Best Albums of the Year so far.

[GTG]

Yes its a fun Pub Rock album, he cites Bruce Springsteen 1978 as his main influence. It is cheering me up on this wet saturday anyway

[perfectpassion]

OW MY GOODNESSS You must have been very small then GTG

I love Streets of Our Times, I think hes changed the band now though, and whilst there are some good tracks on the new album, Too Tough To Cry and You Don't Know, its not as good but very different. He said that he wanted to make a fun album etc etc.

I do like Nick Lowe and a few years ago I found "Fifteen Thoughts of Brinsley Schwartz" in a second hand record shop. Its a compilation of their best I think. Great Album!!!

It would be great to have D&TCOTW at EoTR, could do with a singalong

[GTG]

OW MY GOODNESSS You must have been very small then GTG

[acstalker]

Bickershaw Festival

[Joe_the_Great]

Juat a follow-up to my previous post regarding The Rip Tide, the new Beirut album. I am gradually coming to the firm conclusion that it is their most consistent collection and therefore probably their best. There is much to love on the other two albums, but both contain a track or two that is just a little too repetitive/directionless in construction, despite the lovely trademark Beirut sound - i.e. the sort of track that switch people off from Beirut.

The Rip Tide seems to be free of these somewhat filler tracks. I'm not sure there's a weak track on the record. It's really, really lovely.

[wackojackohighcliffe]

Can't decide if I like the new Beirut album or not, very easy to listen to, as the whole album is well... very Beirut. But can't help to feel I'm just listening to the same stuff he had done already.

[bennyhana22]

Can't decide if I like the new Beirut album or not, very easy to listen to, as the whole album is well... very Beirut. But can't help to feel I'm just listening to the same stuff he had done already.

[riverlodge]

PS - PJH or Everything Everything for the Mercury...but where are Wild Beasts?

[perfectpassion]

Marcus Foster-Nameless Path... released on the Communion label... next month I think.... Far richer and more varied sound than I was expecting....

[eagles69]

Just thought I would bump this up as some gr8 albums out and due out. Also as you know alot of these bands will b contenders for EOTR 2012. People have mentioned Beirut-Riptide which I do personally love and believe it's their best album. I am loving the Blind Pilot album and not quite as keen on Clap your hands and Blitzen Trapper albums. Looking 4ward to hearing Dan Mangan, Laura Marling and Wilco albums

[wackojackohighcliffe]

I didn't think Blind Pilot was out yet (it may well not be) but I am looking forward to getting it.

[Infinite Jest]

The Wilco one is pretty good. Not up with Ghost or Yankee or Summerteeth, but better than W(TA) or SBS (shudder).

Got Marling ready to listen to, and she seems to be getting some great reviews. Not too keen on CYHSY or Beirut yet, but only listened once or twice.

Edited September 13, 2011 by Infinite Jest

[Timberford]

Loads of great albums mentioned in this thread. My top 5 at the moment (in no particular order)...

Ganglians 'Still Living'

Woods 'Sun and Shade'

Bon Iver 'Bon Iver'

Crystal Stilts 'In Love With Oblivion'

Beirut 'The Rip Tide' (I agree this is their best yet)

& just to a throw a few names in of really good albums that haven't been previously mentioned (I don't think)...

Tennis 'Cape Dory'

Mechanical Bride 'Living With Ants'

Papercuts 'Fading Parade'

Tapes 'n Tapes 'Outside'

Girls Names 'Dead To Me'

[RedRockRick]

Richmond Fontaine - The High Country

Stewboss - Pilgrims & Runaways

[Maoster]

Albums that have really stood out:

PJ Harvey

Gillian Welch (anyone else going to see her in November?)

Gruff Rhys

Really looking forward to the new Wilco album (and seeing them at Roundhouse in 4 weeks yoo hoo!)

An album actually released in 2010 but not really listened to until 2011 was Age of Adz by Sufjan Stevens. On first listen it was a bit "meh". Then we went to his concert at RFH this Year and, Jesus, was just sat there with a jaw dropping stupidly grinning expression for several hours. So that was my musical experience of 2011 (unless, hopefully, superseded by Wilco or G Welch).

[killyourtv]

Big plus for EOTR for me was the encouragement to listen to lots of stuff from the "undercard", and really enjoyed the new Doug Paisley, Lykke Li and Wooden Shijps at different ends of the spectrum.

Love the new Laura Marling, some great songs although vocally lacks a little something.

[Joe_the_Great]

The new Marling is ok, I find her live at EOTR rather flat and boring.

The new St. Vincent however is fantastic.

[GeordieMartin]

Good Luck Mountain (Formely Tandy)

Jeffrey Foucault - Horse Latitudes

Gregory Alan Isakov - Northern Hemisphere (it's actually been out a while but officially out here now)

Sarbeth Tucek - Get Well Soon (still pissed off the soundman fucked her set up at EOTR. Worst soundman ever!)

Israel Nash Gripka - Barn Doors And Concrete Floors

Jjango Cleefworth Morriconez - The Poquito Pioneer (completely different to the above but great in the headphones, in fact the best thing i've heard this year)

Timber Timbre - Keep On Creeping On

Dawes - Nothing Is Wrong

Edited September 13, 2011 by GeordieMartin

[wackojackohighcliffe]

The new St. Vincent however is fantastic.

[GTG]

I'm really enjoying the Laura Marling album. I think she played about half of it at EOTR and those songs already sounded familiar which must be a good sign. I did enjoy the live set too, thought her band were excellent and she seems extremely talented for a 20/21 year old bairn with 3 strong albums under her belt already, which I think show clear signs of progression in her writing. I do wish she would open up and SING more often, like she does on 'I Was Just A Card'.

One thing about her live show, though, and she did exactly the same at Green Man last year, does she REALLY need to have her guitar roadie provide her with a new guitar for EVERY song? Is it just because she can't tune them herself or does she just do it because she can?!?

[paulwa]

I'm really enjoying the Laura Marling album. I think she played about half of it at EOTR and those songs already sounded familiar which must be a good sign. I did enjoy the live set too, thought her band were excellent and she seems extremely talented for a 20/21 year old bairn with 3 strong albums under her belt already, which I think show clear signs of progression in her writing. I do wish she would open up and SING more often, like she does on 'I Was Just A Card'.

One thing about her live show, though, and she did exactly the same at Green Man last year, does she REALLY need to have her guitar roadie provide her with a new guitar for EVERY song? Is it just because she can't tune them herself or does she just do it because she can?!?

Edited September 14, 2011 by paulwa

[bennyhana22]

1. The new Beirut gets better and better with each listen and gives me wonderful memories of a Friday night just a couple of weeks ago...I was so pleased that they played Port of Call at EOTR. It's a wonderful little song that makes me happy in the way Elephant Gun does. It's a brilliant album closer and live with the sousaphone etc it was magical. God, they were good!

2. Starting to get into Richmond Fontaine's The High Country now. It's classic RF, with a narrative that pretty much demands the album be played in running order (like Post to Wire). the addition of significant female vocal for counterpoint is great too. Willy V really is a genius!

3. Just CAN'T WAIT for the new Lanterns on the Lake LP (coming on vinyl, 19 September). Despite having a personal 'problem' with generally not liking female vocalists (Miss Gudmundsdottir excepted, clearly!), I can see this record, and thus this band, becoming a bit of a fav...

Ben

[bennyhana22]

Oh, and PS:

4. Listened to Kathryn Calder's 'Are you my Mother?' a couple of times. I'm sure it'll grow on me more, but so far it's not quite living up to her brilliantTipi set at EOTR this year...

Ben

[perfectpassion]

I'm really enjoying the Laura Marling album. I think she played about half of it at EOTR and those songs already sounded familiar which must be a good sign. I did enjoy the live set too, thought her band were excellent and she seems extremely talented for a 20/21 year old bairn with 3 strong albums under her belt already, which I think show clear signs of progression in her writing. I do wish she would open up and SING more often, like she does on 'I Was Just A Card'.

One thing about her live show, though, and she did exactly the same at Green Man last year, does she REALLY need to have her guitar roadie provide her with a new guitar for EVERY song? Is it just because she can't tune them herself or does she just do it because she can?!?

[Joe_the_Great]

The new And So I Watch You From Afar is right up there with other post-rock stuff. They could rock the Wood Stage on a Saturday after before the main headline.