Believe me, I don't view myself as some sort of musical guru but my life is and has always been a constant quest to find new music to obsess over. In the process I occasionally unearth a few underground gems. I use the term underground loosely as, just like everything in life, it's all relative. To some people reading this, Black Keys are about as underground as The Rolling Stones...but to others they are hundreds of miles below the surface of modern pop radio. So if you're reading or listening to this list and trying to gauge my indie cred, forget it. I'm too old to worry about any of that nonsense and besides, every shred of my indie credibility was lost at a James Taylor concert on New Year's Eve 1999 in Raleigh, NC. Yes, because of my ex-wife (full blame goes on her) I rang in the new Millennium in an arena filled with 14,000 loafer-wearing, fifty-somethings listening to a pasty, old bald guy whining some drivel about fire, rain and going to Carolina in his mind. I watched the needle of my coolness meter drop faster than Facebook stock. Anyone care to share a ringing-in-the-new-Millennium story worse than that? I dare you to come up with one. I still bear the emotional scars.
How do I determine my selections? Easy, I keep a running, chronological list throughout the year of all the songs that make an impact on me. Rules? There are no rules. You'll notice most of the cuts are new releases but occasionally an older song comes along and knocks my socks off and when it does, it makes the list. 2012 was a particularly good year and a handful of great songs ended up on the cutting room floor.
So without further adieu, here's that was in heavy rotation for me in 2012 (just click the link to open the song):
Nada Surf - Jules and Jim from The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy
Best Lyric: "I've never felt such a pull before I'm hypnotized, I'm destabilized."
Notes: A real comeback record for what could be my favorite band of all-time. I got to see them end their 2012 tour a couple of weeks ago in NYC with my daughter. She grew up with Nada Surf as the soundtrack to countless drives to school and soccer tournaments. It was an unforgettable night and an amazing show. Allison knew every song, including this one.
Black Keys - Money Maker from El Camino
Notes: I saw Black Keys in Charlotte in 2011 opening for Kings of Leon. The ticket was free (thanks Brannon Helms) and the Keys were great...as were opening act The Whigs (see Best of 2011). Kings of Leon solidified themselves in my mind as completely worthless, overblown posers. I watched one song, vomited in the bushes and left.
First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar from The Lion's Roar
Best Lyric: "I'm a goddam coward but then again so are you."
Notes: Something wonderfully haunting and Led Zeppelin IV-ish about this tune. Maybe the flute-y, mystical vibe? Does anyone remember laughter?
fun. - All Alone from Some NightsNotes: From the ashes of one of my favorite pop bands, The Format, sprang fun. The entire record is a study in clever, harmony-filled, hook-laden pop. Also my vote for album cover of the year. fun. Fact: The band claims that Some Nights is not a concept album per se, but admits that the compositions really came together after the title of the album was settled on. The title was inspired by how one's personality can change on a given night. Sounds like a concept to me. Either way, it's fantastic.
The Shins - No Way Down from Port of Morrow
Best Lyric: "Dig yourself a beautiful grave, everything you could want. Maybe those invisible slaves are too far away for a ghost to haunt."
Notes: Another redemption album for a great band who had fallen off my map over the last few years.
The Book of Mormon - Hello! from Book of Mormon: The Original Cast Recordings
Notes: I can't convey how much I love this soundtrack. I tried and tried to get tickets to the matinee of this show on Broadway on my recent trip but it had been sold out for months. Tickets the day of the show for the bloody matinee were going for $1000 each. Watch this live version of Hello! from the 2012 Emmy Awards and you'll understand why. But $1000? Jesus Christ! (of Latter Day Saints)
Brendan Benson - Light of Day from What Kind of World
Best Lyric: "You'll never know my love, that sweet release of death."
Notes: Brendan Benson re-emerges from the shadow of his high school pal Jack White with a pretty solid album. Its initial luster began to fade on repeated listens but this fantastic track ended up making the cut. Think McCartney meets Townshend - especially the latter at the 0:45 second mark when it sounds like Pete's tele ripping those rhythm guitar exclamation points.
Electric Guest - Awake from Mondo
Notes: This is one of those one-off tunes that really hit me for reasons that I can't quite pinpoint. But that's the beauty of music I suppose. I found myself compelled to leave it off the list but it kept slipping its bass line and girl-chorus vocals on my tongue like a little cube of acid-laced sugar.
Jack White - Freedom at 21 from Blunderbuss
Notes: This was one of those albums that you had to listen to for about a week to finally "get it". Jack is not everyone's cup of tea, but give him a chance. His songs and melodies have a way of creeping in through the back door of your brain and plopping down on the couch of your psyche like an annoying teenage brother.
Keane - Silenced By The Night from Strangeland
Best Lyric: "If I am a river, you are the ocean. Got the radio on, got the wheels in motion."
Notes: If you ever want proof of my direct British roots, either have a conversation with my mother or put this song on. There's more pasty, British romantic melancholy jammed into this 3:31 than you can wrap your mind around. Being the hopeless romantic (with a penchant for melancholy) that I am, no wonder this song is one of my favorites of the year. Yet another comeback album as Keane's last two releases made me want to turn in my membership to the British Melancholy Appreciation Society and Brooding Club.
The Fire Apes - 'Cause You Don't from A Life In Letters
Notes: I stumbled across this fantastic tune thanks to my pal Olivia Frain. She had posted it on Facebook and knowing how great her taste is, I gave it a listen. I downloaded the entire album immediately and it did not disappoint. Fans of power pop, if you have not heard the Apes you need to recognize.
Angus Stone - The Blue Door from Broken Brights
Best Lyric: "Her cotton candy sugared lips does make the boys fall to bits. But when she walks you best behave. You best be ready to fall into her grave."
Notes: More flute-y, atmospheric goodness! The textures in this song and all over Broken Brights are a thing of beauty.
Tenacious D - Rize of The Fenix from Rize of The Fenix
Best Lyric: "Bossanova is a beautiful dance."
Notes: I did not include this song on here solely because Jables and KG make me laugh til I cry...it's also because this song rocks on about 20 different levels. Once again, a nice return to form for the D. Pick of Destiny was pretty awful on the heels of their eponymous debut full-length...and the movie was borderline unwatchable. The song 39 deserves honorable mention on here...so if you're a D fan and you haven't heard it, click here. Bruce Springsteen fans beware...Mr. Black channels him pretty well and he writes better songs to boot.
P.S. Want to laugh til you vomit? Butt Baby will do the trick. My friend Lee Reavis (Lee lee lee lee lee lee lee lee lee lee) watched me laugh so hard watching Butt Baby he thought my head might explode.
Redd Kross - Stay Away From Downtown*Redd Kross - Winter Blues
from Researching The Blues
The Sheepdogs - Feeling Good from The Sheepdogs
Notes: Nothing super special about this one. It is after all, as the title explains, about feeling good and it captures that sentiment nicely. Think Gary Glitter meets Sloan meets Sam Roberts. Who is Sam Roberts? He's worth a Google that's for sure.
Rival Sons - Manifest Destiny Pt. 1 from Head Down
Notes: The Rival Sons are the real deal. Even Ed Bumgardner says so, so there. Yes, they wear their love for big '70's riffage on their polyester and velvet sleeves. Yes, they have a drummer who channels John Bonham. But Lenny Kravitz derivative, phony, re-hashers they are not. They are huge in Europe, but of course, dopey Americans prefer to listen to complete shit. For the uninitiated, I suggest starting with their eponymous EP. One listen to "Get What's Comin" and you'll just know. As for this track, it's 8 minutes long with a "When The Levee Breaks" vibe...the last 5 minutes or so is trance-inducing guitar wizardry that you simply don't hear anymore. Any song where you can hear the guitar player switching pickups on his guitar between phrases and then launching into the stratosphere is fucking fantastic in my book. When I say trance-inducing I'm not kidding. On my lunch breaks this fall I'd sit in the sun and listen to music. On at least two occasions during this song I either blacked out or was transported to a galaxy of guitar hypnosis. The beautiful instrumental "Nava" leads into this song and I consider them a set, so I'll include it here.
The Sword - Apocryphon from Apocryphon
Best Lyric: "Enthrall to the demiurge. We are awake escape."
Notes: Headbanger alert! Turn this bitch up to 11 kids. Once again, these Austin, TX riff-mongers are the real deal. The singer and guitar tones remind me a bit of Sabbath's Volume Four and that's a damn fine thing. When I heard this band for the first time I couldn't help but think about my brothers in volume and riffage, Fling Hammer super studs Matt Brennan and Morris Mitchell. The drummer is almost as badass as Matt and as Morris said about them, "Any band where the guitar player plays an Ibanez PS10 is cool as fuck in my book."
Gary Clark Jr. - Ain't Messin Round from Blak and Blue
Notes: Leave it to NYC to provide me with an eleventh hour addition to this collection. I heard this while Christmas shopping in the Big Apple and had to immediately stop in my tracks, Google the lyrics to find out who it was. Just try to:
1. Not like it.
2. Sit completely still while listening to the entire song.
Soul Asylum - Cruel Intentions from Delayed Reaction
Notes: I'm kinda breaking the rules here and not going chronologically with this one. But it seems like such a nice closer to this collection. Who better embodies the "Year of The Comeback" than Soul Asylum? This album was probably heard by about 5 people but it had some truly inspired moments. Forget "Runaway Train", "Black Gold" and all that corporate shit they put out in the mid '90's that fucking ruined this band. Remember 1988's "Hang Time" and (most of) 1990's "...And The Horse They Rode In On". I was lucky enough to play a few shows with these guys in 1991, right before the flood gates opened up for them. At the time they were my favorite band on the planet so getting to open for them in front of crazed, sold-out clubs was total orgasmic joy for me. The singer/songwriter, Dave Pirner, was a bit of a recluse and I only had one real conversation with him prior to our show in Memphis. He walked up to me and told me he really liked the Fender Telecaster I was using. For a small white man he had the deepest voice I've ever heard. It was somewhat freakish and I remembered being startled by it. I think it actually had a calming affect on me when I was face to face with my hero, humanizing him somewhat (ask me about meeting Paul Stanley this year if you want a good laugh at my goofy ass). Anyway, we had a nice chat about my band at the time, Hardsoul Poets and the design on our t-shirts which he thought was really amusing. I remember he really liked when I told him of the colossal nerdiness of the guys in Toad The Wet Sprocket. Especially the story of Mike Mitschele and I going on their bus to "party" with them, only to end up watching them eat apples. Fast forward to 2012...this song is really fantastic. I think Dave should write more songs like this and do a lounge tour. I'll see you in the front row.
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