Continuing to mystify audiences with ethereal, oft-experimental electronic music, Shackleton delivers one of the finest jewels of 2012.

Dreamy at times (Crawlersout), with shimmering synths and picturesque melodies, there is a haunting beauty, almost terrifying, that surrounds the listener, almost as if one is sitting inside a sonic cocoon while taking it all in.

Segall takes us on a tour de force that is short and succinct in nature and delivery: the music swells with an infinite amount of pulse and drive and supported by Segall's remarkable ear for melody, it's simply another winner in his long-standing discography.

Liars have created another standout album that while dissimilar from the rest, is nothing short of amazing and nothing of a surprise from such an exceptional band.

Vastly rich... Ocean's voice is a thing of beauty – clear, crisp and almost, divine – he speaks of truth in an unabashed manner.

There is a subtle grandeur to George Lewis Jr.'s voice and musical nature.

This is music to celebrate life with and to joyously fashion because it's certainly amazing.

With Port of Morrow Mercer digs deep in forming a polished and almost, muscular relationship with the music.

Laswell and company have crafted something deeply personal and profound, and it's destined to be a milestone in his career.

This could be a rare Giant Sand LP that manages to be both sophisticated and sprawling. Overall, Tucson is destined to be labelled as a 'must-keep' for those struggling to house their vast Giant Howe collections.

With synths that convey the techno side behind Scuba's music, Rose allows the songs to flow within each other by way of carefully-placed transitions. There's a strong ear for melody and a terrific depiction of the sunny summer month.

This is the stuff of Hollywood film soundtracks, and Gahan's robust baritone is a perfect fit for the proceedings.

This synth pop rhythm and blues album is nothing out of the ordinary. I do believe, however, that there are some clever twists throughout the album but unfortunately it all becomes a bit repetitive both musically and lyrically.

Whilst there are a few archetypal GBV misfires inside Class Clown Spots A UFO – brought about by scattershot recording fidelity and a small imbalance in the quantity over quality ratio – overall it is still a solidly-carved collection.

This summer, don't just think about going surfing, listen to Strange Heaven instead.

Here We Go Magic certainly sound fantastically magical on A Different Ship. It's a definitive kind of feel and one that deserves proper recognition; they've delivered a remarkable album.

Although The Lost Tape might lack some consistency in places and the live material might have been better served on a separate collection, overall this is a richly rewarding treasure trove for the ever increasing number of Can fanatics across the globe to hunt down immediately and devour.

From track to track, there is a progression that not only befits their name but their musical endeavors.

It's not so much "old sad bastard music," as Barry described it--more like charmingly puerile lullabies.

Malcolm Middleton's position as Scotland's premier musical prankster is more or less entirely cemented by the time the final notes of Human Don't Be Angry fade off into the ironically romanticised Caledonian sunset of Malcolm Middleton's wryly expressed musical imagination.

Although Violens is a bit remarkable for capturing such a specific sound ...its scope is a bit limited. The trio utilizes the same tones and mostly the same approaches throughout, resulting in only the smallest level of uniqueness for each track.

The Bravest Man in the Universe doesn't need much of a buffer as it quietly approaches its essence with backing tracks, loops, bouts of acoustic guitar and piano all holistically orbiting around the central component of the album, Womack's unblemished vocals.

A refreshingly new take on classic indie guitar rock.

Fields sounds commandingly assured with songs that ache and bristle with lush convictions.

Though true that the album lacks the fervent surge of nearly every other Sigur Rós record, it's far from a snoozer. The conspicuous beauty and flummoxing eccentricity of the past haven't gone anywhere – they've just had their edges softened.

Ultimately, Tarot Classics is a fun and welcome addition to any existing Surfer Blood fan's catalogue, even if it is unlikely to win over any new fans.

The depth of Sioux's technical skill is palpable and worth the listen.

An intoxicating brand of synth-pop that's slicker than a Gordon Gekko coif.

America Give Up is a fantastically-promising debut album full of charm and potential. So, until the Strokes release their next masterpiece or pack it in altogether, enjoy this bunch of upbeat, tousle-haired tunes.

While there's certainly something to be said for BestCoast's paeans to the utopian side of life near the Pacific, the subtle shifts in Cosentino's songwriting are best experienced when the rays of sunshine are muted.

Neck of the Woods may not be album of the year material, but it's the best album in this band's catalog by a long shot.

Surely the best album (so far) of 2012.

There's a strong sense of pop hooks all over and with a rock vibe that is both heavily-induced and rendered, Segall and Presley have delivered a terrific debut.

Orcas, stays in the same zone [gauzy ambient folk], but edges closer to the sublime and harrowing atmospheres more associated with Irisarri.

Bloom is as fetching a record as any in Beach House's growing canon of work.

Absolutely stunning... One HUGE startling success.

With amps that are allowed to breathe with static and reverb, drums that clatter against a harsh delivery and with vocals that are unhinged and undeterred, the 'raw' adjective is a fitting superlative.

The way the EP grows from song to song--with a seamless flow inherently added midway through creation--Silent Hour/Golden Mile never ceases to impress.

This new album capitalizes on many of the singer/songwriter's strengths with songs that support his abilities.

Grand Hotel is remarkable not just as a present day artistic piece, but also as homage to what many people consider the greatest music ever made.

Everything about Staring At The X is tightly controlled and composed, from its guitar chords through its electronic bass lines right up to the mixing board pyrotechnics that propel the songs forward.

This album is too good to dally over, because it's so good, jaw droppingly good, not a false note in the bunch kind of good.... Record of the year stuff.

Thirteen tracks of exceptional music and a clear-cut success for Boucher.

Out of its many blues like qualities the one that I see potentially defining the album as a whole is its rawness.

Ultimately, the peaks and troughs of Grinderman 2 RMX come from magnifying both the good and the so-so qualities of the original source material and from finding the most imaginative or laziest ways to refashion them.

Both Lights goes a step further in cementing their reputation as one of the Pacific Northwest's best kept secrets.

Elephant & Castle is refreshing, and its an extremely impressive solo project.

I cannot overstate enough the cross genre appeal that is contained within Sentenced to Life. There is literally enough here for everyone; while it lacks a black metal vibe I feel it would still be relevant enough for those that jam out with corpse paint.

The freshness of these subversions reveal spaces you didn't know were there, and achieve a rare expansion of the vocabulary of music.

This is a solid, sonically beautiful album.... [Yet] the problem with her quicker stuff is that, while pretty, it tends to sound all the same; you end up desperate for the chorus, so that you can tell one song from another.

The attention to detail Bevin is known for sounds invitingly open on Kindred and the ending fruition is a thrilling success.

All in all, Foreign Body is a very rewarding and promising collaboration for fans of the more emotive side of droning ambient music.

It's this robust fervor and subject matter that fire up and lift up many of the songs on Ceremonials, but the constant exhortation comes at a price. Listener fatigue sets in as the relentless, up-tempo pace and sharply exclamatory vocal tone overwhelms over the course of the album.

Focusing on the music and what's happening within and around it – enables Hive Mind to deliver a truly excellent aural experience.

Eternal Turn of the Wheel just seems to pack too much of an antiquated, overused style into it without any new innovation and I just can't get behind this album.

This is an unwieldy yet infectious compendium that will satisfy those who need it most.

Whatever the band loses in spastic energy and volatility on Zoo, it gains in melodic constancy.

It's hard not to listen to this album and to think that they've mined this territory already in 69 Love Songs.

It's this sort of wide-eyed optimism [heard on "Near Death Experience Experience"] that lends Break It Yourself immediate appeal.

A hell of an album that reveals further treasures buried in the mix with each listen.

Interstellar may not be the most enterprising album released this year, but there won't likely be another one that so cogently captures the celestial side of an era [the 80's] known for its excesses.

On the whole, it's a winner, and you can take the singles and run with them--the play be damned.

Sleigh Bells' sophomore LP is unlikely to be met with the same peerless adulation as its predecessor, but Reign of Terror still seduces with an uncanny knack for extracting a pioneering spirit out of musty source material.

As Perfume Genius, he's [Mike Hadreas] developed a strong second album with Put Your Back N 2 It, a modestly personal release.

A strong debut.

This is a grating, difficult, unsatisfying album.

Hadreas is one of the strongest songwriters we've seen develop this year, and Learning puts that on display beautifully.

Whatever the circumstances have been in Lana's rise to fame, all that doesn't detract from the captivating quality of the songs on Born To Die.

This is an album for the patient, who are willing, as the title of the album suggests, to sit through a slide show made by someone you don't really know that well.

It's an irrefutable example of boilerplate rock and roll, and it feels completely awesome.

The group manages to rise above many of their stereotypical, unoriginal contemporaries by featuring plenty of surprises and innovation (although there is still a very recognizable grounding throughout).

An unquestionable oblique listen by mainstream standards, but compared to Of Montreal's previous offerings, Paralytic Stalks demonstrates an intimacy and immediacy which Barnes would do well to repeat.

While it may lack the dense orchestrations and insular connotations of previous efforts, Animal Joy packs a powerful punch all of its own, typified by an artfully sequenced set of songs that capture the human condition with panache.

The songs here seldom rise above the level of being really cute.

This album makes the case they deserve our attention and our own hospitality.

Feel the Sound is such a consistent, and consistently smooth, pop album, that it might put you to sleep, or at least a musically-induced coma.

As reunion records go this is certainly no lazy phoned-in companion to more lucrative live shows, as it captures promising movements forward as opposed to just fumbled nostalgic flashbacks.

New Album is the culmination of the band's ongoing experimentation that catapults its ferocious sound headlong into new territory.

Gloss Drop is a definitely strong final outcome.

All in all, El Camino sticks to a tried and true template of brazen impulsivity that's been explored by generations of rock bands.

Bon Iver sounds distinctively matured and alive on Bon Iver: an album that even still, in the late winter, months after its release sounds magical.

If diversity is key, this album certainly has it in abundant strength and as more is revealed, the range of the band takes over.

This small grievance aside, Getting Paid is sure to delight not only the Mars Volta fans out there, but also anyone with a passing fancy for artists ranging from Geddy Lee to Jack White.

Although a little flawed, taken overall this repackage of Tago Mago is a strong reminder of an inspirational band that – like sometime peers Kraftwerk – can still be enjoyed directly in the present, due to a combination timelessness and foresight that sustains a remarkably intense freshness.

On Metals Feist combines the sublime magic of her voice with songs that feature equally strong compositions to render an album that is easily one of the best of the year.

Conatus continues her roll with more astounding music that sounds better with each listen and during this day and age, what more could you ask for in an album?

Through its eleven songs Komba is exactly what we all need from time to time: a hopeful rejoicing in life itself.

It was a captivating listen then, and remains so now.

Biophilia is an excellent addition to her glorious discography.

The intelligent songcraft on Days is remarkably strong and with enough luster to continue, here's to hoping the desire never runs dry for Real Estate.

The Vision stands far above many of the other products of its genre, and hints at the ability of McClean to eventually gain massive crossover appeal and subvert the trappings and constrictions of his genre.

Fortunately III is an aptly titled, continued sign of excellence from one of electronic techno music's prominent leaders.

It'd be a daunting feat for anyone to furnish a respectable sophomore LP after the hype of a debut like Psychic Chasms, but Alan Palomo succeeds here, blessed with an innate ability to temper previous charms with present provocations.

There is cohesiveness here, there is a strong theme throughout, there is terrific musicianship and a gorgeous melting of voices all in between.

As stirring as it is absorbing, Talkdemonic's music is an engaging set of blended fusion that is a solid step forward.

The songs are dense and cleverly-constructed, and given a bit of attention, their wit and melodies will worm their way into your awareness until you don't feel like listening to very much else.

Das Racist takes the strengths off their mixtapes and simply take them on a new adventure with Relax.

Though there were hints of branching out before, none were ever as intrepid as the songs presented on Starry Mind, making Gubler's music something to surely take note of.