#16.
Times New Viking – Dancer Equired
I guess a lot of people didn't like this album, but then a lot of people don't like Times New Viking in the first place. I'll keep my sales pitch brief because I feel like I've done this plenty of times before, and most people already know how they feel about TNV. I think they write some great hooks and have generally good lyrics. This album isn't nearly as abrasive and harsh as their previous ones, but it's still plenty ragged and dissonant. Some people seem to think that the subtraction of searing noise has revealed shortcomings underneath, but I think those people just weren't paying very close attention before. The songs are every bit as strong as on previous outings, and the singing is just as off key on them as it has always been. My one complaint with the sound on this record is that the drums don't quite sound as punchy and propulsive as before and can be a little mushy in places. Still a really strong record overall, and like their other albums, it's more memorable and meaningful to me than a vast majority of the new music out there. 8/10
"Fuck Her Tears":



#15.
Real Estate – Days
This is such an easy record that I've become almost skeptical of how much I like it. There's nothing particularly imaginative or original about it, but it just hits all the right notes. Clearly they know what they're doing here as they kick things off with a track called "Easy" which pretty much lays it all out there. They're sort of the jangly guitar-pop cousins of chillwave, similarly trafficking in wistful nostalgia and general warm, soothing comfort. This record fits like an old pair of shoes. It immediately feels like an old favorite. 8/10
"Out of Tune":



#14.
Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972
Tim Hecker makes droning, beatless electronic music that I would say is far from "ambient". It can be downright overpowering. He's been at this for quite a while now, and this album is among the best he's done. There's a little added drama (due perhaps to the piano dropping theme) that gives it more life than his previous album An Imaginary Country. As usual, he's made something beautiful and moving that rewards patience and close attention. 8/10
"Hatred of Music":



#13.
Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact
Gang Gang Dance have definitely come a long way since I bought their self-titled, then vinyl-only, first "proper" release back in 2004. Their sound was sort of a messy, jammy hodgepodge that was similar in some ways to what Animal Collective and Black Dice were doing at the time (back when they didn't sound completely different from each other). The vocals were muddled and hard to distinguish, and there wasn't a whole lot in the way of songs. With each successive release their sound has become clearer, more polished, and more distinctly their own, a sort of Eastern-tinged, psychedelic dance music. Each new album has felt like their best, too. I don't ever find myself missing the "old" Gang Gang Dance, and they've done a great job of keeping themselves and their audience looking forward. There are some kind of '80s-retro flourishes here, as has become pretty standard among almost all electronic music right now, but it doesn't really feel nostalgic or like any kind of throwback. If the future sounds like this, I'll be pretty happy with it. 8/10
"Glass Jar" (excerpt):

Over the years I've tried to like Gang Gang Dance... reviews describe them in ways that seem like they should be right up my alley (as does your description), all their influences and RIYLs are things I like, but they just have never done it for me. Even this track seems to just fall apart in too many ideas. Taste is weird.

Your thread is great. I am really looking forward to the top ten.

Thanks, harry.

#12.
Atlas Sound – Parallax
Bradford Cox is clearly driven by a deep need to create as evidenced by how incredibly prolific he and his band Deerhunter have been over the past several years. He also seems determined to challenge himself and never create the same record twice, and both Atlas Sound and Deerhunter have shown a clear progression with each release. Both have kind of taken a similar trajectory into becoming generally more accessible and immediate pop music. His music has always been structurally simple, but he has continued to trim away the noise and effects to create a leaner and more direct sound on both projects. Sometimes with Deerhunter I feel like this is a loss because it feels less like a band (and I enjoyed their noisy excursions on earlier records), but with Atlas Sound it's definitely a boon. Now this feels like less of a side project and is pretty much on totally equal footing with his band. With this album, Atlas Sound has fully evolved from a humble, scattershot bedroom project into a distinctive pop persona. There are no throwaway tracks. Now for the first time I'm anticipating the next Atlas Sound album more than I am a new Deerhunter one. 8/10
"Terra Incognita":



#11.
Iceage – New Brigade
Iceage are just a bunch of Danish kids (like actually teenagers, I think), but they've made one of the best punk albums I've heard in a while. Their sound is a little bit post-punk influenced - a hint of Wire here and there - and a little bit hardcore. They also kind of sound like they're picking up where the band Abe Vigoda left off with their "tropical punk" album Skeleton before heading off into more New Romantic-type territory. They've burst right out of the gate with a bunch of catchy, highly energetic songs making for one incredibly solid, brisk little album. There's not a dull moment here, and every listen leaves me wanting more. 8/10
"White Rune":

(It might be worth acknowledging the fascist-type imagery in the video, and there has naturally been some discussion about it online. It's basically kids kind of irreverently playing around with some powerful imagery either to generate some kind of response or because they have some fascination with it or both. And I guess being a Swedish sort-of-hardcore band, people might wonder just where they're coming from. Everything I've read suggests they're not racist or fascist - the drummer is supposedly Jewish - but they're just kind of utilizing those images as commentary... or something. Kids.)


#10.
Yamantaka // Sonic Titan – YT // ST
This is apparently sort of a "preview" album or sampler or something of an even grander and more ambitious rock opera that this band has in the works. Already, even though it isn't that long, this feels pretty epic and pretty complete. In fact I hope whatever it is they're working on doesn't actually build directly onto this and this is left as its own standalone release. It's great as is. Good new psychedelic rock albums aren't something to be taken for granted, and this is certainly a rare gem. It doesn't hearken back to '60s or '70s psychedelic rock. It sounds new and distinct, and it's powerful and dynamic. It's at turns brutally heavy and delicately beautiful. At times it reminds me of late-'90s Boredoms, maybe a little bit of Ponytail, or of a heavier OOIOO. It's pretty exciting stuff. Apparently this band is based around a core duo who've had big ambitions from the start and whose live performances have always centered around visual spectacle. I can't wait to see and hear what else they have in store. 8/10
"Hoshi Neko":



#9.
John Maus – We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
In interviews, John Maus comes across as just about the most pompous, pretentious, and self-serious person on the planet. Also, when he performs live, he apparently just sings over pre-recorded tracks and doesn't actually "play" anything. It would be pretty easy to form a negative opinion of the guy without ever hearing a note of his recorded music. On the other hand, whether or not the persona he projects in interviews is genuine or some kind of joke or performance art in itself, it did get me kind of intrigued about what kind of music this guy would actually make. It turns out it's some of the accessible, fun, quirky, wry, and just all-around likable music I've heard in a long time. It has kind of an '80s synth-pop throwback sound, but one that's been warped and twisted just enough by cheap/old recording equipment and generally strange/funny lyrics to not really feel like it came from the '80s. It's an immensely charming little pop record created by a pretty fascinating character. 8/10
"Quantum Leap":

Keep it coming Drinky! I'm looking forward to your top 8

Thanks, mutty! Working on that right now, actually. I've been pretty swamped for the past week, but I've finally got a little time on my hands to wrap this up.

Bring it on. Thought you might do it over the weekend.

I'm curious. I'm starting mine tonight.....

I completely forgot that Times New Viking when I did my list. That should have been in my top 25 for sure. I was way late to the party with those guys as I have only been listening to them for about a year, but completely agree with you that cleaning up the sound a bit on this record in no way damaged what they do. Awesome band for sure.

I need to check out that Atlas Sound and John Maus some more. There is something about both of those guys that I find fascinating--maybe moreso as characters than with their music for me sometimes, but there is no question they are both super talented and doing things I can't really understand.

I also completely slept on that YT/ST. Haven't heard a single note of it, but based on your review that will probably be next on my list to check out.

Looking forward to seeing what is on yours.

I hadn't meant for this to drag out so long, but things happen. Been mostly either too busy or too tired to do this on weekends.

#8.
Sandro Perri – Impossible Spaces
On the surface, I guess this sounds pretty vanilla. Maybe it is. His voice kind of reminds me of M. Ward, and in a very superficial way, the tasteful production and mostly soothing music might not seem dissimilar to something like that last Bon Iver album. This is just so much richer than that, though. So much more varied, nuanced, and complex as well as being more soulful, spirited, and substantial. Just way more interesting and more rewarding ear candy for me. It isn't just a folk or singer-sonwriter album, and even "jazz-folk" is kind of a misleading tag. With the electronic flourishes and guitars that are occasionally reminiscent of classic rock, it's kind of hard to classify. Sandro Perri's been around for a little while, making electronic music as Polmo Polpo and playing guitar with Great Lake Swimmers over the past decade, and to me this definitely feels like the work a very multi-talented and accomplished musician. It's also a pretty bright and fun record. It has a very positive, sunny feeling to it that comes by in a very unique and fresh-sounding way. I've been getting more and more attached to it the more I play it.
8.5/10
"Wolfman":



#7.
Shabazz Palaces – Black Up
I pretty much lost all interest in hip-hop in 2011. That could be temporary, or it might not be. I don't know. It wasn't because I thought everything was terrible and boring (although a lot of it seemed to be), but it was just more because I became a little more focused and settled in on things that I'm more interested in. And also, this album happened. This to me sounds like the kind of indie/underground hip-hop that really fell out of favor over the past decade, but here it is not only back in full force but achieving its full potential in ways that I've rarely heard. Smart, abstract, actually poetic lyrics matched by excellent production that isn't geared towards clubs or singles. The tracks take their time to build, and they work entirely on their own terms. It's not the most immediately accessible stuff, but it's increasingly rewarding with time and close attention. Seeing how I'm not the biggest hip-hop fan, I've just felt like... why bother with anything less? This is what I want. What comes close to this? That's not a rhetorical question. I'd really like to know.
8.5/10
"Swerve":



#6.
Mikal Cronin – s/t
This guy is one of my favorite new things to happen in quite a while. He's come up, apparently, alongside Ty Segall, but to my ears he's a far greater talent. What he does is similarly simple in its structure and presentation, but Mikal Cronin has an incredible way with hooks. His stuff is way punchier and sticks with me way more than Ty Segall's. I enjoy them both - don't get me wrong - but this guy seems to be something really special. This is just such an incredibly tight little album. Out of ten songs, six are my favorites. The rest are really good, too. It's just climbed and climbed up my list and has gotten surprisingly close to the top.
8.5/10
"Apathy":



#5.
Hauschka – Salon Des Amateurs
This has been a really inspiring record for me. There's just so little electronic music that captures my imagination the way that I think it should, and this melodic, inventive, and uplifting record really hits the spot. This is, I think, actually the first foray into this kind of electronic almost-dance music for Hauschka, a pianist who performs typically quieter, more classically-influenced pieces, sometimes improvised, on prepared piano. There are some great videos of him doing his more typical thing, such as this NPR one here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43Z4yljYY_c. He's a really talented guy, and even if I might not find his other stuff quite as compelling to listen to as I do this album, his approach and technique are both consistently interesting and entertaining. This particular record is definitely something truly special. Piano-based electronic music that's lively and melodic, full of rich textures and complex rhythmic patterns. There's nothing quite like it. Or if there is, I need to know about it.
8.5/10
"TaxiTaxi":

#4.
Thee Oh Sees – Carrion Crawler / The Dream
This is the heaviest and best album by Thee Oh Sees so far. I haven't followed John Dwyer through the previous stages of his musical career (as part of Coachwhips and the earlier incarnation of this band as OCS), but for this project, from what I've heard, this a clear high point on an uneven landscape. In general, Thee Oh Sees have evoked one kind of retro garage rock or another, and here they've honed in on heavy psyche and Krautrock and crafted a record truly worthy of their forebears. It's fiery and mean and twisted, and it's all built around heavy, pulsating grooves. Dwyer's weird falsetto sounds more warped and sinister here than it ever has on a TOS record. It's pretty badass from start to finish.
8.5/10
"Contraption/Soul Desert":



#3.
Cut Hands – Afro Noise I
The album title here should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect. Cut Hands is William Bennett of the infamous noise group Whitehouse, and it may be the most accessible and possibly even the best thing he's done in his thirty-plus year career. I mean, I'll admit, it's sort of hard to determine "good" or "bad" in Whitehouse's catalog, and I can't really pretend to have tried. This, by comparison, is downright musical. It's primarily rhythmic music although it's naturally also very dark, discordant, and sometimes unpleasant. It's highly successful at tapping into the most visceral potential of noise as music (or noise in music) with it's densely layered and insistent percussion and bristling feedback and distortion. This is a record that can get you moving, but it can also make your hair stand on end. Bennett continues his antagonistic nature from Whitehouse here, but he also seems far more generous, almost benevolent, to his audience this time around, at least by comparison. This does what inventive music should do, forge into rarely explored territory and do so in thrilling fashion.
8.5/10
"Stabbers Conspiracy":



#2.
Bill Callahan – Apocalypse
I wouldn't call myself a "lyrics guy", but that certainly doesn't mean I don't care about lyrics. They can be pretty hard to ignore, after all. Really bad lyrics can ruin otherwise good music, and brilliant, thought-provoking lines can elevate otherwise pedestrian stuff. Thankfully, I wouldn't call Bill Callahan's music pedestrian. It is structurally pretty simple, but it almost always creates the perfect accompaniment for his exceptional words. To me this guy is one of the best writers currently making music. Both the sounds of the words he chooses and their content, both the individual snapshots from lines and phrases and the (sometimes elusive) bigger pictures of the songs and albums as a whole, are worthy and rewarding of time and attention. I've been a fan of his for a while, and there have been some ups and downs. This marks a high point in a long career. Maybe not the highest, but close. It's certainly the best thing he's done since his last album as Smog, and the last album he put out under his own name was very good in its own right. So this is a very special record to me. One of the best works by one of my favorite songwriters.
8.5/10
"America!":



#1.
The Psychic Paramount – II
The Psychic Paramount is the guitarist and bass player from the band Laddio Bolocko plus another guy on drums. You could say, and maybe you'd be right, that Laddio Bolocko was a better, more innovative, and more interesting band than this. You could back up that argument with some pretty phenomenal Youtube clips of that band playing live. You'd have a hard time making that argument based on their recorded output, though, especially in light of this album. This is a sort of primal nexus of This Heat, Can, Don Caballero (mk I), maybe late-'90s Boredoms. It's a no-bullshit, no-holds-barred, non-stop assault, and yet it deftly avoids monotony or unwelcome repetition. It operates on deep, heavy, insistent, propulsive grooves. It's instrumental rock, but it isn't "cinematic" (although it would make a great soundtrack to chase scenes), and it isn't jammy or even really "progressive". There are no solos. It's full band synergy all the way, morphing, searing, swelling, pummeling, and charging to the finish. It's a single-minded organism, a finely-tuned, hulking machine. It's brutal and dissonant, but it's very dynamic as well. There's push and pull, tension and release. It's quite a ride. Laddio Bolocko never managed to make a whole record without screwing around on some weird and ultimately unsatisfying tangent, and up until this record, The Psychic Paramount had the same problem. This is it, though. They've made a record that plays to all of their strengths and indulges none of their weaknesses. It's distilled and pure, and it fucking rocks.
9/10
"DDB":

Hadn't heard the Psychic Paramount at all... like the two cuts posted, nice combo of noise, power and "arranged" melodicism. I will def check them out. You say they're not jammy, but there are certainly periods of "space."

Great last stretch here in your top ten... not intended perhaps but really representative of the "range" of your ear. Thanks for the list.

Gave that Mikal Cronin a listen last night--nice call on that one for sure, that's a pretty great record that I otherwise would have completely missed out on.

Surprised to see The Oh Sees that high. I have gone back and forth on Dwyer so many times over the years. There's no question the guy can do some great things, just seems a bit scattershot at times, maybe I should give this one another listen though.

I certainly won't argue with your number one, just an awesome record. I went back and checked out their first one based on your recommendation and it is solid for sure, this one is just classic though.

Great list and write ups overall man--you gave plenty more stuff I need to check out that I missed last year.

Thanks, k and harry! There's still a lot of your stuff from both of your lists that I need to check out.

I didn't expect Thee Oh Sees to end up that high, either, but that record just keeps getting better for me.

Glad you liked the Mikal Cronin album! I haven't been to a show in forever, but I may actually go see him play here next month.

Nice! I've been popping in and out as you list these. Lots of stuff to check out. I dug the first Psychic Paramount album, so I guess I should check this one out, hehe. Thanks for the head's up on a bunch of these.

Appreciate the music and video clips. I need to check out this thread at home where nothing is blocked and I can get a few listens to a couple of these that look interesting.

Not sure how Maus and Perri never made it on my things to check out. I will now. And that Soft Moon is right up my alley. I let it go too soon last year. Nice work Drinky. And lots of it. Really appreciate it 'cause I'll be checking out some of those that I missed.

Yeah I think this is my favorite Oh Sees album so far too. The others just seemed too scattershot for me. Drink, have you not heard any of Coachwhips stuff?

I need to check out that Psychic Paramount.

I've heard a Coachwhips track or two, I think, and may even have downloaded a couple of albums at some point, but I don't think I ever listened to any of them all the way through.

I've been meaning to go back and do that since getting into Thee Oh Sees, though.

I'd start with Bangers Vs. Fuckers.

I dug the Laddio Bolocko double disc I snagged off Hipinion a few years back but hadn't heard about The Psychic Paramount. Digging this track you posted so far and will have to look into this further. Thanks for the rec, good list.

Blindly bought the Mikal Cronin LP about five months ago and listened to it about a dozen times... Just kept giving it chances based partially upon this thread.

Sold that shit on Amazon today for $25.

The limited output of the Coachwhips beats the shit out the diluted garbage that Thee Oh Sees seem to be putting out as of late. The Master's Bedroom and Help are miles apart from the TOS's filler albums repeatedly printed over the past 3 years.

Glad it all worked out in the end! Congratulations and thanks for the update!