This is the first time I hear about Michael Penn! The song sounds nice

Nice song

That song was good

Wow, I've just missed three updates but a lot of stuff!
I also feel ashamed when I look at my songs charts from previous years. The oldest the countdown is, the worse, haha. But as you say, those countdowns show you how you were feeling and what you liked at that time. Great lists by the way. I was not an album-listener until 2010, so I have not much to say about your previous countdowns.

What a bunch of albums that just missed your top 40! There are many albums that are on my list of albums to hear in 2012. Maybe some day I decide to listen to them (well, honestly I don't know if that would happen unless someone strongly recommend me to listen one of those).
I love Benjamin Gibbard but I haven't heard his solo album yet. My favorite are Battle Born and Mondo, both in my list. I really liked "That Old Black Hole" by Dr. Dog, but their album didn't caught my eye (maybe I need more listens)
A lot of stuff to check, but I can't wait for the Top 40!

Anything Could Happen

Halcyon, Master of Make Believe and battle Born. Good albums.

PFRR <3

I hope you could also check my countdown. it's currently featuring singles #21-27

Nas and Satigold

comment mine too please

Here I am 14 DAYS LATER with a followup reply, as promised! And look, I didn't miss a thing.

There's so much I've gotta check out here, but I'll comment on the ones I know. Ben Gibbard! I enjoyed that album but not enough to make my top 40 either. Ellie Goulding! I do quite enjoy her, she's quite nice. Electric GUEST! I loved This Head I Hold. BEST COAST! You're so right about the California tourism board. Their work is done. F**k yeah David Byrne! It exists. Of course it does! Green Day: I like your defense of Dos! and the comparison to Foxboro. I tried to get into it but it never really worked out for me. Soundgarden! Cornell! CORNELL. CORNELL. Hives! Boom. Fallon, of course! #FalPals. Santigold is great, she just showed up on my review. This Is 40 soundtrack! Love that thing.

Bring on the top 40 albums! You have 2-3 days!

I'm little by little checking some of the albums I don't know from your list, starting with the music genres fit my current music taste, and my favorite album so far is Open Your Heart by The Men. Candy is so far one of my favorites heard in 2013, and there are a couple more songs I also love such as Country Song and Ex-Dreams. This is making me start 2013 listening to lots of albums, which I like!

You cannot leave us hanging like this Your list MUST be finished

SORRY FOR THE DELAY! Better late than never:


40. The Avett Brothers - The Carpenter

The whole folk-rock explosion of 2012 was quite interesting to witness. Other folks (such as Roger) have done a better job of summarizing its impact this year then I ever will, so i’ll just leave it at that. However, I think the start of this movement in a major way wasn’t in 2012, but in February 2011, when Bob Dylan performed at the Grammy Awards, backed by Mumford & Sons and The Avett Brothers. It was what many considered to be the best performance of the show (though, I personally preferred Mick Jagger’s tribute to Solomon Burke), and it skyrocketed sales of Mumford’s Sigh No More and the Avett’s 2009 album I and Love and You. And in a funny coincidence, the follow-ups to both of those albums came out in September 2012.These guys can’t get away from each other, even if they tried!

Now, all that talk aside, you will not be seeing Mumford and Sons’ Babel on this list. I have respect for what they have accomplished, and have nothing against them. They just Aren’t For Me. The Avetts, on the other hand, I am a big fan of. I like the earnest emotion that they display, the dynamics in their music (which IMO, you can’t really say about Mumford), and just that they write really well-crafted pop-rock songs. Yes, at times, they can get a bit goopy, but it doesn’t bother me much. This is their second consecutive album produced by Rick Rubin, and he is responsible for this more poprock direction, as they were more alt-country in their previous albums. I am fine with this, but I can understand why long-time fans may not like this (I am a long-time Weezer fan. I understand that whole thing, even if I may like their latest records more than most).

Highlights include the opener “The Once and Future Carpenter,” a beautiful song that builds in a really seamless way, the single “Live and Die” (which features Red Hot Chilli Peppers drummer Chad Smith, and the incredibly talented Blake Mills on guitar), which is as good of a straight-forward pop-rock song as you’ll hear in 2012, and “Paul Newman vs. The Demons,” a full-on rocker, that includes lines like “Truth beyond truth and by our design, It is very fine like Newman’s wine. Oh, to be like him and walk a path, to lend a hand, do something worth a damn.” A song about Paul Newman! How great is that? I like the Avetts quite a bit, and I hope they continue making albums like this for some time to come.

Best Songs:
01. Live and Die
02. The Once and Future Carpenter
03. Paul Newman vs. The Demons



39. Sara Watkins - Sun Midnight Sun

Speaking of Blake Mills! Blake Mills produced the second solo album by former Nickel Creek member Sara Watkins. Her first self-titled solo album was quite good, but was very bluegrass, and reminiscent of her work with Nickel Creek. Sun Midnight Sun on the other hand, while still containing some country/bluegrass influence (the opening instrumental “The Foothills” is a corker, if I may use the word corker), is aiming for more traditional pop, or ‘70s Laurel Canyon-style of singer/songwriter music. Which I love! And that influence is deeply felt, especially when Jackson freakin; Browne provides backing vocals throughout the album. There are so many great songs on here, but maybe the marquee song for people on the fence is a cover of The Everly Brothers’ “You’re The One I Love,” which transforms the song into a western horse gallop, and is a duet with Fiona Apple. Watkins and Apple are old pals, as they frequently perform at L.A.’s beloved concert/comedy venue Largo, and you can tell, as their chemistry on that song is so fun to listen to.

Other highlights include the Dan Wilson-penned "When It Pleases You" (Dan Wilson, who you may know as the leadsinger of Semisonic, but also the co-songwriter/producer of Adele's "Someone Like You," and many other big songs from over the years), "Be There" a heartbreakingly beautiful country-tinged song written by Watkins and Mills, and the closer "Take Up Your Spade," a stripped down sing-along that has harmony vocals from Jackson Browne and Fiona Apple, that makes you want to sit on a porch on a sunny day and stare at nature. This is a great album from a great talent, and I hope she makes more albums like this in the future.

Best Songs:
01. Be There
02. You're The One I Love (featuring Fiona Apple)
03. You and Me





38. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball

I am so thankful that Bruce Springsteen, despite losing key figures like Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici over the years, continues to make great and vital albums like Wrecking Ball at this stage in his career. Highlights include "Easy Money" (a song that recalls We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions), the Dropkick Murphys-influenced "Death to My Hometown" (Springsteen previously guested on "Peg of My Heart" on their previous album, and has stated in the past that they are one of his favourite current bands), the powerful title track, and the whole album, really. Springsteen previously ranked at #8 two years in a row, back in 2006 and 2007 (with We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions and Magic, respectively), and while I may not like Wrecking Ball nearly as much as those two (especially We Shall Overcome, which I have evangelized about since April of 2006 and will continue to for a long time to come. It's the loosest, and most rollicking Springsteen album you will ever listen to. Watch Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions band perform "Pay Me My Money Down" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 2006, which includes Thomas Haden Church, a pre-Late Night Jimmy Fallon on spoons, and Conan himself joining in on guitar and backing vocals. It remains one of the best late night TV performances I have ever seen.), it is still a more than worthy addition to Springsteen's legacy.

Best Songs:
01. Wrecking Ball
02. Death to My Hometown
03. Easy Money


37. Norah Jones - Little Broken Hearts

When I first listened to Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi's ROME last year (which ranked at #30 on last year's list), the first thought that entered my head was that Norah Jones sounds great over Danger Mouse's music. It was a completely different fit for her, and on her three songs "Season's Trees," "Black," and "Problem Queen," it sounded like a brand new Norah. Now, I have always enjoyed her music (The Fall ranked at #39 on my 2009 list), but I was hopeful that ROME would lead to a full length album with Danger Mouse sometime in the future (which I even wrote in my write-up for ROME). And now here we are, just one year later, and we have Little Broken Hearts!

Little Broken Hearts is my favourite album from Norah to date, and she sounds decades younger performing these kinds of songs, as opposed to the standard jazzy compositions that made her famous (which I love, don’t get me wrong, but the point still stands, I think). Also, Little Broken Hearts is yet another album that features the incredible Blake Mills, as he plays electric and acoustic guitar on nearly every song on the album. Highlights include the amazing opening three-fer “Good Morning,” “Say Goodbye,” and the title track, as well as “Out on the Road,” “4 Broken Hearts,” “Take It Back,” and really, the whole album. I heard Norah Jones talk about the album on Austin City Limits this past weekend (in the little interview portion that follows the concert), and she sounded very invigorated by this new stage in her career, and it sounds like she will continue making albums like this for a while to come. Which is very welcome news, indeed!
Best Songs:
01. Take It Back
02. Say Goodbye
03. Out on the Road



36. Japandroids - Celebration Rock

Vancouver’s Japandroids took the indie rock scene by storm this year with their powerful Celebration Rock. This is no-nonsense, no-frills rock music. What else is there to say about it? Everyone else (including ATRL’s own Doc Watson and O) have already talked about why this album is good. Just read their write-ups. But consider me in the PRO JAPANDROIDS camp.

Best Songs:
01. The House that Heaven Built
02. The Nights of Wine and Roses
03. Fire’s Highway



35. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

I like Channel Orange, you like Channel Orange, WE ALL LIKE CHANNEL ORANGE. The “Bennie & The Jets”ish “Super Rich Kids” is my favourite, featuring a great Earl Sweatshirt guest-spot.

Best Songs:
01. Super Rich Kids featuring Earl Sweatshirt
02. Sweet Life (PHARRELL! No one is better)
03. Pink Matter featuring Andre 3000


34. The Walkmen - Heaven

The Walkmen have been a sort of mini institution on my year-end list over the years. 2008’s You & Me ranked at #35, and 2010’s Lisbon ranked at #26. They are back this year with 2012’s Heaven, and it is yet another sterling collection of songs from one of the most consistent and dependable bands of the last decade. Heaven is a more mature album from them, as The back cover image, of the band posing with their children, illustrates. It is an often times beautiful album, with the opener “We Can’t Be Beat” in particular just being a fantastic display of harmonies. “We can’t be beat, OHHHHHHHH-OHHHHH-OHHH OH OHHHH.” The Walkmen are the ****ing best. A pal of mine recently said that they were the best band of the decade, and while I wouldn’t go that far, their body of work is pretty darn impressive. They have such a distinctive sound, and they always help put me in a relaxed place. As long as they keep making albums as great as they have been, I will always be a fan and will always find a place for them in my top 40 albums list.


Best Songs:
01. We Can’t Be Beat
02. Dreamboat
03.Heaven


33. Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet On Sky


The incredible Dinosaur Jr. reunion continues to roll on! All three of their reunion albums have charted on my Top 40 Albums list (2007’s Beyond ranked at #12, and 2009’s Farm ranked at #08). J. Mascis and Lou Barlow had bad blood for years (listen to this amazing two-part interview with Lou Barlow on the best music podcast going today, Low Times) , so that they have remained a stable band in this new phase is a remarkable thing. And the music is so darn great, which is a bonus! J. Mascis’ voice is like a security blanket for me, and he is one of my favourite vocalists in rock (not to mention his distinctive ear-splitting guitar playing). Favourite tracks include “Watch the Corners,” “I Know It Oh So Well,” and the two Lou Barlow songs “Rude” and “Recognition.”

Best Songs:
01. Rude
02. Watch the Corners
03. I Know It Oh So Well


32. Bob Dylan - Tempest

Here’s one of the many things I love about Bob Dylan: at age 71 he is just making music for himself. Sometimes people like it, sometimes people don’t. But he is doing it. He’s not just coasting on his past successes, he is still pushing himself. Tempest is yet another terrific Dylan album, and the third time he has made my Top 40 Albums list (2006’s Modern Times ranked at #13, and 2009’s Together Through Life ranked at #31). Despite the lower ranking, I think Tempest is a decidedly better album than Together Through Life, and it really has some fantastic songs. I mean, a song like “Soon After Midnight,” that’s 3 minutes and 28 seconds of some of the best songwriting you will hear in 2012. His voice has gotten even more gravely to near Tom Waits-ian levels, but it mainly adds to the proceedings. A song like “Pay in Blood” (“I’ll pay in blood, but not my own”) opens with this bark that throws you right back, but it really adds to it, especially with that upbeat arrangement. I also really like “Tin Angel,” which some people have compared to Cormac McCarthy’s work, a haunting 9 minute murder ballad. The whole album is fantastic, and it ends on the wonderful John Lennon tribute “Roll On John.” “Shine your light, moving on, you burned so bright, Roll on, John.” A great close to one of 2012’s best.

Best Songs:
01. Pay in Blood
02. Soon After Midnight
03. Tin Angel





31. Jimmy Cliff - Rebirth


As some people on ATRL may know, Tim Armstrong is one of my all-time favourite music people, whether it’s with Rancid (especially with Rancid), Operation Ivy, whatever else, I love his work and always look forward to what he has up next. In 2012, it was producing Rebirth, an album by the legendary Jimmy Cliff. An album mainly of originals (with Armstrong co-writing four of the songs with Cliff), it includes two really spectacular covers. The first, of The Clash’s “Guns of Brixton,” is a spirited take on one of the most beloved Clash songs. Cliff’s performance on it is very exciting, as he especially gets into it near the end. And it’s a great reggae arrangement of the song, and seeing as Armstrong has made his affection for Joe Strummer and The Clash very well-known (it is kind of hard to miss), you can definitely sense the reverence paid to the song. The second cover is Armstrong’s own “Ruby Soho,” which is just sensational. A complete reggae redo of Armstrong’s most well-known song, with Cliff truly making it his own. I love the whole album, but if Rebirth was just this “Ruby Soho” cover 14 times in a row, it would have likely made it on the Top 40 Albums list. It brings me such joy every time I listen to it.

The originals are also very good, with some of the highlights including “One More,” “Reggae Music,” “Outsider,” “Ship is Sailing,” and really the entire album. Armstrong plays the lead and rhythm guitar on the entire album, and the band he assembled recalls Armstrong’s 2007’s solo album A Poet’s Life (which ranked at #15 on my Top 40 Albums list). This album is just a good time, from beginning to end, and if you are a Rancid/Op Ivy/Tim Armstrong nut like I am, you will flip over it.

Best Songs:
01. Ruby Soho
02. Ship is Sailing
03. One More


30. Lambchop - Mr. M

Oh my goodness, Lambchop. They are unbelievable. When you first put Mr. M on, you hear swirling violins and strings, like something out of Downton Abbey. And then, at 23 seconds in, Kurt Wagner breaks the tension and says, “Don’t know what the **** they talk about.” The best opening to an album in 2012? Quite possibly! Wagner’s smooth delivery sells it, and the lyrics that follow (“but the strings sound good, maybe add some flute”) are so ****ing great. This is a subtle album, with beautiful music and the typical amazing work from Wagner. The style of Lambchop is hard to describe, sometimes it recalls classic country, other times it’s like Frank Sinatra, but really what it is, is just simply Lambchop. His voice kinda reminds me of Bill Callahan, who has made my Top 40 Albums list over the years. I have a feeling, even at #30, i’ll be regretting putting this album as low as it is. It’s a sleeper of an album. It gets better the more times I listen to it. Highlights include “Mr. Met” (one of the best songs by anyone in 2012), “Gone Tomorrow,” and the incredibly beautiful instrumentals “Gar” and “Betty’s Overture.” This album is really too good to put into words, which is why I have had such a difficult time articulating what I love about it. Just know this: Lambchop is the truth, and no one is making music quite like Kurt Wagner. While we may praise the flavours of the week, Wagner has been making his distinct brand of music since 1986, not following any trends. I feel like it’s going to take a documentary to finally get the world to finally embrace Wagner, which would be a lovely thing (and i’d be first in line to see that doc), but why don’t you jump ahead of that, and give Lambchop’s music a shot today?. Mr. M is a good of a place to start as anywhere.

Best Songs:
01. Mr. M
02. Gone Tomorrow
03. Gar



29. Graham Parker & The Rumour - Three Chords Good

I started to get into Graham Parker in 2011, as I was really delving into the Stiff Records scene, fronted by people like Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Rockpile, etc. My favourite album was 1979’s Squeezing Out Sparks, which is as good of a pop/rock album as you’ll hear. So I was thrilled that in 2012, Graham Parker & The Rumour decided to reunite for the first time in over 30 years to put out Three Chords Good, an album very worthy of their legacy. The reunion also coincided with Parker’s big part in Judd Apatow’s This is 40, where he and The Rumour are featured in a major subplot (and as the butt of many hilarious jokes. Parker is a good sport for agreeing to the part, but Apatow was apparently always a huge fan of the Parker). But that wouldn’t mean anything if Three Chords Good wasn’t good, and it definitely is. It’s an album that recalls the history of the band, while also trying out some new and interesting things. Some of my favourites include “Stop Cryin’ About The Rain” (“It’s just water under your window pane. Stop Cryin’ About The Rain”), the fantastic “Long Emotional Ride” (“I dreamed I saw the movie of my life, and I thought I dreamed it, but it was real. I realize that i’ve been surrounded by friends, all of the time, all of the time. On this long, long emotional ride. Long, long, long emotional ride”), the rocking abortion rights anthem “Coathangers” (“Here come the judges, swinging their hammers. Come on girls, get your coathangers”). It’s a strong return for one of the most unheralded forces of the late ‘70s, early ‘80s. I hope the attention from This is 40 gives people the inspiration to check out Parker’s work, as it is some of the best stuff around. But if you want to start right at Three Chords Good, that is perfectly reasonable, as well, as it is right up there with Parker’s best work. Here’s hoping it doesn’t take a very long time until we get the next album.

Best Song
01. Long Emotional Ride
02. Stop Cryin’ About The Rain
03. Coathangers

------------------------------------------------------------------

BEFORE THE CUT-OFF: THE REST! Why did I end at #29? Because that is as far as I have currently gotten! And I thought rather than posting them all at once, i'd post what I have right now.

Thanks for the comments and your patience! I have finished my year-ends every year, and this won't be an exception!

Bruce's, Frank's, Norah's and Bob's albums are my faves of this round

28. Dr. John - Locked Down

New Orleans music legend Dr. John teams up with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys to make Locked Down, one of the coolest albums of 2012. The album is a great melding of their two styles (The NOLA swamp gospel of Dr. John, and the garage rock of The Black Keys), making something quite distinct. While Auerbach has gotten a lot of accolades for his work on it, this album would not work for a second if it wasn’t for Dr. John. He’s in fine form on Locked Down, especially on tracks like “Ice Age,” where he barks out the chorus “KKK, CIA, ALL PLAYING IN THE SAME GAME.” This is the gospel according to Dr. John, and Locked Down is your 42 minute service. Amen, preach.

Best Songs:
01. Big Shot
02. Ice Age
03. You Lie


27. Titus Andronicus - Local Business

I know I am severely underrating this album. If it came out earlier in the year, it would very likely be higher. The last album by Titus, The Monitor, was my #2 album of 2010. That album was a sprawling Civil War-inspired punk epic. For Local Business, they decided to ditch the epic thing (and as I quoted on last year’s list, Patrick Stickles felt that ****ed Up’s David Comes to Life [my #1 album of 2011] closed the market on the punk concept album epic, as how could anyone top what they did?), and make a straight-forward 49 minute album. Yet “straight-forward” for Titus is still a very ambitious, as the album is very cohesive and deserves to be listened to from beginning to end. I especially love the back-to-back shot of “Food Fight!” and “My Eating Disorder.” Stickles’ lyrics are as great and singular as ever, as they are the type of lyrics you want to shout along to. I can’t imagine how great these songs sound live. Local Business has only gotten better the more times i’ve listened to it, and it proves that Titus are one of the most exciting bands in all of rock today. This is an album for their legacy, and there are songs on here that they will play for as long as they are a band. Long may Titus Andronicus live on.

Best Songs:
01. My Eating Disorder
02. Tried To Quit Smoking
03. Still Life With Hot Deuce On Silver Platter


26. Roc Marciano - Reloaded

Roc Marciano follows up his 2010 triumph Marcberg (which made my Albums That Missed list) with Reloaded, an album that is even better and proves that he is one of the best rappers around right now. Marciano, like on MarcBerg, produces as well, but unlike on MarcBerg, he has some outside help, and they are the cream of the NY hip-hop crop: The Alchemist (who produces “Flash Gordon,” and “Pistolier”), Ray West (who produces “Nine Spray”), The Arch Druids (“Emeralds”), and to top it all, Q-Tip!, who produces “Thread Count.” Roc Marciano is for you if you love ‘90s NY hip-hop, with so many quotable lines. This is, like a lot of classic NY hip-hop, a perfect winter album. An album to listen to as you wear a heavy coat, or drive around as you can see your own breath. If you don’t like the current state of hip-hop, and miss this kind of Mobb Deep/Nas, etc, hip-hop, then you have to give Roc Marciano and Reloaded a hot. You’ll love it.

Best Songs:
01. Flash Gordon
02.Thug’s Prayer, Pt. 2
03. Pistolier



25. ZZ Top - La Futura

This album is ****ing tremendous. I don’t think ZZ Top get enough credit, as when most people think of them, they usually think of their ‘80s stuff (“Legs” “Gimme All Your Lovin”). Those songs are OK, but the reason why ZZ Top are as respected as they are is for their ‘70s stuff, especially a song like “Just Got Paid,” which is one of the greatest songs ever. When the guitars come back in at 2:24..... AS GOOD AS IT GETS!

I bring up songs like “Just Got Paid,” because La Futura recalls that material quite a bit. This is no-frills blues-rock, with crunchy riffs, tight playing; it is such an easy album to love. A song like “Charteuse” is just so simple; a riff on ZZ’s earlier hit “Tush,” but is its own thing. The playing on this song is unbelievable. It makes me want to drop off the grid, and move to Texas and drive around in fast cars. Another highlight is the opening track “I Gotsta Get Paid,”” which is actually a cover of a ‘90s Houston hip-hop song by DJ DMD (featuring Lil Keke and Fat Pat) called “25 Lighters.” And when I say it is a cover of the song, I mean it! The lyrics are the exact same (though ZZ Top omit some), but ZZ Top turns the Dirty South hip-hop style into their standard blues rock, and it is kind of miraculous. It is one of the most inventive covers I have heard in many years. Hear it for yourself: Here’s the original and here’s ZZ Top’s “I Gotsta Get Paid.”

This is a very visceral album, with not a lot of subtext. This is an album you play after a long day for some simple pleasures. I haven’t heard all of ZZ Top’s albums, but I can say this is the best ZZ Top album I have heard, and it might be a good gateway for people who want to get into them.

Best Songs:
01. Charteuse
02. I Gotsta Get Paid
03. Flyin’ High


24. The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth

““When Amy Winehouse died, I wrote the first ‘Spent Gladiator’. That’s what people don’t say when drug addicts die—that they are mentally ill, that it is a disease. I felt really sad and I thought about all the other Amy Winehouses in the world who aren’t famous, whose deaths go uncelebrated. Then I was sort of off to the races thinking—writing about people who were suffering with various psychic ills.”

That’s what John Darnielle said about the opening track from his wonderful album Transcendental Youth, which is a highlight on the album. Darnielle is one of the best songwriters alive today, and this is the third appearance by The Mountain Goats on my Top 40 Albums list (2011’s All Eternals Deck charted at #26, while 2009’s The Life of the World to Come charted at #19). I just love Darnielle’s work (backed by bass player Peter Hughes, and Superchunk/Bob Mould/one of the greatest living humans Jon Wurster on drums), and I am always excited when he puts out something new. There are tons of highlights on this album, including “Cry for Judas,” which includes the rare appearance of a horn section (certainly a far cry from the lo-fi days of Darnielle recording songs into a tape recorder), the bouncy ode to real life martial arts fighters “The Diaz Brothers.” Another big highlight is “Harlem Roulette,” a song about Frankie Lymon’s cocaine overdose (“The loneliest people in the whole wide world are the ones you’re never going to see again.”). He puts most songwriters to shame. Every year as I rank a Mountain Goats album, I fear I am placing it too low. But know this, I guarantee that The Mountain Goats will always make my Top 40 Albums list, whether it’s an amazing album or just good, as I don’t think he is capable of putting out subpar work. This is one of our modern masters, and we must salute him. If you aren’t yet on board with them, you can definitely start with Transcendental Youth, as it is as strong an album as I have heard from them.

Best Songs:
01. Harlem Roulette
02. Amy aka Spent Gladiator 1
03. The Diaz Brothers


23. Bobby Womack - The Bravest Man In The Universe

If you haven’t heard, Bobby Womack was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, which is such horrible news. The Bravest Man in the Universe, produced by Damon Albarn and XL Records chief Richard Russell, is an incredibly powerful album, and i’m sad that this may be the last album we hear from him. What I love about The Bravest Man in the Universe is that it is actually quite a modern R&B album, using modern production techniques. It also features, on “Dayglo Reflection,” the best I have ever heard Lana Del Rey sound on a song. Her performance is haunting, and makes for a great duet partner with Womack. Other highlights include the title track, which starts off with Womack singing acapella before the strings slowly come in and the electronic backing starts up, “Deep River,” a powerful song that Womack sings just with an acoustic guitar, and on the flipside of those two, there’s the upbeat “Love is Gonna Lift You Up,” and the celebratory “Jubilee” (Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around). The album is really terrific, and worthy of Womack’s remarkable career.

Best Songs:
01. Dayglo Reflection featuring Lana Del Rey
02. The Bravest Man in the Universe
03. Jubilee (Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around)

[
22. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp

I first became aware of Sharon Van Etten through Teddy Rockstar himself Ted Leo, as he one day tweeted (back in 2010?) that he was loving SVE's album Epic. I decided to listen to it after that, and was blown away. Tramp, her next album, is even better, and proves what a strong talent she really is. Songs like "Serpents," "Warsaw," "We Are Fine," she is the real deal and I enjoy her a lot. If you aren't aware of SVE yet, you should really listen to Tramp, as it is a terrific album.

Best Songs:
01. Serpents
02. Warsaw
03. We Are Fine


21. Mount Carmel - Real Women

Of all the artists on my list, Mount Carmel are definitely the least known. Which is a shame, as Real Women is one of the best albums of the year, and was an album I played heavily in early 2012. Mount Carmel are a classic power trio from Ohio, and it sounds like a total throwback to the other great power trios in rock history, such as early Free stuff. This is very bluesy stuff, with tight playing, great singing, and it is an incredibly enjoyable album. It's a shame this album didn't get a lot of attention, as it stacks up with the best of what 2012 had to offer. Listen to songs like "Swaggs," the title track, "Choose Wisely," "Don't Make Me Evil," it's 9 songs and under 30 minutes of straight-up goodness. I know it's easy to look past the artists you don't know on these year-ends, but I really hope some folks give Mount Carmel a shot. In an ideal world, they would be right up there with the major rock bands of today. I think they very well could breakout one day, so why not just jump ahead of the curve, and become a fan of theirs today.

Best Songs
01. Swaggs
02. Choose Wisely
03. Don't Make Me Evil


20. Future - Pluto

I love Future, and I think what he has accomplished with autotune is really quite something. He has given it a purpose, as his earnest emotions come out in a bigger way under the guise of autotune. Listen to a song like "Turn On The Lights," (which ranked in my Top 10 Singles of 2012 list), and you hear him on the verge of tears, and it is powerful stuff. Future's style is also heavily influenced by the Dungeon Family (Organized Noize produce the opening song "The Future is Now"), which I find very appealing, as we need more of that influence to be felt on hip-hop radio. There are just monster anthems on here, there's "Same Damn Time" ("I wear gucci, I wear prada, AT THE SAME. DAMN. TIME.") the endlessly endearing "You Deserve It" ("YOU DESERVE IT, YOU DESERVE IT, YOU DESERVE IT FUTURE, YOU DESERVE IT"), the amazing new age heartache of "Neva End" ("WE DON'T WANT TO, WE DON'T WANT TO NEVA END"). Future is a complete original, and I find him to be an underdog in a genre full of giants. I am really rooting for him, and he seems to be getting more popular with each day (he recently was on a Rihanna song). I hope his next album is as good as Pluto, but if it isn't, at least we still have the singular greatness of Pluto to listen to over and over.

Best Songs:
01. Turn on the Lights
02. You Deserve It
03. Neva End


19. Thee Oh Sees - Putrifiers II

I love Thee Oh Sees. Their last album, Carrion Crawler/The Dream, ranked at #5 on 2011's Top 40 Albums list, and I think there's a chance I ranked it a little low. I love John Dwyer, Brigid Dawson, and the rest, and I believe they are one of the greatest bands working today. Putrifiers II doesn't reach the heights of their last album, but it still has plenty to recommend. There's the opener, "Wax Face," which is classic TOS garage/psychrock greatness, the amazingly catchy "Hang a Picture" ("HAAAAAAAAAAANG A PICTURE ON A WALL [a wall] IT'SSSSSSSSSSS A REFLECTION OF A SOUL [a soul]"), the Velvet Underground riff "So Nice," and seriously, the whole album is amazing. My favourite track is the exhilarting "Lupine Dominus," which recalls Carrion Crawler/The Dream, and makes me want to run a 10K. I don't know what else to say about Thee Oh Sees that I didn't last year. I know they like to put out at least one album a year, and I really can't wait to listen to what they have in store for us in 2013. The one thing that is for certain is that it will definitely make my Top 40 Albums list. THEE OH SEES FOR LIFE!

Best Songs:
01. Lupine Dominus
02. Hang a Picture
03. Wax Face




18. Ceremony - Zoo

I love this album. A great rock album with punk energy, Ceremony’s Zoo is an album that always riles me up. I mean, the opening song “Hysteria,” that’s one of the best rock songs put out by anyone this year (“HYSTERIA, HYSTERIA, HYSTERIA HYSTERIA ALL WE’VE EVER KNOWNNNNN”). The same producer who produced Sleater-Kinney’s tremendous The Woods produced this, and both have similar energies. This is a tough album to talk about, as I just want to type the lyrics from the album in all caps “TALKING INTO TELEPHONESSSSSSSS.” I feel like this album didn’t get enough attention this year, as it is absolutely one of the best albums of the year. If you like punk-inspired rock music, you will love it.

Best Songs:
01. Hysteria
02. World Blue
03. Community Service


17. Spider Bags - Shake My Head

Speaking of under the radar albums! North Carolina’s own SPIDER BAGS! This is another fantastic album that didn’t get the attention that it deserved. The opening three songs are instantly compelling. You have the 1:59 punkish burst of singalong energy that is “Keys to the City,” and that’s followed by “Simona La Ramona,” a smooth ‘60s-inspired garage rock strut that has killer harmonies (that bass line sounds like it comes from a Motown song!), and then you have “Friday Night” a high energy explosion of a song that is yet another great contribution to the Friday songs canon (step aside, Rebecca Black!). This is just a very confident album, with a retro spirit. If you are a garage rock nut like I am, you have to check out this album. It is SO GOOD.

Best Songs:
01. Simona La Ramona
02. Friday Night
03. Quetzalcoatl Love Song



16. Tenacious D - Rize of the Fenix

Rize of the Fenix is not just the best comedy album of 2012, it’s one of the best rock albums period of 2012. Because if it was only a well-done comedy album, I wouldn’t go back to it after a couple listens. Rize of the Fenix is the best Tenacious D album to date, and it contains the best songwriting, performances (Dave Grohl is back playing drums on the whole album!) from the D to date. The album is kind of touching, as it talks about Jack Black’s movie stardom, and how Kyle Gass was left behind in both hilarious and moving ways. Most directly it is dealt on “The Ballad of Hollywood Jack and the Rage Kage,” which is a ‘70s rock ballad. Here’s a sample:

“As Hollywood Jack climbed the ladder of stardom before him
He watched as his indie credentials flew right out the door
He'd make millions and then he'd go out and he'd make even more millions
He'd screen KG's calls and snort coke off the ass of a *****

No one respected him, they just rejected him
No one would represent Kage
Left on the streets of his dreams he would cry
And he'd rage, for the stage”

After that line is followed by a “Stairway to Heaven”-esque fluto solo, that is oddly moving. And Jack Black’s vocal performance on the entire album is really quite amazing, as you sometimes forget how good of a rock singer he is. He really belts it. There are so many other wonderful songs, like the ode of the “Roadie,” “Deth Starr” (which is probably the funniest song on the album), “39.” It’s funny how an album by comedians ends up being the one of the great rock albums of 2012, which I don’t know what it says for the current state of the genre, but whatever. The point: Rize of the Fenix is ****ing awesome.

Best Songs:
01. Rize of the Fenix
02. The Ballad of Hollywood Jack and the Rage Kage
03. Deth Starr


15. The Darkness - Hot Cakes

This is becoming a theme: Albums that didn’t get the respect that they deserved! Like Rize of the Fenix, Hot Cakes is one of the best rock albums put out by anyone in 2012. The only reason why it didn’t get attention is just due to people’s preconceived notions about The Darkness, which are ****ing ridiculous. I think people in North America think they are a one-hit-wonder novelty band, which is so far from the truth. They write great songs! Sure, the great songs they sing may be out of step with what is currently hip (‘70s UK rock), but I think people in North America feel it is all a joke? Which is quite unfair, I feel. If all the songs from Hot Cakes were released by another band, I feel critics would be raving about how it’s the best pop/rock album of the year,. Instead, people gave it the cold shoulder, quite unfairly.

I’ve always been very fond of The Darkness (Permission To Land was my #1 album of 2003, and One Way Ticket was #19 in 2005), and Hot Cakes is very reminiscent of Permission to Land. I liked One Way Ticket, but I understand how people could feel that it was overproduced and bloated. Hot Cakes is their first album put out since then, with Justin Hawkins sober, and it is such a fun and exciting listen. I can’t help but play the whole album front to back when I listen to it. They are all about the joy and spirit of rock and roll, which is illustrated on the stellar opening track “Every Inch of You.” This is my favourite verse of the song:

“I wanted to be a doctor
I wanted to be a vet
Until I heard "Communication breakdown"
On a TDK D90 cassette
My entire adult life was spent defying the man
I got the whole arena eating out of my hand”

How great is that? The vocal theatrics that Hawkins pulls off on the album are incredible, and this is one of the catchiest albums I heard in 2012. Other favourites include “With a Woman,” The Darkness’ submission in the Mindless Party Song genre “Everybody Have a Good Time,” and the MONSTER BALLAD “Living Each Day Blind.” You rarely hear big ballads like that in rock anymore, and it’s a shame. The Darkness have a history in delivering terrific variations on them with each album (“Love is Only a Feeling” from Permission to Land, “Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time” from One Way Ticket”) and they should be commended if only just for that.

I must restate this: If any other band put out this album, it would be all over the critical year-end lists, declaring it a triumph of pop/rock. I know this. If the only thing I accomplish with this year-end list is try to get people to reevaluate The Darkness’ contributions to rock music of the past decade, then I will be incredibly happy.

Best Songs:
01. Living Each Day Blind
02. With A Woman
03. Every Inch of You

14. Gentleman Jesse - Leaving Atlanta

Gentleman Jesse is THE TRUTH! This guy can write an effortlessly wonderful poppy garage rock song in his sleep. Leaving Atlanta is 37 minutes of organ-y funtimes that recalls late `70s Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. It`s the type of album where, if you listen to only one song, that song will be stuck in your head the whole day. It is such a good album. Highlights include “Take It Easy On Me,” “You Give Me Shivers,” “Careful What You Wish For,” “Covered Up My Tracks,” “We Got To Get Out Of Here,” and really, the whole album. GARAGE ROCK GOODNESS! Check it out, it’s really fantastic stuff.

Best Songs:
01. Take It Easy on Me
02. Careful What You Wish For
03. Covered Up My Tracks


13. Kelly Hogan - I Like To Keep Myself in Pain

Finally, Kelly Hogan gets her due. Neko Case’s long-time backing singer/BFF releases her first album in a decade, and it is an intoxicating collection of amazing songs interpreted by Hogan’s amazing voice. Playing with an all-star band, which includes Booker T. Jones on organ and members of Bill Wither’s band, Hogan’s country-tinged voice just fills me with such joy when I hear her sing. Highlights include “Dusty Groove,” the slinky funk of “We Can’t Have Nice Things,” the title track, “Plant White Roses,” and the Hogan penned “Golden,” a song written about her friendship with Neko Case which just fills you with good feelings. This is another album I feel like that didn’t get enough attention. It is so GOOD, and everyone should listen to it.

Best Songs:
01. Plant White Roses
02. Golden
03. We Can’t Have Nice Things


12. Jack White - Blunderbuss

Jack White has been a near-constant presence on my year-end lists over the years. The history: 2011’s ROME (which he is featured on with Norah Jones) ranked at #30, 2010’s Sea of Cowards with The Dead Weather ranked at #22, 2009’s Horehound again with The Dead Weather ranked at #17, 2008’s Consolers of The Lonely with The Raconteurs ranked at #17, 2007’s Icky Thump with The White Stripes ranked at #22, 2006’s Broken Boy Soliders with The Raconteurs ranked at #17, and 2005’s Get Behind Me Satan with The White Stripes ranked at #25. I don’t have the other complete lists, but i’m fairly certain Elephant ranked on it. So, wow! Nearly every year i’ve done this, a Jack White project has made it on the list. And Blunderbuss, his first solo album, is the one that ranks the highest of them all!

I love that this album was made at the spur of the moment (RZA cancelled a session at White’s Third Man Records, so White got the idea to record some of his own songs instead), and isn’t a Grand Statement. It is just further proof of White’s genius. My favourite is his killer cover of “I’m Shakin,” which always makes me happy when I listen to it. I am so thankful for Jack White, and that he continues to make wonderful albums year after year. I will always be a fan.

Best Songs:
01. I’m Shakin
02. Weep Themselves to Sleep
03. Blunderbuss



11. Screaming Females - Ugly

**** YEAH SCREAMING FEMALES! Jersey’s Screaming Females are one of the best rock bands around today, and Ugly is the finest statement from them to date. Produced (or rather, “engineered” since Albini hates that term haha) by Steve Albini, Ugly is just a monster of an album. The opening track “It All Means Nothing” is so ****ing good, Marissa Paternoster’s voice is so killer, and she is one of the most underrated guitar players around today. She shreds harder than anyone out there. This is just a strong, strong album, filled with amazing riffs, and great songs. If you listen to this album, and don’t instantly become a huge fan of theirs, then I don’t know what is wrong with you. This is as strong as it gets! SF FOR LIFE!

Best Songs:
01. It All Means Nothing
02. Rotten Apple
03. High

10. Dwight Yoakam - 3 Pears


The last time Dwight Yoakam made an album of original material? Back in 2005 with Blame the Vain, which ranked at #21 on my very first Top 40 Albums list (the previous lists were smaller). So yeah, a new Dwight album has been something I have long been anticipating. When I was a young boy, country was the first genre of music I got into, and Dwight Yoakam was my very favourite. I can say for certain that he was my very first “Favourite Artist.” Sure, my tastes in music have changed a bit since then (I would hope so!), but I remain a huge fan of Yoakam’s Bakersfield-brand of country music. 3 Pears the best album of his in quite a while, and it’s as perfect of a country album as you will hear currently (though to just dub it a “country album” is mighty limiting).

Highlights include the terrific opener “Take Hold Of My Hand” (which was co-written by Kid Rock, but don’t hold that against it), his Cowpunk cover of “Dim Lights, Thick Smoke,” the title track (the title for it actually comes from Martin Scorsese’s George Harrison documentary that aired on HBO, in which at one point he noticed that Harrison in old footage was wearing three pairs of glasses),the amazing ballad “It’s Never Alright” (which was co-written by Pistol Annies’ Ashley Monroe). The really cool marquee thing about this album, however, is that Beck produced two songs! Now, as some of you may know, I LOVE Beck, so to have him paired with Dwight Yoakam is a complete thrill for me. The two songs he produced are so ****ing good, the single “A Heart Like Mine” (a Nuggets-y stomp of a song), and the Sea Change-ish haunt of “Missing Heart.” I hope they collaborate again in the future, as the two songs they did together are dynamite.

3 Pears as a whole is a very strong album, and maybe his best since This Time, from the early ‘90s. I highly recommend it.

Best Songs:
01. A Heart Like Mine
02. Missing Heart
03. It’s Never Alright


09. Rufus Wainwright - Out of the Game

Before 2012, I was never really into Rufus Wainwright’s music. Now, after hearing Out of the Game, and going back to his back catalogue, I can say I was a complete fool, as he is really great. Newsflash, I know.

What drew me to Out of the Game was that Mark Ronson produced it, and he has a pretty spotless track record for me, and he seems to get the best out of artists. Another selling point? That Wainwright and Ronson’s main influence for the album was ‘70s pop. SOLD! ‘70s pop is one of my favourite things in the world! This album was made for me! The title track is really as good as it gets, and it’s a great display of both Wainwright and Ronson’s expertise, as Wainwright sings the **** out it, and Ronson really turns it into a ‘70s AM Gold song. It’s one of my favourite songs of the year. The rest of the album delivers, especially “Jericho” (which made my Top 10 Singles of 2012 list). So many great songs on here, “Rashida,” “Barbara,” “Bitter Tears,” “Perfect Man.” The final two songs are a really strong close, with “Song of You” and “Candles” (which has the entire Wainwright family singing on back-up) really showcasing Wainwright’s incredible vocals in fine form. This is just a strong pop album that everyone should hear.

Best Songs:
01. Jericho
02. Out of the Game
03. Song of You


08. The Shins - Port of Morrow

In which James Mercer throws down the gauntlet to his fellow indie rock peers and says, “**** y’all been doing?”

Port of Morrow is a triumphant album by James Mercer, and in my opinion, it’s the best album he has ever made. Rather than work with a full band, Mercer instead joins up with producer extraordinaire Greg Kurstin, and the sound they create is pretty lush, pop, and fantastic. Other amazing band members that join on the album include one of my all-time favourite drummers Janet Weiss (of Sleater-Kinney, Wild Flag) plays on three songs. Highlights include the rousing comeback single “Simple Song,” the beautiful “It’s Only Life,” “Fall of ’82.” This is a tremendous collection of songs, and I cannot wait to hear what Mercer does next.

Best Songs:
01. Simple Song
02. It’s Only Life
03. September



07. Bob Mould - Silver Age

Thank goodness Bob Mould is back. Silver Age is as strong of a rock album as you will hear in 2012, and the band that he has assembled (including the great Jon Wurster on drums) is so good. These are striking, immediate rock songs. My favourites include the amazing first single “The Descent,” “Star Machine,” “Steam of Hercules.” There’s not much to say. Bob Mould is the ****ing best, and this is a great, great album. I hope he keeps making great albums like this for many years to come.

Best Songs:
01. The Descent
02. Star Machine
03. Steam of Hercules


06. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel

It’s always a great thing to have Fiona Apple to return. The Idler Wheel is narrow sonically, and it is a new sound for her, but she lays it all out there, sometimes it’s sad, sometimes it’s funny, but it’s always real. She is the greatest.

Best Songs:
01. Every Single Night
02. Werewolf
03.Hot Knife



05. Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City

Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City is such a good album., but everyone knows that! So, in the interest of time, i’ll leave it at that. I am just so happy that not only that Kendrick made this album, but that it was successful. I look forward to him having a great career.

Best Songs:
01.m.A.A.D. City featuring MC Eiht
02. Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe
03. Good kid


04. Redd Kross - Researching the Blues

Researching the Blues is such a great album. These Bubble Grunge legends are back, and this is one of their strongest albums ever. The whole album is a 30+ minute blast of incredibly catchy hooks, and it’s another album (similar to the Bob Mould album) of the veterans showing the young bands how it is truly done. I hope, like Dinosaur Jr., that we get many more albums like it in the coming years.

Best Songs:
01. Stay Away from Downtown
02. Researching the Blues
03. The Nu Temptations


03. Aimee Mann - Charmer

Aimee Mann is one of my northstars in music. I have loved her for many years (2008’s @#%&*! Smilers ranked at #38), and Charmer is one of her best albums yet. This is another album with a ‘70s pop influence (she stated that one of her inspirations for the album was the Ozark Mountain Daredevils song “Jackie Blue”), and I love her doing these kinds of songs. My favourites on the album include the amazing title track, “Labrador,” “Disappeared,” the Tim Heidecker co-written (true!) “Soon Enough,” and the great duet with James Mercer “Living a Lie.” Aimee Mann has yet to disappoint yet, and Charmer is yet another sterling example of why she is one of the best around today.

Best Songs:
01. Charmer
02. Soon Enough
03. Living a Lie featuring James Mercer


02. A.C. Newman - Shut Down the Streets

Shut Down the Streets took me by surprise. I have always loved The New ****ographers and A.C. Newman, but this album just blows me away. It also kind has a ‘70s pop influence (trend!), but the songs themselves are what really did it for me. Newman wrote and recorded the album just in the wake of two major events of his life: the birth of his first son, and the death of his mother. So this is an album About Stuff. They are some of the best songs that Newman has been involved with in years. Neko Case does backing/harmony vocals on nearly the entire album, which helps make it feel slightly New ****os-ish. The band that he assembled for this album is quite great, which includes flute players! Some of my favourites include “I”m Not Talking,” “Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns” (this song is the most New ****os-ish of the album), “There’s Money in New Wave,” and the stunning title track. The title track is about how, after his mom passed away, he had the feeling that “they should have shut down the streets” (as the song goes “They should have shut down the streets, Presidents and heroes should have been there. With not a single empty seat, all the schools closed and the roads we drove down all lined, lined with people cap in hand and crying, it went on for miles and miles and miles") It’s a heavy song, that is helped by Newman’s pop sensibilities. This is another album that I felt didn’t get the attention that it deserved. It is really so excellent though. Any New ****ographers fan would love this. It is just fantastic stuff.

Best Songs:
01. I’m Not Talking
02. They Should Have Shut Down The Streets
03. There’s Money in New Wave


01. Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse
Ty Segall & White Fence – Hair
Ty Segall – Twins

Let me explain: Slaughterhouse is my #1 album of 2012, but I had to include the other two Ty Segall releases from 2012 in the post. This is not a tie, but rather an acknowledgement.

I have loved Segall for a few years now (2011’s Goodbye Bread ranked at #11, 2010’s Melted ranked at #29), and I couldn’t have been happier by his 2012 domination. He is one of my very favourite artists going. From the homemade psych of his collaboration with White Fence (Hair), to his amazing solo album (Twins), he had a banner 2012. My favourite, though, was Slaughterhouse, this HEAVY psychrock record he made with his touring band (Mikal Cronin on bass/backing vocals, Emily Rose Epstein on drums, Charles Moothart on guitar) in a ****ing airplane hangar! This album brought me such joy. Chris Woodhouse, who was behind Thee Oh Sees’ amazing Carrion Crawler/The Dream, produced this, and it has a similar pounding pulse. There’s some great garage rock songwriting on here (songs like “I Bought My Eyes,” “Wave Goodbye,” “Tell Me What’s Inside Your Heart” are some of Segall’s best songs ever). The album ends with the 10 minute “FUZZ WAR,” which is just this blast of fuzz in your ears. I love it!

Speaking of fuzz, 2013 has already seen Segall release an 7 inch single under the band named FUZZ, and it is so great. I hope he releases an album or two in 2013, but it would be understood if he took a break from releasing albums, since he just put out three in a year. But seeing how the garage rock scene works, that clearly won’t happen haha. We’ll probably get 12 albums this year! And I would gladly welcome it. I am just very happy that Ty Segall has blown up this much. It could not be more well deserved.

Best Songs:
01. Wave Goodbye
02. Tell Me What’s Inside Your Heart
03. I Bought My Eyes

-------------------------------

And now another year-end is complete! Sorry that the write-ups got less impressive as it went along. I just ran out of stream (as you can imagine by writing that many write-ups in a row). I hope everyone enjoyed the list, as it was a lot of fun to put together.

For the last time, THANK YOU! for all the comments. I really appreciate all of them. I hope to see everyone back later this year for the 2013 YEAR-END LIST. Until then, thanks for reading!

Hell yeah. Norah Jones, The Shins, Bob Mould and Aimee Mann.

Great list! Heaven, Blunderbuss, Little Broken Hearts and OF COURSE Port Of Morrow
Many albums I didn't have enough time last year to give them a listen are here, like the ones by A.C. Newman, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright and The Mountain Goats.
I'm running out of time at the moment, but I'm gonna check some of your write-ups later tomorrow.

DOWN TO THE WIRE! That was a close one. I wanna make sure I post here before the forum gets cut off for 2013. It's great to see we enjoyed many of the same albums this year, including Bruce Springsteen, Norah Jones, Japandroids, Dinosaur Jr., Sharon Van Etten, Jack White, Screaming Females, The Shins, Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann, and of course Ty Segall! But the real story here is all the great discoveries that I slept on in 2012 but will at least get to be part of my 2013 thanks to your year-end, among them The Darkness, Kelly Hogan, Sara Watkins, and many, many more that I'm already finding a bit of time to listen to now that things have calmed down a bit. AS ALWAYS, my friend, a truly great year-end review. Thanks for coming back to ATRL with me and all of us for this incredible 10th year!

You made it! Good job buddy. Didn't know if you had it in you.

Great to see Slaughterhouse top the charts. A very deserving choice. It rocks, rocks harder and then rocks in the box. Need to listen to 2 and 3. You recommended 4, 5 and 7 to me and they ended up placing on my own list. So that should say I really liked them! "Im on a mission to smash the mirror" "You got me shakin" bununbumbum . Thee Oh Sees album cover kind of freaks me out. Makes me think of that Deer-God thing in Princess Mononoke. Is Kelly Hogan at all related to Hulk? Dr. John looks like a wizard there. Voodoo!

Can't wait to see next years! Maybe you can start the albums list before completely wiping yourself out? :-p Better late than never either way. Glad you got it up in time to view and comment cause it wouldn't be an ATRL Year End forum without it.

Good to see the album list is up and ready me to comment and yeah better late than never works both ways especially there is free time still. Avett Bros. album is nice and good sound from them, No harm feelings leaving M&S out, Bruce wrecks, Norah re-invents and has the charm for Little Broken Hearts, yeah I have heard good things about the Jap’s album So I might check it out soon, Channeling orange is wondrous, also should check out from the dudes who made Heaven, Dino Jr. returns, Bob still rolls on with decent music, I like Titus A. and should check out more songs on their album, ZZ Top is alright, Future is ok and nice to see you enjoy him more than I do, Let’s Rize, agree with you about this album show Jack’s genius , Heard 3 Pears once and like the sound it had there but that’s was a while back so I don’t remember much tho, James and his crew strikes again with sweetness, Like The Descent from Bob and it’d your #1 best too so I might or might not check the album out, Fiona is alright, Kendrick tell it the way he wants and gets gold stamp of approval, Aimee is a charmer with her music, nice I should listen to A.C’s album soon maybe and not surprised TY is #1 and there is people who also like his music so that will be in my recommendation list on my mind. Great effort on your Best of which was good. Yeah I also get burnt out and you still sound clever and using impressive words on the write-ups that have more than a paragraph. Good job and will 2013 bring you back?