The final instalment for #12Playlists 2014 and the theme is Festive.

For me music at this time of year means two things:

1. Classic (or cheesy depending on your mood/interpretation) Christmas songs that get wheeled out every year.

and

2. Loads of end of year lists of best albums, songs, gigs, debuts etc etc. Also known in some quarters as Listmas!

For 2013 I did a playlist of my favourite Christmas songs.

Each year I take part in Listmas by compiling my own top 50 albums. So for this playlist i've taken one track from my top 12 albums.

Warning…

Each year I do this I look back I think it's been a great year for music. But this year has been a particularly strong one. I've certainly heard this echoed on quite a few music blogs around the web.

I have another 40 (no lie) I was considering, but I've left out.

Follow this playlist on Spotify

So without further ado here are the 50 albums I've enjoyed most this year.

50 King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – I'm In Your Mind Fuzz
49 Kiasmos – Kiasmos
48 First Aid Kit – Stay Gold
47 Steve Gunn –…

#12Playlists #11 and the theme is Dark.

This month i've gone for all tracks with Dark in the title. Also, I've gone for an electro-pop vibe throughout. To top it off i've drawn for a classic mixtape formula: It starts up-beat, goes a bit slower in the middle and picks up again at the end.

Listen on Spotify here

1. Phantogram – A Dark Tunnel
2. Memory Tapes – Wait In The Dark
3. POLIÇA – Dark Star
4. Mr Twin Sister – Out of the Dark
5. Kindest Lines – Dark Dream
6. Woman's Hour – Darkest Place
7.…

Today is Halloween and that's theme #10 for #12Playlists.

I've selected 12 tracks to create a spooky, atmospheric vibe. Perfect for scaring yourself if you're waiting in for trick-or-treaters.

I dare you to listen to this on your own in pitch black…

Spotify playlist is here

1. The Acid – Feed
2. Forest Swords – Thor's Stone
3. Aphex Twin – Schottkey 7th Path
4. Darkside – Metatron
5. Burial – Loner
6. Portishead – Mysterons
7. Björk – Hidden Place
8. Jon Hopkins – We Disappear
9. I Break Horses – Berceuse
10. Liars – Octagon
11. Oneohtrix Point…

Theme number 9 for #12playlists is Space. I'm really looking forward to seeing the entries for this as there are so many ways to interpret it!

One day, regular everyday people will travel to space and if that was me (like every other trip I go on) I'd be making a playlist to take with me. So what follows is a selection of music to listen to whilst floating around in a spaceship. Imagine yourself bouncing around, gazing at earth from above. It's entirely inspired by the opening track that, in both its' title and its' beautiful drifting sound, perfectly…

It's August and our eighth theme for #12playlists is Carnivals & Festivals.

In just 2 weeks I'll be at Festival No. 6. As with most festivals nowadays "it's not just about the music". But with Festival No. 6 I think that statement might be genuinely true.

Festival No. 6 is in Portmeirion village in Wales. In a nutshell it was built between 1925 and 1975 and it's in the style of a small Italian village. It's mad.

Each day they have a carnival celebration in the main village piazza with lots of costumes and crazy drummers…

https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/10557324_622236287874451_7990432488475113730_n.jpg?oh=60d8460d5a3503c1b490ec1dc506b6cd&oe=54642C82

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10557385_619494791481934_9219085352727269881_n.jpg?oh=f348c05715985bde347c8c48deed936c&oe=547B4657&__gda__=1417073647_6006a35b97b5ab322bbaa5aa1e82ff5a

Anyway enough…

This month's #12Playlists theme was the World Cup.

I must admit I'm in awe of this history of the world cup playlist by @paulnew.

Completely stuck for ideas, I remembered that during the pre-tournament hype I got all excited and put together a cheeky playlist of Brazilian music I love. So without further ado, here it is officially submitted as my entry for this month.

Don't worry there's no "Mas Que Nada"

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY HERE

1. Os Mutantes – Bat Macumba
2. Antônio Carlos Jobim feat. Elis Regina – Águas De Março
3. Gilberto Gil – Expresso 2222
4.…

So June’s #12Playlists theme was RAGE. Tom absolutely nailed the angry guitar thing with his playlist. I had also planned to do something similar but there’s no chance I’d have picked a selection as fierce as his!

So, with my tail between my legs, I’ve gone to the deepest darkest depths of my Spotify playlists and drawn for some experimental electronica.

This is music with a serious attitude problem.

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY HERE

1. Raim ‘Passed Over Trail’
2. Actress ‘Wrong Position’
3. Holden ‘The Inheritors’
4. oOoOO ‘Mouchette’
5. The Haxan Cloak ‘The Drop’
6. Boards Of Canada ‘Semena…

The theme for May is Money – inspired by the multiple bank holidays in the UK.

Again I've kept it simple as all the tracks in my selection have money related titles and/or lyrics.

So without further ado:

Listen to my Money playlist on Spotify

1. Common ‘A Penny For My Thoughts’
My opening selection hits the money related theme with it’s track title and album name. It was released on Common’s (hugely underrated) debut album from 1992, ‘Can I Borrow a Dollar?’

2. Eric B & Rakim ‘Paid In Full’
From the album of the same name ‘Paid in…

Normally I post playlists at the start of the month but, given the theme, I thought I'd better sleep on this one :)

This month I'm keeping it simple. A straight up collection of guitar led songs with sleep (or at least trying to sleep) related titles.

I'm kind of hoping this will do anything but send you to sleep.

Listen to my sleep related playlist on Spotify

1. The Dodos – Sleep
2. Les Savy Fav – Sleepless In Silverlake
3. Moon Duo – Sleepwalker
4. Everything is made in China – Sleepwalking
5. Deerhunter – Sleepwalking
6. Sea…