2012 Review Part Two - Favorite Albums

The albums that comprise this list were released in 2012, went to the top of my "must listen to this all the time" list and stayed there long enough to leave an impression. They are ordered chronologically by my personal date of discovery, not release date or level of awesomeness.

There were others, of course, but I'm big into lists of three and much of what I listened to in 2012 was old news by the time I found it.

Here we go!

Come Back As Rain by Good Old War

I was blown away by Good Old War when I saw them open for Guster a few years ago. I was fortunate to be able to see them open for Counting Crows this summer and I was even more impressed. Their sound is perfect for lounging on the lawn at a summer concert. They execute such a tight and delightful harmony to music that feels down-home comfortable. Every single track on Come Back As Rain is good. If I had to pick a favorite, I would not be able to. I'd say "Oh, Better Weather. No wait, Amazing Eyes. Or Can't Go Home. No, definitely Not Quite Happiness..." and on and on.

Keep in Touch by Old Best Friend

I wasn't sure if an EP qualified for this list but then I realized that I make the rules and if I say it belongs here, it does. I saw Mike Comite of Old Best Friend play with Julia Nunes at Common Ground in July and I was rather impressed by the couple of his songs that they played. He mentioned that his stuff was on Bandcamp and so when I got home, I looked it up and sort of went bananas over it. It's a small but very well done collection of story-telling songs and I hope we hear more from Old Best Friend soon.

Smoke Signals by Dan & the Wildfire

Dan & the Wildfire is one of my favorite Twitter Bands - that is, bands that I discovered via Twitter. I'm not really sure how we found each other there but I'm so glad that we did because this album is just so good I would hate to have missed out. The sound overall is a really fantastic blend of instruments and voices --  a little meatier than Good Old War but not heavy at all. Plus, there's trumpet (!) that is just delightful. This album is very easy to listen to. Each track holds up on its own and flows pleasantly to the next. Very sing-along-able, too.

Julia Nunes with Nat Osborn

The band
Julia Nunes with Nat Osborn
The venue
Some guy named Ben's living room
Date
December 2, 2012


Julia Nunes plays ukelele and writes songs that are emotional, silly, honest and relatable. I'd seen her once before, at Common Ground this past July. Prior to that, I really only knew a handful of her songs from YouTube. That was enough for me to know she was impressive and her live performance only built on what I already knew.

A few weeks ago she embarked with Nat Osborn (who plays guitar and piano) on a living room tour after wrapping up a stint opening for Walk Off the Earth (another band I saw at Common Ground who, by the way, were super awesome). I'd never been to a house concert before and I wasn't sure what to expect. It was a much older crowd than I imagined and I certainly hadn't considered the place would be packed full of ukelele enthusiasts but that was what we got! It was a pretty cool mix of people in attendance.

If you've never heard Julia Nunes, you're missing out. If you've heard her but haven't heard her live, you're still missing out. She made a comment during the Q & A portion of the show that she never really thought her voice was that great and she said "people always say, 'no way, your voice is great!' So don't do that." So I didn't, but now I will. Her voice is great! The girl's got pipes. It's strong and really gorgeous. Nat's voice was also really great and they sounded amazing together. As they said, they've been playing these songs together for weeks and weeks so they better mesh well by this point, but I think it's more than that, too. He was a really lovely complement to her.

Beyond sounding super great, they were also funny and play well off each other. Julia did a great Q&A with some interesting questions. It's always cool to hear an artist talk about their songs and their history and Julia just seems to have a cool personality, very engaging and goofy, so that part was almost as fun as listening to them play.

I will always try to see Julia Nunes play when she comes to town. I was disappointed that I missed her on the Walk Off the Earth tour but the living room set made up for it for sure.


Check out Julia & Nat singing "O Come, All Ye Faithful".

2012 Review Part One - The Top Three

This year I listened to more music, discovered more new music and went to more concerts than I think I ever had before in a single year. Here are the top three bands I'll always remember were with me through the highs and lows.

Airborne Toxic Event

 

Airborne's reign at the top of my playlist started in late 2011 when I discovered their music and got dumped in roughly the same month. "Changing" and "Numb" spoke loud and clear to me and when I heard "Happiness Is Overrated", I knew I'd found some place I could hide out and lick my wounds for awhile.

I drove all the way to Indianapolis to see them perform before I even had absorbed their whole catalog and I remember standing there near the bar at the Vogue, the band came out on the stage and opened with "All at Once". Mikel, standing at the mic, looked up into the distance and smiled. It felt like a private smile shared with all of us in the room and I was a goner.

I had the chance to see them again in July in Detroit. They put on a great show, of course, but some of the magic was gone. Stolen, I think, by a raucous drunken crowd that couldn't have known and wouldn't have cared just how meaningful the music and being at that show was to me. I can't lay any blame on Airborne, though. They rocked out hard and sounded great and once again covered "I Fought the Law" which is one of my favorites. I'd see them again anytime and I eagerly await their next album.

A Silent Film

When I arrived at the first day of Common Ground 2012, I was having a bad day. I didn't know who was playing or when so I was just wandering around being grouchy. By the time I made my way to the stage A Silent Film was on, they were mid-song. I didn't know who they were but I couldn't look away. I can't recall everything they played. I can, however, remember that it was magical. That set definitely turned my mood around and changed my outlook on the whole week. I felt like if I could happen upon a band like A Silent Film, what else was out there waiting to be discovered?

I got choked up listening to "Harbour Lights" because I felt like it perfectly suited the weird combination of guilt and euphoria I felt in my post-breakup life. I've basked in the energy of "Driven By Their Beating Hearts". I could go on and on.

I wrote about them a little more extensively back in August after I saw them for the third time but it's worth mentioning that as time has passed, I've only grown more fond of their music. It's the kind of music that surrounds you and hits you in all the right places. The lyrics are beautiful, the music is rich and dynamic -- that's a powerful combination. Add that to their awesome on-stage energy and I'm pretty sure they're unstoppable.

Frank Turner

 

On May 23, 2012, I heard my first Frank Turner song. I bought my first Frank Turner album, and I bought a ticket to my first Frank Turner concert.

I was making breakfast, listening to some artist radio station on Spotify when I heard "Reasons Not to Be an Idiot" for the first time. It caught my attention right away but I think it was about the time of the first chorus that I put down my knife and thought "holy shit, is he talking to me?" It is a strange and perfect moment when you hear a song that speaks to you directly where you're at in life in that moment.

It was a long wait until his concert in September but in those months I listened to Frank's music constantly, annoying everyone in my life with my insistence that they "listen, no, really listen to this song. It's brilliant! Brilliant!" Frank's music reflects a number of things that resonate with me. One, is the desire to not be tied down or stay in one place. This is something that I've always felt but have never acted upon so I find a kind of vicarious pleasure in his tales of the road. Another is the necessity of being an active particpant in life because we're not guaranteed any amount of time here. It's urgent and imperative that we appreciate what we have and take advantage of our time on the planet. That was a lesson I was learning on my own at the time and Frank's music really helped me solidify that within myself.

I met Frank a couple of times (in Detroit and again at Riot Fest in Chicago) and I wanted to tell him all of that, how his music really made my life a better place and inspired me every day but I'm pretty sure what I said was "Uh... duh..." and looked at him like a deer caught in headlights. But maybe somehow he understood anyway. I hope so, anyway, because I don't know if I can work up the guts to try again when he comes back my way.





What game-changers did you encounter this year?

honeyhoney, Trampled by Turtles

The bands:

honeyhoney
Trampled by Turtles

The venue:

The Intersection, Grand Rapids MI

Date: 

October 3, 2012

I knew one honeyhoney song before this concert. Somewhere along the way I'd heard Angel of Death and fell in love with it, always meaning to pursue more of their music but never getting around to it. 

I bought the ticket based on knowing that one song several weeks in advance and was debating whether or not to use it when concert day rolled around. I convinced myself it would be worth it and despite nearly falling asleep at the wheel on my way to the venue, I found that I was right: It was completely worth it.

I really didn't know what to expect. What I got was a hot chick rocking out with a banjo, a dude who looked so familiar I couldn't stop staring at him, a bassist and a drummer. I'm not being vague about the last two because they weren't awesome -- I'm sure they were -- I just couldn't really see them from where I stood. They have this wicked awesome twangy rock sound that continually surprised me.

When they finished, they headed back to the merch table and so did I. Frankly I was hoping that if I saw the guitarist (Ben) up close I'd be able to place where I recognized him from. No such luck; it haunts me to this day.

I got a copy of their latest CD, Billy Jack* and chatted for a minute then went on my way. I watched Trampled by Turtles for awhile and watched the crowd for a good part of that. It was, as it always is, awesome to see a crowd so into the music. TBT was awesome as well. High energy, they sounded great and really loved the crowd. Unfortunately, fatigue eventually got the better of me and I hit the road before their set was over.

All in all, I'm really glad I decided to suck it up and go to this show. I wish I'd known more Trampled by Turtles music so perhaps I could have gotten into their set a little more and stuck it out but it wasn't meant to be and it was a great show anyway.



*Billy Jack is phenomenal start to finish and I highly recommend you check it out.

The Front Bottoms, Cheap Girls

The bands:

Sean from Andrew Jackson Jihad
Small Parks
The Front Bottoms
Cheap Girls

The venue:

Mac's Bar, Lansing MI

Date: 

October 13, 2012


I first heard the Front Bottoms last fall. "Maps" was playing on the Impact (Michigan State's fan-freaking-tastic radio station) and darn if it's not a catchy tune. I threw a few more of their songs into heavy rotation. When I heard they'd be in Lansing of all places I was in for sure.

I'd never been to Mac's. Despite having driven by it a billion times, I didn't even know where it was. But it was easy to find, relatively easy to park. It'd have been easier if I'd waited to park until after they announced the show was sold out and people started to leave. Thankfully, I am all about being prepared, and had had my ticket for ages

By the time I got in, Sean from Andrew Jackson Jihad was mid-set and the place was packed. I didn't know who he was but he sounded really familiar. I liked his stuff a lot. Great, sometimes bizarre lyrics and a unique vocal style. When he announced at the end of his set who he was, the familiarity finally made sense. I'm not a huge AJJ fan but I know one of their songs, and like it quite a bit, so that was cool.

Small Parks was up next. I'd never heard of them, but apparently they're local. They put on a good show and they sounded alright. I can't say I was blown away but I'd be pleased if we crossed paths again.

Front Bottoms were everything I hoped they'd be. The crowd was singing along, the band was awesome. They played most of my favorite songs right off the bat and they sounded awesome. I don't know which was the best. "The Beers", maybe. "Maps" is up there, obviously. But then there's "Rhode Island" and "Flashlight"... I really just can't say.

They encouraged people to stay for Cheap Girls, which I found surprising because I thought most people would have been there for Cheap Girls since they're from Lansing and I've heard quite a few people talk them up but the place kind of cleared out after the Front Bottoms. I stuck around for awhile out of curiosity, mostly because I'd missed their set at Common Ground. I understand why people like them; they're good. But in the end, they didn't really do it for me.

Mac's isn't my favorite venue for a super crowded show. It was about ten thousand degrees and too crowded to be comfortable. That being said, they have great bands, the sound was good and they serve Strongbow so I won't write them off just because I wasn't prepared for the space. I will be next time.

New Music: "Pretty, Sure" by Old Best Friend

I first heard Mike Comite of Old Best Friend this summer at Common Ground when he was playing with Julia Nunes. Together they played a couple of songs from the Old Best Friend EP Keep in Touch and I was sold pretty much right from the opening line of "Things That Happen." I bought the EP that day, listened to it about ten trillion times. It's fantastic.

So naturally, when Mike posted a new song a couple days ago, I was all over it. I felt like I'd been waiting an awfully long time to hear something new. I was not disappointed.

It isn't all shiny like a studio recording but it's everything I love about Old Best Friend. It tells an interesting story in a way that makes you want to hear it. Again and again, in my case. I can't wait to hear what comes next.


Pretty, Sure (Live) by Old Best Friend

New Music: "Different World" by Nick Flora

Just to clarify -- by "New Music", I mean New To Me.

I saw someone mention this dude on Twitter so I looked him up. At first I went to his website and there were songs to download but I didn't want to make that kind of commitment so I looked him up on Spotify first. I put all of the songs on random and went about my business. I got distracted by reading and didn't really hear any of the music.

Until this song. And I thought, "Holy crap, what am I listening to?" (because I have a really short attention span and terrible short term memory). When I figured out the source was Spotify and this was the song, well, I looked it up on YouTube and proceeded to write this post. I can do some things in a timely manner.

This song is kind of like being pulled along in a current that you don't notice until you're swept away by it. Understated, beautiful.

In other words, I like this song a lot and you should probably give it a try. Just in case you like it too.






And now I'm off to find & listen to more. Thanks for ruining my evening plans, Nick Flora. Thanks a lot.