Top 15 Albums of 2012

Ah ha, 2012.  The year of the re-emergence of alternative rock.  The year with the disappointments of childhood favorites.  The year of the end of the world.  Here's my top 15 albums from this roller coaster ride of a year.






(15)
OST
Invisible Ink for Sketching Ghosts

Excuse me?  Could you listen to something any of us have ever heard before, please?  No.  This isn’t comparable to anything you’ve heard before, either.  An instrumental album of sorts, Invisible Ink is a one-of-a-kind attempt at bringing the 90’s back.  Spoken word samples from 90’s movies coat the album in nostalgia, while the music itself brings a whole new meaning to the phrases being spoken.  It’s not something you can firmly grasp until you give it a listen, but once you do you’ll realize the power that this combination of words and music can have.

Bandcamp // Song - Distocean

(14)
Japandroids
Celebration Rock

Bursting at the seams with pop punk happiness and indie sensibilities, Celebration Rock is a fun frolic into party rock and roll done right.  Japandroids wear their intentions on their sleeves for the whole world to see, and couldn’t be more excited to do so.

Spotify // Song - The House that Heaven Built

(13)
BATS
The Sleep of Reason

It’s been said that post-hardcore is a dying genre.  And with the loss of BATS, the genre is taking another huge hit.  BATS’ swan song A Sleep of Reason encapsulates everything that makes this goofy outfit the band they are.  Catchy grooves and ‘scientific’ lyrics galore, BATS made one of the most original albums of the year, and it’s a shame we won’t be getting any more from these Irish lads.  Enjoy it while we can.

Spotify // Song - The Sleep of Reason Brings Forth Monsters

(12)
Ne Obliviscaris
Portal of I

The first thing I thought was holy fuck what is going on with the band’s name.  Then I saw the album name.  Then I saw the song titles.  Ridiculously wordy labels aside, Ne Obliviscaris take extreme metal in a progressive direction that no one saw coming.  Opeth is the closest counterpart to this behemoth of an album, but that wouldn’t do the varied nature of this album justice.  Two words: pizzicato violin.

Spotify // Song - Of the Leper Butterflies

(11)
The Menzingers
On the Impossible Past

The whole concept of Americana rock was introduced to me this year, and it’s something I’ve really grown to appreciate.  The Gaslight Anthem has long established themselves as leaders of this “genre”, but with On the Impossible Past, The Menzingers are serious contenders to usurp the throne.  Every song is catchy and intricately written, and piled on top is a heaping helping of the feeling of maturing in the good ol’ USA.

Spotify // Song - Gates

(10)
Grizzly Bear
Sheilds

I was a bit late to the party on this one, but I’m glad I showed up.  An intricate amalgamation of indie pop and folk, Shields delights more and more with each listen.  There’s a lot to unearth here, and for that we can thank Grizzly Bear’s stringent attention to songwriting.

Spotify // Song - Sleeping Ute

(9)
Converge
All We Love We Leave Behind

Converge at their most accessible, but still very much Converge.  Not going to change many minds on the band, but if you like Converge’s brand of high adrenaline metalcore then you’ll be highly rewarded.  All We Love We Leave Behind solidifies Converge at the top of the metalcore genre once again, and it’s likely they won’t be unseated anytime soon.

Spotify // Song - Sadness Comes Home

(8)
mewithoutYou
Ten Stories

Well, they did it again.  While not as emotional stirring as Brother, Sister or as off-the-wall and quirky as It’s All Crazy!, Ten Stories has mewithoutYou setting into a sweet spot.  Aaron Weiss can shine with his storytelling while the rest of the band jams away with overlaying melodies and off-kilter rhythms.  And that’s all we want from a mewithoutYou album.

Spotify // Song - Fox's Dream of the Log Flume

(7)
Dead Sara
Dead Sara

Alt rock newcomers Dead Sara made an album that might prove to be the best debut of the decade thus far.  Firmly establishing their own brand of emotional rock, Dead Sara made me wonder how it’s possible for them to pull off an outing this strong as their debut while other bands of a similar vein can’t even pull it off the 10^th time around.  The future looks bright if they can keep this up.

Spotify // Song - Weatherman

(6)
Yellowcard
Southern Air

Don’t worry, I’m just as surprised as you are that this is here.  But fuck, it’s so CATCHY.  And the VIOLIN.  Yellowcard incites caps lock in me, apparently.

Spotify // Song - Awakening

(5)
The Tallest Man on Earth
There's No Leaving Now

It would be ridiculous to say that this album disappointed me.  Because it didn’t.  Well, not really.  Eh.  Let there be no doubt that this album is absolutely terrific.  But it’s not The Wild Hunt, and I don’t think we’ll ever get The Wild Hunt again. It’s just going to take me a bit to get used to that idea.  Seriously, still the best folk artist in the world, bar none, and if he keeps putting out albums of this quality that won’t be changing in the near future.

Spotify // Song - Wind and Walls

(4)
Deftones
Koi No Yokan

Deftones are such a weird band.  You can find some hard rock loving 14 year old on the street that will love them, and then you can come across a 22 year old cigarette wielding hipster who will tell you the same.  That’s truly the magic of Deftones, a crossover alt-metalish band with a shoegaze side that will warp your brain with textures on top of textures on top of atmosphere.  Koi No Yokan is a Deftones record through and through, and fans of all ages can rejoice, as they haven’t sounded this good since White Pony.

Spotify // Song - Leathers

(3)
Anberlin
Vital

Anberlin’s second best album.  There.  My mind is made up.  Cities is better.  But only by the slimmest of slim margins.  That right there should give you a good idea about how great this album is.  They haven’t sounded this aggressive while sounding this mature, well, ever.  The electronics suit the band perfectly, and Stephen Christian still sounds fantastic.  Easily alt rock album of the year any other year.  But not this one.

Spotify // Song - Modern Age

(2)
Godspeed You!  Black Emperor
Allelujah!  Don't Bend! Ascend!

So one night I’m sitting at my computer and reading music forums when I find a thread saying “New Godspeed Album”.  I immediately shit my pants.  After cleaning myself up I realized that not only was it a new album, but in fact, IT WAS ALREADY RELEASED.  So several illegal downloads later I ended up with a crappy bootleg copy, and even through all of the muffled sounds of the terrible rip, I could still recognize that this album was phenomenal.  Now with my vinyl copy on the way and a clear as day spotify copy, I can truly say that Godspeed You! is back and still showing us the pure emotion that post-rock can bring.  I missed them so much.

Spotify // Song - Mladic

(1)
The Classic Crime
Phoenix

If you have talked to me about music at all this year, you saw this coming.  Let me give you a scenario.  Everyone has a few favorite albums.  On those albums, there’s that one song that you just adore with all of your heart because of the lyrics, the songwriting, and the pure “feel” of it all.  What if you find an album that has more than one of those songs?  And what if, by sheer luck, they were back to back to back… to back?  And that, right there, is why Phoenix is my album of the year.  There are 13 gorgeous songs laced across this alternative masterpiece, yet 4 just stand so high above the rest that you can’t help but be moved by their immenseness (songs 4-7 if you want to be moved).  I can just listen to them over and over and over and over.  A fitting capstone to a truly great year in music.

Spotify // Song - The Precipice

And there we have it.  Another great year of music cataloged down into my personal favorites.  Did I miss anything?  What do you think should be here?  I'd also like to announce to the 3 people reading this that next year the blog will be changing.  I will be presenting 1 album a week and give a small blurb on how I felt, as well as giving out other potential albums that would be worth a listen that week.  I will still post the occasional fun blog post however, so if you enjoyed reading those, don't dismay.  As always, thanks for reading, and please follow me on twitter/blogspot.  Until next year.

-Caleb, the kid who wears a beanie when its warm out.

Alt in the Wounds

It’s become increasingly clear that if you are a fan of alternative rock, 2012 will become your go to year of the decade. Big talk? Damn right it is. These bands have dug deep and revived a dwindling genre to the point where releases from top tier artists can’t even begin to hold a candle to what these guys have done. It’s likely this list will increase, and adding in the already strong early releases of Dead Sara and The Tallest Man on Earth, it’s shaping up to be a colossal pile of rock that previous years couldn't touch. 

First is a mainstay of the alt rock scene for the past 10 years, a Springsteen-esque journey into truly “American” rock. The Gaslight Anthem released Handwritten this year, and it’s another excellent entry into an already brilliant discography. Here’s the title track.

 

 Following the same vein, Scranton’s The Menzingers have released their newest LP entitled On the Impossible Past. They’ve toned down the aggression a bit, seemingly for the better. “Gates” has quite possibly the best chorus of the year.

 

 Next we have Abel, a relative no-name from New York. Similar in vein to Brand New and Manchester Orchestra, Abel present us with an emotional slab of rock ready to tear down you down. “Daughter” gorgeous post-chorus is just a small taste of what to expect from these up-and-comers.

 

 Finally, we have The Classic Crime. The band that came out of nowhere with their jumpstarted LP Phoenix that truly proves to be a rebirth of the band’s sound. We might be looking at song of the year with “Heaven and Hell”, and possibly album of the year for the entire thing. If there is one album you try from my recommendation this year, it has to be this one.

 

 Thanks for reading guys and gals, and I hope you found something you enjoy here. Let me know if I’m missing out on an outstanding alt rock LP, or any LP for that matter, from the year, and I’ll be sure to check it.

 -Caleb, he who sleeps on the most uncomfortable futon in history.

10 Years - Minus the Machine

10 Years has always been a “gateway” band. Their ability to take the modern rock style of their contemporaries and shift it to something that is something genuinely more than radio rock has been impressive. With their major label debut The Autumn Effect, and its follow-up Division, they showed how the music could be singles for the radio while still forming a cohesive, artful album for the more critical listener. Then with 2010’s Feeding the Wolves, we saw 10 Year’s come back to the pack a bit. The album did just as its title indicated, gave the record exec’s something to sell. This was a disappointment to many of the fans 10 Years had presented that “gateway” to, and in fact, was a disappointment to the band itself. Thus, we were given a 2012’s aptly titled Minus the Machine, and attempt to bring back the things that made 10 Years special in the past.

It should be noted that this is an independent release by the band. And it’s almost too obvious. It’s apparent that the band themselves are not use to having this type of creative freedom. The amount of ideas swirling around within this albums 44 minute runtime is impressive. The problem however, is the lack of precision that this leads to within the songwriting department. The album opens with the hard hitting “Minus the Machine” and “Battle Lust”, both of which are clear attempts to say, “Hey, we can rock super hard when no one is holding us back!” to their fans. Of course this backfires a bit, as the songs end up being just that, heaviness for the sake of heaviness.

Next up, we have “Forever Fields”, which isn’t a bad track per se, if nothing but for the reason that it is a clear attempt to bring back that famous 10 Years’ atmosphere back into the fray. And it’s a welcome sound to be sure. The problem lies in the fact that the song turns out to be pretty much entirely atmosphere, and no real substance. Yet, it’s not until we reach the end of this song and it becomes clear what the album is really missing, something this band has spoiled us into expecting from every release, and that’s a sense of cohesiveness from start to finish.

The rest of the album is considerably more finely tuned from a songwriting perspective. The songs become less of a reminder of what’s possible, to actually using these possibilities to form more solid songs. From the haunting finger-picking of “Writing on the Walls” to the impressive bass line leading the way in “Soma”, we see that the potential is clearly still there for 10 Years. And, with the exception of the momentum killing chorus of “Knives”, it all works on an individual song basis. It seems that this album was a necessary stepping stone to get away from the vices of the mainstream rock world, and move towards the realm where 10 Years is the most comfortable. It just so happens that they weren’t fully ready for this new found freedom, and, like a kid let loose in a toy store, just couldn’t keep their hands off of absolutely everything.

3/5

Tremonti - All I Was

It’s not a rarity in today’s music to see the individual members of successful bands branch out and try to do something on their own. More often than not, these efforts are met with trepidation due to the spotty history of such side projects, most of which leaving much to be desired. Yet when Mark Tremonti set out to write an album all by his lonesome, there was a different kind of uneasiness surrounding the release. Tremonti had been such a big part of the writing process of Creed and Alter Bridge throughout the years that it’s hard to believe that this solo project could present anything he had not already displayed with his already solidified bands. Yet with a promise of a much heavier outing, Tremonti set out to prove that he’s not only a riff machine, but also has the finesse to write an intriguing LP.

Overall, the effort turned out to be entirely adequate. Each song is given life by the unsurprisingly strong guitar work from Tremonti, along with an impressive performance from the rest of the band keeping things together. It’s song after song of solid hard rock. Although nothing incredible, Tremonti’s vocals are also strong, showing that his talents do extend beyond the frets. This was all expected though. Nothing in Tremonti’s past indicated anything different from what is presented here. And that’s where a bit of the disappointment lies.

There is nothing here that is heavier than most of Alter Bridge’s material. The heaviness factor, that was the selling point of the album, was greatly exaggerated. Sure, songs like So You’re Afraid and You Waste Your Time have terrific guitar work, they are not anything that would be classified further then the hardest of rock. This presents us with a record that sounds almost identical to its predecessors from an instrumental standpoint. Add on to this the sloppier songwriting resulting from trying to achieve the aforementioned heaviness, such as song-derailing solos and occasional repetitive riffs, and we are left with a product that doesn’t amount to anything more than decent.

That’s not to say this is a bad album by any means. His choruses are catchy, if shallow, and overall the guitar work is fun, exactly what we’ve come to expect from Tremonti. And from the standpoint of a fan of his previous work, we have another fine slab of hard rock from one of the genres strongest guitarists. Just this time we don’t have the chops of Myles Kennedy or (to a much lesser extent) Scott Stapp to really grasp our attention. All I Was is an adequate album of above average hard rock tunes for fans of the genre, nothing more, nothing less.

3/5

Three-peat, pt. 3

Sup y’all. Summer is finally here and I’m working every damn day. But that’s alright, because we actually have some interesting stuff in the way of music now, and hopefully the pacing continues for the rest of the year. It’s great to see that the artists we expect to release solid material have done so, as well as new faces emerging as players for this year’s top albums. Here’s another sweet 3-peat of releases.



First of all, the ageless wonders, Rush. I’m going to be completely honest with you, but I’ve only given a small portion of their vast collection of solid material the listens they deserve. However, when I heard reviews saying that “Clockwork Angels” was the heaviest thing they’ve released in years, I had to give it a listen. And I still can’t believe this is the same band that sang Tom Sawyer. Sure, they are still progressive rock masters, but this stuff pillages your ear drums in a way that you would never think 58+ year olds could accomplish. Geddy Lee’s high pitched singing is buried a little more in the mix, while his superb bass, Lifeson’s brilliant guitar work, and Peart’s jaw dropping drumming steal the show and show that these guys are not even close to running out of gas (4/5).



Next we have the newcomers in the metal department hailing from Australia. Ne Obliviscaris bring a highly dynamic progressive metal album to the table as their first LP, and my, oh my, is it epic. The immediate comparison would be Opeth, a highly melodic progressive band with death and black metal elements, but when the violin comes in, we see they are something different entirely. Something fresh and exciting. Look out for these guys in the coming years, especially if they can tighten up the sometimes messy songwriting and lose the weird, verbose lyrics (3.5/5).



He is the best folk artist in the world right now. Period. The Tallest Man on Earth recently released his follow up to 2010’s The Wild Hunt, and I have it on vinyl! But seriously, it’s just as good as its predecessor, albeit not in the same ways. Sure, Matsson still is a man with his guitar (and piano), but instead of being very upfront and boisterous with his cryptic (for me anyway), nature themed lyrics, he is more reserved this time around. This allows for him to expand his palette while still staying true to himself. I absolutely adore this record (4.5/5).

Thanks all. Look in the future for a crazy in depth talk about Linkin Park's new album and a talk about who the hell Linkin Park is anymore. I'm looking forward to it.

-Caleb, the kid who works in a bakery and can't even write on cakes.

Three-peat pt. 2

Well, shit, this week has caught me off guard. Seemingly, 2012 took a really long ass time to get going, and it was almost frustrating that the of amount new music we were getting was so unbelievably low. But just when you least expect it, you get slapped in the face with a helping of orgasmic music that you can’t help but sit back and say “Thank you for existing.” Here’s another three-peat of songs to enjoy.

First this is Dead Sara, an up-and-coming alt rock band from LA. They take their version of high octane hard rock and blend it with a wide variety of influences from all over the board. This band deserves to be huge, and hopefully songs like “Sorry for It All”, off their debut self-titled, can make that happen for them (4.5/5).



Next up are two songs from opposite ends of the indie spectrum. MewithoutYou have been around for ages, and with their new album they have declared a return to their previous sound. The first track is one of the leading singles from the upcoming LP. Next up is some new kids on the block The Neighborhood, with a ridiculously catchy offering that might just propel them into the mainstream. New and old, both of these bands are ones to look out for during the rest of 2012.





I seem to have nothing but good things to say about the stuff that I’ve heard this year, but that’s not entirely the case. One of the bands that got me into music back when I was younger, Shinedown, released their 4th LP this year, and it was a bit of a disappointment. There is nothing exceedingly special about it, and only 1 or 2 songs on the entire album actually have replay value. For a band I’ve loved for so long, it sucks to see that the song writing, particularly in the lyrics department, has fallen off so drastically. Shit happens, I guess.



Interestingly enough, I’ve started my vinyl collection over the past two weeks, and I’m loving the shit out of it. If you love music as much as I do, it’s well worth the investment to start one up for yourself. The music sounds richer and the experience of listening to an album gets returned to that sense of wonder you had when you were a kid. So far, I’ve got 3 albums, The Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt, Radiohead – OK Computer, and Explosions in the Sky – The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place. Post-rock turns out to be absolutely unbelievable on vinyl, so I’ll definitely be looking to get other albums from the genre to supplement my collection.

Ah, well, I’ll keep you guys updated on when other new albums are being released this year. As always, if there’s anything you guys want me to review or listen to, let me know, as I’m always on board to hear new stuff. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

-Caleb, the guy who is exceedingly happy that tonight is chicken fajita night.

Three-peat

Every now and then I’d like to take a moment and share 3 recent album releases that I’ve been listening to over and over with you all. Typically I will try to keep them of different genres, as to appeal to a wider range of listener, but that’s not always going to work. But hey, I’ll give it a shot, and if there’s a type of music, or new album, that I missed, please don’t hesitate to tell me and maybe I can fill it in later. For now here’s the first Three-peat of 2012.

1.Janus – Nox Aeris (Hard Rock, Alt Rock)

Sometimes that album comes along that’s just super fun to listen to. There is no breaking of the rules, no blaring original-ness, no “next big thing” involved with it all. It’s just good old fashioned rock music. That’s what Janus has done here. They have created an album in the vein of Chevelle and Red that still stands on its own without feeling too copied from their books. Hard rock done right. Catchy choruses, driving riffs, neat atmospheres. (3.5/5)



2.Every Time I Die – Ex Lives (Metalcore, Hardcore)

“I want to be dead with my friends!” Metalcore is a dying genre. The good bands are starting to dwindle away, as the genre creates deeper and deeper holes for itself with every new band trying to emulate their influences work, but never picking the correct paths. Every Time I Die doesn’t give a shit. A band that’s been around the block as much as these guys realize what they have to do to create a good album. And they do it here again. Heavy, angry, and well-written, Ex Lives is the Metalcore album of the year thus far. (4/5)



3.Loma Prieta – I.V. (Screamo, Hardcore)

I was kind of surprised when I took a chance and gave this a listen. Normally not my cup of tea, Loma Prieta is a true Screamo band from San Francisco. Upon first listen, the dissonance of it all, the speed of the guitar, the frantic drumming, and the violent screams underneath come across as pure “noise”. But I couldn’t stop listening. Every single song has a strong underlying melody that holds it all together. It’s abrasiveness is what makes it so gorgeous. (4/5)



As always, follow me on twitter at @calebuseswords and leave any feedback you want. I'm always willing to listen to something new, so if you have something you want me to review, send it my way and I'll give it a shot. Thanks for reading.

-Caleb, the guy who ate a whole wheel of cheese and isn't even mad.