Irregardless of who you speak to, 2012 has been another great year (here is 2011's list, for comparisons sake). From the emergence of new favorites like DIIV, Savages & Splashh, to the returning Tame Impala, Foals & The xx to name but a few, its been scattered with diversity once again. Below, you can find our top 12 (in no particular order, six choices each and one for each month) tracks from 2012, each divergent, unique and evident of another memorable year that has passed us by. See you again in 365 days time.

2012 saw the second coming of Grizzly Bear; needless to say, the hipsters rejoiced and we were - as usual - sceptical. However, we received a short sharp smack around the face from "Sleeping Ute" which was quickly followed by an upper cut of "Yet Again" brilliance. Gone was the whimsical folk-rock and here was a rich and full bodied slice of psych-rock pie. - PW

3. SAVAGES - HUSBANDS

4. MS MR - HURRICANE

New Yorkers MS MR came quietly out of nowhere this year and their impact, based on the quality of debut track "Hurricane", hasn't been quite as much as they deserve. The track swirls out - "Welcome to the inner workings of my mind, so dark and foul I can't disguise." - you'll find yourself thinking, these vocals are so dark and mysterious, I'm addicted. who is she? Utterly spellbinding and effortlessly cool. - PW 



5. TAME IMPALA - ELEPHANT



6. HOLOGRAMS - CHASING MY MIND

The post-punk aesthetic saw a resurgence in 2012 and it would be fair to say that Sweden's Holograms were at the forefront. If awards were being dished out for the best injection of teenage angst into an upbeat party track, "Chasing My Mind" would win hands down. Feel good positivity by the truck load without the band losing their balls in the process. See, it can be done! - PW




7. SPLASHH - ALL I WANNA DO

Back in March, just as the rain filled months were drawing to a close, "All I Wanna Do" fell out of the sky as if a mark of impending summer warmth. No doubt affected by the groups southern hemisphere roots, the track came gorgeously presented with infectious riffs and carefree cries of "sweet cherry, extraordinary". In short, we'll call it utter pop perfection. - WF




8. BEACH HOUSE - MYTH

Probably one of the more obvious choices this year, so for anyone hoping for a full list of relative unknowns, sorry to let you down. "Myth" is typical Beach House; intrinsic, empowering and seriously bloody moving! They couldn't have returned with a better track. 3 minutes 30 is where the magic happens though, it never fails to stand my hair on end. - PW



9. OUTFIT - DRAKES 

Currently putting the finishing touches to their debut LP, Outfit diversified their vibe a little more on this years 'Another Nights Dream Reaches Earth Again' EP. In particular, the confident, evolving "Drakes", and you may recall they nabbed the accolade of 'Most Genre Defying Artist' at the very first 6 Music Blog Awards, too. - WF



10. TWIN SHADOW - 5 SECONDS

Twin Shadow turned heads with their 2010 debut Forget and following that, the band brought us "5 Seconds" in maybe too much of a dramatic fashion. Premiering new videos in Times Square and performing the song live. OTT anyone? Well the song itself is no different, with George Lewis Jnr at his melodramatic best, showing exactly how pop music should be done. Sheer over-indulgence without losing its edge. - PW



11. SAM FLAX - FIRE DOESN'T BURN ITSELF

One that didn't really get the attention it deserved until its re-release on vinyl, Sam Flax's "Fire Doesn't Burn Itself" is brilliantly Californian in every sense. Eccentric, experimental and spectacularly diverse, its psychedelic licks and gritty yet glam rock sound is enough to grace most publications end of year lists (but probably won't, shame). - WF




12. PURITY RING - FINESHRINE

"Fineshrine" contains probably the strangest lyrics of the year. "Get a little closer let it fold. Cut open my sternum and pull, my little ribs around you" It takes getting close to another level and then some. Purity Ring don't just go to the limits lyrically, they also compose a decent little package. Doused in little synth stabs which work cohesively with Megan James' hauntingly beautiful vocals. Refreshingly original and very addictive.







Virals - Gloria
Mac Demarco - Freaking Out The Neighborhood
G R E A T W A V E S - Feel The Love