Youngblood Hawke - Youngblood Hawke E.P.

Oh one of those bands, Fun, Imagine Dragons and so on and so forth. The new pop indie sound that has become so popular right now in the TV commercial world. Youngblood Hawke aren't terrible they are just a fifth tier indie pop band that is doing the popular sound right now which is done better and more dynamically by Boy Least Likely To..., Apples In Stereo, Tilly & The Wall, Belle & Sebastion and the list goes on.

There is no shortage of this sound right now and the problem here is this band isn't as good at it as the one mentioned above. I think overall the songs are likable but they all sound alike to a large degree which makes a listen through their E.P. boring. But as a stand alone song in a mix this is good stuff. Too much makes your ears long for something else a little now and again is nice.

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Adler - Back From The Dead

Let's start with Jacob Bunton who is arguably a major reason this album comes close to being decent. His previous bands all had some potential but never got it all right. Lonny Paul on guitar and bassist Johnny Martin along with Steven Adler round out what is a smoking rock n' roll hit squad. Before Martin was added to the group they had the honour and immense talent of Jeff Pilson to record the bass parts on the entire disc.

Jeff also produced the eleven tracks which sound incredible from a production stand point. Jeff is one of my hereo's so I'm not even going to pretend I'm being fair here but with that said one listen and you won't argue that Pilson's production is bloody awesome.

The opening track also the title track on the album is a slick groovy rocker that is well written and performed. As the album progresses track to track I'm shocked that this is Adler. I mean go back and listen to the previous garbage the guy was releasing and you won't believe what transformation has taken place. Lonny Paul is really tasty in the solo sections of the songs and he does every song justice. The amazing John 5 plays on "Good To Be Bad" which just rips! This album at five tracks in is so damn good I'd be happy if it ended as an E.P..

The inclusion of the six string slinger from past glories Slash appears on "Just Don't Ask" who once again adds credibility and quality to a project I couldn't have imagined would be so great. Steven's drumming is really good and he never misses a beat on the album. After watching him a few years ago on Celebrity Rehab I could see he's a good soul with so much mental health trouble. It really great that he's finally gotten to see success with this band. Sure it's too soon to say if they will sell and be popular but really the success is in the product put forth. This album is a complete, 100% success and there is nothing about it that fails.

Without so much as a stumble along the way, it was hard to make it through the eleven tracks without wanting to hear them all again. From the sexy vibe of "Your Diamonds" to the harrowing lyrics of "Habit", and the straight up ass-kicking delivered courtesy of "Blown Away" – Back From The Dead delivers on all facets. The band's image is top flight as well they look like rockstars in the modern era which today is nearly as important as the music. This album will be on repeated listens for a long time and I think I'm completely in love with previously mentioned "Your Diamonds" what a ridiculously good song! Like I mean freaking crazy H.O. double T. good!

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Top 100 Songs Of 2012

The best songs that my ears heard this year and overall I think we had some great music from all genre's and formats. The pop market had some classics this year but I have to say the dance and indie formats provided some of the years best material overall.

100. Everythings Gonna Be Alright by Len
99. Let The Sparks Fly by Thousand Foot Krutch
98. Ne'er Do Wells by Audra Mae & The Almighty Sound
97. Last Night (Beer Fear) by Lucy Spraggan
96. Castle Of Glass by Linkin Park
95. Spite by Charm City Devils
94. Let's Fall In Love by Mother Mother
93. Fine By Me by Andy Grammer
92. Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye Feat. Kimbra
91. Same Old You by Miranda Lambert
90. The King Is Dead But The Queen Is Alive by P!nk
89. Scream & Shout by Will.I.Am Feat Britney Spears
88. For The Animals by Cult
87. Walk Over Me by All-American Rejects
86. Some Nights by Fun.
85. Bounce by Emphatic
84. Don't Stop by Foster The People
83. Falling Down by Atreyu
82. Kick Ass by Egypt Central
81. Tower Of Song by Tom Jones
80. On'n'on by Justice
79. Electric Music by Band Of Horses
78. Georgia Peaches by Lauren Alaina
77. Army Of Two by Olly Murs
76. You Make Me Sick by Saving Abel
75. Don’t Give Up by Kevin Rudolf
74. Everybody Talks by Neon Trees
73. Boss's Daughter by Pop Evil
72. Fuck Away The Pain by Divide The Day
71. I Don't Believe by Kyng
70. I'm Not Cool by Eric Hutchinson
69. Figure It Out by Serj Tankian
68. The Wind by Zac Brown Band
67. True American Hate by Testament
66. When Can I See You Again by Owl City
65. Greyhound by Swedish House Mafia
64. Low-Life by Bobaflex
63. A Warrior's Call by Volbeat
62. Fake I.D. by Big & Rich
61. Give It Up by Jedward
60. Surprise Surprise by Billy Talent
59. Bubblegum Bitch by Marina & The Diamonds
58. Let It Go by Dragonette
57. Right Back Atcha Babe by Tim McGraw
56. Dr. Wanna Do by Caro Emerald
55. Banjo by Rascal Flatts
54. Starships by Nicki Minaj
53. Go Right Ahead by Hives
52. No Thanks To You by Marilou
51. Righteous Smoke by Monster Truck
50. All About Us by He Is We Feat. Aaron Gillespie
49. Happy Most Of The Time by Brendan Benson
48. Cruising California (Bumpin' In My Trunk) by The Offspring
47. Hand Springs by White Stripes
46. Something Like Olivia by John Mayer
45. Sixteen Saltines by Jack White
44. Rock$tar by Reece Mastin
43. Tonight by Seether
42. Analog Man by Joe Walsh
41. Life Of The Party by Boyslikegirls
40. Stuck On You by Meiko
39. Heart Attack by Asteroids Galaxy Tour
38. Bom Bom by Sam & The Womp
37. She's So Mean by Matchbox Twenty
36. The Crazy Ones by Stellar Revival
35. Get Out by Casey Abrams
34. Take Her From You by Dev
33. Am I The Only One by Dierks Bentley
32. Wanna Dance With Somebody by Allstar Weekend
31. Don't Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas) by Regina Spektor
30. Stairway by Yukon Blonde
29. Gold On The Ceiling by Black Keys
28. My Heart Goes Boom by Miss Li
27. Tickets by Maroon 5
26. I'm Not Alright by Shinedown
25. Love Bites (So Do I) by Halestorm
24. Drive By by Train
23. I Make My Own Sunshine by Alyssa Bonagura
22. Brokenhearted by Karmin
21. Cupid by Daniel Powter
20. Let Yourself Go by Green Day
19. Rocket Ship by Dragonette
18. Cinema by Benny Benassi Feat. Gary Go
17. Are You Ready by Kate Miller-Heidke
16. Soldiers by Otherwise
15. Black Sheep by Gin Wigmore
14. All The Way by Rival Sons
13. Gloria by Junkie Xl Feat. Datarock
12. Popular Song by Mika
11. Famous by Katy Tiz
10. Situation Infatuation by Eve 6
09. Shooting Star by Owl City
08. Midnight Shifter by Hives
07. Good Time by Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen
06. Let's All Kill Each Other by Soul Asylum
05. Dance With Me Tonight by Olly Murs
04. Bully by Shinedown
03. Candy by Robbie Williams
02. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift
01. Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen

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Top 100 Albums Of 2012

And it's that time of year! Time to discover the good stuff and disregard the fluff
 
100. Our Lady Peace - Curve
99. Wig Wam - Wall Street
98. Boys Like Girls - Crazy World
97. John Mayer - Born & Raised
96. Neon Trees - Picture Show
95. Kill Devil Hill - Kill Devil Hill
94. Beth Hart - Bang Bang Boom Boom
93. Lifehouse - Almeria
92. Yellowcard - Southern Air
91. Papa Roach - The Connection
90. Walls - Stop The Lights
89. Toby Keith - Hope On The Rocks
88. Imperial Teen - Feel The Sound
87. TheMightyOne - Shift
86. Rival Sons - Head Down
85. Gotthard - Firebirth
84. Great White - Elation
83. The Last Vegas - Bad Decisions
82. Little Caesar - American Dream
81. Hinder - Welcome To The Freak Show
80. Blackberry Smoke - The Whippoorwill
79. Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten
78. Ian Hunter - When I'm President
77. Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania
76. Regina Spektor - What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
75. Tom Jones - Spirit In The Room
74. Frank Hannon - Six String Soldiers
73. Kontrust - Second Hand Wonderland
72. Neal McCoy - XII
71. Dev - The Night The Sun Came Up
70. Eric Hutchinson - Moving Up Living Down
69. Stonesour - House Of Gold And Bones Part 1
68. Thousand Foot Krutch - The End Is Where We Begin
67. Alan Jackson - Thirty Miles West
66. Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits
65. Scouting For Girls 2012 - The Light Between Us
64. John 5 - God Told Me To
63. Foxy Shazam - The Church Of Rock And Roll
62. Explorers Club - Grand Hotel
61. TV Girl - The Wild, The Innocent, The TV Shuffle
60. Unisonic - Unisonic
59. All-American Rejects - Kids In The Street
58. Los Straitjackets - Jet Set
57. Muse - The 2nd Law
56. The Script - #3
55. Trixter - New Audio Machine
54. He Is We - Skip To The Good Part E.P. (Deluxe Edition)
53. Adaline - Modern Romantics
52. Dierks Bentley - Country & Cold Cans E.P
51. Soulicit - Parking Lot Rockstar
50. Jedward - Young Love
49. My Dynamite - My Dynamite
48. Ben Folds Five - The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind
47. Xenia - Sing You Home E.P
46. Charm City Devils - Sins
45. Fear Factory - The Industrialist
44. Reece Mastin - Beautiful Nightmare
43. HellYeah! - Band Of Brothers
42. Imagine Dragons - Night Visions
41. Used - Vulnerable
40. Taylor Swift - Red
39. Offspring - Days Go By
38. fun. - Some Nights
37. Slash - Apocalyptic Love
36. Green Day - Tre
35. Easton Corbin - All Over The Road
34. Marilou - 60 Thoughts A Minute
33. Ke$ha - Warrior
32. Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Out Of Frequency
31. Meiko - The Bright Side
30. Carrie Underwood - Blown Away
29. Band Of Horses - Mirage Rock
28. Marina & The Diamonds - Electra Heart
27. Kiss - Monster
26. Marilyn Manson - Born Villain
25. Casey Abrams - Casey Abrams
24. Train - California 37
23. Carly Rae Jepsen - Curiosity
22. Maroon 5 - Overexposed
21. Owl City - The Midsummer Station
20. Dwight Yoakam - 3 Pears
19. Linkin Park - Living Things
18. Cult - Choice Of Weapon
17. Billy Talent - Dead Silence
16. Miss Li - Tangerine Dream
15. Lena - Stardust
14. Cher Lloyd - Sticks & Stones (North American Release allows a return)
13. Eve 6 - Speak In Code
12. Soul Asylum - Delayed Reaction
11. Black Keys - El Camino
10. Overkill - The Electric Age
09. Testament - Dark Roots Of Earth
08. Dragonette - Bodyparts
07. Gin Wigmore - Gravel & Wine
06. Brendan Benson - What Kind Of World
05. Hives - Lex Hives
04. Shinedown - Amaryllis
03. Green Day - Uno!
02. Jack White - Blunderbuss
01. Halestorm - The Strange Case Of

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