Best Rock Album in 2012


Ok folks, let's get another one started. Best yearly thread for us rock fans.

Not really rock, but like Gotye "Making Mirrors" so far.

Cheers,

KeithR
keithr
Ditto on Beach House's Bloom. Also, Jessie Baylin's new disc is very fine, as is Ben Howard's.

Neal
Thanks to all for the Beach House "Bloom" recommendation. I would have walked past it in the store today ,but remembered the name and picked it up. Enjoying it!
New releases from Brendan Benson (What Kind of World) and Freedy Johnston (Rain On The City) are both very good. I'm not sure that either one ranks with the respective best from these artists, but both are still a cut above most rock that I hear these days.

Also second the Jack White (Blunderbuss) recommendation.

Marty
Beach House fans might also try their earlier "Teen Dream." Great that Freedy Johnson is back.
Since this is a "best rock" thread, in the interest of full disclosure, I should point out that the Freedy Johnston CD only contains a handful of rock songs. The balance is more in the plaintive, singer-songwriter FJ ballad style.

Marty
Ry Cooder's Election Special. Kudos to Cooder(and Guthrie and Thompson before him) for taking on "the bastards." In this and the last album he has evolved compositionally and vocally, with much more vocal authority than on the early albums. Some guitar work has Keith Richards-like grit, and of course the debt to Woody is clear.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/25/arts/music/for-ry-cooder-a-dogs-life-and-a-deal-with-the-devil.html

What's so great is that Cooder manages to take up political themes, but always through the lens of an authentic bluesman and never with shallow agitprop like some Annie De Franco and Billy Bragg. This one tops my list so far. Nice if expensive vinyl.
Nglazer, thank you for the Ben Howard recommendation!!!!
I am REALLY enjoying Every Kingdom from Spotify!
Only one album on Spotify , are there any other releases?
Highly recommend everyone take a spin of Every Kingdom.
If you need a laugh... I was enjoying the Beach House,but could not understand the GUY singer. After about 5 sides I noticed it was a 45 rpm record. Even better now!
Father John Misty (aka Joshua Tillman) FEAR FUN. He's grown gonads since the Fleet Foxes, aborbing what he needs of the psyche folk scene, Beatles, Gram Parsons, Dead. Interesting inversion of the Pastor persona. A well-recorded LP with occasional sibilance that might be my Acutex M420.
Dgarretson...Love that record! Quite a swing from his brooding J.Tillman stuff which is also great. Talented dude.
Bob Mould's Silver Age is his strongest in a string of recent good ones-- including 2012 vinyl reissues of two seminal Sugar albums. Mould is a kind of thinking man's Josh Homme, with rock roots as deep as Frank Black but without the recognition factor of the Pixies. The LP recorded at Hyde Street Studio is natural, both monolithic and finely detailed. R&R isn't dead, at least not this year.
You are welcome, Toddnkaya.

If you like female singers, you might try Jessie Baylin's latest disc. She is very good.

Neal
2009's "Embryonic" by The Flaming Lips is one of my favorites in recent years and worth a plug here.
Kieth the Grizzly Bear album is special. By far the best music they've made, to my ears. Really really good record, enjoy!
Has anybody seen GB open for Radiohead? Shields is an excellent LP, but may go too far in the direction of turning GB into a cover band for the RH sound.
I'm inclined to vote against the new Neil Young and Crazy Horse, "Americana."

Not the most rabid Neil fan (though I follow many of his musical descendants), but I was intrigued by the song list of folk classics like "O Susannah" on this one. Unfortunately, I didn't find the re-imaginings particularly compelling. Won't make it into heavy rotation.

IMHO, of course.

John
Dave Mathews Band Away From The World not bad IMO at all. Also enjoying Green Day Uno. Not new music but new reissues, the Blur titles are great.
It's not rock, but Brian Eno's ambient Lux is getting me through the Holiday angst. Nice sounding DMM double LP.

Other worthy LPs include Neil Young Psychedelic Pill, Soundgarden King Animal, Calexico Algiers, Mekons Ancient & Modern(2011). Trying but so far failing to care about John Cale Shifty Adventures in Nooky Wood.
Bongo , really enjoying Here We Go Magic's new release , A Different Ship. Thanks for that great recommendation !!
New rave for 2013: Stealing Sheep, a great all girl band from Liverpool. Also like the electronica beats of Django Django.