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Author: breno
Date: 03-25-12 12:49
It's been a bit of a meh year so far, in my opinion, but the first quarter did see a few noteworthy releases. Not sure that any of them are going to be hanging around an end of the year list. Of course, that's what I thought at this time last year and several things grew on me.
Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory
The Shins - Port of Morrow
Kathleen Edwards - Voyageur
Damien Jurado - Maraqopa
Nite Jewel - One Second of Love
Frankie Rose - Interstellar
Bishop Morocco - Old Boys EP
Tindersticks - The Something Raid
Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
I listened to the new GBV pretty nonstop for a week or two and loved it, but haven't given it much thought at all for the last couple of months. I need to re-listen to it to see if I can decide if it's a keeper or not.
If everything on the Lana Del Rey album had been as good as its two or three best songs, it would have been worthy of the hype. On the other hand, there's really only one song on it bad enough to have been worthy of the backlash ("National Anthem"). In the end, it was an okay enough album overall by a reasonably talented young woman who managed to get herself caught on the wrong side of the never-ending bullshit debate over whether listening to pop songs songs that go "tra la la la la la" makes you a more inherently authentic and superior human being to someone who likes pop songs that go "doo be doo be doo be doo" instead.
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Author: erikalbany
Date: 03-25-12 13:40
The Shins and Jurado albums are also on my radar. (I'm on a fence with Frankie Rose.)
Tennis' Young & Old is one I can also unequivocally recommend. . .
I do still like that GVB album , but I find that my enjoyment of it really depends on if I'm in a position to listen to the whole album in a sitting. I really feel like it is all "of a piece" (kind of a simultaneously ridiculous and accurate statement about a GBV album), and I really enjoy all of the textures thrown together. I also feel like the more abstract songs work a bit better than many of the songs in that vein have in the past. . .
There's certainly less of the straight ahead, rockin' out, hook-ridden side of the band here.
Post Edited (03-25-12 14:13)
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Author: nosepail
Date: 03-25-12 15:18
Sinead's is the best I've heard so far. I am a huge GBV fan but this record didnt do it for me.
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Author: mats84
Date: 03-26-12 06:37
The Cloud Nothings record is the standout for me.
I am also kind of enjoying The Men album Open Your Heart - at least it's pulsating with something alive and interesting. I like the Leonard Cohen record too, thought the GBV was pretty good, though I don't find myself playing it much after I digested which isn't a good sign.
To be honest, the record I've played the most is the Rolling Stones Some Girls reissue with a full disc of surprisingly strong bonus tracks - that's a truly great reissue (I think it came out end of 2011 though).
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Author: Delvin
Date: 03-27-12 10:51
I've been looking forward to the first quarter list, partly because I've really gotten off the edge. Between the world-music show and the current assignment to Seattle, I haven't had as much time to focus on the latest rock/pop/indie/whatever-you-call-it music.
BTW, it looks as though I'll be relocating to the Seattle area this summer. Wish me luck!
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Author: totaji
Date: 03-27-12 16:55
Not a lot has grabbed me this year so far accept the new Chromatics that just came out. Absolutely haunting and gorgeous. The Cloud Nothings is a distant 2nd. There is still a lot I haven't heard yet.
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Author: Michael Toland
Date: 03-30-12 15:17
On the flip side, what albums in the next quarter are you all looking forward to? Here's my personal wishlist. Hopefully none of these will suck.
Elvis Costello – The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook - 4/3/2012
High On Fire – De Vermis Mysteriis – 4/3/2012
Spiritualized – Sweet Heart Sweet Light – 4/10/2012
James Blackshaw – Love is the Plan, the Plan is Death – 4/24/2012
Brendan Benson – What Kind of World – 4/24/2012
Storm Corrosion – s/t – 5/8/2012
Alejandro Escovedo – Big Station – 6/5/2012
The Mynabirds – Generals – 6/5/2012
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Americana – 6/7/2012
The dB’s – Falling Off the Sky – 6/19/2012
Mission of Burma – Unsound – 7/9/2012
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Author: Aitch
Date: 04-13-12 19:20
Every time these things come around I think "I haven't bought anything this year, I'm always catching up". Anyway, I scored some birthday cash ($100) and apart from a couple of books, most of it went on music.
To illustrate my point, here's the list.
Young Marble Giants - Brutal Youth (Domino re-issue which has pretty much everything).
The Replacements - Don't You Know Who I Think I Was.
Desaparecidos - Read Music Speak Spanish
Pine Valley Cosmonauts - Executioner's Last Song Vol 1.
A 1998 Candlestick sampler (bargain bin)
Wall of Sound - Off The Wall compilation (bargain bin)
Japandroids - Post Nothing
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Author: nosepail
Date: 04-14-12 01:20
Nice, Aitch!
Desaaparecidos - Read Music Speak Spanish
Japandroids - Post Nothing
Two of my favorite records of all time!
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Author: Aitch
Date: 04-14-12 20:48
Well, that's the power of you guys at work, Nose. In the end I had about $20 left and went to a closing down sale yesterday & picked up:
Cloud Nothings - Turning On.
LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver.
Sage Francis - Personal Journals.
Boom Bip - Zig Zaj.
And I got a download of The Days of Wine and Roses.
Two of them are from 2011 so I'm getting closer.
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Author: totaji
Date: 04-14-12 21:20
Have you got into Turning On yet? I really like that one. I got very obsessed with it.
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Author: Aitch
Date: 04-14-12 21:38
I was actually listening to it a little while ago ('til my three year old told me to take it off). I really like it on first spin.
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Author: erikalbany
Date: 04-26-12 18:56
I finally got around to the Chromatics album. . . that there is something special. Good call. . .
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Author: totaji
Date: 04-27-12 09:23
If anything comes along this year better than Kill For Love, I will be amazed. Transcendent.
I am a little disappointed with the new Spiritualized. Sure its better than a lot of stuff out there (and has some great songs) but it doesn't rise to the heights of their earlier stuff, which to me is the class of 90's rock and Brit pop.
I can't recommend June 2009 by Toro Y Moi enough. This isn't his funk nor his chill...these are lo-fi rock songs. Great melodies and cool lyrics. (Check out Dead Pontoon)
Men...other than the great song (and Dead Flowers rewrite) "Candy" there are some fairly decent songs but nothing too memorable. Great lo-fi sound, not much writing.
Jack White - Yawn. I feel about him how everybody here feels about Bon Iver. Snoozefest City. He needs a Burt Bacharach or someone to write songs for him.
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Author: Aitch
Date: 04-27-12 09:29
"Jack White - Yawn. I feel about him how everybody here feels about Bon Iver. Snoozefest City. He needs a Burt Bacharach or someone to write songs for him."
Time to get Dangermouse on board again.
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Author: erikalbany
Date: 04-27-12 10:06
I'll check out those recommendations, totaji. . .
I liked Toro y Moi's Underneath the Pine from last year.
Post Edited (04-27-12 10:12)
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Author: totaji
Date: 04-27-12 13:49
I'd recommend a listen to June 2009 first. It is dramatically different than Underneath. Its more fuzzy pop rock. Its like early Cloud Nothings.
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Author: Michael Toland
Date: 04-30-12 14:34
I've heard an advance of the new Alejandro Escovedo record Big Station and like it a hell of a lot. I can't imagine it won't be a top 10 record for me this year. I'm also quite taken with the new Brendan Benson record What Kind of Love in a way I haven't been with his albums since his first one.
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