While everyone was buzzing about big releases from Frank Ocean, Fiona Apple, Mumford & Sons and Taylor Swift, you might have missed some must-listens. Here’s what you should know about, and why:

Grizzly Bear, “Shields” (Warp)

Yes, iTunes named Grizzly Bear’s Shields the best album of 2012. Yes, the critics adored it. And yes, it debuted in the Top 10.

But did it earn any Grammy nominations? No. Is it selling well? No. Have you heard it? Probably not.

And that needs to change.

Shields is a semimasterpiece that feels both old and new – and in the best ways possible. Anchored by the voices of Edward Droste and Daniel Rossen, this Brooklyn, N.Y.-based foursome has created a disc that is genre-defying and consistent throughout.

The 10 tracks that make up Shields are drum-filled and smoky, and half the songs are more than five minutes long. That’s a bit unusual, but it’s also a break from mainstream pop music, and a needed one.