Take a look back at the music from 2012

With 2013 upon us and my 31 Days of Music finally over I offer up my best of lists. I will recap the best albums; list the best songs, best cover songs, the best albums from Georgia bands, the top shows in Atlanta of 2012 and the best local venues to see your favorite bands play their tunes.

Last year was a year that renewed many people’s faith in music. While mass media has totally given in to shoving a lot of crap music onto young and uninformed listeners, it is satellite radio, the internet and affordable live shows that offer up great tunes from artists such as Jimbo Mathus, Guided By Voices, The District Attorneys or Jason Isbell. These lists represent ‘MY’ favorite albums, shows, songs and place to see musicians play. I am not trying to force anything on anybody, just offer up what I dig. Check them out and again, Happy New Year.

Best Albums of 2012 (31 Days of Music Recap)

#31 – David Hidalgo, Mato Nanji & Luther Dickinson – 3 Skulls and the Truth
#30 – Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits
#29 – Bobby Womack – The Bravest Man In The Universe
#28 – Allen Thompson Band – Salvation In The Ground
#27 – Enemies! – Desolation Dream
#26 – Bob Mould – Silver Age
#25 – Ray Wylie Hubbard – The Grifter’s Hymnal
#24 – King Tuff – King Tuff
#23 – Father John Misty – Fear Fun
#22 – Craig Finn – Clear Heart Full Eyes
#21 – Doc Dailey & the Magnolia Devil – Catch The Presidents
#20 – Still Flyin – On A Bedroom Wall
#19 – Fistful Of Beard – Until We Know Better
#18 – Langhorne Slim & the Law – The Way We Move
#17 – The Whigs – Enjoy The Company
#16 – Stuffy Shmitt – Industrial Love
#15 – Some Dark Holler – Some Dark Holler
#14 – Van Halen – A Different Kind Of Truth
#13 – Jack White – Blunderbuss
#12 – Todd Snider – Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables
#11 – Gentleman Jesse – Leaving Atlanta
#10 – Heavy Mojo – Break of Dawn: High Speed Dayz
#09 – Justin Townes Earle – Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now
#08 – Diamond Rugs – Diamond Rugs
#07 – American Aquarium – Burn. Flicker. Die.
#06 – Drivin’ n’ Cryin’ – Songs From The Laundromat/Songs About Cars, Space and the Ramones|
#05 – The Pollies – Where The Lies Begin
#04 – Jimbo Mathus – Blue Light
#03 – Walking Papers – Walking Papers
#02 – The District Attorneys – Slowburner
#01 – Bohannons – Unaka Rising

Best Songs of 2012 (my favorite tunes)

#35 – Birmingham – Shovels & Rope
#34 – I Know It Oh So Well – Dinosaur Jr.
#33 – The Descent – Bob Mould
#32 – Apathy Junkie – Enemies!
#31 – Turning Me On – Jay Gonzalez
#30 – Drinking Coke and Eating Ice – Mike Cooley
#29 – Lonesome – Dr. Dog
#28 – I Gotsta Get Paid – ZZ Top
#27 – Apocalypse Dreams – Tame Impala
#26 – In Between Jobs – Todd Snider
#25 – Twisted Road – Neil Young & Crazy Horse
#24 – Feeling No Pain - Firewater
#23 – Eastwood – Tedo Stone
#22 – Stay Frosty – Van Halen
#21 – 5th Ave – Fistful of Beard
#20 – Memphis In The Rain – Justin Townes Earle
#19 – Blues In A Bottle – Delta Moon
#18 – Centreville – Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires
#17 – High Speed Dayz – Heavy Mojo
#16 – Laid Back - Sheepdogs
#15 – Billy Wire – Guided By Voices
#14 – That Time Is Gone – dB’s
#13 – Love Interruption – Jack White
#12 – Lonely Ain’t Easy – American Aquarium
#11 – Nothing Means Nothing – Peter Buck (with Corrin Tucker)
#10 – If You Got The Time, I Got The Love - The Dead-Exs
#09 - I Don’t Love You Back – Stuffy Shmitt
#08 – Red Envelopes – Walking Papers
#07 – Hollow Chest - Some Dark Holler
#06 – The Way We Move - Langhorne Slim & the Law
#05 – Worry About Your Health - The District Attorneys
#04 – Madgeline – The Pollies
#03 – The Ballad Of Christian And Other - Bohannons
#02 – Hot Wheels - Drivin’ n’ Cryin’
#01 – Blue Light – Jimbo Mathus

Best Cover Tunes of 2012

#25 – Hard Way To Fall (Ryan Adams) – Steve LaBate
#24 – Hombre Secreto (The Plugz) – Matthew Sweet
#23 – Wild Horses (Rolling Stones) – Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
#22 – TV Party (Black Flag) – Polar Bear Club
#21 – Write Me A Few Of Your Lines (Mississippi Fred McDowell) – Delta Moon
#20 – Clean Up (Tim Knol) – Drivin’ n’ Cryin’
#19 – A Whole Lot More (Wayne Raney) – Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs
#18 – Mr. Spaceman (The Byrds) – The Wandering
#17 – Coup d’Etat (Circle Jerks) – New Your Rivals
#16 – I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass (Nick lowe) – Amanda Shires
#15 – Allison (Elvis Costello) – Lydia Loveless
#14 – Mercy Mercy (Don Covay) – Jeff Lynne
#13 – Androgynous (Replacements) – Bright Little Field
#12 – (I’m Gonna Start) Living Again If It Kills Me (Nick Lowe) – Hayes Carll
#11 – Space Truckin’ (Deep Purple) – Iron Maiden
#10 – All Men Are Liars (Nick Lowe) – Robert Ellis
#09 – Southern Girls (Cheap Trick) – Mike Doughty
#08 – Snake Farm (Ray Wylie Hubbard) – Paul Thorn
#07 – Repo Man (Iggy Pop) – Those Darlins
#06 – I’m Shakin’ (Rudy Toombs/Little Willie John) – Jack White
#05 – Sneaky Feelings (Elvis Costello) – Justin Townes Earle
#04 – Your Generation (Generation X) – Soul Asylum
#03 – My Wife (The Who) – Juliana Hatfield
#02 – Like A Hurricane (Neil Young) – Jason Isbell & 400 Unit
#01 – Dirty Angel (Kevn Kinney) – Aaron Lee Tasjan

Best of Georgia 2012 (Albums)

#20 – The Constellations – Do It For Free
#19 – The Head – Hang On
#18 – Ruby Velle & the Soulphonics – It’s About Time
#17 – Ponderosa - Pool Party
#16 – Barreracudas – Nocturnal Missons
#15 – The Fountnhead – The Usual Disappointment
#14 – Randy Michael & the Sharp Dressed Lads - Straight From The Horse's Mouth
#13 – Tedo Stone - Happy
#12 – The Dirty Souls – We’re Called The Dirty Souls
#11 – Abby Wren & What It Is – Secondhand Swagger
#10 – Biters – Last Of A Dying Breed
#09 - The Higher Choir – Half-Way Home
#08 – Jay Gonzalez – Mess Of Hapiness
#07 – Neil Cribbs – To The Left
#06 – The Quaildogs – The Fall
#05 – The Whigs – Enjoy The Company
#04 – Gentleman Jesse – Leaving Atlanta
#03 – Heavy Mojo – Break of Dawn: High Speed Dayz
#02 – Drivin’ n’ Cryin’ – Songs From The Laundromat/Songs About Cars, Space and the Ramones
#01 – The District Attorneys - Slowburner

Best Shows in Georgia 2012

#20 – Van Halen @ Philips Arena – 4/19
#19 – Southern Culture On The Skids & The Intoxicators @ Smiths Olde Bar
#18 – Moon Taxi, The Apache Relay & District Attorneys @ The Masquerade - 2/24
#17 – Radiohead @ Philips Arena – 5/1
#16 – Jack White & Pokey LaFarge @ The Fox Theatre – 10/9
#15 – Dreams So Real, Dex Romweber Duo & Kick The Robot @ Smiths Olde Bar – 4/28
#14 – Lemonheads @ The EARL – 2/27
#13 – Delta Moon, Some Dark Holler & Seven handle Circus @ Peachtree Tavern - 6/3
#12 – Quaildogs, District Attorneys, The Dirty Souls & Some Dark Holler @ The Masquerade – 7/14
#11 – Scott H. Biram & Lydia Lovelace @ The EARL – 1/30
#10 – Still Flyin’, Indianapolis Jones & Tunabuuny @ The EARL - 6/23
#09 – Dinosaur Jr. @ Variety Playhouse – 10/2
#08 – Bohannons & H.R. Gertner @ Smiths Olde BAR – 11/6
#07 – Mike Cooley @ The EARL – 2/22 & 2/23
#06 - Cracker @ Peachtree Tavern - 9/30
#05 – Jimbo Mathus & Chicken n Pigs @ The EARL - 9/12
#04 – Drivin’n’Cryin’ & Shovels and Rope @ The Tabernacle – 12/22
#03 – Heavy Mojo, Fountnhead & Grand Prize Winners From Last Year @ The Drunken Unicorn - 10/18
#02 – Jason Isbell, The Whigs, Lera Lynn & District Attorneys @ The Buckhead Theatre – 11/23
#01 – American Aquarium, Quaildogs & The Pollies @ Smiths Olde Bar – 12/14