(self-released; released 7 February)
Recommended by: Huw Stephens, Rob da Bank, Semtex

“Kish here recalls both Lauryn Hill’s guard-down emotions, articulated brilliantly on The Miseducation of…, and the solid narrative structure that served Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city so well. Her promise is reaching fruition. So let that download take its time. Genius should never be rushed.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: K+ (A walk through the process of creating the K+ installation and album) (external link; contains strong language which may offend)

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Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push the Sky Away

(Bad Seed Ltd; released 18 February)
Recommended by: 6 Music Album of the Day, Radcliffe and Maconie, Jo Whiley

“Push the Sky Away is certainly a far stranger, subtler record than the last Bad Seeds outing. And in its own way this is every bit as fierce and uncompromising as both Grinderman LPs. It is an LP as weighty, compelling and brilliant as The Bad Seeds have ever produced.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: We No Who U R (external link)

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Foals - Holy Fire

(Transgressive; released 11 February)
Recommended by: Janice Long, Zane Lowe, Edith Bowman

“Holy Fire’s lead tracks, Inhaler and My Number, comprise tone-setters for this slickly realised set, which focuses on instant-click compositions over consciousness-creepers. The kids – which Foals were at their outset – have grown up splendidly. You might say they’ve become a true thoroughbred outfit, if such linguistic horseplay was your thing.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Inhaler (external link; contains nudity and images which may offend)

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Caitlin Rose - The Stand-In

(Names; released 25 February)
Recommended by: Marc Riley, Another Country with Ricky Ross, The Late Show with Stuart Bailie

“Rose has an expressive voice, possessing both purity and trueness of pitch, and an appealingly human, direct tone. Only occasionally ornamented with harmonies, her new album otherwise opts to showcase it unadorned. If she is the future of American country music, then it would seem that its future is in safe, appealing and mellifluous hands.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: No One To Call (external link; audio only)

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Alice Russell - To Dust

(Tru Thoughts; released 25 February)
Recommended by: Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show, Jamie Cullum, 6 Music Album of the Day

“Where soul has often become a catch-all for impressive feats of sultry lyrical dexterity that sometimes forget to add much genuine emotion, Russell imbues her sonic palette with a heartfelt honesty that was behind the naming of the genre in the first place. When To Dust takes flight, you don't have to squint your ears too far to imagine her as a new queen of British soul.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Heartbreaker (external link)

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My Bloody Valentine - m b v

(self-released; released 2 February)
Recommended by: Mary Anne Hobbs, 6 Music Album of the Day

“Throughout, a thought pervades: if you ever considered MBV more of a racket than not, this definitely isn’t an album for you. But has it been worth the wait for fans? Yes. Strip away the two-decade ‘delay’ and it’s a perfect follow-up to Loveless. It’s an album that 22 years of speculation and analysis haven’t come close to matching the reality of.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: she found now (external link; audio only)

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Wayne Shorter Quartet - Without a Net

(Blue Note; released 4 February)
Recommended by: Jazz on 3, Jamie Cullum

“For almost 80 minutes, the 79-year-old saxophonist controls his quartet while allowing it to explore various melodic terrains. Still, the music remains traditional in its approach and recalls the genre’s golden era. The songs, recorded in Los Angeles and Europe, proceed with an unhinged abandon, yet they never run off course. Shorter is firmly at the helm, yet benevolent enough to play the background when needed. The rhythm has taken him far.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: N/A

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P***ed Jeans - Honeys

(Sub Pop; released 11 February)
Recommended by: Mike Davies, Vic Galloway

“This is the stuff of vicious hangovers, unkempt hair being head-banged back and forth furiously, and eyebrow-raising debacles on public transport. This twisted, wilfully perverse abomination of a band makes a noise that blurs boundaries of ugly and beautiful in poleaxing style. And long may they stare into this particular abyss.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Bathroom Laughter (external link; contains graphic scenes of injury which may upset)

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Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite - Get Up!

(Stax; released 4 February)
Recommended by: Bob Harris, Paul Jones

“If a case needs to be made for blues music in the mainstream, this meeting of crack talents from two generations fits the brief. All the way through, Musselwhite’s subtle, rich-toned commentary maintains a focus. So you’ll hear echoes of Jimi Hendrix, the Blind Boys and even the laidback groove of Jack Johnson here, but make no mistake: this is the blues.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Get Up! Trailer (external link)

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Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II

(Jagjaguwar; released 4 February)
Recommended by: Edith Bowman, Lauren Laverne, 6 Music Album of the Day

“There’s minimal flab on II, with echoes of Love at their poppiest and most blues-indebted (especially on the surprisingly indulgent seven-minute boogie-fest Monki) and 13th Floor Elevators at their scratchiest. But thankfully throwbacks aren’t a concern when the songs are as wonderfully complete as they are on this record.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: So Good at Being in Trouble (external link; contains mild violence)

"Hang about," barked the bard of Camden Town. "I bet you been to Bowie for Ziggy Stardust?"

Spooky and uncannily true.

"And he turned you down?"

"Er. Well, his management did."

"Pink Floyd for Dark Side of the Moon?"

The man has a crystal ball. Nay two.

"And now you want Madness to let you loose with your grubby maulers on our classic, critically acclaimed, mega-selling The Liberty of Norton Folgate?"

OK, make that three. One for luck.

"Absolutely, old son..."

We discussed how this might work. I would not only need his approval but that of the rest of the band too. And, as luck would have it, The Liberty of Norton Folgate was the perfect concept album to go back with to my producer Jeremy Mortimer.

The next stage was to find out what inspired the album. After conversations with Suggs and Carl Smith (aka Chas Smash) I found out.

At the heart of it are the positive elements of immigration to London’s Spitalfields. How generations of immigrants have contributed to the area to make it the vibrant, unique place that it undoubtedly is. 

Norton Folgate itself is a street connecting Bishopsgate with Shoreditch High Street.

A few years ago a building - much loved by the community - on Norton Folgate was threatened to be demolished. All looked doomed until it was discovered that Norton Folgate at that time was a "liberty." An independent strip of land falling outside the jurisdiction of the local council.

This story inspired the songwriters to think about the multicultural influence that had helped to build the community over generations. Each wave of immigrants, from The Huguenots to the Bangladeshis and the Poles, all contributed to the area with their various skills.

At the start of the writing process I would sit in a Turkish café on Norton Folgate. Observing. Taking photographs. Making notes. Talking and listening. Building a story. What evolved was Passport to Pimlico via Romeo and Juliet with a subplot of bigotry. A story woven around the songs on the album.

In the play, The Union café is threatened to be demolished. The livelihood of Bangladeshi owners, Gazi and Sitara, is under threat. They fear for the identity of the community. This family make a stand for preserving British culture. The right for all their customers to a full English breakfast.  The right not be blanded-out by a corporate tax-evading coffee chain.

I ran the idea by the band who approved the story. Some even wanted to be in it! Much to my and Jeremy’s delight.

I worked on the plot and the structure of the play. I wrote the script and inserted the songs - listening to how the lyrics and music fitted in with the story.

Last November, Jeremy arranged a read-through at Broadcasting House with the radio rep. The songs were played as the play was read, and it was a hoot.

My dialogue often surprises radio producers (I’ve been writing for radio since broadcasting SAFE in 1991 as part of a young writers festival on radio 4). It’s faster than it appears on the page. Great! I get to write more.

Last December, Suggs, Carl Smith and founder member of Madness, Mike Barson, bowled up at Broadcasting House. We recorded their scenes. And they were brilliant playing heightened versions of themselves.

The play took over two years to develop and write.

Last December, after the play was recorded, I went to Norton Folgate to visit my Turkish café. Or rather I didn’t. Sadly, it had closed. What’s that they say about life imitating..?

So in the words of Madness (only slightly paraphrased):

 

Hey you, don't watch that

LISTEN to this!

This is the heavy heavy monster sound

The nuttiest sound around

So if you've come in off the street

And you're beginning to feel the heat

Well listen buster

You better start to move your feet

To the rockinest, rock-steady beat

Of madness

in The Liberty of Norton Folgate!

 

The Liberty of Norton Folgate is Radio 4's Saturday Drama, 2.30pm Saturday 9^th February 2013.

Mark Davies Markham writes for TV, theatre and radio. "Taboo", the West End musical he wrote for Boy George, was nominated for an Olivier Award . "Eric", his recent play for the Liverpool Everyman was also about the music industry.

Solange Knowles - True

(Terrible Records; released 7 January)
Recommended by: Nick Grimshaw

"These songs give more with each listen; Solange's vocal arrangements keep revealing an extra melody or another ear-snagging lyric. The result is an incredibly addictive pop record that's comparable to no other contemporary release. From a singer who's always been defined by comparisons to somebody else, that's quite an achievement."

Read the full BBC review

On YouTube: Losing You (external link)

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Serafina Steer - The Moths Are Real

(Stolen Recordings; released 14 January)
Recommended by: Tom Ravenscroft, Freak Zone

"Like the droll yet odd tales weaved by David Thomas Broughton, Steer sings deliciously barbed songs about the city - and, you know, space abduction, skinny-dipping, that sort of thing. She asks for too much when she wants to be aligned with Alice Coltrane instead of "this folky-girly-pigeonhole-harp-thing". But she is harder to define (and more brilliant) than you might imagine."

Read the full BBC review

On YouTube: Night Before Mutiny (external link)

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Yo La Tengo - Fade

(Matador; released 14 January)
Recommended by: Cerys Matthews, Gideon Coe

"Fade sounds irreversibly like it's a Yo La Tengo record, and nobody else's. But the real revelation is that it's the most settled album they've recorded in years. Curiously, the band's versatility has allowed them to turn a million different sounds into a single gorgeous and unfailingly interesting one."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: I'll Be Around (external link)

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Young Fathers - Tape One

(Anticon; released 14 January)
Recommended by: BBC Introducing, Semtex, Vic Galloway

"'White boy beat / Black boy rhythm,' they state, outlining vital ingredients. Which, when stirred so excellently, suggest Edinburgh rap trio Young Fathers could follow Massive Attack from scene-specific successes to crossover acclaim and substantial commercial impact. Their Protection could be special indeed."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Sister (external link)

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Mountains - Centralia

(Thrill Jockey; released 21 January)
Recommended by: Gideon Coe

"Mountains - the chillaxed twosome of Koen Holtkamp and Brendon Anderegg - chart boundless ocean depths on this third LP for Thrill Jockey. Centralia unfurls at a leisurely pace, the band's characteristic blend of burbling electronica and acoustic instrumentation at its most formidable, and most satisfying, yet."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: No official videos available

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José James - No Beginning No End

(Blue Note; released 21 January)
Recommended by: Huey Morgan, Gilles Peterson

"On his Blue Note debut, James forgoes his electronic excess for a tighter collection of acoustic soul melodies. Here, he isn't so focused on alternative sounds; instead, James is able to streamline his approach and keep the vitality of his previous work. The result is a nocturnal set of refined resonance."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Trouble (external link)

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Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni ba - Jama Ko

(Out Here Records; released 28 January)
Recommended by: World on 3, Bob Harris, Loose Ends

"This third album from the Malian star features an array of guests, but these are ingested deep within the composite band belly, without seeming too starkly gratuitous. The veteran master Kassé-Mady Diabaté sings with Sacko on Sinaly, but the lesser-known Zoumana Tereta makes a greater impact, his husky, weathered tones dominating three songs."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Jama Ko (external link)

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Kris Kristofferson - Feeling Mortal

(KK Records; released 29 January)
Recommended by: Another Country with Ricky Ross, Ralph McLean, Bob Harris

"If this fine album turns out to be the 76-year-old Kristofferson's final release, then few could've asked for a more fitting valedictory statement. The sound is sparse, spontaneous, warm and intimate, with Kristofferson accompanied by his own acoustic guitar and a few unobtrusive side-players. If any artist has earned the right to deliver his own eulogy, it's this indomitable country legend."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: No official videos available

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Christopher Owens - Lysandre

(Turnstile; released 14 January)
Recommended by: 6 Music Album of the Day, Lauren Laverne

"The instrumentation's lighter swing is a viable alternative to Girls' concessions to progressive rock's nuanced twists and turns. Yet the dancing flute, happy-sad harmonica and succinct guitar breaks underpinning Here We Go and the route one beauty of A Broken Heart are the stuff from which dreams are woven. Owens' bid for a place in the pantheon of gifted and fascinating greats is still on course."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Here We Go (audio only; external link)

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Cult of Luna - Vertikal

(Indie Recordings; released 28 January)
Recommended by: Rock Show with Daniel P Carter

"Every Cult of Luna release and tour must be savoured, as this is a band so far ahead of its peers. They have tested their boundaries, and they will test yours. That the Swedes are still succeeding like this on their sixth album is testament to both their quality and vision. The end-of-year lists for 2012 are barely gone from recent memory, but you can expect to read about Vertikal again in 11 months' time."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Vertikal album teaser (external link)

The 2013 Folk Awards take place in Glasgow next week, and the landscape has subtly, but significantly, changed. Sam Lee, that remarkable young promoter, singer, dancer and song-collector from Kentish Town, released his highly original debut album in 2012 and it’s already been recognised by a Mercury Prize nomination and by winning fRoots magazine’s Critic’s Poll. Sam has two nominations. Karine Polwart, Lau, Bellowhead, Jim Moray, Sam Sweeney and Duncan Chisholm are other acts receiving multiple nominations this year. Serial nominees some of them may be, but the music they are making is, pretty much without exception, fresh, inspired, modern and challenging. The scope and quality of the five records in this year’s ‘Best Album’ category is astounding.

Of course, shiny awards are by no means the be-all and end-all, least of all in the folk world, with its assorted traditions stretching back hundreds of years. But, in the year that Bellowhead sailed up the charts and found themselves on Radio 2’s daytime playlist, the 2013 Folk Awards should offer further evidence that British folk music is enjoying another of its purple patches. Fans and critics who have yet to discover its delights are looking over and wondering once again what the fuss is about, and I sincerely hope that, after the Folk Awards open the door to the folk world, they’ll step inside and bide a while, for the music and the company is among the best they will ever find. I for one am thrilled to be getting more closely involved at this time.

- Mark Radcliffe hosts the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on Wednesday 30 January. Listen live on Radio 2 from 7.30pm, or watch all the presentations and performances on the BBC’s Red Button TV service or the Radio 2 website.

- The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe

- Mark Radcliffe’s Music Club on BBC Radio 2

- Radcliffe and Maconie on BBC Radio 6 Music 

From guest writer Gary Bales, editor of BBC Radio 6 Music

Hello there.

Since the launch of 6 Music on March 11th, 2002, our brilliant presenters have played nigh on a million records into your ears (seriously....based on an average of 240 tracks a day we are nearly at a million... maybe even over. Amazing, eh?), and many of those tracks were new at the time. So as we say farewell to 6 Music's 10-year anniversary celebrations, we here at the station thought it was high time we looked back at all the brilliant new music we have played on air during our eventful life so far.

One day in the office, in the autumn of last year, a few of us were talking about our favourite records released during the 10 years we've been on air. As with any musical conversation in 6 Music towers, a polite debate swiftly turned into a passionate argument and lo, the idea of 6 Music's Greatest Hits was born.

Starting today, 6 Music is officially asking, "What is the greatest song released during our lifetime?" Between the 6 Music presenters and staff in the office, after spending the last three months or so sifting through the thousands of songs released in the last 10 years, we somehow came up with a shortlist of 100 tracks we think truly are 6 Music's Greatest Hits, all of which were released between March 2002 and the end of 2012.

And in the spirit of transparency, I'm not going to lie - the whole process was a nightmare. A fun nightmare, but a nightmare all the same. I had a full-on terror dream one night where I was attacked by flying Regina Spektor records.

Trying to be unbiased when faced with songs you personally treasure is agonising. There are a ton of tunes I would have loved to have included in this list but couldn't, and the same goes for all of us here. We didn't have any particular criteria when shortlisting aside from gut feeling and the comfortable knowledge that the list would never truly be finished - if we were asked to do it all again today no doubt at least ten of the songs on the list would change - but it is what it is, and in actual fact I think it looks and sounds pretty strong.

If an alien came down, ended up having a tour of 6 Music and via a clever translation machine asked us, "Inferior Earthlings... What is this thing called alternative music and what is the most excellent example of it from the last ten solar cycles", we would happily give them this list.

I digress - this is where you come in, dear listener, to the world's finest alternative music station. We want you to vote for the track you believe to be the pinnacle of musical achievement during our lifetime from our list of 100.

Now many of you upon viewing will no doubt be throwing rotten fruit at your computer screens because nothing from the new Godspeed You! Black Emperor album made it onto the list. Totally fair enough. But maybe, just maybe, your favourite song IS on there, looking at you with puppy dog eyes, wistfully pleading for your vote...

Go to the voting page now to see the list of 100 tracks in full and cast your vote, and click on the links to Spotify, Deezer and YouTube where you can listen to special playlists featuring every track included in the list.

Tell us what you think on our Facebook page or use the Twitter hashtag #6MusicGreatest. We genuinely can't wait to find out what you think about the list, good or bad.

Voting closes Friday 25 January, and be sure to keep Friday 1 February free as we'll be counting down the 100 songs in the order you voted for them across the day, starting in Shaun Keaveny's Breakfast show at 7am GMT, and concluding with Steve Lamacq from 4-7pm GMT.

First up the surprises - no Paul Weller and no Richard Hawley. Maybe we're just over familiar with the names, but both made strong records that didn't make the 15. Most surprisingly for me, was Joe Goddard's band The 2 Bears getting to number 14 while his day job Hot Chip didn't make the cut. Also odd was Tame Impala's Lonerism just scraping into the list at 15. For such a critically heralded piece of work, I expected a higher placing.

Toy did well, hitting number 10, beating off competition from big hitters Jack White and Lana Del Rey and It was good to see so many new artists in the Top 10 - and so many debuts - whether this means we value the freshness of 'The New' when it comes to these lists, but Jessie Ware, Poliça, Frank Ocean, Django Django all got listed for their first musical outings. All great albums, with oddly very little in common.

In the end our winner was Alt-J (who also won a Mercury Prize let's not forget) with an album that managed to be both original and smart, as well as being easily enjoyable and accessible - for me their single Tessellate alone was enough to warrant their inclusion on any end of year list.

It'll be interesting to see how so many of these artists can follow up the acclaim of their debuts (The xx managed a placing of 11 for their *ahem* sophomore effort). There's a lot of coverage of a lot of bands out there, and the concept of slowly developing over several years before being seized upon is long dead. But conversely artists are being forced to look further afield for influences and break more rules in order to get noticed - and it fair to say that the potential shown in the 6 Music Top 15 could result in an increasingly multi-faceted and interesting 2013.

Here's the complete Top 15:

15. Tame Impala - Lonerism
14. The 2 Bears - Be Strong
13. Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
12. Jack White - Blunderbuss
11. The xx - Coexist
10. TOY - TOY
9. Jessie Ware - Devotion
8. Grimes - Visions
7. Beach House - Bloom
6. Poliça - Give You The Ghost
5. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
4. Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
3. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
2. Django Django - Django Django
1. Alt J - An Awesome Wave

Kwes - Meantime
(Warp Records; released 30 April)

"Londoner Kwes is embarking on what can be a hazardous path for any behind-the-scenes sort: out from the studio and into the spotlight as a solo artist. But if these four tracks are an indication of what is to come, his output could well eclipse many a critically adored LP that he's had the pleasure to be associated with. If the name never registered before, note it now: Kwes has the necessary nous to bless the commercial territories of planet pop with great things indeed."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Bashful (external link)

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Lapalux - When You're Gone
(Brainfeeder; released 27 February)

"Pulled along by a solemn undercurrent of swampy beats, When You're Gone is uplifted by a quasi-chaotic mix of comfortingly familiar field recordings and their polemic sparkle of synthetic bleeps. Centrifugal track Gutter Glitter does this expertly, and it's a tone which is achieved throughout, shaping this EP into the most-tender of 21st century lullabies. This is an awesome release."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: no official videos available

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Outfit - Another Night's Dreams Reach Earth Again
(Double Denim; released 14 May)

"'I wanna be everything, all the time / But I just can't decide.' These opening lines on Wirral-born quintet Outfit's debut EP set the scene for what follows; and the listener isn't left in any doubt as to the their muddled creative mindset come this four-tracker's close. But rather than exchange identity for a chameleonic charm offensive, Outfit press their own stamp into every one of these cuts. Another Night's Dreams Reach Earth Again is a tremendous introduction."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Everything All the Time (external link)

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Halls - Fragile
(The Sounds of Sweet Nothing; released 21 January)

"Delivering precisely what it says on the sleeve, the second extended-play set from young London producer Samuel Howard is four tracks of exquisite delicacy, the kind of electro-organic sketches that the slightest bass drop would smash into digital splinters. Something this slight of form but rich in potential could well fall short of full-length brilliance - but, right here and right now, Halls is mesmerising stuff in small doses."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: I Am Not Who You Want (external link)

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WHY? - Sod in the Seed
(City Slang; released 13 August)

"WHY? frontman Yoni Wolf hasn't totally lightened up here, but this EP does have something of the triumphant about it; 2009's Eskimo Snow felt a little worn out in places, but here the band revels in sunny, addictive instrumentation. Wolf's rhymes are fabulously wordy, elaborate things that he hits with conviction and purpose... It whets the appetite for a new album in a sparkling, confident fashion."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Sod in the Seed (external link; contains strong language)

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Dels - Black Salad
(Big Dada; released 26 November)

"At all times, Dels is a compelling master of ceremonies. The way he's both laidback and urgent, simultaneously, has been commented on in the past; but this masterfully managed balance is forever at the fulcrum of his delivery. He's not the most technically gifted rapper out there, but his imagery is specked with genius. His second LP is due in early 2013. If it's of a comparable quality to these EP cuts, fans old and new are in for a treat."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: You Live in My Head (external link)

Joey Bada$$ - 1999

This teenage rapper from Brooklyn sounded wise beyond his years on this acclaimed collection, which set his tight rhymes - and those of the Pro Era collective - against a series of arrangements drawing inspiration from the 90s. It's perhaps most reminiscent of the 90s work of Nas; and Joey's certainly making the right moves in order to follow the Queens rapper's ascent to stardom. Although it's a free release, 1999 tickled the fancy of MTV, who put the video for Hardknock into rotation. Revivalism it might be, but few mixtapes of 2012 were as consistently engaging as this one.

In the press: "Joey Bada$$ is doing his best to further the period's legacy of boom-bap production... The young man clearly has an old soul." (Pitchfork; review)

On YouTube: Hardknock (external link)

- - -

Action Bronson / The Alchemist - Rare Chandeliers

A collaboration between NYC-born American-Albanian rapper Action Bronson (aka Arian Asllani) and Beverley Hills-based producer The Alchemist (Alan Maman), Rare Chandeliers is one of the most seriously focused, but seriously laidback, mixtapes of 2012. Bronson, formerly a chef and forever likely to be compared to Ghostface Killah in his delivery, doesn't stick to tried-and-tested rap tropes for his rhymes. And this is evident across these 13 tracks, which fly by in under 40 minutes (a lesson in economy that many other rappers could learn from). Frequently amusing, but never at the expense of a catchy couplet, Bronson's a big character destined for bigger things, and he's rarely sounded as potent as he does against The Alchemist's woozy productions.

In the press: "...the most immediately entertaining rap album that's dropped all year. And it's completely free, because it's 2012 and the rap industry is insane." (PopMatters; review)

On YouTube: The Symbol (external link)

- - -

Supreme Cuts and Haleek Maul - Chrome Lips

This collaboration between Chicago production duo Supreme Cuts - Mike Perry and Austin Keultjes - and teenage Barbados rapper Haleek Maul is one of the most individual-sounding sets of 2012. Chrome Lips is a listen that unsettles as it creeps under the skin and seeps into the blood; it's like the best Odd Future record Odd Future never had the horror-movie mindset to produce. The seeds of this relationship were sown in 2011, when the pair received an email from a young MC with freestyles to spare. Supreme Cuts had intended to work with an array of rappers; but Chrome Lips would eventually mostly feature the tongue-twisting syllables of Maul, seemingly a safe bet for an eventual mainstream breakthrough. His own seven-tracker of 2012, Oxyconteen, is worth downloading too.

In the press: "...a 17-track exploration of the loneliest frontiers of hip hop, both in Supreme Cuts' atmospheric beats and Haleek Maul's teenage intensity." (FACT; link)

On YouTube: The Dummy (external link)

- - -

Angel Haze - Reservation

She's on the BBC Sound of 2013 for a reason - Michigan-born and NYC-based MC Angel Haze is a head-turning gust of gloriously fresh air about to take her inspired rhymes into the mainstream. Now signed to Island, she's come a long way in a short space of time - and for many, it was with Reservation that she first made a considerable impression. She followed up its standout cuts, like New York and Werkin' Girls, with a second mixtape of 2012, Classick. Its lead track, Cleaning Out My Closet, was a striking account of the sexual abuse she suffered growing up. Clearly unafraid to open up, Haze - real name Raykeea Wilson - is a talent with breathtaking potential.

In the press: "Unshakeable boastfulness may be a rapper's stock in trade, but the conviction with which the 21-year-old MC spits is borderline vitriolic, and she convinces." (The Quietus; interview)

On YouTube: Werkin' Girls (external link; contains strobe lighting effects)

- - -

Childish Gambino - Royalty

When Donald Glover decided to focus fully on a rap career after breaking through as a comedic actor in Community (he also wrote for 30 Rock), sceptics immediately sharpened their poison pens. But Glover's first commercially released album as Childish Gambino, 2011's Camp, wasn't half bad; and Royalty, a guests-heavy 18-tracker distributed for free in July 2012, offers further evidence that he's a rising rapper still to hit his sweetest spot, but not falling far short of it. With Bun B, Beck, Danny Brown and RZA amongst the contributors, Royalty consistently impresses with its cast; and when the different voices click, as on American Royalty and the Britney-sampling Toxic, there's magic in the air.

In the press: "Gambino's skills and prominence continue to develop, and he's becoming a tried and true success story. (These) 18 tracks are a mighty declaration of newfound confidence." (Consequence of Sound; review)

On YouTube: R.I.P. (audio only; external link)

- - -

Mick Boogie / Beastie Boys - Grand Royal

Ohio DJ Mick Boogie's Beastie Boys mix was made to mark the New Yorkers' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2012. But it gained inevitable poignancy when the Beasties' Adam Yauch passed away the next month. This great loss to music was felt way beyond rap circles, and for many Boogie's assembling of Beasties rarities, live tracks, outtakes, B sides and remixes became a fitting tribute to the late MC(A). Says Boogie, on his website (external link): "It's funny how many people think this mix was made because he passed... but sometimes the irony of life is very special. Enjoy this man's music. Support his charities. Tell a friend or family member you love them. And be grateful for the blessings and health that you have in your everyday lives."

In the press: "...80 minutes of classic cuts, rarities, remixes, live versions, and more. Basically what I'm saying is that this is the best and you need to download it now. I mean, why wouldn't you? It's FREE." (Potholes in my Blog; review)

On YouTube: Sure Shot (Nardone/Large Professor Remixes) (audio only; external link)

25
Grizzly Bear - Shields
(Warp; released 17 September)

Writes reviewer Wyndham Wallace: "Shields pushes and prods at musical boundaries in a similar way to Talk Talk's 1986 masterpiece, The Colour of Spring. It's an aesthetic rather than musical comparison, but - with songs shifting with casual precision, arrangements that are fluid and brave, and an honest, organic production - there's a sense throughout that Grizzly Bear are on the cusp of a genuine breakthrough. Where they go next may prove even more intriguing."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Yet Again (external link)

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24
Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream
(RCA; released 12 November)

Writes reviewer Hari Ashurst: "Kaleidoscope Dream continues Miguel's improvement, highlighting an artist in a real purple patch of songwriting. His biggest American hit to date, Adorn, opens, popping with electric melodies and charm. It's one of the most gorgeous pop songs so far this decade, deceptively simple and alluringly confident. Enjoy Kaleidoscope Dream for the rarity that it is: an unerringly consistent, very good pop record."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Adorn (external link)

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23
First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
(Wichita; released 23 January)

Writes reviewer Natalie Shaw: "Those already familiar with First Aid Kit may be shocked by the portent in the title of their second album, The Lion's Roar. For a duo so built on understatement, it's a statement of its own volition - words which suggest something bigger, bolder, and stronger. And sat neatly between Laura Marling's trauma and Joni Mitchell's spot-lit thoughts, this album lines them up as the band most likely to cross over into the big time."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Emmylou (external link)

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22
Emeli Sandé - Our Version of Events
(Virgin; released 13 February)

Writes reviewer Lou Thomas: "Sandé's solo debut single Heaven was arguably the finest British pop song released in 2011. And Our Version of Events is a charming and occasionally moving record full of care and polish, effort and grace. It will be interesting to see whether she embraces a bolder sound, develops her own big ideas or, perhaps, delivers a captivating combination of the two for album two."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: My Kind of Love (external link)

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21
Tame Impala - Lonerism
(Modular; released 8 October)

Writes reviewer Martin Aston: "Like their brilliant 2010 debut album Innerspeaker, Lonerism is self-produced and mixed by Flaming Lips/Mercury Rev producer David Fridmann. Yet for all the Oz roots and American connection, the album's soul is so very British. Set the controls for the heart of the sun, matey, we're going on a magical mystery tour. And if Tame Impala only turn out to be the Animal Collective of space rock, that's still a great place to arrive."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Elephant (external link)

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20
Father John Misty - Fear Fun
(Bella Union; released 30 April)

Writes reviewer Martin Aston: "Fear Fun is its own, inspired brew of, indeed, both fear and fun. It's located in a Bermuda Triangle of haunted ballads and wired rockers between Alex Chilton, Neil Young's After the Gold Rush and Fleet Foxes' lonesome-pine beauty, before Tillman stirs in his own twisted DNA, confessing in I'm Writing a Novel, 'I ran down the road, pants down to my knees, screaming.' Whoever Father John Misty is, he's a hell of a find."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Nancy From Now On (external link; contains scenes of a sexual nature)

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19
Bill Fay - Life Is People
(Dead Oceans; released 20 August)

Writes reviewer Martin Aston: "Arriving 41 years after Fay's last original studio album, Life Is People represents the return of a prodigal son you never knew existed. Its religious symbolism is inspired by Fay's own relationship with faith, the result a stunning, profound, moving and soulful record. It's a miracle that Fay, after so many years, is again making music; another miracle is how brilliant Life Is People is."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Be at Peace With Yourself (external link)

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18
Chromatics - Kill for Love
(Italians Do It Better; released 4 June)

Writes reviewer Alex Denney: "Kill for Love is little short of breathtaking. With its lonesome, Auto-Tuned vocals poured longingly over a slow disco beat, These Streets Will Never Look the Same sounds like Gaspar Noé's ghostly skycam that stalks the city rooftops in Enter the Void. A subtle transfiguration of Neil Young's Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) continues their run as a fine covers band. One of the finest records to surface this year."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Lady (external link)

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17
Django Django - Django Django
(Because Music; released 30 January)

Writes reviewer Mike Diver: "Begone, indie-is-dead doom-mongers! As Django Django prove on this thrilling debut long-play platter, there's life in the old dogged-by-disdain genre yet. Clever but never at the expense of a catchy hook, this is 'indie' par excellence: guitars that ring through the mix like a clarion call from the inspired to take up arms against the legions of lad-rockers; buzzing synths that swirl around like a cloud of friendly wasps; lyrics delivered in mantras..."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Default (external link)

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16
Liars - WIXIW
(Mute; released 4 June)

Writes reviewer John Doran: "WIXIW works best when it has its eyes set on the dancefloor or the radio. Brats is a driving electro number that burrows into your head after just one listen, while A Ring on Every Finger is a slower yet no less insistent bleep'n'bass number. WIXIW is an unqualified success and, now that LCD are no longer with us, its makers are truly are in a field of their own."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Brats (external link)

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15
Swans - The Seer
(Young God Records; released 28 August)

Writes reviewer Chris Power: "The Seer is a masterpiece to be considered alongside Swans' best albums. An often violent experience, its lethal weaponry is intricately patterned. It's this contrast, ultimately, that makes them so potent. The Seer might not be the album you spend most time with this year - it's too emotionally demanding for heavy rotation - but it's one you'll be listening to for years to come."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: The Seer (live concert DVD trailer) (external link)

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14
Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded
(Island; released 2 April)

Writes reviewer Al Fox: "Few artists in Minaj's position would dare to take risks as bold as this, and yet, it doesn't feel as though she even sees it as risky - she's breezily doing her thing. Whatever the supposed role of Nicki Minaj within the hip hop hierarchy, whatever box she's pushed into, she'll have a hard time fitting in. Because, above all else, PF: RR cements her as a truly unique entity."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Pound the Alarm (external link; contains language which may offend)

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13
Baroness - Yellow & Green
(Relapse; released 16 July)

Writes reviewer Raziq Rauf: "The quality of songwriting and amount of raw passion on show throughout is striking. A shift to what could be perceived as a more commercial sound is a difficult one to achieve; but call a band led by a man as staunch in his artistic rites as frontman John Baizley sell-outs at your peril. This nearly flawless collection is simply the next step in the Baroness saga, and it's a beautiful one."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Take My Bones Away (external link)

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12
Carter Tutti Void - Transverse
(Mute; released 26 March)

Writes reviewer Luke Turner: "These four tracks feel entirely alive, a spontaneous weld of anxious beats, the odd squirl of guitar and distortion, corrupted vocals and deep, chasmic bass. The motif that recurs throughout is that of pace, propulsive forward movement, the creative interplay between the three artists almost tangible in the listener's ears. It captures a wonderful sonic conversation between like-minded souls."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: V2 (edit) (external link)

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11
Mala - Mala in Cuba
(Brownswood; released 10 September)

Writes reviewer Paul Clarke: "Heavy as the rhythms are, Mala's deftness of touch means the Cuban contributions are never entirely overwhelmed, and when he pulls more elements into the mix the results are often stunning. You can sense the melancholy longing at the core of both much traditional Cuban music and early dubstep. It reverberates through Mala in Cuba as powerfully as the bass."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Cuba Electronic (external link; contains strobe effects)

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10
Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
(Rough Trade; released 9 April)

Writes reviewer Martin Aston: "Lyrics are route-one effective throughout, as you'd expect from an album called Boys & Girls, but Alabama Shakes are not one-dimensional. Rather, they're a tightly coiled slice of primal southern soul, the sort usually stamped 'Memphis, Tennessee', but the band's hometown of Athens, Alabama - reached via the legendary town of Muscle Shoals - is spitting distance so far as this music is concerned."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Hold On (external link)

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9
Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
(Infectious; released 28 May)

Writes reviewer Jen Long: "It's hard to place Alt-J. Originally from Leeds, they spend their time in a Cambridgeshire basement making their own brand of uniquely dubbed "folk-step". However, the noises that An Awesome Wave emits far escape the dull, dark depths such a creative location suggests. Instead, it's a stunning and encompassing affair of both innovative and electrifying musicianship and exemplary song writing."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Tessellate (external link)

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8
David Byrne and St Vincent - Love This Giant
(4AD; released 10 September)

Writes reviewer Jude Clarke: "Despite having no obvious overarching theme or plot-line, this album nevertheless feels like an integrated conceptual piece. Creating alluring word-images, like The Forest Awakes' perpetual motion, circle-of-life pictures or I Am an Ape's mysterious "statue of the man who won the war", the feeling is generally playful yet profound. Byrne and Clark have managed to not only meet but exceed expectations, and have created one of the year's smartest albums in doing so."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Who (external link)

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7
Busy Signal - Reggae Music Again
(VP Records; released 23 April)

Writes reviewer Lloyd Bradley: "With Reggae Music Again Busy Signal builds on all the clever musicality of 2010's D.O.B. to produce an album that, appropriately for the 50th anniversary of Jamaica's independence, immerses itself in reggae music heritage. This is far more than what it seems to be billed as, namely 'Busy Signal changes style'. It's an important evolution of dancehall, connecting it to the timeline of Jamaican music, then pushing forwards into the 21st century."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Come Over (Missing You) (external link)

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6
Death Grips - The Money Store
(Epic; released 23 April)

Writes reviewer Paul Lester: "On The Money Store, Death Grips achieve the density and intensity of several Bomb Squads, Public Enemy's famous production wing. This may be their first recording since signing to Sony, but it hardly betrays signs of softening before their new paymasters. If anything, what they lose in sonic impact you gain in range: they seem to invent new rhythms and textures on each track. Bring the noise? It's already here."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Get Got (external link; contains language which may offend)

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5
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Trouble
(Polydor; released 11 June)

Writes reviewer Ele Beattie: "A long time in the making, Trouble was brewed slowly due to a fixation with crafting an electronic album that would stand the test of time. Being born to a choir master and raised on his big brother's jungle and DnB, TEED's well-honed approach to rhythms - plus an unexpected twist of including his own fragile, imperfect vocals - has already separated him from the throng. Add to that his costumes and desire to stir the muddy waters of electronic music and he's not just a 21st century entertainer, but also a bit of a radical."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Your Love (external link)

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4
Jessie Ware - Devotion
(Island; released 20 August)

Writes reviewer Mike Diver: "Whilst she passed by several tipsters at the turn of the year, Clapham-raised Jessie Ware has been steadily growing into south London's own Sade-in-waiting ever since her 2010 emergence. And her early successes have been built upon brilliantly: Devotion is the sort of sophisticated, soulful pop record that comes along all too rarely, a collection that never hides the heart on its sleeve. There's nothing 'next' about Ware: she's here, now, and superb."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: 110% (external link)

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3
Dexys - One Day I'm Going to Soar
(BMG; released 4 June)

Writes reviewer Chris Roberts: "Kevin Rowland sought a level of purity and intensity in his earlier music that, while a triumph to those who embraced it, scared the herd mentality of the music press. He lost his path and confidence for a while. Now, more relaxed, showing the sense of humour that was always there but was oft-misunderstood, he's created an album that's equal parts confessional soul and theatrical music hall, and wholly sincere and spectacular. Dexys are back with wisdom and wings. Some of us never doubted."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Incapable of Love (external link)

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2
Frank Ocean - Channel ORANGE
(Mercury; released 23 July)

Writes reviewer Marcus J Moore: "Given its hype, some may be expecting the second coming of Thriller. Instead, channel ORANGE is a meditative voyage through Ocean's innermost thoughts, no matter how intangible the topics. In the end it's a direct reflection of its maker. There are moments of assured clarity, juxtaposed with flashes of childlike shyness. What remains is a solid collection of pop-soul renderings through which Ocean tries to find himself. We get to watch his maturation, growing pains and all."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Pyramids (external link; contains scenes of nudity, strobe effects, and language which may offend)

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1
Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d. city
(Polydor; released 23 October)

Writes reviewer Marcus J Moore: "Lamar is a proud California native, but this major label debut harbours more Southern ethos than West Coast gloss. As it plays, it's clear that Lamar wants to fill the pondering void once occupied by OutKast rapper André 3000, whose philosophical rhymes made him one of hip hop's most admired MCs. This voluminous album is driven by wandering rumination and layered compositions, resembling OutKast's landmark Aquemini album. Come good kid's conclusion, Lamar's transformation is apparent: he's still growing up and ready to take his place among the hip hop elite."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Swimming Pools (Drank) (external link)

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So that's the BBC Music top 25 albums of 2012 - what have been your favourites of the year?

Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream

(RCA; released 12 November)
Recommended by: CJ Beatz

This second long-player is actually Miguel's fourth release of 2012, tying together the loose ends of a trilogy of EPs titled Art Dealer Chic Volumes 1-3. Those tracks were rough and sometimes pretty off-the-cuff; but they still ranked as an exciting step up from his 2010 debut. And it's tough to find much at fault with Kaleidoscope Dream. Enjoy it for the rarity that it is: an unerringly consistent, very good pop record."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Adorn (external link)

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Deftones - Koi No Yokan

(Reprise; released 12 November)
Recommended by: Rock Show with Daniel P Carter

"Koi No Yokan, Deftones' seventh album, stands monolithic as a testament to the power and tenacity of human spirit - the hope, love, pain and wonder of life. As such, it transcends the boundaries and expectations of its genre - even those previously set by the very band that made it. Love at first sight has never sounded so good."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Tempest (external link)

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Kidkanevil and Daisuke Tanabe - Kidsuke

(Project: Mooncircle; released 5 November)
Recommended by: Tom Ravenscroft, Rob da Bank

"The duo of Kidkanevil & Daisuke Tanabe is half-Japanese - no prizes for guessing which half; Kidkanevil's real name is Gerard Roberts - and their first collaborative album is held together with complex stitching, but endearingly simple motifs shine through. It feels like a lost late-90s IDM gem, but that's no bad thing. Equally, it high-fives certain runners in Flying Lotus' Californian Brainfeeder crew, who many would say are as 'now' as it gets."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: SGstep (audio only) (external link)

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Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (III)

(Fiction Records; released 12 November)
Recommended by: 6 Music Album of the Day

"It's not meant for the riot-bating boltholes or ravey discos of yore; (III)'s rightful home is a colossal stadium in space, starships trading laser-blows overhead, as rogue stars collide in the far distance. Meanwhile, a clock above the stage countdowns from 39 minutes to zero, at which point one of two things will happen: Glass will finally break free of the machines that enslave her; or this, the ultimate cosmic venue, will self-destruct."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Plague (external link)

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Hello Skinny - Hello Skinny

(Slowfoot; released 5 November)
Recommended by: Gilles Peterson

"Tom Skinner, whose relatively slight build tallies with the title of this work, is no lightweight on the London jazz scene. His voluminous CV, spanning a good 15 years, features stints in the bands of Denys Baptiste, Cleveland Watkiss and Alexander Hawkins among others. Clocking in at 36 minutes, this long-awaited solo debut is an impressive exercise in the integration of an expectedly wide range of aesthetics, revealing first and foremost a thoughtful composer with a skilled producer's ear."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: N/A

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Soundgarden - King Animal

(Mercury; released 12 November)
Recommended by: 6 Music Album of the Day

"Soundgarden have always possessed a real ability to combine darkness with immense grooves, as heard clearly on the sinuous Taree; and it's this that lifted them above their more thrashy, punk rock bar band peers. The 13 sturdy tracks of King Animal carry this compositional attitude into the 21st century. The overall theme is that of dark Americana, with Poe-recalling imagery and a sense of the political in Non-State Actor and the negative pop chorus of Bones of Birds."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Been Away Too Long (external link)

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The Bryan Ferry Orchestra - The Jazz Age

(BMG; released 26 November)
Recommended by: Jamie Cullum

"The Jazz Age is an instrumental set in which numbers spanning from Roxy Music's Virginia Plain to Reason or Rhyme from Bryan Ferry's most recent solo album Olympia are radically reimagined. These hits and cult items are fashioned as they might have been in the Paris of the Roaring Twenties, or the Gatsby ballrooms of F. Scott Fitzgerald (a poster-boy of doomed romanticism to whom Ferry has never struggled to relate)."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: The Jazz Age (external link)

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Food - Mercurial Balm

(ECM; released 5 November)
Recommended by: Jazz on 3, Late Junction

"Wistful drones are used liberally and the fine mesh of Thomas Strønen's brushes and marimba-like pitches on Astral recalls nothing other than the hiss and buzz of a balafon. All these carefully wrought tingles of sound, constantly placed in a wide dynamic range, have a hint of the music of mid-80s Jon Hassell, an artist whose influence on Mac-age jazz is not minor."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: N/A

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Vinyl Williams - Lemniscate

(No Pain In Pop; released 12 November)
Recommended by: Huw Stephens

The grandson of famed cinematic composer John Williams, Vinyl is not averse to setting lofty goals for himself. And this debut album certainly goes a long way towards capturing the 'other worlds' he strives to generate, pulsing, surging and meandering along its own path as it pleases. Lemniscate will soothe and transfix, ebbing and surging its way into your consciousness with style and grace to spare."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Higher Worlds (external link)

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Lindstrøm - Smalhans

(Smalltown Supersound; released 5 November)
Recommended by: Rob da Bank

"Smalhans finds Lindstrøm returning to more familiar, more concise territory, its six tracks totalling only 34 minutes. Full of his trademark crunchy, richly textured synths - the ones that earned him a reputation for 'cosmic' or 'space disco' thanks to their kinship with the likes of Giorgio Moroder - it was mixed by fellow traveller and compatriot 'Todd' Terje Olsen, who allows these multi-layered instrumentals to pulse and surge with an unflagging but never exhausting energy."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Rà-àkõ-st (external link)

The Palma Violets

Tuesday night was the last episode of Later... Live with Jools Holland to be filmed in the BBC's venerable Television Centre, due to be vacated at some unspecified point early in the new year. There was emotion in the air as Jools took the audience through their paces; before broadcast he asked them to applaud loud and long for "the fabric of the building".

But if the musicians were feeling weepy about the place they didn't show it. The Palma Violets ripped through a stonking couple of numbers, Soul II Soul gave the crowd what they wanted with an exuberant performance of Back to Life, the irrepressible Nona Hendryx took everyone to the river, and while The Weeknd went deep into their dysphoric come-down trip-hop sound, the results were electric. And Lana Del Rey was there, too, with a more relaxed and accomplished performance than the first time she came to Television Centre.

As usual, an extended version of the show will air Friday night.

You've only got a couple of days left to check out The Rolling Stones at the BBC, with gems from the vast archive of their BBC performances over the years. Of special note is a 1966 performance of "19th Nervous Breakdown" on Top of the Pops, thought lost forever but recently unearthed as part of a 60s-era documentary about women with depression.

Finally, it's Toddla T in LA, as the Radio 1 and 1Xtra DJ roots through the lush foliage of Los Angeles' music scene, talking to Tyler the Creator, The Gaslamp Killer, Childish Gambino and more.

Coming up

Louis Jordan

Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens? Saturday Night Fish Fry? He's maybe the most iconic musician you've never heard of - Louis Jordan, who blended party jazz and rock 'n' roll to create what might be the most effortlessly fun music ever made. In Choo Choo Ch'Boogie, Clarke Peters kicks off a four-part documentary on the man whose music is the basis for the West End smash, Five Guys Named Moe. It airs Thursday at 9:30pm (GMT) on Radio 2.

On Friday 30 Nov at 8:30pm (GMT), BBC Four's ridiculously comprehensive survey of the 70s continues with Disco: Ain't No Stoppin Us Now, with irresistible performances from all the likely suspects.

A bit later on BBC Four, it's a 1980 concert film of The Beach Boys Live at Knebworth, featuring all six canonical Boys - Mike, Carl, Dennis, Alan, Bruce and Brian - rocking a capacity crowd.

Out this week

We also review records fresh out of the oven this week, from the likes of ABBA, Dutch Schultz, Girls Aloud, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten New York Quartet, Jeff Wayne, Old Crow Medicine Show, Olly Murs, Rage Against the Machine, The Bryan Ferry Orchestra, The Lovely Eggs and Hemlock Recordings.

The Sound It Out record shop

You've got a bit less than a week left to watch Sound It Out, a strangely moving documentary on BBC Four about vinyl record shops in the UK and the kind of person to whom they're important. It's less a retelling of the Nick Hornby-esque list-making nerd mentality and more a study in subcultures and unexpected fraternity; don't sleep on this one.

1Xtra Live happened last week in Brixton, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham, and we've got clips and gorgeous photos from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Alicia Keys, Rudimental, Disclosure, Miguel, Rita Ora, Wiley and many, many more. If you'd like a little taster of what it was like, you could do worse than watch this brilliant 4-minute recap.

Also last week, BBC Radio turned 90. At exactly 17:33 on 14 November, every BBC Radio station in the UK transmitted the same signal at the same time, a broadcasting first. To mark the occasion, Damon Albarn recorded a special - and, to some, fairly baffling - piece of sound art. You can hear it at the "Radio Reunited" website.

And finally, Pop Chart Britannia: 60 Years of the Top 10 celebrates six decades of climbers, fallers and sure shots, and looks at the often desperate shenanigans required to push a song into public consciousness.

Coming up

What music used to look like

Tuesday 20 Nov at 10pm (GMT), Sinéad O'Connor, Tame Impala and more play the latest installment of Later... Live, Jools Holland's indefatiguable live music jamboree on BBC Two.

On Friday 23 Nov at 9pm (GMT), BBC Four premieres The Joy of the Single, an unashamed wallow in the glory years of the 7-inch vinyl single and the particular relationship to music it fostered. We suspect in this case Nick Hornby will feel right at home.

Out this week

We've got reviews of brand-new records out this week from Amy Winehouse, Björk, Chad Valley, Example, Led Zeppelin, Little Mix, Nostalgia 77 and the Monster and Pinback.

Kendrick Lamar at 1Xtra Live

This week 1Xtra Live takes to the stage in four cities across the UK. Kendrick Lamar, Trey Songz, Angel, WizKid, and Tulisa played in Brixton on Monday, and Tuesday Rita Ora, Misha B, Wiley, DJ Fresh and Daley lit up Manchester. It doesn't stop there - there are huge shows planned in Liverpool and Birmingham as well. You can follow along and watch full sets on the 1Xtra Live site.

Radio 4's doing a brilliant series right now called Mastertapes, which somewhat follows the format of Inside the Actor's Studio, the American interview show. Musicians like Billy Bragg and Suzanne Vega talk to John Wilson about the record that made them famous. This is "the A side". In a follow-up programme, "the B side", audience members get to pose questions to the musicians, with some surprising and enlightening results. And the artists in question play one of their well-loved songs; you can't really ask DeNiro to "do" Travis Bickle, but musicians don't have a problem performing classics on cue - it's what they do. Anyway, this thing could run and run.

Last week Geoffrey Smith's Jazz on Radio 3 did an Art Tatum tribute show which has sadly expired from iPlayer, but to replace it there's a tribute to Sonny Rollins. So it's hard to complain, really.

There was also an astonishing performance from Lang Lang at the Roundhouse in Camden on BBC Four - dry ice everywhere, crazy lightshow; not exactly the normal Liszt recital. It, too, is gone from iPlayer, but if piano is your thing, there's no need to go unsated. In 2006, Richard Goode performed Mozart's thrilling Piano Concerto No. 23 at the Proms and it's available to watch in all its splendour for the next three days.

Coming up

Sharp dressing for the Official Chart

There's a big doc coming up to celebrate six decades of the charts - Pop Charts Britannia: 60 Years of the Top 10 which takes in the entire swathe from 1952 to the present day. It's got contributions from stalwarts like David Jacobs and Pete Paphides and peeks behind the curtain to explore the sometimes desperate music biz hustle required to power a song into the weekly chart's upper reaches. It's on this Friday at 9:25pm (GMT) on BBC Four. Here's a teaser as Paphides talks about drawing his very own chart magazine as a child.

This Friday night at 1am (GMT) on BBC Two - OK, OK, it's technically Saturday - you can catch Backstage, an unexpurgated account of Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life Tour back in the rise-to-power days of 1999. (Yes, they all look very young.) These were rappers at the very top of their game when hip hop truly took over pop music, and it's fascinating to see them right in the middle of it, not quite knowing if they were kings of the world yet or not.

Out this week

We review brand-new albums by Crystal Castles, El Perro del Mar, Hello Skinny, Hot 8 Brass Band, Saint Etienne, Soundgarden and The Rolling Stones.

The CMA Awards

Bob Harris was at the Country Music Association Awards last week and he caught up with Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood and more Nashville royalty backstage, which you can hear along with highlights of the main awards of the evening. Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and Eric Church were among the big winners of the night, while Taylor Swift, perhaps the night's biggest star, went home empty-handed.

In the first MOBOs after Jessie J controversially took home four awards, Emeli Sandé reinforced her post-Olympics chart dominance with gongs for Best Album, Best Female and Best R&B/Soul, and Plan B also did well, winning Best Male and Best Hip Hop/Grime. There were live performances from JLS, Stooshe, Labrinth, Dionne Warwick and many, many more. You can watch the whole thing on BBC Three.

In our album review editor Mike Diver's own personal awards for the month of October, a handful of records received his full-throated recommendation. Read the reviews, check out the YouTube links, and see if you agree.

And finally, alt-J took home the Mercury Prize this year, a victory that some critics are calling the rise of "boffin rock". This blog has yet to be convinced that female-led dance-pop is going to take a back seat to immaculately arranged, scholarly, post-everything indie any time soon, but the virtually unanimous critical approbation for alt-J's An Awesome Wave must mean something's in the air.

Coming Up

Sandie Shaw

The unstoppable Later Live... with Jools Holland rumbles on with another blockbuster lineup including the likes of Soundgarden, Two Door Cinema Club, Trey Songz and more. It'll be live on Tuesday night, 6 Nov at 10pm (GMT) on BBC Two.

Queens of British Pop tracks Dusty Springfield, Sandie Shaw, Marianne Faithfull, Kate Bush and more with a tremendous range of interviews from their contemporaries and more recent performers they've influenced. Part 1 is on Friday, 9 Sept at 9pm (GMT) on BBC Four.

Out This Week

We've got reviews of brand-new records by Crowns, Emeralds, Jan Garbarek, Egberto Gismonti and Charlie Haden, Kidkanevil & Daisuke Tanabe, Manic Street Preachers, Meek Mill, Melody's Echo Chamber, P.O.S., Robbie Williams, Rolo Tomassi, Stars, Stubborn Heart, Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou and various Scottish rock bands.