At first the numbers didn't mean anything but then I thought about how I subconsciously ranked them anyway so then I ranked them more and here they are now outrageously ranked:

1. THEESatisfaction - awE naturalE (Sub Pop Records) Duh, everyone's favorite, but two words: SASS & CLASS. (avant-hop/neo-rap)
2. wimps - Demo Super fun, catchy punk jams from members of Butts, Meth Teeth, the Intelligence. Can't wait to hear the full-length next month! (PUNK)
3. Tiny Knives - Static A raw and unyielding punk rock force from a couple of Portland-based riot ladies. (PUNK)
4. Black Hat - Spectral Disorder EP (Debacle Records) Drifting into space, getting lost there for a minute. (industrial noise/ambient)
5. Evening Meetings - Forgotten In Seconds 7" Ex-members of the A-Frames making ramshackle noisy punk, appeasing fans of the Fall and other good taste havers.(PUNK)
6. Criminal Code- Hollowed 7" (Deranged Records) This Tacoma band is totally representing my gritty 'lil birth city. Their Midwestern sound churns and sprawls in a powerful punk miasma. (PUNK)
7. Erik Blood - Touch Screens An erotic storm of danceable beats and bedroom-gaze seduction. (shoegaze/electronic)
8. Big Eyes - Back From the Moon 7" (Grave Mistake Records) New York transplants Big Eyes are a welcome addition to Seattle's punk scene, and create uber-catchy power poppy punk anthems. (PUNK)
9. Special Explosion - EP Eastside teens giving everyone Insta Peter Pan Syndrome with clean tones and irresistably big choruses. (indie rock)
10. Silicon Girls - Rana I believe I have described this band as "artastically post-everything" before. This is the sound of youth explored-- at the beach, or beached, but always with carefree abandon. (math/indie rock/surf)
11. Chastity Belt - Dude Having recently relocated from Walla Walla, Washington, Chastity Belt's songs are humorous ("you look like a barbie doll/you look like Steven Seagal") SASSY, and fun! (garage rock)
12. La Luz - Damp Face EP This new all-girl band fronted by HER DJ/ex-Curious Mystery member Shana Cleveland is rippling with easy charm, the red lipstick on the seal of a kiss-off. (garage pop)
13. King Tears Bat Trip - King Tears Bat Trip 7" Mind meld. Mind melt. Mind rush. Mind crush. Mind squee. (freak jazz/outsider trance)
14. Posse - Posse Posse create garage songs that are sincere, thoughtful and honest. And they're also damn good! (garage/indie rock)
15. Kithkin - Takers and Leavers EP I have an affinity for music that sounds like this (see: Wild Beasts, Vampire Weekend) because I was seventeen once. But also this EP is a jungle of drums and pervasively catchy rhythms and hooks that are not to be ignored. (jungle pop)

Top Ten Best Musical Experiences of 2012

1. Flying ‘outsider’ pop artist Jan Terri to Seattle to play a show. Watch here (Start at 10:30 to see her youtube hit, “Losin’ You”)
2. Shaking Lana Del Rey’s hand backstage at Easy Street Records. Never washing my hand.
3. Seeing newish feral heartthrob band Health Problems perform at the Black Lodge: Watch here
4. Lori Goldston & Karl Blau soothing souls at my wedding.
5. Doing that dance where you plug your nose and jump into a pool while listening to Shana Cleveland’s new surf band La Luz at Cafe Racer.
6. Playing the best gig of my life in a ‘Blacklight Bar’ in Salem, Oregon with my band WaMu to 4 people (two friends, and two guys later introduced as Death Metal Dave and his buddy David).
7. Watching Kenneth Piekarski of Slashed Tires play experimental lounge pop / ‘smooth grunge’ at the upscale Triple Door Musiquarium bar on Halloween night.
8. Father & son Eric Ostrowski / Ian Ostrowski putting out equally good & vastly different solo albums on the same day.
Ian’s band
Eric’s band
9. Krudas Cubensi (Cuban queer feminist hip-hop) turning Hollow Earth Radio into a huge dance party.
10. Setting up one of the raddest punk shows ever in the banquet room of the Moon Temple Chinese Food restaurant in Wallingford.

Favorite NW Cassette Releases

1. The Webs / Creakies
“Stay Holy” Split Cassette, self-released – “doom pop cool surf donut garage duh webs seattle the webs Seattle”
2. King Tears Bat Trip – S/T – Hanged Man Recordings – 4 drummers, tenor sax, guitar. “The folksy melodies seem as much like Haitian Vodou music as they do an Albert Ayler spirit song.”

3. La Luz – Damp Face EP, self-released – new “surf pop” band led by Shana Cleveland of the Curious Mystery.

4. Iboga S/T – Hanged Man Recordings – Kinda like Earth on the wrong speed.

5. Stefan Tcherepnin & Christopher DeLaurenti , Bleed the Capacitors: Heavy Analog Electronics Vols. 2 and 3 – Refined noise.

6. Ragana – All’s Lost – Olympia Black Metal

7. Nod & the Hob Goblins – S/T / Lost Sound Tapes – Goblin Doo Wop

8. Rat Riot! – Barbie Apocalypse – MASA Records – Bellingham teen punk.

9. Tiny Knives – Static / Stankhouse Records – Portland post-punk / riot grrrl

10. Black Hat – spectral disorder EP / self-released – Industrial improvised drone dance.