2012 Music in review

This year I'm going to do this a little differently. I'm not only going to review music that came out in 2012, but music with which I became familiar or re-familiar. I'm also going to expand my categories to include live music as well as music that disappointed or did not live up to expectations.

Most Surprisingly Good Album
Foster the People - Torches
I was all set to hate this album. I first started hearing "Pumped up Kicks" in 2010 when it was released as a single. By the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012, the song was everywhere. It's a good, catchy song with some social significance, but I didn't think that Mark Foster could produce an entire album that good. I was wrong. The album is cohesive and complete. While it isn't ground-breaking, there are lots of good songs and it's a feel-good album. I also caught these guys on Saturday Night Live and they were very good live!

Most insidious song of 2012
Someone that I used to know - Gotye
Sure, I could have picked Carly Rae Jepson's "Call Me Maybe" but I think Gotye's song transcended popular culture more deeply than that song. There were parodies on top of parodies about the song. It is STILL playing on several Sirius radio stations. His video was weird. The song was good on SNL but the rest of his album is pretty much crap.

Along those lines, Guilty pop song pleasure of 2012 goes to "Broken Hearted" by Karmin. Yeah, it's cheesy, but I found myself jamming this song more than a couple times. Fun to "car-dance" to and simple to enjoy, it's just one of those tunes that sticks in your head.

Favorite group of 2012
Two Door Cinema Club
OK, so Tourist History one was released in 2010, but I didn't start listening to it until the end of 2011. I listened to it extensively in 2012 and it quickly turned to one of those albums that I could leave in my CD player constantly and listen to it over and over again. Their 2nd album, Beacon, came out in September 2012 and it's also good. I don't care for it as much as Tourist History, but it is growing on me. I also saw them in concert in Denver and they are excellent. Their sound is retro-80s with some added electronic feel. I didn't even realize they were from Ireland until I looked them up after getting into them. And though their sound is highly synthesized, it transfers very well to live music. I started a Pandora channel based on them and it's one of my faves!

First Listens
Philip Phillips - The World from the Side of the Moon
I really like Phillips. Being an American Idol watcher for several years, I'm always partial to those artists who seem to stay true to themselves. Phillips has a nice, gravelly voice with pretty pure tone. Yeah, he looks like he's taking a shit when he sings, but so what? So, I was pretty happy to hear "Home" being played all over the place towards the end of this year. I was actually excited when I was finally able to get his album. After the first listen I am disturbed and disappointed by how much he sounds like Dave Matthews, whom I hate. Hate is a strong word. Let's just say his music mostly disgusts me. Anyway, Phillips album doesn't SOUND so much like DMB, but damn his voice does. The album starts off pretty well and then seems to wallow in a bit of DMB-esque mediocrity until the 8th track "drive me" which is a little grittier and more original. "A Fool's Dance" is good and "So Easy" is better. Then he does a cover of Chris Isaac's "Wiked Game" that I find much more real and soulful than the original. Will this be an album I grow to really like? I don't know. But I do like Phillips and "Home" is an excellent song.

Favorite Album I'd never listened to
Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
OK, much love to Jack White, but when you pair him with another excellent vocalist in Brendan Benson, you get absolute magic. I had heard Broken Boy Soldiers and liked it, but this album is pure genius. White brings venom and spittle and Benson brings the poetry and quirk. I feel embarrassed and distressed that I didn't know about this album until this year. It came out in 2008! It will definitely become one of my favorite albums soon.

Live performance reviews
This one is difficult. I'm going to have to split it out into several categories because I saw a LOT of music this year.

Best live music performance This year I was able to see one of my favorite bands of all time: New Order. I got to go with my neighbor and close friend and it was a total blast. To see them perform all these songs with which I'd become so familiar over the years was really a special treat. They are excellent in concert and if I ever get a chance to see them again, I will with absolutely no hesitation. The crowd was one of the best, most accommodating, friendly groups I've ever been around at a live performance. They played quite a bit of the older stuff including Joy Division. Seeing these guys was really a dream come true.

Best Show
Rammstein. I was lucky enough to go with one of my closest friends and we sat at the very top of the arena. Now, I'm semi-familiar with their music. I like their sound and enjoy listening to them, but none of their stuff is my favorite. Their performance, though, transcends music. To me, this is the kind of stuff Freddy Mercury would have done if he'd been a metal-head. There is so much fire and special effects I felt like I was watching a German circus. These guys are tremendous professionals. They just don't play music, they entertain. Truly a spectacle!

Favorite performance
The Jayhawks. This is a band I discovered on my own. One Summer in Minnesota I found "Tomorrow the Green Grass" in an endcap at Best Buy or Walmart or something and just decided to buy it. It soon became one of my favorite albums ever. I played it over and over and over. More than once at a lake party it played on repeat all night and was still playing in the morning. So, when I got to see these guys in Denver I had high hopes. Well, those hopes were exceeded. Individually these guys are not tremendous. Together they are incredible. The harmonies of Gary Louris and Mark Olson are fantastic. They sound even better live than on the album. And they played plenty of songs from my favorite album. Even my metal-loving friend agreed that they "weren't too bad"(high praise from him). I got chills when they played "Blue". What a wondrous, poignant, awesome show.

Most disappointing live show
When I heard that the Toadies were going to be playing with Helmet, I was stoked. I love the Toadies and could never find another band that was anything like them. Helmet was another band I really enjoyed. So, when I found that they were playing together I was elated. Well, Helmet started the show. I quickly realized that, though I know 3-4 of their songs pretty well, their music is just plodding, muddy and, quite frankly, boring when viewed live. Don't get me wrong, they are great musicians, but there is just something missing from them live. As the Toadies started, I was excited. But, after a fan got on stage, Todd Lewis (lead singer)went into a rant about how nobody should come up on stage and this is their work environment and blah blah. The crowd visibly cooled. I've seen a lot of live music and fans sometimes do dumb shit, but the LAST thing you want to do is alienate them by basically telling them to fuck off. I remember a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert when they actually stuck up for a fan who was being hauled off stage by security. They then invited people to come up and dance with them as long as everything was "cool". If the Peppers can do it, why can't some little one-hit wonder from Texas? Later another fan came up and Lewis basically pushed and kicked the guy off stage. That did it for me. While the music was still really good, I was just soured with the whole experience. Dispite still liking their albums, I won't go see them again unless it's free or something. Bummer :(

Best Punk Album
Pennywise - All or Nothing
OK, so I've loved these guys for a long time. I know they sound a lot like Bad Religion, but something about them resonates with me. When I heard that Jim Lindberg had been replaced as lead singer with Zoli Téglás,I was bummed. But when I heard they were coming to the Black Sheep in Colorado Springs, I couldn't pass it up. They didn't disappoint! Zoli was AWESOME! In fact, I actually came to prefer him over Jim. (Jim has since rejoined the band and they're coming back to the Sheep in February). This album is one of those you have to listen to a bit. But, once you do, you realize that it's some of their strongest work ever. The songs sound more dissimilar than some of the other albums, which is a good thing. Until now the only song that REALLY stood out from their work is the phenomenal "Bro Hymn" which basically made this band who they are. But on this album there are standouts like "Waste another day", "Stand Strong", "United"...ok, the whole thing is awesome. Very powerful anti establishment sentiments entwined with empowerment and brotherhood. Great album. Can't wait to see them again.

Best alternative album of 2012
Never Trust a Happy Song - Grouplove
Yes, this came on in September of 2011, but it didn't get much play til 2012. OK, so Tongue-tied is one of those songs that makes you want to dance but is also very fun and has substance. That song was good enough for me to get the album and I wasn't disappointed. The whole album is GOOD!. Very good, actually. It's a retro-feeling record with lots of interesting singles including "Itchin on a Photograph" and "Colours". You won't find a bad song on this album, which is rare these days. The whole thing is cohesive in both quality and element. Though it's definitely got an 80s sound, it has a modern feel to it. This is one of those records you can put in and play it over and over again.

Honorable mention
Night Visions - Imagine Dragons
When I first heard "It's Time", I instantly loved it. After their next single, "Radioactive", hit, I knew I had to have the album. This isn't one of those albums that hits you in the face and makes you say "WOW!". It's one you listen to and instantly feel like you've listened to it several times. It's really actually not tremendously remarkable. What it is is solid, cohesive and enjoyable. I feel like these guys will be making good music for years to come.

Best Album of 2012
Jack White - Blunderbuss
Two words can describe this album: Fucking Brilliant. I've been a fan of the White Stripes for years. However, most of their albums lack the cohesiveness to really make me LOVE them. Icky Thump was my favorite one and maybe that was just the final piece that led to this excellent solo album. After hearing "Love Interruption" a few times, I knew I had to get the album so I pre-ordered it. I wasn't disappointed. "16 Saltines" kicks ass and there is so much visceral experimentation and musicianship that I sometimes feel overwhelmed when listening to it. White's weird and honest and his voice is sometimes a mix between whiny and screamy without becoming annoying. This is one of those that will stick around for a long time.

Honorable Mentions
Voodoo Glow Skulls (performance), fun. - some nights, The Shins - port of morrow, All American Rejects - kids in the street, Gaslight Anthem - handwritten, Soundgarden - King Animal