What Is Your Favorite Music Of 2012 (so far)?

 

As we head into the Labor Day weekend, I thought it would be a good time for the community to assess this year’s album releases to-date. With just one quarter left in 2012, what are your favorite Americana albums? And what have been some of your disappointments? Finally, what have been some of your favorite albums that don’t fit into the Americana/Alt Country genre?

 

I’ll go first.

 

My top 25 Americana albums of the year so far (in order of preference):

  1. Gretchen Peters – Hello Cruel World
  2. Loudon Wainright III – Older than My Old Man Now
  3. First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar
  4. Willie Nelson – Heroes
  5. Chris Robinson Brotherhood – Big Moon Ritual
  6. Sara Watkins – Sun Midnight Sun
  7. Alejandro Escovada – Big Station
  8. Ray Wylie Hubbard – The Grifter’s Hymnal
  9. Dr. John – Locked Down
  10. Marty Stuart – Nashville, Volume 1; Tear the Woodpile Down
  11. JD McPherson – Signs & Signifiers
  12. Patrick Watson – Adventures in Your Own Backyard
  13. Brandi Carlile – Bear Creek
  14. Cory Branan – Mutt
  15. Jerry Douglas – Traveler
  16. Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons – Old Believers
  17. Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Americana
  18. Lindsay Fuller – You, Anniversary
  19. Joan Osborne – Bring it on Home
  20. Audra Mae – And The Almighty Sound
  21. Trampled by Turtles – Stars and Satellites
  22. Shovels & Rope – O’ Be Joyful
  23. Mindy Smith – Mindy Smith
  24. Allo Darlin’ – Europe
  25. John Fullbright – From the Ground Up

 

Disappointing 2012 albums:

-  Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls

-  Beachwood Sparks – The Tarnished Gold

-  Bowerbirds – The Clearing

-  Shooter Jennings – Family Man

 

Year’s best in other music genres:

- Sinead O’Connor – How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?

- Jimmy Cliff – Rebirth

- Lost in the Trees – A Church that Fits our Needs

- Rufus Wainwright – Out of the Game

- Mark Lanegan – Blues Funeral

- The Jezebels – Prisoner

Tags: 2012, Best, music, of

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by L A Johnson on August 31, 2012 at 1:03am

Best record so far - Chuck Prophet - Temple Beautiful

Biggest Letdown - Neil Young Americana

Best reissue Los Lobos - Kiko

Don't let me down record - Neil Young & Crazy Horse Psychedelic Pill

Best Live Show by a country mile Dave Alvin & The Guilty Ones

Permalink Reply by Roger Osburn on August 31, 2012 at 7:53am

I doubt that I can come up w/ 25 that have been in high rotation in my truck - about the only place I have anymore where I can really listen to music.  Here are the discs that get played the most - I think they were all released in 2012...

The Grifter's Hymnal - Ray Wylie Hubbard

From the Ground Up - John Fullbright

Big Station - Alejandro Escovedo

Down The Hatch - The Damn Quails

Let It Burn - Ruthie Foster

Turnpike Troubadours - Goodbye Normal Street

Biggest Letdown (tie):

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Americana

Lyle Lovett - Release Me

Both could have been brilliant and had good moments but missed the mark most of the time.

Permalink Reply by Rick Fiddler on August 31, 2012 at 1:31pm

I am enjoying Chip Taylor and New Ukrainians, "Fuck All the Perfect People".

Definitely one of favorites of the year so far.  Kinda grows on you.

Permalink Reply by Jack on August 31, 2012 at 2:49pm

Off the top of my head,  no particular order:

Tony Joe White - Collected

Kevin Gordon - Gloryland

The Blasters - Fun On Saturday Night (bluesier than in the past, very worthy of their past)

Chuck Prophet - Temple Beautiful

Alejandro Escovedo - Big Station (liked it far better than last few)

Dave Alvin - Eleven Eleven (deluxe version is well worth $30, includes the studio record, the first live recording of the Guilty Ones, a bonus disc of 3 of the hardest rocking tunes he's recorded, and a DVD of a live show)

Permalink Reply by Matthew Francis Andersen on September 2, 2012 at 11:06am

Good list...Good rec's. I'll check em out.

Thanks, Jack.

Hope yer doin well.

Permalink Reply by steviedal on August 31, 2012 at 3:07pm

Ry Cooder _ Election Special

Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Big Moon Ritual

Lee Baines III - Theres a bomb in Gilead

Dexys - One day I'm Gonna Soar

Beechwood Sparks - the Tarnished Gold

Most looking forward to - Band Of Horses. Album AND live !

Oh and Bill Fay , great album. Cory Brannan. Ray Wylie Hubbard.

Biggest let down - Corb Lund. Had great reviews but all seems too studied and a bit boring to me, sorry Corb fans.

Permalink Reply by Jack Williams on September 2, 2012 at 9:44am

Here's some that I've been enjoying a lot:

 

Ray Wylie Hubbard – Grifter’s Hymnal
Justin Townes Earle – Nothing’s Going to Change the Way You Feel About Me Now
Chuck Prophet – Temple Beautiful
Turnpike Troubadours – Goodbye Normal Street
Carolina Chocolate Drops – Leaving Eden
Alejandro Escovedo – Big Station
Marty Stuart – Nashville, Volume 1: Tear the Woodpile Down
Corb Lund - Cabin Fever
Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires - There's a Bomb in Gilead
Chelle Rose - The Ghost of Browder Holler
The Bloody Jug Band - Coffin Up Blood
Alabama Shakes - Boys and Girls

Permalink Reply by Hal Bogerd on September 2, 2012 at 1:28pm

Chuck Prophet - Temple Beautiful

Kevin Gordon-Gloryland

John Fullbright-From The Ground Up

Alejandro Escovedo-Big Station

and one you probably haven't heard :

Michael Rank and Stag-Kin 

(available as a "name your price" download here)

Permalink Reply by David Belson on September 3, 2012 at 8:05pm

1st post on here. 

These have been stuck on playlist, although I've also been listening to a lot of older releases (many of which are new to me) from various artists, I'll keep this list to 2012 stuff.

-Langhorne Slim--The Way We Move

-Carolina Chocolate Drops--Leaving Eden

-Jack White--Blunderbuss

-Punch Brothers--Who's Feeling Young Now

-Todd Snider--Agnostic Hymns and Stoner Fables

Don't know if these all fit the right "genre" 

Langhorne and Snider are both new to me and I've been digging through quite a bit of their older stuff as well.

Permalink Reply by Daniel Wurtz on September 12, 2012 at 8:49am

Twelve Gauge Persuaders: Crumble. Really really great debut by a small but brilliant band. Just great rockers, moving ballads, and lots of fun. Refreshingly happy, too, in a disfunctional kinda way.

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/twelvegaugepersuaders

The Grifter's Hymnal by Ray Wylie Hubbard is great, too. Sounds similar to other recent offerings, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Permalink Reply by denton fabrics on September 21, 2012 at 12:10pm

It's only September, still a lotta 2012 releases to look forward to, but so far....

 

1.  J.T. Earle

2. New Multitudes

3. Lumineers

4. Bob Dylan

5. Father John Misty

6. Langhorne Slim

7. Felice Brothers

.....

I'd also put Rodriguez, Searching for Sugar Man on this list but that's more of a remake. And I've only heard it a couple of times but I'm pretty sure My Darling Clementine is going to make the year end list too.

Permalink Reply by Jim Moulton on September 24, 2012 at 1:14am

My favorite CD so far is "New Day Dawning", by the Roys.

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Created by No Depression Feb 17, 2009 at 9:06pm. Last updated by No Depression Sep 24, 2012.