Favorite Albums are one thing, favorite songs are another, but every once in a while everything boils down to a single moment of absolute bliss. The album could suck, the song itself could fail to impress, but when that one part hits, you lose it every time. I'm just curious to know what everyone's favorite moments in music this past year have been.

As a way of example, a few of my favorites so far this year:
The "Prolix!" part of "We Call Upon the Author", by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
The bridge of "Buriedfed" by Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
The ending to "Slapped Actress" by the Hold Steady

The beauty of the last part of Sun Kil Moon's "Blue Orchids"

Soft light pours into the room
Fingers glide over my face
A voice speaks, a figure moves
How could I walk these old dim halls again
How could I leave this room all alone

When she comes by every morning
Brings back pink and pale blue orchids
When she comes by every afternoon
Piano music weeps quietly
As May melts into June
When she comes by every evening
Lays down beside me softly breathing

Good thread. I live for favourite 'moments' like this, those bits of music that grip you, and always give you goosebumps from that beauty flowing through your brain. Here some from this year:

Wolf Parade - Fine Young Cannibals - jamming at the end rules overall, but the best is that bit when the piano comes together with that guitar riff

Vampire Weekend - Mansard Roof - melody of the second verse + when the strings come in

Lykke Li - I'm Good I'm Gone - "you'll be calling but i won't be at the phone" and then when the piano comes in

Animal Collective - Water Curses - still my favourite song of the year. the "when you wake up from snoozing" bit is the best, with the shitawesome synth melody.

Born Ruffians - Hummingbird - favourite moment of the year for sure, the end from "fly away little hummingbird" and then just the shouting along together till the end.

Wolf Parade - the "fire in the hole" bit from "Kissing the Beehive" gets me every time. When they played the song live, this was pure fist pumping madness.

Titus Andronicus - the "F**K YOU!" moment at the start of "Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ". Perfectly sets the stage for the rest of the album.

Bon Iver - when the song "Flume" falls apart in a strange flurry of off-beat drum hits and muted guitar noise, only to resume a second later with that gorgeous melody

Los Campesinos! - Gareth's hilariously clever and rushed spoken word bit in "This Is How You Spell..." ("and...well, obviously it's not..."

Lil Wayne - the four and a half minutes at the end of "Misunderstood" where Wayne audibly lights up in the studio and proceeds to rant sedatedly about Jesse Jackson

Sigur Ros - the glorious climax of "Ara Batur". If there was a more emotionally overwhelming minute and a half of music this year, I haven't heard it.

I've got plenty more - I'll save them for later.

The reversed acoustic guitar fade in Trifonic's "Parks on Fire" is such a beautiful moment. It makes the hair on my arm stand up.

quote:

Originally posted by The Twinkie That Wouldn't Die:
The reversed acoustic guitar fade in Trifonic's "Parks on Fire" is such a beautiful moment. It makes the hair on my arm stand up.

That sounds incredible just reading it.

Dodos "Winter"
"I want a lover and a sister, but we know thats not right."

quote:

Originally posted by mymindsblank:
That sounds incredible just reading it.

Go get it then. (It happens between around 4:35 and 4:54.)

Most of that fuckin Girl Talk album, but I guess that's the point.

Have a Nice Life's album Deathconsciousness is so stacked with these moments, but if I had to pick one it'd probably be the last minute of "I Don't Love" where the shoegazy fuzz fades out into solo vocals. Still I doubt myself even as I type this because that album is saturated with "moments."

Despite the fact that the album as a whole is underwhelming, on Kayo Dot's Blue Lambency Downward, on "Symmetrical Arizona," that awesome, slow-burning guitar solo that starts at 1:54.

On "F.T.W." from Xiu Xiu's Women as Lovers when Stewart sings "the scorpiooooonnnnnnn / in our chests" is awesome. I think it's around 1:55.

I have more but those are probably the top 3.

quote:

Originally posted by DFelon204409:
Despite the fact that the album as a whole is underwhelming, on Kayo Dot's Blue Lambency Downward, on "Symmetrical Arizona," that awesome, slow-burning guitar solo that starts at 1:54.

Agreed 100% with everything. Love the song, not crazy about the album.

quote:

Originally posted by vlad:
Los Campesinos! - Gareth's hilariously clever and rushed spoken word bit in "This Is How You Spell..." ("and...well, obviously it's not..."

Totally. I still laugh whenever I hear that one come on my randomizer. Such a great sense of humour in that band, such energy.

I really, really love the last 30 seconds or so of "Things I Did When I Was Dead" by No Age, when that nice little guitar line comes in.

The second half of "An Animal in Your Care" by Wolf Parade. FanTASTIC.

The guitar line in Mahjongg's "Kottbusser Torr." You know the one.


And... that's all I've got for now.

quote:

Originally posted by Platypus Quest:
The second half of "An Animal in Your Care" by Wolf Parade. FanTASTIC.

This would easily be the best song on the album if the build up was stronger and they extended the jam for another three or four minutes. It's a great song though. And I like the lyrics.

quote:

Originally posted by Dork:

quote:

Originally posted by DFelon204409:
Despite the fact that the album as a whole is underwhelming, on Kayo Dot's Blue Lambency Downward, on "Symmetrical Arizona," that awesome, slow-burning guitar solo that starts at 1:54.

Agreed 100% with everything. Love the song, not crazy about the album.

It's pretty sad that p4k's super negative review is going to stop people from checking out Kayo Dot. Blue Lambency Downward certainly has its problems but is in no way as bad as the reviewer makes it out to be. It's sort of like the reviewer understand what Driver was going for, thought he pulled it off decently, but then the reviewer's own attention span and need for catharsis a la Choirs of the Eye precluded him from giving the album a fair shot. For me, even when Driver is "boring," that's only relative to himself, and his material is always going to be ridiculously compelling and original. God, they'd love Choirs of the Eye too right now. It seems like p4k are looking for atypical BM superstars to pump up (that's why Wolves in the Throne Room got so much attention), but if they had been a little more open and stumbled across Choirs of the Eye, that'd be something.

My favorite moment comes courtesy of Los Campesinos as well....

In "We Are All Accelerated Readers" when the angular guitar riff comes through clear as ever and Gareth proclaims, "I'm not Bonnie Tyler and I'm not Toni Braxton; this song won't save your relationship......reality!" Beautiful.

I love the concluding chorus on Fleet Foxes' "Ragged Wood."

"Lie to me if you will at the top of Beringer Hill.
Tell me anything you want - any old lie will do.
Call me back to you - back to you."

What a beautiful melody.

The breakdown from Fleet Foxes "Mykonos" is probably my favorite moment of the year so far.

"Brother you don't need to turn me away.
I was waiting down at the ancient gate.
You go wherever you go today."

quote:

Originally posted by DFelon204409:
Most of that fuckin Girl Talk album, but I guess that's the point.

Have a Nice Life's album Deathconsciousness is so stacked with these moments, but if I had to pick one it'd probably be the last minute of "I Don't Love" where the shoegazy fuzz fades out into solo vocals. Still I doubt myself even as I type this because that album is saturated with "moments."

Despite the fact that the album as a whole is underwhelming, on Kayo Dot's Blue Lambency Downward, on "Symmetrical Arizona," that awesome, slow-burning guitar solo that starts at 1:54.

On "F.T.W." from Xiu Xiu's Women as Lovers when Stewart sings "the scorpiooooonnnnnnn / in our chests" is awesome. I think it's around 1:55.

I have more but those are probably the top 3.

On "Holy Fucking Shit: 40,000", where the acoustic guitar and frozen vocals exit, only to re-enter with an aggressive set of loud friends. I swear I almost collapsed when I first heard it. Sometimes when I walk down the street I think I'm gonna fall down and either die or weep like a girl.

quote:

Originally posted by RadiantSilvergun:

quote:

Originally posted by DFelon204409:
Most of that fuckin Girl Talk album, but I guess that's the point.

Have a Nice Life's album Deathconsciousness is so stacked with these moments, but if I had to pick one it'd probably be the last minute of "I Don't Love" where the shoegazy fuzz fades out into solo vocals. Still I doubt myself even as I type this because that album is saturated with "moments."

Despite the fact that the album as a whole is underwhelming, on Kayo Dot's Blue Lambency Downward, on "Symmetrical Arizona," that awesome, slow-burning guitar solo that starts at 1:54.

On "F.T.W." from Xiu Xiu's Women as Lovers when Stewart sings "the scorpiooooonnnnnnn / in our chests" is awesome. I think it's around 1:55.

I have more but those are probably the top 3.

On "Holy Fucking Shit: 40,000", where the acoustic guitar and frozen vocals exit, only to re-enter with an aggressive set of loud friends. I swear I almost collapsed when I first heard it. Sometimes when I walk down the street I think I'm gonna fall down and either die or weep like a girl.

YES. Imperial fucking march dude. That is my favorite album of the year hands down. I'm repping them super hard in these forums, trying to get it to catch on. So far only a few have been giving it the cred it deserves.

quote:

Originally posted by DFelon204409:

quote:

Originally posted by RadiantSilvergun:

quote:

Originally posted by DFelon204409:
Most of that fuckin Girl Talk album, but I guess that's the point.

Have a Nice Life's album Deathconsciousness is so stacked with these moments, but if I had to pick one it'd probably be the last minute of "I Don't Love" where the shoegazy fuzz fades out into solo vocals. Still I doubt myself even as I type this because that album is saturated with "moments."

Despite the fact that the album as a whole is underwhelming, on Kayo Dot's Blue Lambency Downward, on "Symmetrical Arizona," that awesome, slow-burning guitar solo that starts at 1:54.

On "F.T.W." from Xiu Xiu's Women as Lovers when Stewart sings "the scorpiooooonnnnnnn / in our chests" is awesome. I think it's around 1:55.

I have more but those are probably the top 3.

On "Holy Fucking Shit: 40,000", where the acoustic guitar and frozen vocals exit, only to re-enter with an aggressive set of loud friends. I swear I almost collapsed when I first heard it. Sometimes when I walk down the street I think I'm gonna fall down and either die or weep like a girl.

YES. Imperial fucking march dude. That is my favorite album of the year hands down. I'm repping them super hard in these forums, trying to get it to catch on. So far only a few have been giving it the cred it deserves.

Yeah, it'd be awesome for more people to hear the record. I believe I got the tip from you (or another fine forum-er) from the "Underrated Albums of the year" thread.

There are two songs that have been so depressing for me, but manage to pick me up right before the song ends; these tracks are from the same artist on the same record, I speak of "Une Année Sans Lumière" and "Crown of Love" by The Arcade Fire. The endings of those tracks just make you want to blissfully skip or prance about. You could get hit by a car, but it's ok, cause the song could end that way too.

(OH shit, that's from 2004)

Another relevant moment would have to be in the second half of Coldplay's "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love", the piano melody is so calming that a bus could hit you, soundless, and for some bizarre reason, it would be ok.

The chorus (if you can call it that) from Deerhunter's "Never Stops" is quite lovely also.

AH. Where would I be if I didn't mention "The Modern Leper" off Frightened Rabbit's second LP? One of the best openers in a long time, I'd say. The first time I heard that track, I felt like I was 12 again, hearing a track on the radio, and immediately scheming my way into a ride to the record store to buy it. The instant I heard that track, I said, "I need this album."

1:27 into Late of the Pier's "Whitesnake" a lovely bass strum comes along and makes me feel like I'm on some ship at sea, going merrily along the ridiculously large waves, like the ones from cartoons. You're kinda being tossed around and the ships going all about, but there's a sense of adventure to it. Someone please say they understand what I'm trying to get at, it's essentially that mindless feeling of adventure, I guess.

There are countless moments in Ponytail's disc, either due to the killer, almost math-y guitar work or the... vocals.

Lastly, the nuclear sirens at the end of "Threads" off of Portishead's Third is so frightening it's awesome.