Albums of 2012

sonofsamiam
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by sonofsamiam »

I gotta put in a rec for Neneh Cherry and The Thing ... even though it's primarily covers, it's great to hear some heavy avant garde jazz takes on some great songs. I particularly like "Dirt" (which I actually prefer over the Stooges' original) and "Dream Baby Dream" (which is nearly on par with Suicide's).
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Romain
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Romain »

Three new entries this week.

Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel… 8,5/10 I always love this woman. An album with no weak song…And no real hit.
The Walkmen - Heaven 7,5/10 The Walkmen always do the job!
The XX - Coexist 7/10 I'm not really in the mood for that this 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
Field Music - Plumb 8,5/10
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel… 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
Lambchop - Mr. M 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
Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester 7,5/10
The Walkmen - Heaven 7,5/10
Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light 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
The XX - Coexist 7/10
Jirin
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Jirin »

Huh. I like the Channel Orange album a lot, it's potential top ten for me, but right now I'm listening to the Pyramids song and I don't understand why it's being singled out as the greatest single on the album.
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by irreduciblekoan »

Funny you say that, Jirin. It's actually my least favorite song on the album too. Of course, that speaks more for the quality of the rest of the songs than any weakness of that one.

I also wasn't a big fan of Runaway, the most famous My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy single
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nicolas
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by nicolas »

For those who know me : what 2012 album would you recommend?
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Rodneyontheblock »

It's very independent and unsigned. In fact I still think he's on CDbaby, home of all the unsigned artists. I go on there all the time and sometimes review albums. Most don't leave much of a lasting impression but this is by far is the best album I've heard not only on cdbaby but from the entire year. Bare in mind how I always state the majority of acclaimed male songwriters are ridiculously overrated. So the fact that I see this 18 year old phenom as a true remarkable talent is something of a miracle. His name is JOHN MARK NELSON and his album "Waiting and Waiting" is nothing short of a MASTERPIECE. Trust me, it is absolutely sensational. If this kid who's the same age as Justin Bieber mind you, doesn't go places than I can truly say we missed out on the next spectacular sensation. GET IT NOW!!!!!http://johnmarknelson.bandcamp.com/ And no I don't work for him LOL!
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by John »

nicolas wrote:For those who know me : what 2012 album would you recommend?
I haven't heard it yet, but The Mountain Goats are up your alley if you haven't heard them before and they are usually pretty consistent. I've enjoyed previous Beachwood Sparks albums as well, but again, I haven't heard it yet. This year hasn't produced much along the lines of folk rock which is probably a big reason why I haven't enjoyed a whole lot of 2012 albums. But those two are on my list, and from previous albums I've heard I think you'd like those bands.
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Jirin »

You've already heard Carolina Chocolate Drops - Leaving Eden and Michael Kiwanuka - Home Again, correct?

Have you heard Joe Bonamassa - Moving Toward The Daylight?
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Romain
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Romain »

A "new" french DJ-band make sensation in france : C2C, and if it's not my favorite style, I find one or two songs catchy:

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Miguel
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Miguel »

nicolas wrote:For those who know me : what 2012 album would you recommend?
Burning Hearts: Extinction

"Despite the heaviness in the words, the bulk of the album's music is surprisingly sunny and bright; full of lightly jangling guitars, smooth toned synths, and Rapo's wonderfully sweet vocals (she truly can sing the saddest words and make them go down like a spoonful of sugar) with quite a few songs approaching bouncy on the rhythmic spectrum. It's a lovely sound that makes the already melodically strong and emotionally powerful songs even stronger and more powerful. Extinctions is the kind of album that wraps itself around you like a heavy blanket on a chilled winter night, full of comfort and protection against the cold world."

Tim Sendra (allmusic.com)


Damien Jurado: Maraqopa

"Maraqopa feels less revelatory than Saint Bartlett on pure impact; while the latter was a fine balance of chewy folk-pop delicacies and the basement-borne shadowy expressions that Jurado's built his fanbase on, this album is more of a mood piece, its melodic rewards teased out over time and drenched in the type of steady rain that his home state is known for. So, it's the second-best album of his career, then-- which is nothing to sneeze at, really."

Larry Fitzmaurice (pitchfork.com)


Silvia Pérez Cruz: 11 de Novembre

"My favourite Spanish album of 2012 so far is Silvia Pérez Cruz's 11 de Novembre, a delicate album that benefits from the highly emotional voice of Silvia (in this occasion very influenced by Portuguese fado, an unusual influence today on Spanish music), the subdued production of Raül Fernández from Refree and an open-minded sound (including references to flamenco, fado and tropicalismo but also jazz or pop)."

Honorio Barranco (acclaimedmusic.net)
Last edited by Miguel on Mon Oct 08, 2012 8:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
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nicolas
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by nicolas »

:D Thank you my friends !! now I have some listening to do
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Henry »

I haven't listened to many new albums this year. But, I found many of the songs on the new Muse album to be enjoyable. My conjecture is that this album is not getting much love from the AMers generally.

The new Beach House album is impressing me so far.

The new Spiritualized album has also caught my ear so far.

The offerings by Frank Ocean, Grizzly Bear, and Fiona Apple are clearly enjoyable for me, but not as good as the three albums discussed above for me so far.

I am not nearly as impressed so far with the offerings by The Swans, The DIrty Projectors, and Japandroids. But, I will give each of these a few more listens before giving up on them.
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Romain
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Romain »

Dyonisos - Bird'N'Roll 7/10
Maybe a little less good than their two previous efforts but always very catchy.

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Matski
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Matski »

The new Tame Impala record, Lonerism has been getting a lot of positive shout-outs this week...
Tame Impala - Lonerism: album stream

...while, Godspeed You! Black Emperor dropped a silent killer of an album in the last few days too:
Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! – exclusive album stream

Both are worth checking out if you were a fan of their previous works.
irreduciblekoan
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by irreduciblekoan »

The new Godspeed You! Black Emperor is indeed excellent. "We Drift Like Worried Fire" is one of my tracks of the year, 20 epic, ever-changing but coherent minutes.
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Nassim »

Henry wrote:I haven't listened to many new albums this year. But, I found many of the songs on the new Muse album to be enjoyable. My conjecture is that this album is not getting much love from the AMers generally.
Some critics brutally bashed it and I have to say it is not deserved. The previous 2 albums were dreadful but this one is OK, not a great album but nothing awful either.
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by John »

The Mountain Goats album is very good.
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Jackson »

Matski wrote:The new Tame Impala record, Lonerism has been getting a lot of positive shout-outs this week...
Tame Impala - Lonerism: album stream

...while, Godspeed You! Black Emperor dropped a silent killer of an album in the last few days too:
Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! – exclusive album stream

Both are worth checking out if you were a fan of their previous works.
New Godspeed album is just glorious. I've never been a huge fan before, but this has a similar aesthetic as The Seer. The second half of the opening track just stunned me.

I really like Tame Impala too. My favorite straight-ahead rock record this year.
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by irreduciblekoan »

Couldn't resist, I listened to the Kendrick Lamar "Good Kid m.A.A.d city" leak. Wow! Hip-hop album of the year.
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Henrik »

In a year when the most acclaimed music is Swans and GYBE, I am totally off the radar.
Everyone you meet fights a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.
sonofsamiam
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by sonofsamiam »

May as well give a state of the union thus far, here's my top 30...

[01] Swans | The Seer (it's an absolute monster, but it's also the best album they've ever done, amazingly 30 years on...I've given in)
[02] Flying Lotus | Until The Quiet Comes
[03] Charles Gayle | Streets
[04] Julia Holter | Ekstasis
[05] Bill Fay | Life Is People (stunningly crushes Dylan and Cohen in the 60+ bard category ... unless you include Charles Gayle)
[06] Burial | Kindred EP
[07] Neneh Cherry and The Thing | The Cherry Thing
[08] Frank Ocean | Channel Orange
[09] Actress | R.I.P.
[10] Krzysztof Penderecki & Jonny Greenwood | Krzysztof Penderecki / Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead fans...beware)
[11] Killer Mike | R.A.P. Music
[12] Godspeed You! Black Emperor | Allelujah! Don't Bend, Ascend!
[13] Lambchop | Mr. M
[14] Vijay Iyer Trio | Accelerando
[15] Fiona Apple | The Idler Wheel…
[16] Grizzly Bear | Shields
[17] Bob Dylan | Tempest
[18] Efterklang | Piramida
[19] Spiritualized | Sweet Heart Sweet Light
[20] Antibalas | Antibalas
[21] Liars | WIXIW
[22] Rush | Clockwork Angels (their best album in 27 years!)
[23] Aesop Rock | Skelethon
[24] iamamiwhoami | kin
[25] Tame Impala | Lonerism
[26] Pepe Deluxe | Queen of The Wave
[27] Bat for Lashes | The Haunted Man
[28] Leonard Cohen | Old Ideas
[29] Deerhoof | Breakup Song
[30] Saint Etienne | Words and Music by Saint Etienne

Still need to hear...

Max Richter | Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons
Ty Segall Band | Slaughterhouse
Electric Guest | Mondo
Jens Lekman | I Know What Love Isn't
Cat Power | Sun
Aimee Mann | Charmer

Great songs, disappointing albums:

The Shins - "Simple Song"
Santigold - "Disparate Youth"
Amadou & Mariam - "Wily Kataso"
Jackson
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Jackson »

sonofsamiam wrote:May as well give a state of the union thus far, here's my top 30...

[02] Flying Lotus | Until The Quiet Comes
How do you think this compares to Cosmogramma? That was my #2 of 2010, but I don't think this new one stacks up. I expect it to place in the 10-20 range when it's all said and done.

Great list, we share Swans, Burial, and Actress in the top 10. The only omission among things I think you'd like is Four Tet, who flew under the critical radar with his album about a month ago.
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Matski
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Matski »

Overall, I think the general consensus is spot on - it's very good, even if doesn't quite claim his 'best album yet' crown from his previous album. I expect it'll end up hovering around the low end of my EOY top 10, whereas Cosmogramma landed into a top 3 spot back in 2010.

Shamed to say that I haven't heard the Four Tet album yet even though There Is Love in You was one of my favourite electronic releases of 2010. Not going to argue over both the recent Burial EP and the new Actress album though, both are brilliant.
Last edited by Matski on Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:23 pm, edited 9 times in total.
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by John »

I was more than shocked when I saw Bill Fay had a new album, I thought for sure it had to be unreleased material. Looking forward to listening to it.
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Dan
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Dan »

I listened to The Seer this morning. I had a feeling I wasn't going to like it, and I was right, but at the same time I could understand why it is being praised for being unconventional, boundary-pushing music. There is something unique about the way it manages to achieve a balance between calm and agression, or between sophistication and crudity - it's like a loud yet graceful beast of an album. For those who like good post-rock or drone, it's probalby pure ecstasy listening to the album. But for someone like me who gets a bit seasick after too much dissonance, it's a 2-hour ache in the balls of tedious, self-indulgent noise. It's not for everyone (and neither should it be).

I haven't listened to many albums from 2012 yet, but I'm looking forward to doing so over the next couple of months. Of the albums I've heard so far, the one I would like to recommend is in many ways the opposite to The Seer. It's Gregory Porter's Be Good, a vocal jazz and soul album in the traditional sense. The only other person who seems to have noticed it so far is nicolas (it's currently his #2 album of the year). Fans of forward-thinking music by the likes of Swans might find it a bit timid, but I think there's a strong case to be made for not forgetting or ignoring historically significant music. And Be Good is an excellent example of how old-school jazz and soul can be re-interpreted to magnificent effect when in the hands of someone like Gregory Porter.

I've posted it before, but I'll post it again... here is the title track:
...will keep us together.
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Re: Albums of 2012

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If you're still willing, I suggest you do the "second-disc-of-the-Seer" challenge. It starts with a beautiful Karen O song and really gets better and better until its stunning conclusion. The second disc is truly fantastic, and if after listening to that exclusively you can't take it then the Seer probably simply isn't for you.

Be Good was lovely.
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Romain
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Romain »

Two new entries this week.

Wild Nothing - Nocturne 8/10 An album or a dream?
The Fresh and Onlys - Long Slow Dance 7,5/10 A strange sensation with this album, I don't know why but maybe it is destined to become huge



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
Field Music - Plumb 8,5/10
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel… 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
Lambchop - Mr. M 8/10
Rover - Rover 8/10
Revolver - Let Go 8/10
We Have Band - Ternion 8/10
Tindersticks - Something Rain 8/10
And Also The Trees - Hunter Not The Hunted 8/10
Wild Nothing - Nocturne 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
Trailer Trash Tracys - Ester 7,5/10
The Walkmen - Heaven 7,5/10
Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light 7,5/10
HAL - The Time the Hour 7,5/10
The Vaccines - Come of Age 7,5/10
The Fresh and Onlys - Long Slow Dance 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
Dyonisos - Bird'n'Roll 7/10
Skip the use - Can be late 7/10
Cat Power - Sun 7/10
The XX - Coexist 7/10
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Nick »

Here's my new top 20 of the year...

1. Frank Ocean- Channel Orange
2. Beach House- Bloom
3. Grizzly Bear- Shields
4. Swans- The Seer
5. Tame Impala- Lonerism
6. Fiona Apple- The Idler Wheel...
7. Japandroids- Celebration Rock
8. Spiritualized- Sweet Heart Sweet Light
9. Godspeed You Black Emperor- 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
10. Kendrick Lamar- Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
11. Grimes- Visions
12. Flying Lotus- Until the Quiet Comes
13. Dirty Projectors- Swing Lo Magellan
14. Chromatics- Kill for Love
15. Jack White- Blunderbuss
16. The XX- Coexist
17. Bob Dylan- Tempest
18. Cloud Nothings- Attack on Memory
19. Killer Mike- R.A.P. Music
20. Cat Power- Sun

The new Kendrick Lamar album is pretty awesome, but not as good as the critics are making it out to be. It already has an XXL from XXL and a 9.5/10 from Pitchfork. Still a very solid album though.
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Jackson »

Dan wrote:I listened to The Seer this morning. I had a feeling I wasn't going to like it, and I was right, but at the same time I could understand why it is being praised for being unconventional, boundary-pushing music. There is something unique about the way it manages to achieve a balance between calm and aggression, or between sophistication and crudity - it's like a loud yet graceful beast of an album. For those who like good post-rock or drone, it's probably pure ecstasy listening to the album.
This is one of the most insightful things I've heard someone say about an album they didn't like. Especially that last sentence--I've found myself thinking the same thing about some folk/Americana albums, but have never been able to phrase it so succinctly.
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Dan »

Thank you, Jackson. That's very kind of you to say. And I really like your point about being able to grasp the opinion of someone whose tastes you don't always agree with. At the risk of sounding like Jesus/Oprah Winfrey... if most people made the effort to put themselves in other people's shoes, the world would be in a much better state.

PS: Your all-time songs list is a thing of beauty. It really is.
...will keep us together.
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Re: Albums of 2012

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What a week :

King Tuff - King Tuff 9,5/10 THE good surprise of the year. A refreshing glam-pop album. 12 songs … 12 possible singles ….maybe a futur clasic.
Eugene McGuinness - The Invitation to the voyage 9,5/10 Its raining hits, allellujah.
Calexico - Algiers 8,5/10 Superb, as always.
Ez3kiel - The Naphtaline Orchestra 8/10 Their 2007 album Naphtaline was pretty good...but here, with an orchestra, it become fantastic.

Eugene McGuinness - The Invitation to the voyage 9,5/10
Electric Guest - Mondo 9,5/10
King Tuff - King Tuff 9,5/10

The Maccabees - Given to the Wild 9/10
Matt Elliott - The Broken Man 9/10

Lower Dens - Nootropics 8,5/10
Field Music - Plumb 8,5/10
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel… 8,5/10
Calexico - Algiers 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
Lambchop - Mr. M 8/10
Rover - Rover 8/10
Revolver - Let Go 8/10
We Have Band - Ternion 8/10
Tindersticks - Something Rain 8/10
And Also The Trees - Hunter Not The Hunted 8/10
Wild Nothing - Nocturne 8/10
The Hives - Lex Hives 8/10
Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral 8/10
Ez3kiel - The Naphtaline Orchestra 8/10
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Zorg »

Anyone else heard the new Titus Andronicus? I like it quite a lot.
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Jirin »

I'm not sure I'm getting Kendrick Lamar.

It doesn't have the great MCing of someone like Jay-Z, the great wordplay of someone like Eminem, the great production or interesting lyricism of a Kanye West. It just comes off as average rapping about having lots of sex.
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Jackson »

The new Andy Stott album "Luxury Problems" is great and solidifies him in my mind as one of the top electronic producers working right now. After the great one-two punch of EPs last year with Passed Me By and We Stay Together, I think this release is just as strong as those. Pretty much every electronic album I've anticipated this year (Burial, Actress, Four Tet) has lived up to my expectations, with the only exception being Flying Lotus, whose album is good but a little 'safe.'
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Gillingham »

Jackson wrote:
sonofsamiam wrote:May as well give a state of the union thus far, here's my top 30...

[02] Flying Lotus | Until The Quiet Comes
Great list, we share Swans, Burial, and Actress in the top 10. The only omission among things I think you'd like is Four Tet, who flew under the critical radar with his album about a month ago.
The thing with Fout Tet's Pink is that it's a kind of compilation and not really a regular album. I do like it though.
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Evan »

Jirin wrote:I'm not sure I'm getting Kendrick Lamar.

It doesn't have the great MCing of someone like Jay-Z, the great wordplay of someone like Eminem, the great production or interesting lyricism of a Kanye West. It just comes off as average rapping about having lots of sex.
When hyped artists release highly-anticipated albums, critics tend to react in one of two ways: Either the album is just okay and critics pan it, or it is good and gets universal acclaim. As a result, these albums often elicit an extreme reaction one way or the other, and rarely do critics accurately rate the album.

Kendrick Lamar has been the "Next Big Thing" for a couple years now, so everyone was looking forward to his first major release. Personally, I think it's pretty darn good, but overrated. Another casualty of the hype machine.
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Romain »

This week :

Get Well Soon - The Scarlet Beast O'Seven Heads 9/10 Morricone ? The Divine Comedy ? MGMT ? No no, its Get Well Soon and it's really really good.
The Dodoz - Forever I Can Purr 8,5/10 An another excellent rock album of this excellent year. Guitars and melodies, what else?
Grizzly Bear - Shields 7,5/10 I don' t know why but I founds these songs too perfect. A little bit boring.

Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg 7,5/10 It's not the kind of thing I generally love…but, I don't know why, I found some of the songs incredibly beautiful. ( but what a Shame this Dylanesque voice)


Eugene McGuinness - The Invitation to the voyage 9,5/10
Electric Guest - Mondo 9,5/10
King Tuff - King Tuff 9,5/10

Get Well Soon - The Scarlet Beast O'Seven Heads 9/10
Matt Elliott - The Broken Man 9/10

Lower Dens - Nootropics 8,5/10
Field Music - Plumb 8,5/10
The Maccabees - Given to the Wild 8,5/10
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel… 8,5/10
Calexico - Algiers 8,5/10
The Dodoz - Forever I Can Purr 8,5 /10
Piano Magic - Life Has Not Finished With Me Yet 8,5/10

Django Django - S/t 8/10
Dry The River - Shallow Bed 8/10
Lambchop - Mr. M 8/10
Rover - Rover 8/10
Revolver - Let Go 8/10
We Have Band - Ternion 8/10
Tindersticks - Something Rain 8/10
And Also The Trees - Hunter Not The Hunted 8/10
Wild Nothing - Nocturne 8/10
The Hives - Lex Hives 8/10
Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral 8/10
Ez3kiel - The Naphtaline Orchestra 8/10
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Dan
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Dan »

Here is a top 25 for now. There will no doubt be changes and additions as I listen to more albums, especially when the fun and games of the year-end lists happen.

1 | Ondatrópica | Ondatrópica

An album by an incredible group of mostly Colombian musicians who wanted to "re-interpret the tropical musical heritage of Colombia" (according to their website)… and succeeded. There's everything here from cumbia to salsa, bossa nova, gaita, afrobeat, ska, hip-hop, dub, funk, and more. All the words I can think of to describe it seem to end in "ing": pulsating, exhilarating, scintillating. Who says the best dance album of the year has to be electronic? (Thank you Nicolas for bringing this album to my attention.)

2 | Gregory Porter | Be Good

Soulful and timeless vocal jazz. The arrangements are warm and Porter’s wonderful voice is even warmer. I can see how some people might find this album a bit too wholesome and innocent, but I love getting lost in the comforting cosiness of it all. That’s not to say that the music is predictable or without muscle. The man clearly has impressive talents both as a singer and as a composer.

3 | Kendrick Lamar | good kid, m.A.A.d city

Yes, it was virtually suffocated by too much hype, but in a year that hasn’t exactly blown me away it stands out as a compelling and potent blockbuster of a hip hop album.

4 | Beach House | Bloom

The first time I heard this album I thought Beach House lacked progress in a genre where progress is kinda a requirement – it sounded too similar to their previous work. And I also thought that their dreamy 80s soundscape was too similar from song to song. It felt limited and lacked variety. But repeated listening revealed more and more subtle detail, and eventually their ethereal sonic landscape felt much larger than at first. By now I think it’s their best album to date and I enjoy the rather intoxicating and euphoric journey it takes me on.

5 | Frank Ocean | Channel Orange

There was quite a bit of hoo-ha earlier this year when Frank Ocean became the first high profile urban male artist to disclose that he has been in love with men as well as women. A brave thing to do, yes, but should it matter? No. So it was a relief when Channel Orange turned out to be so good that the coming out story became a mere footnote. As is to be expected, it’s an emotionally honest album. The music is mostly understated, but it’s often also idiosyncratic and it has an impressive scope. It possesses the quality that I like most about good new music: it mixes old and modern sounds to come up with fascinating new combinations that you can’t get a grip on immediately. And then of course there is his stunning and versatile voice (which incidentally sounds as good live as it does in the recording studio). A contemporary R&B album that has raised the bar for the genre.

6 | Ebo Taylor | Appia Kwa Bridge
7 | Bruce Springsteen | Wrecking Ball
8 | Michael Kiwanuka | Home Again
9 | The Tallest Man on Earth | There's No Leaving Now
10 | Carolina Chocolate Drops | Leaving Eden
11 | Jimmy Cliff | Rebirth
12 | Staff Benda Bilili | Bouger le monde!
13 | Dr. John | Locked Down
14 | First Aid Kit | The Lion's Roar
15 | Jack White | Blunderbuss
16 | Fiona Apple | The Idler Wheel
17 | Leonard Cohen | Old Ideas
18 | Father John Misty | Fear Fun
19 | Sílvia Pérez Cruz | 11 de novembre
20 | El-P | Cancer 4 Cure
21 | Anaïs Mitchell | Young Man in America
22 | Perfume Genius | Put Your Back N 2 It
23 | Andy Stott | Luxury Problems
24 | Bhi Bhiman | Bhiman
25 | M. Ward | A Wasteland Companion

Here is the list on RYM
...will keep us together.
Gillingham
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Gillingham »

Andy Stott's Luxury Problems seems to be very good. I need to listen to it more often and I certainly will.
Jirin
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Jirin »

A few more great discoveries from this thread. Ondatropics and Eugene McGuinness are awesome, thank you Dan and Romain.

Godspeed You Black Emperor thumbs up, Swans thumbs down.

Still need to hear Flying Lotus and it's annoyingly not on Spotify.

Anyone else want to do a 'Best Moderately Acclaimed Album Of The Year' thing? Not anything as long as the Moderate poll, I'm thinking more along the lines of: Everybody nominates one album, we get a month to listen to them and then rank them like the decade polls. I'd be willing to run this because...well, because it's not a lot of work. ;)
Gillingham
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Gillingham »

Jirin wrote:Anyone else want to do a 'Best Moderately Acclaimed Album Of The Year' thing? Not anything as long as the Moderate poll, I'm thinking more along the lines of: Everybody nominates one album, we get a month to listen to them and then rank them like the decade polls. I'd be willing to run this because...well, because it's not a lot of work. ;)
Sounds like a good idea to me!
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Matski
Rust Never Sleeps
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Matski »

Depending on how many people participate, that could turn into a really interesting project.
Gillingham wrote:Andy Stott's Luxury Problems seems to be very good. I need to listen to it more often and I certainly will.
Yeah, leapt to hear this one after reading all the shout-outs about his previous EPs. Between Actress, Burial and this it's been a decent turnout for British, electronic music this year. I must get around to listening to his previous effort, Merciless too, sometime. Supposedly, it's even better!..
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HRS
Let's Get It On
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by HRS »

Bish Bosch has leaked! Any thoughts? I've been re-listening to some 2012 records and I'm somewhat in love by Patti Smith's cover of After the Gold Rush - and Banga is a great album on its own. I've been also searching everywhere for Jessica Pratt's self-titled debut album; Night Faces sounds like some lost gem of 60s folk - if you dig the innocence of the Milk-Eyed Mender days of Joanna Newsom, the stripped down approach of the majority of Kate Bush mid-70s demos and Steve Nicks's voice, Pratt might be worthy of your attention.
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HRS
Let's Get It On
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by HRS »

Jessica Pratt's was a pleasant listen, but she needs stronger material to match the magic of her voice or Night Faces; A much more successful indie folk album, in my opinion, was delivered by Alexander Tucker - although he can't help but fusion the genre with some experiments in some tracks. Don't call it Freak Folk! :D
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Romain
Happy Up Here
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Romain »

This week :

Captain Kids - 67 songs 8,5/10 The best folk album of the year.
Tame Impala - Lonerism 7,5/10 Very Good? Yes! Excellent? Not for me!

Eugene McGuinness - The Invitation to the voyage 9,5/10
Electric Guest - Mondo 9,5/10
King Tuff - King Tuff 9,5/10

Get Well Soon - The Scarlet Beast O'Seven Heads 9/10
Matt Elliott - The Broken Man 9/10

Lower Dens - Nootropics 8,5/10
Field Music - Plumb 8,5/10
The Maccabees - Given to the Wild 8,5/10
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel… 8,5/10
Calexico - Algiers 8,5/10
The Dodoz - Forever I Can Purr 8,5 /10
Piano Magic - Life Has Not Finished With Me Yet 8,5/10
Captain Kid - 67 songs 8,5/10

Django Django - S/t 8/10
Dry The River - Shallow Bed 8/10
Lambchop - Mr. M 8/10
Rover - Rover 8/10
Revolver - Let Go 8/10
We Have Band - Ternion 8/10
Tindersticks - Something Rain 8/10
And Also The Trees - Hunter Not The Hunted 8/10
Wild Nothing - Nocturne 8/10
The Hives - Lex Hives 8/10
Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral 8/10
Ez3kiel - The Naphtaline Orchestra 8/10
John
Let's Get It On
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by John »

I have a lot of catch up to do but here's what I've liked this year in no order yet:

Django Django- ST
Lana Del Ray- Paradise
^- An Awesome Wave
Bat For Lashes- The Haunted Man
Cat Power- Sun
Carlie Rae Jepsen- Kiss
Max Richter- Recomposed Four Seasons
Beach House- Bloom
Mountain Goats- Transcendental Youth
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Romain
Happy Up Here
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Romain »

Today :

Benjamin Biolay - Vengeance 8/10 Not as good as "La Superbe" but some magnificiant songs.

Aime, mon amour.
Profite
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beefsupreme
Start Me Up
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by beefsupreme »

I haven't listened to much 2012 stuff yet but from what I've heard I'd recommend:

Ty Segall - Twins
Ty Segall & White Fence - Hair
Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits
Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire - The Man in the High Castle
Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse
Odd Future - Odd Future II
Jack White - Blunderbuss
Ddiamondd
Are You Experienced?
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Ddiamondd »

in addition to nominating Claro Intelecto in the Moderately Acclaimed thread, I thought I'd pitch in five favourites of the year that flew under the radar a bit, some of which nestle right up top with the likes of John Talabot, Kendrick, FlyLo, Four Tet and Cloud Nothings in my top 50 list. They're all very different but all very good:

Pond - Beards, Wives, Denim [Tame Impala side-project bring forth Innerspeaker, pt.2, intermingling extended jams and concise psychedelic pop nuggets]

Friendzone - Collection 1 [Delicate, tender and heavenly hip-hop instrumentals, similar to Clams Casino but more emphasis on live instrumentation and advanced musicianship]

Baroness - Yellow & Green [really superb and not too long for a double LP at all, balancing a strong melodic core with storming riffs and killer drum work. latter-day Mastodon fans will dig this]

Joey Bada$$ - 1999 [one of this year's premier hip-hop mixtapes from a teenager overflowing with talent. Very much a throwback to vintage 90s rap, especially on the production front]

Nina Kraviz - Nina Kraviz [mellow, engrossing deep house/techno with fine attention to detail and intermittent vocal parts provided by the lovely lady herself. a top notch album for nocturnal studyng, packing some dancefloor bounce as well]
Jackson
Into the Groove
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Re: Albums of 2012

Post by Jackson »

Both songs from the new Burial EP are up on Youtube today. I'm so glad the progressive turn he took on Kindred has stayed, and I'm also glad this dropped before I finalize my year end lists.

Truant
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