Albums of 2012 worth a listen

[ljsawyer]

I found it streaming on Grooveshark. Unlike most albums for me, this one peaks towards the end. Probably a bit less intense than their last record but there are some brilliant riffs and as usual, the drums are incredible.

[perfectpassion]

Just re-reading this thread and realised that I still haven't given Peter Broderick my full attention....

Three new ones

Little Battles - She Makes War

One Little Plane - Into The Trees

and O.Children - Apnea (released 4th June?) Described as "moody post punk" ??? I keep getting that feeling that I know his voice so well.

AND The Magnetic North (I have a crush on Hannah Peel) Erland, Simon and Hannah's ORKNEY dreamscape is superb

Edited May 29, 2012 by perfectpassion

[ljsawyer]

Celebration Rock has received an 8.8 from everyone's favourite infamous music website.

[talulah]

Saw Howe Gelb at the Village Underground last night with KT Tunstall and John Paul Jones and grabbed a copy of the new Giant Giant Sand album, Tucson: a country rock opera (in three parts). Well worth a listen. Just a shame they're not playing EOTR ..

[eagles69]

Halfway through the year and all the sites are doing the best of the year so far so I thought I will do mine

1 Polica-Give you the ghost

2 Anais Mitchell-Young Man in America

3 Cold Specks-I predict a graceful expulsion

4 2:54-2:54

5 Japandroids-Celebration Rock

6 Justin Townes Earle-Nothings gonna change

7 Jack White-Blunderbuss

8 Django Django-Django Django

9 First Aid Kit-The Lion's Roar

10 Alabama Shakes-Boy's and girls

[killyourtv]

I'm guessing you all know this, but newish Alllo Darling has really won me over to them, and "Tallulah" is going to take some beating as song of the year. The yearning in that song reminds me a bit of "Painting and Kissing", which also woke me up (pleasantly) at No Direction Home, seemingly during Low Anthem.

[paulwa]

The Alt-J album "An Awesome Wave" really is very good indeed. I just got it as a result of seeing them announced for EOTR and now I'm really looking forward to seeing them. Same goes for Creature With The Atom Brain, who will surely fill the Black Angels/Black Mountain style dark rock slot.

Edited June 22, 2012 by paulwa

[perfectpassion]

I'm guessing you all know this, but newish Alllo Darling has really won me over to them, and "Tallulah" is going to take some beating as song of the year. The yearning in that song reminds me a bit of "Painting and Kissing", which also woke me up (pleasantly) at No Direction Home, seemingly during Low Anthem.

[Timberford]

Highly recommend the debut album 'Oshin' from Diiv.

http://capturedtracks.com/artists/diiv-2/

[perfectpassion]

Here We Go Magic - A Different Ship, pretty good, some tracks standout Make up Your Mind and How Do I Know, rest still listening to again

OK start saving your pennies, the new Dylan Le Blanc lp Cast The Same Old Shadow is out end of August. Initially I thought he might not match If Time Was For Wasting, but I love this even more. Part One : The End is the first track released as a single. Based on a dream, the rest of the album continues to haunt. This is outstanding.

[Shakey1964]

Hi

First post on the forum.

My picks so far are:

Tallest Man on Earth, There's No Leaving Now

Jack White, Blunderbuss

Ben Kweller, Go Fly a Kite

Alabama Shakes, Boys and Girls

Hanni El Khatib, Will the Guns Come Out

Dan Sartain, Too Tough to Love

Band of Skulls, Sweet Sour

Pulled Apart by Horses, Tough Love

and looking forward to Jake Bugg's album when it is released.

Cheers

Shakey

[geofelgie]

As per usual I seem to be about a year behind.........but am loving

1. Dawes - Nothing is Wrong

2. Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal

3. Guillemots - Hello Land

5. Admiral Fallow - Tree Bursts in Snow

6. Katzenjammer - A Kiss Before you Go

7. Cashier No 9 - To the Death of Fun

8. Brucie Babes - Wrecking Ball

9. Team Me - To The Treetops

10. Richard Hawley - Standing at the Sky's Edge

11. Porcelain Raft - Strange Weekend

12. Beach House - Bloom

13. Patrick Watson - Adventures in Your Own Backyard

14. Lawrence Arabia - The Sparrow

15. Kent - Jag ar inte Radd for Morkret

only real disappointment has been the lovely but a bit dull Sigur Ros album

[kidpresentable]

I've just been having a listen to the Mark Lanegan Band's Blues Funeral, it's brilliant! Bit worried about potential clashes there though as I'm a big Robyn Hitchcock fan and they're both headlining Saturday.

The Veronica Falls album is definitely worth a listen too. To make some lazy comparisons, if you like Slow Club and The Raveonettes you'll probably dig it.

[RedRockRick]

Recent acquisitions/arrivals:

Beachwood Sparks: Tarnished Gold (purchased supporting my local indie record shop) Very pleasant listening and whilst it's on almost persuades you there's a summer going on. Once it's off however, the opening track apart, not sure there's too much distinctive here.

Perfume Genius: Put Your Back N 2 It (purchased supporting my local 2nd hand record store) The hidden depths which I'm confident are contained in this album are probably not best served by me putting this on only when I'm having a shower. Sorry, Mr. P.G., will try harder, maybe have a bath next time.

Beach House: Bloom (purchased supporting my other local 2nd hand record store) Whilst enjoying this and thinking this is all really rather lovely, I tried to call to mind what it reminded me of, and then it came to me: the first three Beach House albums. Probably best to view this as an eminently satisfactory disc 4 of a quadrology, or maybe a quintology, or a sextology, or possibly even a septology.

Lower Dens: Nootropics (purchased to thin out the promos section of No.1 local second hand record) I like it, but probably not so much as Twin Hand Movement. Quite good if turned up loud whilst having a shower.

The War On Drugs: Slave Ambient (purchased to support my local Play.com) This is the two-disc version which I'd ordered so very many months ago and given up on since it'd gone out of stock, so I'd bought the regular version. Well it's just got here, or else the postman's been playing it to death.

Dark Dark Dark: Wild Go (purchased as part of my ongoing campaign to support bands favouring the word "dark" in their names) I'm not sure this lot cut it as this year's Other Lives: this has its moments but it's all a bit earnest and stodgy for me; perhaps it needs more playing. There seem to be two very short discs in this package: they could have comfortably put it all on one CD and saved the planet. And I get irritated by this oversized CD packaging which means it doesn't fit into my rigorously disciplined shelving.

Horse Feathers: Cynic's New Year (purchased as part of my ongoing campaign to support horses and feathers) This year's Other Lives. I've liked all of Horse Feathers' albums, and this one doesn't disappoint notwithstanding that, as with the others, there's no appearance by Quincy Wagstaff.

Kelloggs: Crunchy Nut Clusters (Purchased to support my local independent Trashco) At only £2 a carton surely a terrific barg

[RedRockRick]

New arrivals in the post:

Hurray For The Riff Raff: Look Out Mama

This seems somehow more traditional and conventional than its predecessor, and gets better on repeated playing but, dammit, there's not a banjo to be heard anywhere; some yodelling, but that's just not the same.

John Murry: The Graceless Age

This kicks off strong and just keeps chugging on. I'm glad John managed to take enough time off from fisticuffs with Bob Frank to make this (I see Bob makes an appearance or two) and hopefully he might make it back over: it's got to be at least five years?

Jim White: Where it Hits You

A typical Jim White record: some very good stuff amongst merely good stuff. Some of my favourite people on this, Ollabelle, Will Johnson, Mike Ferrio: how can you go wrong?

[eagles69]

Thought I will start the ball rolling with my top albums of the year

1 Polica - Give you the ghost

2 Anais Mitchell - Young man in america

3 Alt J - Awesome Wave

4 Japandroids - Celebration Rock

5 Perfume Genius - Put your back n 2 it

6 Menomena - Moms

7 Tame Impala - Lonerism

8 Jack White - Blunderbuss

9 Jessie Ware - Devotion

10 Cat Power - Ruin

11 Grimes - Visions

12 Miguel - Kaliedoscope

13 First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar

14 Bobby Womack - The Bravest Man in the Universe

15 Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

[theampersanddevil]

Think the only album I have bought this year that has been released this year has been Light of the north by Miaoux Miaoux.

Really struggling to remember anything else. Feel a little bad about that, cos I like buying cds but my car stereo got nicked, so my cd buying has slowed down.

[ljsawyer]

A provisional list of my albums of the year, in no particular order:

John Murry - The Graceless Age

Murder By Death - Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon

Trampled By Turtles - Stars and Satellites

Japandroids - Celebration Rock

Ryan Bingham - Tomorrowland

Francois & The Atlas Mountains - E Volo Love

Todd Snider - Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables

Tenniscoats - Papa's Ear

Justin Townes Earle - Nothing's Gonna Change...

M. Ward - A Wasteland Companion

Lost In The Trees - A Church That Fits Our Needs

The Flatlanders - The Odessa Tapes (doesn't really count but...)

Tindersticks - The Something Rain

Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang - En Yay Sah

Amadou & Mariam - Folila

Calexico - Algiers

The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth

Mount Eerie - Ocean Roar

Jens Lekman - I Know What Love Isn't

Greensky Bluegrass - Handguns

Dwight Yoakam - 3 Pears

The Deep Dark Woods - The Place I Left Behind

That's all I can think of right now. It's been a good year for americana.

[nigeyb]

Through the wonders of a splendid website called Albums Of The Year I can tell you that here is...

nigeyb's 50 Highest Rated Albums of 2012

For those that can't be bothered to click

1. Dexys "One Day I'm Going To Soar".

I’m a longtime Dexys admirer. All four albums are firm favourites. The debut is one of the most vital and powerful albums ever; the Celtic-soul of the second is wonderful; ‘Don’t Stand Me Down’ is full of beauty and strength; and - after a wait of almost thirty years -‘One Day I’m Going To Soar’ is my favourite album of 2012, and fits right in with the consistent quality of the Dexys’ back catalogue. Kevin Rowland is one of the most honest and brave performers out there. He puts it all out in the open - emotions, mistakes, and his deepest thoughts and insecurities. I sometimes marvel that someone like Kevin managed to achieve such mass appeal. Great to have him back - even better that he's produced such an amazing album to mark Dexys' return.

And the rest of the top ten...

2. Bill Fay - Life Is People

3. Beach House - Bloom

4. Public Image Ltd. This is PiL

5. The North Sea Scrolls - The North Sea Scrolls

6. Patti Smith - Banga

7. Moon Duo - Circles

8. Grizzly Bear - Shields

9. Jimmy Cliff - Rebirth

10. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave

2012, another great year for music.

[killyourtv]

Wish I felt that way about the Dexy's, Nigeyboy; I remain bitterly disappointed, and I love Don't Stand Me Down and those in-song conversations. Still time to be converted.

Much too early for best-of-year ofcourse, but the Tracey Thorn "Christmas" record will be in there. Like a Snowman (Stephin Merritt cover) is my song of the year so far.

[acstalker]

In no particular order

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - The Lion, The Beast, The Beat

Dave Matthews Band - Away From The World

Allah-Las -Allah-Las

Lord Huron - Lonesome Dreams

Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Big Moon Ritual

Chris Robinson Brotherhood -The Magic Door

The Deep Dark Woods -The Place I Left Behind

Hurray for the Riff Raff - Look Out Mama

Two Wounded Birds -Two Wounded Birds

The Staves - Dead & Born & Grown

JD McPherson -Signs and Signifiers

Moon Duo - Circles

First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar

Dwight Yoakam - 3 Pears

Toby Keith - Hope On The Rocks

[Christophales]

Thought there were some really disappointing albums from established artists this year (two of last year's EOTR headliners included) but there was more than enough fresh stuff to make up for it. Here are some of my favourites in no particular order:

Bo Ningen - Line The Wall

Goat - World Music

Islet - Illuminated People

Japandroids - Celebration Rock

Keaton Henson - Dear

Liars - WIXIW

Moon Duo - Circles

Moonface - With Sinaii: Heartbreaking Bravery

Mount Eerie - Ocean Roar

Orcas - Orcas

Pinkunoizu - Free Time!

RYAT - TOTEM

Scott and Charlene's Wedding - Para Vista Social Club

Swans - The Seer

The Twilight Sad - No-one Can Ever Know

Ukkonen - The Isolated Rhythms Of...

Yppah - Eighty One

Beak>> - > >

Motorspycho and Stale Storlokken - The Death Defying Unicorn

[RedRockRick]

In no particular order, here's a list of some of my picks of the last year, or at least stuff which stayed off the shelves and in the play pile a long time:

Craig Finn: Clear Heart Full Eyes

Amanda Shires: Carrying Lightning

Matthew Ryan: In The Dusk of Everything

Sera Cahoone: Deer Creek Canyon

Chris Knight: Little Victories

Neil Young: Psychedelic Pill

The Sea and Cake: Runner

Kathleen Edwards: Voyageur

Beth Orton: Sugaring Season

Will Johnson: Scorpion

John Murry: The Graceless Age

Damien Jurado: Maraqopa

New Multitudes: New Multitudes

The District Attorneys: Slowburner

Iris DeMent: Sing The Delta

The Mastersons: Birds Fly South

Cy & The Entomologists: Da Doo Ron Ron

The Wooden Sky: Every Child A Daughter Every Moon a Sun

[amanesa]

First Post, so thought I'd start with my top 10 of the year

Not in order, that changes daily

Perfume Genius-Put your back N 2 it

Mark Lanegan-Blues Funeral

Sharon Van Etten-Tramp

Hurray for the Riff Raff-Look Out Mama

AltJ-An Awesome Wave

Antony and the Johnsons-Cut The World

Patti Smith-Banga

Of Monsters And Men-My Head Is An Animal

Kontiki Suite-On Sunset Lake

Bat For Lashes-The Haunted Man

Since the initial line up was announced I've been playing stuff from the bands that are playing who I've not heard before, consequently I'm enjoying this years albums by;

Angel Olsen

John Murry

Damien Jurado

Woodpecker Wooliams(ordered)

Serafina Steer's imminent release sounds interesting too.

The Daughter EP

Palma Violets sound like they may add some energy to the event.

Edited January 8, 2013 by amanesa

[Amy Lawn]

1. The Cribs - In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull

2. The Twilight Sad - No One Can Ever Know

3. Cat Power - Sun

4. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp

5. Dinosaur Jr - I Bet On Sky

6. Bob Dyaln - Tempest

7. Esperanza Spalding - Radio Music Society

8. Richard Hawley - Standing At The Sky's Edge

9. David Byrne & St. Vincent - Love This Giant

10. Howler - America, Give Up