I'm having a hard time finding albums I enjoy this year, though I feel like I'm putting in less effort than 2010.

No order...

TVOTR
MMJ
Anal Major
Royal Bangs
Yuck

That's about it... either outright hating or indifferent about: Iron & Wine, DBT, Destroyer, Bon Iver, Cold War Kids, Hayes Carll, Jason Isbell, Smith Westerns, Middle Brother, Gomez

there's a new Gomez album?

berliner, i posted it in the 2011 thread.

Mid-year update.

Albums
01. Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact: 8.5/10
02. The Psychic Paramount – II: 8.5/10
03. Bill Callahan – Apocalypse: 8/10
04. Chad Vangaalen – Diaper Island: 8/10
05. Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972: 8/10
06. Times New Viking – Dancer Equired: 8/10
07. Battles – Gloss Drop: 8/10
08. Panda Bear – Tomboy: 8/10
09. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – s/t: 8/10
10. Low – C’mon: 8/10

11. Mike Watt – Hyphenated-Man: 8/10
12. Deerhoof – Deerhoof vs. Evil: 8/10
13. Ponytail – Do Whatever You Want All the Time: 8/10
14. Snowman – Absence: 7.5/10
15. Thurston Moore – Demolished Thoughts: 7.5/10
16. The Dodos – No Color: 7.5/10
17. Destroyer – Kaputt: 7.5/10
18. Colin Stetson – New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges: 7.5/10
19. Wild Beasts – Smother: 7.5/10
20. Yuck – s/t: 7.5/10

21. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake: 7.5/10
22. Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde: 7.5/10
23. Cults – s/t: 7.5/10
24. Bon Iver – s/t: 7.5/10
25. Timber Timbre – Creep On Creepin’ On: 7.5/10
26. Grouper – A I A: Alien Observer: 7.5/10
27. Dirty Beaches – Badlands: 7.5/10
28. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues: 7.5/10
29. EMA – Past Life of Martyred Saints: 7/10
30. The Antlers – Burst Apart: 7/10

31. Akron/Family – S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT: 7/10
32. Radiohead – The King of Limbs: 7/10
33. Grouper – A I A: Dream Loss: 7/10
34. Braids – Native Speaker: 7/10
35. Crystal Stilts – In Love with Oblivion: 7/10
36. Julianna Barwick – The Magic Place: 7/10
37. Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise: 7/10
38. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo: 7/10
39. James Blake – s/t: 6.5/10
40. Sic Alps – Napa Asylum: 6/10

EPs, Singles, Splits, etc
01. Echo Lake – Young Silence: 7.5/10
02. The Fresh & Onlys – Secret Walls: 7.5/10
03. Women/Cold Pumas/Fair Ohs/Friendo – Split 7”: 7.5/10
04. Deerhunter – iTunes Live from Soho: 7.5/10

My assessment of the year so far: it's OK. Feels like a step down from last year, which started out really strong. I've found a lot that I really enjoy and haven't been truly disappointed by any of my favorite artists. But man, critics have really been shitting themselves over some boring stuff this year. Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, and James Blake are real snoozers. Immaculately produced, in some cases fairly poignant and affecting, but still pretty sleepy stuff.

Nice list, with Gang Gang up top. I'm pulling for that record to maintain the 1 position. Also glad to see Low in your top 10. Best album they've made in 10 years.

As for the below, the Fucked Up record is really too fucking good and currently threatening the lead runners.

1 Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
2 Timber Timbre -Creep On Creepin' On
3 Fucked Up - David Comes to Life
4 Low - C'mon
5 Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
6 Cass Mccombs - Wit's End
7 Miracle Fortress - Was I The Wave?
8 Bill Callahan - Apocalypse
9 Panda Bear - Tomboy
10 Six Organs of Admittance - Asleep on the Floodplain
11 Ponytail - Do Whatever You Want All The Time
12 Nicolas Jaar - Space is Only Noise
13 Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
14 Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers - Teenage & Torture
15 James Blake - James Blake
16 Paul Simon - So Beautiful So What
17 Idaho - You Were A Dick
18 Esmerine - La Lechuza
19 Tune-Yards - W H O K I L L
20 True Widow - As High as the Highest Heavens and From the Center to the Circumference of the Earth

I need to check out that Unknown Mortal Orchestra after hearing the one track that dusted mag put up in a review, which was nice.

Full list of the records that I've kept.

1 - Avashai Cohen - Seven Seas
2 - Ernest Dawkins New Horizons Ensemble - The Prarie Prophet
3 - Tape - Revelationes
4 - Apache Dropout - S/t
5 - Pink Reason - Shit In The Garden
6 - Fred Hersch - Alone At The Vanguard
7 - Neil Young - A Treasure
8 - UV Race - Homo
9 - Human Eye - They Came From The Sky
10 - Useless Eaters - Daily Commute

11 - Magnus Ostrom - Thread Of Life
12 - Hygiene - Public Sector
13 - Slug Guts - Howlin' Gang
14 - Peaking Lights - 936
15 - Folded Shirt - S/t
16 - Great Society Mind Destroyers - Spirit Smoke
17 - Hank Wood & The Hammerheads - S/t
18 - GG King - Esoteric Lore
19 - Psychic Paramount - II
20 - Birth - S/t

21 - Puerto Rico Flowers - 7
22 - Der TPK - German Reggae
23 - Earth - Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light
24 - Lumerians - Transmalinnia
25 - Moon Duo - Mazes
26 - People's Temple - Sons of Stone
27 - Pheromoans - It Still Rankles
28 - Predator - S/t
29 - The Dirtbombs - Party Store
30 - The Men - Leave Home

1. James Blake - James Blake
2. Nu:Tone - Words & Pictures
3. FaltyDL - You Stand Uncertain
4. Africa Hitech - 93 Million Miles
5. Bobby V - Fly on the Wall
6. Robag Wruhme - Thora Vukk
7. Random Axe - Random Axe
8. Saigon - The Greatest Story Never Told
9. 2562 - Fever
10. London Elektricity - Yikes!
11. Mono X Monkey - Mo Mentous
12. Jamie Woon - Mirrorwriting
13. Snoop Dogg - Doggumentary
14. Bad Meets Evil - Hell: The Sequel
15. LV - Routes
16. Big Sean - Finally Famous
17. Kode9 & the Spaceape - Black Sun

I was definitely intrigued by these tunes. A fan of his posted the album to YouTube.

He's also in Bon Iver's touring band right now.

It's like Bill Callahan didn't release 5 albums better than Apocolypse.
More or less faded into the backgroud of his same shit...
That is obviously getting tiring after 8 albums.

Same style, delivery, blah.
I don't even care what he has to circumferentially "discuss" about anything anymore.
Pseudo-depressive description of his life.

Do I have to feel sorry for him?

I would feel sorry if I cared
And maybe purchase an album of a blunted interpretation
It worked the last 5 times.

But not this time.
Not for me.
Guy needs to go and live in a coffee shop.

i really like the new portugal. the man, not sure if its been discussed here, but its solid throughout

Exciting new update!


Albums

01. The Psychic Paramount – II: 9/10
02. Chad Vangaalen – Diaper Island: 8.5/10
03. Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact: 8.5/10
04. Bill Callahan – Apocalypse: 8/10
05. Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972: 8/10
06. Times New Viking – Dancer Equired: 8/10
07. Toro Y Moi – Underneath the Pine: 8/10
08. Battles – Gloss Drop: 8/10
09. Panda Bear – Tomboy: 8/10
10. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – s/t: 8/10

11. Tune-Yards – W H O K I L L: 8/10
12. Shabazz Palaces – Black Up: 8/10
13. Iceage – New Brigade: 8/10
14. Low – C’mon: 8/10
15. Mike Watt – Hyphenated-Man: 8/10
16. Deerhoof – Deerhoof vs. Evil: 8/10
17. Ponytail – Do Whatever You Want All the Time: 8/10
18. Snowman – Absence: 7.5/10
19. The Dodos – No Color: 7.5/10
20. Destroyer – Kaputt: 7.5/10

21. Wild Beasts – Smother: 7.5/10
22. Man Man – Life Fantastic: 7.5/10
23. Dope Body – Nupping: 7.5/10
24. Yuck – s/t: 7.5/10
25. Africa Hitech – 93 Million Miles: 7.5/10
26. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake: 7.5/10
27. Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde: 7.5/10
28. Timber Timbre – Creep On Creepin’ On: 7.5/10
29. Washed Out – Within and Without: 7.5/10
30. Thurston Moore – Demolished Thoughts: 7.5/10

31. Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise: 7.5/10
32. Dirty Beaches – Badlands: 7.5/10
33. Colin Stetson – New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges: 7.5/10
34. Curren$y – Weekend at Burnie’s: 7.5/10
35. Grouper – A I A: Alien Observer: 7.5/10
36. Ford & Lopatin – Channel Pressure: 7/10
37. Cults – s/t: 7/10
38. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues: 7/10
39. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo: 7/10
40. Bon Iver – s/t: 7/10

41. EMA – Past Life of Martyred Saints: 7/10
42. Julianna Barwick – The Magic Place: 7/10
43. The Antlers – Burst Apart: 7/10
44. Akron/Family – S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT: 7/10
45. Radiohead – The King of Limbs: 7/10
46. The Weeknd – House of Balloons: 7/10
47. Braids – Native Speaker: 7/10
48. Grouper – A I A: Dream Loss: 7/10
49. James Blake – s/t: 6.5/10
50. Crystal Stilts – In Love with Oblivion: 6.5/10

51. Sic Alps – Napa Asylum: 6/10
52. Araabmuzik – Electronic Dream: 3/10


EPs, Singles, Splits, etc
01. Echo Lake – Young Silence: 7.5/10
02. The Fresh & Onlys – Secret Walls: 7.5/10
03. Women/Cold Pumas/Fair Ohs/Friendo – Split 7”: 7.5/10
04. Deerhunter – iTunes Live from Soho: 7.5/10


Kind of surprised by how much I ended up liking that Tune-Yards album once I finally started listening to it. Even more surprised by how much I've dug the Toro Y Moi given how middling his previous one was.

Colin Stetson has really slipped with me lately, and I'm not sure why. I don't want to say that I've gotten over the "novelty" of it because I don't really feel that it's novel, but I guess I've had more trouble finding something substantial there to latch onto. On the other hand, I've finally started getting into that Nicolas Jaar album a little bit more.

That Shabazz Palaces album is really cool.

This thread died the same time Magiska went private. Coincidence?

A rough top twenty:

1. Daniel Romano - Sleeps Beneath the Willow
2. Kimmie Rhodes - Dreams of Flying
3. The Booze - At MaximumVolume
4. Warren Zanes - I Want to Move Out in the Daylight
5. Emmylou Harris - Hard Bargain
6. Peter Bruntnell - Black Mountain UFO
7. Laura Cantrell - Kitty Wells Dresses
8. Yep - Once
9. Marianne Faithfull - Horses and High Heels
10. Garland Jeffreys - The King of In Between
11. Ron Sexsmith - Long Player Late Bloomer
12. K.D. Lang - Sing It Loud
13. Jason Isbell - Here We Rest
14. The Feelies - Here Before
15. Dave Alvin - Eleven Eleven
16. Steve Earle - I'll Never Get Out of this World Alive
17. Eddie Spaghetti - Sundowner
18. Tim Easton - Since 1966, Volume I
19. Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest
20. Joan as Policewoman - The Deep Field
21. Tim Easton & the Freelan Barons - Beat the Band

There's a bunch of these I'm still digesting and could move up/down a lot and a few things I bought that I haven't gotten around to playing yet.

Edit: realized I forgot Yep so top 21 now.
Edit2: I also forgot the new Archie Shepp which deserves to be in there somewhere probably in the 6-15 range but I'm not sure where so i'll leave it out for now.

yet to hear any of these

I listened to it on Spotify the other day after it got some love on Sound Opinions. I liked it enough to listen more for sure. Good stuff.

I've got a lot of 2nd and 3rd starters this year, but no lights out favorite. I need to post a list to see where I'm at.

Spotify will be great to check these out

Mostly unsigned but should be.

Snowmine -Laminate Pet Animal
Alex Ebert - Alexander
Get People - Rain Tears
Germany Germany- Adventures
Portugal the Man - In the Mountain in the Cloud
Dale Earnhart Jr Jr - It's a Corporate World
Motopony
Scattered Trees - Sympathy
Foster the People - Torches
The Strokes - Angles
Outasight - Figure 8
Seven Saturdays - Secret Things
Teen Daze - A Silent Planet
Edelweiss - Icarus
Ed Sherann - The A Team
Hey Champ - Star
Goodnight Blue Moon

Top 3: Iron & Wine, Lykke Li, Mogwai

Next tier: Adele, Bon Iver, Explosions in the Sky, Decemberists

Like enough: Jason Isbell, Wire, Gregg Allman, Codes in the Clouds, James Blake, PJ Harvey, Hugh Laurie

Still assimilating: Low, Battles, Gang Gang Dance, DBT, Maybeshewill, Arctic Monkeys, MMJ, Elbow, Vaccines

Raveonettes is growing on me. Might land in the top 20.

I need to give this War on Drugs more listens as well as Akron/Family and White Denim (which could land in my top 5)

Interesting that the Colin Stetson and GGD records are getting so many spins on this board. Very cool.

Also, seeing Gillian Welch last night really boosted her new record for me. Surprised not seeing it on more lists. I think Billy might be the only one.

i figured if you liked white denim, you'd like war on drugs. i've been listening to it on repeat.

anyone seen ggd or cass mccombs live lately? i had looked forward to these shows for months, but skipped em for extra nights at the beach.

It'll be on mine I think. I'm still digesting it but it gets better with each spin. "Hard Times" is my favorite right now.

I'll be seeing her this weekend. Sold out show at a mid-size venue for here. Guess I shouldn't be surprised, but, well, I was.

They were at the Strathmore in the suburbs of DC last night. Absolutely gorgeous venue, with immaculate acoustics. They were really enjoying themselves you could tell, just letting the sounds bounce around inside what Gillian described as a "big birthday cake".



Not a small place, and it was very close to a sell-out capacity crowd. Very vanilla crowd, and tons of people in their 60s+ in the audience.

Not many people have updated their lists since it's come out. At least not many among obners known to be fans (eg caputo, rogneeb, tentoze, etc).

I've been to a wedding reception at this place.





Grooveshark is currently remedying the fact I haven't listened to The Harrow & The Harvest

It (Gillian Welch) will be in my top 15