Kennedy's Picks

Top 5 albums:

Darren Rose Picks

My Top 5 song of 2012

5.    Tribes "We Were Children" - contains one of the best choruses of the year
4.    Delta Spirit "California" - in a year full of rock ballads this was one of the best
3.    The Lumineers "Ho Hey"  - 2 minutes and 30 seconds of sing along goodness
2.    Dead Sara "Weatherman" - these guys are going on tour with Muse b/c the band heard this song on 98-7.  Enough said...
1.    Macklemore & Ryan Lewis "Thrift Shop" - If you can't bob your head, sing the hook, and smile when this song comes on something is wrong with you.  I also I love that the back of their album reads "Macklemore & Ryan Lewis LLC".  The guys are DIY to core and it's not about genre or format - song to song it's lyrically the best album of the year."  

Runners-up:

3.    Mona "Lean Into the Fall"
2.    Hacienda "Savages"
1.    Jack White "Freedom @ 21"

My Top 5 albums of 2012. . .

5.  Delta Spirit (self)
4.  Tribes "Baby"
3. Mumford and Sons "Babel"
2. Dead Sara (self)
1. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis "The Heist"

Honorable mention: 
Fun. "Some Nights"

My Top 5 Music Moments...

5. Jack White's first solo, two-set show at SXSW
4. Dead Sara playing their longest set ever at Harvard and Stone for secret fan show
3. Black Keys private performance for 98-7 at The Sayers Club
2. Interviewing Billy Corgan on the roof of the Penthouse
1. Thrift shopping, hanging, and interviewing Macklemore & Ryan Lewis before seeing them blow up the Fonda

My Top 5 98-7 Penthouse event/performances

5.  Bush
4.  Close to Home for the Holidays party w/ over dozen local bands and a performance from Kitten
3.  Garbage
2.  Silversun Pickups 
1.  My long form interview with Billy Corgan

My Top 12 song of 2012 that deserved more attention - in no particular order: 

Smoke & Jackel "No Tell"
Tribes "We Were Children"
Gary Clark Jr. "Bright Lights"

The Heavy "What Makes a Good Man"
Cloud Nothings "Stay Useless"
Japandroids "The House That Heaven Built" 
Hacienda "Savage"
Mona "Lean Into the Fall"
Santigold "Disparate Youth"
Mickey Avalon "Girlfriend"
The Big Pink "Hit The Ground"
Sleigh Bells "Comeback Kid"

Kade's Picks

Julie Pilat (Program Director and Alternative Brand Manager for 987FM) Picks

10.  Twin Shadow at 987FM Lounge watch it here

Matt Baldwin - Producer of Complete Control Radio Picks 

10 (actually 11) Favorite Songs of 2012

1. Cloud Nothings - Stay Useless - Like a few other bands on the list I was unaware of Cloud Nothings when 2012 started. Their fuzzy lo-fi post punky hooks caught me and never let go. "Stay Useless" is the standout track on a fantastic album.

2. The Downtown Struts - Rogues - Like Cloud Nothings, The Downtown Struts were a band that were a blip on my radar screen. My friends from Chicago raved about them, but I never gave them the time of day. It wasn't until driving home that I decided to pop in Victoria. It hasn't left my cd player since.

3. The Menzingers - Casey - "...On The Impossible Past" was one of my most anticipated albums of 2012. When I first got it I wasn't overly impressed. But I kept playing it over and over. It finally hit. "Casey" has a bit of a personal meaning to me that I won't go into. It's nice when you can feel that connection with a song...

4. Best Coast - The Only Place - ...but sometimes the best songs are the ones that you have no connection to. "The Only Place" is a great pop song. Not pop in the One Direction since, but pop in vein of The Beach Boys and The Beatles. It's a fun, catchy song.

5. The Lumineers - Flowers In Your Hair - One of the few times that I wished a song was a minute or two longer. "Ho Hey" is a tasty track, but "Flowers In Your Hair" is the standout song on a beautiful album.

6. The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten - The most anticipated album of 2012 for me. "Handwritten" may be the strongest song that Brian Fallon has ever penned. I would put it up with "The '59 Sound" and "Blue Jeans And White T-Shirts." Pages bleed forgiveness...every word handwritten.

7. Taylor Swift - We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together AND Katy Perry - "Part Of Me" - I have a confession to make. While I bleed Bad Religion and Minor Threat, I have a special place in my heart for Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. These two both write insanely catchy songs. Both were jams and both had me singing along...even with the windows down.

8. Candy Hearts - Bad Idea - Candy Hearts went into the studio with Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory and released the best EP of 2012. "Bad Idea" is the best song off of that EP. Look for big things in 2013 from Candy Hearts.

9. Tegan And Sara - Closer - My only complaint with "Closer" is the music video. I love the karaoke idea, but wouldn't it have been so much more awesome had Tegan and Sara been dressed like (and ripped off) Olivia Newton John from the "Physical" video? That would have been EPIC!

10. Pennywise - Let Us Hear Your Voice - I'm happy that Jim is back with Pennywise, but "All Or Nothing" was Pennywise's best album in years. I was into the direction they were going with Zoli.

3 Most Epic Shows

1. Fest 11 - This is kind of cheating as I'm including a 3-day festival but it's my list so I make the rules! Fest 11, which takes place over Halloween weekend in Gainesville, FL is a punk rock haven. Basically punks take over the city of Gainesville for a weekend of drinking, hanging and rocking out. Propagandhi, The Menzingers, The Swellers, Candy Hearts, The Flatliners, and Anti-Flag were my personal highlights.

2. The Menzingers/Cheap Girls/The Sidekicks in Pomona- I'm biased as I put this show on, but it was my favorite show that I had ever done. Every band brought it and the venue was packed. It's great to see punk rock still alive and kicking.

3. Desaparecidos at FYF Fest - Amazing set. Their set alone has to be on this list.

Joe Sib's Picks

10 Favorite songs of 2012

Cheap Girls - Ruby
Hot Water Music - Exister
Downtown Struts - Rogues
Xavier Rudd - Follow The Sun
The Menzingers - Nice Things
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Thrift Shop
The Bouncing Souls - Static
NOFX - Ronnie And Mags
Title Fight - Secret Society
Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band - Devil's Look Like Angels

Three Favorite Shows of 2012

1. Taking the stage at FYF Fest --- with David Cross
2. Taking the stage at Fun Fun Fun Fest and seeing Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
3. Chris D'elia at The Bare Bones Show!

Jake Dill-The Locker Room Host

Top 10 songs

1. Passion Pit "Take a walk"
2. Alt J "Fitzpleasure"
3. Lumineers "Ho Hey"
4. Atlas Genius "Trojans" 
5. Tegan and Sara "Closer"
6. Capital Cities "Safe and Sound" 
7. Imagine Dragons "Radioactive" 
8. M83 "Midnight City"
9. Metric "Breathing Under water" 
10. Soundgarden "Been Away Too Long" 
11. (bonus!) Macklemore "Thrift Shop"

Most Epic Shows

1. Coachella, Weekend 2, Saturday - Manchester Orchestra is one of my new favorite bands. They released "Simple Math" in 2011 and I loved it. Since then I've devoured all their releases and ALL of them are as solid as a steak sh*t. They played earlier on and was one of the only bands I really wanted to see. During the show I was taking a break, laying on the grass, watching the Shins and just letting my mind wonder. As I sipped on a beer a familiar big haired figure walked towards me. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was Cedric Bixlar, lead singer of At The Drive-In and The Mars Volta (my favorite band). I've never been star struck, but as he passed right behind me, I couldn't think of his name.
I couldn't even move. He was right there. I could've put out my hand and said, "Love your stuff, man" or anything and then would've been able to say that I met Cedric. But I couldn't even speak. The only thing I was able to say was, "M... ma-mars Volta." and point as he walked off. Later that night it was time to see my 2nd favorite band, Radiohead. It had been a good 6 years since I saw them last and was very excited. They took the stage, I found a quiet piece of lawn, laid back and listened to the music. As I gazed up into the night sky, I counted the stars. I felt how small we are. I experienced death and re-birth. I think someone put something in my drink. They ended their 2nd encore with Paranoid Android. It helped snap me out of my trance and get ready for the long drive home.

2. Hot Water Music -The Glasshouse and later The Honda Center opening for Gaslight Anthem and Rise Against I would say these guys are serious contenders for my 3rd favorite band. Both times I saw them with my friend Ed who is also a big fan. The Glasshouse was a punk rawk workout. At my age, there's not too many mosh pits left in my future. the show the the Honda Center was fun too. Ed and I showed up a little late. Not good if you're trying to catch the opener opener. We ran inside. I heard HWM playing and asked an usher where our seats were. He pointed us in the proper direction and as I ran off towards our seats he yelled, "NO RUNNING!" I yelled back, "I DO WHAT I WANT!!!"

3. 987 Saves XMAS Front and center to see Atlas Genius. Took a pretty sweet pic of the band. Posted it to Instagram. They re-gramed my Instagram! I squealed like a little girl. Nice guys too. Got to talk to them for a little bit after the show. They're big fans of Bill Murray. Who isn't? 4. Primus -The Greek Had to throw these guys in there. One of my favorite bands since jr. high. I had never seen them live until a couple years ago and I will never miss another Primus show. Les Claypool is the man. They just released the video for "Jilly's on Smack" which is my favorite song off the new record. It's SI-ACK! Look it up.