Well, I honestly didn’t think it would take me this long to get to this. It seems that when you work in healthcare, that you are so drained when you are home from work, that you just want to vegetate; well, at least, that seems to be my norm at least. Needless to say, I have been working all the darn time, and have far less time to blog and enjoy music than I would like. That being said, I do want to highlight the amazing albums that I fell in love with in 2012, and continue to enjoy now. Here are my favorite albums of 2012:
1. Mumford and Sons – Babel
No other album captured my attention in 2012 like Babel. This album builds on their previous album, Sigh No More, and brings a more well seasoned and polished, but somehow more raw and richer sound to the band. They are making the music that I love listening to most right now, and it is fair to say that I cannot get enough of Mumford and Sons. I was very happy to see them win a Grammy for the album of the year for Babel, because it is very, very well deserved. This is definitely the album I listened to the most in 2012, far and above all the rest. There isn’t a bad track on this disc, and it firmly cemented these guys as one of my favorite groups. Highlights: I Will Wait, Babel, Holland Road, Lover of the Light.
2. P!nk – The Truth About Love
I have loved P!nk for years, and like a fine wine, she seems to only be getting better with age. I had some high hopes for this album due to a very strong lead single with Blow Me (One Last Kiss), and my hopes and expectations were not only met, but completely blown away. I was fortunate enough to see P!nk live recently, and she is certainly growing stronger as an artist; and this album proves it. She has found her niche, honed her sound to her sensibilities, and she is making amazing music. She’s not only a great singer, but a clever song writer, and outstanding artist who has earned the respect that she so rightfully deserves. Definitely my favorite P!nk album so far. Highlights: Try, All We All We Are, Blow Me (One Last Kiss), Walk Of Shame.
3. Marina and the Diamonds – Electra Heart
Much like I Am Not A Robot generated overwhelming excitement for her debut, when I heard Radioactive, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the sophomore album from the fabulous Marina and the Diamonds. While I did have to wait a little while (Radioactive was quietly released late in 2011), what I got was sheer delight. Marina is one of those artists that has such talent that it cannot be masked. This album only builds on her debut; she continues to make very strong, very well written and produced pop. It felt like she was growing and spreading her branches, looked out into what other areas she’d like to explore with her sound; and the result is spectacular. I was fortunate enough to see her live (finally!), and she was magnificent, as expected. As I have been doing for a while now, I will continue to keep my eyes and ears glued to the happenings and music of this fabulous pop chanteuse. Highlights: Primadonna, Radioactive, Lies, Power and Control, How To Be A Heartbreaker.
4. Of Monsters and Men – My Head is an Animal
You may have heard the kinda overplayed (not really, though, it’s a magnificent song that I am still firmly in love with) hit Little Talks, and thought, this is a lot like songs from Mumford and Sons and the Lumineers! And while it is in the same vein of folk driven rock, these guys have a quirk that begs for their own bit of the spotlight. After falling in love with Little Talks, I had to check out the rest of their album, My Head is an Animal, and I am glad I did; the entire album is full of well spun tapestries of folk rock with haunting Icelandic vocals from the band’s leads. The entire album is a delightful folk rock adventure that finds itself very welcome in this days popular music canon (It’s a folkspolsion!); and very prominent and in heavy rotation on my iPod as well. I love when a lead single takes you on a journey of fantastic musical discovery, which is exactly what happened here. Highlights: Little Talks, Dirty Paws, Love Love Love, King and Lionheart.
5. Benjamin Gibbard – Former Lives
What can I say, I am a sucker for this nerd-do-well’s swoon-inducing voice, and while it is a (slight, everso) bit tamer than a Death Cab for Cutie record, it is a fantastic mini-departure that sounds like something Benjamin has been waiting to get out for some time. It’s always a risk when a very well known band’s lead takes a step out from the front of the band to make a solo record, but in this case, it is a welcome and fanatic effort that is down right wonderful from beginning to end. Obviously, it isn’t TOO different from a Death Cab for Cutie album, seeing as he writes the songs and is the singer for the band, but it has a bit of a more country vibe that the band doesn’t really showcase. When I heard he was doing this album, I knew I would love it, and you know what, I do! Highlights: Bigger Than Love, Lady Adelaide, Lily, Dream Song.
6. Ke$ha – Warrior
This album was a giant surprise to me; both in how much I liked it, and in how good it turned out to be. I have continually tried to frown on Ke$ha as a one hit wonder, or a flash in the pan, but when Die Young refused to leave the airways, or my head, and I found myself tapping my toes in time with the downbeat each time I heard it, I knew that Ke$ha was more than growing on me; she’d already done it. When Warrior was released I figured I’d at least give it a listen, considering how much I like Die Young, and honestly, I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed it; and kept enjoying it. It is fair to say that I couldn’t stop listening to this album, and I am glad that I gave in to “guilty” pleasure, and just enjoyed it for what it is; pure fun, trashy, never-taking-itself-seriously pop. However, speaking of guilty pleasures, as Dave Grohl said, “I don’t believe in guilty pleasures, I believe you should be able to like what you like. If you a like a fucking Ke$ha song, listen to fucking Ke$ha.”… it appears now, that he couldn’t be more right, and listen to Ke$ha I will. Highlights: C’mon, Die Young, Thinking of You, Last Goodbye.
7. Adam Lambert – Trespassing
I loved him on Idol, and unfortunately, I was a little bit disappointed by his debut album. That being said, when I heard the lead single, Better Than I Know Myself, I knew he had come into his own, and that this album would be the album that he wanted to make; and I was right. He clearly had a lot more input this time, and the result is a more mature record that really feels like a comfortable fit for him. His voice has never sounded better, and they highlight his incredible range a lot more on this album. This is the album I wish he would have made first, but I am glad he got the opportunity to follow up his debut with something this strong. He should be on the radio a LOT more than he is; this album is full of singles. Highlights: Better Than I Know Myself, Never Close Our Eyes, Broken English, Underneath.
8. Trampled by Turtles – Stars and Satellites
Yes, this is the third folk-rock/Americana album on my year end list, so you should have a sense of what kind of music I have fallen head over heels in love with, as of late. Someone was talking about Trampled By Turtles on one of the many social media sites I frequent, and I thought, what an interesting name for a band. Then, I saw them mentioned by several other people as being fantastic, so I figured I’d check them out; boy I am glad I did. When I first heard Alone, I was swooning so hard I knew I had to have more. The haunting vocals over banjo picking and soaring violins builds into an all out hoedown, one that I wish I could go to each and every night. I ended up listening to the entire album and loving it; although it is definitely routed in more southern, bluegrass driven folk than the previous two folk bands that are on this list. This was an excellent discovery that I am glad to have found thanks to the many friends that were talking about this awesome band. Thanks!! Highlights: Alone, Beautiful, High Water, Widower’s Heart.
9. Brandi Carlile – Bear Creek
If you are a fan of bands like the Indigo Girls, then Brandi Carlile is a no-brainer. I’ve loved this lady since her debut, The Story, which made my best of list waaay back in 2007, and followed her through her sophomore effort, Give Up The Ghost, which made my best of list in 2009. Needless to say, I was very excited to see a new album from her in 2012, and with the lead single That Wasn’t Me being one of her best efforts to date, I knew almost instantly that there would be another best of list Brandi would be a part of; and look a here, I was right. Her voice is so sharp that it could cut glass, and so delicate that it would pick up the pieces. Brandi’s songs tug at your heartstrings, and fill you with delight while inducing chills with her ability to take country folk down to the local church for a choir backed performance. This album is another shining example of a great artist making consistently great music, and it was one that I was glad to pick up in 2012. Highlights: That Wasn’t Me, A Promise To Keep, Hard Way Home, Save Part of Yourself.
And of course, other GREAT albums that I discovered in 2012 (some of which, just missed my best of list by a hair):
- Casey Abrams – Casey Abrams – Great solo album from one of my favorite Idol contestants that was clearly too talented to win the show. And he’s a cute ginger-bear!
- A Fine Frenzy – Pines – An album I was very excited to see released, only to sadly, not get into it. Maybe it will get it’s chance later on.
- Agnes – Veritas – Different, more mature record than her saccharine debut, but some great stuff on here, nonetheless.
- Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel… – I adore Fiona, but I really didn’t get into this album. I was excited for it, but it never made it to the top of my list.
- Bat For Lashes – Haunted Man – The INCREDIBLE Laura made me long for this album, and when it finally came out, it was meh. What happened??
- fun. – Some Nights – The overplayed radio singles were great at first, but now I am bored; totally victims of too much airplay. Congrats on best new artist though!
- Gossip – A Joyful Noise – It would have been impossible to top their phenomenal major label debut, and well, it was. I still love Gossip, and want to actually see them live at some point.
- Carly Rae Jepsen – Kiss – Let’s all agree that Call Me Maybe was a phenomenon; one that she will probably never be able to acheive again. Hey, if you are going to be a one hit wonder, might as well make it a doozy! At least there are a few more pop treats to be had here, however.
- Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again – Great album full of sleepy, gorgeous folk. Great surprise.
- Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – The Heist – Not usually a fan of rap, they hooked me with the gay-friendly Same Love, and I came back for more with Thrift Shop. Also, could Macklemore be any cuter? Uh, no.
- Madonna – MDNA – There were a couple of good songs, and a bunch of terrible ones. I know it’s an unpopular opinion, especially amongst the blindly following gay boy fanatics, but Madonna is a pretty terrible writer; these songs have never been more trite.
- Maroon 5 – Overexposed – As usual, some great, but overplayed radio-ready hits, and some surprisingly even better ignored album tracks.
- Jon McLaughlin – Promising Promises – Promising, but didn’t resonate with me too strongly for some reason. Has a few songs from a previous album, and I just didn’t get to listen as much as I wanted, unfortunately.
- One Direction – Take Me Home – So NOW America wants to get on board with the British boyband craze? I love these guys, but they’ve got nothing on Westlife.
- Phillip Phillips – The World From The Side of The Moon – This is the season I decide to stop watching Idol. Nice. Great pick, and I love that he seems to be a very strong artist. Can’t get enough of his hit Home, either!!
- Joshua Radin – Underwater – I love this guy, and he makes the sweetest music.
- Emeli Sande – Our Version Of Events – Good thing she decided medical school wasn’t the way to go; she’s not only an incredible singer, but a great pop artist now!
- Scissor Sisters – Magic Hour – There is some good stuff here, however, and that’s a big however, they kinda lost me on this one; if they keep changing too much, nothing of the band that I fell in love with will remain.
- The Script – #3 – Their last album was so amazing, that I figured they wouldn’t be able to top it so soon; I was sadly right. Perhaps I will get more into it, but I didn’t love it as much as I did Science and Faith.
- The Shins – Port of Morrow – Good Shins album, solid; just not life changing.
- Silversun Pickups – Neck of the Woods – I feel like they lost A LOT of their oomph. This album is much more subdued, and honestly, lacks the fire they had before.
- Sleigh Bells – Reign of Terror – Great sophomore album, just not as edgy and fresh as their first.
- Taylor Swift – RED – Surprise! I like a Taylor Swift album. I am sort of, but not totally ashamed.
- The Ting Tings – Sounds From Nowheresville – Big changes, almost abandoning their quirk, but still fun nonetheless.
- Usher – Looking 4 Myself – It looks like he found himself on a dance floor, and I love to dance.
Well, here it is… finally. My favorite albums of 2012. What did I miss? I know I missed out on Mika, as I have been told, but what other albums did I forget to mention, or haven’t heard of yet? What do you think? What were your favorites of 2012? Can you think back that far? Sorry it took me so long to get this out, but it is better late than never… right? Alright, perhaps I should go ahead and start my 2013 best of list so that I could try and get it done on time…
I’ll admit I wasn’t a fan of Amerie at first. I initially found 1 Thing slightly off-putting because of the intensity, and the way she basically screamed the song at you. Well, a few years later, I heard the brilliant Take Control (which was on her last record, that apparently, wasn’t released in the US), which gave me new respect for Amerie; which translated into me even beginning to enjoy the (actually quite amazing) 1 Thing. Naturally, when I noticed that Amerie had released her new album In Love and War earlier this month (and especially after hearing this banging lead single) I had to check it out. There are several great tracks on it, and I have been playing this one in particular on repeat. Amerie’s music has a feel to it that lets you know it’s her right off the bat, and songs like this make me want to get out of my seat and dance around. The layered big band instruments and booming bass make this a track that is just begging to fill dance floors. The energy in this track is high, and with this new single, Amerie has come back to the States stronger than ever. 
The first time I heard this song was a little over a month ago, and initially, while I did like it, I wasn’t blown away by it. However, after several subsequent listens, it has grown on me, and I have been enjoying this guilty pleasure more and more with each spin. This is one of those songs that would fit perfectly on US pop radio, but because it is a UK artist, the chances of that happening are ever so slim. However, I read that Alexandra (who won X-Factor last year, the year after Leona Lewis; one Brit who famously did make it to the top of the US pop charts) is actively working with several big names in the US music industry, in order to get her more exposure on this side of the pond. Only time will tell, but having Flo-Rida in the song certainly bodes well for her potentially topping charts in the states at some point in the near future (not that Flo-Rida is in any way a draw to this song for me whatsoever).
Alright, ladies and gents, here is the first single from American Idol runner up, Adam Lambert’s debut album of the same name (which is out next Tuesday). While I do admit that I was skeptical at first (seems to be a theme today) of this track, I realized that for me, it was in large part due to the hype surrounding Adam’s impending debut. I was a major fan of him on the show, mainly, because love him or hate him, there is absolutely no denying that this guy has some major singing talent. However, the pressure that winning or coming in second on AI puts on that contestant’s first release after the show is staggering; and given history, unfortunately equally disappointing. There have been very few American Idol alums that have truly delivered for me, and as such, I was nervous about what Adam would do with his debut. After giving this track enough of a chance to allow the stink of over-hype to wear off, I will say that I am definitely more optimistic about Adam’s debut album; the track is a real grower, and really highlights his insane singing voice. We’ll have to see if the rest of the album delivers, but for now, I’m definitely more excited to see what he has in store for us on Tuesday.
I’ll admit, I don’t really like posting “big hits”; especially if they are in the top of the iTunes/Billboard charts. I enjoy focusing these 5SFs on stuff that people may not have heard before, or stuff that you might miss because its brilliance was (or would probably go on to be) vastly overlooked. There are notable exceptions (ahem, Lady GaGa’s Bad Romance last week), but for the most part, posting what’s burning up the charts (and the radio) isn’t the central point of these 5SFs. This may seem like a tangent, but I felt like I needed to clarify, because this is another notable exception; a song that I discovered because it was the top of the iTunes singles chart. I have heard of Lady Antebellum, but never really heard any of their music; mostly because I am not what I would consider a huge fan of country music. However, after seeing this song soar to the top of the singles chart, I had to least give it a listen, and least hear what it was about this track that made so many people want to buy it. After watching the video (ahem… the lead male singer is HOT), I instantly heard why it would jump to the top of that singles chart; this song is incredibly beautiful, the lyrics are eloquent, and the arrangement is masterfully crafted. I love the sweet and tender elements of this song, and I am glad that I gave it a listen; especially because of the fact that it’s unlikely I would have heard it otherwise. Sometimes, you find something at the top of the charts that you haven’t heard, and sometimes, it turns out to be wonderful; this is definitely one of those times.
I found out about this collaboration from my friend Gregor, when he posted a video for the song on 
This is yet another example of how an interesting album cover can attract potential fans. I saw this album on iTunes in the “up and coming” section, and after listening to the samples, I bought the whole album right then and there. What I have found is a fabulous synth-dance-pop album that will surely make my year end list (and probably some others’ as well; I have seen other bloggers taking note of this great new band). This has been a GREAT year for music so far. This album was produced by the crazy-amazing production team, Bloodshy & Avant, who have proven, once again, that some of the best music out there is coming from Sweden. This is one of those random finds that I want to scream about from the rooftops, because of just how unexpectedly fantastic it is. These guys should be pretty huge this year, so keep your ear out for them.
I heard about Parachute through iTunes as well, because they offered up one of their songs as a free download a few weeks back. While I thought that track was just okay, I checked out some of the other songs on their album, and this song blew me away. It is really beautiful, and it makes me glad that iTunes introduces people to some great music; even if it is by way of a different song from the same album. This song is a delicate rock-pop ballad that reminds me of the sweet softness of songs by artists like Joshua Radin, and I can’t get enough of its goodness. 
I love Mat Kearney. I have for a while now. Not only is his voice swoon-worthy, but he is quite the handsome fellow. I mentioned a few weeks back that he was one of the people that I wanted to come out with a new album already (because of how much I loved his first record, Nothing Left To Lose), and it was then that I noticed he was releasing the follow up this month. I finally got my hands on the City of Black and White this week, and all I can say is WOW. With the first listen, I was blown away. Seriously, this is one of the best albums of the year for me, by far. This is one of my favorite tracks from the album, and as I mentioned, I fully expect to see this album near the very top of my year end best of list. Mat certainly did not disappoint with his sophomore album, and I only hope his career consists of more amazing albums like this one. With this release, he has solidified himself a place amongst my favorite artists.
Guilty pleasure alert!!! I normally don’t like a lot of the more “hard core” hip-hop/rap, but this track just screams in ecstasy to the wannabe thuggish girl that lives within me. Not only that, but this video is fucking fierce, and Beyonce is just too damn hot on this track to ignore. I will admit that the first time I heard this song, I really didn’t like it, but that was because I didn’t fully understand how to appreciate it. It is exactly like Kelis’ amazing song, Bossy for me; when I first heard it, I didn’t appreciate the amazingness of it. Well, now I do, and I can tell you, that thug girl living within me wants to be a damn diva… and if she were, this would be her bitch ass theme song. Perhaps what I love the most about this song, is that we now know to watch out, because Bey will cut a bitch, for sure.
Finally today, the one hit wonder from the 90’s I promised. I remember hearing this song my junior year of high school, and back in those days, they didn’t have mix CDs, and the only way to get a copy of a song was to record it off of the radio, or go out and buy the damn CD. If you were lucky enough, the band would release a single, but low and behold, in this case, they didn’t (not that I could find anyway). So, I plunked down $16 for a CD, for one song. However, this song got LOTS of play, and has one of the catchiest courses that I have ever heard, and one that still makes me smile. I have no fucking idea what “we love the only all of you” means, but I don’t fucking care; that guitar riff is like irresistible, sweet cotton candy, and I can’t get enough.