American Craft Beer Picks the Best Music of 2012

We’re big fans of music here at the American Craft Beer compound. We think that music and craft beer were made for each other. And when it comes to the best music, we’ve got opinions, big-time……So here are, in no particular order, our picks for the Best Music of 2012.

Jack White “Blunderbuss” – Jack White is as serious about being an artist as he is about being a Rock Star – and that’s just one of the reasons we love him! “Blunderbuss” is another reason. It’s his first solo album and it was written, recorded and produced entirely by him and released on Third Man Records (his own label.) Like many rock greats with limited voices (David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Neil Young come to mind) White can use his unique vocals to devastating effect. His songwriting on Blunderbuss reads like a compendium of rock styles. From the blues and soul to British rock – he makes them all his own…..And, oh yeah, dude’s not bad on guitar either!

M, American Craft Beer Picks the Best Music of 2012umford & Sons – “Babel” Follow-ups to huge debut albums fail more times than not – but not this time. Mumford & Sons stays the course with ‘Babel” and delivers!

Frank Ocean “Channel Orange” – It’s one thing to have the confidence to publicly come out in one of entertainment’s most notoriously homophobic industries. It’s absolutely another to drop one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year mere weeks later. Channel Orange is as much acid-rattled, minimalist, trippy R&B that we’ve come to know via the Weeknd and Drake, as it is a soulful and sexually charged throwback to the days of D’Angelo and Maxwell. As talented a songwriter and producer as he is a vocalist, he’s left the industry changed — both musically and socially.

The Black Keys – “El Camino” – Not unlike Jack White’s “Blunderbuss,” The Black Keys get back to fundamentals on their most recent LP and succeed wildly! Some say that “El Camino” was actually released 2011; others say it may be the best rock album of 2012. We’re saying that this is the best music that they’ve ever done…period!

Muse – “The 2nd Law” – Described by the band as a radical departure from their previous recordings, Muse’s “The 2nd Law” was initially greeted skeptically by the group’s long-time fans. Many of their new musical directions (the inclusion of brass and strings, house electronica and even dub step) were met with accusations of selling-out. The trio’s sixth LP mixes the , American Craft Beer Picks the Best Music of 2012best of Queen in their heyday with the gloom of Radiohead at their most electronic and never looks back! Muse’s “The 2nd Law” is as audacious as it is brilliant – it’s also one of the best albums of 2012!

Kendrick Lamar – “good kid, m.A.A.d city” – There were two moments in album releases this year: when Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d. city was released and then everything else. Even novice hip hop fans seemed drawn to the follow-up to Section.80. A solid week of the music blogosphere and social networks proved that the 25-year-old Angelino had sucked the air out of the room with eclectic, solid beats and profound lyrics. Light, summery tracks like “The Recipe” are cut up perfectly with darker, harder tracks like “Swimming Pools” and trippy, ground-breaking tracks like “Cartoon & Cereal.” People used to refer to Kendrick as the new Wiz Khalifa. At this rate, he’ll be twice as big as Wiz ever was.

The Lumineers – “The Lumineers” Denver, Colorado’s folk- rock band, The Lumineers, are 2012’s overnight success that actually has been years in the making. Last year’s self-titled LP released “Ho Hey” as a single and it went on to cement the band’s success and become one of the year’s biggest songs. Some people refer to The Lumineers as America’s Mumford & Sons and we’re thinking that that’s far from a bad thing.

Honorable Mentions: Foxy Shazam – “The Church of Rock And Roll.” Tame Impala- “Lonerism,” Japandroids – “Celebration Rock,” Passion Pit – “Gossamer,” The Dirty Heads – Cabin By The Sea,” Alt-J – “An Awesome Wave” and Bob Mould – “Silver Age.”

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