Entry posted by Ta-metru_defender
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Here we are. Again. Finally. I've been busy.
Welcome To The 4th Annual TMD Music Awards!
Once again I find myself ranking ten albums from 2012 in order of bestness. As such there is not much need for an interlude, just that all ten of these albums are great albums you should check out.
Special EP Mention:
Freaks EP, The Hawk In Paris
These guys are amazing. And Birds on a Wire is one of my favorite songs of the year. Give the EP a listen, a full album will be out in 2013.
Top 10 Albums of 2012
10
Fallen Empires, Snow Patrol
Let me forewarn you, my only other exposure to this band is Up To Now; their compilation that came out a couple years ago. This new album is good, though nothing quite rises to the quality of, say Chasing Cars or Just Say Yes, but it has its share of gems.
Listen to/Download:
-New York
-Called out in the Dark
-The President
9
Landline, Greg Laswell
One of the great things about being back in the US is Pandora. I discovered Laswell over the summer and recently decided to listen to a bunch of his stuff on ###### and shortly thereafter bought this album. It's good, to say the least. Especially good when he duets with someone else.
Listen to/Download:
-Landline
-Come Back Down
-Another Life to Leave
8
California 37, Train
I like Train. Their songs provide a nice break with their more mature love songs (as opposed to the poppy sort of love songs). This'll Be My Year is a fantastic song that echoes Billy Joel's We Didn't Start The Fire, only in this song all the events lead up to meeting his love. It's a sweet song typical of Train. 50 Ways is a goofy counterpoint about a breakup, so hey. Train's fun, and this album too.
Listen to/Download:
-This'll Be My Year
-50 Ways to Say Goodbye
-When The Fog Rolls In
7
Cold Hard Want, House of Heroes
Look, by now you've probably realized the things I like in music: good writing and an appropriate sound. House of Heroes embody this, they've got a very organic sound that compliments their great lyrics. They're good.
Listen to/Download:
-Dance (Blow It All Away)
-We Were Giants
-Comfort Trap
6
Vital, Anberlin
What I like about Anberlin is their sound changes a little album to album. Vital has them infusing their usual alt-rock with shades of electronica, and it works fantastically. It gives their sound something different.
Listen to/Download:
-Modern Age
-Other Side
-Self Starter
-God, Drugs, & Sex
5
Weapons, Lostprophets
Okay, full disclosure, The Betrayed was mildly disappointing. But Weapons is Lostprophets at what might prove their best. Most every song sticks out as being particularly strong; Somedays is a quieter, poignant song, and Jesus Walks and Another Shot are two great anthems that, again, call back to songs like Last Train Home and Rooftops. Took 'em six years, but they're back.
Listen to/Download:
-Somedays
-Jesus Walks
-Another Shot
-We Bring an Arsenal
-A Song For Where I'm From
4
Babel, Mumford & Sons
If you thought Sigh No More was pretty good, then give Babel a listen. it's like Sigh No More, but better. It feels that their first album was them finding their voice, and Babel is them shouting it out. The album flows far better than their prior one, songs building off of each other. Hopeless Wanderer and Below My Feet are easily their best songs yet.
Listen to/Download:
-Hopeless Wanderer
-Below My Feet
-I Will Wait
-Broken Crown
3
Not Quite Yours, Barcelona
This album is different from Absolutes, but not in a bad way. There's slightly less piano and a bit more rhythm. The tone as a whole seems lighter too, but it's still them. It's a natural evolution from Absolutes, and a welcome one. Also: I helped fund the production of this album. Yeah.
Listen to/Download:
-Till Death
-Evermore
-Less Than Two
2
Monsters Calling Home, Monsters Calling Home
I saw these guys open for Anberlin over the summer. They seemed like the lousy band to tide audiences over. Dude. I was wrong. These guys are an incredible outfit. They're just starting out (and recently changed their name to Run River North) and man, their music is good. It's folk, yes, but it's not the cliche sort. Check them out. Seriously. Make them famous.
Listen to/Download:
-Foxbeard
-Goodnight Moon
-Fight to Keep
-Whole Dang Album
1
Scars and Stories, The Fray
If you thought their last album was good give this one a listen. It's incredible; taking everything from their prior work and just making it so much better. Songs like Rainy Zurich and Heartbeat have this atmospheric sound to their lyrics that just bring it to life. I Can Barely Say is a beautiful song about coming home but not. And The Fighter is their best song yet. Lyrics like "he swings with all his might and all that might have been" just leave you speechless. The other songs on the album are all as good, songs about the Berlin Wall or subtly comparing the uncertainty of the search for the Higgs-Boson to a relationship. It's great.
Scars and Stories is the best album to come out in 2012. Hands down.
Listen to/Download:
-The Fighter
-I Can Barely Say
-Heartbeat
-Rainy Zurich
So there you have it, my very biased opinions on good music. No, I'm good at writing about music, but hey, here they are. Check 'em out.
Cheers.
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