If you choose not to decide to make that comparison, you still have made a choice.

Revised and Rounded out to a top 15:

1. Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison - Cheater's Game
2. Andrew Duhon - The Moorings
3. Eric Brace & Peter Cooper – The Comeback Album
4. Daniel Romano - Come Cry With Me
5. Warren Hood Band – S/T
6. Preservation Hall Jazz Band - That's It
7. Lloyd Cole – Standards
8. The Grapes of Wrath - High Road
9. Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell - Old Yellow Moon
10. New American Farmers - Brand New Day
11. Sturgill Simpson - High Top Mountain
12. Carla Bruni - Little French Songs
13. Dolly Varden – For A While
14. Scud Mountain Boys - Do You Love the Sun?
15. Bobby Long - Wishbone

Some good stuff on here Bill, save for one glaring omission?!?

Not enough Pundt.

I'm embarrassed to say that I've only listened to the Belleville album once because I've been too lazy to convert the files to a format that my burner software can recognize and I never listen to music on my computer. I do like it though but didn't really consider it for that reason only. I just ordered a physical copy from Amazon though which is what I should have done months ago.

It took me a second to think of what you meant though. There were some high level disappointments for me from artists we both like (Son Volt, Ron Sexsmith, Deadstring Brothers) but I don't think those made your list either.

It's not horrible at all.

And I kind of wish that one Pundt song wasn't on there, actually. Totally breaks up the flow and doesn't fit.

Jesus H no, but thanks. I wasn't thinking of BV, but the new Son Volt. Yes, it's right near the top. Probably, his most consistent since Terroir Blues. Love it.

Again,thanks for thinking of the Belleville record, but the disc is an Amazon produced CD-R of which I have nothing to do with.

Damn...I didn't like the Son Volt album at all, and it's the first Farrar album I haven't liked (other than some of the one-off collaborations like the farrar/gibbard album)

I didn't care for it much at first either.

Angel of The Blues & Down the Highway both belong in the Farrar oeuvre of all-time greats.

Ok...maybe I'll give it another try then. SV usually doesn't have to grow on me or at least I hear something that makes me want to keep listening.

Yeah, I like the Farrar-does-Bakersfield thing a lot.

Speaking of broken down in Bakersfield, the Mother Hips Behind Beyond continues their nice mix of Buffalo Springfied, Merle Haggard and the Eagles.

I need to revisit that SV. I liked it but it never took hold and I think I deleted it off my phone in a purge.

Thanks Harry. I had no idea the Hips had a new one. Big fan of Bluhm&Co. and their "California Soul"

update

Albums
01. Parquet Courts – Light Up Gold
02. Holden – The Inheritors
03. Youth Lagoon – Wondrous Bughouse
04. These New Puritans – Field of Reeds
05. Foxygen – We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
06. Autechre – Exai
07. My Bloody Valentine – m b v
08. No Joy – Wait to Pleasure
09. Pissed Jeans – Honeys
10. The Haxan Cloak – Excavation

11. Phosphorescent – Muchacho
12. The Knife – Shaking the Habitual
13. Thee Oh Sees – Floating Coffin
14. Portal – Vexovoid
15. Keiji Haino, Jim O’Rourke, Oren Ambarchi – Now While It's Still Warm Let Us Pour In All the Mystery
16. Grouper – The Man Who Died in His Boat
17. Shugo Tokumaru – In Focus?
18. Laura Marling – Once I Was an Eagle
19. Deerhunter – Monomania
20. The Men – New Moon

21. Jon Hopkins – Immunity
22. Mainliner – Revelation Space
23. Boards of Canada – Tomorrow’s Harvest
24. The Besnard Lakes – Until in Excess, Imperceptible UFO
25. Steve Gunn – Time Off
26. Yo La Tengo – Fade
27. Run the Jewels – s/t
28. Sightings – Terribly Well
29. Iceage – You’re Nothing
30. William Tyler – Impossible Truth

EPs, Singles, Splits, etc
01. Ital Tek – Hyper Real
02. Thee Oh Sees – Moon Sick
03. Un Blonde – s/t
04. Parquet Courts – Borrowed Time
05. GOAT – Dreambuilding b/w Stonegoat
06. Lone – Airglow Fires
07. Pete Swanson – Punk Authority
08. The Body – Master, We Perish
09. Liars – I Saw You from the Lifeboat/Perfume Tear
10. Kingdom – Vertical XL

Shaping up to be a pretty great year. My #1 album may technically be from 2012, but whatever. It saw wider release at the beginning of this year. Also, that Holden album is one of the best electronic albums I've heard in years, and that Ital Tek EP is excellent.

Really liking this new Octopus Project album. Haven't listened to them in ages.

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
Phosphorescent - Muchacho
The National - Trouble Will Find Me
Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse
Tripwires - Spacehopper
Foxygen - We Are the 21st Century
Yo La Tengo - Fade
The Moondoggies - Adios I'm a Ghost
Wavves - Afraid of Heights
French Films - White Orchid
Savages - Silence Yourself
Eleanor Friedberger - Personal Record
Dick Diver - Calendar Days

I haven't listened to much yet this year, but in alphabetical order...

Bombino - Nomad
Coliseum - Sister Faith
Deafheaven - Sunbather
KEN mode - Entrench
Queens of the Stone Age - ... Like Clockwork
Savages - Silence Yourself
Earl Sweatshirt - Doris
Tomahawk - Oddfellows
Kanye West - Yeezus

Finally hearing that Vampigre Weekgend.

So far so good, which surprises me, because I didn't love the first stuff.

Way past mid-year, but here's an updated list.

1. Bamboo Kids - Safe City Blues
2. Missing Monuments - Missing Monuments
3. The Computers - Love Triangles, Hate Squares
4. Deer Tick - Negativity
5. Zachary James & the All Seeing Eyes - Space Case
6. Night Marchers - Allez Allez
7. The Yum Yums - Play Good Music
8. James Younger - Feelin' American
9. Attic Lights - Super De Luxe
10. The Cliks - Black Tie Elevator
11. Warm Soda - Someone For You
12. The Connection - Let It Rock
13. King Khan & His Shrines - Idle No More
14. Grapes of Wrath - High Road
15. Dirty Fences - Too High to Kross
16. Two Cow Garage - Death of the Self Preservation Society
17. Wyatt Blair - Banana Cream Dream
18. Primitive Hearts - High and Tight
19. Jacuzzi Boys - Jacuzzi Boys
20. The Dirtbombs - Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-Blooey!

So far, this is a pretty great year. I don't know how I'll eventually squeeze so many great releases into a top 30.

And I still have to spend more time with new Neko, Okkervil River, King Krule, Califone, Eddie Spaghetti, and Over the Rhine, although liking what I hear with all of 'em. I expect a lot from the upcoming Bad Sports too.

1) The Dirtbombs - Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-Blooey!
2) Bassholes - Boogieman Stew
3) Missing Monuments - Missing Monuments
4) Oblivians - Desperation
5) Banque Allemande - Willst du Chinese sein musst du die ekligen Sachen essen
6) Running - Vaguely Ethnic
7) Sagor & Swing - Botvid Grenlunds park
8) Causa Sui - Euporie Tide
9) Human Eye - 4: Into Unknown
10) Counter Intuits - Sheets of Hits
11) Satanic Rockers - Fu Kung
12) Cuntz - Aloha
13) Gary Wrong - Knights of Misery
14) The Feeling of Love - Reward Your Grace
15) Milk Music - Cruise Your Illusion
16) Spray Paint - Spray Paint
17) The Ooga Boogas - Ooga Boogas
18) Sweet Talk - Pickup Lines
19) The Hussy - Pagan Hiss
20) The Howling Hex - The Best of The Howling Hex

Still digesting Bad Sports, The Heliocentrics, Etienne Charles, King Khan & His Shrines but really liking what I hear.

Any of you heard the new Robbie Fulks album?

Sounds to me like it might be competing for a spot in my top 5.
AllMusic review.
SPOTIFY

And high hopes for the new McCartney album after hearing this:

I need to get my ass in gear and check this out again. Heard a stream late last month. I dig these guys.

deer tick at #4?

i've got a hefty commute to work so when i first heard these guys on xmu last year i kind of wrote these guys off - borrowed time didn't do much for me. after seeing these guys on a # of lists from respectable posters & friends i bought it and it's charmed me. pretty great from top to bottom & way lots of fun & giggly-closer picture of health is my fav. that ital tek is decent & still working on james holden. really liking the new scud mtn boys. a busy summer has me playing catch-up on a lot of new music, way behind lot of you folks.