After a long trip across the country and a very chaotic week learning how to drive in Atlanta where I didn't have many cds to choose from, I've decided that that Son Volt's newest album is about as good as anything else new I've heard this year. It may even replace Antony's album as my favorite of the year. On the other hand, I really can't stand the Sufjan Stevens album. I was just sort of impartial to Michigan, but this one actually annoys me. I don't see at all where he gets all sorts of credit for his songwriting or his arranging. Both are pretty darn weak in my opinion. I don't understand how this is the best reviewed album of the year.

There have been a couple great EP's released this year.
Tops on my list are:
Grandaddy "Diary Of Todd Zilla"
Iron and Wine and Calexico "In the reigns"
and who could forget
The Fiery Furnaces "EP"

quote:

Iron and Wine and Calexico "In the reigns"

Is this out already? I have been waiting for it and didn't even know there was a release date.

THe Calexico/Iron and wine EP hasn't been formally released yet, and neither has the Grandaddy EP for that matter, but that can't stop the truly determined.

Sigur Ros "Takk"

amazing.

Has that leaked yet? I'm really enjoying Agaetis Byrgun, but I didn't like (). Which would you say Takk is more like?

Agaetis more so, but completely different from anything they have ever done.
It rocks out harder than any other Sigur Ros release.
There are definetly some elements of GSYBE involved.
Youll enjoy it I'm sure.

I listened through Takk once, didn't really get a feel for it. Sigur Ros always takes a while to sink in for me. Also, heard the new Deerhoof today, which was really good.

Wait, wait...is Takk *out*? Or have you all acquired it by 'other means'? The 'upcoming release' calender has it coming out a few weeks from now.

No, it leaked is all.

Hmm..I have a rule that I don't download albums unless I'm 100% sure I'm going to buy them...so if I downloaded Takk I'd be committing to buying it even if I turned out not to like it...

Where'd you download Takk? I might commit to buying it and then download it.

Speaking of which, Love Kraft is still getting better and better each listen. It's a top ten shoo-in, and an album of year contender. And even possibly an album of decade contender. It's just a really, really incredible album.

Twin Cinema's gone down a bit. And I've also committed to buying Apologies to Queen Mary, which is good because it turned out to be quite good as well. (Each of these are outside top ten contenders that may or may not make it).

quote:

Originally posted by modestryan:
There have been a couple great EP's released this year.
Tops on my list are:
Grandaddy "Diary Of Todd Zilla"
Iron and Wine and Calexico "In the reigns"
and who could forget
The Fiery Furnaces "EP"

I agree on Eps this year. Woman King is another fave, and I just picked up Wolf Parade after various raves on here and I concur with everyone's enthusiasm. I'll look forward to the album's release, before year end (?).

Hello; I'm new to the group. I can't say I've heard every buzz-worthy or pop release of the year -- and I'm hazy from being horribly overworked -- but I like the topic area, and thought I'd pass along some albums that I've liked the most since the beginning of the year. In alphabetical order, they are:

(1) Caribou -- The Milk of Human Kindness: I has a great, lush sound and arresting hooks.

(2) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah -- Admittedly, I've only heard the songs freely available on the band's web site (e.g., Over and Over Again, In This Home on Ice, Upon this Tidal Wave of Young Blood), but the sound is fantastic. Talking Heads like vocals that float over and into the music, shimmering guitars and bouncy sinth lines that really hold up to repeated playings.

(3) Iron & Wine -- Woman King EP: It's a real departure for this act's sound. Much more muscular, aggressive music, but the lyrics still hold that Southern gothic charm. A great little album from a great, underappreciated artist.

(4) Low -- The Great Destroyer: So good. The few critics (e.g., Pitchfork, amazingly enough) who knocked this album for the more forward, rock-ish sound are out of their minds. The harmonies on "Silver Rider," the powerful storytelling on "Death of a Salesman," the catchy "Monkey" should be staples on radio, if Sony didn't pay every radio station in the country to play Good Charolette.

(4) M.I.A. -- Arular: I love this album, too. Songs like "Amazon" are jarring and the political lyrics give the album extra heft.

(5) Ry Cooder -- Chavez Ravine: I normally find concept albums dull, but this one is different. Cooder mixes all sorts of interesting sounds into this album. It's about a city of Mexican immigrants that was bulldozed to make way for a sports stadium, but the songs stand up on their own.

(6) Soundtrack -- Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus: It's a powerful collection of backwoods Southern hymns. Scary and haunting and good.

(7) Spoon -- Gimmie Fiction: I've read some people on this site rip this album, and I don't get it. The songs are edgy, filled with hooks and smart.

(8) The Hold Steady -- Separation Sunday: I love the inventiveness of the lead singer/lyricist. He's amazing, and I think the band's coming around, too (I'm not a big fan of bar-bands, but this group is rising above that level).

I'm sure there are more I'll add as time goes on, e.g., Sufjan Stevens and the New Pornographers, both of which I eagarly anticipate this month. For what it's worth, there's a slew of well-received albums I just haven't liked this year or that leave little impression on me. I sort of like the new Stars record, but I have no desire to play it again. I sort of like the new Okkervil River, and I certainly appreciate the smart lyrics and passionate delivery, but I can't really get into it. Same for the Mountain Goats LP. But I owe all these a second -- or third -- chance.

Anyway, sorry for the longwinded post. Here it's only my first comment in this forum, and I've already overstayed my welcome. Hope it's not too boring. Back to brief-writing. Good night.

Anybody guess how much a Superman-inscribed "Illinois" will be worth in 30 years?

quote:

Originally posted by Istanbullies:
I just picked up Wolf Parade after various raves on here and I concur with everyone's enthusiasm. I'll look forward to the album's release, before year end (?).

Official release is September 27. I'll be preordering it, the album is amazing, probably my favorite of the year.

Jesus,
Okkervil River "Black Sheep Boy".
I don't know why I didn't check this out sooner.
Extremely good.

By the way the new Death Cab For Cutie just blows.
Listen to Sigur Ros "Takk" instead.

Hmm...I heard five or six tracks off Takk and found them boring. Each song sounds fine in and of itself, but together they sort of blend together in a shapeless mush, save for track two which might as well be titled 'This Is Our Radio Track'.

I've only heard Soul Meets Body from the new Death Cab, and I thought it was rather good, though nothing special. I've heard a lot of criticism for new Death Cab For Cutie but I wonder how much of that is hipsters pissed off at them for signing with a major label and making their sound a bit closer to mainstream.

As for Wolf Parade, every time I listen to them they sound better.

quote:

Originally posted by Daniel, Esq.:
Anyway, sorry for the longwinded post. Here it's only my first comment in this forum, and I've already overstayed my welcome. Hope it's not too boring. Back to brief-writing. Good night.

Impossible, counselor, nothing could be further from the truth. It's a great first post and a list I personally like a lot.

quote:

(5) Ry Cooder -- Chavez Ravine: I normally find concept albums dull, but this one is different. Cooder mixes all sorts of interesting sounds into this album. It's about a city of Mexican immigrants that was bulldozed to make way for a sports stadium, but the songs stand up on their own.

My only issue with Chavez Ravine is that I haven't given it quite the time it so richly deserves. It's a compelling approach to an all too common story. I'd like to see Jay Farrar make a companion album about St. Louis' Chinatown.

quote:

(6) Soundtrack -- Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus: It's a powerful collection of backwoods Southern hymns. Scary and haunting and good.

Definitely one of my favorites of the year. I didn't think it would stay with me as much as it has. Collections of this sort can be so uneven. When ever it comes up on random play, though, I'm transfixed and its holds together even better start to finish. I need to track down the DVD when it becomes available.

quote:

(7) Spoon -- Gimmie Fiction: I've read some people on this site rip this album, and I don't get it. The songs are edgy, filled with hooks and smart.

I had actually dismissed the Spoon early on after only a few listens. In the last couple of weeks, though, I've reloaded it on my mp3 player and am hearing it seemingly with new ears and I'm glad.

quote:

(8) The Hold Steady -- Separation Sunday: I love the inventiveness of the lead singer/lyricist. He's amazing, and I think the band's coming around, too (I'm not a big fan of bar-bands, but this group is rising above that level).

That's as good a summation as I've seen. I liked the album a lot before I saw them live several weeks ago, largely on the strength of Craig Finn's excellent lyrics. His live performance really sold me on it for good. It's residing comfortably in my top 5 for the year.

Welcome, Daniel. Please keep your thoughts coming.

Now Playing: "Ascension (Edition I)" John Coltrane Ascension (Impulse!)

I forgot to mention two albums I've really enjoyed so far this year: Antony and the Johnson's "I Am A Bird Now," and Annie's "Anniemal." I didn't connect with AATJ at first. I liked his voice, but the songs all began to bleed together so much that it didn't hold my interest. Then I read the lyrics online, and gave it a second chance. I'm glad I did. One of the songs I thought was the weakest, "My Lady Story," became one of my favorites on the album after I read the lyrics. When Antony -- who really does have a remarkable voice that really does remind me of a male Nina Simmone -- sings that his "Lady Story" is one of "annihilation" and "breast amputation," I took notice. Pairing that with the singer's pretty obvious gender issues, the song began to resonate much more strongly with me. I felt Antony's upset and pain (as much as one can from a song). It bled through his lyrics and his voice. I already knew that another song on the album, "Fistful of Love," featuring Lou Reed, had killer horns and a passionate vocal delivery. But until I read the lyrics, I didn't realize the song was an update to the Velvet Underground's "Venus in Furs," and that it told the story of a man who becomes more obsessed with and devoted to his lover the more violent his lover gets. Again, the lyrics made the song come alive for me.

Annie, on the other hand, is just a guilty pleasure. I've read a lot of glowing press -- "bubblegum pop for smart people," "biting lyrics," and so forth -- and I suppose that's true. But it isn't like she's the next Bruce Springsteen or Chris Finn. What makes more sense to me is that having unusually (although not extradordinarily) intelligent lyrics makes this bubblegum music safe to enjoy for indie music snobs. That's okay by me, since "Chewing Gum" and "My Heartbeat" are really enjoyable songs. In fairness to Annie, it's also true that her songs are better, crisper and edgier bubblegum pop than what's typically featured on the radio. I'll take Annie over bland, fungible singers like Jessica Simpson anytime.

I've recently found myself going back to M. Ward's Transistor Radio quite often. I first heard it very early this year, and it has held up quite well. I went back and checked the Metascore, and despite the fact that it pulled a respectable "82", it was based on only 5 votes. It's sad that an album that good, (while frequently discussed in these forums) got such little attention.