December was one of those months that seemed to be about three months long. I have no idea why. I drove to and from LA two weekends in a row, trying (and failing) to put a holiday mix CD together, spent Christmas happily alone and tried to control myself from reading too many year-end top 10 album lists.

A lot of this month’s interesting tidbits came from listening to albums on other people’s lists, though, so I can’t really knock them that much. It’s a great way to figure out what I missed over the course of the year. That’s where Benea Reach, Shearwater, Okkervil River and Frightened Rabbit all came from.

Happy new year, everyone!

1. Adam Pasion - “Schoolhouse Virginia” (O Hear the Rattling)
2. Johnny Cash - “It Ain’t Me, Babe” (Greatest Hits, Vol. 1)
3. Akon - “Right Now (Na Na Na)” (Freedom)
4. Akon - “I’m So Paid” (Freedom)
5. Horse Feathers - “Curs in the Weeds” (House With No Home)
6. MGMT - “Electric Feel” (Oracular Spectacular)
7. Caroline - “Winter” (Murmurs)
8. Starflyer 59 - “My Name” (Everybody Makes Mistakes)
9. Justice - “Genesis” (A Cross the Universe)
10. Common - “Universal Mind Control” (Universal Mind Control)
11. Horse Feathers - “Father” (House With No Home)
12. Fleet Foxes - “Oliver James” (Fleet Foxes)
13. Okkervil River - “Calling and Not Calling My Ex” (The Stand Ins)
14. Shearwater - “Home Life” (Rook)
15. Benea Reach - “Awakening” (Alleviat)
16. Neko Case - “Look for Me (I’ll Be Around)” (Blacklisted)
17. Benea Reach - “New Waters” (Alleviat)
18. Stars of the Lid - “Even If You’re Never Awake” (And Their Refinement of the Decline)
19. Kanye West - “Say You Will” (808s & Heartbreak)
20. Kanye West - “Paranoid” (808s & Heartbreak)
21. Frightened Rabbit - “Head Rolls Off” (The Midnight Organ Fight)

1. Bjork - “It’s Oh So Quiet” (Post)
2. Bjork - “Hyper-Ballad” (Post)
3. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - “Storm” (Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven)
4. Akon - “I Wanna Love You” (Konvicted)
5. Calexico and Iron & Wine - “He Lays In The Reins” (In The Reins)
6. Plan B - “Sick 2 Def” (Time For Plan B)
7. Van Morrison - “Gloria” (At The Movies)
8. !!! - “Heart Of Hearts” (Myth Takes)
9. Brand New - “Jesus Christ” (The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me)
10. Brett Dennen - “When I Go” (Brett Dennen)
11. Brett Dennen - “Ain’t No Reason” (So Much More)
12. Brett Dennen - “Darlin’ Do Not Fear” (So Much More)
13. Autechre - “Vletrmx21″ (Warp 10 Vol. 3: Remixes)
14. Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore - “Way Back Into Love (Demo Version)” (Music & Lyrics Soundtrack)
15. The Sounds - “Tony The Beat” (Dying To Say This To You)
16. Explosions In The Sky - “What Do You Go Home To?” (All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone)
17. Eluvium - “Taken” (Talk Amongst The Trees)
18. The Mountain Goats - “No Children” (Tallahassee)
19. Eluvium - “As I Drift Off” (When I Live By The Garden And The Sea)
20. Explosions In The Sky - “The Birth And Death Of The Day” (All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone)
21. Johann Johannsson - “Part I” (IBM 1401 A User’s Manual)
22. Mika - “Grace Kelly” (Grace Kelly Single)
23. Rhymefest - “Fever (Dirty)” (Blue Collar)
24. Eluvium - “Prelude For Time Feelers” (Copia)