alright. i was hoping to get through atleast one more new release that i have but just didn't have the time.

my list for the month of jan.

1. of montreal ~ hissing fauna, are you the destroyer?
2. andrew bird ~ armchair aprocrypha
3. clap your hands ~ some loud thunder
4. shins ~ wincing the night away

i will keep this list only at a top 10 for the year until the last tally.

albums waiting for me to listed and to be added in next months listing:

the good the bad and the queen
menomena
bloc party
explisions in the sky

This has indeed been a great month, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. It's only January, but its shaping up to be quite a year in music.

First choices so far:

1. Low: drums and guns
2. Arcade fire: Neon bible
3. Of montreal: Hissing fauna, r u the destroyer?
4. Andrew Bird: Armchair apocrypha
5. Deerhunter: cryptograms
6. Menomena: Friend and foe
7. The good, the bad and the queen: s/t
8. Air: pocket symphony
9. Clap your hands say yeah: some loud thunder
10. The shins: wincing the night away

quote:

Originally posted by Sebtron:
Edit:
No longer accepting late December 2006 albums or albums that were released in the Europe in 2006 but in 2007 in North America, because in the end, they wont be counted in the 2007 year end list.

This is not true about the 2006 European releases that come out in 2007 in North America. For the year end list, anything with a legitimate release in 2007 counts. It's up to the individual to monitor what qualifies and what doesn't when it comes to these albums. That is, you shouldn't consider it for 2007 if you already heard and considered it for 2006. Regardless, it's still eligible to be counted for 2007.

Well, I've only bought three:

1. The Good The Bad and the Queen
2. The Shins
3. John Digweed: Renassaince Trans. Vol 2

The Knife is what I am loving now though...wish I'd bought in '06...would have been in Top 10!!

My top albums so far:

The Shins - Wincing The Night Away (A+)
Sloan - Never Hear The End Of It (A)
The Postmarks - self-titled (A)
John Mellencamp - Freedom's Road (A-)
Kristin Hersh - Learn To Sing Like A Star (A-)

Others I've heard:

Katharine McPhee - self-titled (B-)
samples from Jordan Pruitt - No Ordinary Girl (B)
samples from Ashley Tisdale - Headstrong (C-)
samples from Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity (A-)
samples from Patty Griffin - Children Running Through (A or A+)

I heard samples from the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, but haven't decided on a grade for even those. I love the song "Emily Jean Stock" and bought it, but I'm not taking a chance on the whole CD, considering I disliked their previous CD.

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

Only caught four 2007s so far, but here's ranking based on first impressions.

1) Hissing Fauna - Of Montreal. Frenetic Pop Pastiche...ever shifting songs will frustrate some, by I find it much more enjoyable than similar crazed efforts of the last year such as For Hero:For Fool or J. Dilla's Donuts...a strong year end contender.

2) Friend and Foe - Menomena...Clever, eclectic pop somewhere in the Aloha, Islands, Oneida spectrum...solid, not great.

3) Wincing the Night Away - A step back from Chutes Too Narrow and sinking fast. This one sounds nice on first listen, but I've given this one the most spins so far this year, and it does very little for me...but truth be told, I'm not a huge Shins fan...I've always found them even in their best moments a bit flat and limited vocally. No great songs to carry the mediocrity here as on Chutes. Still don't get Australia love...the song does absolutely nothing.

4) Some Loud Thunder - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah...all I can say is get Dave Friedman as far away from this band as possible...he completely wiped out all that worked with their sound. Mid-60s metacritic score completely appropriate...some strong tracks, but several absolute stinkers. Vocals more of deal breaker this time around also.

Finally, an observation...Given the sudden explosion of exuberance here vs. the constant negativity last year which was dominated by experimental rock and very solid hard rock/prog rock/metal releases, I think it's fair to generalize just a touch and state that while there are a number of posters here with wide and varied tastes, the metacritic message boards as a whole definitely slant towards those with pop rather than rock leanings.

I'd say, as a big Shins fan, I like the new CD at least almost as much as Chutes Too Narrow. It grew even more on me on repeated listens.

Also, as someone who likes pop, I'd say my taste is far more poppy than the majority here.

quote:

Originally posted by Illiniq:

4) Some Loud Thunder - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah...all I can say is get Dave Friedman as far away from this band as possible...he completely wiped out all that worked with their sound. Mid-60s metacritic score completely appropriate...some strong tracks, but several absolute stinkers. Vocals more of deal breaker this time around also.

I think I liked the album a bit more than you, but I agree about Fridmann's production. It was much more of a hindrance than an asset.

I don't know about the vocals comment though. I found Alec Ounsworth's warble much more subdued on this album.

quote:

ericg75
Jedi
Posted 03 February 2007 10:04 PM Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Illiniq:

I don't know about the vocals comment though. I found Alec Ounsworth's warble much more subdued on this album.

Yeah, I should have clarified a bit, I wasn't speaking to his vocal delivery as much as I felt his voice didn't blend in as well with the music this time as last.

and in fact, since my first post tonight I went out for a walk and gave the CYHSY debut another spin, and I feel even more strongly on my Fridmann critique (thanks for polite spelling correction).

I work in the arts as well, and I learned long ago that it's not always the most talented or correct person who leads the charge, but the most articulate in presenting their side.

My sense is Fridmann talks a very persuasive game, came in with a lot of strongly voiced ideas for a band that worked much more instinctively the first time around, simply overwhelmed them personality wise, and in the end, left them feeling uncertain and doubting themselves rather than helping them up their game.

Because there is no hesitancy in that debut, it's a very self assured work for a young band. Some Loud Thunder feels like the work of a band that's come completely unmoored from it's own better instincts.

quote:

MattD
Know-It-All
Posted 03 February 2007 09:52 PM Hide Post
I'd say, as a big Shins fan, I like the new CD at least almost as much as Chutes Too Narrow. It grew even more on
Also, as someone who likes pop, I'd say my taste is far more poppy than the majority here.

Yeah, I imagine its inevitable that no matter where one leans individually, it will always feel like the board favors a slightly different angle.

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

I agree with alot of what Illiniq said. I do feel that the forums here and the forum users are a bit slanted towards the pop side. However, some of the users that have been here longer have very varied tastes are biased towards other genres. Personally, I truly like the of Montreal and The Shins' albums. I don't know why but I dont really like The Shins first two albums at all, yet for some reason I totally dig this new one. Is that weird? Maybe.

Also, as for the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah album, I also feel that Fridmann's production actually hindered it. My take on it is that I guess after the popularity of their first album Ounsworth decided that they had a batch of songs--which he had already written and could have been used on their first album--and maybe they thought that all they needed was a unique producer who could take them over the top and be a critically-acclaimed band. Although, I thought they were already. Just like he did with The Flaming Lips, Fridmann tried to add distorted noise, some loud pops, and weird touches that just frankly don't fit in with the songs that Ounsworth wrote. I will praise them for trying something different in an effort to avoid the label as a band that just did the same thing. I mean, let's face it, if this album had the same feel and style as their first--even if it was as good--I highly doubt that many of the critics would like it. I think they tried to change things too much and it didn't work. I just hope that they come back with something better instead of just fading away as one of those bands that only had one really good album--see Neutral Milk Hotel.

Update 2 :

1. !!! : Myth Takes
2. Of Montreal : Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer ?
3. Deerhoof : Friend Opportunity ( Just added )
4. Menomena : Friend And Foe ( +1 )
5. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah : Some Loud Thunder ( -1 )
6. The Shins : Wincing The Night Away

All of the albums above are really good, even The Shins and CYHSY. I need to listen more to the new Andrew Bird and to Sound of Silver ( LCD Soundsystem ), but they're probably going to be in the top of this list.

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

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
I agree with alot of what Illiniq said. I do feel that the forums here and the forum users are a bit slanted towards the pop side. However, some of the users that have been here longer have very varied tastes are biased towards other genres. Personally, I truly like the of Montreal and The Shins' albums. I don't know why but I dont really like The Shins first two albums at all, yet for some reason I totally dig this new one. Is that weird? Maybe.
Milk Hotel.

I don't think it's weird at all. I don't think the first two albums and the new one are all that similar. I really like the first two, but not the new one.

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
I just hope that they come back with something better instead of just fading away as one of those bands that only had one really good album--see Neutral Milk Hotel.

Dude! On Avery Island is an awesome album. Don't sell NMH short.

Update 3:

1. Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?, Of Montreal
2. Wincing The Night Away, The Shins
3. Friend or Foe, Menomena
4. Rites Of Uncovering, Arbouretum (just added)
5. Friend Opportunity, Deerhoof (-1)
6. Some Lound Thunder, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (-1)

Faild To Please:

Hats Off To The Buskers, The View
Myths Of The Near Future, Klaxons
Can't Go On, I'll Go On, The Broken West (MAY grow on me)
Tones Of Towns, Field Music (MAY grow on me)

So far:

1. Hotel Alexis - Goliath, I'm On Your Side

January Update...

1 - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer by Of Montreal
2 - Friend Opportunity by Deerhoof
3 - Selling Out & Going Home by Get Set Go
4 - I Can't Go On I'll Go On by The Broken West
5 - Cryptograms by Deerhunter

bloc party is probably my favorite of the year so far. that would make me unpopular here i guess...

quote:

Originally posted by MattD:
Katharine McPhee - self-titled (B-)

Leave.

Hahaha

Does anyone know where I can sample the whole Cryptograms album by Deerhunter? I've heard some of their tracks off of their MySpace, and I really like them.

As for the new Bloc Party album, GEEZE people, it's not as bad as you were all making it out to be, yeah I still wouldn't buy it, but I wont mind listening to it if I had to.