I Just Met You and This Is Crazy: Music Midway in 2012

Unless I go all-in during the second half of 2012, it looks as if my streak of taking in at least 365 shows each year will come to an end on December 31.  Even so, much of the music I've heard in the first six months of 2012 has consoled and inspired me.

Now that most music is instantly accessible, I've listened to well over 200 new albums in the first half of 2012.  Limiting the list to 25, consequently, was difficult.  I appreciate the otherwise consensus picks like Beach House's Bloom, but the albums listed below have given me the most pleasure.  Here's a Spotify playlist of my top picks.

While the entries on my album and show lists have provided unspeakable thrills, my song list is lackluster.  Where are the undeniable singles of 2012?

The 25 Best Albums of 2012 (so far)
1. Lee Fields & The Expressions- Faithful Man
2. Hahn & Hauschka- Silfra There Stands the Glass review.
3. Meshuggah- Koloss
4. Brody Buster Band- Will Die Young Ink magazine review.
5. Death Grips- The Money Store
6. Robert Glasper- Black Radio
7. Esbjorn Svensson Trio- 301 There Stands the Glass review.
8. Killer Mike- R.A.P. Music
9. Jack White- Blunderbuss
10. Project H- Become Light Plastic Sax review.
11. Charles Gayle Trio- Streets There Stands the Glass review.
12. Big K.R.I.T.- Live From the Underground
13. Pat Metheny- Unity Band
14. Norah Jones- Little Broken Hearts
15. Behzod Abduraimov- Prokofiev, Liszt & Saint-Saëns
16. Heems- Nehru Jackets
17. Steddy P- Better Make Room There Stands the Glass review.
18. Saint Vitus- Lillie F-65
19. Krizz Kaliko- Kickin' & Screamin'
20. High on Fire- De Vermis Mysteriis
21. Bobby Womack- The Bravest Man in the Universe
22. Sly & Robbie- Blackwood Dub
23. Enter Shakira- A Flash Flood of Colour
24. Ted Nash- The Creep
25. Capybara- Dave Drusky There Stands the Glass review.

The 25 Best Live Performances of 2012 (so far)
1. Enrico Rava- Winningstad Theatre Plastic Sax review.
2. Vivica Genaux and Europa Galante- Folly Theater There Stands the Glass review.
3. CS Luxem- FOKL Center There Stands the Glass review.
4. Matt Otto Quartet- Westport Coffee House Plastic Sax review.
5. Tord Gustavsen- Queen Elizabeth Hall Plastic Sax review.
6. Bobby Watson with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra- Unity on the Plaza
7. The Dubliners- Royal Albert Hall There Stands the Glass review.
8. Testament- Midland Theater Back to Rockville review.
9. Philip Glass and Tim Fain- Helzberg Hall There Stands the Glass review.
10. Trivium- Liberty Memorial Park
11. The People's Liberation Big Band- RecordBar Plastic Sax review.
12. Danzig- Uptown Theater Back to Rockville review.
13. Tech N9ne- Midland Theater Back to Rockville review.
14. Leon Russell- Knuckleheads Back to Rockville review.
15. Mission of Burma- RecordBar
16. Gipsy Kings- Midland Theater There Stands the Glass review.
17. Nnenna Freelon- Folly Theater
18. Suzanne Vega- Yardley Hall Back to Rockville review.
19. Alaturka- Kansas City Academy Plastic Sax review.
20. Taj Mahal- Knuckleheads Back to Rockville review.
21. Mutemath- Beaumont
22. Eddie Money- Old Shawnee Days There Stands the Glass review.
23. American Head Charge- Beaumont Back to Rockville review.
24. Brandon Draper World Jazz Quartet- Polsky Theatre
25. Neveready- Belmont Park

The Ten Best Singles of 2011 (so far)
1. Esperanza Spalding- "Black Gold"
2. Nas- "Daughters"'
3. Carly Rae Jepsen- "Call Me Maybe"
4. Lady Antebellum- "Dancin' Away With My Heart"
5. Eric Church- "Springsteen"
6. Gocho- "Si Te Digo La Verdad"
7. The Black Keys- "Gold On the Ceiling"
8. Bassnectar- "Vava Voom"
9. Kellie Pickler- "100 Proof"
10. Scissor Sisters- "Only the Horses"

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)