We did this last year. I found it informative.

Let's try to keep this to just 3 albums each.

Might be nice to say a little something about why you like each thing or post a Youtube or something.

Yeah I wanna see some stuff.

I've only heard maybe 6 or so, but they're all pretty good.
My picks for the top half of those:
1. Shugo Tokumaru - In Focus?


2. Tom Zé - Tropicalia Lixo Logico


3. My Bloody Valentine - MBV

My top two are a little embarrassing, honestly. I like them a lot and feel like they're perfectly fine albums, but I don't really feel like dealing with the backlash or addressing the image issues with either band.

1. Youth Lagoon - Wondrous Bughouse
This was definitely a surprise. I liked the other album, but I never expected anything big from this guy/band. And I don't know how "big" this is, but I love the sound of this record. It's sort of '90s Flaming Lips (minus the guitar, which maybe doesn't make sense) and early Grandaddy. Grandiose, melancholy, psychedelic, and damaged. I'm sure lots of people hate it and love to scoff at how it's just more wimpy indie rock that sounds like other wimpy indie rock.




2. Foxygen - We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
It's been interesting to see the kind of hatred that this band/album have inspired over the past couple of months. Apparently I'm an idiot for liking this, and I don't know anything about music history or the bands they're stealing from. More than playing "spot the influence" and reducing any of their songs to a single reference, I just enjoy the melodies, the way they blend together a lot of my favorite '60s music, and the admittedly sort of bratty, jaded personality that rises to the surface.




3. Autechre - Exai
If you really like Autechre, you'll probably like this as much as I do. I think it's the best thing they've put out at least since Untilted if not since Confield. If you don't really love Autechre, stay away. It's like 2 hours long. I find myself wishing it would just keep going.


Of course I also really dig that Shugo Tokumaru album that Todd posted. And m b v is really good.

I'll have to revisit that Youth Lagoon. Need to hear the Autechre. Thanks for the reminder.

I'm gonna provide 5, cause that's a quarter of 20:

1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds "Push The Sky Away" - Brilliant & immovable from this top position, for now.
2. Phosphorescent "Muchacho" - Was prepared not to like this as much as I do, just as his previous record waned on me a bit. We'll see how staying power this has...
3. Low "The Invisible Way" - Surprised how much this has grown on me, because Low's one of my favourite bands, but I've come to expect less focused records as this. It's sneakily acoustic.
4. Adam Green & Binki Shapiro "Adam Green, Binki Shapiro" - Just like the interplay of their voices, and some catchy, quirky songs here.
5. Scott Churchman "Ignore That Noise" - RIYL: Scott Walker. Dark, brooding, sparse, lethargic pop songs. Out only, finally on cassette & digital.

There are some others I'm enjoying, but I hope they drop down further. Heard a lot this year, but loved very little.

I like your top 3 a lot. Listening to Low now, actually. "So Blue" is wonderful.

I guess it's good you did a Top 5 then since I know nothing about those other two.

I'll do 5 instead:

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Push the Sky Away;seeing him live set this album as concrete #1 for me. I don't see anything beating it out.
Daniel Romano - Come Cry with Me; this grew on me and is really solid
The Lonely Wild - The Sun as it Comes; it's me street teaming, but also a great record from this LA band combining the passion of Arcade Fire, the southwestern sounds of Calexico and male/female harmony of Low
Iceage - You're Nothing; nice and ugly sounding. I listen to it when I need something to wake me up
Apparat - Krieg und Frieden (Music for Theatre); still digesting, but love the sounds on this

honorable:
Phosphorescent - Muchacho - this will hang around my top 10 on 2013
Courtney Jaye - Love and Forgiveness - really solid songwriting with Cali-country production
Javelin - Hi Beams - just a fun summery record. I can see it going onto my "lake tunes" playlist

Coheed & Cambria || The Afterman: Descension
Nero di Marte || Nero di Marte
Enforcer || Death by Fire
Pillowfight || Pillowfight
Mogwai || Les Revenants EP

nick cave
frontier ruckus
the joy formidable (not as good as their last)

also
phosphorescent
wavves
beach fossils

are all very good

1. Roger Knox & The Pine Valley Cosmonauts - Stranger In My Land I've always loved Hoyt Axton's voice, and Roger Knox really reminds me of it.

2. Apparat - Krieg und Frieden (Music for Theatre) Its beautiful, and its been added to my bucketlist to see the production w/ music live.

3. Ora Cogan - Ribbon Vine Something very ominous and sexy about this album.

czarface - s/t



pissed jeans - honeys



rhye - woman

That Czarface song sounds pretty cool.

I like that Pissed Jeans album a lot. It was almost a toss-up between that and Autechre for my #3 spot.

I really didn't care for Rhye at first, but it's kind of grown on me.

Listening to the new Bowie for the first time now and I may have to reassess that number 3 spot. Maybe not. Still, I am digging this with a pretty big shovel.

EDIT: Also, if I were including EPs, that Replacements collection would be fighting pretty hard for a spot in my top 3.

I almost don't want spam like that to ever completely stop. It's so entertaining.

(And by Spam I mean, of course, Tom Zé)

Cool, I like Adam Green so I will check that out.

I think I've posted in two other threads that my favs so far are Lord Huron, Kingsbury Manx, and Rose Melberg. Also really liking the Low album.

This album is pretty good too, if you like this kinda Simon & Garfunkel/Everly Brothers stuff:

1. Phosphorescent - Muchaco - much like seeing Nick Cave live cemented that album for some of you, seeing these guys live (in a ~200 capacity room no less) really shot this album up to the top for me. i can't seem to get enough but i am trying to avoid burn out. to think i had kinda avoided this guy for so long tossing him off as a "second-rate bonnie prince billy"...thankfully i heard (and loved) "Song for Zula" a few months back and decided to give 'em a go.

i could seriously listen to this tune on an endless loop...please see this band if they come to your town:



2. Yo La Tengo - Fade - a record that just keeps growing and growing for me. almost 30 years of consistency with this band...and i think this one just might be their best since And Then Nothing.... or maybe even Electr-O-Pura (IMO their high-water mark). and Georgia easily has the sweetest female vocals in indie rock. can't wait to see them in May (even though it conflicts with the Califone Living Room show so i will miss a bit of their first set)



3. Nick Cave - y'all have heard enough and read enough already. i'm just slotting him in here and fully expecting this probably rise after his show tomorrow night.



now since that list is so Obner here are just a few more that i'm really enjoying this year that don't seem to get much if any chatter here (sorry Drinky i can't resist)

Rick Redbeard - No Selfish Heart - solo album by the lead singer of The Phantom Band of whom i'm a big fan of so this was a no brainer. a beautiful, lonely, wintery record



Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba - Jama ko - third and possibly his best. he has added a cool "wah" effect to his ngoni that just sounds awesome. could help this crossover with some people otherwise unlikely to dip their toes in world musics:



Steve Mason - Monkey Minds in the Devil's Time - ex- Beta Band, King Biscuit Time, Black Affair...second solo album.



ok, i'll stop now. some really good records this year. shit, just on first listen today, the new Kurt Vile could easily make a push for top 3 status.

Saw them last month as the sun was setting at Willie Nelson's Ranch. It was the most perfect music for an outdoor setting since I saw Real Estate play at Forecastle last summer when the sun came out after torrential downpours all day. I then saw Phosphorescent play Red Eyed Fly (a real shit hole in Austin), and it wasn't as good.

I do have to admit Houck's vocal cracks do annoy me at times.

Great, now I gotta check out that Steve Mason album. Adding to my mental list as we speak!

Definitely worth checking out the Scott Churchman record:
http://scottchurchman.bandcamp.com/albu ... that-noise

Yeah. I'm feeling this. Thanks.

Others I've enjoyed:

Suuns "Images du futur" - sparse, unchanging, mechanical, kraut, montreal
Brokeback "... & the Black Rock" - first in 10 years, much more guitar oriented landscapes
Doldrums "Lesser Evil" - for an unsettling listen, psych-electronic
Beliefs "Beliefs" - honest shoegaze, toronto, will be putting a 7" out with them this year
Retribution Gospel Choir "3" - crazy horse
Autre Ne Veut "Anxiety" - odd, stylish pop
Blue Hawaii "Untogether" - odd, morphing, electronic pop
Mice Parade "Candela" - more of the same adam pierce

I really want to like that Retribution Gospel Choir album, but to me it just sounds ridiculously drawn out and low on ideas. I totally get what they're going for, but the problem for me is that I've been following it up by listening to an actual Crazy Horse album. And Psychedelic Pill isn't even one of the better Crazy Horse albums, but RGP fall way short of even that mark.

I like Doldrums. I can't stomach Autre Ne Veut.

I agree on RGC. I like the music. But for me there is some serious volume missing, something guttural that it lacks.

Learning to like Autre Ne Veut, hasn't been shelved yet.

Anyway, they're worthwhile listens for some.