feature: Favorite Albums of the First Half of 2012

2012 started off a bit slow, but it's been picking up. August and September are going to make the year. Here's 25 albums that I've been loving so far, no particular order, with links to listen when possible. There's indie rock, rap, garage rock, electronic, synthpop, folk, psych rock....a little something for everybody.

Row 1: Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan; Ty Segall/White Fence - Hair; Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse; El-P - Cancer4Cure; King Tuff - King Tuff
Row 2: Death Grips - The Money Store; Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music; Schoolboy Q - Habits & Contradictions; Lil B - God's Father; Bear in Heaven - I Love You, It's Cool
Row 3: The Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips & Heady Fwends; Beach House - Bloom; Grimes - Visions; Father John Misty - Fear Fun; Conveyor - Conveyor
Row 4: Liars - WIXIW; Oh No - Ohnomite; SpaceGhostPurrp - Mysterious Phonk; Jack White - Blunderbuss; Black Bananas - Rad Time Xpress IV
Row 5: Diamond Rugs - Diamond Rugs; Gucci Mane - Trap Back; Ab-Soul - Control System; Pond - Beard, Wives, Denim; Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls

video: Killer Mike feat. Bun B, T.I. - Big Beast

There's entrails, nudity, car chases, all kinds of good stuff in here. Get on this album now.

video: El-P - The Full Retard

album stream: El-P - Cancer 4 Cure

Stream Cancer 4 Cure over at Rolling Stone. Highly recommended.

album stream: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music

Killer Mike's El-P produced R.A.P. Music is now streaming over at SPIN. You're going to want to give this a listen.

track: Killer Mike - Don't Die

Another killer track from Killer Mike's upcoming album, R.A.P. Music. Everything I've heard from this so far has sounded great. I'm starting to think that Killer Mike might put out the classic album he's always had in him. Pissed off political Killer Mike is good Killer Mike (see also: "That's Life").

track: Killer Mike feat. Bun B, T.I., Trouble - Big Beast

Here's a track from the upcoming collaboration between Killer Mike and producer EL-P, R.A.P. Music. It's out May 15th on Williams Street.

mixtape: Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire - Lost in Translation