Alright,
now that we are a month into 2013, I figure it is about time to get a “top 10” of 2012 list out there. So, without further adieu My list of the top ten albums of 2012! Also, as a bonus, some of my favorite songs from albums released in 2012, but didn’t make my “Top 10” list.
10. Night Visions by Imagine Dragons:
I first heard these guys 2 years ago when they opened for Weezer at their “Blinkerton” show in Las Vegas, you can see what I thought about them way back then here. I have been following them from with high expectations ever sense since. Those expectations have not been let down – since I first heard them, these guys signed with a major lable and released this, their first, major lable label album which has taken the world by storm. This is a good album and I would have hoped it to be in my top 5 if not 3, but compared to their “pre major label” work, this album is just not their best. If this is the first you have heard of them, it is really pretty good. But since I had such expectations coupled with all their pre major label stuff, this one barely made it into the top ten at #10.
9. Come Back As Rain by Good Old War:
These guys were in my last list (2010 – Yes, I skipped 2011) and I feel they probably will keep on making the list if they keep on pumping out the jams – Fantastic musicians!
8. Good Blood: EP by Good Blood:
As the first official release under the new moniker, these guys have really set the bar high for themselves, and all with just a simple 4 song EP. Formerly known as BattleSchool, this Logan/Provo “local” band has always had a great sound and would always find a spot on my iPod, but this new album has set these guys on a new level in my book. I could not stop listing to these 4 songs for at least a month. Good Blood has improved all aspects of their sound from the BattleSchool days – the songs have more structure, more depth in sound, and hooks that get stuck in your head and don’t want to leave. I love this album and would have ranked it higher had it been a LP and not just a 4 song EP. Can’t wait to see what more is coming from these guys – If you have not heard these guys, do yourself a favor and give them a big fat listen.
7. Penny Black by Further Seems Forever:
One of the two “Reunion” bands on this list. FSF has been around for a while and before this album, they had released 3 other albums; each with a different front man at the vox – their original singer, Christopher Ender Carrabba, left the band for Dashboard stardom after their first album was released. This first album, The Moon is Down, was by far their best with him at the helm, and because of it, every time I heard a Dashboard song, I would always think about FSF and what could have been… However, back in August of 2010 FSF announced that Carrabba would be joining the ranks again – This sent ripples of excitement through many spheres of the music world. This excitement soon faded as time went on with not much more news coming from the band. Fast-forward to October 2012 and we finally get this masterpiece – Carrabba as he was meant to be!
6. Vital by Anberlin:
I had a hard time listening to this one, I honestly was bored by it at my first listen through – but after giving it a redeeming try, I fell in love with it. I think this one is much better than their last two albums and very deserving of the 6th spot this year – I still like their second album, Never Take Friendship Personal, the best from these guys. Regardless, this album is well worth a regular rotation spot in your noise maker of choice.
5. Strange Land by Yellow Ostrich:
These guys are quickly making a strong case to be one of my top bands. Period. Their first album was so different and raw and this one feels so much more polished. I love both albums for what they are and this one still has enough aspects in it from their first album that it feels like a good progression for the band. Also, this is the first of 2 albums that they released in 2012, the other being an E.P. with a song towards the bottom of this post.
4. Don’t Panic by All Time Low:
Never did I ever think I would have an “All Time Low” album on a year end “Top 10” list – this album has really blown my mind (Partially since it is so good, and partially since it is All Time Low and so good). This has definitely established All Time Low as a serious legitimate band in my book, when before I just thought of them as a flash in the pan “14 year old sister’s favorite band” – This album has taken much time in my listening bank and almost every song has enough draw in it to keep you listening.
3. In Currents by The Early November:
Here is the other “Reunion” band of the list – The Early November, headed by Ace Enders, has always been a favorite of mine. Since their split, I have followed everything that Ace has done and he has become one of my favorite musicians out there – when I heard that they were getting back together I pretty much let everyone I saw know about it, and why they should care. This album is a great listen and has a bunch of hits.
2. Little Mountain by Said The Whale:
Number 2 comes in with a Canadian band. I have been following them for a while, they have never picked up too much steam in the US, but they are getting pretty big in the 51st state up north. If you have a listen, I would bet you would be hard pressed to not be able to find a jam on this little album that doesn’t get you wanting more.
1. Beacon by Two Door Cinema Club:
Coming in at number one is another foreign “not U.S.” band. These guys are from the England land, and when I first got this album, I got it at the same time as the Imagine Dragons album (the number 10 spot) I had them both going on my iPod on shuffle and I was surprised at how much they sounded alike (instrumentally, not necessarily vocally) – It almost felt like I was listening to an all Imagine Dragons album, the only thing was that all my favorite tracks were actually by Two Door Cinema Club. Trust me, these guys are good, and this album is good.
Excellent songs from albums not mentioned above:
(in no particular order)
And there you have it! Here’s to a grand 2012 and hoping that 2013 is even better!
