Acclaimed Music Forums

by **Stephan** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 8:52 pm

I was a little disappointed by Break it Yourself myself, it's all very lovely but at the same time very lifeless.

I haven't really decided on exact grades yet for most of these albums, but I have given the albums I listened to in 2012 stars on RYM. Stars give a little more leeway, so I'll use them here as well for now.

1. Beach House - Bloom (4)
2. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball (3.5)
3. Anaïs Mitchell - Young Man in America (3.5)
4. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas (3.5)
5. First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar (3.5)
6. John Talabot - ƒIN (3.5)
7. Django Django - Django Django (3.5)
8. Julia Holter - Ekstasis (3.5)
9. Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself (3)
10. Matt Elliott - The Broken Man (3)

Oh, and The Tallest Man on Earth has announced his new album, to be released June 12th. Very excited for that one!

by **John** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 10:06 pm

Wow, the new Madonna album really blows. I wasn't expecting much but she's always good for a couple decent songs. That has to be the worst album I've listened to in full in years.

by **Dan** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 10:55 pm

Stephan wrote:1. Beach House - Bloom (4)
2. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball (3.5)
3. Anaïs Mitchell - Young Man in America (3.5)
4. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas (3.5)
5. First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar (3.5)
6. John Talabot - ƒIN (3.5)
7. Django Django - Django Django (3.5)
8. Julia Holter - Ekstasis (3.5)
9. Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself (3)
10. Matt Elliott - The Broken Man (3)

I haven't heard your #1 album (Beach House) yet, but the rest of your top 5 are all decent offerings from the first quarter of the year. Personal favourites so far:

1. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball (4)
2. Carolina Chocolate Drops - Leaving Eden (4)
3. Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N 2 It (3.5)
4. Anaïs Mitchell - Young Man in America (3.5)
5. First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar (3.5)
6. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas (3.5)

They all broadly fall into the folk & singer/songwriter categories, so my list feels a bit one-dimensional. I'm hoping for some good world music, hip-hop or electronic releases in the next few months. I've listened to a few songs from the latest John Talabot and Grimes albums as they are both supposedly very "now", but I had to stop both of them halfway through. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that someone else will come along to make the dream pop and electronic music of "now" more colourful than that.

by **Romain** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 5:31 pm

New album :
Field Music - Plumb
A big discovery for me.

A new Town
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0rTkQLLk9o

Now :
Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself 8,5/10
Field Music - Plumb 8,5/10
Django Django - S/t 8,5/10
Tindersticks - Something Rain 8,5/10
Ewert and The Two Dragons - Good Man Down 8/10
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

by **Stephan** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 10:41 am

When I heard the new Dr. John album would be produced by Dan Auerbach, who promised to reinvigorate the Doctor, I knew I had to get the record. Now I've listened to it and I know you have to get it too.

by **Nick** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 5:40 pm

1. Bloom- Beach House (4.5/5)
2. Old Ideas- Leonard Cohen (4/5)
3. The Shins- Port of Morrow (4/5)
4. Kindred EP- Burial (4/5)
5. Visions- Grimes (4/5)
6. Attack on Memory- Cloud Nothings (3.5/5)
7. Reign of Terror- Sleigh Bells (3.5/5)
8. Something- Chairlift (3.5/5)
9. Born to Die- Lana Del Rey (2/5)

The new Beach House album rules, definitely the best thing I've heard so far this year, and probably the only album from the year so far to make in into my top 500 albums (though the Cohen album has a shot). The album is kind of a "Teen Dream Part 2", but with enough variation to keep it somewhat different. So far I'm liking "Teen Dream" a bit more, but who knows how I'll feel by the end of the year.

Too bad the album was leaked so far ahead of its release date. Still a month and a half to go before I can pick up a physical copy. I wonder how the critics will treat it.

by **Moonbeam** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 1:26 am

John wrote:Wow, the new Madonna album really blows. I wasn't expecting much but she's always good for a couple decent songs. That has to be the worst album I've listened to in full in years.

I totally disagree. I came in here to tout it because I figured nobody else would. While Hard Candy truly was a disaster, I am so relieved that MDNA is an album I can get behind.

For those wanting to know if she could still carve out a killer dance tune, there's this.

For those longing for a heartfelt midtempo number with a killer melody, there's this.

For those wanting no-nonsense pop with trademark Madonna killer melodies, there's this.

For those yearning for a return of her struggle with religion, there's this.

For those wondering if she still could provocatively subvert gender roles, there's this.

For those wanting the return of a proper Madonna ballad, there's this and this.

Basically, it's a proper Madonna album! While it's not without its flaws - her voice is fairly weak on the album, it's a totally schizophrenic mishmash and there isn't much joy to be found as on most of her work - it sure feels like she's risen like a phoenix from the primordial flames of her 2008-09 material.

by **Romain** » Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:21 am

New album :
Lambchop - Mr. M

Eleven songs, eleven diamonds.

And I change the "note" of Mark Lanegan. His albul is better with every listen.

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

by **John** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 4:50 am

Moonbeam, I think my biggest complaint about the album is that she's continuing down the path of following trends (and usually a couple years too late) instead of being the trendsetter like she always was. This is just a generic club album. It feels like she's letting other people make decisions on what kind of artist she should be and how Madonna should be reinvented. I just have a hard time believing that this is Madonna's identity at age 54.

by **Romain** » Fri Apr 13, 2012 3:22 pm

The new video for "The Shoes" is really good.
The "real" song begin at 2:00

by **Romain** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 7:06 am

New album :
Dr. John - Locked Down
For those who want to listen a good ""Tom Waits"" album, the last Dr. John is excellent.

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

by **Nassim** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 7:33 am

Albums I have enjoyed so far :

1) Burial - Kindred EP
2) The Men - Open Your Heart
3) John Talabot - ƒIN
4) Lambchop - Mr. M

by **Gillingham** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 1:19 pm

At the moment:

01. Porcelain Raft - Strange Weekend
02. Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light
03. Gonjasufi - MU.ZZ.LE
04. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
05. Lambchop - Mr. M
06. Clark - Iradelphic
07. Sharon von Etten - Tramp
08. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
09. Tindersticks - The Something Rain
10. Blaudzun - Heavy Flowers

Still, Kindred by Burial is my favorite release.

by **Jirin** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:53 pm

I'm liking John Talabot, but The Men fails to impress me.

The 2 Bears is growing on me. The first three songs make me think of Primal Scream, and the rest of the album makes me think of Depeche Mode meets LCD Soundsystem.

by **Jirin** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 4:27 am

Finally caught up with my recent wave of discoveries:

1. Grimes - Visions
2. The 2 Bears - Be Strong
3. Mi and L'au - If Beauty Is A Crime
4. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
5. Lindstrom - Six Cups Of Rebel
6. Frankie Rose - Interstellar
7. Laura Gibson - La Grande
8. Pepe Deluxe - Queen of the Wave
9. Lambchop - Mr M
10. Bhi Bhiman - Bhiman
11. John Talabot - Fin
12. Anais Mitchell - Young Man In America
13. The Maccabees - Given to The Wild
14. Burial - Kindred
15. Rodrigo y Gabriela - Area 52
16. Carolina Chocolate Drops - Leaving Eden
17. Chairlift - Something
18. A Place To Bury Strangers - Onward To The Wall
19. Django Django - Django Django
20. Gonjasufi - MU.ZZ.LE

by **John** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 8:38 pm

I haven't heard anything great so far this year, but I've only been able to listen to about 10 new albums so far this year so here they are...

Nada Surf- The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy 7/10
Django Django- S/T 7/10
Bruce Springsteen- Wrecking Ball 6/10
M. Ward - A Wasteland Companion 5/10
AIR - Le voyage dans la lune 5/10
Tennis - Young & Old 5/10
Beach House - Bloom 5/10
Lana Del Rey - Born to Die 4/10
Madonna- MDNA 1/10

I'm going to listen to the Django Django album again because I think that one's going to grow on me. I have about 6 more albums that have come out so far that I really want to listen to. I've listened to clips of everything else that's been reviewed well this year and it's not interesting to me. 80's art rock is back in a big way and I'm not loving it.

by **HRS** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 12:42 am

Chromatics's Kill for Love is my new favorite album of the year. Solid record all the way through backed by a breathtaking execution.

by **Nick** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 2:28 am

It's been about three weeks since I last posted my list. Here's every album I've heard from 2012-

1. Bloom- Beach House (4.5/5)
2. Sweet Heart Sweet Light- Spiritualized (4.5/5)
3. Valtari- Sigur Ros (4.5/5)
4. Old Ideas- Leonard Cohen (4/5)
5. Visions- Grimes (4/5)
6. Wrecking Ball- Bruce Springsteen (4/5)
7. Port of Morrow- The Shins (4/5)
8. Kindred (EP)- Burial (4/5)
9. Attack on Memory- Cloud Nothings (3.5/5)
10. Reign of Terror- Sleigh Bells (3.5/5)
11. Something- Chairlift (3.5/5)
12. Born to Die- Lana Del Rey (2/5)

After a somewhat weak first four months of the year, it's interesting to note that 2 of my top 3 albums of the year haven't even been released yet.

by **Jackson** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 3:01 am

Jackson wrote: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.

R.I.P just came out, and it's definitely a worthy follow-up to Splazsh. I don't think there's anything on here as transcendent as "Maze" from that album, but it definitely ensures Actress' place among the elite producers right now like Burial, Caribou, Four Tet, Flying Lotus, etc.

by **John** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 6:36 am

Finally heard a 2012 album I really enjoyed tonight, Polica- Give Up the Ghost. The only drawback to the album is that it doesn't have much variety to the sound and her voice is completely autotuned but it's the first time I've heard autotune used purely for effect where it works for me and I can deal with the lack of variety on a debut. Moonbeam, I think this album is up your alley.

by **Matski** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:03 pm

Guardian exclusive streaming right?

Listening to this too and kinda agree with the verdict so far. It's an interesting sound but it lacks a certain sense of dynamism to truly flesh it out. Ah well, they're also streaming 'Heartbreaker' by the Walkmen.

by **John** » Tue May 01, 2012 4:55 am

Matski wrote:Guardian exclusive streaming right?

Listening to this too and kinda agree with the verdict so far. It's an interesting sound but it lacks a certain sense of dynamism to truly flesh it out. Ah well, they're also streaming 'Heartbreaker' by the Walkmen.

No, they are local for me, out of Minnesota. I'd heard one song a lot on a local radio station and liked it and finally got around to listening to it. I had no idea that Bon Iver's guitarist guested on it. It's a solid debut, but I think there isn't going to be an in between for the next album, it's either going to be the same thing which will be extremely boring since you get tired of the sound at the end of one album, or they are going to add that extra dynamic and make a fantastic album. I'm very interested to see how this band progresses.

by **Jirin** » Wed May 02, 2012 4:16 am

Jack White's new album Blunderbuss is pretty strong all around, and similar to all the stuff he did after Elephant.

The album as a whole is maybe top 10 or top 20 of the year for me, but the song 'Love Interrupted' is easily the #1 song of the year so far.

by **Setherex** » Wed May 09, 2012 3:01 am

I've created an account here partly because it's an awesome Forum, but currently due to the lack of love on this topic for Blunderbuss. Jack White definitely hasn't gotten a tad weaker since the disbandment.

Just my two cents

by **Romain** » Thu May 10, 2012 8:35 am

New album :
The Maccabees - Given to the Wild
What a good album! If you want to listen a good Coldplay album, wit ha little bit of SIgur Ros in, this album is make for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HaW5alLnC0&ob=av2e

Now :
Lambchop - Mr. M 9/10
The Maccabees - Given to the Wild 9/10
Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself 8,5/10
Field Music - Plumb 8,5/10
Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral 8,5/10
Django Django - S/t 8,5/10
Tindersticks - Something Rain 8,5/10
Dr. John - Locked Down 8/10
Ewert and The Two Dragons - Good Man Down 8/10
Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester 8/10
Stuck in the sound - Pursuit 7,5/10
Skip the use - Can be late 7,5/10
Air - Le voyage dans la lune 7/10

I sincerely try the last Leonard Cohen and I found is album as bad as his two previous effort.
And fuck, for me, and God know how I love Jack White and all he does...But I found his solo album not very very good. Maybe with some more tries.

by **John** » Thu May 10, 2012 9:59 pm

I've always been a casual White Stripes fan but of the few songs I've heard off the solo album I'm not too interested. Love Interrupted is pretty boring.

by **irreduciblekoan** » Sat May 12, 2012 11:22 pm

Well, well, with school done last week I was able to finally catch up on some 2012 music. Here are all the albums I've heard so far (note: I use the Scaruffi school of rating, so 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, etc):

Screaming Females: Ugly (9/10) - Maybe because I'm a sucker for that '80s Dinosaur Jr/Sonic Youth guitar-centric sound, maybe because I've always had a thing for Albini productions, maybe because Sleater-Kinney are one of my favourite bands, I don't know, but this album really hit the spot. Overlong? Yes. But too much of a good thing CAN occasionally work.

Burial: Kindred EP (8.5/10) - One track that's merely "very good Burial" and two tracks that blew my mind. Short but very sweet, and "Ashtray Wasp" is my pick for song of the year.

Jack White: Blunderbuss (8.5/10) - An awesome blast of straight rock tinged with just enough White-ian eccentricities, and aided by more personal songwriting. I like it better than all of his Raconteurs and Dead Weathers work.

Chromatics: Kill For Love (8/10) - If it didn't feel a little overlong, this probably would've been an 8.5. I'm always up for some well-crafted, warm electro-pop and this delivered in spades.

Death Grips: The Money Store (8/10) - The Shabazz Palaces of this year, the 2012 torch carriers of avant-rap. But you know, I liked this better than Shabazz's Black Up, for being just a shade more accessible yet still remaining abrasive.

High on Fire: De Vermis Mysteriis (8/10) - So far the only metal album I've heard this year, and a very complex, exciting one. Nothing mind blowing but consistently engaging.

Perfume Genius: Put Your Back N 2 It (8/10) - I thought Learning was a bit overrated. I think this one better fits its praise. Much more immediate/accessible yet still maintains a lot of his left field appeal. Still, I have yet to hear his "masterpiece," something that critics have been proclaiming this one to be. I believe he has one in him.

Sharon van Etten: Tramp (8/10) - I loved her last album, and thought I was on to something no one else was. Now she's finally gotten a little big with this new one. I like this one almost as much. Atmospheric, lyrical and melodic.

Tindersticks: The Something Rain (8/10) - A band that's been a longtime favourite of mine, and I'm just impressed they're staying relevant. This particular album gives me a nice Beta Band feel, relaxing but funky at the same time.

Actress: RIP (7.5) - I wanted this to blow my mind, like Splazsh did, and that was probably my problem: I was expecting something. With an artist as unique as Actress, I probably shouldn't. Still, I could see that the album was very well put together and made with extreme care. And it will probably grow on me as I explore it further.

Cloud Nothings: Attack On Memory (7.5/10) - Just a short, exciting listen helped immensely (like Screaming Females) by Albini's production. Will I listen to it in three years? Don't know. But a nice breath of fresh year.

Beach House: Bloom (7/10) - Another album I tried hard to love, as I'm a huge fan of Devotion and Teen Dream, but while there were some excellent tunes, there were also some dull ones, especially in the middle. It starts and ends well.

Andrew Bird: Break It Yourself (6.5/10) - I wanted to love this, but like Noble Beast, I couldn't. He has become consistently "pleasing" but has never reclaimed anything reaching brilliance since Armchair Apocrypha.

Still have a bunch waiting for me on the hard drive, including Lambchop, Springsteen, Anais, Grimes, The Men, and Talabot! Also, most of those ratings were based on 3, sometimes just 2 listens, so they are sure to change during the year.

by **Gillingham** » Sun May 13, 2012 4:00 pm

Time for a new top 10:

01. Beach House - Bloom
02. Porcelain Raft - Strange Weekend
03. Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light
04. Gonjasufi - MU.ZZ.LE
05. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
06. Spain - The Soul of Spain
07. Lambchop - Mr. M
08. Sharon van Etten - Tramp
09. Clark - Iradelphic
10. Chromatics - Kill for Love

by **John** » Tue May 15, 2012 9:03 pm

I'm trying to decide if I just hate the music trends right now or if I'm losing touch. I really hope I'm not losing touch with music, I swore that would never happen, and usually that only happens if you stop paying attention. But, this year is a big pile of garbage. Just awful, like 100X worse than any other year that exists.

by **Jirin** » Wed May 16, 2012 1:31 pm

I agree this has been a weak year so far. There are about a half dozen albums I really like, but only one or two of them would even stand a chance at my top ten in most years. (Grimes & 2 Bears)

But in a lot of years a lot of great albums come out at the same time. Two Mays ago, Archandroid, High Violet and Hadestown all came out within a week of each other. So you never know. I think big releases just see May-October as their window.

by **irreduciblekoan** » Wed May 16, 2012 11:18 pm

Yep, as Jirin says, you never know what will come out later, and there are, I'm sure, many albums I've missed or skipped that I probably would like, even love. That happens at the end of every year when I use the AM spreadsheet and some individual lists. I go through the top 75 and some of my most trusted websites, and find a bunch of albums I end up loving, and saying to myself "actually it wasn't a terrible year." But yes, from what I've heard of 2012, it's been slow. Same thing with movies. We're in a cultural glut this year, I feel like. For films things promise to pick up in the second half, and I'm hoping for music too (Animal Collective, The Walkmen, and others will be releasing new albums).

by **John** » Thu May 17, 2012 1:22 am

It's probably going to stay weak until the end of August for music, you don't see many albums that aren't top 40 released in the summer. Usually, when college radio gets back into full swing is when you see good music start to get released again. So, minus maybe a couple albums, there's 4 months to turn this year around and I don't see it happening. This fascination with 80's art rock needs to stop though. Every album sounds exactly the same and if you weren't a fan of the genre to begin with (like me) this year's been rough.

As for movies, summer's looking really good. Usually, summer is all about blockbusters but there's a lot more than that this season. I agree that movies have pretty much sucked this year as well, but I see a light at the end of the tunnel there.

by **Zorg** » Thu May 17, 2012 11:46 am

I've listened to a grand total of 2 albums from this year, and I wasn't big fans of either of them. I too seem to not have the will or the patience to pick something up from this year and really stick to it. I think one of the main reasons for this is that there haven't been many established artists who have released an album. Beach House, Spiritualized and Sleigh Bells. The other acclaimed albums are from artists I'd never heard of (or never thought much of, like Burial). Where's my Sufjan? Where's my Avalanches? WHERE'S MY WRENS?

by **Rodneyontheblock** » Fri May 18, 2012 6:28 am

[This fascination with 80's art rock needs to stop though. Every album sounds exactly the same and if you weren't a fan of the genre to begin with (like me) this year's been rough.

That was even more popular back in the mid 2000s and I was never a fan of the synth at all. But I'm starting to feel that I'd rather hear this type of music over the new british fad of female soul singers with thick accents. When I look back and think of the '10s all I'm going to think of are these annoying British pop divas, hoodies with animal ears, auto tone and this weird obsession with ANTI BULLYING.

by **Romain** » Fri May 18, 2012 7:46 am

John wrote:I'm trying to decide if I just hate the music trends right now or if I'm losing touch. I really hope I'm not losing touch with music, I swore that would never happen, and usually that only happens if you stop paying attention. But, this year is a big pile of garbage. Just awful, like 100X worse than any other year that exists.

(sorry for my english)
John, seriously, few years earlier, I had the exact same feeling than you......music this year is so boring...What is this merde?
Then I realized that not all the new music that was bad but more the music the classic critics (magazines) put on the front of the stage. So since this time, I just search a little bit outside the "best album" just at the margin. Not necessarily some obscure album but some albums love a lot but by few in internet and my love for pop-rock has resurfaced

This kind of things for example
Olafur Arnalds :

by **Jirin** » Fri May 18, 2012 1:08 pm

Romain, exactly.

I think a lot of us here can agree, critics have lost touch with the best music coming out. They're only finding new albums made by people who made great stuff ten years ago.

But you never know where a year is going to go. I didn't know Tom Waits was making a new album last year until it was already out, and that ended up my #1.

by **Stephan** » Sat May 19, 2012 7:36 am

It hasn't been a great year, but for those who love hip hop some relief has arrived in the form of R.A.P. (Rebellious African People) Music by Killer Mike & El-P; absolutely killer southern hip hop album.

Edit: I didn't like The Money Store very much personally, but if you did, I guess this just makes the year that much better.

by **HRS** » Wed May 23, 2012 5:05 pm

John wrote:I'm trying to decide if I just hate the music trends right now or if I'm losing touch. I really hope I'm not losing touch with music, I swore that would never happen, and usually that only happens if you stop paying attention. But, this year is a big pile of garbage. Just awful, like 100X worse than any other year that exists.

I agree with this! I honestly wished that we had out right bad music coming out, but it's even worse: it's boring music. Everything sounds so uninspiring. I'm 19 and starting to think that perhaps i'm a getting out of touch too. If anything this year is helping me to get closer to music from previous decades that I often overlooked.

It's been also boring when it comes to movies - though, I believe that on TV it's a little more exciting because of HBO's Girls.

And I don't think critics are going easy for the well-established neither: Bloom has received a reception that i thought it would have been way warmer back when i listened to the leak. They've been labeling as Teen Dream II, when i actually think it's a different take on that sound: it's another kind of sonic execution. Still, it blows out every single album I've heard this year by a far margin. Best Coast - a band that once sounded exciting, summery and young - now aimed for a more mature sound that just ruined their thing. Bethanny's honesty shined on Crazy for You and its atmosphere/mid fi production was a large part of it.

To prove my point that boring music is worse than bad music, i'm even starting to place Lana Del Rey's Born to Die under new light because at least that album made me feel something - while the others put me to sleep.

The new artists are so uninspiring, the trend they're following has been done so many times that i stop an album halfway through because of such unworthiness.

I really liked Chromatics - perhaps a little too long for its own sake - Julia Holter (showed some ambition and clever execution), Grimes (even if it lacks some consistency) and Sharon Van Etten (It sounds traditional confessional stuff, but yet the material is so strong, consistent and delivered freshly.)

I changed my mind about Perfume Genius, on the other hand. I guess I fell into the "he's gay, I'm gay, I'm identifying with his music" hype. His songs are really short and the Twin Peaks/I Am a Bird Now atmosphere he aims for lacks the power and punch of both references. For every great song, there's another nice one that just blends altogether and is perfectly unremarkable.

That's a point I'm trying to place here: Antony, these days - far from the golden I Am a Bird Now age - sounds much more interesting in later material than many of those hyped artists. I guess that established acts are putting the new ones to shame since last year. I don't know if this is a trend of late, because since I started dig music for real back in 2007, I always had the feeling that fresher music acts would fare way better than those that were starting to be dismissed by critics for the crime of having a consistent discography.

I'm listening to the The Walkmen's Heaven now and I'm amazed to be able to follow them and see their sound mature in time. It's the best music I've heard from this year since Beach House's Bloom leaked. I guess is a calling for stop caring about every single hyped, blog reviewed new artist to come around. I don't think these well established acts will get the same raves they received back in the day, but still, they're head and shoulders above what the new ones are delivering. It's not inexperience as much as it feels like boring, trend-follower stuff. Pitchfork - and other websites and magazines - are desperately throwing Best New Music tags or Eight out of Ten reviews.

If anything, I guess that 2012 is here to make me admire even further albums from singer/songwriters such as Joanna Newsom's Have One on Me or Sufjan's The Age of Adz, or PJ Harvey's Let England Shake, or Kate Bush's 50 Words for Snow and Tom Waits's Bad as Me. And I don't think it's a coincidence that all of them are well-established acts.

I guess I'm throwing the towel and only checking records by artists I dig or have read enough stuff to check - some websites I trust and over here, especially here. I've read about new records from Cat Power, Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, The xx and others that actually makes me feel excited to listen to, even excited to get disappointed – just don't be boring!

And I guess the track I've played the most this year is further evidence of all that: Every Single Night by Fiona Apple. By far the most expected record of the year to me. Guess that in such a weak year she'll finally get what is due. But even if she doesn't, I won't care. I'm not caring at all as long as it isn't boring.

EDIT: I put emphasis on newer acts because back in the day they were the ones that excited the most, but I feel that these days anyone can get blog press with little musical baggage and inconsistent material. Everything I said also refers to the majority of non-debutant acts that actually got their peak of press hype this year and failed to live up to.

by **irreduciblekoan** » Wed May 23, 2012 7:42 pm

In the past two weeks El-P has singlehandedly injected some life into the year with two productions: his own solo album and Killer Mike's album. Just heard them both today. I liked Death Grips but didn't think it was as great as the reviews made it out to be. But these two... they backed up their hype for me.

by **Harold** » Wed May 23, 2012 10:02 pm

I now have every album from the Mega-Critic list that currently has 76.5 points or more (i.e., Wrecking Ball and everything above it), although I haven't listened to Dirty Three, Death Grips or Father John Misty yet (really looking forward to all of them). I like the Leonard Cohen album a lot, love the Jack White, and the Cloud Nothings and Screaming Females albums prove conclusively that Steve Albini hasn't lost his touch.

But I just received my import copy of Django Django yesterday, and it's the best damn thing I've heard all year. Heavily inspired by late '60s British psychedelia (think S.F. Sorrow, for a reference point) but managing to genuinely update that sound without being slavishly beholden to it, the album kept a delighted smile on my face for pretty much its entire running time. I was surprised by how instantly I responded to it and how much I loved it. How does an album this amazing not even have a U.S. release date yet?

by **irreduciblekoan** » Wed May 23, 2012 10:35 pm

HRS, I noticed you said you heard The Walkmen album. I didn't know that leaked! I must search that out now.

Does anyone else think Spiritualized is a little underrated this year? I think Sweet Heart Sweet Light is easily his best work since Ladies and Gentlemen and a 2012 standout up there with Jack White and Leonard Cohen. But while it has gotten some notable raves (P4k, Tiny Mix Tapes), there have also been a surprising amount of indifferent reviews and it's lower than it should be on Mega-Critic and anydecentmusic. I feel the same way about the new Beach House (which has grown on me). I predict that both albums will do very well on EOY lists, and they deserve to.

by **Stephan** » Thu May 24, 2012 3:02 pm

There's No Leaving Now, the new Tallest Man On Earth album, is a bit of a disappointment. The instrumentation is a little lusher and the production crisper, but I actually really enjoyed that raw quality the first album has, and he continues down the road he started on with The Wild Hunt. That probably means some might enjoy the album more, and don't get me wrong, it's still great stuff and likely to be in my top 5 of the year, but some of the songs (e.g. Bright Lanterns) don't live up to my (admittedly, very high) expecations for Kristian Matsson.

I think some of it may grow on me though, much like The Wild Hunt did, and there are a couple songs (e.g. 1904) that I already know will vie for a place among my top 10 of the year.

EOM Top 10:
1. Beach House - Bloom
2. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
3. The Tallest Man On Earth - There's No Leaving Now (very provisional)
And then, after a pretty big gap:
4. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
5. Anaïs Mitchell - Young Man in America
6. Dr. John - Locked Down
7. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
8. Django Django - Django Django
9. First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
10. John Talabot - ƒIN

by **Jirin** » Fri May 25, 2012 4:14 am

1. Grimes - Visions
2. The 2 Bears - Be Strong
3. Mi and L'au - If Beauty Is A Crime
4. Frankie Rose - Interstellar
5. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
6. Laura Gibson - La Grande
7. Ewert and the Two Dragons - Good Man Down (Thank you Romain)
8. Beth Jeans Houghton - Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose
9. Bowerbirds - The Clearing
10. The Menzingers - On The Impossible Past
11. Auktyon - Top
12. Lambchop - Mr M
13. The Toure-Raichel Collective - The Tel Aviv Session
14. Paul Weller - Sonik Kicks
15. Anais Mitchell - Young Man In America
16. Bhi Bhiman - Bhiman
17. Klaus & Kinski - Herrerros y fatigas
18. Damien Jurado - Maraquopa
19. Jack White - Blunderbuss
20. John Talabot - Fin

Soon to make an appearance:

Dr John - Locked Down
The Chromatics - Kill For Love
Screaming Females - Ugly

by **John** » Fri May 25, 2012 4:32 am

I hate to bash your favorite album, but that Grimes album is the one that made me throw my hands in the air and say "I give up 2012"

There were a lot of albums that got me to that point, but that one specifically put me over the edge.

by **ako** » Mon May 28, 2012 9:11 am

I am locking forward to hear the new "The very Best" album coming in June. I really liked there first album and if the stuff on the new album is like the first single i've heard. I will enjoy this one even more.

Some basching of Lil Wayne is just bonus.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PE7c0WYIAJs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

by **Zorg** » Wed May 30, 2012 11:57 pm

Me too in the "Django Django is great" camp. Harold's experiences are exactly like mine.

I've also heard the most amazing album yesterday - Accelerando by the Vijay Iyer Trio. Made up of a pianist, a bassist and a drummer, these guys play the most intricate and impressive avant-garde jazz. It's incredibly refreshing - I don't think I've had a first listen as enjoyable as the one that I had yesterday of this album.

by **Harold** » Thu May 31, 2012 10:05 pm

irreduciblekoan wrote:In the past two weeks El-P has singlehandedly injected some life into the year with two productions: his own solo album and Killer Mike's album. Just heard them both today. I liked Death Grips but didn't think it was as great as the reviews made it out to be. But these two... they backed up their hype for me.

Agreed 100% - I also picked up both albums this week (correctly predicting that they would be the highest new entries on Mega-Critic), and they are both extraordinary. I've never really been into El-P before this, but he's definitely 2012's MVP so far.

"This is jazz, this is funk, this is soul, this is gospel,
This is sanctified sex, this is player Pentecostal,
This is church - front pew - amen - pulpit,
What my people need, and the opposite of bullshit"
-- The chorus of the title track of Killer Mike's R.A.P. Music

by **SuperFurry** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 2:52 pm

Japandroids just stole my heart. :music-guitarred:

by **irreduciblekoan** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:40 am

The new Liars, WIXIW, just blew my mind. I mean, there is so much complexity, depth, beauty and personality in those 43 minutes. Easily their best album since Drum's Not Dead. It will take at least three spins to fully digest it all and see how well it stands up, but could be a classic.

by **Zorg** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 3:07 pm

Japandroids sounds great to these ears too. It's just bursting with energy.

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