Favorite Albums of 2012

--> 2012 was a really good year for music.  I’ve noticed that both Amazon and iTunes have been making “best of lists” with some pretty good discounts on the albums. So for what it’s worth, here are my favorite albums of 2012. I don’t say best, because you could argue in favor of lots of bands/albums left off this list. These are the ten albums though I’ve enjoyed the most and constantly find myself playing again and again even now. So if you’re thinking of buying any music, these are the ones I would recommend picking up. These are also not ranked in any particular order.

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10.  Human Again by Ingrid Michaelson.

This album really divided her fan base. Until now she was known for playing her ukulele and singing fairly upbeat songs. This is an album with hardly any ukulele on it and she decided to tackle some darker themes as well. Sonically it was a huge leap of growth and I love the album from start to finish.  Highlights include “This Is War”, “Do It Now”, and “How We Love”. My favorite song was tacked on as a bonus track though. Here is “In the Sea”.

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9. The Lion’s Roar by First Aid Kit.

I’m from the South. When I first heard this album I thought it had to of come from a band somewhere deep within my homeland. Then I found out they were actually from Sweden. They have beautiful songwriting and music. I could write on and on about this album. Instead here is a clip of my favorite song “Emmylou”. Now listen and fall in love with them.

 

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8. Coexist by The xx.

I was really nervous about this album. Their debut album is still one of my favorites and I wasn’t sure how they could move forward as a band. If they could do another album that wouldn’t just sound the same, but not stray so far that they lost what made them a great band. Turns out I worried for nothing. They have a sound all their own and crafted a stunning sophomore album. The music is beautiful, haunting, and sexy. Check out “Angels”, “Swept Away” and my favorite “Fiction”.

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7. O’ Be Joyful by Shovels and Rope.

Disclaimer, I’ve known these two for a few years and some of my best memories in college are of watching them with the bands they had back in those days. Their best work has come from working together though. They are now husband and wife and live on the road together. Great songwriting with music rooted deep in the South. If you ever get the chance to see this duo live, go. You won’t regret buying this album or seeing them live. My favorite off this one is “Birmingham”.

 

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6. My Head Is An Animal by Of Monsters and Men.

This band from Iceland you’ve probably heard featured in a few commercials. Their song “Little Talks” has been used in a few commercials. Some have compared them to Arcade Fire, but I don’t think that’s fair to either band.  They have their own sound and it shines through the whole album. This is one of the albums this year I can listen all the way though, no skipping around. I recommend the songs “Mountain Sound”, “From Finner”, “Love, Love, Love”, and my favorite “Slow and Steady”.

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5. Babel by Mumford & Sons

Odds are you’ve got this album already. They’ve gotten big in the U.S. and thank God. This is a band of pure talent. I think I best heard them described as the child of Bruce Springsteen and Old Crow Medicine Show. I can agree with that. Like The xx, this is another example of tackling a sophomore album and making it even better than your debut. My favorite song, “Broken Crown”.

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4. Oceania by Smashing Pumpkins

The name Smashing Pumpkins has had several incarnations. Many fans still long for the days of Iha and Darcy in the band. Those days are gone and never coming back. I’ve watched as Billy Corgan has tried to bring the band back to those years of greatness with many different lineups and always came up just a bit short. The band he has now is perfect. This is an album that can sit comfortably on the shelf with the other great albums from the Smashing Pumpkins catalogue. It snarls, it pulls back, and most importantly it stands on its on. Corgan sounds the happiest he’s ever been in interviews and it shows on this album. He truly has his band back with this one. Highlights are “Violet Rays”, “My Love Is Winter”, and my favorite “The Celestials”.

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3. Channel Orange by Frank Ocean

Forget all the controversy over his personal life. This is just a great debut album from a guy who clearly knows what he is doing vocally, lyrically, and sonically. It had a lot of hype and for me at least, it didn’t disappoint. Highlights are “Super Rich Kids”, “Pyramids”, “bad Religion” and my favorite “Pink Matter”.

 

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2. Cloud Atlas by Tom Tykwer.

Okay, I realize this is a film score, but I’m putting it on here anyway. I’m a film score nerd and in a year that had new music from John Williams coming my way, I wasn’t expecting this to be my favorite score of the year. The film has it’s flaws, but this score was perfect for it. Read David Mitchell’s novel and then see the film. Highlights are “Prelude: The Atlas March”, Cloud Atlas Opening Title”, “The Cloud Atlas Sextet” and my favorite “Sonmi-451 Meets Chang”. The last one I mentioned soars at the 1:43 mark. Let it build.

 

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1.     All the Little Lights by Passenger

This album I discovered because his single “Let Her Go” was a free download on iTunes. It is still my favorite track off what is a great album. One of the most enjoyable singer-songwriters to come on the scene this year.

 That’s my list. Yes, I’ve left out The Lumineers, Imagine Dragons, and Ellie Goulding. All of them could easily slide onto the list and you should check them out as well. So again, if you’re looking to buy some new music, these are my picks for this year.

Can We Talk?

Only a few weeks after a gunman opened fire in an Aurora, Colorado movie theatre, we have had another violent tragedy in the news. This morning, a madman entered a Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin and began shooting people. Seven people were killed before the shooter was taken down. It is important to note that the shooter was stopped by the first police officers on the scene. A twenty year veteran of the police force and was shot multiple times before a second officer managed to take down the shooter. The officer is currently in critical condition after surgery, but is expected to survive.

This tragedy leaves us with a lot to discuss. We do not know for sure the motives of this lunatic, but the Sikh community is one that has faced many threats, incidents of violence and general suspicion, especially since 9-11. This is mostly because they wear turbans and are often confused with being Muslim. We can and should have a discussion on the issue of religious and racial hatred, but it is impossible to ignore what the real issue is here. Guns.

As a Nation, we seem to be incapable of having a serious discussion on the issue of gun control. In the wake of the Aurora tragedy, neither President Obama nor Republican candidate Mitt Romney wanted to discuss the issue. To have yet another event like this happen so soon after that one, I don’t see how we can avoid the conversation much longer. Then again, we’ve managed to avoid having it after having Presidents assassinated, Columbine, Virginia Tech, and a United States Senator shot, along with the two recent attacks. If none of those events could make us really get serious about gun control, I’m not sure what can.

It goes beyond those big events though. In 2010 there were 12,996 recorded murders. Of those murders, 8,775 of them were committed with a gun. The NRA will argue that those statistics are still down 4% from 2009. I don’t see how anyone can look at those numbers and not be appalled. We clearly have a problem.

Now I believe in the 2^nd amendment. I grew up in a house that had guns. I was raised to treat guns as something to be cautious and respectful of. People should be allowed to own firearms for personal protection and for recreational sport and hunting. Despite what the NRA wants people to believe, most of what people want in gun control doesn’t involve taking away people’s guns. The slippery slope argument doesn’t hold water anymore. Banning AR and AR style guns needs to happen. If you need an Assault rifle for hunting, then you suck as a hunter and need to learn to use a regular rifle. If you need one for self-defense, then I have to ask who do you have coming after you that you need an assault rifle. If the NAVY SEALS are at your door, you’ve clearly done something wrong. We should band extended magazines as well. We need stronger background checks and waiting periods, especially for gun shows. A mental health history should be a roadblock for buying a gun. A lesson learned from the Aurora tragedy is that online sales of ammo need better monitoring. None of these things are unreasonable. Nothing is going to happen through until some lawmakers from both parties decide to stop being afraid of the NRA.

You can argue that bad people will get guns no matter what, but you can’t convince me that adding more safety checks and banning certain extreme weapons and modifications won’t lower these gun violence statistics. If it were to only lower it by 1% it would be worth it. Too many gun deaths are happening in America. It has to stop. I hope we as a nation and our leaders can begin to have a real conversation on what to do about this, before we have to see another tragedy like todays in the news.

*image taken from the Boston Globe.

Let's Try This Again.

So, I came across an old blog, this one that I last touched in 2010. I’ve had many starts and stops with keeping a blog. So, I’m no longer going to make the proclamation that this time I will be keeping it up. I will make a good effort though. So far 2012 has been the year of doing things right. I’m going to try to add keeping this up to that list.

Why start back? I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. Maybe sitting down and writing things out will help me make better sense of it all. It’s been a busy year so far.  Things are finally going in the right direction career wise. I’m still not where I wanted to be by this point, but for the first time I really do feel like I’m getting close. I’m ready for it, my God I’m ready for it.

I’m also finally feeling comfortable living in Los Angeles. That fact alone scares the shit out of me. There was a lot I didn’t like about this city when I came here. I can’t decide if I just managed to find the positives and focus on them or if somehow the city has changed me and I just don’t realize it. Don’t get me wrong, I still think the traffic sucks, the Pacific Ocean is too cold, and Hollywood is a menagerie of people that still both amazes and disgusts me. The flip side to that is on a bright summer’s day you can look to your left and see a beautiful ocean and then look to your right and see an incredible view of mountains. When you are stuck in traffic, at least you are usually stuck under clear blue skies with palm trees lining the streets. Also, at the end of the day as an actor, I live in a giant playpen. I’m training with UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade) right now. The only other city I could do that in is NYC. The opportunities I have here are some of the best available. It’s been hard trying to take advantage of them, but I’ve learned to just be thankful they are here. So I may have finally been seduced by Los Angeles. I hope that doesn’t mean this east coaster has had his soul sucked out.

I also plan to delve into my personal life occasionally on here too. I’ve had a lot going on lately without anyone to really talk to about it. Maybe it will do me some good to put it to type. A few years into living here, I still miss my family. I feel guilty not being home more than once a year. I certainly couldn’t live back home, but it’s still hard being the one missing birthdays and holidays. I’m lucky to have parents who love me and completely support my going after a career as an actor. I just really hope soon I can give them something to show for all they’ve sacrificed and done for me. Of course there is also the trails of dating in Los Angeles. I feel like that could almost deserve a blog of it’s own, but there are plenty of blogs focused on that and by people who write about it much better than I could. I’ve had some really interesting experiences though. When one comes along that’s too weird, bad, or surprisingly good, it’ll probably end up getting an entry.

I’m actually going to close this one on that subject. Being single has never bothered me. I’m happiest in a relationship, but I’ve learned to just enjoy the periods when I’m not in one. Maybe you can chalk it up to being an only child, but I’m perfectly fine being on my own. The one area that fluctuates based on my relationship status though has always been my work. I do my best work as an actor and a writer when I’m dating someone. For a lot of people I know, having a relationship just becomes one more thing on the plate, a distraction from their work. Not for me. For some reason having that component of my life going, enhances my work. I think it comes down to acting being about discovery. If there is anything that can keep you on your toes and guessing, it’s a woman. The best relationships I’ve had have been with women who no matter how well we got to know each other, there was always a bit of mystery. After months of dating and in a few cases even practically living with each other, there would still be things that surprised me. That’s something I miss and hope to find again soon.
Like many things in my life, U2 put it best with their song “With or Without You”. Bono wrote it about the fact that he couldn’t have happiness without his music, but also couldn’t have it without his wife. He needed both in his life. That’s how I am. So I’ll keep wading through the very murky waters of dating in Los Angeles in hopes of finding a girl with whom we both get each other, but also never stop surprising each other.

So this blog is officially back. I won’t say when I’ll write in it again. When something interesting happens to me or I get hit with a bout of inspiration, I’m going to try to start writing it down. Thanks.