Bemoaning the state of modern music is an all-too-common practice. People do it all the time, usually as a way of sounding smart. Frankly, though, it's usually just a lot of posturing. Sure, there's some bad music out there, and some of it manages to reach our airwaves, but that doesn't mean music as a whole isn't awesome right now. There were tons of great records this year, many of them by mainstream artists. Anyone who was willing to look around could easily see that 2012 was actually a very strong year in the world of music.  

Top 10 Albums of 2012  

1. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange An obvious pick? Perhaps, but this album was simply mind-blowing. Ocean stretched R&B to its limit, and made one of the most diverse, emotionally engaging records of the year. From the light funk of "Sweet Life," to the ambitious prog-rock of "Pyramids," to the wrenching heartbreak of "Forrest Gump," there was nowhere Ocean wasn't willing to go. Ocean has already made a masterpiece, and there's no telling what he'll do in the future. What a time to be alive.  

2. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball It's amazing how consistent Springsteen's late period has been, with every album since The Rising being brilliant in one way or another. This is probably the angriest album the Boss has ever made, as he rails against the corrupt businessman that caused our economy to collapse. He never sounds more enraged than on "Death To My Hometown," where he threatens to "send the robber barons straight to hell." With the mighty E Street Band by his side, he shouldn't have any trouble doing just that.  

3. Jack White - Blunderbuss Any fear that the breakup of the White Stripes would create a void in the blues-punk world was instantly quelled when this brilliant album was released. From the rage of "Sixteen Saltines," to the elegant orchestration of the title track, this album was ambitious as anything White has made, and makes it seem very likely that he will continue to give us mindblowing albums for years to come.

 
4. Nada Surf - The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy These power-poppers have been putting out brilliant albums for years without getting a great deal of credit for it. They continued their winning streak with this record, which rivals past masterpieces like 2003's Let Go and 2005's The Weight Is A Gift. Every song here is a winner, but none soar as high as the anthemic "When I Was Young," in which frontman Matthew Caws reflects on all that life has taught him. While the song was written by a man in his mid-40s, anyone of any age who has ever felt stunned at just how much they've grown up can relate to it.  

5. John Mayer - Born And Raised I'm sure I'll take some flak for this one. Look, I know liking John Mayer isn't "cool," and his tendency to make an ass of himself in the press doesn't help, but a great album is a great album, and this one is brilliant throughout. Mayer trades in his usual blues for folk and it suits him well. From th gentle, Beatle-esque "Love Is A Verb," to the reflective single "Shadow Days," Mayer is the best he's ever been here. He seems to no longer care about commercial success, and he comes out for the better. His best work may well be ahead of him.

  6. Chris Robinson Brotherhood - The Magic Door/Big Moon Ritual (tie) With the Black Crowes temporarily on hiatus, Robinson's new band released two albums, and both were excellent. The first release, Big Moon Ritual, is a set of epic hippie jam sessions, with no track under 7 minutes. The standout is "Rosalee," whose chant of "is the air gettin' thinner/are we gettin' high?" will be recited by stoners for decades to come. The follow-up The Magic Door is equally ambitious, but more blues-based, as it begins with a rollicking cover of the classic "Let's Go Let's Go Let's Go." Only time will tell if the Crowes get back together, but for the time being, Robinson has something wonderful going on with his new outfit.

 
7. M. Ward - A Wasteland Companion Lots of people know M. Ward as Zooey Deschanel's sidekick in She & Him, but anyone familiar with the bulk of his work knows that his solo records contain his best material. This album was no exception. Ward's country-folk is warm and inviting, and has a timeless quality to it. The best moment is on "I Get Ideas," a charmingly pastoral number that gives off a joyous 1930s vibe. You could say Ward is living in the past, but with tunes this good, who wouldn't want to?

 8. A Fine Frenzy - Pines On her third album, simger-songwriter Alison Sudol gets more ambitious than she ever has before, with many songs topping 6 minutes. The album is a concept album about a tree who is granted freewill. There are poppier moments like the cheery "Sailingsong," or the celebratory "It's Alive," along with darker, pessimistic numbers like "Sadseasong," and "Riversong." The end result is a beautiful, challenging album that takes multiple listens to reveal all its mysteries.  

9. Bob Dylan - Tempest There's only so much you can say about Bob Dylan a this point; he's one of the best there's ever been, and at the age of 71, he's still got it. His latest album is as sprawling as anything he's done before, and features some his most interesting choices. Whether commemorating the Titanic on the title rack, or paying tribute to John Lennon on "Roll on John," Dylan's muse is ever-present, and he doesn't appear to be slowing down one bit. Here's to hoping he's still churning out gold when he's 80.  

10. The Cult - Choice of Weapon One of the most underrated bands ever, The Cult released their best album in years in 2012, with big riffs and a memorable chorus that recall their 80s heyday. Particularly notable is opener "Honey From A Knife," with its refrain of "We got the drugs/we got the drugs/we got the drugs/drugs in here." Frankly with tunes this good, you hardly need the drugs! But hey, I'm not one to judge.

It's the most annoying time of the year!

You know it's here when you can't set foot out of your house without being assaulted by an avalanche of hokey Christmas music. Whether the decidedly dark, but somehow still corny of tale of "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer," or the endless repetition of "Christmas Is Here,"  holiday spirit being shoved down your throat can be a serious agitator.

Luckily, it's not all bad; here are some things you can do to avoid being annoyed to death between now and December 25th:

Avoid Any Joy Fm Station At All Costs
Seriously, these radio stations are among the worst things to ever happen to music. It's bad enough they play the sappiest music in the universe the other ten months of the year, but they insist on turning up the aggravation factor to 11 after Halloween by playing nothing but Christmas music all the time. Who asked for this?! Who is so starved for Christmas music that they want stations to play it every hour of the day?! Can't those people just buy albums, or go an itunes or something? Unfortunately, if you're stuck taking a cab or you need a ride from a friend who enjoys that crap, it may be unavoidable. In that case, I strongly a suggest carrying a set of ear plugs with you at all times. That, or a shotgun.

Seek Out Good Christmas Music
No one ever said all Christmas music is bad. Just most of it. There are plenty of surprisingly strong songs out there for those willing to seek out them out. Personally, I'm quite partial to A Fine Frenzy's 2009 EP Oh, Blue Christmas, in which she covers Christmas standards such as "Blue Christmas" and "Winter Wonderland," while also adding some lovely originals. If you enjoy John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," I'd recommend checking out the cover by underrated Irish rockers The Alarm. It's considerably superior to the original, mostly because you don't have all those annoying kids singing...
 Listen To A Lot Of Death Metal
It's easy to get overpowered by schmaltz this time of year, so if you feel yourself a little bit sick of the Christmas spirit, I would recommend immediately putting on Slayer 1986 classic Reign In Blood. The relentless pounding and depraved imagery of "Angel Of Death" should go a long way in making you forget all about "Sleigh Ride." In a pinch, anything by Cannibal Corpse will work, too.

Savannah King is one of the most talented up-and-coming artists the Buffalo music scene has to offer. Her sound could best be described as primarily folk, with a bit of jazz and soul thrown in for good measure, and her smoky voice gives her music an extra bit of warmth. Last night, she played a two-hour gig at Merge on Delaware Avenue, and the performance was incredibly strong throughout.

After beginning the night with covers of the Beatles and Bob Dylan, she threw the audience a curveball with a cover of Steve Miller's "Fly Like An Eagle." I was struck by how strong the classic rock staple sounded as an acoustic folk tune. That, however, is a big part of King's live shows; taking songs from other genres, and giving them her own take. In the past, this included a rousing rendition of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs."



As the set went on, King continued to switch things up, performing songs by artists from various genres. These included Sarah McLachlan ("Building A Mystery"), Mumford & Sons ("White Blank Page"), and in another twist, Katy Perry's "E.T." The ladder was one of her strongest performances of the night, as she transformed a generic pop radio hit into something genuinely soulful. In her second set, she took this to extreme with LMFAO"S "Sexy And I Know It." I'm pretty sure this was a joke, but in any event, it blew the original out of the water.

She performed several originals as well, including all the songs from her latest EP, She Sends Her Love, which really showcases her range as an artist. From the 60s folk of "Magnolia Creek," to the sultry jazz of "Sweet," every song on the EP brings something different to the table, and all sounded lively and vibrant at Merge last night. She also performed a few from her 2010 EP Throwing Stones, with the standout being the catchy, sing-a-longish "You, Me, and Ronald Reagan."

In the second half of her set, she continued to draw songs from every area imaginable, opening with a killer cover of Michael Jackson's immortal "Thriller." Later, she gave us her best performance of the night, with a beautiful cover of Bobby Darin's classic "Dream Lover." The song suited her voice extremely well, and she brought its yearning loneliness to life in a beautiful way.

When King began her sat, the audience seemed a bit preoccupied, but by the time she finished, everyone - including a particularly exuberant server - had been won over. King is an extremely talented young artist, and her skill was on full display last night. It'll be interesting to see what the future holds for her.

Like many people, I initially joined Twitter to hear the ramblings of various celebrities. Following musicians, in particular, can be all sorts of fun. Sometimes, their Twitter personas match up perfectly to their music (like Alison Sudol from A Fine Frenzy, who often Tweets about her love of nature and books), while others can reveal a whole new side of someone's personality (like Neko Case, who is a lot funnier that I might have guessed). Unfortunately, there's a lot of hilarious songwriters and musicians who have yet to join the revolution. Hopefully this list will prod them into signing up.

Paul Westerberg
The former Replacements frontman just seems like he'd be delightfully snarky in sarcastic. back in 2004, he did a session for AOL in which he was asked he preferred Goodfellas or Raging Bull, and promptly replied "both pieces of crap." Surely, his snarky take on people like Honey Boo Boo and Snooki would be worth hearing.
Robert Pollard
Pollard has always been one of the funniest people in rock, with his drunken comments on stage frequently being one of the most entertaining parts of his concerts. Eventually he realized this, he releasing a "standup" album called Relaxation Of The Asshole. While it didn't quite reach the level of Carlin and Pryor, it was certainly...interesting. Getting 140 characters of drunken ramblings from pollard would certainly be worthwhile.
Neil Peart
To this day, the only person to use the word "unobtrusive" in a song (that I know of, anyway), Neil would be an amazing tweeter for the epic libertarian diatribes he would go on. There's no way he wouldn't end up using Twit Longer half the time, because his insane genius simply cannot be contained in 140 characters. Maybe he could finally tell us what "By-tor And The Snow Dog" is about.

Morrissey
Like I have to explain this one.

Lauryn Hill
If she's not going to go into the studio anytime soon, I'd at least like to see something from one of the great tortured geniuses of the 90s. Surely she's have something interesting to say about the presidential election, or maybe about reality TV. She could pretty much talk about anything and be up to a million followers in about a day. The public is just so starved for anything of interest from her.

If you like your rock and roll good and dirty, Handsome Jack should be right up your alley. They play the fuzzy blasts of heavy rock action that you just see enough of these days, harkening back to old school bands like the Seeds and the Sonics, and late 80s groups like Mudhoney.  Tonight, they'll be headed to Duke's Bohemian Grove bar on Allen St along with Cosmic Shakedown and others. The action starts at 10, and this should be a doozy of a show.

It was sometime in 2004 that I had The Awakening. The period that every music fan goes through where they realize that a lot of the music on the radio just isn't very good. I can't pinpoint it down to an exact date, or even an exact month. I just remember that as the year went along, my interest in mainstream music was rapidly waning. Bands like Three Days Grace and Good Charlotte, who I never loved, but at least thought were decent, had now become stale and pedestrian. So, I sought out music from other sources. A lot of it was old stuff, music you hear on classic rock radio, like Tom Petty and The Who in particular. Then I got into some old-school indie stuff, like The Replacements, and R.E.M.'s early IRS albums. A big part of my musical evolution came from posting on a message board that was really into a lot of indie bands that I had never heard of. What's a Neutral Milk Hotel? Who's this Olivia Tremor Control I keep hearing about? Why aren't Of Montreal actually from Montreal? These were the questions that made me want explore further, into more obscure music.

Still, it's not like I hated everything I heard on the radio. In early 2004, Modest Mouse broke through with their single "Float On," a jaunty, poppy little number that ranked among the best music released that year. It seemed impossible to not like. The thing is, I couldn't help but notice a bit of resentment when the song hit the airwaves. All the original Modest Mouse fans - or at least a lot of them - were upset at how quickly the mainstream audience had taken to the song. It was as thought hey were upset that the philistines of the music world had discovered their thing. "Ew, get your gross Nickelbackgerms away from my cool band!"
This was also around the time Death Cab For Cutie got really big thanks to their music being played on The O.C.. Suddenly, the teenage girls who were rocking out to Blink 182 and Box Car Racer now had "the Sound Of Settling" blaring from their iPods nonstop. The people who had been there from the moment Something About Airplanes was released no longer felt special.
It was from this that I realized that hatred of the mainstream wasn't about hating music; it was about hating a concept. Oh, sure Nickelback and the rest of their post-grunge ilk truly were awful, but that wasn't the reason modern rock radio drew so much ire from fans. There's a tendency to hate anything that becomes popular, to be underwhelmed by it. Just look at The Black Keys. Longtime indie darlings, they stopped being a secret when "Strange Times" became a radio hit in early 2008. Since then, they've only gotten bigger, as singles like "Howlin For You," and "Lonely Boy" have topped the charts. Now, the people who once thought the Keys were a breath of fresh air now find them boring. Is it because of a legitimate decline in their music, or is it because the Chad Kroger-loving masses have finally gotten in on the action. Well, considering how many quality tunes were on El Camino, I'd argue heavily for the latter.

I have no problem with loathing mainstream music, but only when it deserves it. When the bands being played on rock radio really are weak and uninspired - and a lot of them are - I'm more than happy to point that out. But let's not forget that just because a band breaks through, doesn't mean they stop being good. Instead of being sad that we "lost" one of our favorite bands to the masses, can't we be happy that they've found a new audience? When musicians whom we've admired for a decade finally get to be millionaires, shouldn't we be happy for them? I'm all for hating bland, commercial music, but let's not turn our backs on good music just because it happens to be popular. 

In many ways, the Alan Evans Trio are a throwback. They play the type of groovy soul instrumentals that you just don't here anymore.old school, while the production is refreshingly modern. If you get a thrill out of finding an old Booker T And The MG's LP at your local record store, they should be right up your alley.  Tonight, the group is headed to Nietzsche's for the latest gig on their drop and run tour. Fans of classic soul, and highly danceable grooves would certainly be wise to check it out. Tickets are $15, and the fun starts at 7:00pm

Florida's Heavy Pets are one of the most dynamic, diverse bands around. If one had to categorize them, they might fit in well in the "jam band" category, but that would be a bit reductive. Really, they're a combination of tons of genres, from blues, to jazz, to reggae, to old school rock and roll. Pretty much whatever they're in the mood for, really. Since the release of their debut EP Whale in 2007, the Heavy Pets have been a staple of the festival circuit, playing at popular venues such as Bonnarroo, Langerado, and the High Sierra Music Festival, among several others.

Tonight, the band take's it's brand of multi-faceted musical mastery to Nietzsche's on Allen Street. Like many bands of their ilk, the band is well-known for it's epic live jams. there's no telling how long this party might last for! Anyone interested in seeing a virtuosic group stretch rock music to its very limits would be wise to check it out.  Tickets are $12 at the door.  Music begins at 10pm.

I still buy CDs. I suspect I'm the minority when it comes to that. It seems like most of my friends fall into one of two groups: people who only get their music from the internet, and the more hardcore fans, who pay the big books for that shiny, 180-gram vinyl. I see the advantage in either of these choices, but I just like CDs. Admittedly, they don't have an immediate cache. They aren't the obvious preferable choice of casual fans or hardcore fans.

So, what keeps the CD from being completely dead? The reissue! There's nothing I enjoy more than hearing that one of my favorite classic albums is being reissued in a glossy two-disc set, with fancy liner notes, and long forgotten live tracks. It just makes my day. When the Beatles were given the remastered treatment in 2009, I was there on the day of release, upgrading my copy of Abbey Road. I was similarly thrilled for the Pink Floyd reissues last year. It's a fun thing for music nerds, and people who still enjoy CDs.

Unfortunately, many legendary albums still go un-remastered, which is a shame. Seeing an immortal album rotting away in a dusty CD case from the late 80s just bums me out. That's why I present you with this list of classic albums that are in dire need of a modern-day upgrade.

Guns 'N Roses - Appetite For Destruction
Every song here is great, from the big hits like "Welcome To the Jungle," and "Paradise City," to deep cuts like "Rocket Queen," and "Nightrain." Once more, the album turned 25 this year. Shouldn't it be celebrating its anniversary in style? Surely there's some old chestnuts of Axl and the boys jamming while stoned off there asses that would make for nice bonus tracks. Come on, people! Let's give this album the deluxe treatment it deserves.

Beastie Boys - License To Ill
As popular as the Beasties' first album is, the group hates it. In a way, that's understandable. It's juvenile, occassionally sexist, and not at all representative of the music or the attitudes they would express in the future. It's also a really, really fun album. Who's never fought for their right to party, or gotten funky with a certain monkey? Sure, this might not be the quintessential Beastie Boys album, and it lacks the diversity of their later works, but it's a much-beloved album, and an important part of hip-hop history.


All Of Metallica's First Five Albums
While their later works have been inconsistent, pretty much anything Metallica put out between 1983 to 1991 is gold. From the sped-up head rush of Kill 'Em All to the intricate math-metal of ...And Just For All, these guys were pretty much infallible in their early years. That's why it sucks to see the same copies of these albums that were on shelevs in 1992 still there today. Come on, let's get some outtakes! Surely you have some late-night jam sessions with Dave Mustaine that he'll eventually sue over. Let the fans get in on some of that!
Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever
Petty's works have been horribly ignored by the remaster gods, with only Damn the Torpedoes getting the deluxe treatment in 2010. The rest of his albums rot on the shelves, with some of the his most popular albums dying a slow death in the discount bin. Surely the album that gave us "Free Fallin'," "I Won't Back Down," and "Runnin' Down A Dream" deserves better than that. I'm guessing Petty has plenty of stuff in the vaults; jams with the Wilbury's, live recordings with Dylan, maybe even a few Apple jams with George Harrison. Whatever he's got lying around, I'm sure it would make for an excellent bonus disc of this classic album.

The First Three Stone Temple Pilots Albums
Loathed by critics at first, people have finally discovered that STP are actually pretty damn good. the first three album rank among the best (and most overlooked) albums of their era. Tracks like "Interstate Love Song," "Sex Type Thing," and "Trippin On A Hole In A Paper Heart" have become well-deserved classics. Unfortunately, the most likely place to find the albums those tracks come from is in the used bin at record stores, gasping for air next to Deep Blue Something and Sister Hazel. Let's treat STP better than that! their debut, Core, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Let's give it the gift of a shiny new remaster.


Anything By The Dave Clark 5
Now this one is a real tragedy. The DC5 were a great British Invasion band, but they've been all but forgotten. More importantly, their albums don't exist on CD. I did see one old greatest hits in the used bin at FYE, but it was $60, because of how hard it is to find. Surely the band that gave us "Glad All Over," "Bits And Pieces," and "Catch Us If You Can" deserves to be discovered by new listeners. In an ideal world, we'd get a fresh new greatest hits on CD, and high quality vinyl reissues for the hardcore fans. The DC5 released tons of killer songs, but there's a whole generation who hasn't heard any of them. Let's try to fix that.