As EJL has already elucidated, there are a number of exciting, and super buzzy records coming out in 2012.
And the year is starting off real strong with a series of records coming out in the next 2 months that not only am I REALLY EXCITED about just because they’re my particular cup of tea, but because in brilliantly dramatic fashion, all of the artists have created totally watchable dread inducing teasers/trailers for their releases that are lovely works of art in their own right.
Here are three of them:
Sleigh Bells (Mom+Pop)
Principles …

Now this is an interesting list. Statistics do not lie.
We’ve offered you the opportunity to get to know the top tens of our DJs from albums, to songs, to cover songs, to EPs…. but here is a list of the top 100 artists whose tunes have graced the airwaves of KCRW throughout the year, across all of our shows!
Here is the top artists along with the number of plays they got on air across the many DJs of KCRW. Any surprises!?
(p.s.: the number after each band name is the # …

Check out Travis’ Top 10 list PLUS his honorable mentions. Check out all the DJs top 10 lists here.
KCRW DJ Travis Holcombe’s Top 10 Albums of 2011
1. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch The Throne (Roc-A-Fella)
2. Cymbals – Unlearn (Tough Love)
3. Bosco Delrey – Everybody Wah (Mad Decent)
4. Paul White – Rapping With Paul White (One-Handed Music)
5. VA – Life Is Dance! (Finders Keepers)
6. VA – Acid Rumba: Spanish Gypsy Grooves 1969-1976 (Hundergrum)
7. Com Truise – Galactic Melt (Ghostly International)
8. Unknown Mortal Orchestra …

Ariana Morgenstern is the producer of Morning Becomes Eclectic and the curator of Today’s Top Tune. Check out her Top 10 albums of 2011 PLUS her honorable mentions.
Morning Becomes Eclectic Producer and Today’s Top Tune Curator Ariana Morgenstern’s Top 10 Albums of 2011
1. Sean Rowe – Magic (Anti)
2. Shelby Lynne – Revelation Road (Everso Records)
3. My Morning Jacket – Circuital (ATO Records)
4. Feist – Metals (Interscope)
5. k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang – Sing It Loud (Nonesuch)
6. Other Lives – Tamer Animals (tbd records)
…

Check out Liza’s Top 10 list PLUS her runners up. Check out all the DJs top 10 lists here.
KCRW DJ Liza Richardson’s Top 10 Albums of 2011
1. Hollie Cook – Hollie Cook (Mr. Bongo)
2. Little Dragon – Ritual Union (Peacefrog)
3. Rival Sons – Pressure & Time (Earache)
4. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Mirror Traffic (Matador)
5. Richard Buckner – Our Blood (Merge)
6. Thao & Mirah – Thao & Mirah (Kill Rock Stars)
7. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy (4ad)
8. SBTRKT – SBTRKT (Young Turks/XL)
…

Check out Mario Cotto’s top 10 picks PLUS his honorable mentions. Check out all the DJ Top 10 lists here
KCRW DJ Mario Cotto’s Top 10 Albums of 2011
1. Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise (Circus Company)
2. The Rapture – In The Grace of Your Love (DFA)
3. Gatto Fritto – Gatto Fritto (International Feel)
4. Part Time – What Would You Say? (Mexican Summer)
5. V/A – Americana: Rock Your Soul (BBE)
6. Rebolledo – Super Vato (Comeme)
7. Drake – Take Care (Young Money)
8. John Tejada …

Top 5 Favorite Music Videos Of 2011 by Travis Holcombe
1. Duck Sauce – “Big Bad Wolf” (Slightly NSFW)
This is what it’s all about. The story is great, the video is hilarious and it fits perfectly with the music.
2. Skrillex – “Ruffneck”
Skrillex brings us a late entrant into the Best Video Of 2011 pool. It’s like Santa Claus meets Falling Down. A simple concept executed brilliantly.
3. Beastie Boys – “Fight For Your Right (Revisited)”
It felt to have the Beasties back in 2011. As far as music videos go, this was a …

Music Librarian and KCRW DJ Eric J Lawrence shares his Top 10 and his honorable mentions below. See all the DJ top 10 lists here.
KCRW DJ Eric J Lawrence’s Top 10 Albums of 2011
1. The Low Anthem – Smart Flesh (Nonesuch)
2. Blitzen Trapper – American Goldwing (Sub Pop)
3. Cloud Control – Bliss Release (Ivy League)
4. Matt Berry – Witchazel (Acid Jazz)
5. Jim Noir – The Noir Club (Jimnoir.com)
6. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Fat Possum)
7. The People’s Temple – Sons of Stone (HoZac)
…

Check out Anne Litt’s top 10 picks PLUS her honorable mentions. Check out all the DJ Top 10 lists here
KCRW DJ Anne Litt’s Top 10 Albums of 2011
1. Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi (Domino)
2. Elbow – Build A Rocket Boys (Fiction/Downtown)
3. Tom Waits – Bad As Me (Anti)
4. Ryan Adams – Ashes & Fire (Capitol)
5. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake (Vagrant)
6. Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin’ (Columbia)
7. St Vincent – Strange Mercy (4AD)
8. The Kills – Blood Pressures (Domino)
9. SBTRKT – …

Check out Raul’s Top 10 picks PLUS his honorable mentions below. Find all the DJ top 10 lists here.
KCRW DJ Raul Campos’s Top 10 Albums of 2011
1. The Horrors – Skying (XL)
2. Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin’ (Columbia)
3 .Little Dragon – Ritual Union (Peacefrog)
4. Diego Garcia – Laura (Nacional)
5. Portugal. The Man – In The Mountain, In The Cloud (Atlantic)
6. Tune-Yards – Whokill (4AD)
7. Wilco – The Whole Love (dBpm)
8. TV On The Radio – Nine Types Of Light (DGC)
9. James Blake …