PERRY EATON, music writer, The Phoenix
1. Dirty Projectors "Swing Lo Magellan" (from Swing Lo Magellan)
2. Mac DeMarco "Rock n' Roll Nightclub" (from Rock n' Roll Nightclub EP)
3. Chris Cohen "Optimist High" (from Overgrown Path)
4. Swearin' "Here to Hear" (from Swearin')
5. Nas feat. Amy Winehouse "Cherry Wine" (from Life Is Good)
6. Mean Creek "Young and Wild" (from Youth Companion)
7. Speedy Ortiz "Taylor Swift" (from Taylor Swift/Swim Fan)
8. Krill "Solitaire" (from Alam No Hris)
9 ABADABAD "All The Bros Say" (from The Wild EP)
10. earthquake party! "One More Night Could Ruin Us" (from Let's Rock, OK?)
Blogging requires a healthy dose of sitting back and listening (tough life), and 2012 made that easy job even easier. I had to split this list half local, half everything else because there is no scene easier to write about then the one in which we live. This year, Boston in general took leaps forward and just a few steps back. We saw old friends like Converge, Dinosaur Jr., and Passion Pit find success on the national level, kept a keen ear for the pleasant noise coming from Western Mass, and continued to rally behind new bands, new venues, and the ever-expanding culture right here in the city. And while the local DIY scene took a hit, the support in response, whether it be the development of new zines, a cooperative approach to find a new solution, or a general unwillingness to let this crucial community fizzle out, has kept the scene alive and its spirit buoyant. Music beyond Massachusetts borders also did a lot to impress in 2012. Bandcamp became my best friend. Captured Tracks and Burger Records ruled. Weirdness had a good year. So did guitars, but I'm starting to come around on laptops being instruments. Keep an eye on Canada in 2013.
GET THE SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: Phoenix/WFNX.com's Top Tracks of 2012
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