I've been doing these best of the year lists over on my Facebook page, and I figured why not post them here, too....
Alright ladies and gentlemen, it's that time of year again! Time for my 'Best Of' lists! I know all of you have been clamoring to know what the best albums of 2012 according to The Real Concert King were! Just kidding, I know no one cares. These are the best EPs to be released this year, in my opinion. The positioning is just what I feel at this point in time, later on I might feel differently and wish I had shuffled it around a bit. An artist's position on the list isn't neccessarily an exact representation of how I feel about them in general (for example some artists I love dearly are lower down than others), but based on the overall quality of the release.
Alright I'm just going to start by listing the 10 best EPs of 2012:
#10: William Beckett - Walk the Talk EP
William came out with three separate four-song EPs this year, all of them worth checking out for any fan of The Academy Is... The songs are definitely more pop-centric than rock-leaning TAI stuff, but it's good enough to dull my pain over the breakup of The Academy Is...
Check out: Compromising Me
#9: William Beckett - Winds Will Change EP
This one is my favorite of the three EPs. It has my two favorite songs of his young solo career, Warriors and Dig a Hole.
Check out: Warriors
#8: Cassadee Pope - Cassadee Pope EP
The songs are solid and catchy, if not extremely pop-y. My only gripes are one or two questionable lyric choices and all of the songs pretty much revolve around the same subject. As she grows and matures, her music will only get better. Oh yeah, and now she is the winner of The Voice.
Check out: Told You So
#7: Marriages - Kitsune
A project from three of the members of the phenomenal Red Sparowes. You can definitely hear the carryover, very atmospheric, at times serene and other times very heavy. But this is certainly a departure from Red Sparowes, for one there's vocals.
Check out: Ten Tiny Fingers
#6: Pelican - Atraxia/Taraxis
The newest release from the mighty Pelican. I'm a sucker for good instrumental post-rock/post-metal and sludge metal. Pelican blends all of that for a familiar sound, but still manages to keep evolving.
Check out: Parasite Colony
#5: The Pretty Reckless - Hit Me Like a Man EP
This would be ranked higher if it included more than only three new songs, the other 2 tracks being live cuts of their first album. The three new songs are very solid, though. Cold Blooded showing guitarist Ben making his lead singing debut.
Check out: Hit Me Like a Man
#4: With Knives - Schadenfreude
The new project of Joe Trohman of Fall Out Boy and The Damned Things and Josh Newton of Every Time I Die and The Damned Things. It leans towards Stoner Rock almost in the vein of bands like Sleep.
Check out: Dig a Hole.
#3: Anthony Raneri - New Cathedrals
The lyrical genius of Bayside but less rock, with a slight tinge of country.
Check out: The Ballad of Bill the Saint
#2: The Calefaction - Whales of Pearl Peak Pt. 1
An extremely underrated release from a great local band. A must listen to for any Coheed and Cambria, 3 or The Dear Hunter fan.
Check out: Life Preserver http://thecalefaction.bandcamp.com/track/life-preserver
#1: This Providence - Brier EP
This Providence's comeback after a long wait and it does not disappoint. It has more of a classic rock feel to it than their previous records, but with the same high-quality lyrics from Dan Young. A very strong independent release.
Check out: Trouble
Alright ladies and gentlemen, it's that time of year again! Time for my 'Best Of' lists! I know all of you have been clamoring to know what the best albums of 2012 according to The Real Concert King were! Just kidding, I know no one cares. These are the best EPs to be released this year, in my opinion. The positioning is just what I feel at this point in time, later on I might feel differently and wish I had shuffled it around a bit. An artist's position on the list isn't neccessarily an exact representation of how I feel about them in general (for example some artists I love dearly are lower down than others), but based on the overall quality of the release.
Alright I'm just going to start by listing the 10 best EPs of 2012:
#10: William Beckett - Walk the Talk EP
William came out with three separate four-song EPs this year, all of them worth checking out for any fan of The Academy Is... The songs are definitely more pop-centric than rock-leaning TAI stuff, but it's good enough to dull my pain over the breakup of The Academy Is...
Check out: Compromising Me
#9: William Beckett - Winds Will Change EP
This one is my favorite of the three EPs. It has my two favorite songs of his young solo career, Warriors and Dig a Hole.
Check out: Warriors
#8: Cassadee Pope - Cassadee Pope EP
The songs are solid and catchy, if not extremely pop-y. My only gripes are one or two questionable lyric choices and all of the songs pretty much revolve around the same subject. As she grows and matures, her music will only get better. Oh yeah, and now she is the winner of The Voice.
Check out: Told You So
#7: Marriages - Kitsune
A project from three of the members of the phenomenal Red Sparowes. You can definitely hear the carryover, very atmospheric, at times serene and other times very heavy. But this is certainly a departure from Red Sparowes, for one there's vocals.
Check out: Ten Tiny Fingers
#6: Pelican - Atraxia/Taraxis
The newest release from the mighty Pelican. I'm a sucker for good instrumental post-rock/post-metal and sludge metal. Pelican blends all of that for a familiar sound, but still manages to keep evolving.
Check out: Parasite Colony
#5: The Pretty Reckless - Hit Me Like a Man EP
This would be ranked higher if it included more than only three new songs, the other 2 tracks being live cuts of their first album. The three new songs are very solid, though. Cold Blooded showing guitarist Ben making his lead singing debut.
Check out: Hit Me Like a Man
#4: With Knives - Schadenfreude
The new project of Joe Trohman of Fall Out Boy and The Damned Things and Josh Newton of Every Time I Die and The Damned Things. It leans towards Stoner Rock almost in the vein of bands like Sleep.
Check out: Dig a Hole.
#3: Anthony Raneri - New Cathedrals
The lyrical genius of Bayside but less rock, with a slight tinge of country.
Check out: The Ballad of Bill the Saint
#2: The Calefaction - Whales of Pearl Peak Pt. 1
An extremely underrated release from a great local band. A must listen to for any Coheed and Cambria, 3 or The Dear Hunter fan.
Check out: Life Preserver http://thecalefaction.bandcamp.com/track/life-preserver
#1: This Providence - Brier EP
This Providence's comeback after a long wait and it does not disappoint. It has more of a classic rock feel to it than their previous records, but with the same high-quality lyrics from Dan Young. A very strong independent release.
Check out: Trouble