Tell Us About 2012 Releases

[SepaGroove]

I was bored too on my first listen. Hopefully it's a grower.

Also speaking of absolutely forgettable releases so far this year.... Air? Yawn.

Yea the new Air album is kind of a let down. I really like "Seven Stars" though.

[bmack86]

I really liked what I heard of the Chromatics album, but it's super long. I got halfway thru before I needed something with more variety, but every single song I heard was impressive, and they completely sold my by starting with a Neil Young cover.

The new Lotus Plaza is jaw-dropping. Lockett's last album was a passably good chill-wave-y indie pop record. This is so much more than that, to the point that it almost makes me worry for the future of Deerhunter. If he can write this well on his own, does he really want to play second fiddle to the force of nature that is Bradford? Suffice to say, great great album.

[ods..]

The Grimes album is seriously too fucking good.

[TallGuyCM]

I'm not yet ready to cobble together an appropriately substantive reiew, but the new Voices From The Lake LP is really nice

I listened to this late last night with some serious alcohol in my system, and yeah. It's a shit ton to absorb, but man is it a masterful piece of work. It did lose me toward the end with how little it strayed from the main core of the sound the first track created, but this album should not go overlooked. Some seriously fantastic stuff.

[DerekClapton]

Naw I swear Nootropics is as much of a gem as Twin-Hand is. Y'all just need to give it some more time in the proper environment. I've been playing it quite loud on really nice speakers in my living room. Just drinking coffee and looking out the window while it's been raining the last week and it has been so wonderful. Nootropics, Bloom, Ekstasis and Spooky Action At A Distance are making this winter to spring transition quite enjoyable. They're all definitely growers.

[nosurprises12]

I've been playing catch-up lately in terms of 2012 releases, and I'll echo the praise for the Julia Holter, Lotus Plaza, and Voices from the Lake releases. Grimes is a solid album but nothing which struck me as too spectacular, I was a bit disappointed at how "samey" much of the new Beach House is, I instantly enjoyed Bear in Heaven, and I found that I prefer OFWGKTA working as a collective more so than individually.

One releases I don't think I have seen discussed at all that I've been playing to death is Open Your Heart by The Men. I thought their release from last year was fine, but for whatever reason this one is really clicking with me. Perhaps I like the specific styles/genres their mining in this one rather than on Leave Home, but whatever the reason I have a feeling it may wind up in my year-end Top 10.

I also just gave Daniel Rossen's Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP a spin and it's quite lovely, something which makes me even more excited for Grizzly Bear's next release.

[ods..]

I've been playing Open Your Heart out all the time. Such a great album, some seriously perfect tracks.

[TallGuyCM]

Ceremony's album is fucking rad.

[bmack86]

Oh, I've totally forgot to mention The Men and Ceremony's albums. They are both so goddamn good. That The Men album cranks.

And the Dan Rossen EP has two spectacular tracks and three good ones.

[Miroir Noir]

"Silent Song" reminds me of XO-era Elliott Smith. So very pretty.

[TallGuyCM]

Who the fuck is Lady Leshurr? And what the fuck is she doing on the new Orbital album? A Nicki Minaj sound-alike is the last thing the Hartnolls should have employed on this record. With that track and the dubstep one, it really feels like they're catering to music that's currently popular. Stringy Acid and Where's It Going are fantastic tracks, but overall this is a pretty meh effort by the boys.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I agree that Lady Leshurr is pretty weird for an orbital track, but honestly everything on his album feels pretty cohesive when taken in in one full sitting. I'm finishing the album just now and overall I'm very happy with it. "Where is it Going?" is a very strong closer, and I fucking LOVE "new France." I think I'll just listen to it again and really soak it up. There's quite a bit on this album that to me is very reminiscent of The Altogether, which I know is not their most popular album, but i like it a lot.

[GeezrRckr]

Lotus Plaza is fucking great.

And, I'm really digging this new jam from DPz. Cannot wait till their LP finally drops.

[rag and bone]

Got to listen to Open Your Heart today and my first question is: Did the 2 intros to these songs strike anyone else as more than a little similar?





It's interesting because the intro to "( )" always struck me as having a strong resemblance to "Suspect Device" by Stiff Little Fingers too.

[TallGuyCM]

Lotus Plaza is fucking great.

And, I'm really digging this new jam from DPz. Cannot wait till their LP finally drops.

I'm guessing you've been away for work recently? That track's been out there since Friday afternoon, and was discussed quite a bit in the DP thread (not trying to be supre, haha). When you said a new track had dropped I thought you meant another one in addition to this one.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Holy cow, the Lotus Plaza album is somehow even better than all of the hyperbolic praise of here was leading me to believe. It's somehow relaxed and laid back yet sweeping and dramatic at the same time, with layers of wonderful little sounds to undercover. i am absolutely in love with this record and i haven't even gotten all the way through yet.

[bmack86]

Yeah dude. The Lotus Plaza album is a GREAT surprise.

[Gribbz]

I liked it. Too much like Deerhunter without it actually being Deerhunter though. I imagine that's how the band would sound if Bradford left. If that makes sense...

[ods..]

Chromatics' Neil Young cover is heavenly. I like the rest of the album too, they achieve a very distinct sound/atmosphere. Gonna take some more listens to fully break through.

Listened to Lotus Plaza once, I'll def need to check it out again before I can really say anything about it. Same goes for Lower Dens. I enjoyed both, though.

[TallGuyCM]

Holy cow, the Lotus Plaza album is somehow even better than all of the hyperbolic praise of here was leading me to believe.

LOL @ calling the praise hyberbolic before actually listening to the album hahaha.

[bmack86]

So hey, anyone listen to the new Screaming Females yet? Because holy crap is it good. Recording with Albini focused their sound without cleaning it up, and Marisa's just becoming a better songwriter. Doom 84 is a monster of a track, but everything on it is heavy with awesome. Seriously, check it out.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I listened to it about an hour ago, and yes it's very good. I was put off a little bit by Marisa's more than usual warbling vocals, but i suspect i'll get used that as I listen more.

[GeezrRckr]

Yeah, I wanted to like it but the vocals turn me off. I'd go see them perform, though.

As Tallguy has lamented about how overdone lo.fi/garage is right now, I feel the same about this sound to a degree (although there's more of the former...which is a good thing to me, since I can't get enough of that shit). That being the case, I'll take Dum Dum Girls over Screaming Females. This just wasn't melodic enough on the one hand, nor punk enough on the other, for my taste. Maybe that will change a bit upon seeing them live. I'm sure they are fantastic musicians...that certainly is evident. But, those vocals just made me think of nails on a chalkboard.

[TallGuyCM]

Just finished my first listen of the newest album from The Men. Dear lord, how are these guys not selling out large, large venues yet? I wasn't a huge fan of Candy, the country-ish track, but a virtually flawless album aside from that. Gonna have to line up early for their show at The Smell, I reckon.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Can someone help me with a link the The Men record? I no have good luck.

[bmack86]

Just finished my first listen of the newest album from The Men. Dear lord, how are these guys not selling out large, large venues yet? I wasn't a huge fan of Candy, the country-ish track, but a virtually flawless album aside from that. Gonna have to line up early for their show at The Smell, I reckon.

Yeah, not missing the Smell show. That should be incredible.

[mountmccabe]

So hey, anyone listen to the new Screaming Females yet? Because holy crap is it good. Recording with Albini focused their sound without cleaning it up, and Marisa's just becoming a better songwriter. Doom 84 is a monster of a track, but everything on it is heavy with awesome. Seriously, check it out.

Yeah, this is great stuff.

[bmack86]

Thank you. Someone without boring ears.

But seriously. The Screaming Females album is a big step forward for them. The songwriting is so much stronger, no longer just riffs hanging around until Marisa rips you a new asshole with her guitar solos.

[guedita]

Midland's Placement EP is sexy as all hell. Great head music.

[lt.roast.a.botch]

Mentioned in the mmml thread but the Matador - Spooks EP is some really good dark juicy techno sweetness for your ears.