Best Twin Cities albums 2012: Staff lists

Photo by Nick Walker

Dave and Laura Hoenack:

Adam Kiesling - Unclouded Day
Grolar Bears - Cos: The Original Motion Picture Score
Swallows - Witching & Divining
Magic Castles - Self-titled double album
The Story of the Sea - Self-titled double disc
Night Moves - Colored Emotions
Big Cats - For my Mother
Is/Is - III
Jack Klatt and the Cat Swingers - Mississippi Roll
Southside Desire - Songs to Love and Die To

See Also:
Grolar Bears release album inspired by fictional "Blaxpoitation" movie
Is/Is show kaleidoscopic talent on new album III: Sarah Nienaber, Sarah Rose, and Annie May form punk-chick trifecta
Jack Klatt and the Cat Swingers release collaborative album: Mississippi Roll is a gem
Southside Desire on analog recording, old-school retro, and Hymie's

Monica LaPlante:

1. Hollow Boys - When You Think of Us, Pray for Us
2. Fathom Lane - Down by Half
3. The Honeydogs - What Comes After
4. Teenage Moods - Grow

Kyle Matteson:

1. P.O.S. - We Don't Even Live Here
2. Prissy Clerks - Bruise or Be Bruised
3. Now, Now - Threads
4. MaLLy - The Last Great...
5. The Evening Rig - Nothin' to Hear Here
6. Actual Wolf - Lightning & The Wolf + Actual Wolf: USA EPs
7. Poliça - Give You The Ghost
8. Dark Dark Dark - Who Needs Who
9. The Pines - Dark So Gold
10. Bloodnstuff - Bloodnstuff

See Also:
MaLLy lives up to his potential on new album: The Last Great... positions him as rising rap star
Dark Dark Dark explores breakups, moving on: New album dives into dark territory full of emotion and heartbreak
The Pines release Dark So Gold: Latest LP proves power of understated beauty

Photo by Tommy Ellis

Zach McCormick:

Greg Grease - Cornbread,Pearl & G
Mally & The Sundance Kid - The Last Great...
I Self Devine - The Sound of Low Class Amerika
P.O.S. - We Don't Even Live Here
Brother Ali - Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color
Tie: Dark Dark Dark - Who Needs Who
Tie: Secret Stash's TC Funk and Soul
Night Moves - Colored Emotions
Frozen Teens - S/T
Teenage Moods - Grow
Howler - America Give Up

See Also:
Greg Grease "Cornbread, Pearl and G" Release Show, 7th St Entry, 12/14/12
Frozen Teens reunite after a lull: Thawing out after a break-up and a makeup, the band embraces the local scene again
Howler and the hometown hate debate

Tony Nelson:

P.O.S. - We Don't Even Live Here
Ben Kyle - Ben Kyle
Polica - Give You the Ghost
Night Moves - Colored Emotions
Chastity Brown - Back-Road Highways

See Also:
P.O.S. bows out of tour After kidney concerns, the rapper plays First Avenue with promises for the future
Romantica's Ben Kyle on his solo album, and Saturday's Northeast Riverfeast
Night Moves channel the past: Retro-rock band release debut album Colored Emotions

Pat O'Brien:

1. Wiping out Thousands - This Came First
2. Brother Ali - Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color
3. P.O.S. - We Don't Even Live Here
4. Solid Gold - Eat Your Young
5. Pony Trash - Pony Trash EP

See Also:
Wiping Out Thousands capture starving artistry: Electronic duo talks about not selling product, but giving their art to an audience
Solid Gold aim for a solid record: After a four-year wait, they release the cohesive and brooding Eat Your Young
Pony Trash reveal their secret: The band open up about their new EP

Stacy Schwartz:

Dark Dark Dark - Who Needs Who
Wiping Out Thousands - This Came First
Bob Mould - Silver Age (yes, I'm counting him - I DON'T CARE)
Bloodnstuff - Bloodnstuff
Jim & the French Vanilla - II
Night Moves - Colored Emotions
Actual Wolf - Lightning and the Wolf EP
Howler - America Give Up
Motion City Soundtrack - Go
Van Stee - Do they actually have an album out yet?

Danny Sigelman:

1. Lazerbeak - Lava Bangers
2. BloodnStuff - BloodnStuff
3. Food Pyramid - Mango Sunrise
4. Littlefoot - Symbols of Love
5. Jim Ruiz Set - Mount Curve Avenue

See Also:
Lazerbeak on Mixed Blood Majority's Icehouse debut and entering fatherhood