KCRW DJ Travis Holcombe’s Top 50 Albums of 2012

A few weeks ago all of the KCRW DJs were instructed to turn in our top 10 albums for 2012. In a year with so much great music, being limited to only 10 really sucks. I stand by my original top 10, but I pleaded with Rachel to let me augment it with another 20-25 picks, but even that became untenable so I finally settled on a top

So here it is. (And I feel better now)

1. Chromatics – Kill For Love (Italians Do It Better)

2. Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg (Mercury)

3. Poolside – Pacific Standard Time (Day & Night)

4. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city (TDE/Aftermath/Interscope)

5. Nick Waterhouse – Time’s All Gone (Innovative Leisure)

6. Tanlines – Mixed Emotions (True Panther)

7. Meek Mill – Dreamchasers 2 (Self Released)

8. Bonde Do Role – Tropical/Bacanal (Mad Decent)

9. VA – G.O.O.D. Music: Cruel Summer (Island/Def Jam)

10. Allah-Las – Allah-Las (Innovative Leisure)

11. Santigold – Master Of My Make Believe (Atlantic)

12. Whitey – Great Shakes Vol. 2 (Self Released)

13. Usher – Looking 4 Myself (RCA)

14. Tame Impala – Lonerism (Modular)

15. Breakbot – By Your Side (Ed Banger)

16. Jam City – Classical Curves (Night Slugs)

17. Big Boi – Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors (Island/Def Jam)

18. Miguel – Kaleidoscope Dream (RCA)

19. Yan Wagner – Forty Eight Hours (Pschent)

20. Donnie & Joe Emerson – Dreamin’ Wild (Light In The Attic)

21. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange (Island/Def Jam)

22. Matthew Dear – Beams (Ghostly International)

23. Grimes – Visions (4AD)

24. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – Trouble (Polydor)

25. John Talabot – Fin (Permanent Vacation)

26. Pop Levi – Medicine (Counter)

27. Joey Bada$$ – 1999 (Self Released)

28. Rihanna – Unapologetic (Def Jam)

29. Cleaners From Venus – Box Set (Captured Tracks)

30. Cat Power – Sun (Matador)

31. 2 Bears – Be Strong (DFA Records)

32. Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music (Williams Street)

33. Goat – World Music (Rocket Recordings)

34. Cymbals – Sideways, Sometimes (Tough Love)

35. VA – Holy Spirit: Spiritual Soul & Gospel Funk (Harmless)

36. Labrinth – Electronic Earth (Syco Music)

37. Whitey – Lost Summer (Self Released)

38. Com Truise – In Decay (Ghostly International)

39 Can – Lost Tapes (Mute)

40. Azealia Banks – Fantasea (Self Released)

41. Sleigh Bells – Reign Of Terror (Mom + Pop)

42. Future – Pluto (Epic)

43. Win Win – Double Vision (Vice)

44. Air – Le Voyage Dans La Lune (Astralwerks)

45. 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 (Epic)

46. Teen – In Limbo (Carpark)

47. Willis Earl Beal – Acousmatic Sorcery (XL)

48. Howler – America Give Up (Rough Trade)

49. Holograms – Holograms (Captured Tracks)

50. Jack White – Blunderbuss (Third Man/Columbia),

VA – Country Funk (Light In The Attic),

Jeremih – Late Nights With Jeremih (Self Released),

John Tejada – The Predicting Machine (Kompakt) (tie)