This has been another great year for music of the un-herd variety. Special shout-out to the Pilgrims, who showed up out of nowhere with an album so good it made me compare it to no less a legend than the Replacements. More ups, props, and whut-whuts to Mott the Hoople's Ian Hunter, who returned with what might be his best album since the 70s, and Tsar, who rose from the dead after a 6 year absence with their hyper-melodic brand of power pop/punk perfectly intact. And the rest compiled here - My Jerusalem, The New Electric Sound, Tim Rogers (You Am I's mainman), Divine Fits (Spoon's Britt Daniel with guys from Wolf Parade and New Bomb Turks), AC Newman (on a break from New Pornographers, with help from Neko Case), Rooni (aka Gustav Nilsson, and not to be confused with slick LA popsters Rooney), the Honeymoon Stallions (Sun King's Andy Goldberg's new band), Hot Freak Nation, OBN IIIs, Chelle Rose... well, hell, all of them - are making a strong case to show up on the upcoming Best-of-2012 list. That's the crunchy and the smooth. 'N all.
I'm Just Talkin' 'Bout Your Mama
1. Rooni Run (Into My Arms)
2. 1an Hunter Comfortable (Flying Scotsman)
3. Tsar Police Station
4. Lissy Tru11ie You Bleed You
5. Thee Attacks Stab
6. The Dirty Guv'nahs Good Luck Charm
7. The New E1ectric Sound Boston Shuffle
8. AC Newman Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns
9. The Do11yrots Hyperactive
10. Tim Rogers One O' The Girls
11. Divine Fits Like Ice Cream
12. The Honeymoon Sta11ions It Never Ends
13. Dan Mira1di The Runaround
14. The Pi1grims American Eyes
15. Bare Wires Starting To See
16. My Jerusa1em Oh Little Sister
17. The Whigs Waiting
18. Hot Freak Nation Never Coming Home
19. The Peacocks Need a Break
20. Che11e Rose Alimony
21. Cowbe11 Hanging By A Thread
22. OBN 111s So What If We Die
23. Jim Jones Revue 7 Times Around the Sun
24. Titus Andronicus (I Am The) Electric Man
