Top 20 of 2012

1. Punch Brothers – Who’s Feeling Young Now?
2. Japandroids – Celebration Rock 
3. Tropical Punk – Ends of the World 
4. John K. Samson – Provincial 
5. Flume – Flume
6. Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE 
7. Tame Impala – Lonerism 
8. Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel…
9. Balmorhea – Stranger
10. The Mountain Goats – Transcendental Youth
11. Titus Andronicus – Local Business
12. Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas
13. The Men – Open Your Heart
14. The Avett Brothers – The Carpenter
15. Bob Dylan – Tempest
16. First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar
17. Miguel – Kaleidoscope Dream
18. Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes
19. St. Lucia – St. Lucia EP
20. Yeasayer – Fragrant World

Honorable Mentions: People Get Ready, Grizzly Bear, Lucero, Black Moth Super Rainbow, The Tallest Man on Earth

Top 20 of 2012: 11. Titus Andronicus – Local Business

11. Titus Andronicus – Local Business

After 2010’s epic The Monitor, I was unsure of where Titus Andronicus would go next. The Civil War-themed epic rewrote the rules for punk, but the new songs they debuted at shows didn’t sound like pieces of another concept album.

Instead, on their third album, the New Jersey punks kept things simpler — conceptually, at least. The first single, “In a Big City,” is one of their most straight-forward songs ever, but it still packs a punch. “Food Fight!” is even simpler. Its only lyrics are “Food fight!,” but musically it’s one of their most adventurous, with piano and wailing harmonica that sound more like the Rolling Stones than punk.

Titus Andronicus aren’t abandoning everything they established on their last album. There are still a couple massive tracks (“My Eating Disorder” clocks in at eight minutes and “Tried to Quit Smoking” is almost 10), and even the shorter epics like “Still Life with Hot Deuce on Silver Platter” have song-within-a-song shifts and tempo changes.

Local Business is the perfect follow up to The Monitor because it’s not trying to follow it. Another concept album would’ve seemed forced, but instead, Titus Andronicus just focus on rocking.

Titus Andronicus – “Still Life with Hot Deuce and Silver Platter”

Titus Andronicus just released another track from their upcoming third LP, Local Business. The band has been playing “Still Life with Hot Deuce and Silver Platter” live recently, but you can hear the studio version via another lyric video.

Clocking in at over five minutes, the new track seems to recapture a bit of the sprawling punk of The Monitor. Stream the new track below and check out the album’s first single, “In a Big City.”

Local Business is out October 22 via XL.

Titus Andronicus – “In a Big City”

Titus Andronicus announced today they’ll be releasing their third LP, Local Business, this fall. In a blog post, frontman Patrick Stickles revealed the album’s title, cover art — created by the band’s friend Nolen Strals (Pure Junk, ex-Double Daggers) — release date, and first single, “In a Big City.”

Stream “In a Big City” below via a homemade lyric video. Local Business is out October 22 via XL.