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Discussion: Our Favorite Music Of The Year (So Far) : All Songs Considered This week on All Songs Considered, Bob and Robin are joined by NPR Music's Stephen Thompson and Ann Powers to discuss their favorite surprises, artists, albums and songs from the first half of 2012.

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Discussion: Our Favorite Music Of The Year (So Far)

Discussion: Our Favorite Music Of The Year (So Far)

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Clockwise from upper left: Kishi Bashi, Simone White, Bobby Womack, Aleksa Palladino of Exitmusic, Sinead O'Connor. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Vote For The Year's Best Music (So Far)

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Vote For The Year's Best Music (So Far)

This week on All Songs Considered, co-hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton are joined by NPR Music's Stephen Thompson and Ann Powers to take a step back, catch their breaths and consider the past six months of music. They share their favorite new artists, biggest surprises and favorite albums and songs from the first half of 2012. The biggest surprise of the year? Bob is into a Swedish pop song with the line, "You're from the '70s / but I'm a '90s b----."

Complete Coverage

The Year In Music (So Far): 2012

Second to Bob's unexpected pop pick: the heated discussion of Carly Rae Jepsen's sugary song of the summer, "Call Me Maybe." This week's show features a batch of poptimistic, feel-good songs, as well as a few tracks better heard alone in a dark, quiet room. These favorite songs of the year aren't necessarily delicately crafted; particularly awesome is Japandroids' rebellious "Fire's Highway," with a shout-to-the-heavens chorus and brash guitar and drums. Bob and Robin's favorite new artist of the year so far, Kishi Bashi, uses layers and loops to create a radiant, uplifting soundscape in "Bright Whites."

Another theme of the year seemed to be artists who've been around for a while, like Sinead O'Connor and Bobby Womack, as well as triumphant comeback albums like Fiona Apple's The Idler Wheel...

You can hear the entire discussion above and check out full versions of each track discussed below.

Discussion: Our Favorite Music Of The Year (So Far)

Cover for 151A

Bright Whites

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154596223/154597076" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Kishi Bashi

  • Song: Bright Whites
  • from 151A
Cover for Threads

Thread

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154596223/154597123" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Now, Now

  • Song: Thread
  • from Threads
Cover for Look Out Mama

Born to Win (Part One)

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154596223/154773888" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Hurray For The Riff Raff

  • Song: Born to Win (Part One)
  • from Look Out Mama
Cover for Celebration Rock

Fire's Highway

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154596223/154750760" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Japandroids

  • Song: Fire's Highway
  • from Celebration Rock
Cover for How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?

I Had A Baby

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154596223/154751088" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Sinead O'Connor

  • Song: I Had A Baby
  • from How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?
Cover for The Idler Wheel...

Hot Knife

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154596223/154750506" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Fiona Apple

  • Song: Hot Knife
  • from The Idler Wheel...
Cover for I Love It (Single)

I Love It

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154596223/154781842" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Icona Pop

  • Song: I Love It
  • from I Love It (Single)
Cover for Sweet Heart Sweet Light

Hey Jane

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154596223/154751710" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Spiritualized

  • Song: Hey Jane
  • from Sweet Heart Sweet Light
Cover for Passage

City

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154596223/154829550" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Exitmusic

  • Song: City
  • from Passage
Cover for What We Saw From The Cheap Seats

Regina Spektor

  • Song: Small Town Moon
  • from What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
YouTube
Cover for The Bravest Man In The Universe

Please Forgive My Heart

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154596223/154752234" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Bobby Womack

  • Song: Please Forgive My Heart
  • from The Bravest Man In The Universe
Cover for Call Me Maybe [Single]

Carly Rae Jepsen

  • Song: Call Me Maybe
  • from Call Me Maybe [Single]
YouTube
Cover for Adventures In Your Own Backyard

Adventures In Your Own Backyard

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154596223/154753522" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Patrick Watson

  • Song: Adventures In Your Own Backyard
  • from Adventures In Your Own Backyard
Cover for Silver Silver

Big Dreams and the Headlines

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154596223/154753759" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Simone White

  • Song: Big Dreams and the Headlines
  • from Silver Silver
Cover for The Only Place

The Only Place

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154596223/154753801" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Best Coast

  • Song: The Only Place
  • from The Only Place

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