Feature RecAP: Mid-Year Report Card 2012

July 7, 2012

The editors at AP worked all week to compile their top picks from the first half of 2012 in five different categories–albums, songs, music videos, live performances and most anticipated. You can view all our picks in each category below and can follow the links to view the full descriptions and audio-visual components. What are your top picks so far this year?

Monday – BEST ALBUMS
Aeges – The Bridge [SH]
Classics of Love – Classics of Love [SH]
Crocodiles – Endless Flowers [JP]
Enter Shikari – A Flash Flood Of Colour [SH]
Japandroids – Celebration Rock [JP]
Make Do And Mend – Everything You Ever Loved [MC]
Motion City Soundtrack – Go [BM]
Say Anything – Anarchy, My Dear [BM]
Turing Machine – What Is The Meaning Of What [JP]
Xerxes – Our Home Is A Deathbed [MC]

Tuesday – BEST SONGS
Amanda Palmer And The Grand Theft Orchestra – “Do It With A Rockstar” [JP]
Audra Mae And The Almighty Sound – “Real Thing” [BM]
William Beckett – “Girl, You Shoulda Been A Drummer” [JP]
Every Time I Die – “A Wild Shameless Plain” [JP]
Jack White – “Love Interruption” [BM]
Joyce Manor – “Video Killed The Radio Star” [SH]
Make Do And Mend – “Storrow” [SH]
The Sidekicks – “The Whale And Jonah” [SH]
Sleeping With Sirens – “Scene One – James Deand & Audrey Hepburn” [MC]
Zelliack – “These Hands” [MC]

Wednesday – BEST MUSIC VIDEOS
The Black Keys – “Gold On The Ceiling” [BM]
Enter Shikari – “Arguing With THermometers” [SH]
Foxy Shazam – “I Like It” [MC]
Future Of The Left – “Sheena Is A T-SHirt Salesman” [JP]
The Gaslight Anthem – “45” [BM]
Anthony Green – “Get Yours While You Can” [SH]
Motion City Soundtrack – “True Romance” [MC]
Ok Go – “Needing/Getting” [JP]
Sleeping With Sirens – “Do It Now, Remember It Later” [BM]
The Swellers – “Inside My Head” [SH]

Thursday – BEST LIVE SHOWS
Weezer @ The Weezer Cruise [SH]
Jukebox The Ghost @ Cleveland House Of Blues [BM]
The Story So Far @ Peabody’s in Cleveland [SH]
Transit @ Peabody’s in Cleveland [MC]
Andrew W.K. @ Cleveland House Of Blues [SH]
The Early November @ Cleveland House Of Blues [BM]
Cut Teeth @ Bled Fest in Howell, Michigan [MC]
Motion City Soundtrack @ Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights, Ohio [JP]
Retox @ The Smiling Moose in Pittsburgh [JP]

Friday – MOST ANTICIPATED ALBUMS
The Early November – In Currents [BM]
The Gaslight Anthem – Handwritten [BM]
Bloc Party – Four [JP]
Minus The Bear – Infinity Overhead [MC]
Circa Survive – Violent Waves [SH]
The Chariot – One Wing [JP]
NOFX – TBA [SH]
Green Day – ¡Uno! [JP]
Black Veil Brides – TBA [MC]
A Rocket To The Moon – Wild And Free [MC]