Acclaimed Music Forums

by **Zorg** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:35 am

Well I think it's time we start one of the most popular threads from the old forum again!

My list a month in looks a little like this:

1. Cloud Nothings

So not much listening has gone on at all. I'm too busy trying to listen to albums for the 90s poll...

by **Jirin** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 4:13 am

My list looks like this:

1. Grimes - Visions

I am BillAdama, by the way.

by **nicolas** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:28 am

1. The El Gusto Orchestra of Algiers - El Gusto OST
2. Bhi Bhiman - Bhiman
3. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas

by **Gillingham** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 10:04 am

So far:

1. Gonjasufi - MU.ZZ.LE
2. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
3. Sharon van Etten - Tramp
4. BLaudzun - Heavy Flowers
5. Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory
6. Air - Le Voyage dans la Lune

by **Zorg** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:41 pm

Oh the one thing I'm desperately waiting for is the new Sleigh Bells release. Treats is up there with my favourite albums of all time (best of its year, excepting maybe Kanye West), and I quite liked the songs I heard from it, so I'm really excited!! And I'm seeing them live in March as well, so that should be great

.

by **VanillaFire1000** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:33 am

Sleigh Bells is the only release I am anticipating as well. But then, I don't think about albums 6 months ahead like I do movies.

by **Chambord** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:10 pm

1. First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
2. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
3. Mark Lanegan - Blues Funeral

by **Jirin** » Sun Feb 12, 2012 7:40 pm

1. Lindstrom - Six Cups Of Rebel
2. Grimes - Visions
3. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas

Possible three album top ten of the year streak for Lindstrom. This is the first amazing album of the year.

by **HRS** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:02 am

Jirin wrote:My list looks like this:

1. Grimes - Visions

I am BillAdama, by the way.

Last forum around you talked about Anais Mitchell

Her previous material is more basic and less lushuous than Hadestown. The writing is mostly great and the melodies are well built, but they are all very simple and with few hints of what is coming. Vocally, she shows them off more than in Hadestown and is a joy to listen to. Hadestown was game changer musically to her and it shows. Still, she was the driving force behind it so i'm very excited about the new record - hopefully, the production will fit the material like a glove and it will be an expansion of everything we've heard so far.

by **Gillingham** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 4:43 pm

Just heard Burial's new Kindred EP for the first time and I was quite impressed.
Looking forward to more listens.

by **Penguin** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 10:49 pm

Really digging the new Grimes release as well. Liking First Aid Kit too, but it doesn't feel as special.

I'm getting James Blake vibes from Grimes... probably inaccurate.

by **Jackson** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 11:53 pm

Gillingham wrote:Just heard Burial's new Kindred EP for the first time and I was quite impressed.
Looking forward to more listens.

I don't want to overreact after one listen, but Kindred might be the best Burial release. While last year's Street Halo was very good but almost a carbon copy of the style on Untrue, Kindred moves his sound forward. It's still recognizable as Burial, but the longer song lengths really allow him to go all-out and experiment with song structure in a way he hasn't done before.

It's a shame this release is classified as an EP since it's 30 minutes long. There have been several high-profile releases considered LPs that were around that length in recent years. But since it's an EP, it won't get nearly the attention it deserves.

by **Zorg** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 4:59 pm

Sleigh Bells has finally leaked, and on first listen it sits somewhere just under Treats. Treats was an absolute blast, sheer party music, but this feels a little different. In particular, the last two songs D.O.A. and Never Say Die seem to be a lot more "serious" than anything they've done before. But the things that made Treats essential listening are still here - Krauss' cutesy yet ferocious vocals, a machine gun drum machine, and that huge guitar sound. Less fun than Treats? Absolutely. But there's still plenty to enjoy here.

by **Stephan** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:31 am

The new Anaïs Mitchell is very enjoyable, but a bit too samey to be great. The other voices and the concept really saved Hadestown from this problem but Young Man in America doesn't have those things.

by **VanillaFire1000** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 2:30 pm

Zorg wrote:Sleigh Bells has finally leaked, and on first listen it sits somewhere just under Treats. Treats was an absolute blast, sheer party music, but this feels a little different. In particular, the last two songs D.O.A. and Never Say Die seem to be a lot more "serious" than anything they've done before. But the things that made Treats essential listening are still here - Krauss' cutesy yet ferocious vocals, a machine gun drum machine, and that huge guitar sound. Less fun than Treats? Absolutely. But there's still plenty to enjoy here.

That's my opinion as well. I'm listening to it and reminds me alot of Neon Bible and Contra. Not because of how it sounds, but because of how they show the growth of the group as artists. No real standout single, but an excellent cohesive album.

by **Jackson** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 7:18 pm

I can't stop listening to Kindred. This has the potential to be my favorite electronic release ever. The last song, Ashtray Wasp, is Burial's best aside from Archangel. Its structure and sound kind of reminds me of Tortoise's "Djed," one of my favorite songs ever.

by **Nick** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:16 pm

I've heard only four albums so far. Here they are, ranked.

1. Old Ideas- Leonard Cohen
2. Attack on Memory- Cloud Nothings
3. Something- Chairlift
4. Born to Die- Lana Del Rey

So far no truly "exceptional" albums yet, but Cohen, Cloud Nothings, and Chairlift all have a shot at my top 20 of the year. Hopefully this year turns out better than the middling year that was 2011, but so far there doesn't seem much to get really excited about. By this time last year we had excellent albums by James Blake, Destroyer, PJ Harvey, Adele, and Radiohead. By this time in 2010 we had excellent albums by Beach House, Vampire Weekend, Joanna Newsom, and Four Tet. Forgive me if I'm coming off as a real downer, but this year is starting out rather weak.

by **HRS** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:38 pm

Perfume Genius' Put Your Back N 2 It and Sharon Van Etten's Tramp are the best albums by singer/songwriters i've heard this year, so far. They are consistent, attached to great phrasing and delivery and well-executed/produced. Yeah, it's been a slow year. I guess i'm waiting for that sonically ambitious album that delivers. I still need to check Anäis's and Sleigh Bells's. I'll post my list later.

by **HRS** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 10:47 pm

Beach House returning in May with a new album called Bloom

by **Midaso** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:31 am

Anyone heard Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball? No doubt it will get a 5 star review from Rolling Stone,but I wonder what it's really like...

by **Romain** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 5:42 am

RIght now, my favorites albums of the year :

1 Django Django - S/t
2 Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester
3 Stuck in the sound - Pursuit
4 Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral
5 Air - Le voyage dans la lune

by **Gillingham** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 11:08 am

HRS wrote:Beach House returning in May with a new album called Bloom

That's really good news.

by **Stephan** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 4:16 pm

The new Springsteen is angry, and different, but mostly in a good way. It's probably his best since The Rising, and that's because I really like The Rising. If one doesn't, it may be his best since his mid '80s output.

Edit: That's not to say it's as good as his mid '80s output, since I think there was a pretty sharp decline after Born In The U.S.A., but it's very enjoyable nonetheless.

by **Stephan** » Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:28 pm

Great call on Django Django Romain, good album!

by **Matski** » Mon Feb 27, 2012 6:41 pm

Gillingham wrote:Just heard Burial's new Kindred EP for the first time and I was quite impressed.
Looking forward to more listens.

Kindred has been perhaps my favourite release of the year so far. Though Parastrophics by Mouse on Mars hit the shelves today and I could see that leapfrogging it after another listen or two. Highly recommended to any electronic music fan like yourself, if you haven't had the chance already.

by **Romain** » Mon Feb 27, 2012 8:41 pm

The discovering of the day: Ewert and the two dragons, folk, rock and pop with a little bit of electro. Excellent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddCsOTWz7gI

Ewert and The Two Dragons - Good Man Down 9/10
Django Django - S/t 8,5/10
Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester 8/10
Stuck in the sound - Pursuit 7,5/10
Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral 7/10
Air - Le voyage dans la lune 7/10

by **Jackson** » Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:41 pm

Matski wrote:
Gillingham wrote:Just heard Burial's new Kindred EP for the first time and I was quite impressed.
Looking forward to more listens.

Kindred has been perhaps my favourite release of the year so far. Though Parastrophics by Mouse on Mars hit the shelves today and I could see that leapfrogging it after another listen or two. Highly recommended to any electronic music fan like yourself, if you haven't had the chance already.

What is your favorite Mouse on Mars album? I didn't care much for Parastrophics, but I have a feeling that's not the best introduction to the group, as I've heard good things about their 90s output.

by **drewcannon3** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 4:27 am

My list thus far:

1. Super Mash Bros. - Mile(y) High Club
2. Lana Del Rey - Born to Die

by **Matski** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:35 am

Jackson wrote:What is your favorite Mouse on Mars album? I didn't care much for Parastrophics, but I have a feeling that's not the best introduction to the group, as I've heard good things about their 90s output.

A shame to hear. Anything about it in particular you didn't enjoy?

As for where to start with Mouse on Mars, it really depends on your tastes. They are extremely consistent and yet have such a diverse catalogue. For someone like Gillingham, who's obviously a bit of a Boards of Canada fan I would suggest Glam, with it's ambient, ominous soundscapes. Iaora Tahiti and Autoditacker are generally the two albums that get the most support from long-time fans and represent the height of their 90s popularity, while I find indie rock fans love the wild diversity of Idiology. Radical Connector is definitely the one for contemporary R&B/Garage aficionados to try first, while Varcharz is its polar opposite, with the kind of industrious snarl that is appealing to any metalheads. Niun Niggung is perhaps most typifying of their overall sound but if you're thinking of buying it make sure you get the EU version (the one with the monkey on the cover,) which I feel flows much better than the US version.

If you want further info, AllMusic have an accurate write-up on their work, which you can find here.

Finally, here are some of my favourite tracks from the albums mentioned above:

Bib - from Iaora Tahiti
Tux & Damask - from Autoditacker
Glim - from Cache Coeur Naif and Glam
Diskdusk - from Niun Niggung
Subsequence - from Idiology
Send Me Shivers - from Radical Connector
Düül - from Varcharz

by **Gillingham** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 10:53 am

Thanks for the eleborate information and great recommendations, Matski. It's time for me to get more familiar with Mouse on Mars.

by **Moonbeam** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 11:39 am

I haven't heard any albums yet this year. Any recommendations?

I think the first one I'll track down is the Chairlift album. This song and video have totally transfixed me:

by **Otisredding** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:17 pm

Moonbeam wrote:Any recommendations?

MCCh 2012 (03) February, 29

by **Jackson** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 2:16 pm

Thanks Matski. I'll definitely try out their albums as we go through the 90s poll this year. Niun Niggung especially interests me because it won Wire's album of the year for `99.

Nothing really caught on with the new album, I guess I like things to be a little more minimal generally with electronic music.

by **Jirin** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 11:26 pm

Now that I have, at the very least, scratched the surface on 2012 releases, here is my current list:

1. Leonhard Cohen - Old Ideas
2. The 2 Bears - Be STrong
3. Grimes - Visions
4. Mi and L'au - If Beauty Is A Crime
5. Lindstrom - Six Cups Of Rebel
6. Laura Gibson - La Grande
7. Bhi Bhiman - Bhiman
8. Chairlift - Something
9. The Maccabees - Given To the Wild
10. Rodrigo y Gabriela - Area 52
11. Gonjasufi - MU.ZZ.LE

I am currently listening to the new Anais Mitchell and it rocks. So does the new Lambchop.

by **HRS** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 10:26 am

Has anyone here listened to Pepe Deluxé's Queen of Wave, yet?? I'm giving it a spin later and i've read excellent reviews.

by **drewcannon3** » Mon Mar 12, 2012 2:00 am

Anyone else heard First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar? It's got the inside track to my #2 album so far.

by **HRS** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 3:11 pm

New the Shins streaming at iTunes Music Store

And there's the new Fiona Apple coming!

by **Stephan** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 8:37 pm

@drewcannon3: Yeah, very enjoyable album. It's lacking that bit of spunk to make it really stand out though.
@HRS: How was Queen of Wave? And The Shins, for that matter.

by **musictoad** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 3:56 am

The Shins effort is unimpressive. It's got a really generic, electro-indie sound to it that I'm so so tired of. Mercer's vocal melodies are great as usual, but not enough to save the album imo.

The Dr. Dog album is great, listening to it now. Open Your Heart by The Men is good, too.

by **Matski** » Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:01 am

Yeah, I've only heard two tracks so far. They both seemed like a return to their 'Chutes' era sound but with much of the energy and charisma zapped out. It's too bad because with new member line-up I was hoping for something more energised/radical...

by **HRS** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 5:53 pm

Stephan wrote:@HRS: How was Queen of Wave? And The Shins, for that matter.

Queen of the Wave was enjoyable, but not as inventive as I hoped it would be. "Just" a great listening. Not sure if i'd give a 7 or a solid 8.

I enjoyed The Shins's, at least more than other opinions exposed here. I must say that lacks the impact of their first two records, but i found a good amount of the material and the vocals strong enough to overcome the derivative-ish production. Not sure how i feel yet, but in such a slow year, it was an enjoyable listen.

Still waiting for the Fiona Apple.

Myth by Beach House shows more a solidification of their sound since their homonymous debut album, to their Devotion record and their pinnacle - Teen Dream.

Regina Spektor is also back with a new record that "antromorphes" arts present in Museums and creates an analogy between the Museum and the Prison. Masterpieces paying for being timeless and violins that forgot how to sing.The song is stronger than any moment of 2009's Far, in my opinion.

by **Stephan** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:49 pm

The new Beach House record is amazing; easily best of the year so far and close to Teen Dream in terms of quality. I've only given it one spin and Teen Dream was a bit of a grower, so I'm looking forward to the next few spins.

Shame it leaked so far ahead of its release date though.

by **HRS** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 12:48 am

I NEED TO PUT MY HANDS ON IT.

Forgive the caps, but that's exactly how i'm feeling.

Edit: Best album of the year. This is beautiful.

by **Nick** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 5:39 pm

Here's my list so far.

1. Old Ideas- Leonard Cohen
2. Kindred EP- Burial
3. Visions- Grimes
4. Attack on Memory- Cloud Nothings
5. Reign of Terror- Sleigh Bells
6. Something- Chairlift
7. Born to Die- Lana Del Rey

So far there's no real exceptional albums on my list, but everything I've heard I at least like (except for the Lana Del Rey album, which was rather mediocre). I'm still waiting to hear the new Shins album and the new Beach House album, both of which I have high expectations for.

by **Gillingham** » Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:20 pm

I am really looking forward to the new Beach House as well. I definitely like Myth. But I'll wait for the official release, I want to buy that album anyway.

Up until now this year is not very exciting. The only really exciting record for me was an EP, Burial's Kindred.

by **Stephan** » Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:23 pm

Speaking of Lana Del Rey, I found* a song from 1991 that is suspiciously similar to Video Games.

* I didn't find it so much as someone told me about it.

by **drewcannon3** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 12:06 am

1. Super Mash Bros. - Mile(y) High Club
2. First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
3. Lana Del Rey - Born to Die

The Shins will be no lower than 2.

by **Romain** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 6:39 am

New albums :
Skip the use - Can be late
Ghost
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rblfEWp-0c
Give me your life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3LZu9uMttDA#!

And
Tindersticks - Something Rain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6I2wf-JQ-XI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v1eFVOj4is&feature=player_embedded

Now :
Ewert and The Two Dragons - Good Man Down 9/10
Django Django - S/t 8,5/10
Tindersticks - Something Rain 8,5/10
Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester 8/10
Stuck in the sound - Pursuit 7,5/10
Skip the use Can be late 7,5/10
Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral 7/10
Air - Le voyage dans la lune 7/10[/quote]

by **Jackson** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 3:46 am

Apparently Actress, who released one of my favorite albums of 2010 in Splazsh, is going to release 2 albums over the next three months. R.I.P is the first, due out in April. Can't wait.

by **Romain** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 8:01 pm

New album :
Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself
Magistal ! A marvelous album, the folk I love. The voice is incredible, warm music. For those who love Sufjan Stevens I think.

Now :
Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself 9/10
Ewert and The Two Dragons - Good Man Down 9/10
Django Django - S/t 8,5/10
Tindersticks - Something Rain 8,5/10
Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester 8/10
Stuck in the sound - Pursuit 7,5/10
Skip the use Can be late 7,5/10
Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral 7/10
Air - Le voyage dans la lune 7/10

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