Seems like just yesterday we were rolling into 2012 with our “5 Bands To Watch” feature, but a glance at the calendar over the last week reminded the UTG staff that the year is already half gone. Discussing our triumphs and failures over the past few months lead to a discussion on the art that has stuck with us and, as always, the idea to release a new list feature was born.

If one thing is glaringly clear from entertainment in 2012, it’s that there is not only something for everyone, there is an abundance of it. We do our best to bring you the best of best and that which you haven’t been exposed to yet, but the reality of the situation is that there is simply not enough time to experience everything. Click past the jump, see what we think rises above, and leave us feedback with your choices. Our hope is to not only share the best of what we’ve found, but to discover what we missed. Enjoy.

James Shotwell – Founder/Editor (Twitter)

Albums:

1. Mixtapes – Even On The Worst Nights
2. The Tower & The Fool – How Long
3. Doug Stanhope – Before Turning The Gun On Himself
4. Die Antwoord – Ten$ion
5. With The Punches Seams & Stitches

Movies:

1. Cabin In The Woods
2. Beasts Of The Southern Wild
3. Moonrise Kingdom
4. The Raid: Redemption
5. The Three Stooges

Grant Trimboli – Chief Operations Manager (Twitter)

Albums:

1. Enter Shikari – A Flash Flood Of Colour
2. No Trigger – Tycoon
3. Hot Water Music – Exister
4. The Menzingers – On The Impossible Past
5. The Tower And The Fool – How Long
6. Xerxes – Our Home Is A Deathbed
7. Curren$y – The Stoned Immaculate
8. Cursive – I Am Gemini
9. John Mayer – Born And Raised
10. Silversun Pickups – Neck Of The Woods

Tyler Osborne – News/Reviews (Twitter)

Albums:

1. Mixtapes – Even On The Worst Nights
2. Make Do and Mend – Everything You Ever Loved
3. With the Punches – Seams and Stiches
4. The Menzingers – On the Impossible Past
5. Misser – Every Day I Tell Myself I’m Going to Be a Better Person
6. Spraynard – Exton Square (This is an EP but I don’t care)
7. Xerxes – Our Home is a Deathbed
8. Norah Jones – Little Broken Hearts
9. The Ghost Inside – Get What You Give
10. No Trigger – Tycoon

Films

1. Cabin in the Woods
2. Prometheus
3. The Raid: Redemption
4. The Avengers
5. Comic Con IV: A Fan’s New Hope
6. Brave
7. La Casa De Mi Padre
8. Chronicle
9. Marley
10. Goon

Justin Proper – UTGFilm Editor (Twitter)

Films:

1. The Avengers
2. Cabin In The Woods
3. The Raid: Redemption
4. Jiro Dreams Of Sushi
5. 21 Jump Street
6. Kahaani
7. Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance
8. Prometheus
9. The Five-Year Engagement
10. Chronicle

Grace Duffy – Critic (Twitter)

Albums:

1. Cancer Bats – Dead Set On Living
2. Adam Lambert – Trespassing
3. School of Seven Bells – Ghostory
4. Marina and the Diamonds – Electra Heart
5. Punch Brothers – Who’s Feeling Young Now?
6. mewithoutYou – Ten Stories
7. Epica – Requiem for the Indifferent
8. The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond (soundtrack)
9. Matt Skiba and the Sekrets – Babylon
10. Alabama Shakes – Boys and Girls

Films*:

1. The Raid
2. The Avengers
3. The Artist
4. Cabin in the Woods
5. Shame
6. The Muppets
7. The Hunger Games
8. Coriolanus
9. Casa de mi Padre
10. This Means War

*Not all of these are, strictly speaking, 2012 films but they came out in my neck of the woods (IRELAND) in 2012.

Brian Lion – Interviewer/Editor (Twitter)

Albums:

1. Said The Whale – Little Mountain
2. Right Away, Great Captain! – The Church of the Good Thief
3. Beach House – Bloom
4. Good Old War – Come Back As Rain
5. Death Grips – The Money Store
6. If These Trees Could Talk – Red Forest
7. Cursive – I Am Gemini
8. Every Time I Die – Ex-Lives
9. The American Dollar – Awake in the City
10. iamamiwhoami – Kin

Films:

1. Moonrise Kingdom
2. The Pirates! Band of Misfits
3. The Secret World of Arrietty
4. The Avengers
5. Prometheus

Adrian Garza – News/Reviews (Twitter)

Albums:

1. Enter Shikari – A Flash Flood of Colour
2. The Menzingers – On The Impossible Past
3. No Trigger – Tycoon
4. Sharks – No Gods
5. Stick To Your Guns – Diamond
6. Mewithout You – Ten Stories
7. MXPX – Plans Within Plans
8. Band of Skulls – Sweet Sour
9. Silverstein – Short Songs
10. Ruth – Payola

Kriston McConnell – News/Reviews (Twitter)

Albums:

1. Adestria – Chapters
2. Hands Like Houses – Ground Dweller
3. Sent By Ravens – Mean What You Say
4. Miss May I – At Heart
5. I See Stars – Digital Renegade

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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