Blue's Top Five
So seeing as it is a brand new year and we all lived to see at least one more, I'd figure I would break us in with an a "Top Five" of 2012. I am going to be doing my top five games, movies, songs, albums, artists (yeah some of these are going to overlap) and books from 2012. Now just saying these might not all be from 2012, but just what I was really into during the year. So I think I will start with what was listed first..... games.
Blue's Top Five Games of 2012
#5: Skyrim
Game of the Year: Sid Meier's Civilization V: Gods and Kings
Yeah yeah I know, it's well over a year old, but it's still a really fun game. And the Dragonborn DLC is fairly awesome and it's been enough to get me back into it and enjoying it...
#4: NFL Madden 13
Look, I'm aware that people disregard these games... well because they are sports games. And I get that, they are not for everyone. But as always, Madden was one of my most enjoyable games of the year.
#3: DOTA 2
One of my roommates bugged me on a pretty consistent basis to play this for a while. I finally caved in and forgot about it as soon as I got my beta pass I decided to try it. Pretty damned amazing lane defense game. I don't really know if there are better ones out there, but DOTA was lots of fun this year.
#2: Final Fantasy XII
So last year I went back and started to rediscover it in all it's glory. I found out it is just as good as as it was years ago.
So even though the Gods and Kings expansion is attached on the end of that, the real game is where the meat is. The added stuff is also very good, but the basic game is not bad at all. In fact, it's something I put 94 hours into since roughly August of 2012. That is why that is easily my top game of 2012. Trust me, there will be more in it later.... a lot more.
Honorable Mentions: Far Cry 3, Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten, and Torchlight II
Blue's Top Five Movies of 2012
#5: Dark Shadows
Johnny Depp does good here and even though it's a remake, I like it quite a bit. The humor is decent and always seems to just hit the spot.
#4: The Dark Knight Rises/Marvel's The Avengers
I just have to double up on this. There has been no other year in which there were two superhero movies that not only crushed at the box office, but they were damn good. Both of them. If you haven't seen them then you should.
#3: Ted
I know, a movie about a teddy bear. But it was written by Seth MacFarlane, a comical genius and one of the best in the business today. Mila Kunis, Whalberg, and MacFarlane nail it in this one with a great comedy that isn't the most appropriate but it's damned funny.
#2: Lawless
After finally seeing this one towards the end of last year I couldn't leave it off the list. That just wouldn't be right. Tom Hardy and Shia LaBeouf really make this a movie to see. Its really a great movie.
Movie of the Year: Looper
I only saw it twice throughout the year, but it was really good. Considered by many to be Sci-Fi film of the generation and I would have to agree. It has an amazing plotline and is one of the more original movies out there today. Period.
Honorable Mentions: The Lookout, Premium Rush, and 21 Jump Street
Blue's Top 5 Artists of 2012
#5: Maroon 5
I don't like all pop, but the stuff I do like I think is pretty good. With Payphone, One More Night, Tickets, and Lucky Strike all coming from this year, they deserve some mention here. I list them because I also enjoyed listening to their other stuff because of those songs.
After reading my Stadium Arcadium review you should know these guys are one of my favorite bands. I decided to slot them here because I listen to them all the time, and their newest album I'm With You was fairly impressive working with new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer and brought me much joy this year.
#3: Wiz Khalifa
Congrats, Wiz. You're the only hip-hop/rap artists to make it onto the top five artists. I like hip-hop/rap, just not usually as much as everything else. O.N.I.F.C has more than a few gems and a lot of his older stuff was listened to by me a lot this year. This one was a bit difficult to pick but the next two, not at all.
#2: The Classic Crime
These guys have apparently been around for a little while but I didn't know about it until last year. This was kind of a good thing because I got to listen to their entire body of work for the first time. Quite an experience for me.
Artist of the Year: Pentatonix
Soooooo, yeah. An a cappella group. Go ahead, laugh if you want but these five have some serious skill and wit to arrange their arrangements the way they do. They are my artist of the year because I've always been a sucker for good musicians and they are doing it with a very hard instrument to master; their voice. To do what they've done in a year and a half is incredible. Great sound and great chemistry from my artist of the year.
Honorable Mentions: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Emery, and Mike Posner
Blue's Top Five Albums of 2012
#5: PTX, Vol. 1 by Pentatonix
It just wouldn't be right to not have my artist of the year on here, so here it is. PTX, Vol. 1 is a damned good album. Yes, it's mostly covers, but they sound just as good or better than the originals. I enjoyed it very much and it even came out in 2012.
#4: The Drug In Me Is You by Falling in Reverse
These guys could have been in my top five artists if they had more material. Alas, their debut album is the only one they have out. Yes, I was a bit late to get on the Falling in Reverse train but that does not diminish how much I loved this album so even though the album was a 2011 production, it gets the #4 spot.
#3: Blue Slide Park by Mac Miller
Again I find myself in need of more material than they have. Easily could have went on the artist and possibly even artist of the year if I didn't have to listen to the same songs again and again. I also know that this is the second album released in 2011 to go on here, but it's okay. This list is again what I listened/enjoyed this year in music. This is a must with that criteria.
#2: Albatross by The Classic Crime
Awhile ago I thought this was the best album I had heard... yeah my hype for it has died down quite a bit but I still think it is one hell of an album with many good tracks to listen too. It seems as though I keep getting older as this list moves on and on seeing as this was a 2006 product.
Album of the Year: The Heist by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Happy days! I return back to 2012 and pull this gem onto the top of this list. Why? Because it's fucking amazing and if you say one thing about Thrift Shop I will hurt you. Yeah, it's a decent song but it shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as other tracks on this. I really wish something else had blown up off this album, but alas, it didn't. Either way, you ca expect a review of this to go up at some point because I just feel as though the lyrics and beats behind them are just too damn good to go untalked about.
Honorable Mentions:
Before the Amplifiers: Acoustic by Sister Hazel,
Overexposed by Maroon 5, and
What Do We Want by Emery
Blue's Top Five Songs of 2012
(Damn these were hard)
#5: Too Close by Alex Clare
I fell in love with this song when I heard it on the Internet Explorer commercial. After that I wanted to look at the rest of his album. The rest of it sucks, don't bother.
#4: 5805 by The Classic Crime
I couldn't leave these guys out and I think this song is amazing. There's a really interesting feel to the verses of this song and it was the first one I heard by them. Led me straight into a really good band that was new to me.
#3: As Long As You Love Me/Wide Awake (Cover) by Pentatonix
Coming in at #3 is a Pentatonix song that is not on their album. This was a strictly youtube.com cover that I rather enjoy. What I think so good about this song is it showcases all of their abilities as vocalists (or subwoofers or beatboxers). Also, they made me enjoy Justin Bieber and Katy Perry much more than I usually do.
#2: Otherside by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
This is an older one, but damn, it hit home. I know the whole cough syrup thing is well, not as big of a problem but the message really stays the same here no matter what. Rappers have a gigantic influence and some of them just don't seem to realize this.
Song of the Year: The Baddest Girl by Pentatonix
Yup, them again. I hope you're starting to get the pattern here. They're really damn good. The best part about this one is it is an original song by them. That takes and impressive about of musical knowledge and they absolutely rock the track.
Honorable Mentions:
Enter Galactic by Kid Cudi,
A Sin to Hold Onto by Emery,
Springsteen by Eric Church,
Dig by Incubus,
PA Nights by Mac Miller,
Same Love by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis,
Payphone by Maroon 5,
Underrated by The Rocket Summer,
Teach You To Fly by Wiz Khalifa, and
Goodbye In Her Eyes by Zac Brown Band
Blue's Top Five Books of 2012
#5: Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks
This is the last in an amazing trilogy about assassins. The main protagonist in this one makes Ezio and Altiar look like little bitches. Amazing books so if you're looking for something to read, Night Angel Trilogy. Thank me later
#4: Under the Dome by Stephen King
This one was a really long book but it was an extremely good book. Lots of different moving parts and a lot of different plots but this one is well worth the effort of reading.
#3: Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
This is a great book series. I literally have not read anything quite this good in my life and I mean that. I have read a lot of different things too. There will most likely be more of this later.
#2: 11/22/63 by Stephen King
The last few years have been really good for Stephen King. He has written a few really good books that I have really enjoyed more than once. This history/thriller fiction novel is really damn good.
Book of the Year: Cold Days by Jim Butcher
Yeah, I think that it should be really obvious that I like these books. A lot. Rather than go on and on and on I would rather just say read the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.
Hope you enjoyed my top five!!!
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