quote:

Originally posted by BAfé:
It's sad, at HMV the Sun Giant EP, by Fleet Foxes, costs more than their debut album.

That's too bad. It came free with my vinyl copy of their debut... or at the very least they were packaged together at a great price. I'm in the process of formulating a revised list...

quote:

Originally posted by BAfé:
03. In Ghost Colours, Cut Copy
14. We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed, Los Campesinos!

I am really enjoying these two albums right now. Nice list.

Where abouts to you live in Vancouver?

Thanks . And to answer your question, downtown.

Only been a 1/2 way participant in the album tracking wars this year...but of what I've heard, top 5 today would be

1. For Emma, Forever - Bon Iver
2. Fleet Foxes - s/t (finally sunk in)
3. Dig, Lazarus, Dig - Nick Cave
4. Vampire Weekend - s/t
5. The Seldom Seen Kid - Elbow (best sequencing I've heard in a couple years, song order is everything on this album)

1 The Seldom Seen Kid - Elbow
2 The Midnight Organ Fight - Frightened Rabbit
3 The Big Adventure - The Dawn Chorus
4 Changing Of The Seasons - Ane Brun
5 Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants - Metaform
6 Alas, I Cannot Swim - Laura Marling
7 Parc Avenue - Plants And Animals
8 This Gift - Sons And Daughters
9 Shallow Grave - The Tallest Man On Earth
10 A Song Inside My Head, A Demon In My Bed - Oh Laura
11 Rook - Shearwater
12 A Piece Of What You Need - Teddy Thompson
13 Things That Roar - The Beep Seals
14 Leaves In The River - Sea Wolf
15 Sleight Of Heart - Malcolm Middleton
16 Doppelganger - The Grid
17 Evil Urges - My Morning Jacket
18 The Week That Was - The Week That Was
19 Staying In - Diskjokke
20 The Bake Sale - The Cool Kids

Nice list, Borachon.

quote:

7 Parc Avenue - Plants And Animals

I've got to go back to this one. It came out early in the year, and I haven't listened to it lately. But, I remember that each time I listen to it, I like it more and more.

quote:

8 This Gift - Sons And Daughters

I just picked this one up. It's great. I love the vocals. She can wail with the best of them.

quote:

18 The Week That Was - The Week That Was

I need to listen to this one some more. None of the songs really reached out and grabbed me the first few times through. But, I get the feeling that there is a lot more to this album beneath the surface.

Nice list Borachon.

Any chance of you describing the Oh Laura and Dawn Chorus albums? I've never heard of them.

quote:

Originally posted by Turenne:
Nice list Borachon.

Any chance of you describing the Oh Laura and Dawn Chorus albums? I've never heard of them.

I was about to say the same thing. On both fronts.

New List:

1. Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
2. Sam Roberts - Love at the End of the World
3. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
4. Horse Feathers - House With No Home
5. Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
6. Calexico - Carried to Dust
7. Why? - Alepocia
8. Subtle - ExitingARM
9. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
10. Sleep Station - The Pride of Chester James
11. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
12. The Walkmen - You & Me
13. Shearwater - Rook
14. Frightened Rabbit - Midnight Organ Fight
15. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins

Lots of changes yet again from my previous list.

1 TV On The Radio • Dear Science,
2 Sam Roberts • Love at the End of the World
3 Beck • Modern Guilt
4 Balmorhea • Rivers Arms
5 Gregory and the Wolf • Moenie and Kitchi
You can listen the entire album on FatCat for free!

6 Fleet Foxes • Fleet Foxes
7 Plants and Animals • Parc Avenue
8 Wolf Parade • At Mount Zoomer
9 The Dodos • Visiter
10 Bon Iver • For Emma, Forever Ago

11 Man Man • Rabbit Habits
12 Fuck Buttons • Street Horrrsing
13 Death Cab for Cutie • Narrow Stairs
14 Langhorne Slim • Langhorne Slim
15 Los Campesinos! • We Are Beautiful, We are Doomed

16 Wild Beasts • Limbo, Panto
17 Frightened Rabbit • The Midnight Organ Fight
18 Noah and the Whale • Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down
19 Iglomat • Iglomat
20 Takka Takka • Migration

21 Horse Feathers • House With No Home
22 Why? • Alopecia
23 The Raconteurs • Consolers of the Lonely
24 Born Ruffians • Red, Yellow and Blue
25 Cut Copy • In Ghost Colours

26 The Black Keys • Attack and Release
27 Coldplay • Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
28 Elbow • The Seldom Seen Kid
29 Ra Ra Riot • The Rhumb Line
30 Kings of Leon • Only By the Night

31 Deerhoof • Offend Maggie
32 Sigur Ros • Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust
33 The Accidental • There Were Wolves
34 Chad VanGaalen • Soft Airplane
35 Dr. Dog • Fate

36 Mountain Goats • Heretic Pride
37 Vampire Weekend • Vampire Weekend
38 The Tallest Man on Earth • Shallow Graves
39 Brian Eno & David Byrne • Everything That Will Happen Will Happen Today
40 Ratatat • LP3

41 Okkervil River • The Stand Ins
42 The Nightwatchman • The Fabled City
43 Dosh • Wolves and Wishes
44 Blitzen Trapper • Furr
45 The Ruby Suns • Sea Lion

46 Sun Kil Moon • April
47 Brendan Canning • Something For All Of Us
48 Spiritualized • Songs in A&E
49 The Notwist • The Devil, You + Me

Still digesting:
Gandalf Murphy - Great Unravel
Poney Express - Daisy Street
Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creations Dark
The Walkmen - You & Me
Gregor Samsa - Rest
White Hinterland - Phylactory Factory
Brad Barr - The Fall Apartment: Instrumental Guitar
Dark Dark Dark - The Snow Magic
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Pershing
Gentlemen Jesse & His Men
Eureka Birds - Eureka Birds
Fonda 500 - Je Mappelle Stereo
Acorn - Here & There & Back
Gable - Seven Guitars With a Cloud of Milk

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ANinBC,

I love your 6-10, anbc.

Here is my list as of October. I do not forsee much of my top five changing by December 31!

<b>Top 20 Albums of the Year - Through October</b>

1. Deerhuter - Microcastle(iTunes version) - A+
2. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend - A
3. TV on the Radio - Dear Science, - A-
4. Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel - A-
5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes - B+
6. Department of Eagles - In Ear Park - B+
7. Nine Inch Nails - The Slip - B+
8. Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue - B
9. F*** Buttons - Street Horrrsing - B
10. Xiu Xiu - Women as Lovers - B
11. Horse Feathers - House With No Name - B
12. Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair - B
13. Lindstom - Where You Go I Go Too - B
14. Broken Social Scene Presents Brendan Canning - Something For All of Us - B
15. Antony and the Johnsons - Another World(EP) - A-
16. DeVotchka - A Mad and Faithful Telling - B-
17. Sigur Ros - Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust - B-
18. Belong - Colorless Record(EP) - B
19. Clientele - That Night a Forest Grew(EP) - B+
20. Deastro - Keeper's - B-

Note about my scoring... I hold EPs to a different standard that LPs, so some of the EPs on here have a higher score than the surrounding LPs.

<b>Best Songs of the Year - Through October</b>

1. Agoraphobia - Deerhunter
2. Golden Age - TV on the Radio
3. Transliterator - DeVotchka
4. Colours Move - F*** Buttons
5. Winter Vacation - Atlas Sound
6. White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
7. Echoplex - Nine Inch Nails
8. Gobbledigook - Sigur Ros
9. you are pregnant, you are dead - Xiu Xiu
10. Walcott - Vampire Weekend
11. Churches Under the Stairs - BSS Presents Brendan Canning
12. Cut Copy - Far Away
13. Matmos - Supreme Balloon
14. Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt. 2 - My Morning Jacket
15. Navy Sheets - The Hold Steady
16. Crackagen - Antony and the Johnsons
17. That Night a Forest Grew - The Clientele
18. Late Night - Belong
19. Superserious Supersonic - REM
20. Spookhouse - Clear Tigers

For my list of top songs, I only chose one song per album. If I did multiple songs per album, there would be a LOT more from Microcastle (Deerhunter), Vampire Weekend, and And Let the Blind... (Atlas Sound).

Overall, this year has been a huge letdown compared to the ridiculous awesomeness that was 2007. Luckily, though, things have been turning around in the past couple of months. I am blown away by the Department of Eagles album (no surprise considering the contributors), the new TV on the Radio rocks my world, and everyone should really give the Antony and the Johnsons EP a listen.

My favorite artist of the year is clearly Bradford Cox. For the longest time this year Atlas Sound was my favorite album of the year. Then I discovered Microcastle on iTunes (early release) and that changed rather quickly! Oh my god. What an amazing album. I can not be more happy with the way Microcastle turned out. Lyrically it is genious, especially Agoraphobia. Musically these guys are at the top of their game, absolutely. Such a full, enjoyable record. My new favorite artist, and right up there with Ed Droste and Owen Pallet for me for awesome queer artists of the past decade.

Golden Age by TV on the Radio is obviously a hoot (see the music video!). Another song that is worth mention is Transliterator by DeVotchka, the most unexpectedly awesome track off an OK-ish album for me. I know that there has been a lot of Vampire Weekend backlash, but I can't help it. It's one of my most consistently listened-to albums of the year. So many great songs on it, not a stinker in the bunch. Even minor/short songs on the album are marvelous. I just love that crunchy-pop sound. Also of worthy mention is Nine Inch Nails' The Slip. So good. I know that Ghosts I-IV did not go over well for a lot of people (see the Metacritic rating), but I don't think that Ghosts was even intended as a real NIN "album." The Slip, however, is, and it is marvelous, though a little too short. If only With Teeth and The Slip could be combined somehow...

OK year, just no 2007! Still have not heard anything on par with MIA - Kala or PJ Harvey - White Chalk. Speaking of, where are the great female-led albums from this year? The new Breeders album I though was good, and I know there have been a few recent releases such as the Vivian Girls that have been really good. I think MIA should release a new album every year (wishful thinking).

Strong Female Led Albums, as follows

Trifonic - Emergence
Blue Sky Black Death/Jean Grae - Evil Jeanius
Forest City Lovers - Haunting Moon Sinking
Portishead - Third
Invincible - Shapeshifter
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah

Borachon where do you live that Sea Wolf - Leaves in the River is a 2008 release, nice list though.

Moved list forward in forum... lots of changes.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Vaygus,

quote:

Originally posted by The Fall of Troy:
Nice list, Borachon.

quote:

18 The Week That Was - The Week That Was

I need to listen to this one some more. None of the songs really reached out and grabbed me the first few times through. But, I get the feeling that there is a lot more to this album beneath the surface.

Thanks for the comments guys. The Week That Was is definitely an album that takes a few listens to sink in. It's worth the effort though, imo.

quote:

Originally posted by Turenne:
Nice list Borachon.

Any chance of you describing the Oh Laura and Dawn Chorus albums? I've never heard of them.

I'm rubbish at describing bands, but Oh Laura are a Swedish band in the same kind of vain as The Cardigans, but definitely more country tinged. Imagine The Cardigans if they'd been listening to Wicked Game by Chris Isaak (I know that's a terrible description!) with a slightly huskier female vocal, although she definitely sounds a bit like Nina.

The Dawn Chorus are an English Indie/Folk/Americana/Pop group. There's definitely a bit of Wilco and Bright Eyes in there, mixed with more bouncy pop like The Wonderstuff. Sharp lyrics with a good sense of humour.

Borachon, thanks for the descriptions, I'll defintely give them both a listen.

quote:

Originally posted by Liberalkid:
Strong Female Led Albums, as follows

Trifonic - Emergence
Blue Sky Black Death/Jean Grae - Evil Jeanius
Forest City Lovers - Haunting Moon Sinking
Portishead - Third
Invincible - Shapeshifter
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah

Borachon where do you live that Sea Wolf - Leaves in the River is a 2008 release, nice list though.

To add...

No Longer At Ease - Nneka (Soul and Electronic, dark vibe, political lyrics)
Hollow Of Morning - Gemma Hayes (Excellent Irish folk)
Sea Sew - Lisa Hannigan (Decent Irish Folk/Pop)
The Awakening - Stacy Epps (Leftfield Hip-Hop/Soul)

The Nneka album's the best to me, but all are well worth checking out.

1. Portishead - Third
2. The Dodos - Visiter
3. Said the Whale - Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia
4. Black Mountain - In the Future
5. Hey Ocean! - It's Easier to be Somebody Else
6. R.E.M. - Accelerate
7. Mother Mother - O My Heart
8. Beck - Modern Guilt
9. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
10. Fleet Foxes - s/t

Wow, I just downloaded The Weekend That Was and it's pretty damn great. It's like if Brian Eno went goth.

? for Dear Science Fans..

How many listens does it take to sink in...I've given it two, and while I've already warmed to RED DRESS and hear a lot of creative, interesting passages...can't say in the grand scheme of things it's doing much for me yet...wasn't a huge fan of Cookie Mountain either, so maybe TVOTR is just a great band with whom I share few similar sensibilities, but hoping other's have had an initial lukewarm response and found it to be quite a grower.

I know my number one and two but anything beyond that is up for grabs.

1. Calexico - carried to dust
2. Bon Iver - for emma forever ago

I'm sure TV on the radio is somewhere in the top five, but hey, two and a half months left. Anything can happen.