Jonny writesCHIRP Radio Best of 2012 (Jonny Madness)

Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its members’ top albums of 2012. Our next list is from volunteer Jonny Madness.

Jonny Madness is a seasoned DJ and volunteer with CHIRP since 2009. List is chronologic by release date.

• Threads - Now Now (Trans-)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  Hello high school!! Maybe it's the almost perfect altish 90isms or maybe just the unprocessed jam factor. Whatever it is, it's great. Solid songs, great production, and a nice steady flow of teenage angst to make it yell, Now Now (trio from Blaine,MN) have my full attention on their second LP. Playing it loud enhances this experience, so it must rock. Fanfrickin' Tastic!
• Grimes - Visions (4AD)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  Like nothing else, Claire's majestic soundscapes charm the pants off me like a Boucher painting. It may not be rococo, but has all the intimacy of a sexy seance on really good natural meds. The more I listen, the more hypnotic it becomes. Sometimes it unintentionally comes on like bubblegum goth. This must be some kind of genius. Bewitchingly intimate, beautiful at times, Visions works on all sorts of levels and seasons.
• Hollows - Vulture (Trouble in Mind)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  Another album that just gets better. Maybe it's the marble vinyl. Maybe it's Maria's songs, her organ or the consistent harmonies. Take some Debbie Harry, some Suzi Quatro, some girl group pomp, mix it with some organ driven garage rock and you have Hollows. When the songs aren't fun they're sweet. They bounce along fast and sexy and suddenly it's gone. Time to play it again!
• Ty Segall and White Fence - Hair (Drag City)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  The chemistry is quite perfect on this one off collaboration from fuzzy garage hairmaster Ty Segall and the amazing White Fence (check lo-fi greatness Family Perfume) a perfect yet awesome sixties band with a smooth yet power tinged attitude that will make you rock out. Their sound is all over the Seeds and proto punk with a sweet melodic urgency at times, a heavy stick at other times. I would hope some kind of proper band would come from this, release five albums and be better than the Pixies. Enough talent, hopefully insane greatness to follow.
• Grass Window - Internal Logic (HLR)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  Awesome harmonies, amazing spontaneous rhythms, catchy hooks galore. This beautiful trio from California have me secretly going privately crazy it's embarrassing. There is so much psych pop goodness in their evolving sound it has turned me into an obnoxious groupie. Grass Widow is a sacred group to be cherished as such.
• Crocodiles - Endless Flowers (French Kiss)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  Massive euphoria induced via notions of sixties pop fuzzy crunch guitars with plenty of classic glammy noise dream psychedelia thrown in for fun. Insanely great party record. Recorded in Berlin by now five piece band from San Diego, Crocodiles have topped themselves again. Brandon is one of the few men on earth I could possibly be jealous of. To be played at maximum volume!!
• Milk Maid - Mostly No (Fat Cat)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  Another beachy party record! The second album from Manchester garage sixties revivalists keeps the sweet juices flowing. Martin Cohen's songs remind me of Blur and Teenage Fanclub, and having that today only makes it that much better. Also to be played loud! It calms me down.
• The Limiñanas - Crystal Anis (Hozac)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  Second LP from French perfectionists includes a healthy dose of sexy trance inducing fuzzy sixties flower power, and sounds like all the other great albums this year aspired to sound like. Throw on some sweet vocals in French and you have enough mystique to keep you busy until that new seven inch comes out. Again, play it loud and often!
• Dum Dum Girls - End of Daze (Sub Pop)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  The Girls' He Gets Me High EP was a bold, excellent step forward from the messy noise pop of I Will Be, and End of Daze takes everything over the top. I was less than impressed it wasn't an LP making good on the super ambitious Only In Dreams, but less is more. It did not hit me at first, but End of Daze is a perfect record that actually tops everything they've ever done. Now they just have to combine the aggressive fervor of I Will Be with the artistic polish/restraint of this record. One can only wish.
• Tame Impala - Lonerism (Modular)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  Love all the Beatles comparisons but the Beatles were never this tripped out. I'm still getting into the grooves of Innerspeaker and now I have a grower that should get me through at least until the end of next year. These are some serious mindtrips, and I'm perfectly willing to momentarily escape reality. At first I wanted more hooky pop songs and now I just want to listen and jump to some new astral plane. Wonderful.

Honorable Mentions

• 
  Bonus track/re-issue madness:
  My Bloody Valentine - EP's 1988-1991 (Sony)
  BUY: Reckless / Permanent / Insound / iTunes / eMusic
  MBV must be the band everyone wanted to sound like in 2012. I can't get over them. It's okay if they decide not to reunite, just release this on vinyl, wontcha please?!! I dream about things like this.
  
  Also worth some fanmail: Golden Void, Two Gallants, Mazes, Tamaryn, Melody's Echo Chamber, Friends, Beth Jeans, Redd Kross, DIIV, Sleigh Bells, Spiritualized, Jessie Ware, Ringo Deathstarr, Toy.