Music that Fueled My 2012 

Admittedly, I have a problem when it comes to music. A real, bona fide dependency issue that, depending on who you ask, might or might not require treatment. Going back to a time when I earned $2 allowance per week and I saved every dime of it to buy the latest rock album I was lusting over to today when I have a CD rack with about 2,500 CDs on it and a digital music collection that numbers well over 30,000 tracks, my life has always been defined by music.

Music has shepherded me through the good and bad times. It has served as the soundtrack to every last bit of my life - the parts I remember fondly as well as the ones that will live in infamy.

The year 2012 has been a particularly difficult one for your wayward author - those of you who know me well know why. Thankfully, my friend and constant companion, music, has been by my side. Following is a list of some of the music that punctuated the last year for me. Some of the music is old. Some is new. Some of it has been in my collection for decades, while some of it is brand spanking new to me. The end result, however, is a playlist that has carried me through. The artists and styles are as varied as life, I think. Maybe a track or two here will do the same for you.

In no particular order: 

Album	Why It Made My Ears Happy
	Ryan Adams, Easy Tiger, 2007 Say what you will about Ryan's prolific songwriting, but when he gets the bat on the ball, he gets all of it. "Easy Tiger" hits all the right buttons, proving the pedal steel guitar is the most underrated of modern instruments. Key tracks: "Two" and "Everybody Knows."
	Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, 2007  Seriously, can we elect Dave Grohl to some sort of public office? Beautiful, passionate fury.That's the best description I can muster for the Foos. "Long Road to Ruin" and "The Pretender" are masterpieces. Rumour has it that the Foos are done. Say it ain't so, Dave.
	Pete Yorn, musicforthemorningafter, 2001  This album has become a desert island album for me, having been in almost constant rotation for 11 years. This record speaks to me on many, many levels. Yorn's subsequent work is brilliant, but none of it touches this album's sheer perfection.
	Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here, 1975 While I would rate "Dark Side of the Moon" or "The Wall" above this record for overall brilliance, "Wish You Were Here" touched me in 2012 in a personal way after the death of my best friend. Listen to it the way all Floyd albums are meant to be enjoyed - with headphones, a dark room and a recliner. (Other accoutrements are your business.)
	The Fixx, One Thing Leads to Another: Greatest Hits, 1989 Didn't see that one coming, did you? Me neither. I've long appreciated The Fixx as being much more than a one-hit wonder, but it's only be recently that I've truly begun to appreciate their genius. Fire up "Deeper and Deeper" and see why it makes my headphones smoke with 80s new wave rock glory. Think MTV's 120 Minutes - loud, loud, loud! And "Secret Separation" - just try not to tap your foot to this infectious little tune. I suggest to you that it can't be done.
	Bob Dylan, Modern Times, 2006 - Uncle Bob proves he's still got plenty of cool left in the tank, even a 65 (when this record came out - he's 71 now). There isn't enough room here to do justice to any description of Dylan. If "Thunder on the Mountain" doesn't put some swagger in your groove thang, then well, I can't help you...
	Ryan Bingham, Mescalito, 2007 Bingham's voice has the road weary growl of a much older man. His lyrics evoke a wisdom that is beyond his age, and if you don't feel just a little "outlaw" when listening to this record, then you might just be doing it wrong. Put this record on, inch the volume up a little higher than you might normally and let his smokehouse-dried voice take you down a dirt road to salvation. Sorry - corny, but man can this kid bring it. Check out "Hard Times" and "Bread & Water."
	Band of Horses, Infinite Arms, 2010 When a friend recently asked me to describe the style of music Band of Horses make, I found that their style truly defies description. I settled on "the good kind." Fire up any of their albums and you'll hear rock with country, folk and blues undertones. Standout tracks: "Laredo" and "NW Apt."
	Johnny Cash, American III: Solitary Man, 2007 Sadly, I did not truly discover the genius of Johnny Cash until after his death. I came across his "American" series of recordings a couple of years ago and the more I listen, the more I realize just what a national treasure he was. Key tracks: "I Won't Back Down," "One," and "Nobody."
	The Alan Parsons Project, The Essential Alan Parsons Project, 2007 If you don't know APP, your headphones don't know true love. Pure, delicious pornography for your ears. I recommend this retrospective package since you get the key tracks, though you can't go wrong with "The Turn of a Friendly Card," or "Ammonia Avenue." Parsons was a key sound engineer for Pink Floyd's classic "Dark Side of the Moon." I mean, really - who doesn't dig a little funky prog rock once in a while?
	The Black Keys, El Camino, 2011 Dirty, grungy, foot-stomping, smoke-drifting blues rock with a serious dose of something funky. Need I say more? Standout tracks: "Lonely Boy," and "Gold on the Ceiling." Oh, and it needs to be scare the cat out of the room kinda loud.
	Justin Townes Earle, Harlem River Blues, 2011 If Nashville and New York City had a love child, Justin Townes Earl would be his name. I really can't explain him or this record any more clearly. Just spin it, and prepare to feel folky groove thing that maybe scares you a little.
	Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More, 2010 Mumford & Sons clearly are the darlings of music critics everywhere - and for good reason. Folk? Maybe. Rock? A little. Alternative? What's that? Really, this band defies labels other than "groovy" and "hip." Yes, I said "hip."
	Chris Knight, Heart of Stone, 2008 Chris Knight is an artist that I stumbled on by mistake while exploring artists similar to other favorites on iTunes - and I am glad a did. Knight leans a little closer to pure country than I sometimes go, but he does so in way that evokes comparisons to other singer-songwriters (Steve Earle comes to mind). Put this disc on a rainy evening, crack a beer and reflect. "Miles to Memphis" is pure gold.
	Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Raising Sand, 2007 In the world of musical pairings, I'm pretty sure I am not alone in being surprised that these two musicians decided to make a record. I'm even more surprised that it's an absolute masterpiece. The personalities and musical styles of both Plant and Krauss shine through while blending to create a remarkable concoction that goes surprisingly well with a good sub-woofer and a comfy chair.
	The Decemberists, The King is Dead, 2011 Haunting and foot-tappingly addictive at the same time, The Decemberists have a sound that starts off feeling a bit folkish, but then starts feeling a little country and then feels, well, just a little weird. All I can say is crank up "Don't Carry It All" or "Down By the Water" and see for yourself. This record is responsible for me discovering the rest of their catalog and I am better for it.
	The Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street, 1972 Choosing just one Stones album to represent what Mick and his buzzy bandmates have done for me throughout my life is exceptionally difficult. This one, however, wins it by a nose. It's gritty, dirty, feels like it has street grime on it, and it's just the ticket. If not this album, check out "Some Girls," "Tattoo You," and/or "Black and Blue." Or, just buy the whole catalog. Mick and Keith will thank you.

To be continued...