As 2012 nears its end, it is time to release the 2nd annual The Troubadour’s Road Top 25 Songs of 2012.  It has been an incredible year of music, and it’s an honor to feature these fine artists and bands.  These songs have been a staple on the website, in my headphones, and truly made an impact on the music world in 2012.  Be sure to support the artists and check out one of their shows when they get to an area near you.  I thank all the artists and bands for their great work in 2012, and look forward to what 2013 has in store for the music world...

21.  Buxton, “Boy of Nine”

Read the full article at The Troubadour's Road.

The number of albums getting released each year has been increasing, so it makes sense that the number of albums that go largely ignored by radio and the mainstream music media each year would be on the rise. In fact, this was one of the toughest years in the past decade to rank the best overlooked CDs. More than ever, many of the best albums of 2012 (Archie Powell and Prima Donna would have made my top five overall) were ones that didn't show up on the "Billboard" magazine charts or the shelves of big box retailers. Here's how I rank the best of the overlooked albums for 2012:

4) The Mastersons: "Birds Fly South" -- The husband-and-wife duo that makes up the Mastersons -- Eleanor Whitmore and Chris Masterson -- have been key members of Steve Earle's latest backing group. But they're going to get noticed as major songwriting talents in their own right with this auspicious debut. Songs like "Tell Me It's Alright" and "The Other Shoe" strike a winning balance between country twang and tuneful rock -- and shades of pop and rock filter in throughout the album as well. However one describes the Mastersons, this duo has a bright future.

Read the full article at Daily Herald.

It's a Spongebob Christmas! Album.Any year-end list has to have a designated holiday release, and 2012 is the year for Spongebob. Whether the television show is on your playlist or not, Spongebob Squarepants supplies Christmas cheer way beyond the call of duty. And when it's time to roll back the rug and get down to some dirty dancing, "Ho Ho Hoedown" cranks up the craziness and will likely have the neighbors calling the cops, because clearly Santa Claus is getting down...

John Hiatt, Mystic Pinball. How does a great singer-songwriter stay great? There is no way to really know, but for clues, asking John Hiatt might be a start. It's been 40 years since the young man ventured from Indiana to Nashville to make his mark. Of course, that it took over ten years to really turn up the heat is sometimes overlooked, but once Hiatt found a path to the front of the class he never looked back. It's a musical feast the way he continues to astound, whether it's with new songs like "We're Alright Now" or "You're All the Reason I Need," or a voice that often feels like he has uncovered secrets of the soul. Even when the machine lights up "tilt," John Hiatt never stops ringing in those lit-up lights on the scoreboard. Ding-a-ding ding.

Continuing with our year-end panorama, Rocks Off asked our contributors a simple question with a not-so-simple answer: What was your favorite local album of 2012?

COREY DEITERMAN: Buxton's Nothing Here Seems Strange is the culmination of the sound the La Porte natives have been pursuing for years now. It felt like we waited on this one forever. I talked to the guys in the band repeatedly and the question that was always on the tip of my tongue was "when will there be a follow-up to A Family Light?" The answer was always, "when it's finally done."

Old friends, Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale.

They’re in Miller’s gear-happy home recording studio. Jim arrived late for an interview and is making coffee. Buddy is talking about songwriter Troy Seals’ first album on Atlantic Records, which came out in 1973 and spawned four singles, none of which cracked the Top 77 of the U.S. country charts.

“Great album,” Miller says, and he’s obscurely correct. He’s been obscurely correct for decades, though much of the obscurity has fallen by the wayside as Miller’s name is now associated with popularly approved albums from Robert Plant, Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin and others, and he’s co-producing much of the music for ABC’s “Nashville” television show with T Bone Burnett.

He and Lauderdale co-host a Sirius XM Satellite radio show called “The Buddy & Jim Show,” and their “Buddy & Jim” duo album came out Tuesday.

Read the full article at The Tennessean.

Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale - Buddy & Jim (New West)

In circles of Americana enthusiasts, an album from Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale is sure to cause some excitement. And it should. But hopefully this collaboration between the longtime friends and tested troubadours finds its way to the ears of more than just those dedicated fans. The simply titled Buddy & Jim is the first album the two have made together. It’s a mixture of originals, covers and a few freshly arranged traditional songs by Buddy and Jim that travel through musical worlds of roots, rock and country. 

Buddy Miller says these days it's not unusual for duet partners to cut their love songs syllable by syllable while never even seeing each other: "In this town especially that's what happens."

That's why the veteran Music City producer and band leader was so astounded by what he witnessed in the early days of working on the music for the television show "Nashville." He was nervous about his session with Clare Bowen and Sam Palladio because their song "If I Didn't Know Better," written by John Paul White of The Civil Wars and Arum Rae, was challenging and served as a pivotal moment in the pilot. It had to be right, and that depended on the young actors being able to pull it off.

Read the full article at The Seattle Times.

GRAMMY-winning songwriter discusses his new album with Buddy Miller, Buddy And Jim, and the new documentary highlighting his career, The King Of Broken Hearts

(The GRAMMY Museum will host Reel To Reel: The King Of Broken Hearts With Jim Lauderdale on Dec. 11. The event will feature a screening of The King Of Broken Hearts, a feature-length documentary highlighting Lauderdale's career journey, and will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Lauderdale. Visit the GRAMMY Museum website for ticket information.)

Corb Lund is a country-western singer. And by country, we mean Canada. The singer-songwriter, who comes from an Albertan ranching family, is also a past winner of Canada's prestigious JUNO award. He recorded his latest album, called Cabin Fever, in a cabin he built with his uncle. Lund stops by the studio to talk yodeling, disaster preparedness, and about the autobiographical nature of this latest record. Plus, he performs live.

Read the full article and catch the session at Soundcheck.

Buddy Miller’s rambling brick and white wood house in Nashville’s Belmont neighborhood is filled with heavy antique wicker, old rugs, vintage prints and light pouring in the oversized windows. Hard to believe Robert Plant, Solomon Burke, Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin and many more have pilgrimaged to the cozy home that doubles as a studio, but arriving in the back room where a large recording console is ensconced along with stacks of amps and computer drives, it’s obvious Miller lives where he works or works where he lives, depending on perspective.