The Coachella Message Board's Top Albums of 2012

[wmgaretjax]

1. Akos Rozmann - 12 Stationer VI
2. Aaron Dilloway - Modern Jester
3. Eric Lanham - The Sincere Interruption
4. Scott Walker - Bish Bosch
5. Jakob Ullmann - Fremde Zeit Addendum
6. NHK - Dance Classics
7. Jason Lescalleet - Songs About Nothing
8. John Cage - John Cage Shock
9. Nathan McLaughlin - The Refrigerator is Emotional
10. Sean McCann & Matthew Sullivan - Vanity Fair
11. Work/Death - Phone About to Ring/Interstitial
12. Sewer Election - Vittra Sonder
13. Thought Broadcast - Thought Broadcast
14. Ben Vida - Esttends Esstends Esstends
15. Future - Pluto
16. Mark Leckey - Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore
17. Morton Feldman - Crippled Symmetry at June in Buffalo
18. Lee Gamble - Dutch Tvashar Plumes
19. Kassel Jaeger - Deltas
20. Silent Servant - Negative Fascination
21. The Tobacconists - Smoking Is Green
22. Vanessa Rossetto - Exotic Exit
23. Kevin Drumm - Crowded
24. Madalyn Merkey - Scent
25. Astor - Alcor

And another 75...
Actress - R.I.P.
Andrea Pensado - 6 Delusional Studies
Andy Stott - Luxury Problems
Anthea Caddy & Thembi Soddell - Host
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes
Bellows - Reelin'
Blawan - His He She and She Hinge Finger
Charlatan - Isolatarium
Clearing - No Titles
Concern - Misfortune
Container - Lp
Daughn Gibson - All Hell
Dean Blunt - Narcissist 2
Death Grips - The Money Store
Decimus - Decimus 11
Deep Listening Band - Needle Drop Jungle
Demdike Stare - Elemental
Digital Natives - all of it
DJ Rashad - Teklife Volume 1
Dolphins into the Future - Canto Arquipelago
Ekkehard Ehlers - Adikia
Eleh - Homage to the Pointed Waveform
Emptyset - Collapsed
Foton - Omega
Gabriel Saloman - Adhere
Gnod - Collisions 03
Grischa Lichtenberger - and IV
Helm - Impossible Symmetry
Holly Herndon - Movement
Howlround - The Ghosts of Bush
Hype Williams - Black is Beautiful
Jam City - Classical Curves
Jana Winderen - Debris
Jean Sebastien Truchy - Arises the Wind and Fire of Wisdom
Julia Holter - Ekstasis
K-Salvatore - Tsar Ova Elk
Kazuo Uehara - Event 73
Keith Fullerotn Whitman - Occlusions
Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
Lea Bertucci - Carillon
Lettera 22 - Dieter Tapes
Liars - WIXIW
Machinefabriek & Celer - Greetings/Hei/Sou/Maastunnel/Mt. Mitake/Numa/Penarie
Madteo - Noi No
Mannateas - Everglade
Mark Fell - Sentielle Objektif Acutalite
Michael Pisaro/Toshiya Tsunoda - Crosshatches
Michael Pollard - Translations 01
Mount Eerie - Ocean Roar/Clear Moon
Nelson Gastaldi - Symphony No. 3
Nicola Ratti - Streengs
Nite Lite - Megrez
No UFO's - MPC Tracks Vol. 1
Ouxatil 95 - Untitled
Nodolby - Untitled
Perispirit - Spiritual Church Movement
Peter Cusack - Sounds from Dangerous Places
Pinkcourtesyphone - Foley Folly Folio
Powell - Body Music
Raime - Quarter Turns Over a Living Line
Reines D'Angleterre - Globe Et Dynastie
Ricardo Donoso - Assimilating the Shadow
Rick Corrigan - Soundtracks for Brakhage
Roadside Picnic - Terminal Swan Songs
Robert Hampson - Signaux/Suspended Cadences
Rod Cooper - Magnets on Blank Tape
Tatsuya Nakatani - Nakatani Gong Orchestra
Taylor Deupree - Faint
Terrence Dixon - From the Far Future Part 2
The Compass Rose - The Simulation District
The Shadow Ring - Remains Unchanged
Three Legged Race - Persuasive Barrier
Tralala Blip - Submarine Love Songs
Trust - TRST
Vatican Shadow - Ornamented Walls
Vessel - Order of Noise
Wanda Group - PISS FELL OUT LIKE SUNLIGHT

[rage patton]

1. Japandroids - Celebration Rock
2. Liars - WIXIW
3. Dan Deacon - America
4. METZ - METZ
5. David Byrne & St. Vincent - Love This Giant
6. Purity Ring - Shrines
7. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Here
8. The Tallest Man on Earth - There’s No Leaving Now
9. Grimes - Visions
10. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!

[icedKeg]

Extend the deadline you jerk. Some of us will be nursing hangovers that last til the 4th.

Fine with me, guedita. Anything to get a list from YOU!

[chunk]

Tame Impala - Lonerism
Ty Segall - Twins
Ty Segall - Slaughterhouse
Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light
Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
Twin Shadow - Confess
Crocodiles - Endless Flowers
Kindness - World, You Need a Change of Mind
Kool AD - 51
DIIV - Oshin
Frankie Rose - Interstellar
White Rabbits - Milk Famous
Walkmen - Heavan
Soft Pack - Strapped
Tennis - Young and Old

[ods..]

1. Akos Rozmann - 12 Stationer VI
2. Aaron Dilloway - Modern Jester
3. Eric Lanham - The Sincere Interruption
4. Scott Walker - Bish Bosch
5. Jakob Ullmann - Fremde Zeit Addendum
6. NHK - Dance Classics
7. Jason Lescalleet - Songs About Nothing
8. John Cage - John Cage Shock
9. Nathan McLaughlin - The Refrigerator is Emotional
10. Sean McCann & Matthew Sullivan - Vanity Fair
11. Work/Death - Phone About to Ring/Interstitial
12. Sewer Election - Vittra Sonder
13. Thought Broadcast - Thought Broadcast
14. Ben Vida - Esttends Esstends Esstends
15. Future - Pluto
16. Mark Leckey - Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore
17. Morton Feldman - Crippled Symmetry at June in Buffalo
18. Lee Gamble - Dutch Tvashar Plumes
19. Kassel Jaeger - Deltas
20. Silent Servant - Negative Fascination
21. The Tobacconists - Smoking Is Green
22. Vanessa Rossetto - Exotic Exit
23. Kevin Drumm - Crowded
24. Madalyn Merkey - Scent
25. Astor - Alcor

Turn up

[nosurprises12]

I had a hard time remembering what came out this year. This is my top 5...the rest is other stuff I enjoyed.

1. Terry Malts - Killing Time
2. Japandroids - Celebration Rock
3. Metz - Metz
4. Fort Romeau - Kingdoms
5. Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory

Pallbearer - Sorrow and Extinction
Ty Segall - Twins
Allo Darlin' - Capricornia
The Walkmen - Heaven
Lower - Walk on Heads
Mutilation Rites - Empyrean
Krallice - Years Past Matter
John Talabot - Fin
Frankie Rose - Interstellar
Grizzly Bear - Shields

This album is really good, and one I don't think got a lot of/enough attention this year.

And another 75...

Surprised Traxman didn't make your list; I actually preferred it a bit more than DJ Rashad.

[bballarl]

The Frankie album is amazing. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Definitely got overlooked. Such a huge step forward from the first album.

I would like to update my list to include some things I forgot:

1. Terry Malts - Killing Time
2. Japandroids - Celebration Rock
3. Metz - Metz
4. Fort Romeau - Kingdoms
5. Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory

Pallbearer - Sorrow and Extinction
Ty Segall - Twins
Allo Darlin' - Capricornia
The Walkmen - Heaven
Lower - Walk on Heads
Mutilation Rites - Empyrean
Krallice - Years Past Matter
John Talabot - Fin
Frankie Rose - Interstellar
Grizzly Bear - Shields
Tame Impala - Lonerism
The Men - Open Your Heart
Burial - Kindred

[bmack86]

Andrew, you need to listen to Royal Thunder if you haven't yet. You'll love them I reckon.

[GolfWang]

I'm not even close to finishing listening to and properly appreciating all of the 2012 albums in my iTunes, but of the projects I've had the time to digest, here are my top 40:

1. Future - Pluto
2. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel
3. Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE
4. Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
5. Ab-Soul - Control System
6. David Byrne & St. Vincent
7. Flying Lotus - Until The Quiet Comes
8. Julia Holter - Ekstasis
9. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
10. Dr. John - Locked Down
11. Four Tet - Pink
12. Roc Marciano - Reloaded
13. Animal Collective - Centipede Hz
14. Odd Future - The OF Tape Vol. 2
15. Lambchop - Mr. M
16. Mina Tindle - Taranta
17. Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid m.A.A.d. City
18. Grizzly Bear - Shields
19. Groundislava - Feel Me
20. Liars - WIXIW
21. Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N 2 It
22. Jack White - Blunderbuss
23. Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man
24. Cashius Green - Sunny Side Up
25. Schoolboy Q - Habits & Contradictions
26. Django Django - Django Django
27. Mellowhype - Numbers
28. The xx - Coexist
29. Don Trip - Guerilla
30. Pyramid Vritra - Pyramid
31. King Louie - Drilluminati
32. Shady Blaze - The Grind, Hustle & Talent
33. VCMG - Ssss
34. Khris P - YES
35. Daughn Gibson - All Hell
36. Action Bastard - The Shark
37. Main Attrakionz - Bossalinis & Fooliyones
38. Deerhoof - Breakup Song
39. Andy Stott - Luxury Problems
40. Freddie Gibbs - Baby Face Killa

[PassiveTheory]

I barely post on the board anymore, but here's my list:

1. Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
2. The Fresh & Onlys - Long Slow Dance
3. Wild Nothing - Nocturne
4. The Tallest Man on Earth - There's No Leaving Now
5. Hot Chip - In Our Heads
6. Beach House - Bloom
7. Jesse Ware - Devotion
8. Jens Lekman - I Know What Love Isn't
9. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
10. Lotus Plaza - Spooky Actions At A Distance
11. Japanroids - Celebration Rock
12. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
12. Grizzly Bear - Shields
13. Dinosaur Jr. - Watch The Corners
14. Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory
15. The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth
16. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes
17. Sun Kil Moon - Among The Leaves
18. Liars - WIXIW
19. Dntel - Aimlessness
20. Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light

[guedita]

Alright. I still have tons of 2012 listening to do but here is my year end top ten of what I have digested fully.

1. Peaking Lights - Lucifer
2. Recondite - On Acid
3. Kishi Bashi - 151a
4. Shifted - Crossed Paths
5. Andy Stott Luxury Problems
6. Liars - WIXIW
7. Robert Hood - Motor Nighttime World 3
8. School of Seven Bells - Ghostory
9. Hot Chip - In Our Heads
10. Terry Malts - Killing Time

[sonofhal]

Andrew, you need to listen to Royal Thunder if you haven't yet. You'll love them I reckon.

Touring around Europe in April with Pallbearer. Unfortunately hit London on the day I head to Coachella (where neither will be playing, obviously).

[nosurprises12]

1. Death Grips – The Money Store and No Love Deep Web
2. Ty Segall – Hair (with White Fence); Twins; and Slaughterhouse (Ty Segall Band)
3. Andy Stott – Luxury Problems
4. The Men – Open Your Heart
5. YYU – TIMETIMETIME&TIME
6. Laurel Halo – Quarantine
7. Thee Oh Sees – Putrifiers II
8. Traxman – Da Mind of Traxman
9. White Fence – Family Perfume, Vols. 1 &2
10. Juju & Jordash – Techno Primitivism
11. Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE
12. Four Tet – Pink
13. Burial – Kindred EP
14. Actress – R.I.P.
15. Screaming Females – Ugly
16. Lee Gamble – Diversions and Dutch Tvashar Plumes
17. Voices from the Lake – Voices from the Lake
18. Hot Chip – In Our Heads
19. Tame Impala – Lonerism
20. Matthew Dear – Beams
21. Jam City – Classical Curves
22. Metz – Metz
23. Sun Araw – FRKWYS Vol. 9
24. John Talabot – Fin
25. Goat – World Music

and another 25:
Ariel Pink – Mature Themes
Chromatics – Kill For Love
Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory
Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan
DJ Rashad – Teklife Vol. 1: Welcome to theChi
Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes
The Fresh & Onlys – Long Slow Dance
Grimes – Visions
Group Rhoda - Out of Time-Out of Touch
Japandroids – Celebration Rock
Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d. city
Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music
Lotus Plaza – Spooky Action at a Distance
Lucy – Banality of Evil EP
PS I Love You – Death Dreams
Peaking Lights – Lucifer
Frankie Rose – Interstellar
Scuba – Personality
Shackleton – Music For The Quiet Hour/The Drawbar Organ EPs
Silent Servant – Negative Fascination
Swans – The Seer
Todd Terje – It’s the Arps EP
VCMG – Ssss
Dustin Wong – Dreams Say, View, Create, Shadow Leads
Violens – True

[bmack86]

Touring around Europe in April with Pallbearer. Unfortunately hit London on the day I head to Coachella (where neither will be playing, obviously).

They're both playing the Troubadour in LA in February. I will be making every attempt to be there.

[citizenerased]

damn a ton of love for Hot Chip. Was hugely anticipating it myself, but just can't get into it.

[Mr. Fuzz]

1. Akos Rozmann - 12 Stationer VI
2. Aaron Dilloway - Modern Jester
3. Eric Lanham - The Sincere Interruption
4. Scott Walker - Bish Bosch
5. Jakob Ullmann - Fremde Zeit Addendum
6. NHK - Dance Classics
7. Jason Lescalleet - Songs About Nothing
8. John Cage - John Cage Shock
9. Nathan McLaughlin - The Refrigerator is Emotional
10. Sean McCann & Matthew Sullivan - Vanity Fair
11. Work/Death - Phone About to Ring/Interstitial
12. Sewer Election - Vittra Sonder
13. Thought Broadcast - Thought Broadcast
14. Ben Vida - Esttends Esstends Esstends
15. Future - Pluto
16. Mark Leckey - Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore
17. Morton Feldman - Crippled Symmetry at June in Buffalo
18. Lee Gamble - Dutch Tvashar Plumes
19. Kassel Jaeger - Deltas
20. Silent Servant - Negative Fascination
21. The Tobacconists - Smoking Is Green
22. Vanessa Rossetto - Exotic Exit
23. Kevin Drumm - Crowded
24. Madalyn Merkey - Scent
25. Astor - Alcor

And another 75...
Actress - R.I.P.
Andrea Pensado - 6 Delusional Studies
Andy Stott - Luxury Problems
Anthea Caddy & Thembi Soddell - Host
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes
Bellows - Reelin'
Blawan - His He She and She Hinge Finger
Charlatan - Isolatarium
Clearing - No Titles
Concern - Misfortune
Container - Lp
Daughn Gibson - All Hell
Dean Blunt - Narcissist 2
Death Grips - The Money Store
Decimus - Decimus 11
Deep Listening Band - Needle Drop Jungle
Demdike Stare - Elemental
Digital Natives - all of it
DJ Rashad - Teklife Volume 1
Dolphins into the Future - Canto Arquipelago
Ekkehard Ehlers - Adikia
Eleh - Homage to the Pointed Waveform
Emptyset - Collapsed
Foton - Omega
Gabriel Saloman - Adhere
Gnod - Collisions 03
Grischa Lichtenberger - and IV
Helm - Impossible Symmetry
Holly Herndon - Movement
Howlround - The Ghosts of Bush
Hype Williams - Black is Beautiful
Jam City - Classical Curves
Jana Winderen - Debris
Jean Sebastien Truchy - Arises the Wind and Fire of Wisdom
Julia Holter - Ekstasis
K-Salvatore - Tsar Ova Elk
Kazuo Uehara - Event 73
Keith Fullerotn Whitman - Occlusions
Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
Lea Bertucci - Carillon
Lettera 22 - Dieter Tapes
Liars - WIXIW
Machinefabriek & Celer - Greetings/Hei/Sou/Maastunnel/Mt. Mitake/Numa/Penarie
Madteo - Noi No
Mannateas - Everglade
Mark Fell - Sentielle Objektif Acutalite
Michael Pisaro/Toshiya Tsunoda - Crosshatches
Michael Pollard - Translations 01
Mount Eerie - Ocean Roar/Clear Moon
Nelson Gastaldi - Symphony No. 3
Nicola Ratti - Streengs
Nite Lite - Megrez
No UFO's - MPC Tracks Vol. 1
Ouxatil 95 - Untitled
Nodolby - Untitled
Perispirit - Spiritual Church Movement
Peter Cusack - Sounds from Dangerous Places
Pinkcourtesyphone - Foley Folly Folio
Powell - Body Music
Raime - Quarter Turns Over a Living Line
Reines D'Angleterre - Globe Et Dynastie
Ricardo Donoso - Assimilating the Shadow
Rick Corrigan - Soundtracks for Brakhage
Roadside Picnic - Terminal Swan Songs
Robert Hampson - Signaux/Suspended Cadences
Rod Cooper - Magnets on Blank Tape
Tatsuya Nakatani - Nakatani Gong Orchestra
Taylor Deupree - Faint
Terrence Dixon - From the Far Future Part 2
The Compass Rose - The Simulation District
The Shadow Ring - Remains Unchanged
Three Legged Race - Persuasive Barrier
Tralala Blip - Submarine Love Songs
Trust - TRST
Vatican Shadow - Ornamented Walls
Vessel - Order of Noise
Wanda Group - PISS FELL OUT LIKE SUNLIGHT

I lol'd

[icedKeg]

Okay. Let's say 24 hours left to post your lists. Then I'll do a big, dramatic reveal that you'll all love on Thursday night and/or Friday.

SO FINAL LISTS DUE BY 6:00PM PST ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 10TH.

Also, this is my 1,000th post! Hooray me!

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Hmm. Not convinced that there were that many great albums this past year. Lots of great songs, though. Still, these are always fun to do.

1. Fiona Apple - Idler Wheel
2. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
3. iamamiwhoami - kin
4. Grizzly Bear - Shields
5. Beach House - Bloom
6. Bat for Lashes - The Haunted Man
7. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
8. Tame Impala - Lonerism
9. Patti Smith - Banga
10. Azealia Banks - 1991

[stochasticism]

1. Cookie Duster - When Flying Was Easy
2. Japandroids - Celebration Rock
3. Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory
4. First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
5. The Men - Open Your Heart
6. Panopticon - Kentucky
7. Dawnbringer - Into The Lair of the Sun God
8. Twin Shadow - Confess
9. Metric - Synthetica
10. Goat - World Music
11. Title Fight - Floral Green
12. Beach House - Bloom
13. Chromatics - Kill For Love
14. Dragged Into Sunlight - Widowmaker
15. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
16. Rah Rah - The Poet's Dead
17. Alcest - Les Voyage De L'ame
18. Bosse De Nage - III
19. Local H - Hallelujah I'm a Bum
20. Godspeed You Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
21. The Walkmen - Heaven
22. Winterfylleth - The Threnody of Triumph
23. Waxahatchee - American Weekend
24. Bedford Falls - Elegant Balloons
25. Forgetters - Forgetters

[icedKeg]

anybody else? last chance...

[amyzzz]

Grizzly Bear. Tame Impala. Jack White.

[roboticwaltz]

One more! I posted this in one of the other album threads and wanted to expand on it here, theeeen totally forgot about it so it's short.

1. Grizzly Bear- Shields
2. Animal Collective- Centipede Hz
3. Beach House- Bloom
4. Earth- Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light, Vol. 2
5. Flying Lotus- Until the Quiet Comes
6. Cat Power- Sun
7. Kendrick Lamar- good kid, m.A.A.d city
8. Fiona Apple- The Idler Wheel blah blah blah...
9. Titus Andronicus- Local Business
10. Dirty Projectors- Swing Lo Magellan
11. Stagnant Pools- Temporary Room
12. Divine Fits- A Thing Called Divine Fits
13. Cloud Nothings- Attack on Nothing
14. Killer Mike- R.A.P. Music
15. David Byrne and St. Vincent- Love This Giant

[bmack86]

1. Cookie Duster - When Flying Was Easy
10. Goat - World Music
11. Title Fight - Floral Green
14. Dragged Into Sunlight - Widowmaker
16. Rah Rah - The Poet's Dead
19. Local H - Hallelujah I'm a Bum
22. Winterfylleth - The Threnody of Triumph
24. Bedford Falls - Elegant Balloons
25. Forgetters - Forgetters

Based on the rest of your list (except Beach House) I will have to check these out.

[icedKeg]

Alright. Here we go. Counting down from 25...

#25 - 102 points

Sigur Ros - Valtari

The Sigur Ros album is beautiful. That is all.

Agreed. The band delivered once again on making soundtracks to paradise. Love it. Glad I am finally seeing them live this year.

Agreed. The choral work is outstanding.

A slow burn of an album if there ever was one. Grand but sparse. I've listened a couple times now and its akin to watching a kettle boil: if you listen intently you are rewarded eventually, sure, but at the cost of what feels like too long of a time. The real reward comes from letting go and being caught off guard when it reaches its highest highs and lowest lows.

#24 - 104 points

Scott Walker - Bish Bosch

That Scott Walker trailer bodes extremely well for this album.

no fucking around with those two new scott walker tracks (on spotify). such a tease... (could this be the fabled "designed to tour" album? sounds possible)

Holy shit. Listening right now.

I listened to it on my drive up to my parents' place for Thanksgiving today. First off, it's musically less dense than either Tilt or The Drift. That's not a bad thing, as the musical cues he uses have more room to really jar the listener without as much going on. It creates a more live, thriving sound to the music, making it more dynamic and active with the lyrics. I noticed he's got quite a bit more prominent guitar on this one: at points things get almost metal or Swans-ish.

The album also seems, even more than the last two, to be focused on lyrics/storytelling. On first listen it was hard to really decipher all the ins and outs of that, but suffice to say Walker has more variance in his presentation lyrically and vocally this time around. He makes fart jokes, and has a line, "If shit were music, you'd be a brass band," and also has the single most terrifying moment I've heard on an album in ages (if you can't pick out what I'm talking about, you didn't listen to the album.) Also, surprisingly, there are at least two songs (Phrasing and Dimple) that are almost catchy, and that I would have played on my radio show back in the day. And finally, the end of the last song is so demented and bizarre that it's almost inexplicable.

It's a difficult, brutally austere record, a great statement from a great artist, and the most immediately engaging (for me anyway) of Walker's three hell music albums.

Also, the only thing that I can really compare it to this year is The Seer, but whereas that one is a culmination of the Swans aesthetic, this is a paring back instrumentally combined with an expansion of musical styles.

I can't wait to hear what other people think of the album, and theories on how all the disparate tropical musical styles fit into the record.

i think it'll take me a couple months to fully parse it. it's even more terrifying and even funnier than The Drift... which is kind of hard to believe. i agree that it is less dense generally in any given moment... but structurally and stylistically it is more complicated and difficult i think. songs bounce between calculated ideas in an almost frustratingly rapid manner. i can imagine some of the songs being stretched out 3 or 4 times their length to fully investigate the musical concepts. at the same time, the jarring, frantic approach seems a pretty crucial aspect of the album. i'm not about to try and dig into the thematic and lyrical materials at this point... suffice it to say, the album has not disappointed in my first few listens.

maybe the narrator is also a dwarf (the series of numbers in the title is apparently a dwarf star... so again, absurd wordplay)? that makes the flagpole sitting bit funny in a very scott walker way...

i want to sit down and figure out the IVIXIVI or whatever stuff also... love the rhythmic phrasing of those bits.

edit: listening again... yeah, the narrator is telling the jokes. i think he's a comedian. hence the need for the agent who fucks him at the end of the song (the same greased pole he is sitting on?)... i love scott walker. please tour.

oh, and i have no fucking idea what's going on in that terrifying oedipal bit in the middle... but it fucks me up every time.

That part is the most intense bit of music I've encountered all year.

[icedKeg]

Tied at #22...

#22 - 110 points

Andy Stott - Luxury Problems

Sleepless is my #1 track of the year.

After one listen, the Andy Stott album had me in a dubby nasty grimace the entire time. This dude is evil. What a Halloween record

I've also given the new Andy Stott a few spins, once in the afternoon yesterday and then again this morning, and I quite like the introduction of the vocals. I certainly like the tracks where he uses short snippets of vocals rather than the few tracks which have more "traditional" vocals in them (i.e. someone singing over the track rather than Stott sampling small bits), but my first impressions is that this new approach is rather successful.

Holy shit.

Andy Stott =

Yeah, just gave it a listen and really liked it as well. Reminds me a bit of Talabot's release earlier this year...nice and dark.

So yeah, the new Andy Stott is really incredible.

#22 - 110 points

Ty Segall - Twins

Reeeally digging the new album.

same

BIG YES

Still need to give the new one a close(r) listen, but on first listen, I think I like Slaughterhouse better. That one just slays.

Twins from Ty Segall is wonderfully noisy in all the right places and has a real big groove to it. Have not enjoyed a release from him this much since Goodbye Bread.

I feel the same way. Might end up being my favorite release from him.

A lot more fuzz this time around.

Jesus. He needs to slow down so I can breathe and listen to all of his stuff more than once through.

This guy's output is insane.

[icedKeg]

#21 - 111 points

John Talabot - fIN

One of the best albums of 2012. Would love to see/hear that live!

Easily in my top 5 albums of 2012. Would be one of my must sees if he played coachella.

Digging it so far, but I'm a bit surprised at the darker tone considering how blissed out his EPs were.

I think it's incredibly paced. Maybe my favorite listen of the year so far (Goth Trad is also a contender)

This John Talabot release is really fun and groovy. I like it a lot.

ƒIN by John Talabot is sexy as hell. So groovy. Surprised none of the techno/house people have mentioned him.

Looking forward to giving it a listen. He's a very well-regarded DJ (see: FACT mix 315).

caught the P4k review...they made a solid point about his build up of songs. i liked what i heard, thought about picking it up today

it's excellent

no for real this is a fucking banger

[icedKeg]

#20 - 117 points

Titus Andronicus - Local Business

so am I the only one who thinks Patrick is trying to sing like Mick Jones on this album? not that that's a bad thing. Not at all. no sireee.

The new voice is not going over well with me. I have to give it some time but I thought he sounded like the lead singer of rancid. I don't like change. I'll probably come around. I've only heard the first three songs thus far and I wasn't happy.

This album kicks ass.

I'm on the 5th song. it's very good. I agree with Tom's Mick Jones reference. i definitely disagree with Mark, this sound absolutely nothing like Tim Armstrong. it's not even a "new voice." Vocally the sounds just like he did before, he's just dropping his register a bit and his phrasing is different.

Word of advice: Play it loud.

Loving the new record. Can't wait for their show on the 6th.

So i'm really loving this album after a few listens. My Eating Disorder, Ecce Homo, & Upon Viewing Oregon... are so great. Still can't get into the last two tracks at all though

Every time I hear it, I still can't help but think "(I am the) Electric Man" sounds like it should be played by Pusswhip Banggang.

NYC tonight. yup. jesus mother fucking christ.

[TallGuyCM]

Here we go! Hell yeah. Many thanks in advance for doing all this, man.

The quotes are a great touch, too.

[icedKeg]

#19 - 121 points

Hot Chip - In Our Heads

Can't wait for a new Hot Chip album, even if their recent outputs have been pretty much pop music it's so good.

Wow this track is pretty awesome. Very promising.

Hot Chip are the C&C Music Factory of the '10s.

Listened to it a dozen times this week and I think its probably their best record yet.

As of right now, "These Chains" is my favorite track on the new Hot Chip. Will dig deeper shortly.

First 5 songs ftw

Yes, this is a great record. I have been an apologist for the band, and even I didn't think they had something this good still left in the tank.

Really? You guys like the record that much?

As of right now, I think it's just alright, but I'll give it another listen.

I like it!
I don't think it's my favorite album of theirs, but it has some amazing stand out tracks. Flutes is my favorite.

There are a few good songs... but overall I thought it was pretty underwhelming. Hopefully it gets better.

I think the run of songs from "Look at Where We Are" (I'm such a sucker for their ballad-type songs like this one) to "Flutes" is really strong. "Now There is Nothing" is pretty bad, though.

I've got to check it out again, but based on the first listen i gave it yesterday, i think the new Hot Chip might be my favorite of theirs! I was pretty surprised.

I love the new Hot Chip album, and it sounds so good blasting through large speakers. Let Me Be Him is the jam.

Make no bones about this new album, it's going to rekindle people's admiration for them. This is one of the few bands I get giddy as a school girl for and from what I've heard so far, I'm jumping for joy.

[IceyHotshot]

Yeah man, I love the inclusion of the quotes. Makes it more fun than just a list or reviews from a different source.