Acclaimed Music Forums

by **irreduciblekoan** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 10:29 am

Have fallen in love yesterday with both Dirty Projector's Swing Lo Magellan and Ty Segall's Slaughterhouse. The former could even be a modern classic; I may enjoy it more than Bitte Orca.

Been reading wonderful things about Channel Orange, and my brother loves it. Will need to check it out soon.

by **Matski** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 1:42 pm

Currently enjoying Swing Lo Magellan too, though I'm unsure of where it will eventually rank compared to my other favourite 2012 albums so far. The Guardian are still streaming the album here if anyone wants to listen to it.

Also been listening to R.I.P by Actress, Quarantine by Laurel Halo and the new Fiona Apple album quite a lot lately.

by **HRS** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 8:39 pm

Dirty Projector's Swing Lo Magellan

1. On first listen Swing Lo was really underwhelming. It got better the second time around and continues to slowly improve. The only track I still find outright bad and messy is Maybe That Was It.

2. I wish the girls would participate more. David might be the one who choses the musical direction and writes most of the material, but I think this album is further evidence that he needs these girls as much as they need him. When they are absent on a track, the material fails to match the quality of previous moments. I credit Amber for elevate the status of an otherwise pleasant track like The Socialites. I also credit Angel and her for giving the Dirty Projectors a significant amount of what makes them unique at first place, even though the absence of the former is not as felt as it could have been (Kudos for Swing Lo for that).

3. David's voice has been a huge turn-off for a good amount of people, but since I've come to enjoy expressive vocals, I enjoyed his on Bitte Orca and on most of this record. There's nothing outright unique about the use of it, just the sound and range of his voice that are strong. On Swing Lo he seems to explore the boundary between his head voice and falsetto more than on previous ones. I believe that only The Bride prominently featured this in Bitte Orca. I'm ambivalent to it. It's not a turn-off, but I really think he has better moments without it.

4. I've found the album repeating and unremarkable at first. Fortunately, it has improved both of these criticisms since, but I think that the Dirty Projectors has lost something that made them more unique during this record. I can't point nor blame accessibility for it. In some of the tracks, you can replace the girls harmonies for a male and you have a potential Fleet Foxes/Grizzly Bear or favorite indie folk flavor of the month kind of track. Take them out of the record completely and moments of it borderline anonymousness. This also marries my previous point: Had Amber sang a track like Just from Chevon, it'd have improved that great song, but instead David comes in and gives one of his more forced vocal performances on the record. His voice is more prominent throughout the record and I may grow tired of it after a while. I also wish they had used their drummer more instead of so much drum-machine. While it does fit better many of the tracks moods and structures, in some moments the drums could have been used to much better effect rather than the repetitive appearance of handclappings in its place. I understand that this has more to do with the bucolic feel they were aiming to achieve, but it ends up repetitive in time - and they have a great drummer. It feels like a breath of fresh air when strings kicks in, or distortion or even a more prominent guitar like on the aforementioned Just from Chevon. They gain some, they lose some.

4. This takes me to the next point I've notice: I have read that the sound of this record is also a direct consequence of a desire of David to concentrate more on its lyrics. All of the other points I've argued are more a matter of my expectations and my opinion on what could have improved the record. This is the only complain I believe is more arguable: the lyrics aren't that good. I don't see the improvement over previous ones either. Even the main themes aren't distant of anything being worked today by other artists. I've read an interview by Stereogum with David and ones of the comments of the interviewer - who David agrees with - goes like this:

Right, and taking that as a line across this record, I think this album really feels like it’s embracing various complexities of a lot of things — like, for that matter, love. Like, what is perfect love, what is love, and knowing that at times it is going to be imperfect and be a challenge but that we’re going to dig in and make it work, which is sort of like what we’re trying to do as a culture with life at the moment.

I can name circa of a hundred living artists working with these themes right now. And this is also truth to any of them, so it's not a problem. The real problem hides in how the Dirty Projectors executed them. Instead of putting these same troubles under a different light and with a unique take on it, especially when taking in consideration that their press release expresses the importance of this record's lyrics, they just fail in many points. During the same interview David criticized the lyrics of a Beyoncé song, but his aren't on Fiona Apple's league neither - that worked these same exemplified topics in a brilliant and unique take this very same year. This record and the video of its first single have been rather mishandled on press. All I saw was name dropping and philosophies that in the end didn't relate in any way to what was sang about; And when they actually related, the song simplified so much of it. There's a part at the beginning of the first volume of Proust's In Search of Lost Time, Swann's Way, that The Narrator speaks about the joy of reading on Sunday Afternoons and he affirms that the ingenuity of the first novelist lies in his understanding that the simplification and suppression of the image (the essential element of the structure of our emotions) is a decided improvement. That pictures a little of how I feel about a good amount of the lyrics on this record. I wouldn't take them so much in consideration (See my remarks on Frank Ocean bellow), but the band put them in center while speaking about the record, so I feel like in duty of discussing and criticizing it. The lyrics of Bitte Orca weren't outstanding neither, but that album made them work placing them along with a strong and diverse wall of sound that refused put them in center - aside of Two Doves that reworked Nico and biblical references. The simplification of something like "an exodus of the Society of the Spectacle" (used to describe the concept of Guns Has No Triggers and its video), western philosophies and other themes discussed hurt the overall performance of the it and pushes the band closer of the strong name dropping tactics used by the likes of Lady Gaga to overrate one's own material - especially when a band like the Dirty Projectors is famous for being (or, as the ones who dislike it affirm, "struggling to be") cerebral.

5. Although is not a bad album at all, I believe Bitte Orca was the stronger record. I can see where people are coming comparing and calling him a potential David Byrne of this generation, but I disagree with it. This David is no Byrne. The Dirty Projectors might no lack the adventurousness of the Talking Heads when it comes to experiment, but theirs lack the consistency of those records and their highs fail to match the Heads's biggest moments - it doesn't even equal Orca's. I also believe that Byrne was a much more accomplished vocalist and knew how to work the very best of his expression on record, leaving a stronger impression. The band also had an unmatchable ability to match hooks with experiments and he sure has used much more worldly and classical influences of the art fields than the Dirty Projectors. So, I disagree with the comparisons between bands and vocalists.

6. After a few listenings, I must admit that is growing on me - although most of my criticisms on the lyrics stand still. I see it falling between a 6,5 and a solid 7 out of 10. I've enjoyed its half better than its extremes and it has some excellent moments among the good and mediocre ones. It's a weak year, it can finish inside my top 20 or even enhance with time - reaching a possible 7,5. I'm optimist about anything and this record is no exception.

Frank Ocean's channel ORANGE

1. I congratulate Frank for coming out of the closet. It's arguable wether he did it for business reasons; I do see it as more genuine affair, since, when it comes to Hip Hop, coming out isn't the greatest commercial strategy - and he's also a member of Odd Future, whose Tyler The Creator has faced harsh criticism for homophobic lyrics. I think it will sure influence the way some listeners will approach the record and he even approaches the subject in some of the songs, so he probably would be outed in the long run.

2. He has a marvelous voice. But what would it account for if the material was weak? I understand the comparisons to The Weeknd, Maxwell and even Usher, but Ocean really has an incredible production and a very eclectic one. This is my favorite Hip-Hop influenced album since My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and my favorite R&B record since New Amerykah, Pt 2: Return of the Ankh.

3. The promotional songs were incredibly well-chosen. All of them are potential year-end best singles to me, especially Pyramids, which remains the best of the record and its most out there track. At first I didn't like the idea of the intermissions between the songs, but I grew to enjoy some of them and not skip it while listening to the whole. I also used to think that between Sweet Life and Pyramids the material was rather filler than killer, but is has also been a grower. The first half is more immediate, but I've come to terms that the second part of the record is the true grower that I didn't see coming.

4. I've read some comments which people describe Ocean's behaviour on stage when it comes to his lyrics. That is almost a "biblical" one. They're consistently great, but not outstanding. I was sure more hooked on this record because of its production, flow and his vocal deliveries first. On press, I've never seen him preach about his lyrics and I think they achieve what they aim for and work for the best on context along with its great production - unlike the Dirty Projectors who hyped theirs to rather underwhelming lyrical results. When it comes to his bissexuality, it did indirectly influence my perception of some of the songs including Thinking Bout You. While others like Bad Religion were more direct and successful on the subject. I also enjoyed Andre 3000's contribution afterwards on the record. Frank Ocean lyrics might lack in building an outstanding imagery with his words a good amount of times, but the production really complements and takes the best of it. Alas, it wouldn't make sense compare his songs to the ones of another 2012 gay-darling, singer-songwriter Perfume Genius - whose Put Your Back N 2 It has been a favorite of mine this year, although it strives to put its personal imageries and message at center to mixed results. At the end of the spin, channel ORANGE really stand on its own independently of the hype caused few weeks ago by track leaks and come outs.

5. The production is so eclectic that some of the tracks sound more forward thinking than others, especially during and after Pyramids. Production is really the key of it. They way Frank married it with his delivery and lyrics; How some of the tracks evokes previous artists with a more modern twist; The eclecticism. I didn't feel like listening to the fulfillment of a promise, rather than a true breakthrough, the actual beginning of another bigger one; A bigger artist. The record has its underwhelming moments in comparisons to its heights, but it's never a bore. When it comes to all of this, it did reminded me of The Archandroid. Both Monaé and Ocean were really promising from start to finish, they both were fulfilling previous material while creating new expectations and many of the weaker moments were saved by their performances.

6. After a few listenings, this album is one of my top 5 favorite albums of the year. It's a solid 8 by now and I predict it will finish a 8,5 by the time I fully digest it. I do have a fear of growing tired of its production in the long term (I'm thinking about in a few months and years while I write this, but I believe it is worth noticing that I already grew tired of Beach House's Bloom; A still beautifully produced record that has lost a lot of its initials charms and went to seem a little hollow). I have hopes that it will retain the majority of its freshness, since, at least for now, the album shows strong signs that it will. The year has got, once again, more exciting than in previous incarnations.

Edit: Some English mistakes.

by **nicolas** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 12:22 pm

I'm not utterly happy with my half-year list because with the 90's poll game and the AMF World Cup I haven't had time enough to listen to new stuff but anyway :

1 . Ebo Taylor | Appia Kwa Bridge
2 . Michael Kiwanuka | Home Again
3 . Bhi Bhiman | Bhiman
4 . Gregory Porter | Be Good
5 . Dr. John | Locked Down
6 . Leonard Cohen | Old Ideas
7 . The El Gusto Orchestra of Algiers | El Gusto OST
8 . Bruce Springsteen | Wrecking Ball
9 . Carolina Chocolate Drops | Leaving Eden
10 . Cloud Nothings | Attack On Memory
11 . First Aid Kit | The Lion's Roar
12 . Django Django | Django Django
13 . M. Ward | A Wasteland Companion
14 . Anaïs Mitchell | Young Man In America
15 . Sigur Rós | Valtari

honorable mentions : Jack White, Perfume Genius, La Grande Sophie

by **Nick** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 5:57 pm

Top 20 Albums of 2012 So Far.....

1. Beach House- Bloom
2. Frank Ocean- Channel Orange
3. Spiritualized- Sweet Heart Sweet Light
4. Grimes- Visions
5. Fiona Apple- The Idler Wheel...
6. Chromatics- Kill for Love
7. Jack White- Blunderbuss
8. Japandroids- Celebration Rock
9. Leonard Cohen- Old Ideas
10. Dirty Projectors- Swing Lo Magellan
11. Ty Segall Band- Slaughterhouse
12. Killer Mike- R.A.P. Music
13. Cloud Nothings- Attack on Memory
14. Liars- WIXIW
15. John Talabot- Fin
16. Sigur Rós- Valtari
17. El-P- Cancer 4 Cure
18. Burial- Kindred (EP)
19. Bruce Springsteen- Wrecking Ball
20. Death Grips- The Money Store

by **Jirin** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:10 pm

nicolas wrote:I'm not utterly happy with my half-year list because with the 90's poll game and the AMF World Cup I haven't had time enough to listen to new stuff but anyway :

2 . Michael Kiwanuka | Home Again

This one is great.

Heh, when I heard this a week ago my first instinct was 'Tell Nicolas about it'.

by **VanillaFire1000** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 12:04 am

Has anyone else heard this album by Idan Raichel & Vieux Farka Touré? It is an interesting piece of world music, and is probably in my top 5 for the year right now. You can hear the whole album on their website:

http://www.toureraichel.com/

Good if you're looking for more international music.

by **nicolas** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 12:09 pm

Thanks, Jirin!

Right now I'm listening to the new Tallest Man On Earth. Thi guy can write and sing songs, but I'm not sure adding extra instruments makes his record better. On the contrary the songs lose focus. But still a good album.

by **Stephan** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 11:23 am

I couldn't agree more nicolas. I expected him to go straight to #1 for the year on my list, but he's still at #3. Top 10, 6 months in:

1. Beach House - Bloom
2. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
3. The Tallest Man On Earth - There's No Leaving Now
4. iamamiwhoami - kin
5. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
6. Anaïs Mitchell - Young Man in America
7. Dr. John - Locked Down
8. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
9. Electric Guest - Mondo
10. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas

I have to check some of nicolas' top 5 for sure.

by **drewcannon3** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 12:50 pm

THERE we go. After disliking much of 2012, a bunch of really good music hit the scene Tuesday.

Eternal Summers - Correct Behavior
Purity Ring - Shrines
Passion Pit - Gossamer

And the new Bat for Lashes single is fantastic.

by **Romain** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 2:21 pm

I continue my list of good 2012 albums with :

Beach House - Bloom strong album but a little bit boring.
Breton - Other People's Problems new band, good potential.

Electric Guest - Mondo 9,5/10
The Maccabees - Given to the Wild 9/10
Lambchop - Mr. M 8.5/10
Field Music - Plumb 8,5/10
Django Django - S/t 8,5/10
Dry The River - Shallow Bed 8/10
Tindersticks - Something Rain 8/10
Revolver - Let Go 8/10
We Have Band - Ternion 8/10
Dr. John - Locked Down 8/10
And Also The Trees - Hunter Not The Hunted 8/10
Sigur Ros - Valtari 8/10
Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral 8/10
Ewert and The Two Dragons - Good Man Down 8/10
Breton - Other People's Problems 7,5/10
Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester 7,5/10
Rufus Wainwright - Out of the Game 7,5/10
Beach House - Bloom 7/10
Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself 7/10
Stuck in the sound - Pursuit 7/10
Skip the use - Can be late 7/10
Norah Jones - Little Broken Hearts 6,5/10
Air - Le voyage dans la lune 6,5/10

by **Zorg** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:41 pm

If Kanye's cryptic twitter page is to be believed, a new album called Cruel Summer is due from him on September 4th.

by **drewcannon3** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 6:34 pm

Best album I've heard all year is Reservation EP by Angel Haze.

by **Jirin** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 6:44 pm

I'm calling it, Kanye's next album after this one has an album cover with himself dressed as Jesus.

by **Zorg** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:11 pm

I haven't been listening very deeply to 2012 albums, but there are two that stand out for me so far - Japandroid's "Celebration Rock" and of course Frank Ocean's "Channel Orange". Both are so well crafted - consistent, nicely ordered, flowing, and both have a lovely couple of last songs.

1. Japandroids
2. Frank Ocean
3. VIjay Iyer Trio - Accelerando
4. Django Django
5. Sleigh Bells

by **cuneyt81** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:46 pm

My favorite of the year so far is Baroness' "Yellow & Green," closely followed by Chromatics' "Kill For Love"

by **Nick** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:58 pm

Top 10 Albums of 2012 So Far......

1. Frank Ocean- Channel Orange
2. Beach House- Bloom
3. Spiritualized- Sweet Heart Sweet Light
4. Fiona Apple- The Idler Wheel
5. Grimes- Visions
6. Chromatics- Kill for Love
7. Jack White- Blunderbuss
8. Japandroids- Celebration Rock
9. Dirty Projectors- Swing Lo Magellan
10. Leonard Cohen- Old Ideas

Albums I'm Looking Forward To...

Animal Collective
The XX
Grizzly Bear
Four Tet
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Bloc Party
Yeasayer
Bat for Lashes
Big Boi
Crystal Castles
Bob Dylan
Kanye West/GOOD Music

by **Gillingham** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:50 am

I would like to add Flying Lotus to that 'Looking Forward To'-list.

by **Romain** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 4:06 pm

I already know I will not like the final results of this year.

Today I try to hear :
Frank Ocean - Channel Orange ???????????????????????? 0.0005/10
Japandroids - Celebration Rock 3/10

by **Nick** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 4:33 pm

Gillingham wrote:I would like to add Flying Lotus to that 'Looking Forward To'-list.

Ahhhh yes, I can't believe I forgot about Flying Lotus. "Until the Quiet Comes" is out in October.

by **Nick** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 6:25 pm

Romain wrote:I already know I will not like the final results of this year.

Today I try to hear :
Frank Ocean - Channel Orange ???????????????????????? 0.0005/10
Japandroids - Celebration Rock 3/10

Care to explain your disdain for "Channel Orange"? I personally found it to be a very moving and invigorating take on neo-soul with a level of ambition that remains nearly unparalleled in the genre. Were their no redeeming qualities whatsoever for you?

by **Romain** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:08 pm

Nick wrote:
Romain wrote:I already know I will not like the final results of this year.

Today I try to hear :
Frank Ocean - Channel Orange ???????????????????????? 0.0005/10
Japandroids - Celebration Rock 3/10

Care to explain your disdain for "Channel Orange"? I personally found it to be a very moving and invigorating take on neo-soul with a level of ambition that remains nearly unparalleled in the genre. Were their no redeeming qualities whatsoever for you?

It's difficult to explain. When I saw all these good reviews for this album I imagine a soul album in the same way as Al Green or Marvin Gayes. Beautiful voices and incredible melodies.
When I heard the first songs of channel Orange, I thought "It's a joke?"
Remind you that I don't understand the lyrics of the songs but all I hear is a big fat "soup" (as we say in France). It's empty music, nothing to save, no emotion, no pleasure...elevator music...in a building without too much floor I hope

I think, at the end of the year, there will be a huge difference between the critics lists of Europe and USA (for this artist and for the Leonard Cohen's album too).

by **Nassim** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 3:41 am

[quote="Romain"
I think, at the end of the year, there will be a huge difference between the critics lists of Europe and USA (for this artist and for the Leonard Cohen's album too).[/quote]

I doubt that, expect Frank Ocean in a looooooot of European top 5 and probably Cohen in a lot of top 20. Mostly because well, they both are great albums.
It is very likely that some grumpy French critics will call it soup, but it will be critics who would say the same about any interesting R&B release of the past 20 years.

by **nicolas** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 6:59 am

I like Channel Orange. This guy has a great voice and a lot of talent. It reminded me of Prince and Stevie but in a modern way. Now I have to listen to it again. I didn't pay much attention to the lyrics. The only thing is I'm not sure there are really great songs.

by **Gillingham** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 11:29 am

So much for French consensus.

by **Romain** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 3:52 pm

nicolas wrote: It reminded me of Prince and Stevie but in a modern way. .

It's the point!
Prince composed fifty songs like that in the 2000s, and everytime critics said it was shit music.

I really don't understand the success of this album. But it's absolutely not important. I have a tonne of other good music to listen this year. :whistle:

by **Romain** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 8:41 am

Three new albums this week, and the full list of what I really love.

Lower Dens - Nootropics 8,5/10 (The beautiful 80's are back..Much better than the last Beach House album.)
Fanfarlo - Rooms Filled With Light 7,5/10 (if you love Arcade Fire, this is made for you)
HAL - The Time the Hour 7,5/10

Electric Guest - Mondo 9,5/10
The Maccabees - Given to the Wild 9/10
Lower Dens - Nootropics 8,5/10
Lambchop - Mr. M 8.5/10
Field Music - Plumb 8,5/10
Django Django - S/t 8,5/10
Dry The River - Shallow Bed 8/10
Tindersticks - Something Rain 8/10
Revolver - Let Go 8/10
We Have Band - Ternion 8/10
And Also The Trees - Hunter Not The Hunted 8/10
Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral 8/10
Ewert and The Two Dragons - Good Man Down 7,5/10
Fanfarlo - Rooms Filled With Light 7,5/10
Breton - Other People's Problems 7,5/10
Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester 7,5/10
HAL - The Time the Hour 7,5/10
Rufus Wainwright - Out of the Game 7,5/10
Sigur Ros - Valtari 7/10
Dr. John - Locked Down 7/10
Beach House - Bloom 7/10
Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself 7/10
Stuck in the sound - Pursuit 7/10
Skip the use - Can be late 7/10
Norah Jones - Little Broken Hearts 6,5/10

by **Nassim** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:34 am

Anyone listened to Centipede Hz ? I am listening to it right now for the first time, on their official site, and I think that fans of MPP will be very disappointed while those who favor Strawberry Jam and Feels might be pretty happy.
So I expect as much support as usual from Pitchfork and cie, but strong backlash from Rolling Stones and other more "classic rock" critics.
There still will be some songs like Applesauce to appeal to all of their previous fans though.

by **drewcannon3** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 9:56 pm

I think A Thing Called Divine Fits is my favorite album of the year so far.

by **Romain** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 11:04 am

Three new entries this week.

Matt Elliott - The Broken Man A big slap in my face. 9/10
Rover - Rover So kitch but so good, a mix between Bowie, Muse and The Beatles..yes, it's possible 8/10
Rover - Aqualast
Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light Simply a good album…and some huge songs 7,5/10

Electric Guest - Mondo 9,5/10
The Maccabees - Given to the Wild 9/10
Matt Elliott - The Broken Man 9/10
Lower Dens - Nootropics 8,5/10
Lambchop - Mr. M 8.5/10
Field Music - Plumb 8,5/10
Django Django - S/t 8,5/10
Dry The River - Shallow Bed 8/10
Rover - Rover 8/10
Tindersticks - Something Rain 8/10
Revolver - Let Go 8/10
We Have Band - Ternion 8/10
And Also The Trees - Hunter Not The Hunted 8/10
Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral 8/10
Ewert and The Two Dragons - Good Man Down 7,5/10
Fanfarlo - Rooms Filled With Light 7,5/10
Breton - Other People's Problems 7,5/10
Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light 7,5/10
Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester 7,5/10
HAL - The Time the Hour 7,5/10
Rufus Wainwright - Out of the Game 7,5/10
Sigur Ros - Valtari 7/10
Dr. John - Locked Down 7/10
Beach House - Bloom 7/10
Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself 7/10
Stuck in the sound - Pursuit 7/10
Skip the use - Can be late 7/10

by **Jackson** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 4:19 pm

Still waiting in the mail for my copy of Swans' The Seer, which I expect will be one of my albums of the year (if not the decade) based on the acclaim it's gotten and the couple of tracks I've heard. Anyone heard this yet?

by **Jirin** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 6:03 pm

Romain, good call on Rover. It's 80's-licious.

Anyone hear the new Animal Collective yet? I think it's good, and I think critics are just being hard on it because a few people are starting to feel MPP was overhyped.

I'm listening to the new Swans right now. I think it's pretty decent but not something special, but I haven't liked much of Swans' previous work either.

by **Zorg** » Tue Sep 04, 2012 9:04 pm

Jackson wrote:Still waiting in the mail for my copy of Swans' The Seer, which I expect will be one of my albums of the year (if not the decade) based on the acclaim it's gotten and the couple of tracks I've heard. Anyone heard this yet?

A friend of mine absolutely adores it, spent £30 to buy the 6 disc vinyl and has already bought tickets to see them. So I get the impression he endorses it.

by **Romain** » Wed Sep 05, 2012 3:48 am

Not an album, just a song, but I really love it :

Rollo Jean - St Tropez
http://vimeo.com/35247037

by **Stephan** » Wed Sep 05, 2012 7:59 am

Dylan is back!

by **Jackson** » Wed Sep 05, 2012 11:42 pm

Jackson wrote:Still waiting in the mail for my copy of Swans' The Seer, which I expect will be one of my albums of the year (if not the decade) based on the acclaim it's gotten and the couple of tracks I've heard. Anyone heard this yet?

I got my copy of The Seer the day I posted this and have found time to listen to it twice all the way through. My expectations couldn't have been much higher given how much I liked their previous album (my #1 for 2010) and the rapturous praise it's gotten on the Internet (#1 for the year on RYM), but it definitely met them. In a time where I feel that a lot of acclaimed music lacks real creativity or ambition, this album is a welcome blast of intensity and genuine emotion. It really feels like they were trying to achieve something great here. While a lot of the songs do meander, they all build up to a rousing climax by the end.

I would be surprised if something else ended up as my number 1 for the year. If you're hesitant to listen to it because of its length, try just listening to the second disc, which is 55 minutes and features my two favorites, "A Piece of the Sky" (which I saw made T500 on sonofsam's list) and "The Apostate."

by **Matski** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 8:54 am

Yeah, The Seer is definitely turning into one of the colossal statements of the year, though it's also the type of album that I know I'm going to find trouble often returning to often enough for it to become a personal favourite. However, quite a few people I've talked to about it feel differently and it seems destined up on top of many of their EoY lists.

by **Gillingham** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 9:24 am

Stephan wrote:Dylan is back!

Reviews are generally very positive. I'm listening to it right now and it does sound promising. Potential top three of the year, if not better. The man is 71 and still at the top of his game. He made some of the best albums of the sixties and is still going strong about 50 years later! Amazing.

by **Zorg** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 2:44 pm

I really enjoyed listening to the second disc of the Seer. Can't wait to give it a full listen.

by **irreduciblekoan** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 9:40 am

Dylan IS back (again). Just spun Tempest for my first time, and my initial response was very positive. No idea how it will reward repeat listens, but I am once again stunned by how sharp that man's songwriting remains after recording for almost 50 years.

by **Jirin** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 2:10 pm

Dylan read our conversation about Neil Young's six consecutive decades with a charting album and thought "I'll show you."

by **Romain** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:09 am

""I'm really liking Electric Guest's Mondo.

A lot of my favorite new discoveries this year are on Romain recommendations. Keep 'em coming Romain!

Edit: Err, this was meant for the Albums of 2012 thread.""

Thank you Jirin. If only I could write english correctly I will defend my albums better. But I continue to listen and to classify albums of the year.

by **Romain** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:02 pm

Five new entries this week.

Piano Magic - Life Has Not Finished With Me Yet 8,5/10 They are always good….always.
The Hives - Lex Hives 8/10 A very very very good surprise. A lot of hits here.
The Vaccines - Come of Age 7,5/10 Simple - Good.
Alt-J - An Awesome Wave 7/10 The definition for a shrinking album. Very good at the first listening and boring after.
Cat Power - Sun 7/10 Just for the song '"Nothing but time"

My list of good albums of the year :

Electric Guest - Mondo 9,5/10
The Maccabees - Given to the Wild 9/10
Matt Elliott - The Broken Man 9/10
Lower Dens - Nootropics 8,5/10
Lambchop - Mr. M 8.5/10
Field Music - Plumb 8,5/10
Django Django - S/t 8,5/10
Piano Magic - Life Has Not Finished With Me Yet 8,5/10
Dry The River - Shallow Bed 8/10
Rover - Rover 8/10
Tindersticks - Something Rain 8/10
Revolver - Let Go 8/10
We Have Band - Ternion 8/10
And Also The Trees - Hunter Not The Hunted 8/10
The Hives - Lex Hives 8/10
Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral 8/10
Ewert and The Two Dragons - Good Man Down 7,5/10
Fanfarlo - Rooms Filled With Light 7,5/10
Breton - Other People's Problems 7,5/10
Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light 7,5/10
Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester 7,5/10
HAL - The Time the Hour 7,5/10
The Vaccines - Come of Age 7,5/10
Rufus Wainwright - Out of the Game 7,5/10
Sigur Ros - Valtari 7/10
Alt-J - An Awesome Wave 7/10
Dr. John - Locked Down 7/10
Beach House - Bloom 7/10
Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself 7/10
Stuck in the sound - Pursuit 7/10
Skip the use - Can be late 7/10
Cat Power - Sun 7/10

by **Jirin** » Sat Sep 15, 2012 6:29 pm

1. Grimes - Visions
2. Ewert and the Two Dragons - Good Man Down
3. Frankie Rose - Interstellar
4. Pepe Deluxe - Queen of the Wave
5. Jenny Scheinmen - Mischief and Mayhem
6. The 2 Bears - Be Strong
7. Auktyon - Top
8. Dr John - Locked Down
9. Screaming Females - Ugly
10. Mi and L'au - If Beauty Is A Crime
11. Julia Holter - Ekstasis
12. Lindstrom - Six Cups Of Rebel
13. Laura Gibson - La Grande
14. Bowerbirds - The Clearing
15. Japandroids - Celebration Rock
16. The Menzingers - On The Impossible Past
17. Lamchop - Mr M
18. Burial - Kindred
19. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
20. Klaus & Kinski - Herrerros y fatigas

by **irreduciblekoan** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 6:11 pm

Wow, Grizzly Bear. Shot straight into my top 3 of the year (MAYBE number 1, but I still need a few more listens). It will be a classic.

by **Jirin** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 9:13 pm

You know that SNL Weekend Update sketch where the two songwriters come in and it's obvious they're making everything up as they go along?

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's new album sounds like that.

by **Nick** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:30 pm

My 20 Top So Far...

1. Frank Ocean- Channel Orange
2. Beach House- Bloom
3. Grizzly Bear- Shields
4. Fiona Apple- The Idler Wheel...
5. Swans- The Seer
6. Spiritualized- Sweet Heart Sweet Light
7. Japandroids- Celebration Rock
8. Grimes- Visions
9. Dirty Projectors- Swing Lo Magellan
10. Chromatics- Kill for Love
11. Jack White- Blunderbuss
12. Bob Dylan- Tempest
13. Cloud Nothings- Attack on Memory
14. Killer Mike- R.A.P. Music
15. Cat Power- Sun
16. Leonard Cohen- Old Ideas
17. Nas- Life Is Good
18. Death Grips- The Money Store
19. Sigur Ros- Valtari
20. Passion Pit- Gossamer

The new Cat Power album definitely exceeded my expectations. "Cherokee" and "Manhattan" are two of my favorite songs of the year right now.

I'm still trying to find a stream of the new XX album...

by **Jirin** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 3:16 am

I don't know why I don't connect with Fiona Apple's new album the same way I do with her second and third. I like it, it's somewhere on my list, it just doesn't resonate with me the same way When The Pawn, Extraordinary Machine and Criminal do. Maybe you can hear her trying just a little harder?

Anyway, new #1 for me: Pepe Deluxe - Queen Of The Wave.

I really hope one of the newer albums I haven't listened to enough to put at #1 passes this. Queen of the Wave has some excellent songs but terrible consistently. If this ends up my #1 of the year, it's truly a bad year.

Swans, XX and Electric Guest all have a shot.

Jenny Scheinman - Ride With Polly Jean as #1 song.

by **Matski** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 9:27 pm

Nick wrote:
Gillingham wrote:I would like to add Flying Lotus to that 'Looking Forward To'-list.

Ahhhh yes, I can't believe I forgot about Flying Lotus. "Until the Quiet Comes" is out in October.

NPR are streaming Until the Quite Comes through to next week's release date. That online stream can be found here. It sounds very impressive on first listen and while it never quite reaches the heights of Cosmogramma's middle section, it still sounds more fascinating and memorable than either 1983 or Los Angeles.

EDIT: The Guardian are also streaming it now, as found here. IIRC, their streaming service tends to stay available for a much longer timespan than NPRs.

by **Jackson** » Thu Sep 27, 2012 12:07 am

After the Fly Lo album turned out to be as awesome as I would have expected, this year is probably going to look at lot like 2010 at the top of my list: Swans, Flying Lotus, Actress, Liars. Throw in Burial and that's a solid top 5 before I even start digging deeper into 2012.

Jirin, thanks for recommending the Pepe Deluxe album, it seems right up my alley.

Acclaimed Music Forums

Who is online