Michael Tatum's A Downloader's Diary: Year 2012 Index

(25) December

  1. Azealia Banks: 1991 (Interscope, EP) A+
  2. Lana Del Rey: Paradise (Interscope, EP) B+
  3. Iris DeMent: Sing the Delta (Flariella) A-
  4. Donald Fagen: Sunken Condos (Reprise) A-
  5. Flying Lotus: Until the Dark Comes (Warp) A-
  6. Homeboy Sandman: Subject Matter (Stones Throw, EP) A-
  7. Pink: The Truth About Love (RCA) A
  8. Sebadoh: Secret EP (self-released, EP) A-
  9. Taylor Swift: Red (Big Machine) A-
  10. Ry Cooder: Election Special (Nonesuch/Perro Verde) ***
  11. Titus Andronicus: Local Business (XL) ***
  12. Neneh Cherry & the Thing: The Cherry Thing (Smalltown Supersound) ***
  13. The Soft Pack: Strapped (Mexican Summer) **
  14. Van Morrison: Born to Sing: No Plan B (Blue Note) **
  15. Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Psychedelic Pill (Reprise) B
  16. Jessie Ware: Devotion (Universal) B-
  17. Dwight Yoakam: 3 Pears (Warner Bros.) B-
  18. Lupe Fiasco: Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 (Atlantic) B-
  19. Avett Brothers: The Carpenter (American) B-
  20. A.C. Newman: The Carpenter (Matador) C+
  21. The Walkmen: Heaven (Fat Possum) C
  22. Cat Power: Sun (Matador) C
  23. Rachel MacFarlane: Hayley Sings (Concord) D

(24) October

  1. Zani Diabaté & Les Héritiers: Tientalaw (Syllart) A
  2. Divine Fits: A Thing Called Divine Fits (Merge) A-
  3. Bob Dylan: Tempest (Columbia) B+
  4. Kid Koala: 12 Bit Blues (Ninja Tune) A-
  5. Jens Lekman: I Know What Love Isn't (Secretly Canadian) A
  6. Pet Shop Boys: Elysium (Astralwerks) A-
  7. A Place to Bury Strangers: Onwards to the Wall (Dead Oceans, EP) A-
  8. A Place to Bury Strangers: Worship (Dead Oceans) A-
  9. Tom Zé: Tropicália Lixo Lógico (Lapa) A
  10. Kanye West Presents G.O.O.D Music: Cruel Summer (Island/Def Jam) ***
  11. Diamond Rugs: Diamond Rugs (Partisan) ***
  12. Azealia Banks: Fantasea (free download) **
  13. Four Tet: Pink (Domino) *
  14. The xx: Coexist (XL) *
  15. Carly Rae Jepsen: Kiss (604) B-
  16. Caetano Veloso and David Byrne: Live at Carnegie Hall (Nonesuch) C
  17. Bob Mould: Silver Age (Merge) B-
  18. Alanis Morissette: Havoc and Bright Lights (Columbia) B-
  19. David Byrne and St. Vincent: Love This Giant (4AD/Todo Mundo) C+
  20. Passion Pit: Gossamer (Columbia) C+
  21. Dan Deacon: America (Domino) C+

(23) September

  1. Francis Bebey: African Electronic Music 1975-1982 (2012, Born Bad) A-
  2. Dabke: Sounds of the Syrian Houran (2012, Sham Palace) A-
  3. Death Grips: The Money Store (2012, Epic) A-
  4. Dirty Projectors: Swing Lo Magellan (2012, Domino) A-
  5. Greenberger Greenberg Cebar: Tell Me That Before (2011, Pel Pel) A-
  6. Himanshu: Nehru Jackets (2012, Mishka download) A-
  7. Elle Varner: Perfectly Imperfect (2012, RCA) A-
  8. Jack White: Blunderbuss (2012, Third Man/XL) B+
  9. Henry Clay People: Twenty-Five for the Rest of Our Lives (2012, TBD) ***
  10. Nas: Life Is Good (2012, Def Jam) **
  11. Killer Mike: R.A.P. Music (2012, Williams Street) **
  12. Santigold: Master of My Make-Believe (2012, Downtown/Atlantic) **
  13. Usher: Looking 4 Myself (2012, RCA) **
  14. Kool A.D.: 51 (2012, Greedhead download) *
  15. Deep Time: Deep Time (2012, Hardly Art) *
  16. Carly Rae Jepsen: Curiosity (2012, 604) S
  17. Mystery Jets: Radlands (2012, Rough Trade) S
  18. Paul & Linda McCartney: Ram (1971 [2012], Hear Music) B-
  19. Just Tell Me That You Want Me: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac (2012, Concord/Hear Music) B-
  20. The Tallest Man on Earth: There's No Leaving Now (2012, Dead Oceans) B-
  21. OFF!: OFF! (2012, Vice) B-
  22. Twin Shadow: Confess (2012, 4AD) B-
  23. Joyce Manor: Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired (2012, Asian Man) B-
  24. Kool A.D.: The Palm Wine Drinkard (2012, Greedhead download) C+
  25. Gold Motel: Gold Motel (2012, Good as Gold) C+
  26. Future of the Left: The Plot Against Common Sense (2012, Xtra Mile) C
  27. Lambchop: Mr. M (2012, Merge) C

(22) July

  1. Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do (Clean Slate) A
  2. Beach House: Bloom (Sub Pop) A-
  3. Clams Casino: Instrumental Mixtape 2 (free download) A-
  4. Lotus Plaza: Spooky Action at a Distance (Kranky) A-
  5. Frank Ocean: Channel Orange (Def Jam) A
  6. Plug: Back in Time (Ninja Tune) A-
  7. Patti Smith: Banga (Columbia) A
  8. Le Super Borgou de Parakou: The Bariba Sound (Analog Africa) A-
  9. Japandroids: Celebration Rock (Polyvinyl) ***
  10. Rhett Miller: The Dreamer (Maximum Sunshine) **
  11. Saint Etienne: Words and Music by Saint Etienne (Universal) **
  12. Metric: Synthetica (Mom + Pop) *
  13. Fela Kuti: Live in Detroit 1986 (Knitting Factory) C
  14. Carrie Underwood: Blown Away (Arista Nashville/19 Recordings) C+
  15. Bobby Womack: The Bravest Man in the Universe (Honest Jon's) B-
  16. Alt-J: An Awesome Wave (Infectious) C+
  17. Screaming Females: Ugly (Don Giovanni) C+
  18. Royal Headache: Royal Headache (What's Your Rupture?) C+

(21) June

  1. Amadou & Mariam: Folila (Nonesuch) A-
  2. BBU!: Bell Hooks (Mad Decent/Mishka download) A-
  3. Best Coast: The Only Place (Mexican Summer) A-
  4. Cornershop: Urban Turban (Ample Play) B+
  5. De La Soul: De La Soul's Plug One and Plug Two Present . . . First Serve (Duck Down) A
  6. Die Antwoord: Ten$ion (Downtown) A-
  7. Tommy Womack: Now What! (Cedar Creek Music) A-
  8. Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Americana (Reprise) A
  9. Disappears: Pre Language (Kranky) ***
  10. Actress: R.I.P. (Honest Jon's) ***
  11. Regina Spektor: What We Saw From the Cheap Seats (Sire) **
  12. Rye Rye: Go! Pop! Bang! (Interscope/N.E.E.T.) **
  13. John Mayer: Born and Raised (Columbia) *
  14. K'Naan: More Beautiful Than Silence (A&M/Octone, EP) *
  15. Odd Future: The OF Tape Vol. 2 (Odd Future) C-
  16. The Chap: We Are Nobody (Lo Recordings) B
  17. Gotye: Making Mirrors (Universal Republic) C+
  18. Claro Intelecto: Reform Club (Delsin) C+
  19. Garbage: Not Your Kind of People (Stunvolume) C
  20. Kimbra: Vows (Warner Bros.) C
  21. PS I Love You: Death Dreams (Paper Bag) C-

(20) May

  1. Action Bronson: Blue Chips (Fools Gold/Reebok Classics) A-
  2. Allo Darlin': Europe (Slumberland) A-
  3. Macy Gray: Covered (429) B+
  4. Madonna: MDNA (Interscope/Live Nation) A-
  5. Spoek Mathambo: Father Creeper (Sub Pop) A
  6. Rusko: Songs (Downtown) A-
  7. S/S/S: Beak & Claw (Anticon) A-
  8. Loudon Wainwright III: Older Than My Old Man Now (2nd Story Sound) A+
  9. Amadou & Mariam: Folila (Nonesuch) ***
  10. Carole King: The Legendary Demos (Hear Music) ***
  11. M. Ward: A Wasteland Companion (Merge) ***
  12. Bonnie Raitt: Slipstream (Redwing) **
  13. Rufus Wainwright: Out of the Game (Decca/Polydor) **
  14. Dr. John: Locked Down (Nonesuch) **
  15. Norah Jones: . . . Little Broken Hearts (Blue Note) B-
  16. Georgia Anne Muldrow: Seeds (Entertainment One Music) C+
  17. The Chromatics: Kill For Love (Italians Do It Better) B
  18. Zammuto: Zammuto (Temporary Residence) B-
  19. Estelle: All of Me (Atlantic/Homeschool) B-
  20. Great Lake Swimmers: New Wild Everywhere (Nettwerk) C+
  21. Alabama Shakes: Boys and Girls (ATO) C+
  22. Perfume Genius: Put Your Back N 2 It (Matador) C

(19) April

  1. Air: Le Voyage Dans La Lune (Astralwerks) A-
  2. Chiddy Bang: Breakfast (Virgin) A-
  3. Karantamba: Ndigal (Teranga Beat) A-
  4. The Magnetic Fields: Love at the Bottom of the Sea (Merge) A-
  5. Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (Universal Republic) B+
  6. Skrillex: Bangarang (Atlantic, EP) A-
  7. Sleigh Bells: Reign of Terror (Mom + Pop) A-
  8. Todd Snider: Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables (Aimless) A
  9. Bruce Springsteen: Wrecking Ball (Columbia) ***
  10. Carolina Chocolate Drops: Leaving Eden (Nonesuch) ***
  11. Balkan Beat Box: Give (Nat Geo) ***
  12. Escort: Escort (Escort) ***
  13. The Shins: Port of Morrow (Columbia) **
  14. Lee Ranaldo: Between the Times and the Tides (Matador) **
  15. Sinéad O'Connor: How About I Be Me (And You Be You)? (One Little Indian) **
  16. Wire: The Black Session: Paris: 10 May 2011 (Pink Flag) **
  17. Jamie Woon: Ghostwriting (Verve) *
  18. Lilacs and Champagne: Lilacs and Champagne (Mexican Summer) *
  19. The Men: Open Your Heart (Sacred Bones) B-
  20. Tennis: Young and Old (Fat Possum) B
  21. The Cranberries: Roses (Downtown) C+
  22. Dierks Bentley: Home (Capitol Nashville) C+
  23. Belbury Poly: The Belbury Tapes (Ghost Box) C+
  24. Heartless Bastards: Arrow (Partisan) C+
  25. The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 and Beyond (Republic) C
  26. Wilson Phillips: Dedicated (Sony Masterworks) D

(18) March

  1. Thomas Anderson: The Moon in Transit (Four-Track Demos 1996-2009) (Out There) A-
  2. Bhi Bhiman: Bhiman (Boocoo) A-
  3. Burial: Kindred (Hyperdub, EP) A
  4. Cloud Nothings: Attack on Memory (Carpark) A-
  5. Lana Del Rey: Born to Die (Polydor/Interscope) A-
  6. Ani DiFranco: ¿Whose Side Are You On? (Righteous Babe) A-
  7. Imperial Teen: Feel the Sound (Merge) A-
  8. Prinzhorn Dance School: Clay Class (DFA) A-
  9. Standard Fare: Out of Sight, Out of Town (Melodic) A-
  10. Schoolboy Q: Habits and Contradictions (Top Dawg) ***
  11. Paul McCartney: Kisses on the Bottom (Merge) ***
  12. Dr. Dog: Be the Void (Anti-) ***
  13. Hospitality: Hospitality (Merge) **
  14. Nada Surf: The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy (Barsuk) **
  15. Kathleen Edwards: Voyageur (Zoe/Rounder) **
  16. The Little Willies: For the Good Times (Milking Bull) *
  17. The Caretaker: Patience (After Sebald) (History Favours the Winners) *
  18. Wiley: Evolve or Be Extinct (Big Dada) *
  19. Wilco: iTunes Session (Anti-) *
  20. Craig Finn: Clear Heart, Full Eyes (Full Time Hobby) B
  21. The Weeknd: Echoes of Silence (free download) B-
  22. Sharon Van Etten: Tramp (Jagjaguwar) B-
  23. Cate LeBon: Cyrk (The Control Group) C+
  24. Bahamas: Barchords (Jagjaguwar) C+
  25. Laura Gibson: La Grande (Barsuk) C+
  26. First Aid Kit: Lion's Roar (Wichita) C+
  27. Howler: America Give Up (Rough Trade) C
  28. Keepaway: Black Flute (Greedhead) C
  29. Rick Ross: Rich Forever (free download) C