Will Cleveland's Favorite Albums of 2012 [Music Podcast]

As a supplement to this week’s “Favorite Music of 2012” podcast, we’ll be posting top 10 album lists from all four participants over the course of the day. Here’s Will Cleveland’s list.

1. Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!

The Canadian post-rock icons returned with their first album in 10 years, and it proved that they are still the best. This album is huge, symphonic, and breathtakingly beautiful. I was lucky enough to experience them live in concert this year in Buffalo. Here is a video I shot at the show of the opening song.

2. Kowloon Walled City, Container Ships

The Bay area quartet delivers sludge-y bummer jams. The music is beautifully produced and it beautifully recorded. The bassist, Ian Miller, is one half of the Productive Outs baseball podcast/blog. It is one of my favorite spots on the internet, and his musical endeavors are every bit as awesome as his baseball ones.

3. The Evens, The Odds

This is the first new album from the Evens in six years. I love the vocal interplay between husband and wife duo of Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina. And the contrast between Farina’s inventive drumming and MacKaye’s baritone guitar is excellent. Here’s a sample.

4. El-P, Cancer 4 Cure

El-P is the master. His space-y, science fiction-influenced beats are both schizophrenic and beautiful. I’ve love El-P since his Company Flow and Def Jux days. His production on Cannibal Ox’s “The Cold Vein” still stands as my single favorite hip-hop album of all-time. As a rapper, he is both brutally honest and slightly abstract. In a year full of great rap releases, this one stands out the most to me.

5. Frank Ocean, channel ORANGE

The Odd Future crooner hit new heights for me this year. His “nostalgia, ULTRA” mixtape found its way into my top 10 last year, and he really surpasses it with his debut. I was lucky enough to see him live in Toronto over the summer. And in the live setting, his voice is untouchable. The performance was both intimate and grandiose. I love his unique vision of old school soul.

6. Miguel, Kaleidoscope Dream

I’ve loved Miguel since his contributions to Blu and Exile’s “Below the Heavens.” That album is a masterpiece. And while Miguel’s debut album didn’t really resonate with me, his second one truly does. Like Frank Ocean, Miguel delivers R&B goodness with honesty and aplomb.

7. Joey Bada$$, 1999

At just 17 years old, Brooklyn’s Joey Bada$$ is insanely talented. His “1999” mixtape highlights his uniquely old school sensibility. Bada$$ and his entire Progressive Era family give rap music an exciting new voice. I am really stoked to see where he goes next.

8. Flying Lotus/Captain Murphy, Until the Quiet Comes/Duality

It’s really hard for me to separate the dual releases from Steven Ellison this year. FlyLo’s release is his most muted to date, but it sits along his two earlier albums in terms of innovation and beauty. And when Captain Murphy surfaced earlier this summer, blogs were ablaze, trying to figure out the rapper’s true identity. Speculation ran from Tyler, the Creator to a slew of others. But when Ellison revealed himself as Captain Murphy, it all made sense. The Murphy project is a new stoner-rap-like outlet. It features a number of great beats from FlyLo and contributions from Earl Sweatshirt. It’s one of my favorite releases of the year.

9. The xx, Coexist

Just watch The xx perform with the BBC Philharmonic live earlier this year and you can begin to understand my love of them. Their second album is a thing of beauty.

10. Clams Casino, Instrumentals Mixtape 2

Beats like “Palace” and “I’m God” show that this New Jersey hip-hop producer is the new master. His second self-released collection highlights his unique ability to mine interesting vocal samples and overlay them in his woozy, thumping productions.