1. Spiritualized "Sweet Heart Sweet Light"
2. Shackleton "Music For The Quiet Hour"
3. The Walkmen "Heaven"
4. Andrew Bird "Break It Yourself"
5. Julia Holter "Ekstasis"
6. Liars "WIXIW"
7. Cloud Nothings "Attack On Memory"
8. Leonard Cohen "Old Ideas"
9. Beach House "Bloom"
10. Bruce Springsteen "Wrecking Ball"
...

Lots of other good stuff. This year is picking up.

Holy fuck, it seems like Wrecking Ball was released two years ago...

I'm feeling these most so far:

Justin Townes Earle - Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now
Chuck Prophet - Temple Beautiful
First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
The Walkmen - Heaven
Japandroids - Celebration Rock
Nude Beach II
Kathleen Edwards - Voyageur
June Star - Slow Dance
Lee Fields & The Expressions
Gentleman Jesse - Leaving Atlanta

I'll co-sign on those.

Plus:

Archie Powell & the Exports - Great Ideas in Action
Devin - Romancing
Ava Luna Ice Level
Needles//Pins 12:34
Nick Waterhouse - Time's All Gone
Prima Donna - Bless This Mess
One Like Son - Start the Show
Budokan - Spin a Little Gold
Chris Devotion & the Expectations - Amalgamation & Capital
Amy Stroup & Trent Dabbs - Sugar and the Hi Lows
Throwback Suburbia - Shot Glass Souvenir
Lissy Trully - Lissy Trullie
Yukon Blonde - Tiger Talk
Smash Palace - Do It Again
Cheap Time - Wallpaper Music
Diamond Rugs - Diamond Rugs
Kelly Hogan - I Like To Keep Myself In Pain
Arliss Nancy - Simple Machines
Mynabirds - Generals
Diamond Dogs - Set Fire to It All

Falling off the pace:

Minky Starshine - Womanity
Lucero - Women & Work
La Sera - Sees the Night
The Undecided by Default - Totally Undecided
Crusaders of Love - Take It Easy... But Take It
Ben Kweller - Go Fly A Kite
Foxy Shazam - Church of Rock and Roll
Howler - America Give Up
The Afternoons - Fan Fiction
Gentlemen Jesse - Leaving Atlanta
Honeydogs - What Comes After
Tommy Womack - Now What
Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Out of Frequency
June Star - Slow Dance
Bahamas - Barchords
John K. Samson - Provincial

Deleted (although not necessarily bad - except for that Dexy's reunion, which is only a hair less awful than you might expect):

Giant Giant Sand - Tucson
Liars - WIXIW
Po Po - Dope Boy Magick
Successful Failures - Here I Am
Porcelain Raft - Strange Weekend
dEUS - Following Sea
Bobby Womack - Bravest Man in the Universe
Riverboat Gamblers - The Wolf You Feed
Penny Jo Pullus - Through the Glass
Parlovr - Kook Soul
Sons of Bill - Sirens
Dexy's - One Day I'm Going To Soar
Pomegranates - Heaven
White Lung - Sorry
Japandroids - Celebration Rock
Beach House - Bloom
Even - In Another Time
Naked Gods - No Jams
Crocodiles - Endless Flowers
2:54 - 2:54
The Hives - Lex Hives
Spiritualized - Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
Mind Spiders - Meltdown
Gaz Coombes - Here Come the Bombs
Imperial State Electric - Pop War
Hanna Cranna - A Real Nice Parade
Deadly Syndrome - All In Time
Mean Jeans - On Mars
King Tuff - King Tuff

I like Mynabirds and Diamond Rugs but have only given them a couple listens each. I also have a bunch of stuff sorta floating in that middle category that I need to make up my mind on.

These are in my top 5. The Walkmen working toward the top spot.

Rads -- is this really the Smash Palace that released one album in the mid-'80s? With songs like "Juliet to Me" and "Living on the Borderline"? Wow if it is.

Yeah, same guys. Apparently they took a 15 year break after that debut. This is their 8th album.

I'll back those too.

And:

Lissy Trullie - Lissy Trullie
Allo Darlin' - Europe
Diamond Rugs - Diamond Rugs
La Sera - Sees the Night
Porcelain Raft - Strange Weekend
June Star - Slow Dance
Mean Jeans - On Mars
Vacationer - Gone
Violens - True

Need More Listen:
The Afternoons - Fan Fiction
Gentlemen Jesse - Leaving Atlanta
The Dig - Midnight Flowers
TOPS -Tender Opposites
Tanlines - Mixed Emotions
Oberhofer - Time Capsule ll

and a few others

BEST OF 2012 SO FAR...
1. ROYAL HEADACHE Royal Headache
2. MIND SPIDERS Meltdown
3. KING TUFF King Tuff
4. TERRY MALTS Killing Time
5. CHEAP TIME Wallpaper Music

All of these are among my favorites this year, though not in that order. Gentleman Jesse is still my #1.

Here's my mid-year update. Still several things that I'll probably be getting in the next few days/weeks (Fiona Apple, Royal Headache, a few others), but this is for the most part my first half of 2012 list, from best to worst.

Great
01. Beach House – Bloom
02. Keiji Hano/Jim O’Rourke/Oren Ambarchi – Imikuzushi
03. Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory

Very Good
04. Liars – WIXIW
05. Grass Widow – Internal Logic
06. Lotus Plaza – Spooky Action at a Distance
07. Grimes – Visions
08. Mount Eerie – Clear Moon
09. Bear in Heaven – I Love You, It’s Cool
10. Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music
11. The Walkmen – Heaven
12. Lower Dens – Nootropics
13. Black Dice – Mr. Impossible
14. Mouse on Mars – Parastrophics
15. El-P – Cancer 4 Cure
16. Dope Body – Natural History

Good
17. Lone – Galaxy Garden
18. The Men – Open Your Heart
19. Damien Jurado – Maraqopa
20. Death Grips – The Money Store
21. Dustin Wong – Dreams Say, View, Create, Shadow Leads
22. Sharon Van Etten – Tramp
23. Sun Kil Moon – Among the Leaves

Decent
24. Squarepusher – Ufabulum
25. HEALTH – Max Payne 3 Official Soundtrack
26. Zammuto – s/t
27. The Tallest Man on Earth – There’s No Leaving Now
28. Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls
29. La Sera – Sees the Light
30. Japandroids – Celebration Rock
31. Actress – R.I.P.
32. Julia Holter – Ekstasis

OK
33. Spiritualized – Sweet Heart Sweet Light
34. Pop. 1280 – The Horror

Eh
35. Frankie Rose – Interstellar

Nah
36. Chromatics – Kill for Love


EPs, Singles, Splits, etc
01. Daniel Rossen – Silent Hour/Golden Mile
02. Animal Collective – Honeycomb/Gotham

03. Burial – Kindred
04. Fucked Up – Year of the Tiger
05. Animal Collective – Transverse Temporal Gyros

06. Racebannon – Unwanted Sounds
07. Deerhoof/Of Montreal – split 7”
08. Humans – Obsolete Medicine

this?



if so, where may I ask did you hear about this band?

I went a full 3 songs on my new vinyl copy of Beach House before realizing the discs were 45RPM. I just thought she let the dudes in the band sing a few songs.

not sure if it was on hipinion or some blog, why, whaddya know about them?

They're barely well-known in the Nashville indie scene. I'm always curious how "outsiders" learn about local bands. I know it's easier with the internet, but this album is a pretty random find. I saw them a couple of months ago when they won the montlhy local "Road to Bonnaroo" battle of the bands. I dig 'em.

my top 5 in no order

dustin wong - dreams say, view, create, shadow leads
japandroids - celebration rock
the jealous sound - a gentle reminder
palomar - sense & antisense
shearwater - animal joy

next 15

the mynabirds - generals
mount eerie - clear moon
delta spirit - delta spirit
spiritualized - sweet heart, sweet light
andrew bird - break it yourself
chromatics - kill for love
dreamend - and the tears washed me, wave after cowardly wave
the tower and the fool - how long
tiger high - myth is this
rococode - guns, sec & glory
fun. - some nights
mark lanegan band - blues funeral
whirr - pipe dreams
james levy and the blood red rose - pray to be free
sleigh bells - reign of terror

Disturbing to see some people including Sharon van Etten on their lists. It was so bad it literally put me off music. I haven't cocked my shell-like at a new release since February simply because I don't want to expose myself to anything that bad again.

Perhaps its time to dip my toe in the water again but I suspect most things on most lists are not much more than tortoise farts.

From what I've been listening to, it's been a pretty good year. I've been listening to the new Cate Le Bon a lot (listening right now) and really digging it. You should probably check it out, too. I think that you would like it. Also, there's a new Barry Adamson that's pretty goddamn good.

That's a fascinating story!

i like:

Gentleman Jesse
Kathleen Edwards
Best Coast
Tennis
Justin Townes Earle
Chuck Prophet

Is this a grower because I've liked all her other albums but didn't like the new one much at all based on a few listens?

i liked it pretty much from the start. it is different (less alt country, more BOMBB IVGGER)

i can see why you wouldnt like it as much. i have that dean owens album you recommended but havent listened to it much yet. havent heard much i really love yet this year.

the great:

father john misty - fear fun
jay farrar, et al - new multitudes

the really good:

the tallest man on earth - there's no leaving now
damien jurado - maraqopa
shearwater - animal joy
richard hawley - standing at the sky's edge
orcas - s/t
alabama shakes - boys & girls
andrew bird - break it yourself

the good (this is where the ordering gets a little hazy):

tindersticks - the something rain
horse feathers - cynic's new year
m. ward - a wasteland companion
lightships - electric cables
mark lanegan - blues funeral
michael kiwanuka - home again
the walkmen - heaven
spiritualized - sweet heart sweet light
ebo taylor - appia kwa bridge
sleepy sun - spine hits
howlin rain - the russian wilds
gaz coombes - here come the bombs
sun kil moon - among the leaves
sigur rós - valtari (good album, but so disappointing that this has to go in this category)
alina hardin - s/t
the wedding present - valentina
the twilight sad - no one can ever know
the shins - port of morrow

need more listenings:

the assemble head in sunburst sound - manzanita
chris robinson brotherhood - big moon ritual
hot chip - in our heads
justin townes earle - nothing's going to change....

some great EPs this year too:

daniel rossen
british sea power
bonnie 'prince' billy
s. carey
the raveonettes

i'm going to a "folk" fest here in august that has kathleen edwards on the bill. i checked the new one out a bit but just could not get into it. seeing her live may help i'm sure. great bill though...justin townes earle, dawes, kathleen edwards and iron & wine.

the one album on a lot of lists i absolutely could not get into is Alabama Shakes.