Favorite Music: of the Year and of the Season

So here is a somewhat expanded version of my "Best of 2012" music list from the previous blog entry. 

Albums:

1. Wrecking Ball - Bruce Springsteen

2. My Head is an Animal - Of Monsters and Men

3. Milk Famous - White Rabbits

4. A Thing Called Divine Fits - Divine Fits

5. Be the Void - Dr. Dog

6. Port of Morrow - The Shins

7. Slipstream - Bonnie Raitt

8. The Lumineers - The Lumineers

9. El Camino - The Black Keys

10. Babel - Mumford and Sons

11. Big Station - Alejandro Escovedo

12. Boys and Girls - Alabama Shakes

13. Bloom -  Beach House

14. Clear Heart, Full Eyes - Craig Finn

15. Fragrant World - Yeasayer

16. Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan - Various Artists

17. Little Broken Hearts -  Norah Jones

18. Anastasis - Dead Can Dance

19. Gossamer - Passion Pit

20. Algiers - Calexico

Songs:

1. Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men

2. Little Black Submarines - The Black Keys

3. Land of Hope and Dreams - Bruce Springsteen

4. Default - Django Django

5. I Will Wait - Mumford and Sons

6. Would That Not Be Nice - Divine Fits

7. Stubborn Love - The Lumineers

8. No Way Down - The Shins

9. Take a Walk - Passion Pit

10. Danny Come Inside - White Rabbits

11. Lonesome - Dr. Dog

12. Doom and Gloom - The Rolling Stones

13. Dirty Money - Antibalas

14. Used to Rule the World - Bonnie Raitt

15. Hold On - Alabama Shakes

16. Bottom of the World - Alejandro Escovedo

17. Bottom of the River - Delta Rae

18. 45 - The Gaslight Anthem

19. Reagan's Skeleton - Yeasayer

20. Happy Pills - Norah Jones

I should also put in a good word for Days by Real Estate, a fine alt-jangle pop band out of North Jersey whom I discovered this year, but they weren't eligible for the list since their album was released last October.

Also, if you'd like to score some good holiday music, check out Tracey Thorn's Tinsel and Lights. Tracey is formerly of the British group Everything But the Girl, and her album of self-described "secular carols" is a warm, mellow affair, with great covers of Joni Mitchell's "River" and Ron Sexsmith's "Maybe This Christmas", and her own gorgeous song, "Joy", among other fine tunes.  I've also heard bits and pieces of Sufjan Stevens' new Christmas EP collection Silver and Gold.  As with his previous collection Songs for Christmas, it's a mixed bag of religious and secular songs, veering from the reverent to the whimsical and silly. If you like Sufie (and I do), you won't be disappointed.