Favorite Albums of 2012 - Nos. 8-5

Sorry for the break. I was making rather merry over the holidays. But I'm back with the top 8!

By the way, I hope you are all taking my recommendations, and Spotifying, Rhapsodying, Pandoraing or Amazoning all of these albums immediately. Scroll down to see the full list! It's worth it. Psy may be getting all the internet hits; but these artists actually made great music!

8. Rita Wilson - AM/FM - Hey, that chick has the same name as Tom Hanks' wife! Wait... it IS Tom Hanks' wife! And, yes, she CAN sing. She's no American Idol, or winner of the X Factor or the Voice; and believe me, I mean that as a compliment. This album hearkens back to the old days, the 60s and 70s, back when you didn't need to blow us away with your voice, you just needed to sing, beautifully and well. While others are trying to make you believe that they're singing with soul and emotion, Wilson really IS. She takes on songs we know as being group numbers, such as songs by the Association and the Everly Brothers, and her reinterpretations of these songs as solos bring new life to them. Memories alone make this one a new standard on your mp3 player of choice!

7. Pentatonix - PTX Vol. 1 (EP) - They won the Sing-off, the greatest music program ever to be cancelled on television! Now they came out with TWO EPs and a slew of viral YouTube videos. They are probably the one really popular group out there that is truly deserving of their superstardom. Every song on Vol. 1 is a cover of another artists song, but their vocal arrangement makes these tunes, which suck in their original form, amazingly spectacular. When songs overloaded with production and artificiality are finally presented musically by a talented group of vocal stylists, magic happens. But PTX is more than just a pop group. Their Christmas album, "PTXmas" shows off their choral chops, and their musicality. I'm looking forward to their long amazing career.

6. Slash - Apocalyptic Love - Here's the thing: Guns and Roses in the "Appetite" days... RULE! Guns and Roses now, with just Axl Rose, doing Chinese Democracy... SUCKS. Slash's first two solo albums... AMAZING! So, I ask you, who was the reason for the band's success, really? Exactly. And on "Apocalyptic Love" all songs are sung by Myles Kennedy, who is a great singer who clearly worships at the altar of Axl, so if you loved "Appetite", you'll love this album!

5. The Beach Boys - That's Why God Made the Radio - It's like they never left. If you're young and don't realize how phenomenal the Beach Boys were; or if you're old, like me, and think that they just got old and "not as good as they used to be;" I have to tell you what really happened is they lost Brian Wilson. He didn't die, he just lost touch with the guys. But after some great solo albums, albums of covers of Disney and Gershwin, and finally finishing the last Brian-era Beach Boys album, Smile; he's back with the group, who were doing fine on their own, and the sum IS greater than the sum of their parts. Yeah, their voices are older, but they harmonize like never before. Thoroughly enjoyable and brilliant album.