a burp at the 1:19 mark and is the best song. Or maybe one of the other ones are it is all pretty well done and impressive considering they are a duo consisting of drums and a bassist only.

Lightning Bolt - Oblivion Hunter

As mentioned in the original review, Lightning Bolt could release a 4 hour fart tape compilation and I would be ready to award it the coveted sardless "BEST NEW MUSIC" award. So they get "BEST OF 2012". Ironically, most of this album was allegedly recorded in 2008.

Loose Lips Sink Ships and Noumenon - BROGRIND

Bro Grinds: Music To Grind Your Bros To was the long awaited split EP between this reviewers long time favourites Loose Lips Sink Ships and Noumenon. Both these bands are great and the split EP was a great idea but I think the Noumenon guys got pissed when I said in the review I didn't listen to their tracks. For the record, I still have not listened to their tracks and they are being saved for my wedding night. Hopefully their LP will be finished by then to make the night all the more special XXX.