FTM Top Albums of '12: Matthew's Top 10

-By Matthew Martin

1- Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, "There is a Bomb in Gilead"- My God!  No band surprised me more this year than Birmingham's own Lee Bains III.  I witnessed them open up for Alabama Shakes in Baltimore and was just floored by these guys.  Evoking that Southern, soulful voice akin to fellow Alabama native Jason Isbell, Bains and his incredibly gifted band-mates have created an album that continues to grow stronger and stronger with each listen. 

2- American Aquarium, "Burn. Flicker. Die"- We've all heard it before, right?  Band hits road.  Band tries to make it.  Band gets weary.  Band breaks up.  This is where we meet BJ Barham and his band American Aquarium on their latest release: between weary and callin it quits.  What makes an album great is taking a subject we've heard and making it sound new and fresh.  Barham has done this to perfection with his road weary songs.  American Aquarium has had some really good albums, but this album achieves far beyond good- it is truly great.

3- The Pollies, "Where the Lies Begin"- Another great band from Alabama- there must be something in the water down there.  Listening to this album for the first time was such an awesome experience that I wish I could listen for the first time again.  I'm not sure you can get much better for a debut album.  Everything on this album works perfectly- from the interplay of instruments to the Jim James-esque echo vocal effects.  Just try to listen to this album and not be taken aback.  

4- Titus Andronicus, "Local Business"- Everyone's favorite Nihilistic band came back from their massively heavy and successful 2010 album "The Monitor" to record a more basic rock and roll record.  Recorded with the same 4 folks who had been touring for the last few months as Titus Andronicus, this album hits the ground running and really never lets up.  This album has less of the bombast than the previous 2 albums (i.e., no spoken intros, no droning noise, etc.), but Patrick Sickles and crew still run through 7+ minute songs at break-neck speed.  

5- Lucero, "Women & Work"- I don't know how Lucero continue to get better, but they do.  Taking the Memphis soul sound they incorporated on "1372 Overton Park," they honed their sound in to make this incredible album.  The songs on this album are your typical Lucero songs, but then you add in songs such as "Sometimes" and "Go Easy" and you have possibly their best album since "That Much Further West."  Some folks don't like the horn section Lucero have taken up, but I couldn't be more on board.  It works incredibly well for their sound and Nichols' gruff voice.  (Also, anyone else notice "Like Lightning" being played during some college and pro football games this year?)

6- Shovels & Rope, "O Be Joyful"- To truly appreciate Shovels & Rope, you should see them live, immediately.  Until then, this album serves as a great snapshot of their energy, harmony, and chemistry.  There have been a ton of "husband/wife" duos lately, it seems, but Shovels & Rope are doing everything right.  Some songs may initially seem sappy, but they play them with such sincerity and gusto that any sap is quickly overshadowed by their keen emotion.  There is no better song from 2012 than "Bimingham," which alone makes the album worth purchasing.

7- Arliss Nancy, "Simple Machines"- "I don't believe that we've been properly introduced.." So begins the newest album from Arliss Nancy.  I'd say that is a fair statement from the Denver rock band.  Their first album ("Dance to Forget") was a good album but this album shines much brighter due to upped production values, added instruments here and there, and a damn near perfect set of songs.  I'd say if you were just now hearing of Arliss Nancy this album would no doubt be the place to start and if you've been hesitating on listening, stop.  It's a great, catchy rock and roll album.

8- Natural Child, "For the Love of the Game"/"Hard in Heaven"- After seeing Natural Child open up for The Hold Steady this year, I went crazy for these guys.  The 3-man band from Nashville, TN were busy in 2012 releasing both "For the Love of the Game" and "Hard in Heaven."  I know it's probably cheating to include both albums here at #8, but when I was thinking about this list I couldn't pick a clear favorite.  Sounding like a combination of the Stones and the Ramones, Natural Child rock and roll through sleazy guitar licks and songs about women, partying, and drugs.  Just try to listen to these guys without moving.  I think it's impossible.

9- Alabama Shakes, "Boys and Girls"- I fell for this album and band hook, line, and sinker.  Talk about a powerful voice!  I think this is a fun, well-played, and well-written record.  While Alabama Shakes aren't really breaking new ground lyrically, they are laying down really great music and the songs are perfect vehicles for Brittany Howard to showcase her incredible vocals.  Also, it's really amazing how fast Alabama Shakes rose to stardom.  I'm sure it happens all the time, but it had never happened to a band I was on board with when they were just Alabama's best kept secret. 

10- Justin Townes Earle, "Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now"- Lots of folks aren't crazy about JTE's new album due to its subdued nature.  I, on the other hand, think it is the perfect Sunday morning album.  Once again, an artist added a horns section to an album and it worked perfectly.  The contemplative mood of the album works for Earle and the band he gathered to record with. This is a fine album that I believe will get much stronger with time.

Other albums just missing the top 10 include: The Bohanons- "Unaka Rising," The Gaslight Anthem- "Handwritten," Cory Branan- "Mutt," Shooter Jennings- "Family Man," and Patterson Hood- "Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance."

FTM Top Albums of '12: Kelcy's 14

-by Kelcy Salisbury

This list is by no means exhaustive. 2012 has been an absolute banner year for good music. I’m sure there are several great albums released in 2012 that I haven’t even heard yet and will discover some time down the road & wish I’d included them. I tried doing a top 5 list, then I tried for 10 but in the end these were the albums I just couldn’t bring myself to cut off the list.

14) Corb Lund - Cabin Fever

The Canadian musician released some of his finer work with this album (get the deluxe edition with multiple acoustic versions of several songs.) Don’t miss Down On The Mountain, Drink It Like You Mean It, One Left In The Chamber & the hilarious Hayes Carll collaboration of Bible On The Dash (as a former rodeo cowboy who’s done his share of traveling I found this to be one of the most truthfully humorous compositions I’ve heard in years.)

13) Ray Wylie Hubbard - The Grifter’sHymnal

Texas music godfather reaches out to an under-served demographic. Grifters need hymnals too, right? Seriously, Coricidin Bottle & Lazarus are as good as any work he’s done. My favorite Ray Wylie Hubbard album since Delirium Tremolos.

12) Shooter Jennings - Family Man

The album is a touch uneven in places but songs like The Long Road Ahead, Summers Dreams and Daddy’s Hands are so good that they elevate the entire thing. There’s not a song on here I skip, but there are a few I look forward to more than others. Can’t wait to see what the next project sounds like.

11) The Trishas - High Wide And Handsome

Not sure I can really describe this one but to say that The Trishas are easily the best female duo or group in country music right now and it’s not even close (sorry Pistol Annies but you could take some notes from these ladies). I hate to distinguish them as a “female” act though. Isn’t it about time we just acknowledge that this is one incredibly good bunch of musicians? They can play, they can sing, and they can write…How they can write! I’d tell you what my favorite songs are on the album, but that changes every time through. Last time around it was Mother Of Invention, John Wayne & Gold&Silver. Listen for yourself, if you haven’t heard this album you’re missing something great.

10) Dwight Yoakam - 3 Pears

I’m a Dwight fan, I’ll admit that. I’ve also appreciated Pete Anderson’s production work, so when I heard that Dwight’s new album would not employ Pete as producer I was a little worried. I’m sure the folks who want to hear “Guitars, Cadillacs” re-made over and over won’t care for this. It’s unabashedly Dwight’s “rock” album, but it’s outstanding. Top songs are Waterfall, It’s Never Alright and Long Way To Go.

9) Jason Eady - AM Country Heaven

Probably the best pure country record of the year, this one saw Eady take a slight detour from his more folk oriented material and record a straight ahead country album that draws heavily on the Merle Haggard school of writing & playing. The end result is simply astoundingly good in its simplicity. Don’t miss the scathing songwriting of the title cut, the heartbreaking Wishful Drinking or the Patty Loveless duet of Man On A Mountain.

8) Dirty River Boys - The Science Of Flight

I have to thank Brad Rice (the drummer from Jason Boland & The Stragglers, not the one from Son Volt) for bringing this band to my attention. I was honestly getting a little burned out on “new” Texas/Red Dirt/Independent bands. I hadn’t heard a new one doing anything original in a few years & even with all the buzz about these guys I hadn’t paid a bit of attention. Brad told me they were “original” and “different” and was he ever right! I’d venture to say that this album would be top 3 material if I’d only picked it up a little sooner. I’ve only had time to listen to it twice but it absolutely blew me away and forced me to include it on this list. Dirty River Boys sound is a hard thing to describe, but I’ll try. Let’s imagine that the Black Crowes & Nick Cave had a baby that was raised by a group of Celtic musicians who also happened to be bluegrass fans & the baby ran away from home at age 14 to tour with Ray Wylie Hubbard & Gram Parsons. These guys aren’t scared to try a mixture of styles and influences and the end result is something amazing to hear. I can’t wait to get a chance to see them live. Best songs on the album (and there isn’t a bad one) are the title song & Six Riders, but you’d better get the whole thing.

7) Soundgarden - King Animal

The best voice in 90s rock is back where he belongs as Chris Cornell has reunited with Soundgarden & put out an album that sounds like a worthy follow-up to Superunknown, not the album that showed up a decade plus after Down On The Upside. There’s no Get On The Snake, Blow Up The Outside World or Fell On Black Days (my 3 personal favorite Soundgarden songs) here but what there is, is more than enough to be the hard rock album of the year. Soundgarden was somewhat unfairly labeled as “just another grunge band” in the 90s & were never completely able to break free from that. They may never break away from it completely but hopefully this album will earn them a whole new generation of fans as well as reminding their legions of Gen X fans (how’d we all get so old anyway?) that Soundgarden are still kings of the rock universe.

6) Jack White - Blunderbuss

Jack White may be the direct spiritual descendant of Keith Richards & Led Zeppelin. Nobody in mainstream music is doing anything remotely close to his sound. Just great rootsy rock 'n roll that comes straight from the heart. This album, along with most of his output is proof that 3 chords and the truth are really all you need.

5) Turnpike Troubadors - Goodbye Normal Street

Turnpike Troubadours are one of the finest live bands to come out of the rich musical scene of eastern Oklahoma in the past several years. Their first two albums showed tremendous promise due to the great songwriting and musicianship. What sets this album apart is the addition of backing vocals of Jamie Wilson of The Trishas. Like most of the albums near the top of this list, there simply is not a single throwaway track. The album needs to be heard in it’s entirety. The musicianship has actually improved over their first two albums (Bossier City & Diamonds and Gasoline) if that is even possible. Either this or Eady’s album are the best true country albums of this year, if not the best of the past 2-3 years. The only country album I’ve heard in the past couple of years that can stand on the same level is Jason Boland & The Stragglers Rancho Alto.

4) The Departed - Adventus

After This Is Indian Land came out last year I was intrigued to see what this band could do with their original material. I’m happy to report that they exceeded all my expectations. This isn’t a country album, it’s a bluesy, rootsy, gospel influenced trip through the prodigious talents of a band that (while made up of an all-star cast of players) is truly much more than the sum of it’s parts.

3) Chris Knight: Little Victories

Mr Knight (I feel like I should refer to him as Mr., just because I’m pretty sure anybody with the kind of body count usually exhibited in his songs might stab me if I don’t call him Mr.) has released the finest album of his remarkable career. It’s not quite a protest album, but there is a theme of social commentary running through the entire thing. In almost any other year this would be my album of the year. I’ve only had the album since early October, but all the songs are among my most played for the entire year. I can’t hear Jack Loved Jessie, Nothing On Me or The Lonesome Way while driving without risking a speeding ticket.

2) Matt King - Apples & Orphans

First a bit of background: I am such a fan of Matt’s 2005 album “Rube” (right down to the Marilyn Manson sounding drums, and other industrial sounding touches) that I have worn out two CD copies, and it’s been one of the top 2 most played albums on my iPod every year since I got the digital copy, something like 5 years running now. I liked the Matt King & The Cutters EP. I loved the bare bones approach of Raw, which is also an album that’s been in heavy rotation for the past couple of years. (I’ll admit to not being a huge fan of Matt’s mid 90s Nashville country output, but hopefully Matt will forgive me for that…) Point is, I had very high expectations for this album even though I didn’t really know quite what to expect. If you’re looking for real stories of real life Matt is one of the three songwriters I’d point you toward to start with (Chris Knight & Javi Garcia would be the other two.) I’d be doing this album and the listener a disservice to point out one song over another as the “must have” tracks on this album. It’s an album that’s meant to be heard from start to finish. It’s clearly a labor of love, care was paid to the sequencing of songs - so get the album and listen to it the way it was meant to be heard, start to finish. My brother once asked me what Matt King sounded like and I told him that if Trent Reznor & Loretta Lynn had a child who was raised in the Appalachians by Woody Guthrie, he would be Matt King. That was meant as a compliment & hopefully it’ll be taken that way.

1) Lincoln Durham - The Shovel vs. The Howling Bones

This one came out early in the year, February I believe.  Anyway, the first time I heard Drifting Wood I was hooked.  This album is proof that you don’t need “top of the line” equipment or fancy production to make a great album.  The pure soul of the vocals, the simple blues influenced music suits each song perfectly.  There’s great variety here.  Clementine & Truckers Love Song are simple yet beautiful (if somewhat unconventional) love songs.  Mud Puddles, Drifting Wood, Living This Hard and Reckoning Lament are haunting rootsy slices of goodness.  I had the privilege of catching Lincoln opening for Billy Joe Shaver last fall in San Marcos,TX and he blew me away.  The most amazing thing I’ve ever seen in terms of a single person making sounds that one person shouldn’t be able to.  Lincoln is a young man with an old soul and a clear appreciation for the traditions of such influential acts as Robert Johnson and Ray Wylie Hubbard.  If you’ve somehow missed the greatness that is The Shovel VS The Howling Bones, go pick it up today.  You can thank me later.

------------------------

Albums I’m looking forward to in 2013:

New music from Jason Boland & The Stragglers: The best traditional country band going has a new album (produced by Shooter Jennings) on the way early in '13.

Javi Garcia & The Cold Cold Ground are finally coming with a follow up to A Southern Horror.  March is the targeted release date.

Tyler McCumber (he’s a star in Italy of all places) plans to release some new music in '13.  In an interesting side note, Javi Garcia was a member of Tyler’s first band.

FTM Top 75 Albums of 2012: 1-20

1. Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires - There is a Bomb in Gilead

A first-half-of-the-year release unfairly hurts some albums on these year-end lists. That wasn't the case for this year's #1 album, There is a Bomb in Gilead. From my May review:

"The forthright Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires emerges onto the scene already

a full-fledged force to be reckoned with on this fantastic debut.

Mixing garage rock, country soul and southern swagger into an effortlessly authentic blend, Lee and the boys give a spirited go at every style across 11 spotless tracks. From the driving exploration of faith on album opener "Ain't No Stranger," through the sin, searching and nostalgia of the middle to the hymn-inspired closing title track, there isn't a weak point on the album."

2. Marty Stuart - Nashville, Vol. 1 Tear The Woodpile Down

Standout tracks: Sundown in Nashville, Picture From Life's Other Side (with Hank III)

3. Chris Knight - Little Victories

See review here.

4. The Pollies - Where the Lies Begin

See review here.

RIYL: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Lucero, Two Cow Garage

5. Turnpike Troubadours - Goodbye Normal Street

Does this band have a signature sound, or what? Turnpike Troubadours are (is?) distinctive, vibrant and unique (so unique in fact, that I used two synonyms for that word in the same description). Disregard my haphazard writing and just know that they've come into their own on Goodbye Normal Street. 

Songwriting doesn't get much better in this day and age.

Standout tracks: Good Lord Lorrie, Empty as a Drum, Gin, Smoke, Lies

6. The Departed - Adventus

From Kelcy's November review (note - we'll also post Kelcy's favorite albums of '12 later on, 

so I should probably do my own write-up here, but I'm lazy)

"In summary, if you're a fan of anything that Cody Canada, Seth James, Jeremy Plato, Steve Littleton or have done in the past you will love this album.  If you're a fan of good bluesy rock n roll you will love this album.  Shoot, if you're just a fan of good music with some substance, you need to pick up a copy.  So get Adventus & celebrate the true Arrival of The Departed on the scene."

Standout tracks: Prayer for the Lonely, Set It Free, Sweet Lord

7. Dwight Yoakam - 3 Pears

A true comeback album, 3 Pears finds the country legend mixing rock, soul, country and his undying swagger into a welcome set of memorable songs that will never get played on Clearchannel radio.

Standout tracks: It's Never Alright, A Heart Like Mine, Rock It All Away

8. Uncle Lucius - And You Are Me

Standout tracks: Pocket Full of Misery, Rosalia

9. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, M.A.A.D. City

(Condescending Wonka says) Oh you thought West Coast rap was dead? 

Have you heard Kendrick Lamar?

Standout tracks: B*tch Don't Kill My Vibe, Backseat Freestyle

10. The Trishas - High, Wide and Handsome

Real country is alive and well. The Trishas are proof. The vocals and harmonies are beyond reproach. The songwriting is the thing for me though. High, Wide and Handsome shows Nashville how to write a hooky, lyrically clever song without leaning on cliches and marketing. The Trishas are no one-note act - they give us a portrait of strength on the album, but they also give us vulnerability. In other words, reality.

Standout tracks: Over Forgiving You, Mother of Invention, The Fool

11. John D. Hale Band - More Than I Can Handle

Standout tracks: More Than I Can Handle, Harold Wilson, Desperate People

12. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music

I want to personally thank Killer Mike for relighting my fire for hip-hop. Obviously, I focus mostly on alt-country and rock, but I've been a rap fan since the late 80's. I just thought intelligent, fiery, well-crafted hip-hop was a thing of the past. (Obviously there's a whole rap underground that I'm discounting with that statement, but there are only so many hours in the day for listening to music.) R.A.P. Music is a bold statement, both lyrically and sonically. Producer EL-P (whose own album is further down this list) provides a brutal, old-school-leaning bed for the rhymes. Mike flows like he actually cares about what he's saying. He's clearly a real person - in one verse he's cursing the political system; in the next he's praising his family. There's little talk of bling and booty on this record....because real people don't have to dwell on generalities and boasts when they discuss life. Killer Mike is as real as it gets.

Standout tracks: Big Beast, Reagan, Butane

13. Lindi Ortega - Cigarettes & Truckstops

14. Shooter Jennings - Family Man

The indie-country Svengali delivers his most consistent album to date with Family Man. 

It's a cohesive, passionate look at (mostly) the everyman side of country music royalty. 

On these very pages, I once dismissed Shooter's music, voice and image but no longer... 

so long as he continues to deliver music this engaging and tuneful. 

Standout tracks: The Long Road Ahead, Daddy's Hands

15. Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls

The indie world buzzed and bowed for this band from ...duh, Alabama, as soon as their EP hit the scene in 2011. That hype turned a lot of people off or built up their expectations far too high, but for me, Boys & Girls was a delivery on the promise of that Extended Play. Throw some Muscle Shoals soul, New York garage rock and folk sensibility into a blender and the Shakes are what results. It's more than that, though. Their songwriting is strong, their musical chops are exciting and Britanny Howard's voice is a thing of beauty.

I can't wait to see where they go from here.

Standout tracks: Hold On, Heartbreaker, I Ain't the Same

16. Arliss Nancy - Simple Machines

17. Darrell Scott - Long Ride Home

18. Jason Eady - AM Country Heaven

19. Matt King - Apples and Orphans

Like Shooter Jennings, Matt King was an artist I once didn't "get." Given time with his music however, I've changed my tune. Matt is a country singer with a very distinct vision. He also has a signature sound. That's rare in this day and age. Apples and Orphans is full of wit and anger in equal amounts. While politics and the environment are common themes, Matt explores these themes with an old-timey aesthetic and warm approach that never seems preachy, even when it is. His music is at times experimental, steampunk (whatever that means), ragtime or pure country. It's always passionate.

Standout tracks: Back to Baltimore, Jasmine and Gypsies

20. Lucero - Women and Work

FTM Top 75 Albums of 2012: 21-50

We're getting close now. Almost any of these could have easily made the top 20 in a lesser year. 

Did I miss anything? Well, wait and tell me tomorrow when I reveal FTM's top 20 albums of 2012. 

For now. 21-50:

21. Corb Lund - Cabin Fever

Full of wit and askew approaches, Corb's Cabin Fever has nearly completed my transformation from respectful admirer to fan to obsessed fan. He's an acquired taste, 

but it's well worth the effort coming around to his unique vibe and sound. 

Standout tracks: Bible on the Dash, One Left in the Chamber, Cows Around

22. EL-P - Cancer for Cure

23. The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten

24. American Aquarium - Burn. Flicker. Die.

25. Kellie Pickler - 100 Proof

Who'd have ever thought you'd see Kellie on a Farce the Music "best of" list and not just 

in ridiculous memes and jokes about her "blonde-ness" and amplifications to her figure? Well here she is. 

She said she'd put out a classic country album and she followed through. 100 Proof is not just an experiment either - it's full-blown, cry in your beer, lock your cheatin' spouse out, burn down the honky tonk country music. And for her effort? No hits and dropped from her label. Nashville sucks. 

Standout tracks: Long As I Never See You Again, Mother's Day.

26. Blackberry Smoke - The Whippoorwill

27. John Fullbright - From the Ground Up

A late discovery that probably would have ended up much higher on this list if I'd had more time with it. 

RIYL: Ryan Adams, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark.

Standout tracks: Jericho(!), Forgotten Flowers

28. Wade Bowen - The Given

29. Ray Wylie Hubbard - The Grifter's Hymnal

30. Soundgarden - King Animal

31. Japandroids - Celebration Rock

32. Dirty River Boys - The Science of Flight

33. The Deadfields - Dance in the Sun

34. Rodney Hayden - Atascosa Sand

35. Father John Misty - Fear Fun

Another album that might have climbed higher if I'd heard it earlier. Imagine Fleet Foxes with (100x) 

the vitality and actual hooks. Makes sense because J. Tillman was a member of Fleet Foxes. 

Fear Fun retains a lot of the indie vibe with its off-kilter lyrics but delivers for those of us who prefer a rootsier sound with a true alt-country delivery and even some Gram Parsons-esque desert rock.

Standout tracks: Nancy From Now On, Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings

36. Fistful of Beard - Until We Know Better

I can't say enough about this band. If you'd like Lucero by way of The Ramones, this is the album for you.

Passion, sorrow, humor and swagger. It's all here. And just look at that cover.

Standout tracks: White Bluff, Daddy's Breath

37. Rival Sons - Head Down

38. The Dirty Guv'nahs - Somewhere Beneath These Southern Skies

39. Jeff the Brotherhood - Hypnotic Nights

40. Alan Jackson - Thirty Miles West

41. Horsehead - Sympathetic Vibrations

42. The Hawkeyes - Goodbye Americana

43. Jack White - Blunderbuss

44. Kathleen Edwards - Voyageur

45. Gary Clark Jr. - Blak and Blu

46. Shovels and Rope - O' Be Joyful

47. Ronnie Fauss - I Am the Man You Know I'm Not

48. Ryan Bingham - Tomorrowland

49. fun. - Some Nights

50. Frank Ocean - channel orange

FTM Top 75 Albums of 2012: 51-75

First of all, 2012 was an utterly amazing year

in (mostly) non-radio music. 

That being said, placing on FTM's Top 75 of 2012 meant an album was very strong and worthy of much acclaim and multiple listenings. In fact, I was upset to have to place some of these so "low." 

A few rules: No live albums, no albums including a majority of previously released songs, no EPs.

Without further adieu, here's the FTM Top 75 Albums of 2012: 51-75:

51. Willie Nelson - Heroes

52. Bonnie Raitt - Slipstream

53. Bob Wayne - Till the Wheels Fall Off

54. Kasey Anderson and the Honkies - Let the Bloody Moon Rise

55. Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson - Wreck and Ruin

56. Gretchen Peters - Hello Cruel World

57. Lincoln Durham - The Shovel vs The Howling Bones

58. Some Dark Holler - Hollow Chest

59. The Lumineers - s/t

60. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - The Lion The Beast The Beat

61. Bart Crow - Dandelion

62. Truckstop Darlin' - Hope and the Heart it Breaks

63. The Shins - Port of Morrow

64. Josh Abbott Band - Small Town Family Dream

65. Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse

66. The Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania

67. Green Day - Uno

68. Jackson Taylor & The Sinners - Bad Juju

69. The White Buffalo - Once Upon a Time in the West

70. The Sword - Apocryphon

71. Old Crow Medicine Show - Carry Me Home

72. Otis Gibbs - Harder Than Hammered Hell

73. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball

74. Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Big Moon Ritual

75. Walt Wilkins - Plenty

Top 10 Songs of 2012

No commentary on these. I'll just let the music speak for itself.

1. The Gaslight Anthem - Here Comes My Man
from Handwritten

2. Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires - Righteous, Ragged Songs
from There is a Bomb in Gilead

3. Arliss Nancy - 40's
from Simple Machines

(Track hosted for streaming purposes only. No claim is made to copyright. 
Song is not downloadable despite language in the graphic which suggests otherwise.)

4. Chris Knight - Nothin' On Me
from Little Victories

5. The Trishas - Over Forgiving You
from High, Wide and Handsome

6. Jason Eady - AM Country Heaven
from AM Country Heaven

7. Turnpike Troubadours - Good Lord Lorrie
from Goodbye Normal Street

8. Killer Mike - Big Beast
from R.A.P. Music

9. The Mavericks - Come Unto Me
from Suited Up and Ready EP

10. Some Dark Holler - Chords Are Always the Same
from Hollow Chest

A few more honorable mentions: 

John D. Hale Band - Desperate People

Hayes Carll - Love Don't Let Me Down (feat. Caitlin Rose)

The Dirty Guv'nahs - Dear Alice

Top Songs of 2012 - (Very!) Honorable Mentions

These are the songs released in 2012 that fell outside my top 10, but I felt were worthy of mention... 

not only mention, but excited proclamation actually. 2012 was a banner year for music - 

mostly outside of the mainstream, though there were some true mainstream gems. 

Here are FTM's honorable mentions for top songs of 2012, in no particular order.

Kacey Musgraves - Merry Go 'Round (Mainstream Country Song of the Year)

Fistful of Beard - White Bluff

Dwight Yoakam - It's Never Alright

The Departed - Prayer for the Lonely

Shooter Jennings - The Long Road Ahead

The Pollies - Ashes of Burned Out Stars

Horsehead - God Damned the Rain to Fall

Brent Cobb - Diggin' Holes

Ronnie Fauss - This Year

Corb Lund - One Left in the Chamber

Uncle Lucius - Pocket Full of Misery

Kendrick Lamar - B*tch, Don't Kill My Vibe

Ryan Bingham - Western Shore

Kathleen Edwards - A Soft Place to Land

fun. - Some Nights

Zac Brown Band - The Wind

Bonnie Raitt - You Can't Fail Me Now

Alabama Shakes - Heartbreaker

Gretchen Peters - The Matador

ZZ Top - I Gotsta Get Paid

EL-P - The Full Retard

Darrell Scott - Dance in the Darkness
Alan Jackson - So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore

The Deadfields - Carolina Backroads

Kellie Pickler - Long As I Never See You Again

Smashing Pumpkins - Pinwheels

Blackberry Smoke - Crimson Moon

Lucero - Like Lightning

Marty Stuart - Sundown in Nashville

Kasey Anderson and the Honkies - Some Depression

Roger Creager - Bad Friend to a Good Man

Soundgarden - Blood on the Valley Floor

Josh Abbott Band - Flatland Farmer

Bruce Springsteen - Land of Hope and Dreams

Japandroids - The House that Heaven Built

Old Crow Medicine Show - Ain't It Enough

Lindi Ortega - Use Me

Frank Ocean - Thinkin' About You

Gary Clark Jr. - You Saved Me