Apocalypse Now: tindersticks

The Black Angels - "Don't Play With Guns"

The killer stand out from an album that made a step toward crowd-pleasing rowdiness, I was already singing along with it before I'd heard it all the way through.

Kanye West - "Black Skinhead"

Blame The Wolf of Wall Street, whose trailer used this song to unimaginable rhythmic effect. It brings out the wolf in everyone.

Arcade Fire - "Reflektor"

The album was a little too spacey for me, but there's simply no denying the effect this song has on me. Win Butler's just got that delivery. The way he says "See you on the other side" sends a shiver down my spine and fills my stomach with fever.

Melvins - "Station to Station"

This whole record of covers was excellent, but the crunchy bass tone and towering drums make this the one to blast.

Grizzly Bear - "Will Calls"

I think this should have made it onto Shields over a few of the cuts on there now. Ed Droste's voice screaming under all that racket is one of my favourite sounds.

Cliff Martinez - "Wanna Fight"

Cliff Martinez was the single most important contribution to Nic Refn's Only God Forgives and listening to this satanic paean to both the synthesizer and the Thai underworld, it's easy to understand why this film so bewitched some people.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - "Swim & Sleep (Like a Shark)"

Sweet and busy, the noise rockers prove adept at pop songs as well as crunch, 8 bit garage.

Martha's Vineyard Ferries - "She's a Fucking Angel (from Fucking Heaven)"
Couldn't get this to embed so follow the link here, because this is the kind of thing that keeps rock'n'roll alive. Simple, raw music by three guys.

Tindersticks - "Put Your Love In Me"

A slinky, sexy cover of a forgotten disco footnote kissed back to life by Stuart Staples. The highlight of Claire Denis' latest journey to the darkside.

Cass McCombs & Karen Black - "Brighter!"
Poor, wonderful Karen Black. Her final recording hints at a great sadness in her soul. She's never sounded so achingly human.

Kendra Morris - "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"

It's better than the original.

Destroyer - "El Rito"

Dan Bejar takes another hard left turn and proves no matter where he ends up he's on firm ground. The catchiest thing he's done outside The New Pornographers.

Dan Khan

1) Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!

2) Beach House - Bloom

3) Grizzly Bear - Shields

4) Four Tet- Pink

5) Jack White - Blunderbuss

6) The Helio Sequence - Negotiations

7) The Walkmen - Heaven

8) John Frusciante - PBX Funicular Intaglio Zone

9) David Byrne & St. Vincent - Love This Giant

10) Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas

11) Rufus Wainwright - Out of the Game

12) Metric - Synthetica

13) Ty Segall - Twins

14) Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror

15) Sigur Rós - Valtari

Scout

1. School of Seven Bells - Ghostory

- Maybe there were better albums this year, but none that burrow into my soul and sit there, forcing me to feel things I don't always want to. Their music can, at its best, pull emotions out of your lowest depths. This is their most complete album and can feel like it lasts for days and days.

2. Father John Misty - Fear Fun

- Whatever name he chooses, he's still one of our best songwriters, and this is a bigger canvas for him to paint on, so his voice gets to roam, his guitars get to play dress-up, and we get to enjoy the beautiful, haunting, unforgettable show again and again and again. I've listened to this maybe a hundred times this year and I'm still not sick of it.

3. Patrick Watson - Adventures In Your Own Backyard

- I can't even imagine how much time he spent on each of these songs. What a fucking brain on the guy! You get lost in the gorgeousness of his songs and this album is especially bountiful.

4. Beak> - >>

5. Crocodiles - Endless Flowers

6. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!

7. Grizzly Bear - Shields

8. The Ty Segall Band - Slaughter House

- Hearing any of Ty's albums is like discovering Rock music all over/for the first time/whatever. He's a mad genius and his lab is constantly exploding. Ty made three albums this year and I just like this one best. That second song, holy shit. This album is like watching an artist 'slash his canvas' to coin a phrase.

9. The K-Holes - Dismania

10. Bahamas - Power Chords

- I call having loved him first. Afie must be having the time of his life right now and he absolutely should be. He's so good at this, he was born to do this, so I'm glad people noticed.

11. Disappears - Pre Language

12. David Byrne & St. Vincent - Love This Giant

13. Chromatics - Kill For Love

14. We Avalanche - Time Travels

- Like Elliott Smith doing Lomax. They're going to get huge, these fellows. They play music in the vein of a lot incredibly popular bands, but they put so much care into the texture and nuance of every moment, while others are content to just play the song. They have the precision of scientists which doesn't diminish from the awesome force they use to shred.

15. Screaming Females - Ugly