The Denver band exceeds expectations with its debut album and first performance at the XPoNential Music Festival.
If you were at the 2012 XPoNential Music Festival, you’ll remember the (probably) record-breaking crowd that gathered on the hill of the Marina Stage to see The Lumineers play an early evening set on Friday. They were booked earlier in the year, before their self-titled debut record was released and before “Ho Hey” became a shot heard ’round the world. In the short months between booking and playing, the Denver folk-pop band became indie rock superstars. Needless to say, their fans packed the grass in front of the small stage and went on to vote “Ho Hey” as the #1 song of the year.
That wasn’t the only stand-out release of the year, though. Josh Tillman made his debut as the charming and eccentric Father John Misty with Fear Fun, British band alt-J find a way to surprise us with An Awesome Wave, Sharon Van Etten breaks through with Tramp, Lana Del Rey puts everyone under a spell with Born to Die and so much more.
Was 2012 the Greatest Year in Music? Let us know in the comments and across social media with #XPNGreatestYear.
Albums:
The Lumineers – The Lumineers
An Awesome Wave – alt-J
Voyager – Kathleen Edwards
Tramp – Sharon Van Etten
Born to Die – Lana Del Rey
Fear Fun – Father John Misty
Shields – Grizzly Bear
Home Again – Michael Kiwanuka
Port of Morrow – The Shins
Lonerism – Tame Impala
Bloom – Beach House
Love This Giant – David Byrne and St. Vincent
Centipede Hz – Animal Collective
Channel Orange – Frank Ocean
Be the Void – Dr. Dog
Our Version of Events – Emeli Sande
Little Broken Hearts – Norah Jones
Boys & Girls – Alabama Shakes
My Head Is an Animal – Of Monsters and Men
Bear Creek – Brandi Carlile
Lonesome Dreams – Lord Huron
Babel – Mumford & Sons
Old Ideas – Leonard Cohen
Bring It On Home – Joan Osborne
Locked Down – Dr. John
Django Django – Django Django
Halcyon – Ellie Goulding
Blak and Blue – Gary Clark Jr
The Carpenter – The Avett Brothers
Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now – Justin Townes Earle
Coexist – The xx
Charmer – Aimee Mann
Field Report – Field Report
Algiers – Calexico
Come Back as Rain– Good Old War
Born and Raised – John Mayer
Gossamer – Passion Pit
Signs and Signifiers– JD McPherson
Arrow – Heartless Bastards
Is Your Love Big Enough– Lianne La Havas
The Lion’s Roar – First Aid Kit
Heaven – The Walkmen
Tempest – Bob Dylan
Give You the Ghost – Polica
Some Nights – fun.
On the Impossible Past – The Menzingers
151a – Kishi Bashi
Sweet Heart, Sweet Light – Spiritualized
Blunderbuss – Jack White
Out of the Game – Rufus Wainwright
The Heist – Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Break it Yourself – Andrew Bird
Love at the Bottom of the Sea – The Magnetic Fields
Life is Good – Nas
Wrecking Ball – Bruce Springsteen
2 – Mac DeMarco
The Only Place – Best Coast
Visions – Grimes
Ten Stories – Mewithoutyou
Sun – Cat Power
good kid, m.A.A.d city – Kendrick Lamar
Valtari – Sigur Ros
That’s Why God Made the Radio – The Beach Boys
Safe Travels – Jukebox the Ghost
Synthetica – Metric
Born to Sing: No Plan B – Van Morrison
The Idler Wheel… – Fiona Apple
Mature Themes – Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
Infinity Overhead – Minus the Bear
Psychedelic Pill – Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Ekstasis – Julia Holter
Devotion – Jessie Ware
The Haunted Man – Bat For Lashes
Swing Lo Magellan – Dirty Projectors
