Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Year In Review 2012- Top Ten Albums Part 2 (10-6)

Here is Part 2 of RtBE's Year in Review of 2012.  (Part 1 was here if you missed it) Today we venture into our Top Ten List of Best Albums for 2012.
In the instance that RtBE have reviewed the album either on the site or somewhere else we will link to that review, just click on the Band name and title to get there.  RTBE worked with the Glide Team to give input on the their Top 20 so expect some overlap. Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but full releases you can slap on and listen to the full way through.

After the jump you will see our list for numbers 10-6, this year was fantastic for full releases, other years all of these could be considered top 5 material or better.  These are all excellent and worth your hard earned money and hard drive space, so without further ado Click that read more link.

10. High On Fire- De Vermis Mysteriis
Buy the album here!
This is an album we got into later in the year then we should have but we haven't stopped head banging since. A combo of all that is good with stoner rock/doom metal/sludge rock/heavy metal.  High on Fire has crafted one of the best, raw, heavy, rocking things we have heard in a while.  The fact it is made by a trio is even more impressive. If your tastes move you to the metallic side of things, give De Vermis Mysteriis a listen, even if you don't care for the devastation there is musical amazement  to be found in the madness.


9. Carolina Chocolate Drops - Leaving Eden
Buy the Album Here


Well that is quite a shift from 10 to 9...New with the Old, a great combo and one that the Carolina Chocolate Drops have embraced, adding 2 new members to their already powerful lineup. Leaving Eden was RtBE's introduction to the group and as we stated in the review, we really dig them. This disk should also win the award for simplest accompaniment on a song as crickets are the only thing need backing up the 5 string gourd on "Kerr's Negro Jig". An Old Timey record that still sounds fresh today, even the bands shot at the mainstream "Country Girl" isn't all that bad.         

8.  Lee Ranaldo - Between The Times and The Tides
Buy the album here!
The "other" Sonic's first collection of "real" songs had RtBE enchanted all spring and summer and holds up just as well now and will for years to come.  Lee Ranaldo put together a fine group of players to help him out on this one and the results were fantastic.  "Off The Wall" was a hell of a single and like the whole album is a joy to hear.  With the future of Sonic Youth in doubt it is comforting Lee can step out on his own like this. 

7. Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet On Sky
Buy the album here!
Whats that you say?  Another kick ass top to bottom record from a group that just keeps putting them out?  Add in some piano splashes, warbling psychedelic guitars and thundering drums and RtBE is hooked like always on one of our favorites, Dinosaur Jr. So damn consistent, so damn good...if you haven't liked them before you won't like this, but I would have to ask, what is wrong with you?!?!  

6. Screaming Females - Ugly
Buy the album here!
Easily our early contender for album of the year and an all-time RtBE favorite Screaming Females have constructed their best album so far with Ugly. In all honesty this album topped our list early on, but repeated listens pointed out the over indulgence of Marissa's vocal changing to our ears and a few other albums got better, so Ugly slipped down to 6...That just proves how good this year of releases truly is, any other year Ugly would have been #1 or #2,


Who gets that ranking now....stay tuned next week to find out...Agree Disagree? let us know in the comments and as always thanks for reading.      

1 comment:

  1. Interesting picks. Unfortunately, I have listened to none of them. Fingers crossed for 5-1! You also inspired me to blog about my own favorite albums this year (and I gave you a shout-out).

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