Top CDs of 2015 - #4 & #3

You have landed on one singer/songwriter's list of the Top 10 Albums of 2015. What makes my list more important than someone else's? Nothing. Just some ramblings from me to you. Me giving praise to CDs that got me through the year. CDs that inspired me. CDs that I think you should consider for your own collection because I am obviously egocentric and think you should like what I like.

I am releasing two CDs a day in new blog posts until I get to all ten, so you do not have to bother yourself with scrolling to get to the new information. For those jumping in mid-list. If you want to know what's come before, you can read the full blog HERE.

#4 Alabama Shakes –Sound & Color: Well, you should know that the placement of this album at #4 has placed me in the doghouse with my wife. If Amanda was writing this list, Sound & Color would get the top honors, but she’s not, and I need to remain authentic. I love this recording and am continually impressed with each listen. They are spreading the fabric of soul, refusing to be locked into patterns and instrumentation. When incredible singers, such as Adele, are listing you as a favorite:

As a band I love their vibe, the way they look and interact – all with their own little character going on, but I'm obsessed with (lead singer) Brittany Howard. There's something about Brittany that puts fire in my soul. She reminds me of Etta James, Ann Peebles – she's so fucking full of soul, overflowing, dripping, that I almost can't handle it.

You’ve officially earned your badassery. Everything Adele says is true, as is every reason my wife has for Sound & Color being higher on the list, but the wall I run into is connection. At my core, I am a writer, as a result I am drawn to strong lyrics, lines like this Tom Waits gem, “And the sky turned the color of Pepto Bismol.” I want to peel back the layers. I want to hear phrases that paint pictures for me when I close my eyes. I want the details, what the room smelled like, how your skin felt, what you were wearing, who else was there. I want to be in the moment with every one of my senses. And while this album gives me all the feels, for the most part, my mind is blank when listening with shutters drawn. Sometimes music transcends lyrics. I appreciate that concept, which is why I placed it in the Top 5. If you are a music first devotee, feel free to drop me some hate in the comments. I can take it. I’ll read them while sleeping on the couch – jokes, I am too warm for my wife to kick me out of bed J

#3 City and Colour – If I Should Go Before You: Dallas Green is back and he dropped a CD that makes me weep. Of the CDs on the list, this is the one I would be most likely to have recorded, if I had an incredible falsetto. Sonically it sits between Alt-Country and Indie Rock with ample amounts of pedal steel and atmospheric delays. If I should… was a love at first listen CD. Often, when an artist I am obsessed with releases new material it takes me a while to warm to it, as I am still clinging to the love of the previous recordings, but “Woman” smacked me in the face, held me tightly, and let me know I was loved. The 11 tracks range from sultry to contemplative. Green provides a range of emotions for his listeners to experience. Like, The Hurry and the Harm, he refuses to shy away from discussion on the finality of this existence, something a lot of us 40 somethings are tackling this New Year. Standout tracks: “Woman,” “If I should go before you,” “Friends,” and “Blood.” The recording has a nice flow allowing an easy front to back listen and it spent days on repeat in my car.    

Top 10 CDs 2015

It is that time again, time to consolidate a year's worth of music into a few posts, some personal assessments, a few flowery words, a YouTube or two, and a ranking of talent which is completely subjective.

As in years past, to make the list, I had to have purchased the CD this year. I had to give my hard earned coins to the artist as a token of appreciation for the gift they gave to me, not just free rolled it on Spotify or some such service.

In all honesty, an album has a better chance of making the list if I have had a chance to see the artist do it live, and if it is a second or third or fourth album, it helps to be better than what came before it. I know both seem to present certain conflict with the theme of the list, but that's how I roll. If you cannot do it live, I don't care what you can do in the studio, and if you dropped an album that I fell in love with, it is hard for me to escape that, so follow-ups need to go further, make me hear something new. As you'll see neither will prevent a CD from making the list, but placement on the list is often impacted.

What's different about this year's list is I find myself with more time on my hands, so I will be progressively releasing it. I'll be doing two a day, which will hopefully give you more time to digest and appreciate the list, maybe even purchase some of the music (if you haven't already) to enjoy for yourself.

Up first are two CDs that didn't actually make the list because they didn't present new music, so I didn't know what to do with them. They were both live CDs and both blew me away for different reasons. I have been enamored with live releases since I came across Nighthawks at the Diner in my mom's record collection. Then I found the Allman Brother's Band Live at Fillmore East a CD by which all others would soon be judged. These two are worthy.

Ryan Adams - Live at Carnegie Hall: This CD goes straight to the core of what I love about music. Despite all the amazing times I've had playing in bands, at the end of the day,it starts with one instrument, one voice, and some words. So hearing Adams strip it down and perform all my favorites is everything I could ask for. His voice is resounding and true. His exchanges with the audience are witty and offer insight into the humanity of an artist that often appears larger than life. Although the double disc offers some duplication, there are subtle variances that make me not care. For fans of Adams, it is a must own. For fans of singer/songwriters that are not familiar with his work, it will make you a fan of his.

Amos Lee - Live at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony: In contrast to the stripped down sets of Ryan Adams, Amos Lee paired up with the Colorado Symphony and filled the space between Earth and heaven. Without question, this is the most beautiful CD I have ever heard. Again, it is filled with fan favorites of Lee, but having the backing of the Colorado Symphony made it something incredibly special, something that could not be re-produced, something that we are lucky they captured so we could all live in the splendor of this recording. Lee has long been a favorite of mine; his storytelling and voice strike a chord with me; and, when backed by the Colorado Symphony in this majestic setting, he creates something other worldly. For those that have not bathed in the textures of this recording, stop reading this and go purchase a copy. You will not be disappointed.

Before I begin revealing the list, I feel compelled to share some of the artists that did not make it. In total I purchased 33 CDs this year, and probably previewed 100 or so more. If I did an annual Top 25, these albums would definitely be on it: Samantha Fish, Wildheart; Patty Griffin, Servant of Love; Alex Preston, Alex Preston; Adele, 25; Silversun Pickups, Better Nature; TheDecemberists, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World; Dawes, All YourFavorite Bands.

And here is my Top 10 of 2015:

#10 James Bay - Chaos and the Calm: I am not even sure how I learned about James Bay. I think I was just chasing links on YouTube, and I saw this young cat with an old Epiphone Century. As a guitar nerd there was immediate respect, so I clicked, and then...then there was the voice, whispy yet so full of soul. Like Ed Sheeran and other young singer/songwriters, James is able to merge modern beats and rhythms while paying homage to the great soul music that came before. It is often challenging for an early release to remain on the list, as new releases push it to the back of the rotation until it becomes lost, but Chaos and the Calm was able to stay relevant. It is a great windows down CD, something to drive to, something to play in an attempt to escape the pressures of the day. Stand out tracks for me, "Let it Go," "Move Together," "Hold Back the River," and "Collide." There is a little something for everyone on this disk, a fair amount of sad bastard tunes (my personal favorite), some anthemic songs designed to lift your spirits, and a good selection of ass shakers.

#9 Glen Hansard – Didn’t He Ramble: Until yesterday I wasn’t sure what CD would end up in the 9 spot, and I think the determining factor was an absolutely incredible performance put on at the Pageant by Hansard. I’ve seen him several times, even based a roadtrip around catching him in Chicago one year, so I knew what to expect, but this show was something different. There seemed to be more joy, less need for acceptance and more acceptance of his genius, like he has finally settled into the fact that he is amazing. Didn’t He Ramble is more of a brooder, something you really need to sit down and listen too. Previous recordings with the Swell Season and even Rhythm and Repose were more immediately emotional. He gets there, on tracks like“My Little Ruin,” offering that crescendo that allows us to feel what he is saying, but the majority of the disc is heady, it sits in a numb-zone where there are fewer feelings and more thoughts. His voice is still the blanket that we all want to snuggle up with, and his sincerity continues to offer respite in a world of false profits.

#8 Samantha Crain – Under Brand & Thorn & Tree: Samantha Crain has probably appeared on my Top Ten lists more than any other artist. She is prolific and continues to grow CD after CD. Her songwriting gets stronger, and she continues to sonically advance her music, making creative choices that prove she cannot be tamed. Under Brand & Thorn & Tree opens with “Killer,” lyrically earnest but musically whimsical, offering a synth part that tries to distract the listener from the subject at hand, “The killer of girls, the killer of self; turned the Garden of Eden into a fiery hell.” Her voice is as distinct as I have ever heard, and I have seen her pull it off live for years whether backed by full band or just her and her trusty Martin. The album is full of gems. Standouts for me: “Outside the Pale,” “You or Mystery,” “Moving Day,” and “Cold Hands.”

#7 Death Cab for Cutie – Kintsugi: I cannot pronounce it, but I sure do love to listen to it. I hate to say it, but a sad Benjamin Gibbard is better than a happy one. He was too content when he was married to Zoey, as evidence on Codes and Keys and his solo recording, both decent recordings, but Kintsugi is Gibbard at his best, scorned and passively letting us know it. Okay. I cannot prove any of that, but in my mythical land of star relationships this was a contributing factor to the brilliance of this recording. Of course, Chris Walla is also at his best on Kintsugi, and we are all still mourning his departure from the band, but the tapestry of sounds he has created is inspiring. I cannot stand this disc because every time I think I’ve solidified four or five standouts, I listen to the next song, and I am equally enamored. Lyrically, Gibbard is up there with Waits, Foucault, Isbell, and Farrar. He tells universal stories, and he makes them accessible to all while applying every poetic device available. Kintsugi deserves an hour of your time with headphones and no distractions. You’ll emerge better from the experience. 

#6 Jason Isbell – Something More than Free: Those that know me and follow my daily drops of music on Facebook, probably thought by name alone this was going to be #1. There was a period of time when I assumed it would be too. There is no question that I think Jason Isbell is one of the best, if not the best, singer/songwriters, and not of this generation, but of all generations. For years, Nighthawks at the Diner by Tom Waits was my all-time favorite CD, and then Southeastern happened; it assumed the #1 position. During his recording process, I remember reading Tweets from Isbell indicating that he believed Something More than Free was gonna be better than Southeastern, and maybe it is, maybe its genius is above me or maybe I am such a glutton for sadness that the vibe on Free just doesn’t hit me like Southeastern did. That is not to say it is not a great CD; obviously it is. I mean, it’s on the Top 10 of the year. Isbell continues to write songs that I wish had come from my pen. He paints pictures so vivid that I can see them unfold before me like 8mm shorts. “Speed Trap Town,” “Something More than Free,” “To a Band that I Loved,” and “Hudson Commodore” were standouts for me. I think what placed this mid-pack wasn’t the songwriting but the production. I am infatuated with the starkness of Southeastern, the woody sound of Isbell’s Martin, the way that it makes me feel like he is sitting in my room singing to me. I realize it isn’t fair of me to expect an artist to duplicate the sound of previous recordings, to stay in their foxhole for another 12 songs, but life ain’t fair and I love what I love. While Something More than Free reinforces the strength of Isbell’s storytelling and word choice, the distance of the recording prevented me from becoming fully obsessed.  Knowing how calculated he is, I am sure that there is a metaphor here, maybe the distance in sound represents the distance from his demons, and for that he deserves applause.

 #5 Chris Stapleton –Traveller: I am a fucking lemming. I’ll admit it, I had never even heard of Chris Stapleton before the CMAs and his breakout performance. And even then I didn’t immediately buy the disc, but after seeing it pop-up on some respected end-of-year lists, I followed the masses, and I am glad I did. This dude is brilliant. Sincere. Eloquent. Weathered. Earnest. And he sings with the soul of an old church pastor who has caught the spirit. I thought I was gonna get a disc with a bunch of throwaways, trite modern country ditties with weak metaphors and obvious pop-culture references, but Traveller is the exact opposite. It is timeless. I could listen to “Tennessee Whiskey” on repeat and never grow tired. “Sometimes I Cry” has me coming back for more with Stapleton’s husky voice at full growl and single coils screaming into a dirty amp, but “Whiskey and You” captures the starkness that I love so much, just a woody guitar, an incredible voice, and a story that plays on the strings of emotions coursing through my body.

One’s the devil, one keeps driving me insane
At times I wonder if they ain’t both the same
But one’s a liar that helps to hide me from my pain
And one’s the long gone bitter truth
That’s the difference between whiskey and you

#4 Alabama Shakes –Sound & Color: Well, you should know that the placement of this album at #4 has placed me in the doghouse with my wife. If Amanda was writing this list, Sound & Color would get the top honors, but she’s not, and I need to remain authentic. I love this recording and am continually impressed with each listen. They are spreading the fabric of soul, refusing to be locked into patterns and instrumentation. When incredible singers, such as Adele, are listing you as a favorite:

As a band I love their vibe, the way they look and interact – all with their own little character going on, but I'm obsessed with (lead singer) Brittany Howard. There's something about Brittany that puts fire in my soul. She reminds me of Etta James, Ann Peebles – she's so fucking full of soul, overflowing, dripping, that I almost can't handle it.

You’ve officially earned your badassery. Everything Adele said is true, as is every reason my wife has for Sound & Color being higher on the list, but the wall I run into is connection. At my core, I am a writer, as a result I am drawn to strong lyrics, lines like this Tom Waits gem, “And the sky turned the color of Pepto Bismol.” I want to peel back the layers. I want to hear phrases that paint pictures for me when I close my eyes. I want the details, what the room smelled like, how your skin felt, what you were wearing, who else was there. I want to be in the moment with every one of my senses. And while this album gives me all the feels, for the most part, my mind is blank when listening with shutters drawn. Sometimes music transcends lyrics. I appreciate that concept, which is why I placed it in the Top 5. If you are a music first devotee, feel free to drop me some hate in the comments. I can take it. I’ll read them while sleeping on the couch – jokes, I am too warm for my wife to kick me out of bed.

#3 City and Colour – If I Should Go Before You: Dallas Green is back and he dropped a CD that makes me weep. Of the CDs on the list, this is the one I would be most likely to have recorded, if I had an incredible falsetto. Sonically it sits between Alt-Country and Indie Rock with ample amounts of pedal steel and atmospheric delays. If I should… was a love at first listen CD. Often, when an artist I am obsessed with releases new material it takes me a while to warm to it, as I am still clinging to the love of the previous recordings, but “Woman” smacked me in the face, held me tightly, and let me know I was loved. The 11 tracks range from sultry to contemplative. Green provides a range of emotions for his listeners to experience. Like, The Hurry and the Harm, he refuses to shy away from discussion on the finality of this existence, something a lot of us 40 somethings are tackling this New Year. Standout tracks: “Woman,” “If I should go before you,” “Friends,” and “Blood.” The recording has a nice flow allowing an easy front to back listen and it spent days on repeat in my car.   

#2 Jeffrey Foucault – Salt as Wolves: My obsession with Foucault is well documented. The first time I heard Stripping Cane, I was moved in ways I didn’t think possible. He is the consummate poet. With each song he pulls back the curtains and allows his listeners to watch a new vignette unfold before them. While previous recordings have been acoustic forward, Salt as Wolves comes from the dirt, gritty guitars, driving drums, and open space. Foucault offers a respite from the drive with tunes like, “I Love You (and You are a Fool)” which feature a nice down tempo and a clean Tele telling part of the tale. “Blues for Jessie Mae” is another down tempo number with a thick slide for accent and subtle guitar riffs played in the distance while Foucault’s voice sits up front, inviting you to bear witness to the moment. Tremolo is used liberally throughout the recording, but I never tire of it. Salt as Wolves was cut live to tape in three days at a studio in rural Minnesota. The energy and precision that it takes to accomplish a task of that magnitude can be heard in the details. This is another recording where I cannot solidify the standouts. The disc works as a whole, each song supporting the totality of the movement. Foucault’s voice always sounds incredible, and this recording is no different, each tune features the thick, rich, sound of a father’s baritone, and while he is two years my junior, I would happily sit at his feet and let him teach me about life.   

#1 the Oh Hellos – Dear Wormwood: Brother and sister harmonies backed by an insanely large touring band complete with two drummers, three (sometimes four) guitarists, fiddle, banjo, keys, bass, and whatever else they want to bring to the show…what’s not to love? Right now, I need you to forget everything else you have read on my Top 10 of 2015 because this CD transcends all of that. This recording is about an emotion that is often foreign to me, joy. That’s not to say I am not happy. I am. I have a great life, a life I am grateful to have, but I don’t often stop long enough to appreciate it. However, when I put on this CD, everything disappears and I am overcome with this sense of exaltation. It is not just the words or the music. It is the energy that the combination creates. The album moves from moments of calm to sheer an unbridled exuberance, “Dear Wormwood” taking you through both in 5 minutes and 16 seconds. This often happens on my Top 10 lists, I seem to have the least to say about the #1. It’s because my reasoning isn’t explainable. It is an emotion that I have in response to music, and I am hopeful that you will have the same response when you listen to this CD. 

   

Mission Impossible: Top 10 for 2015

Fifty-three days past the midway point, and I am already overwhelmed by the music I've purchased this year. Seriously. How am I ever going to whittle this list down to 10 CDs in four months. It seems as though every singer/songwriter and band that I really love picked 2015 to drop new music. It is a good problem to have, but it is a problem.

Here are my current 2015 purchases:

Alabama Shakes, Sound & Color
Amos Lee, Live at Red Rocks
Beth Bombara; Beth Bombara
City and Colour, If I Should Go Before You - Pre-Ordered
Dawes, All Your Favorite Bands
Death Cab for Cutie, Kintsugi
Dustin Kensrue, Cary the Fire
Fallout Boy, American Beauty / American Psycho
Glen Hansard, Didn't He Ramble - Pre-Ordered
Indigo Girls, One Lost Day
James Bay, Chaos and the Calm
Jason Isbell, Something More Than Free
Jeffery Foucault, Salt as Wolves
Mumford & Sons, Wilder Mind
Patty Griffin, Servant of Love - Pre-Ordered
Ryan Adams, Live at Carnegie Hall
Samantha Crain, Under Branch & Thorn & Tree
Samantha Fish, Wildheart
Silversun Pickups, Better Nature - Pre-Ordered
Stevie Harris, Kind of Broken Hearts
The Damnwells, The Damnwells
The Decemberists, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
The Frames, Longitude
The Kins, EP
The Oh Hellos, Dear Wormwood - Pre-Ordered
Wilco, Star Wars

I am pretty confident that American Beauty/American Psycho will not make the list, nor will One Lost Day, and I am fairly certain that the final Top 10 for 2015 will include Sound & Color, Something More Than Free, and What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, but everything else is TBD.

Oh, I did decide that the live CDs from Ryan Adams and Amos Lee will get honorable mentions but not be on the official Top 10, since they do not present new music but are absolutely amazing. Other than that, everything is TBD.

Wish me well over the coming months, and if you can think of CDs that are not on this list but should be, please drop me a comment.

I'll leave you with a little Amos Lee.

Top 10 CDs of 2012

It is time for another one of those opinionated blogs about which CDs someone thinks are the best of the year. In this instance that someone is me, just a small-time singer/songwriter who is absolutely obsessed with music.

This is my 4th annual Top 10 list, but for those that have never read one of my reviews, please allow me to give you some background on my scoring criteria. First, I will only rank CDs that I have purchased. I find it to be somewhat ridiculous to beat my chest in praise of a CD that I wouldn't cough up the $9.99 to purchase when it went on Amazon sale. Second, and possibly the weirdest of my judging criteria, bands that perform well live rank higher. But, you are ranking CDs Eric, not live performances? And in your question is my answer, I am ranking them. I'll do it how I want, and, frankly, I do not care what kind of magic you can create in a studio if you cannot pull it off live. Other factors include, but are not limited to: sustained plays - how long did it live in my dash or end up on iPod rotation; intensity of vocals; quality of lyrics; and interesting instrumentation. Lastly, I will only rank full albums, so if you dropped an EP, I may love it, but I will not rank it. That being said, I would like to make note that if the Superhero Killer EP was and LP, it would have been in this list.

With all that gibberish behind us, here is my Top 10 for 2012. Please feel free to love or hate me in the comments, and let me know your Top 10.

  

#10 The Lumineers by The Lumineers Number 10 is always a bitch. There were so many great CDs this year: Lucero, Jack White, Lana Del Ray, John Mayer, Kathleen Edwards, Garbage, Smashing Pumpkins, Mumford and Sons...any one of these could have edged their way in with sustained spins, an amazing concert, or the right moon, but alas the Lumineers trumped them all with the strength of their Southern Ground Music and Food Festival performance, another one of my Epic Roadtrips of 2012. We went, primarily, to see Amos Lee and David Grey, but all of us ended up buying The Lumineers CD after seeing them play. "Ho Hey" may be my favorite song of the year; it showcases the power of strong songwriting, sing-along choruses, and acoustic instrumentation, and it helped get The Lumineers on my Top 10 list.

#9 Rot Gut, Domestic by Margot & the Nuclear So and So's I credit Pandora and Union Tree Review with turning me on to this band. Pandora for constantly injecting them into my stations, and UTR for opening for them, allowing me to see them pull it off live. They are an explosion of intensity on stage. They create dirty, buzzy, Indie rock that keeps me young and creative. Rot Gut, Domestic is a perfect roadtrip CD. Enough movement and variance to keep you attentive and enough thought provoking lyrics to keep the mind alive. 

#8 Neck of the Woods by Silversun Pickups There is probably no band that has influenced me more over the last few years than Silversun Pickups. Towards the end of So Much Closer I was drawing a significant amount of inspiration from this band, so when they finally announced the release of a new CD, I was elated. I bought the pre-order package with all the bells and whistles: the book, the picture cards, the box, the whole damn thing, and I would do it again. I was fortunate to see them for the second time at the Peabody Opera House this year. Neck of the Woods showed a pretty significant departure from their previous albums, it was more subtle, more musical and less atmospheric. I was concerned about how they would pull it off live, but they Pro'd it up and put on my best show of the year. Some of that had to do with my friend Brian having the hook-up on some sweet corporate tickets that got us a box on the rail, valet parking, food, drinks...I felt rich for the evening. And we were with Warren and Hsu. The company always makes a show better, but I could have been by myself on the floor behind some tall bastard, and I would have, still, been blown away.

#7 Little Broken Hearts by Norah Jones You can assume if Norah puts out a CD it will appear on my Top 10 list for the year. She is that amazing. In 2012, if I was doing a Top 20 list, she would have been on here twice because the second Little Willies CD was pretty fantastic too. But, it is a Top 10, and Little Broken Hearts resonated with me. When I first heard the CD I thought for sure it would end up in the Top 5, but, for some reason, it didn't stay with me as much as the others. Every time I come back to it, I am reminded of how delicious it was to pair Norah with Danger Mouse, really pushing her to develop textures that we are not used to hearing from her. More guitar than keys and more sultry than sad, Little Broken Hearts reminds us of how the suck of heartbreak can be used to create beauty.

 

#6 Rhythm and Repose by Glen Hansard This was a last minute change for me. As I was writing this Rhythm and Repose jumped 3 spots. Glen Hansard can do know wrong to me. His pen is magic, and his voice makes all singers wish we could sing better. I have seen Glen in one incarnation or another 4 times in the last 3 years, and he never fails to put on an amazing show. I got to see him twice this year. Once up in Chicago and once at home in St. Louis. Each time I left thinking that may be the best show I will see all year. Rhythm and Repose is filled with the things that make Glen so special. The lyrics are sincere and personal, yet tug on universal heart strings. His songs refuse to leave you once you hear them, and he voice is as incredible as ever.

#5 Boys and Girls by Alabama Shakes As I have perused other Top 10 lists, Boys and Girls was the CD from my list that seemed to appear the most on other lists. Alabama Shakes are definitely a breakout band, and it is well deserved. I went on a pretty amazing roadtrip with my friends Bryan and Steph. Bryan was the pilot so Steph and I were responsible for music. We agreed to both make 3 mixed discs to fuel the drive. Alabama Shakes was one of the few artists that appeared on my mixes and hers. Powered by the old soul vocals of Brittany Howard, Boys and Girls hits in all the right spots. Feet will tap, asses with shake, love will be made, and salvation will be achieved.

#4 Ownerless by Everest Everest is the only band on this Top 10 that I have not had the chance to see live. That should give you some indication of how great Ownerless is. They are just a great rock band. While they can drive a straight 4 with the best of them, they are certainly not afraid to step outside of standard rock licks and bury you beneath a wall of washed out distortion and delay. Their harmonies are spectacular, and the grooves on Ownerless are just sexy. They make me want to brush the hair out of my lover’s face, as my lips have her pinned to the wall and her wanting hands pull me closer. Yeah. It’s like that.  

#3 The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do by Fiona Apple What can I say, I love Fiona Apple, always have. I don’t care about her social blunders or her heroin sheik emaciation. She is brilliant: great voice, talented pianist, and an amazing lyricist. More importantly, she has grown over her career, and this peculiarly named album showcases that growth. Without a doubt my favorite line from 2012 came from this CD, “Just tolerate my little fist tugging on your forest chest.” So completely sensory. How do you not love it?

#2 The Body Wins by Sarah Jaffe I love when I can point directly to the person that introduced me to an artist, and I can credit Malaina Mobley with my love for Sarah Jaffe. She posted one of Sarah’s videos on my Facebook page with this statement, “I think you should marry her.” While I do not doubt that we would make amazing little singer/songwriter babies, I am not sure Amanda or Sarah’s significant other would approve. Never the less, I did fall in love with her music. I think the best compliment I can pay Sarah is to say she is completely original. When I try to explain her to people I am lost for connection points. She doesn’t remind me of anyone, and that is simply amazing. She is a thoughtful songwriter that is able to escape the acoustic guitar and create interesting tapestries of sound to wrap around her words. This CD will make you move as much as you will think.

#1 The Styletones by The Styletones Much like 2011, for me, there was a clear #1 in 2012. The moment I put the Styletones in my car dash I knew nothing could touch it, and nothing did. It lived in my dash, carried me through several roadtrips, and still gets weekly spins. The Styletones is an example of everything I love about music: an extremely tight rhythm section created by Jake Najor and Bill Thomas; the transformative B3 supplied by Ben Moore; a ridiculously funky horn section courtesy of Andy Geib, Gabriel Sundy, and John Reynold; the sweet soulful guitar of Deron Gant that sends me to my practice space in search of my own soul inspired licks; and great…no wait…FUCKIN’ GREAT lyrics and vocals provided by Stevie Harris. If that name sounds familiar, you probably remember reading the Top 10 of 2011 where his other band, Stevie and the High-Staxx, placed 10^th on my Top 10. I have spent several hours trying to determine why there was such a gap between two bands that share members and a singer/songwriter, and all I can come up with is it is me. 2011 was kind of a dark year for me, I was mourning the loss of So Much Closer; spent the majority of the year pining; and ended it in a crazy rollercoaster relationship. I wasn’t ready to be lifted. 2012 has been a year of acceptance for me, embracing my station; realizing how much I truly love my life; and I met a fantastic girl right around the time that Styletones arrived. So when I heard, “There’s a healing on the dance floor, salvation in the groove” and my ass was seat-shaking, I felt that shit. Or when Stevie unleashed, “My wings are dirty from doing the sanctified strut” with an intensity that jumped through my speakers and shook me, I felt that shit. And when the band laid a fat groove allowing Stevie to hop on his pulpit and tell me, “Be a jewel in the heart of a lotus; keep your cool and sharpen your focus; yes you can, be a better man.”  Well, I felt that shit. And, at the end of the day, I want music that makes me feel, and this CD moves me on every track.