There were so many amazing albums and so much mind-blowingly great music released in 2012 that it was almost impossible to chose a best of list. At one point in my compiling I had to delete my list and start over because I had almost nothing but blues releases and I wanted the list to showcase several music genres, not just one.

Here are my ‘Best of’ lists for 2012 – mostly in order although the farther down on the list, the harder it was to sort and place the music. I tried to stay with ten selections for each but I got a little carried away with the best videos.

- Favorite Albums of 2012 -

Once Upon a Time in the West – The White Buffalo

My Favorite Album of 2012

Burn Flicker Die – American Aquarium

There’s a Bomb in Gilead – Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires

Driving Towards the Daylight – Joe Bonamassa

Tomorrowland – Ryan Bingham

Handwritten – Gaslight Anthem

Seven – Viv and the Revival

Let It Burn – Ruthie Foster

Up 2 Zero – Anthony Gomes

One Damn Heart – The Debonzo Brothers

- Favorite Songs of 2012 -

Don’t Let Me Get Lonely – The Record Company

One Lone Night – The White Buffalo

So James Dean – Viv and the Revival

Whittled Down – Johnny Hickman

Driving Towards the Daylight – Joe Bonamassa

Burn Flicker Die – American Aquarium

Here We Go - Roisin O

Break My Heart Tonight – The Debonzo Brothers

45 – Gaslight Anthem

Baptized – Buffalo Killers

- Favorite EP’s of 2012 -

All Things Blue – Ophelia Cache

Superdead – The Record Company

I Am Here – Savages

Signal – The Amends

- Favorite Videos of 2012 -

Wish it Was True – The White Buffalo

Angeles – Steve Carlson and Jensen Ackles

Another Road - Johnny Hickman

Mark My Words – The Coronas

No Surprise - Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray

To Live is To Fly – Ryan Bingham

Made to Break – Otis Gibbs

Welcome To A Good Time – Viv and the Revival

I’ll Wait – Charlie Spraggs

Break My Heart Tonight – The Debonzo Brothers

Haunted – Cassie Taylor

- Favorite New (to me) Artists/Bands -

The Baron Sisters, Haley Bowery and the Manimals, Jean Caffeine,

 Corey Koehler, Savages, The Wild Suns, Caleb Caudle and The Bohannons

- All the leftover stuff -

When compiling my list,  I purposefully left out some really good mainstream music. Partly because of resources (we know Springsteen has more money to work with than American Aquarium) and partly because the mainstream albums and videos get all the broadcast and radio play they could possibly need.  I wanted to spotlight bands that are making exceptional music, but receive little (or no) air play.

However, here are a few albums I wanted to highlight before I end my list, mainly because the artists put out great music that I kept playing long after the album or video release.

Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball – great video for ‘We Take Care of Our Own’,

Soundgarden – ‘Live to Rise’ – I can’t stop playing the song and watching the video so I put it up in the featured section for New Years Eve,

Don Williams – And So It Goes – it’s been too long since Don put out an album and this one was so good,

Ry Cooder – Election Special – Well, it’s Ry Cooder…duh.

Oh wow…I am finally done. While I go collapse on the floor you all can check out my choices and if you want, drop a note in the comment section with your thoughts or picks for best music of 2012.

- Kit