A pretty small music month, for some reason. I think I spent a lot of time going over old favorites. Regardless, there are some gems here.

1. Fredrik – “Black Fur” (Na Na Ni)
2. P.O.S. – “Purexed” (Never Better)
3. M83 – “You Appearing” (Saturdays=Youth)
4. Caroline – “Winter” (Murmurs)
5. Soul-Junk – “Ill-m-i” (1956)
6. Ingrid Michaelson – “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (Be OK)
7. Adele – “First Love” (19)
8. Jens Lekman – “The Opposite of Hallelujah” (Night Falls Over Kortedala)
9. Lily Allen – “Everyone’s At It” (It’s Not Me, It’s You)
10. Laura Gibson – “Shadows on Parade” (Beasts of Seasons)
11. Joe Bonamassa – “Feelin’ Good” (The Ballad of John Henry)
12. Duffy – “Live and Let Die” (War Child: Heroes)
13. Lily Allen – “Fuck You” (It’s Not Me, It’s You)

Fredrik’s “Black Fur” is a warm piece of freak folk. When I don’t know what to listen to I just let it loop over and over.

All of Laura Gibson’s new album is phenomenal, but “Shadows on Parade” — the opening track — is a personal highlight.

Lily Allen and P.O.S.’s new ones are catchy start to finish and the War Child compilation is a winner.

And Jens Lekman? I was listening to the new Morrissey record and recalled a song I thought was his, but it turned out to be Lekman’s. Go figure.

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)