Post Playlist Top 40: The best tracks of 2012

In September 2011 I started the Post Playlist, a 20 track playlist made up of the best new music we get sent each week. All the tracks I add are pre-release, exclusive first plays or debut singles and it's been amazing to watch the response to the Post Playlist grow. It now receives thousands of streams each week which is AWESOME.

To round up an incredible year of music I've gone back through all the tracks added to the Post Playlist in 2012 and whittled them down into this definitive 40 track playlist. In no particular order, here is the Post Playlist Top 40: the best tracks of 2012.

Hope you enjoy these tracks as much as we have. A big thank you to ALL the artists that have been involved so far. Here's to 2013 and another year of quality music.

Come and say hi / follow me on Twitter if you have any suggestions / want to send in your music.

Kim.

1. Ultraísta - Smalltalk
A dreamy pop hallucinogen from the debut collaboration between Laura Bettinson, Nigel Godrich and Joey Waronker. Read our interview with the band here

2. alt-J - Fitzpleasure
Their first 2012 release via Infectious Music, the enigmatic quartet went on to win the coveted Mercury Prize for their debut album An Awesome Wave

3. Scuba - NE1BUTU
Hotflush Recordings curator Paul Rose (aka Scuba) defines his take on old school house with a jumping piano break and bubbling bassline

4. S O H N - The Wheel
Multi-instrumentalist / producer S O H N cuts stark soul vocals across minimal analogue composition for his beautiful debut single released by Aesop

5. Ondatropica - Punkero Sonidero
Colombian musician Mario Galeano and English producer Will ‘Quantic’ Holland salute Cumbia Diaspora - the migration and metamorphosis of Columbian music around the world soundwayrecords.com/ondatropica

6. Snake & Jet's Amazing Bullit Band - Black Egg
Swirling psychedelic rock from the Danish rock 'n' roll duo's LP Stuff That Rotates, released by Danish indie label Crunchy Frog

7. Here We Go Magic - Make Up Your Mind
A captivating introduction to their third album A Different Ship, produced by Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich herewegomagicband.tumblr.com

8. Public Service Broadcasting - Spitfire
Combining unique access to footage from WWII-era Britain with progressive swathes of electronic and krautrock inspired sound publicservicebroadcasting.net

9. Amadou & Mariam - Dougou Badia ft Santigold
The blind musical couple from Mali featured Santigold on the first single from their second album Folila twitter.com/amadouetmariam

10. Stealing Sheep - Shut Eye
The first single from their debut album on Heavenly, Shut Eye is a beautiful intro to the Liverpool trio of psych-folk femmes facebook.com/stealingsheepuk

11. AlunaGeorge - You Know You Like It (Lapalux's Bass Ballad Remix)
Essex based producer Lapalux fine tunes the hip-pop heavy AlunaGeorge www.alunageorge.com

12. Castrovalva - In Our Prime
An aural assault like no other. The Leeds noise-fuckers have returned with a new record via Brew Records

13. The Cast of Cheers - Animals
Setting anticipation levels higher still, the Irish quartet released new single Animals ahead of their debut thecastofcheers.bandcamp.com

14. Sweet Billy Pilgrim - Blakefield Gold
Dynamic folk-led loveliness, the band followed their Mercury nominated second album with third album Crown and Treaty www.sweetbillypilgrim.com

15. Quantic & Alice Russell with The Combo Barbaro - Look Around The Corner
A triumphant, joyous concoction of contemporary soul and jazz (this is my ultimate morning song), the collective released a richly textured album of the same name via Tru Thoughts

16. Jessie Ware - 110%
After contributing vocals to SBTRKT's debut album, Jessie's sophisticated solo pop tunes instantly caused a stir jessieware.com/

17. Bondax - Baby I Got That
Causing ripples of new-wave Balearic excitement, the 17 and 18 year old Lancaster-based duo dropped ultra funk-out Baby I Got That via their own label Just Us / Relentless facebook.com/bondax

18. Dingus Khan - My Body
With a press release describing them as 'Blur-meets-Slipknot', the Essex eight-piece released their debut album Support Misty Swans via Fierce Panda / Label Fandango facebook.com/dinguskhanband

19. Celeste - Loose In The Knees
Celeste borrowed six beats from underground hip hop producers to create this mixtape

20. Valerie June - Workin' Woman Blues
A self-taught musician born and raised in Jackson, Tennessee, Valerie June bleeds her rich country roots through stark delta blues www.valeriejune.com

21. Negative Pegasus - Floating Omen
Their debut single, Negative Pegasus present their self described 'consciousness expanding, hard-psych' facebook.com/negativepegasus

22. The Black Seeds - Pippy Pip
Self-recorded and produced, the New Zealand reggae-soul collective deliver mellow rhythms laced with delicate percussion www.theblackseeds.com

23. Cloud Nothings - Fall In
A year after their debut Cloud Nothings return with new album Attack On Memory out via Wichita

24. Lucy Rose - Middle of the Bed
We've followed the singer-songwriter since we first heard this track, culminating in a cup of tea and an interview

25. Akira Kiteshi - Big On The Busses
Akira Kiteshi, aka Glasgow's Tommy Forrest, throws down a weighty roll of bass infused electronica, taken from his debut record out on Bristol based Afterglo Records

26. Dr. John - Big Shot
'It's reel HIP' says the legendary blues musician Dr.John of his new album Locked Down. And he's right. Get set for a mammoth dose of gritty, gutsy, authentic blues-voodoo, produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach www.nitetripper.com

27. KonKoma - Handkerchief
The brainchild of saxophonist Max Grunhard and producer Ben Lamdin (Nostalgia 77) the roots of this London afro-funk outfit are deeply intertwined in 1970's Ghana. Their self-titled debut is out through the fantastic Soundway Records

28. Wall - No Secrets
The first signing to Black Cab Sessions' newly born label BCS Records, London-based producer, singer/song-writer Wall produces beautiful, minimal and heart-tugging sounds. See her Soundcloud page for more

29. Black Dice - Pigs
A claustrophobic blast of schizophrenic electronics and stuttering beats. Pigs is the first track taken from new album Mr.Impossible out via Ribbon Music.

30. Amida - I Was Rude, You Were Fast
Releasing their longest EP to date - My Life As A Trashcan - Manchester's Amida concoct scruffy, glorious indie-pop with plenty of charm and defiance amidamusic.bandcamp.com

31. Belle and Sebastian - Crash
In celebration of their recent Late Night Tales compilation, Belle and Sebastian released a lullaby swing cover of The Primitives' track Crash www.belleandsebastian.com

32. Lower Dens - Alphabet Song
Beguiling and transient, this is new left field indie at its best. The track opens their long awaited second album Nootropics out via Ribbon Music

33. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Swim and Sleep (Like A Shark)
Fresh from Grizzly Bear support dates, UMO release the first single from their forthcoming album. A dreamy DIY pop hallucinogen facebook.com/unknownmortalorchestra

34. Lianne La Havas - Forget
Starting the year with a string of sold out shows, the soulful London singer looks set to turn heads wherever she goes... www.liannelahavas.com

35. Slugabed - Sex
Sex. The single lifted from Slugabed's debut album Time Team. Squelchy, bouncy, synthy. Sex(y) soundcloud.com/slugabed

36. Flash Bang Band - Danananana Freud
Brighton's Flash Bang Band dedicate this track to a philosopher and a band (we miss Dananananaykroyd too) facebook.com/flashbangband

37. Egyptian Hip Hop - Yoro Dialio
Yoro Dialio is but a small glimmer into the beautiful, rich, finely crafted indie swept across the glorious and long awaited debut EHH album out via R&S Records facebook.com/egyptianhiphop

38. Marika Hackman - You Come Down
Causing a huge stir with her shadowy and haunting take on traditional folk, Marika Hackman's new single has been produced by Johnny Flynn and Adam Beech from the Sussex Wit soundcloud.com/marika-hackman

39. Limbo Kids - Heartshots
Anonther nugget of atmospheric indie from the blossoming Oxford scene, taken from their debut EP Wanderlust twitter.com/LimboKids

40. DJ Kentaro - Kikkake ft DJ Krush
Co-produced with DJ Krush, Kikkake is the lead track from Contrast, the second album by DMC champion turntablist DJ Kentaro released via Ninja Tune Asked to bring a track to the Radio 1 Review show this year, we rolled with this bad boy. BIG UP.