Travis Wright

Top 25 (missed the memo about Top 10s)

1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. It's a Corporate World (Warner Bros.): The record that reigned over my year.

2 tUnE-yArds w h o k I l l (4AD): The record I couldn't stop talking about.

3 Danny Brown XXX (Fool's Gold Records): The record that made me believe rap wasn't dead. 

4 Bon Iver Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar): The record that swooned me.

5 Prussia Poor English (download only): The record that haunted my head.

6 Chris Bathgate No Silver (Selector Series): The record that scored last winter and saw me through spring.

7 Tom Waits Bad as Me (Anti): The record I'd been waiting for since 2004.

8 St. Vincent Strange Mercy (4AD): The record that kept popping up wherever I went.

9 Shabazz Palaces Black Up (Sub Pop): The record that, as Method Man once said, twisted my beer cap.

10 Paul Simon So Beautiful or So What (HEAR MUSIC): The record I listened to with my parents, over and over.

11 PJ Harvey Let England Shake (Vagrant Records): The record that rekindled a flame.

12 The Roots Undun (Def Jam): The record I loved but didn't listen to nearly enough.

13 The Black Keys El Camino (Nonesuch): The record that really, really had to grow on me.

14 M83 Hurry Up We're Dreaming (Mute): The record I listened to at night.

15 Radiohead King of Limbs (TBD): The record that was at once disjointed, disappointing and totally spectacular. 

16 Gang Gang Dance Eye Contact (4AD): The record I listened to before heading out.

17 Raphael SaadiQ Stone Rollin (Columbia): The record I drove to work with.

18 The Weeknd [cq] House of Balloons (download only): The record I drove home from work with.

19 Cut Copy Need You Now (download only): The record I cleaned my house to.

20 Passalacqua Zebhazy Summer (download only): The record I rolled down the windows for. 

21 James BlakeThe Wilhelm Scream (Universal Republic): The record that left me wanting to hear more in 2012.

22 Cults Cults (Columbia): The record that reaffirmed my love for Bandcamp.

23 Drive Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Lakeshore): The record that helped make a movie.

24 Elzhi with Will Sessions Elmatic (Jae.B Group): The record I feel in love with again and for the first time.

25 Exchange Bureau Records Presents The Big 3 (Motor City): The vinyl record of the year

Honorable mention The unsigned Internet sensation Azealia Banks song "212," featuring Lazy Jay, is as raunchy as it is rad and I can't stop listening to it.

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