US/non-scand records:
Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye (Tzadik)
If Radiohead played heavy music and had a far more orchestral bent, they might sound something like this. So amazingly intricate. I hear something new every time I put it on.
Khanate - Things Viral (Southern Lord)
Brutal doom that's so heavy it feels like the sky is going to collapse and suffocate you. Not for everyone, that's for sure.
Johnny Cash - Unearthed (Sony/American)
Merle Haggard - Like Never Before (Hag)
Two American icons of country music, both classic. Johnny Cash may have passed on this year, but his legacy is unbeatable. As for Hag, he's one of those rare artists who keeps getting better as he gets older. "Like Never Before" is his newest and it's full of the kind of wisdom and maturity that just can't be faked.