Now that the year 2012 is coming to a close us here at WKNC look back at our top five albums of the year once again. Although we might not always agree on what is the most amazing, the love of great music not only kept us excited throughout 2012, but we look forward to the amazing music that it will bring as well. Take a gander at what are a few of the albums we loved throughout this year, as chosen by WKNC DJs. See you in 2013!

 

Sarahnade

1. Caspian – Waking Season
2. El Ten Eleven – Transitions
3. Spider Bags – Shake My Head
4. Pinback – Information Retrieved
5. Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits

 

C. Deuce

1. Yeasayer – Fragrant World
2. Alt-J – An Awesome Wave
3. Hundred Waters – Hundred Waters
4. Sweet Valley – Eternal Champ
5. Miike Snow – Happy to You

 

CMYK

1. Japandroids – Celebration Rock
2. Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself
3. Beach House – Bloom
4. The Mountain Goats – Transcendental Youth
5. Oceanics – Bright People

 

JKG

1. Dan Deacon – America
2. MAKE – Trephine
3. The Album Leaf – Forward/Return
4. Dads – American Radass (this is important)
4. El Ten Eleven – Transitions

 

Zaps

1. Father John Misty – Fear Fun
2. First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar
3. Bowerbirds – The Clearing
4. Lost In The Trees – A Church That Fits Our Needs
5. Jukebox the Ghost- Safe Travels

 

Seagull

1. DIIV – Oshin
2. Tame Impala – Lonerism
3. Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse
4. Mac Demarco – 2
5. Beach House – Bloom

 

DJ DiGiorno

1. Howler – America Give Up
2. Beach House – Bloom
3. Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan
4. Father John Misty- Fear Fun
5. Dr. Dog- Be The Void

 

DJ GRZA

1.  Flying Lotus – Until The Quiet Comes
2.  Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself
3.  Frank Ocean – Channel Orange
4.  Kendrick Lamar – good kid, M.A.D.D city
5.  Alt-J – An Awesome Wave

 

The Mattador

1. Grouplove – Never Trust a Happy Song (Released 2011)
2. Dr. Dog – Be the Void
3. Passion Pit – Gossamer
4. Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory
5. Supreme Cuts – Whispers in the Dark

 

DJ Smitty

1. The Menzingers – On The Impossible Past
2. Red Collar – Welcome Home
3. Japandroids – Celebration Rock
4. Murder By Death – Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon
5. Hop Along – Get Disowned

 

DJ Ones

1. Andrew Bird – Break if Yourself
2. Tame Impala – Lonerism
3. Sharon Van Etten – Tramp
4. Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan
5. Grizzly Bear – Shields

 

DJ Salinger

1. The Avett Brothers – The Carpenter
2. Grimes – Visions
3. The XX – Coexist
4. Toro y Moi – June 2009
5. Oberhofer – Time Capsules II

 

Muta

1. GRiZ – Mad Liberation
2. Purity Ring – Shrines
3. Submotion Orchestra – Fragments
4. Badbadnotgood – BBNG2
5. XXYYXX – XXYYXX

 

May Day

1. Beach House – Bloom
2. Purity Ring – Shrines
3. The Walkmen – Heaven
4. The Helio Sequence – Negotiations
5. Oberhofer – Time Capsules II

 

Billy

1.Stripmines – Crimes of Dispassion
2. Oiltanker/No Tomorrow – Split LP
3. The Sword – Apogryphon
4. High On Fire – De Vermis Mysteriis
5. Mob Rules – The Donor

 

Walter-Ego

1. Dan Deacon – America
2. Death Grips – The Money Store
3. Spider Bags – Shake My Head
4. The Mountain Goats – Transcendental Youth
5. Dr. Dog – Be The Void

 

DJ Sweet D

1. Grimes – Visions
2. Purity Ring – Shrines
3. First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar
4. Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself
5. Grizzly Bear – Shields

 

Major Tom

1. Alt-J – An Awesome Wave
2. Cloud Nothings – Attack On Memory
3. Tame Impala – Mind Mischief
4. The Shins – Port Of Morrow
5. Beach House – Bloom

 

DJ ACORN

1. Micachu & The Shapes – Never
2. Daughn Gibson – All Hell
3. The Music Tapes – Mary’s Voice
4. Schoolboy Q – Habits & Contradictions
5. Murder by Death – Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon

 

Anastassia

1. Japandroids – Celebration Rock
2. Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse
3. DIIV – Oshin
4. Grass Widow – Internal Logic
5. Grimes – Visions

 

Spaceman Spiff

1.  Chromatics – Kill for Love
2.  Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory
3.  Wild Nothing – Nocturne
4.  Grimes – Visions
5.  Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits

 

DJ CJ

1. Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Psychedelic Pill
2. Carolina Chocolate Drops – Leaving Eden
3. Steep Canyon Rangers – Nobody Knows You
4. Trampled By Turtles – Stars & Satellites
5. Old Crow Medicine Show – Carry Me Back To Virginia

 

ALASKA

1. Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra – Theatre is Evil
2. Sharon Van Etten – Tramp
3. White Lung – Sorry
4. Perfume Genius – Put Your Back N 2 It
5. La Sera – Sees the Light

 

DJ Mason

1. Lost in the Trees – A Church That Fits Our Needs
2. Beach House – Bloom
3. Death Grips – The Money Store
4. Grimes – Visions
5. Here We Go Magic – A Different Ship

 

Here are the top ten albums in Afterhours.

 

 

Rank	Artist	Recording	Label
1	Friendly Fires	Pala	XL
2	Austra	Feel It Break	Domino
3	Toro y Moi	Underneath the Pine	CarPark Records
4	Gold Panda	Companion	Ghostly International
5	Bibio	Mind Bokeh	Warp Records
6	Borgore	Delicious EP	White Label Nation
7	Moby	Destoyed	Mute
8	Blue Sky Black Death	Noir	Fake Four Inc.
9	Daft Punk	TRON: Legacy RECONFIGURED	White Label Nation
10	Gorillaz	The Fall	Virgin

To state the obvious, we here at WKNC love music. A lot. We also love live music. A lot. Most, if not all, of us attend many concerts and music festivals each year. What follows are lists of some of WKNC’s deejays’ favorite shows of the year. They range from national to local acts, regular shows to festivals. Some (myself included) went to so many it was hard to narrow it down to five, so we listed ten. Some lists are in numerical order, others are not. Caribou, Future Islands, and the inaugural Hopscotch Music Festival were some of the most common favorites, among dozens of other acts. Check it out:

Synthesiser Patel (Daytime/Afterhours)

- Chromeo/A-Trak/Kid Sister/Theophilus London @ Congress Theater (Chicago)

- The National/Owen Pallett @ Raleigh Memorial Auditorium

- Metric @ Lollapalooza

- of Montreal @ Cat’s Cradle

- Born Ruffians/Winter Gloves @ Local 506

DJ Mensch (Daytime)

1. The National @ Raleigh Memorial Auditorium

2. Minus The Bear @ Lincoln Theatre

3. Max Indian @ Hopscotch Music Festival

4. Broken Social Scene @ Hopscotch Music Festival

5. The Rosebuds @ Hopscotch Music Festival

May Day (Daytime)

1. Broken Social Scene @ Hopscotch Music Festival

2. Camera Obscura @ Duke Gardens

3. Surfer Blood @ Cat’s Cradle

4. Yeasayer/Javelin @ Cat’s Cradle

5. OK  Go @ Lincoln Theatre

DJ Mollypop (Daytime)

1. Paul McCartney @ Sprint Center (Kansas City)

2. The Weepies @ Lincoln Theatre

3. Phoenix @ Koka Booth Amphitheatre

4. Crooked Still @ Casbah

5. The New Pornographers/Dodos/The Duchess and the Duke @ Memorial Hall (UNC-CH)

The Noobhammer (Chainsaw)

1. Scale The Summit/Devin Townsend Project/Cynic/Between the Buried and Me @ The Fillmore Charlotte

2. Sons of Liberty/Iced Earth @ 9:30 Club (Washington, D.C.)

3. Powerglove/Firewind @ Volume 11

4. Valient Thorr/Between the Buried and Me/Mastodon @ Lincoln Theatre

5. Boris @ Cat’s Cradle

Iris G (Daytime)

- Mumford & Sons @ 9:30 Club (Washington, D.C.)

- Ratatat @ MeetFactory (Prague)

Audity (Daytime)

- Active Child @ Hopscotch Music Festival

- Cassis Orange @ Duke Coffeehouse

- Veelee @ Duke Coffeehouse

- Old Bricks @ Kings

- Deerhunter @ Cat’s Cradle

Sarahnade (Daytime/Post Rock Block)

1. Trans-Siberian Orchestra @ RBC Center

2. Local Natives/The Union Line @ The Grey Eagle (Asheville)

3. Phoenix @ Koka Booth Amphitheatre

4. The New Pornographers/Dodos/The Duchess and the Duke @ Memorial Hall (UNC-CH)

5. The Temper Trap/The Kissaway Trail @ Cat’s Cradle

6. This Machine Kills Cancer benefit

DJ Ones (Daytime)

1. Phoenix @ Koka Booth Amphitheatre

2. The New Pornographers @ Memorial Hall (UNC-CH)

3. Broken Social Scene @ Hopscotch Music Festival

4. The Big Pink @ Cat’s Cradle

5. Sharon Van Etten @ Hopscotch Music Festival

DJ Hammerhead (Chainsaw)

1. Municipal Waste/Double Negative/Zeus @ The Milestone (Charlotte)

2. Overkill/Forbidden/Gama Bomb/Evile/Bonded By Blood @ Volume 11

3. D.R.I./Final Curse @ Amos’ Southend (Charlotte)

4. Nemesis/Chainsawdamy/Avalon Steel @ Tremont Music Hall (Charlotte)

5. Exmortus/Vektor/Final Curse @ Charlotte’s Underground (Charlotte)

The Blog Lady (Blog Editor/Staff Photographer)

1. The Avett Brothers @ Asheville Civic Center Arena

2. Lost In The Trees @ Cat’s Cradle

3. Mandolin Orange @ Troika Music Festival

4. The Rosebuds @ Hopscotch Music Festival

5. Chatham County Line @ Troika Music Festival

DJ Vice (Daytime)

1. Benji Hughes/The Old Ceremony @ Cat’s Cradle

2. Passion Pit @ The Fillmore Charlotte

3. The Avett Brothers @ Asheville Civic Center Arena

Just John (Daytime)

1. Caribou/Phantogram @ Governor’s Island (New York City)

2. Beach House @ Cat’s Cradle

3. Every Future Islands show

4. Joanna Newsom @ Carolina Theatre

5. Ponytail @ Siren Music Festival

The Cosmic Cowboy (The Church of Bluegrass and the Truer Sound)

1. John Prine @ Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival

2. Joanna Newsom @ The National (Richmond) and Variety Playhouse (Atlanta)

3. Cedric Watson and the Bijou Creole/Red Stick Ramblers @ Reynolds Industries Theater (Duke)

4. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy @ Borque’s Social Club (Scot, LA)

5. Charlie Louvin @ Borque’s Social Club (Scot, LA)

DJ Elly May (Daytime)

1. Delta Spirit @ Cat’s Cradle

2. The Rosebuds/Megafaun @ The Pour House

3. Holy Ghost Tent Revival @ The Pour House

4. Minus The Bear @ Lincoln Theatre

5. Turbo Fruits @ Local 506

Lucretia (Chainsaw)

1. Eyehategod/Nachtmystium/Withered/Haarp/Stripmines @ Volume 11

2. Kreator/Voivod/Nachtmystium @ Jaxx (West Springfield, VA)

3. Slang/World Burns To Death/Devour/Stripmines @ Slims

4. Immolation/Vader/Abigail Williams/Lecherous Nocturne @ Volume 11

5. High On Fire/Torche/Kylesa @ Cat’s Cradle

6. Atakke/Parasytic/Devour @ Slims

7. Pentagram/Cough/The Gates of Slumber/Windham @ The Hat Factory (Richmond)

8. Alice In Chains @ Raleigh Memorial Auditorium

9. Hate Eternal/Cannabis Corpse/Malebolgia @ Volume 11

10. Glass Casket/Wrath & Rapture/Malebolgia @ Johnny & Junes (Winston-Salem)

Agent Orange (Daytime)

1. Broken Social Scene @ Hopscotch Music Festival

2. Yeasayer/Javelin @ Cat’s Cradle

3. Caribou/Toro Y Moi @ Cat’s Cradle

4. Annuals/The Light Pines @ Tir Na Nog

5. Ra Ra Riot/Givers @ Cat’s Cradle

Riff Raff (Daytime)

- Hopscotch Music Festival

- Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros @ Cat’s Cradle

- Veelee/Lonnie Walker/Future Islands @ Kings

- Beach House/Washed Out @ Cat’s Cradle

- Ludacris @ Reynolds Coliseum

DJ Kligz (Daytime/Local Lunch)

1. Hopscotch Music Festival

2. Future Islands/Lonnie Walker/Veelee/NAPS @ Kings

3. Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival

4. Beach House @ Cat’s Cradle

5. Caribou/Veelee @ Cat’s Cradle

Chuck (Daytime)

1. LCD Soundsystem @ Pitchfork Music Festival

2. Massive Attack/Jonsi @ MoogFest

3. The National @ Raleigh Memorial Auditorium

4. Wilco @ Durham Performing Arts Center

5. Caltrop/US Christmas/The Curtains of Night @ Nightlight

6. Titus Andronicus/Spider Bags @ Local 506

7. Deerhunter/Schooner @ Cat’s Cradle

8. Deakin @ Hopscotch Music Festival

9. GWAR @ Lincoln Theatre

10. These Are Powers/Lemonade/MNDR @ The Pinhook

What were your favorite shows and/or music festivals of the year?

	Artist	Album	Label
#1	CRYSTAL CASTLES	Crystal Castles II	Universal
#2	RATATAT	lp4	XL
#3	SLEIGH BELLS	Treats	Mom and Pop
#4	LCD SOUNDSYSTEM	This is Happening	EMI
#5	GORILLAZ	Plastic Beach	Virgin
#6	TORO Y MOI	Causers of This	Carpark
#7	BASSNECTAR	Timestretch	s
#8	M.I.A.	(single)	XXXO
#9	RUSKO	O.M.G.!	Mad Descent
#10	NINJASONIK	Art School Girls	Green Owl

	Artist	Album	Label
#1	CRYSTAL CASTLES	Crystal Castles II	Universal
#2	SLEIGH BELLS	Treats	Mom and Pop
#3	GORILLAZ	Plastic Beach	Virgin
#4	HOT CHIP	One Life Stand	Astralwerks
#5	BESSNECTAR	Timestretch	Amorphous
#6	RUSKO	O.M.G.!	Mad Descent
#7	CROOKERS	Tons of Friends	Anticon
#8	RATATAT	LP4	XL
#9	SUGAR AND GOLD	Get Wet!	Antenna Farm
#10	TORO Y MOI	Causers of This	Carpark

1. GORILLAZ     Plastic Beach     (Virgin)

2. HOT CHIP     One Life Stand     (Astralwerks)

3. TORO Y MOI     Causers of This     (Carpark)

4. SUGAR AND GOLD     Get Wet!     (Antenna Farm)

5. FOUR TET     There is Love in You     (Domino)

6. BASSNECTAR     Cozza Frenzy     (Amorphous-Child’s Play)

7. NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB     The Optimist     (The Numbers)

8. JAVELIN     No Mas     (Luaka Bop)

9. VARIOUS ARTISTS     Best of 80s Dance     (Capp)

10. SLEIGH BELLS     Treats     (Mom and Pop)

1. The Libertines are set to reunite after they played their last show together in 2004. The band is set to play both the Reading and Leeds festivals. All 4 of the original band members will be returning in late August. The only area of uncertainty has been the status of Pete Doherty who has run into problems with the law as of late. (via Pitchfork)

2. Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse is currently in the process of writing for a Cartoon Network show entitled “The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack.” Brock is said to be working on a special that the show is creating, and no exact date for when the show will air has been announced just yet. (via Pitchfork)

3. Toro y Moi has had to cancel several tour dates after being robbed. After their show in Brooklyn the band’s car was broken into with member Chaz Bundick having his laptop and passport stolen. No plans have been made to make up those missed shows. (via Pitchfork)

4. Jack White has revealed that The White Stripes‘ song “Seven Nation Army” was almost not released. The group’s record label at the time was initially opposed to releasing the duo’s most easily recognizable song as a single in 2003. White said, “I wanted to put Seven Naiton Army out as a single. The label in England and the label in America both didn’t want to.” (via NME)

5. Band of Horses have announced the tracklisting and the release date for their follow up to 2007′s “Cease to Begin.” The new album entitled “Infinite Arms” is set to release in mid May, and their first single from the album is the track “Compliments.” (via NME)

Here are the top 30 albums played in WKNC’S Daytime format over the past week, compiled by Daytime Music Director John Hubbard:

1. Shearwater – The Golden Archipelago
2. Quasi – American Gong
3. Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More
4. Toro y Moi – Causers of This
5. Gigi - Maintenant
6. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
7. Efterklang - Magic Chairs
8. Javelin – No Mas
9. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
10. Golden Triangle - Double Jointer
11. Via Audio – Animalore
12. Angelo Spencer – Angelo Spencer Et Les Hauts Sommets
13. Gospel Gossip – Drift
14. Laarks - An Exaltation of Laarks
15. Donora – Donora
16. Dinosaur Feathers - Fantasy Memorial
17. Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me
18. Shout Out Louds – Work
19. Beach House - Teen Dream
20. Hot Chip - One Life Stand
21. Titus Andronicus- The Monitor
22. Strange Boys – Be Brave
23. Pantha Du Prince – Black Noise
24. Happy Birthday - Happy Birthday
25. Carolina Chocolate Drops - Genuine Negro Jig
26. These New Puritans- Hidden
27. Electric President – The Violent Blue
28. Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt – I Love You! I Love You! I Love You And I’m In Love With You! Have An Awesome Day! Have The Best Day Of Your Life!
29. Solid Gold - Synchronize
30. Yeasayer -Odd Blood

Here are the top 30 albums played in WKNC’S Daytime format over the past week, compiled by Daytime Music Director John Hubbard:

1. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
2. Toro y Moi- Causers of This
3. Javelin -No Mas
4. Local Natives- Gorilla Manor
5. Gigi- Maintenant
6. Surfer Blood-Astro Coast
7. Via Audio-Animalore
8. Oh No Ono- Eggs
9. Angelo Spencer- Angelo Spencer et Les Hauts Sommets
10. Golden Triangle- Double Jointer
11.Laarks- An Exaltation of Laarks
12.Beach House -Teen Dream
13. Gospel Gossip- Drift
14. Spoon-Transference
15. Joanna Newsom-Have One On Me
16. Efterklang- Magic Chairs
17. Hot Chip- One Life Stand
18. Soft Tags- Mathematical Monsters
19. Yeasayer- Odd Blood
20. Shout Out Louds-Work
21. Butterfly Bones- Pretty Feelings
22. Xiu Xiu- Dear God, I Hate Myself
23. Four Tet- There is Love in You
24. Field Music- Field Music (Measure)
25. Los Campesinos! -Romance is Boring
26. Vampire Weekend- Contra
27. Ernest Gonzales- Been Meaning to Tell You
28. Midlake-The Courage of Others
29.Ruby Suns -Fight Softly
30.Titus Andronicus- The Monitor

Here are the top 30 albums played in WKNC’S Daytime format over the past week, compiled by Daytime Music Director John Hubbard:

1. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
2. Gigi – Maintenant
3. Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
4. Via Audio – Animalore
5. Olof Arnalds – Vig o Vig
6. Oh No Ono – Eggs
7. Angelo Spencer – Angelo Spencer et Les Hauts Sommets
8. Toro y Moi – Causers of This
9. Soft Tags – Mathematical Monsters
10. Beach House – Teen Dream
11. Hot Chip – One Life Stand
12. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
13. Los Campesinos – Romance is Boring
14. Shout Out Louds – Work
15. Butterfly Bones – Pretty Feelings
16. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
17. Xiu Xiu – Dear God, I Hate Myself
18. Vampire Weekend – Contra
19. Four Tet - There is Love in You
20. Ernest Gonzales – Been Meaning to Tell You
21. Midlake  – The Courage of Others
22. Laarks – An Exultation of Laarks
23. Donora - Donora
24. Spoon – Transference
25. Final Fantasy – Heartland
26. Field Music – Field Music (Measure)
27. Golden Triangle – Golden Triangle
28. The Soft Pack – The Soft Pack
29. Fan Death – A Coin for Well
30. Ruby Suns – Fight Softly

Check out the top 30 albums played during the past week, compiled by Daytime Music Director John Hubbard:

1. Soft Tags – Mathematical Monsters
2. Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
3. Olof Arnalds – Vig o Vig
4. Oh No Ono – Eggs
5. Beach House  - Teen Dream
6. Spoon – Transference
7. Toro y Moi – Causers of This
8. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
9. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
10. Hot Chip – One Life Stand
11. Gigi – Maintenant
12. Vampire Weekend – Contra
13. Four Tet – There is Love in You
14. Animal Collective -Fall Be Kind
15. Cold Cave – Love Comes Close
16. The Soft Pack – The Soft Pack
17. Los Campesinos – Romance is Boring
18. Final Fantasy - Heartland
19. Postdata – Postdata
20. Midlake - The Courage of Others
21. Asobi Seksu – Rewolf
22. Fan Death – A Coin for Well
23. Magnetic Fields – Realism
24. Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM
25. Savages – Graveyard Cities
26. Allison Weiss – Was Right All Along
27. Smile Smile – Truth on Tape
28. Via Audio – Animalore
29. Jeff the Brotherhood – Heavy Days
30. Album Leaf – A Chorus of Storytellers