(no subject)
Albums:
29. Mount Eerie -- Wind's Poem
28. Mastodon -- Crack the Skye
27. Food -- Food
26. Converge -- Axe To Fall
25. Them Crooked Vultures -- self-titled
24. Tara Jane O'Neil -- A Ways Away
23. Jim O'Rourke -- The Visitor
22. Devendra Banhart -- What Will We Be
21. Antony and the Johnsons -- The Crying Light
20. Noveller -- Red Rainbows
19. Portugal. The Man -- The Satanic Satanist
18. Handsome Furs -- Face Control
17. DOOM -- Born Like This
16. Kurt Vile -- Childish Prodigy
15. Girls -- Album
14. Atlas Sound -- Logos
13. Magik Markers -- Balf Quarry
12. Fever Ray -- self-titled
11. Flaming Lips -- Embryonic
10. Wild Beasts -- Twin Dancers
This one really caught me by surprise in the past...week, actually. Sounds almost like a more paranoid Talking Heads. The Falsetto with a capital F is what throws everyone for a loop, and I don't blame them. Still, there's a groove here that can't be denied, a strange fitting of those incredible instrumental parts with the latently bizarre vocal stylings.
9. Califone -- All My Friends Are Funeral Singers
A solid album made by a solid band. More pop-oriented than their previous work, and pulled off much better than I might have predicted.
8. The XX -- xx
Music for a journey late into the night. Better if you've already got someone with you, but if not, these two will keep you well enough company.
7. Grizzly Bear -- Veckatimest
Enough's been said about this album that I can't really add much to the discourse. I will note, though, that "Dory" really is an awful track; lone filler on an otherwise superb record.
6. JJ -- No 2
The goddess daughters of Massive Attack. A lean, mean electronic pop album.
5. Bat for Lashes -- Two Suns
If it tells you anything, my ex liked this album. For those of you who didn't/don't know my ex, she had a very strict/specific filter for beauty. In general, if something passed her litmus test, I could generally tell it was a definite winner. Helps that I really like the album too.
4. Lightning Bolt -- Earthly Delights
I really did not enjoy this band before this album. Main improvements: the instruments sound way better recorded (better sound balance and such), and the songs are just more FUN.
3. Dirty Projectors -- Bitte Orca
I knew their day would come. I'm still betting the next album will land at the very top of my list.
2. New Villager -- Rich Doors/Genghis On
This one was tough to decide on whether or not to include. It is, technically, a single. Still, these two self-contained songs pack more punch and more ideas into eight and a half minutes than many entire albums I heard this year. I've also enjoyed it more than most any other release I've heard. Except this one:
1. Future of the Left -- Travels With Myself and Another
Anyone who's spoken to me in the past six months has heard about this album at some point. This is the sound of a psychotic genius, high precision destruction that a GPS laser-guided drone pilot's can't match. Beware.
Songs:
16. Jay Reatard: Wounded
15. Raekwon: 10 Bricks
14. Talk Normal: Bold Face
13. The Mountain Goats: 1 Samuel 15:23
12. Converge: Dark Horse
11. NASA: People Tree
10. HEALTH: Die Slow
9. Kurt Vile -- Freak Train
8. PJ Harvey and John Parish -- Black Hearted Love
7. Handsome Furs: Legal Tender
6. NASA: Spacious Thoughts
5. Sonic Youth: Sacred Trickster
4. Handsome Furs: Officer of Hearts
3. Phoenix: Lisztomania
2. Magik Markers: Don't Talk in Your Sleep
1. Frida Hyvonen -- Jesus Was a Crossmaker
* Patton Oswalt - Orgy
29. Mount Eerie -- Wind's Poem
28. Mastodon -- Crack the Skye
27. Food -- Food
26. Converge -- Axe To Fall
25. Them Crooked Vultures -- self-titled
24. Tara Jane O'Neil -- A Ways Away
23. Jim O'Rourke -- The Visitor
22. Devendra Banhart -- What Will We Be
21. Antony and the Johnsons -- The Crying Light
20. Noveller -- Red Rainbows
19. Portugal. The Man -- The Satanic Satanist
18. Handsome Furs -- Face Control
17. DOOM -- Born Like This
16. Kurt Vile -- Childish Prodigy
15. Girls -- Album
14. Atlas Sound -- Logos
13. Magik Markers -- Balf Quarry
12. Fever Ray -- self-titled
11. Flaming Lips -- Embryonic
10. Wild Beasts -- Twin Dancers
This one really caught me by surprise in the past...week, actually. Sounds almost like a more paranoid Talking Heads. The Falsetto with a capital F is what throws everyone for a loop, and I don't blame them. Still, there's a groove here that can't be denied, a strange fitting of those incredible instrumental parts with the latently bizarre vocal stylings.
9. Califone -- All My Friends Are Funeral Singers
A solid album made by a solid band. More pop-oriented than their previous work, and pulled off much better than I might have predicted.
8. The XX -- xx
Music for a journey late into the night. Better if you've already got someone with you, but if not, these two will keep you well enough company.
7. Grizzly Bear -- Veckatimest
Enough's been said about this album that I can't really add much to the discourse. I will note, though, that "Dory" really is an awful track; lone filler on an otherwise superb record.
6. JJ -- No 2
The goddess daughters of Massive Attack. A lean, mean electronic pop album.
5. Bat for Lashes -- Two Suns
If it tells you anything, my ex liked this album. For those of you who didn't/don't know my ex, she had a very strict/specific filter for beauty. In general, if something passed her litmus test, I could generally tell it was a definite winner. Helps that I really like the album too.
4. Lightning Bolt -- Earthly Delights
I really did not enjoy this band before this album. Main improvements: the instruments sound way better recorded (better sound balance and such), and the songs are just more FUN.
3. Dirty Projectors -- Bitte Orca
I knew their day would come. I'm still betting the next album will land at the very top of my list.
2. New Villager -- Rich Doors/Genghis On
This one was tough to decide on whether or not to include. It is, technically, a single. Still, these two self-contained songs pack more punch and more ideas into eight and a half minutes than many entire albums I heard this year. I've also enjoyed it more than most any other release I've heard. Except this one:
1. Future of the Left -- Travels With Myself and Another
Anyone who's spoken to me in the past six months has heard about this album at some point. This is the sound of a psychotic genius, high precision destruction that a GPS laser-guided drone pilot's can't match. Beware.
Songs:
16. Jay Reatard: Wounded
15. Raekwon: 10 Bricks
14. Talk Normal: Bold Face
13. The Mountain Goats: 1 Samuel 15:23
12. Converge: Dark Horse
11. NASA: People Tree
10. HEALTH: Die Slow
9. Kurt Vile -- Freak Train
8. PJ Harvey and John Parish -- Black Hearted Love
7. Handsome Furs: Legal Tender
6. NASA: Spacious Thoughts
5. Sonic Youth: Sacred Trickster
4. Handsome Furs: Officer of Hearts
3. Phoenix: Lisztomania
2. Magik Markers: Don't Talk in Your Sleep
1. Frida Hyvonen -- Jesus Was a Crossmaker
* Patton Oswalt - Orgy