ShareThisSAN FRANCISCO - So much great music came out this year, but you probably didn't hear it because Kesha and Kanye West sent you screaming to the nearest soundproof bunker. Well, it's time to resurface and discover a dozen worthy albums you may have missed.
1. Beach House: "Teen Dream" (Sub Pop). The title of this Baltimore duo's third full-length release bears an unfortunate similarity to Katy Perry's latest pop enormity, "Teenage Dream," but the music couldn't be more different. Cosmic and calm, the songs here float leisurely, led by Victoria Legrand's lovely harmonies. Adolescent angst has never sounded so palpable.
Download: "Lover of Mine"
Listen: beachhousebaltimore.com
2. Best Coast: "Crazy For You" (Mexican Summer). This is the first release from Angeleno Bethany Cosentino, who loves "Seinfeld" reruns, marijuana and random Tweets. On "Crazy for You," she effortlessly channels the delirious sound of vintage girl groups through early '90s fuzz, approximating what Hole might have sounded like as a Ronettes cover band.
Download: "Boyfriend"
Listen: bestycoasty.blogspot.com
3. Bonobo: "Black Sands" (Ninja Tune). British producer Simon Green's fourth full-length offering quietly innovates, drawing on jittery electronic rhythms, rich jazz grooves and lush soundscapes. His secret weapon is singer Andreya Triana, whose soulful voice makes knees quiver.
Download: "Eyesdown"
Listen: www.bonobomusic.com
4. Delphic: "Acolyte" (Dangerbird). The entire history of Manchester, England's pulse-quickening pop scene -- from New Order's sleek beats to Oasis' chest-beating melodies -- comes through on this unassuming trio's first album. "Acolyte," with singer James Cook, sounds as brilliant on the dance floor as it does on headphones.
Download: "Doubt"
Listen: delphic.cc
5. Delorean: "Subiza" (True Panther Sounds). A throwback to the days when ecstasy-fueled knob-heads like 808 State and Orbital dominated dance clubs, this Spanish quartet packs its third CD with synth-pop gems like "Stay Close" and "Infinite Desert."
Download: "Stay Close"
Listen: www.myspace.com/delorean
6. The Drums: "The Drums" (Moshi Moshi). This floppy-haired Brooklyn outfit makes music you expect to hear in a John Hughes movies, complete with cheap synths, claps and finger snaps. As a bonus, front man Jonathan Pierce sounds like Morrissey after downing a case of Red Bull.
Download: "Let's Go Surfing"
Listen: thedrums.com
7. Foals: "Total Life Forever" (Sub Pop). This Oxford indie-rock group's tightly wound first album, "Antidotes," drew a few too many Bloc Party comparisons. No such problem here. "Total Life Forever" takes a stylistic leap forward, exploding with widescreen melodies and sweaty momentum on tracks like "This Orient" and "After Glow." The epic "Spanish Sahara" offers seven minutes of breathless meditation.
Download: "This Orient"
Listen: www.foals.co.uk
8. Janelle Monae: "The ArchAndroid" (Bad Boy). It boggles the mind that Monae isn't the year's biggest breakout act. Despite collaborating with heavyweight producers like Diddy and OutKast's Big Boi, and nabbing a Grammy nomination for best contemporary R&B album, the genre-bending songs on her debut album remain criminally underplayed. From the frenetic pop of "Cold War" to the dizzying disco of "Locked Inside," each one deserves your full attention.
Download: "Cold War"
Listen: www.jmonae.com
9. John Grant: "Queen of Denmark" (Yep Roc). This 41-year-old singer-songwriter from Denver, formerly with the Czars, comes out on his mesmerizing solo debut. With the backing of Texan folk rockers Midlake, he turns out lyrically lush acoustic-based tunes. No wonder Mojo magazine selected this as its album of the year over the Arcade Fire and Black Keys.
Download: "Marz"
Listen: www.johngrantmusic.com
10. Karen Elson: "The Ghost Who Walks" (XL Recordings). Maybe being Jack White's supermodel wife distracted from the actual music, but taken out of context this is stellar stuff. Elson's smoky voice works brilliantly with the retro American gothic sound her husband coaxes from her Nashville-based pickup band, which includes members of My Morning Jacket and the Dead Weather.
Download: "The Ghost Who Walks"
Listen: www.karenelson.com
11. Tame Impala: "Innerspeaker" (Modular). Australia is not really known for its secret cache of psychedelic rock bands, which makes this discovery doubly pleasurable. Hailing from Perth, the members of this shaggy-haired power trio obviously spent a lot of time with their parents' Cream and Hendrix LPs. The fuzzy songs on "Innerspeaker" aim for nothing less than an international trail of blown minds leading back to one of the world's most isolated cities.
Download: "Desire Be Desire Go"
Listen: www.tameimpala.com
12. Warpaint: "The Fool" (Rough Trade)
A stunning debut from an all-girl Los Angeles foursome that sounds unlike anything else released this year. With wobbly folk guitars, ghostly harmonies and melodies that sound as if they were pulled from ancient clay, it's the kind of record that restores your faith in music after having had your brain pulverized by "California Gurls."
Download: "Undertow"
Listen: www.warpaintwarpaint.com
(Follow Aidin Vaziri at twitter.com/MusicSF. E-mail him at avaziri(at)sfchronicle.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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