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Bob RoetsMusic Maven

Back in 1982, young Robert Roets, recently gradu-ated from Madison Area Technical College, was looking to create a cool place to buy records and

tapes in a place that needed a cool place to buy records and tapes. He found Fort Wayne and started Wooden Nickel Records, now Wooden Nickel Music, even though he still sells records, though not a lot of tapes.

1. Mumford & Sons: Babel Mumford&Sonsfirstcaughtmyeye when I saw a video for “LittleLionMan” from their debut album,Sigh No More,acoupleofyearsago.These four lads fromWest Londonreally havemade a name for them-selves through beautifully writtenand performed indy folk music. Iwasveryexcitedtoseeiftheirsoph-omorereleasecouldtoptheexcellentSigh No More,andIwaspleasantlysurprised.Frommyfavoritealbumtrackoftheyear“IWillWait”tothelovelyremakeoftheSimonandGarfunkelclassic“TheBoxer,”Icouldn’tfindabadtrackonthealbum.Otherfavoritesare“HollandRoad,”“Babel”and“LoveroftheLight.”Averyuniquebandandalbum.IhighlyrecommendBabel. 2. Van Morrison: Born To Sing: No Plan B Recorded“live”inthestudio,No Plan BismyfavoriteVanMor-risonalbumsincetheclassicMoondance.Therecordingandmusi-cianshipareclassall theway.Listentotrackslike“CloseEnoughForJazz”or“Goin’ToMonteCarlo”andyouwillagree.At67yearsof ageMorrison’s voice has never soundedbetter – so distinctiveandlistenable.Hisblendingofjazzandbluesonthisalbumjustbegsforrepeatlistens.Otherstandoutsinclude“MysticOftheEast”and“OpenTheDoor”.Simplybeautiful! 3. Bob Dylan: Tempest BobDylan’s35thalbumishisbesteffortinalongtime.IhavefollowedDylan’scareersincebuyingBlood on the TracksbackwhenIwasinhighschoolaround1975.Ifirmlybelieveheisthebestpoetinthepast50years.Hehashadmanygreatandnotsogreatalbums(alongwithhotandcoldliveperformances)overtheyears,but2012offeredusbothanawesomeliveshowatParkviewFieldhereinFortWayneinAugustandthereleaseofTempestaweeklater.Dylan’salbums tend to growonyouwith repeated listening, andTempest certainlydidthatwithme.Rightfromtheopeningtrack,“DuquesneWhistle,”tomyfavoritetrack(the14minuteepicstoryof theTi-tanic,“Tempest”),eachsonghasitsowndistinctpersonality.Checkout“NarrowWay,”“LongAndWastedYears”and“ScarletTown”–allarebrilliant. 4. ZZ Top: La Futura Thanks to topproducerRickRubin,ZZTophavefinallybeenable to recapture the signature raw sound that I remember fromtheirclassicearly70salbums.Songslike“Chartreuse”and“FlyingHigh”remindmewhyI’velovedtheseguysforsomanyyears.Theiruniquebrandofelectricblues/TexasrockissoinfectiousthatIwanttoplaythisalbumoverandoveragain.Otherfavoritesincludetheballad“It’sTooEasyManana”and“IDon’tWannaLose,LoseYou.”Welcomeback,guys. 5. Joe Bonamassa: Driving Towards the Daylight Theyear2012willgodownasanotherstellaroneforWoodenNickel’sNo.1sellingartist.Bonamassanotonlyperformedmyfa-voriteliveperformanceinFortWaynethisyearattheEmbassyThe-atreinNovember,buthissuperbDriving Towards the DaylightgotmorespinsatWoodenNickelthananyotheralbum.Bonamassamaybe thehardestworkingmusician in themusic industry (this ishis13threleasein12years)andhasbeencollaboratingwithanamazingarrayofmusiciansasoflate.Forexample,hebroughtback1980ssingerJimmyBarnestoreprisehisvocalworkon“TooMuchAin’tEnoughLove”withfabulousresults.“HeavenlySoul,”“DislocatedBoy”and“NewCoatOfPaint”areallstandoutsandpartofaheavydoseofbluesandrockfusion,withBonamassa’sguitarlicksshow-ingtheway.AlsocheckouttheexcellentliveDVDJoe Bonamassa: Beacon Theatre-Live In New York, featuring such guests as PaulRogers,JohnHiattandBethHart. The Best of the Rest: 6. JackWhite,Blunderbuss;7.DonaldFagen,Sunken Condos;8.TameImpala,Lonerism;9.BonnieRaitt,Slipstream;10.AlabamaShakes,Boys & Girls.

Jason HoffmanZombie Dad

There is no wacky conspiracy theory or convoluted arcane belief that Jason Hoffman has not enter-tained. Which is why he is currently hiding from the

Illuminati in his lead-lined bunker just south of Exit 14 on I-469. DOH!

1. Andrew Peterson: Light for the Lost Boy Light for the Lost Boyhitsalltherightbuttons,matchingpoeticlyricsofinnocencelostandhopewiththerisingofeachnewsunwithmelodiesthat tugatyourheartwithyearningfingers. Musically, Peterson blendsroots rock andAmericanawith justenough innovative electronic flour-ishes to keep things fresh withoutsteppingoverintoannoying. 2. Neal Morse: Momentum For the last fewmonthswhen Iwantinvigoratingrockwithapositivevibe,Ireachforthisalbum.Intelligent and thoughtful lyrics sparwith killer hooks, creativelyblendingpowerpop,old-schoolprogandTheBeatles. 3. The Jelly Jam: Shall We Descend Sevenyearsinthewaiting(anditwasallworthit),TheJellyJamdelivermelodic,hard-hittingrockthatplayfullyinterjectssophisti-catedsongstructureswithLibertarian-leaninglyrics.FansofearlierKing’sXshouldnotmissthisone. 4. Terry Scott Taylor : Return to Neverhood Mostlyinstrumentalmusicmadeofclay.Orsoitsounds.Dix-ieland,psychedelia,surfrock,jazzcombos,avant-gardefolk–it’sall thereandmore.Thisissomeweirdstuff,andyetit’sakindofcuddly,odd-kid-cartoonweirdinsteadofbeingZappa-weird. 5. Skeleton Key: Gravity Is the Enemy Walking,shamblingmetaltrashcansthatsomehowcomealivetoperformbass-drivensongsthatwilldrillintoyourskull. The Best of the Rest: 6.Panic!AttheDisco,Vices & Virtues;7.NealMorse,Testimony;8-10.Itwasn’taveryfruitfulyearformusi-caldiscoveries,I’mafraid. Best Song:“Who’sComin’Now,”TheJellyJam–Thissongisamasterpieceofrestraint,cruellygivingyoujustatasteofitselfandthenpullingback,slowlyunfoldinguntilyoufindyourselfstrainingfor theband tostopmessingaroundandpullout thestops,whichtheydoinanoverblownbridgethatbuildstoafinal,powerful,com-pleteversionofthechorus.Onlyafteryoucatchyourbreathwillyourealizethatthesongisin3/4time. Next Best Songs:2.“Momentum,”NealMorse;3.“You’llFindYourWay,”AndrewPeterson;4.“Splatter,”StolenBabies;5.“TheMowingDevil,”SkeletonKey.

Julia MeekFolkBabe

Julia Meek is proud of the nickname and the syn-dication of her weekly ‘Folktales’ on public radio WBOI. Musically speaking, Meek continues to

monopolize the “best seat in the house” with ‘Meet the Music,’ and from this vantage point once again harvests her top 10 albums (and several of her top 10 songs) from high-yield, homegrown sources.

1. Megan King: Lion Heart Old, new and about-to-becomeMeganKingfanswillagreethatherthird album iswhatwe’ve all beenwaitingfor!KingworkedhermagicwithNashvilleproducerMarkHorn-sby to create her most astonishingwork to date. GrammyAward-win-ningkeyboardistPhilNaishandsea-soned drummer and award-winningsongwriterBrianMacLeodcontributedtothisalbumaswell.Inter-twiningherdivinepoetrywithequallyetherealmelodies,KingwinswithLion Heart,andsodoherlisteners. 2. The Illegitimate Sons: American Music LeeMilessurroundshimselfwithsomeofFortWayne’sfinestfor

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$9.99

Wooden Nickel(Week ending 12/16/12)

TW LW ARTIST/Album 1 – BOB & TOM Don’t Answer That

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6 5 JOE BONAMASSA Beacon Theatre: Live from New York

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8 6 LED ZEPPELIN Celebration Day

9 9 ALICIA KEYS Girl on Fire

10 – ROLLING STONES GRRR!

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BOB & TOMDon’t Answer That

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thisfull-bodied“rootscelebration.”BenPorter,KyleMorris,BrettGilpin,JonRossandAndyPauquette–italladdsuptoanittygritty,solidsoundthatisdefiantlyall-American,withafinessethatonlytheIllegitimateSonscanspin.These10originalsongsthrowaperspectiveontraditionalthemesandmoodsthatisatonceage-oldandonthecuttingedge.AnddidImentiontheall-starguestartists:BartHelms,LyndsyRae,SunnyTaylorandPatBorton? 3. The Mimi Burns Band: Brave Journey SinceBurns’high-energyandeclecticbandhitthescene,wehaveexpected–andbeenrewardedwith–greatoriginalmusic, pageantry andcelebrationof all thingsCeltic rock.Theirnewalbumhasbeenabravejourneyinitself,asMimiand band traveled far andwide to collect the inspirations,musiciansandmaterialforthecollection.WithStephenTy-ler onguitar andvocals,DerekReevesonviolin,WilliamBrownIVat thepercussion,BryanNellemsondrumsandGonzaloCarreraworkingthekeys,thiskilted,crazyCelticbanddeliversaworldofrefreshingandhauntinglypowerfulmusicalenjoyment. 4. James and the Drifters: Before the Dawn: Otter Lake Sessions We’veenjoyedwatching(andhearing)thisHuntingtonbasedfolk-rockbandevolve,andtheirlatestendeavorsfindthemonceagainonamusicalpaththatisfarmore“direc-tion”than“drift”!Theirthoughtfulcollectionoforiginalcol-laborations,rendered,asalways,withcleverinstrumentationandharmonies,isendearingandimpactful,asistheirbasicoutlookonlife.ThedrifersareKyleJackson,BrentCham-berlin, Jim Jim James Freehauf,DerekDeRoo andTaylorZeman.As theirbiowill tellyou, therehavebeenvariousdriftersnamed“James,”eachwithhisowninterestingstory.Wethinkitismoreastateof(musical)mindforthiswhimsi-calgroup. 5. elle/The Remnant: First Born (EP) Icouldn’tresistchoosingthislovelyFirst BornEPfortheNo.5slot,itstitlebeingaliteraldesignationforthefirstrecording from this amazing indie-folk band of talentedyoung women. Multi-tasking on an impressive arsenal ofacoustic instruments,EllenCoplin,HilaryArmstrong, Jes-sicaBeckerandJenFosterserveupa rightfinevarietyoforiginalmusic.Addtheirimpressivevocalharmoniestothemusicalmix,andyouwillsavortheirsound.Andmessage.Intheirownwords,they“drawinspirationfromnature,lit-erature,individualstruggleandaconstantpulltowardsome-thingthat’sbiggerthanourselves.”WehopetheirFirst Born isthefirstofmany. The Best of the Rest: 6. WobegonAcoustics, 1,000 Men; 7. PatrickRyan,For the Family; 8.TommyLeveal,The World Is Listening;9.Venom,Prophet N A Prophecy; 10.OldandDirty,Flat Raccoon Blues (EP). Best Song: “SoonAfterMidnight,”BobDylan – Justhad todoit.Dylan’snewTempest albumisatestimonytohisownpastandfutureimpact,andthissongreallytouchesmy

heart. Next Best Songs: 2. “TheWolves,” Megan King; 3.“TheGatheringofSpirits,”CarrieNewcomer;4.“Testify,”TheLeeBoys;5.“GoinGrace,”SweetHoneyintheRock;6. “Jonah,” elle/TheRemnant; 7. “Living theBlues,”TheBluesBroads;8.“RiverQueen,”OldandDirty;9.“FireintheBlood,”TheBootleggers,NickCave&WarrenEllis;10.“Jacob’sLadder,”TajMahal.

J. HubnerGoodbyewaver

Starting out as a writer for NeverNudeMonthlyin the 80s, J. Hubner published, to critical acclaim, a book of poetry written

entirely in Pig Latin in 1993. He currently is the food critic for Foods ‘n Such magazine and holds a masters degree in critical procrastinating. In his spare time he listens to music and occasionally has an opinion on said music.

1. Tame Impala: Lonerism No album released thisyear has been played andoverplayed more by methan Tame Impala’s Loner-ism. It’spsychedelic,sugarypop, stoner rock and, aboveall else, a beautiful trip. It’sa tome on being alone butneverlonely. 2. Wild Nothing: Noc-turne JackTatum’s bandWildNothing is an 80s nostalgia trip. The Cure,Modern Eng-lish,DepecheModeanda slewof4ADartists encompasstheworldofNocturne.It’sbeautifullyplayed,producedandengineered.IfyoudugDiiv’sgreatalbumOshinandhaven’theardNocturne,doyourselfafavorandpickupWildNoth-ing. 3. Melody’s Echo Chamber: Melody’s Echo Chamber MelodyProchet’smusicislikeamusicalhaunting–dis-tantghostsofmusicpastandpresent,Parisianclubsinthe60s,Londonflats in the80s and a crampedAustralian re-cordingstudiointhepresentday.IfyoutookTameImpala’shazypsychpopnoiseandcombineditwithBlondeRedheadandSergeGainsbourg,youmightbeclose to thesoundofMelody’s Echo Chamber. 4. Japandroids: Celebration Rock NothingreleasedthisyearevencomesremotelyclosetoCelebration Rockanditsabsoluteenergyandfist-pumpingbravado.Japandroidstakethefeelingofyouth(andultimate-lythepointinyouthwhenyourealizeit’stimetogrowup)andfilteritthroughpoundingdrums,blownoutspeakersandshreddedvocalchords.ThisisRaw PowerandBorn To Run

rolledintoonebeautiful,messyrecord. 5. Divine Fits: A Thing Called Divine Fits TheBrittDaniels/DanBoeckner/SamBrownbrohugofa sideproject is a great, groove-inflected, indie rockgem.Filledwithnewwavesynth,BritishInvasionpopandmod-likeattitudethatPaulWellerwouldbeproudtoknowhein-fluenced,you’llbehard-pressedtofindaweaklinkonhere.YoulikeSpoon?HandsomeFurs?Thenyou’llloveA Thing Called Divine Fits. The Best of the Rest:6.TheSoftMoon,Zeros;7.BearinHeaven,I Love You, It’s Cool;8.Merchandise,Children of Desire;9.GrizzlyBear,Shields;10.DinosaurJr.,I Bet on Sky. Best Local Releases:1.HouseofBread,Hypnic Jerk; 2.JasonDavis,Flatline Movements;3.Vandolah,One More Minute;4.TIMBER!!!,Numbers;5.DFerren,For Glare & Gun;6.Heaven’sGatewayDrugs,CPF Cassette;7.TheIlle-gitimateSons,American Music;8.ExterminateAllRationalThought,Lining the Streets;9.TheGreatFloodCatastrophe,Amarose;10.MeganKing,Lion Heart.

Ryan SmithDominator

Ryan Smith wears many hats, and shirts, and the occasional camisole, depending on the day, although not usually all at the same

time. But no matter what shirt, or hat, or shoes he wears, he does his darndest to listen objectively and without prejudice to any and all music that crosses his path. When that fails, he just falls back on the same old stuff he’s been listening to for ages. Amen.

1. Goatwhore: Blood for the Master This album deservedthe No. 1 spot just for be-ingwhatitisandlandingonValentine’s Day. Lucky forGoatwhore, Blood for the Masterdeservesmentiononits ownmerits.Not quite asgroove-heavy as their lastrecord,Masterisnonethelessequal parts rollicking, blas-phemous, and pummeling.Bliss. 2. Meshuggah: Koloss Meshuggah have been specializing in making headsspinforyearsnow,andKolosswasnoexception.Thistimearound,thebrainy/brawnySwedestaketheirownsweettime,slowingthingsuprelativetothehyperactiveextremestheyreachedonrecentalbums.Stilldenseandcomplex,Koloss

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cameacrossasaslightlymorebroodingversionoftheband,withoutabandoningtheirtrademarksound.Stillriveting. 3. Lamb of God: Resolution LambofGodcouldhavegottenanodsimplyforthesympathyvote this year, even thoughResolution proved they don’t need it.LeadgrowlerRandyBlythelanguishedformonthsonendinaCzechprisonforchargesstemmingfromanincidentataconcertandisnowreturningtofacetrial,butfansofthebandweretreatedtoyetanotherjaw-droppingpanoplyofblitzkriegriffs.There’sevenasongwithBlythedeliveringcleanvocals.Somecomplain thatLambofGodkeepturninginvariationsonthesamealbumoverandoveragain,butonceResolution starts up, it doesn’t let upuntil thevery end.Awesome. 4. Testament: Dark Roots of Earth Stillfiringonallcylinders,classic thrashersTestamentdeliveryetanothersurprisinglyfierysetoforiginals.Andthistimearound,thebandmadesuretogoheavyonsubstance,centeringonthebandand itsmembers’ identity, philosophy and heritage. Therewere acoupleofmisfiresontheirslowersongs,whichsoundedunusuallystiltedbyTestament’sstandards,butthealbumoverallstandswiththeirbestmaterial. 5. Aerosmith: Music from Another Direction Didanyoneexpectthisone?Atthispoint,Aerosmithhavehadsomanycomebacksitalmostseemsintentional.Nomatter.Despitein-ternalbandrifts,rumorsofpermanentbreakupsandsomerelativelylacklusteralbumsinrecentyears,withMusicthebanddeliverstheirmost solid and groovy set of songs in aeons.While not quite thereturnmanyfanswouldliketothehard-edgedraunchoftheirearlieryears,thealbumplaysalittlebitclosertotheirlate80srevivalup-datedforthenow.Groovy,guitar-y,heartfeltandcompelling. The Best of the Rest:6.Down,The Purple EP;7.PigDestroyer,Book Burner;8.MunicipalWaste,Waste in Space;9.Soundgarden,King Animal;10.Deftones,Koi No Yokan. Best Song:“BeenAwayTooLong,”Soundgarden–Sure,ChrisCornell’svoicesoundeddepressinglycrackedandweary,thelyricswerealittleobviousandthebanddidn’tsoundquiteasdefinitiveasitoncedid.Didn’tmatter.Whenthissingledropped,itservedasare-minderofhowlittlegenuinerockhaspenetratedtheairwavessincetheband’sheyday.Itwasahealthyandneededshocktothesystem. Next Best Songs:2.“HitMeLikeaMan,”ThePrettyReckless;3.“You’reCutOff,”MunicipalWaste;4.“NativeBlood,”Testament;5.“Blood,”InThisMoment;6.“Witchtripper,”Down;7.“Desola-tion,”LambofGod;8.“LiveBites,”Halestorm;9.“MadnessofanArchitect,”HighonFire;10.“DrinkDrankDrunk,”Hellyeah.

Chris HupeDollar Store Metalhead

Chris Hupe spends most of his life selling things at the dollar store for, ironically, more than a dollar. In his spare time, of which there is little, he lives the

life of a rock star.

1. Vision of Disorder: The Cursed Remain Cursed With their first album in 11years,VisionofDisordermanagetorecapture thesoundthatmadethempopularinthelate90swhileaddingnewandfreshelementstomakethisthe“must-have”hardrock/metalCDof 2012. VOD’s last album alien-atedmany long-timefansdue to itsmelodicnature,soitisgreattohearthebandsoundingangrierthaneveron The Cursed Remain Cursed, yetmanaging to maintain a balancebetween the aggression andmelody.Thismight be an albumyouoverlookedsinceitdidn’tgetthepublicitybiggerreleasesget.Doyourselfafavor.Gogetit. 2. Testament: Dark Roots of Earth Testament have been making music for almost three decadesnow.BythesoundsofthingsonDark Roots of Earth,theirmusicisonlygettingbetterwiththeircollectiveadvancedages.Thisalbumisprettysolidfromfront tobackandwasanearlyfrontrunnerforalbumoftheyear.HadTestamentnotincludedtheclunkyandout-of-place ballad “Cold Embrace,” itmay havemade the cut. Still,thisalbumisclassicTestamentandbelongsinanythrashmetalfanscollection. 3. Fear Factory: The Industrialist

Successfully recapturing their signature sound, Fear Factorymoveforwardwiththeirmanvs.machinemotif,kickingoutsomegreatsongsintheprocess.IntypicalFearFactorystyle,theproduc-tionbringsaboutacold,emptyfeelingtothemusic,butthesongsarequitememorable,exceptfor theclosingthrowawaysong“Hu-manAugmentation.”Download“Recharger”or“NewMessiah”andyou’llfindoutwhyyouwillwantthewholedisc,aswellasmostoftheirbackcatalog. 4. Accept: Stalingrad Accept, likeTestament, are another veteranmetal act that haschurned out their second consecutive fantastic CD. New vocalistMarkTornillotookoversingingdutieson2010’sBlood of Nations and seems to have breathed new life into the German metallers.Therearenosurpriseshere.Acceptsticktotheirhardrockriffsandcrunchyguitars,butthesongwritingissuperior,with“Hung,DrawnandQuartered”and“Hellfire”stickingoutaspuregems.Releasedveryearlyin2012,thisalbumprobablywillbeforgottenbythetimemostpeoplemaketheiryear-endlists,butitwasgoodenoughtostayinmyCDrotationallyearlong. 5. Fatal Smile: 21st Century Freaks These Swedish rockers finally deliver the albumwe all knewthey were capable of making. Though it’s somewhat predictable,completewithpowerballadsandpartysongs,21st Century Freaks isfullofhugehooksandcatchychorusesandisdefinitelythebestmelodicrockhadtoofferthisyear.Thisbandistoogoodtonotbeknown throughout theworld.Unfortunately,melodic rockdoesn’tget played on the radio anymore, unless it’s Journey – proof thatsomeofthebestmusicoutthere,regardlessofthegenre,isbybandsandmusiciansyou’veneverheardofbefore. The Best of the Rest:6.Disciple,O God Save Us All;7.Eclipse,Bleed and Scream;8.KillDevilHill,Kill Devil Hill;9.PigDestroy-er,Book Burner;10.Overkill,Electric Age. Best Song:“Born&Raised,”JohnMayer–Iwasperfectlyhap-pyhatingeverythingMayerhasdonesinceRoom for Squares,butthissongstrikesachordwithaguyaboutMayer’sagewhoisreal-izinghisownmortality.Helpedalong,likelyalot,byDavidCrosbyandGrahamNash,thissongwasnotmadetobeaninstantpophitlikemostofMayer’sfare,soit’sironicthatitmayactuallybethebestsonghehaseverrecorded. Next Best Songs:2.“Loveless,”VisionofDisorder;3.“DarkRootsofEarth,”Testament;4.“Hey,CruelWorld,”MarilynMan-son;5.“TowerofSong,”TomJones;6.“WantUBack,”CherLloyd;7.“BU2B,”Rush;8.“LookInsideYourHeart,”JeffScottSoto;9.“ConcreteSky,”AriHest;10.“IWantYouToKnow,”Spineshank.

Greg W. LockeBig Fan

In addition to the rock and the roll, the Fan enjoys painting, looking at screens, napping, exploring cit-ies and watching sports. Things he dislikes include

most people, most things and all politicians. Some specific foci of the Fan include Hoosier basketball, Terrence Malick, the New York Knicks, Eva Green and the endless sufferings of existence.

1. Damien Jurado: Maraqopa I fought it. Ididn’twantaquietrecord, especially one from a song-writer I never particularly loved, atthetopofmylist.Feltboring.Unro-mantic.Anticlimactic. I’d rathermyAlbumoftheYearpickbesomethingradically unique, or at least big orloudorwild.Then I broke Jurado’srecorddownonpaper,songbysong.Scorecardrock.Ireadthelyrics,stud-iedthecredits,gazedatthecoverart,etc.Therealdweebstuff.This,ofcourse,meantthatIhadtobreakdownseveralothercontendersformytopspot.NoneofthemfarednearlyaswellasthebeautifulMaraqopa,arecordIbelievetobethebestofDamienJurado’sstellar,busycareer.It’smyfavoritealbumtitleoftheyear,myfavoritealbumcoveroftheyearandmyfavoriteset of songsof the year.Both a songwriter classic in itsHarvest-liketimelessnessandaYankee Hotel Foxtrot-likeproductionmarvel,MaraqopaisJurado’snewsignaturework.Thekeyhere,Ithink,isthecollaborativematchofJuradoandproducerRichardSwift.Twomen,botharmedwithalotofcreativeenergy,whohavecomplemen-

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ALL SHOWS ALL AGES

taryskillsetsandtalents.Amoodpiece?Aproductionepic?Analreadylostclassic?Maraqopa isall thosethings,I think.But,mostly,it’sanunusuallyconsis-tentsetofsongsmadebytwoguyswithbigideasandajointtalentfornotrepeatingthemselves.TherecordI’llremembermostfrom2012,hushedintoneornot. 2. Sic Alps: Sic Alps Onlyayearagodescribedas“noisy”and“messy,”SanFrancisco’sSicAlpsreleasedoneof2012’smostconsistent, timeless, focused records.A cool record.FollowingthedepartureofMattHartman,bandleaderMikeDonovan tookhis crew inamoremeticulous,nuanced, songwriter-based direction, crafting a discthatat times feels likea late-60sLouReed frontinga classic-era Kinks. Or maybe Anton Newcombewithoutthepersonalitydisorderorexcess.Tentracks,eightofwhichIwholeheartedlyadorefortheirwob-blyswagger,theirhazydetails,theunexpectedstringarrangements and the British Invasion bounce. I’mnot surewhat clicked forMikeDonovan, but to gofrom2011’ssprawling,messy–butstillprettygreat– double albumNapa Asylum to this lean, carefullycrafted (and totally poppy) album is an unexpectedaccomplishment.Ifyouenjoytheall those60sBrit-ishrockbandswhoaimedtorelease10perfectsongsatatime,yearafteryear,thenSic Alpsisprobablyarecordyou’llenjoyverymuch.Agreat,mellowchaserforrecentalbumsfromTheBlackLips,TySegallandTheeOhSees. 3. Ty Segall: Twins Inaway,Twinsmaybemyactualalbumof theyear. It’s the record I anticipated most and maybetheone I’veplayed the loudest andmost frequentlythrough the secondhalfof theyear.Segall,who re-leasedoveradozenrecordsbeforeturning26,makesalotofmusic(threeLPsthisyearalone);andwhileI appreciate thebulkofhis recentoutput, I respondmosttohisprojectsthatfocusonthesong,ratherthantherockingoutorthestonerposturing.Twins,toptobottom,feels tomelike itshouldbe thecatalystforanewcult.Anewmovement–SegallasCobainandTwins hisNevermind.There’s somuchmastery andstyle here, somuch heart and power, and it’s pack-agedinawaythat, likethoseNirvanarecords,feelsboth retroandmodern.Andclassic.Another similarartistthatcomestomindisJackWhite(whoalsoputoutagreatrecordthisyear).LikeWhite,Segallseemstohaveadeeplyinstinctual,almostacademicunder-standingofrockn’rollhistoryathisfingertips.Iseesomanysimilaritiesbetweenthesetwobusy,spiritedartists that I’m tempted tocallSegall the indie rockJackWhite,minusthegimmickyoutfitsanddelusionsofgrandeur. 4. Tame Impala: Lonerism Theyear’sbiggest,mostuniversallyloveddoozyof a record, titled Lonerism, cements the arrival ofindierock’sNextGreatHope,singer/songwriter/pro-ducer/guitarist Kevin Parker. TheAustralian psych-rocker sings like John Lennon, textures like KevinShields,soars likeTheFlamingLipsandwrites likehe’stryingtobethenextVicChesnutt.Onthiscon-ceptrecordaboutsolitudeandalienation,Parker(whowriteseverything,playseverythingandproducesev-erything)movesaroundfromindierocktopop-rocktopsych-rocktoprogrocktoclassicrock,sometimesinthesamesong.Allalong,there’sathick,meaty,oftengrandiose production sound holding things together,offeringLonerism the kindof juicy signature soundthatclassicsaremadeof.Asthecomparisonsrollin(everything from MGMT to Cream), I find myselfpointingtoearlyOasis,ifonlyforthefanexperienceandartisticdetails.LiketheGallagherbrothersintheearly90s,Parkerhasnowreleasedagreatdebutwith2010’sInnerspeakerandaninstantclassicinsopho-morerecordLonerism,thestar-makingfollowup.Thealbumarrivesfullyformed,greatfromtop-to-bottom.There’sthebigclassictrack(“FeelsLikeWeOnlyGoBackwards”), the memorable cover art, the Beatleslove,thenodstoclassicrock,etc.AllthingsOasishad

goingonovertheirfirstfewyears.Lonerism,Ithink,will likely go down as the consensusAlbum of theYearfor2012;it’sbig,it’sthinkandit’sanchoredbyahandfulofinstantstunners. 5. Dirty Projectors: Swing Lo Magellan (tie) As far as new releases go, Swing made for mymost interesting listening relationship of 2012. Ex-pectationswerehigh, initially.Toohigh.The recorddidn’tmaketheimpressionIhadhopedforonreleaseday,yetforsomereasonthesongsneverleftmyiPodorLProtation.I’dlistentoSwinghereandthere,of-ten,ifonlyasbackgroundmusic.Notuntillist-mak-ingtimearriveddidIfindtheneedtocarefullyinven-torytherecord’scontent.Indoingso,IrealizedjusthowgreatSwing Lo Megellan is. Song by song, anartsymasterpiece,drenchedinbigideas.BrainybandleaderDavidLongstreth(ourera’sDavidByrne)notonlywrotewhataremyfavoritelyricsoftheyear,buthefinallyrealizedthat(sorryDirtygirls)he’sbestoffhandlingmostoftheleadguitarandleadvocaldutieshimself.Theformulaisstillcommittedtominimalismandavantgardism,buthereweseetheDirtiesplayingwhatissomehow,simultaneously,theirmostinterest-ingandaccessiblemusicyet.Thatsaid,accessibleornot,Swing Lo Magellan ismostdefinitelyagrower,builtfortheslowburnreveal,musicforthecommit-tedsuperfan.GladIstuckitout,asLongstreth’sartschoolsongconstructionandunique-as-everarrange-mentsareonlygettingmoreinterestingwithtime. 5. Joey Bada$$: 1999 (tie) Anyonewho readsmymusiccriticismwithanyregularityknows,ifnothingelse,thatI’mnostrangertohyperbole.I’mafan,baby,andIgetexcited.ButwhenItellyouthat17-year-oldBrooklynemceeJoeyBada$$ is the best new talent in hip-hop sinceNassurfaced 20-ish years ago, I actually believe it. Hisstar-makingmixtape1999 features someof thebestvocalperformanceseveronahip-hopalbum.Ever?Ever.Joey’sattentiontocadence,inflection,melody,rhythm,styleandcontentwhilewritingandrecordingisunmatchedatthemoment,evenbywhatNashim-selfisdoing.Joey’sbeatselection?Alsounmatched.Sure,sometimestheguyusesotherpeople’sbeats(MFDoom,Madlib,Jaydee,LordFinesse,etc.),butnoone–andImeannoone–hascomplainedyet.Sure,1999 isaboutfourtrackslongerthanitshouldbe,andsomeoftheguestappearancesjustaren’tgoodenough,butdamn,1999 is very likely thebest introduction to anewtalentsinceNasreleasedIllmatic.Imeanthat.Astartlingdisplayof talent andgenremastery. It’s al-mostasifsomeonestuffedBigL,Q-Tip,NasandMFDoomintoablender,strainedoutthefluff,andcalleditJoey. The Best of the Rest: 7. SigurRós,Valtari; 8.TheOhSees,Putrifier II;9.BeachHouse,Boom;10.GuidedbyVoices,The Bears for Lunch;11.MatthewE.White,Big Inner; 12.BostonSpaceships,Out of the Universe by Sundown; 13. Lotus Plaza, Spooky Action at a Distance; 14.GrizzlyBear,Shields; 15.GuidedbyVoices,Class Clown Spots a UFO;16.Dr.John,Locked Down; 17.MountEerie,Clear Moon; 19.LanaDelRey,Born To Die;20.CatPower, Sun. Best Song: “Thank God for Sinners,” Ty Se-gall–Asbigand lovableasmanyof thenewTameImpala tracks (especially “Feels LikeWe Only GoBackwards”)are,itwasSegall’sbiggestbangersthatIenjoyedthemostin2012.Ofthe10orsonewA-pluscutshereleasedthisyear,“Sinners”feelsthemostlikeanewclassic.Ananthemforindierockers,punkrock-ersandclassicrockersalike.AnewcallingcardsortoftrackthatIsuspectSegallwillbeclosing(oropening)livesetswithforyearstocome.Rememberwhenyoufirst heard that Iggy and the Stooges track, “SearchandDestroy,”anditfeltlikeanarmychargingoutofyourspeakers?Samethinghere. Next Best Songs:2.“Varuo,”SigurRós;3.“FeelsLikeWeOnlyGoBackwards,”TameImpala;4.“Mu-seum of Flight,” Damien Jurado; 5. “Glyphs,” SicAlps.

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AsIcompiledalistofthebestbooks I’ve reviewed this year, Iwas surprised by how many ofthem playedwith the idea of theunreliablenarrator.Fourofthesixbooksonmylistfeaturecharactersthathavesomeveryunconvention-alideasaboutwhatconstitutesthetruth,andinsomecaseswereaderscan’tbeatallsurewhetherwecanbelieveanythingtheysay. Gone Girl —Oneofthechar-actersinGillianFlynn’slatestnov-elisasunreliableanarratorasyoucouldimagine.Heorshestraight-out lies tous,andheor shedoesitgleefully. If Iwasany lessvague, I’d give awaythe fun of thefirst half of thenovel, soyou’regoing to have totrust me. Gone Girl is a mystery,andit’sasocialsat-ire, but most of all,it’s a fierce exerciseinnarrativetrickery. Forever Marriage —AnnBauer’sForever Marriagehasameanedgetoit,too,andalthoughit’snotnearlyasferociousasFlynn’snovel, italsoboastsaprotagonistwhoisacutelyawareof thewaysinwhichshe’snotverynice.Thething is, in this case, she’s notcompletelyaccurateinherself-as-sessment.CarmenGarrett,arecentwidow,hasconvincedherselfthatsheneverlovedherhusband.Sheis,shethinks,immenselyrelievedthathe’sfinallydied;nowshecanbefreetolivethelifeshe’swantedto live foryears.But it’s not thatsimple. She finds out, graduallyand painfully, that she wasn’t assureofherfeelingsaboutherhus-band,orherlifeingeneral,asshealwaysthoughtshewas. The Forgotten Waltz—AnneEnright’sForgotten Waltzisalsoataleofself-deceptionwithinarela-tionship.Gina,theprotagonist,letsonerelationshipfallapartandtriestocreateanewonethatwillsustainher into the future. The problemis that she’s foolingherself aboutwhat these relationships offer herandwhattheydon’t.Shetellsherstory as if she’son topof things,butweknowbetter.It’sfrustratingtowatchhermessthingsup,unableaswearetotellherthatshe’sgotitallwrong,butit’salsoachinglyrealistic; isn’t that way real lifeusuallyis,whenwehavetowatchfriends and loved ones sabotagethemselveswithself-delusion? Lamb — Bonnie Nadzamnever gives usmuch to go on aswedecidewhetherwecantrusttheprotagonistofLamb.DavidLamb,a middle-aged man who sort ofkidnaps ayounggirl, liesopenly,andheconsciouslyfabricatesver-

sionsofrealityunderthepretenseoftellingthegirlstoriesandfairytales.Althoughhe’sneverovertlymenacing,there’sasenseoffore-boding underneath the constantlyshiftingtruthofwhathesaysanddoes.WegetthesensethatLambdoesn’t knowwhat he’s doing orwhat he’s capable of, and if hedoesn’t know, there’s nowaywecan anticipate his actions. ThetensionthatNadzambuildswiththisuncertaintyistremendous. Visiting Tom—There’sno narrative trickery goingoninMichaelPerry’sVisit-ing Tom, mostly becauseit’snonfiction,andPerry’snot the kind of guywhowould lie inabook thatclaimed to be nonfic-tion.ButIsuspectthatPerry’s also not the

kindofguywhowouldlethischaracterslieinfiction,either.He’sgotawell-developedsenseofwhat’sright,andlyingisn’tright. I’m digressing here, though.Visiting TomisthelatestofPerry’smemoirsaboutlivinginruralWis-consin; it follows thearc thatbe-ganwithPopulation: 485, an ac-countoflifeasanEMT/firefighterinthemiddleofnowhere,andcon-tinuedthroughCoop,aruminationonchickensandparenthood.Thislatest installment doesn’t have asbroad a cast of characters as thepreviousbooks;asthetitleimplies,it’slargelyaboutTom,acleveroldfellowwhodoes freelancemetal-workandbuildscannons.ButPer-ryusesTomasabackdropfortheauthor’susualhomeymusings.It’son thevergeofbeing toohomey,but Perry is genuinely insightfulenoughtopullitoff. 12.21—TheU.S.governmenthasguaranteedthattheworldisn’tgoing to end on December 21st,andIguessweprobablyknowbynowwhetheritdidornot.Iwon’tgiveawaywhethertheworldendsin Dustin Thomason’s 12.21, butIdon’t thinkit’ssayingtoomuchto let on that the world comes,at least, very close to ending inthis novel about Mayan prophe-ciesandpotentialapocalypse.It’sthe stuff of pulpy bestsellers, butThomasonmanagesanovelthat’sa little more than that. Don’t getme wrong; there’s nothing ter-ribly intellectually deep here, butThomason’s research is solid, histone is restrained and he’s not abadwriter.Ifyouhavetoreadoneapocalypticnovelthisyear,thisisonethatI’drecommend.

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Best Reads of 2012On BooksEVAN GILLESPIE

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