Vince from This Land came by the other day, pulled my head out of the Tulsa music scene clouds, handed me Schulte’s list, and said, “Check this out and let me know what you think.”

I noticed Tame Impala at the top and was immediately engaged. Truly a great album, definitely take the advice about listening with headphones. Several others on the list fell victim to my needle this summer as well. It carved a groove in Jack White’s Blunderbuss after several weeks of constant play. Walkmen, Divine Fits, and the Flaming Lips all suffered the same fate.

As for the unheard-of strangers on the list, it was time for some research. If you happened to be at Fassler Hall that night, you may have noticed me at the soundboard playing many of these through the system. Thank you, Doug, for the playlist inspiration. A disappointment came when this year’s Father John Misty’s release of Fear Fun failed to make your cut. I would easily swap that one for The Shins. Also, give me Andrew Bird’s Break It Yourself over The xx any day.

Now let me stick my head back in the clouds and recall some of Tulsa’s best music moments of 2012. Back in January, after it was announced that Stillwater classical-pop rockers Other Lives would open for Radiohead on tour, the band quickly threw a couple local shows together, realizing it would be some time before they returned. Fassler Hall was chosen and, for one night in front of a standing room only crowd, Other Lives transformed the hall into an intimate, listening room venue.

A few other highlights for me were the CD release of New Tulsa Sound: Church Studios Sessions, the opening of the Guthrie Green outdoor venue, and the emergence of several new bands—Archer Trio, Wink Burcham and the Lowdogs, and The Mexican Cartel, to name a few. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cartel on Doug’s list someday.

BRIAN FONTAINE is general manager of Fassler Hall, a Tulsa bar, restaurant, and live music venue dedicated to showcasing local music.

Originally published in This Land, Vol. 4, Issue 3. Feb. 1, 2013.