The Best of 2012 in Music: Albums, Songs, Shows, Lists, Discussions, Fun!

[Axver]

I agree about the Alcest album. Totally fine and listenable, but nothing I'd give higher than a 3/5 to. I like their debut way more, the only other album I've heard by them.

I just don't understand this. The new album's basically the ideal combination of the styles of the first and second albums; Autre Temps and Summer's Glory in particular are two of the best Alcest songs. Instant 5/5 for me.

That said, nostalgia is pretty powerful and that keeps the debut as my favourite Alcest album. But it's close.

 

[lazarus]

RED can barely contain the pure, youthful, life-affirming power packed in each of its corners. It is the best record released in the last two years. Agile and ambitious, frightening, fun, a downright cocky artistic statement from America's most potent living songwriter.

That being said, I have also really loved these albums:

Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
Jack White - Blunderbuss
Grizzly Bear - Shields
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...
Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
Beach House - Bloom
Bob Dylan - Tempest
Spiritualized - Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
Tennis - Young & Old
Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
Cat Power - Sun
Best Coast - The Only Place

I can't believe I forgot Tempest.

Ashamed of myself.

 

[bollox]

Good thing this title thread says 'Fun!' as opposed to 'fun.', which would have no place in a 'Best of' of any kind.

 

[cobl04]

Good thing this title thread says 'Fun!' as opposed to 'fun.', which would have no place in a 'Best of' of any kind.

And we don't Fear Fun around here.

 

[bono_212]

Hey guyz! Only 70 albums left on my list of albums I want to hear

 

[Lancemc]

Oh god, I don't know if I've heard more than 2 or 3 albums from this year. Swing Lo Magellan is one of my favorite albums in a long long time though, so that's something.

 

[cobl04]

Okay so according to my calculations I've heard about 44 albums/EPs this year. Snippets of some others, and I'm sure there's some I'm forgotten due to them not being on the wiki page or in my iTunes.

In alphabetical, some albums I've really enjoyed

Alpine - A is For Alpine
BADBADNOTGOOD - BBNG2
Bat for Lashes - The Haunted Man
Cat Power - Sun
Father John Misty - Fear Fun
Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends
Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes
Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
G.O.O.D. Music - Cruel Summer
Hot Chip - In Our Heads
Japandroids - Celebration Rock
Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city
Lotus Plaza - Spooky Action at a Distance
Nas - Life is Good
New Build - Yesterday Was Lived and Lost
Something for Kate - Leave Your Soul to Science
Tame Impala - Lonerism

Albums I've heard and liked but want to spend more time with or revisit

Animal Collective - Centipede Hz
Beach House - Bloom
Brian Eno - Lux
Burial - Kindred EP
Chad Valley - Young Hunger
Chromatics - Kill For Love
Grimes - Visions
Hodgy Beats - Untitled EP
Of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks
OFWGKTA - OF Tape Vol. 2
Quakers - Quakers
Schoolboy Q - Habits and Contradictions
Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
Shearwater - Animal Joy
Tallest Bloke on Earth - There's No Leaving Now
Twin Shadow - Confess
Yeasayer - Fragrant World

Albums I've yet to hear but may listen to - and if anyone knows of any albums they specifically reckon I'd like please let me know!

Ab-Soul - Control System
Action Bronson - Blue Chips, Rare Chandeliers
Big Boi - Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumours
Big K.R.I.T. - Live From The Underground
Crystal Castles - III
Currensy - The Stoned Immaculate
David Byrne/St Vincent - Love This Giant
Domo Genesis and Alchemist - No Idols
Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
EL-P - Cancer for Cure
Flume - Flume
How to Dress Well - Total Loss
Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
Lupe Fiasco - Food and Liquor 2
Paul Kelly - Spring and Fall
Pond - Beard, Wives, Denim

 

[LemonMelon]

Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music

You haven't heard this yet? Holy shit

The Pond album is good, not great. It has the form of great psych, but not the content so much. It's got nothing on Lonerism, but still enjoyable.

 

[cobl04]

I tried listening to it once, got about four or five tracks in and wasn't feeling it. Keen to try again. Ab-Soul for the time being. Got good reviews.

The problem with these hip-hop records is they go for so long, and there's so many of them, and a lot of the tracks fall straight out of my head.

This track is pretty sweet. Chilled.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G80VUJeWeLM

 

[LemonMelon]

Well, R.A.P. Music is by no means a long record, so it has that going for it. Along with being totally badass and fun.

Ab-Soul's record was OK. Just OK. I found his flow grating, and that album did go on forever. The Book of Soul is by far the best track.

 

[nielsgov]

I listened to that Something For Kate album on Spotify. I liked it quite a bit. It won't make my list but it's a solid album nevertheless.

The first song stood out to me most.

 

[cobl04]

I listened to that Something For Kate album on Spotify. I liked it quite a bit. It won't make my list but it's a solid album nevertheless.

The first song stood out to me most.

well at least all my posts weren't for naught

The first track is my fav. Such great guitar.

 

[u2popmofo]

Why is Divine Fits not on your list, Cobbz? I thought I remember you saying you liked them. That album has snuck itself onto my favorites list in the last few weeks.

Also, why is Grimes on your list, but no Purity Ring and Chairlift? Why??????!!!!!!!!!!

 

[iron yuppie]

One album that seems to have flown a bit under the radar is Jessie Ware's Devotion. I was really impressed with it; it's forward-looking R&B that is smooth but still with a bit of an edge.

 

[Imperor]

Yeah, the Jessie Ware album is fantastic. Homegirl needs a US tour.

 

[bono_212]

Such a good album.

 

[LemonMelon]

One album that seems to have flown a bit under the radar is Jessie Ware's Devotion. I was really impressed with it; it's forward-looking R&B that is smooth but still with a bit of an edge.

It will be receiving points from me, no doubt.

Between her, Frank Ocean and Miguel, it's been a fantastic year for R&B.

 

[cobl04]

Why is Divine Fits not on your list, Cobbz? I thought I remember you saying you liked them. That album has snuck itself onto my favorites list in the last few weeks.

Also, why is Grimes on your list, but no Purity Ring and Chairlift? Why??????!!!!!!!!!!

I did listen to that album but it didn't do much for me.

In three seconds, I've added Purity Ring, Chairlift, Jessie Ware and Miguel to the list

 

[HeartlandGirl]

After seeing Cloud Nothings on a couple of lists here, I gave them a listen.

Hell yes, folks. Their sound is pretty much making my week right now. And the louder, the better.

 

[bono_212]

They were possibly the best show I saw this year.

 

[nielsgov]

I saw them at a festival but they only played for 15 minutes because they got on stage 20 minutes too late. That was pretty disappointing. I didn't get Wasted Days either which made it even worse.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

*pulls open last.fm*

In no order... albums I was particularly fond of.

Albums
Imagine Dragons - Imagine Dragons
Minus the Bear - Infinity Overhead
The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten
Civil Twilight - Holy Weather
The Script - #3
Two Door Cinema Club - Beacon
Walk the Moon - Walk the Moon
Bloc Party - Four
Muse - The 2nd Law
The Big Pink - Future This
Family of the Year - Loma Vista
The All-American Rejects - Kids in the Street
The Temper Trap - The Temper Trap
fun. - Some Nights

 

[iron yuppie]

Add Instrumental Tourist by Tim Hecker and Daniel Lopatin (of Oneohtrix Point Never) to the list of great electronica albums from this year.

 

[corianderstem]

Favorites, in no particular order:

Beach House - Bloom
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel ...
Glen Hansard - Rhythm and Repose
The Mynabirds - Generals
Cat Power - Sun
Passion Pit - Gossamer
Sinead O'Connor - How About I Be Me (And You Be You)
The Helio Sequence - Negotiations
School of Seven Bells - Ghostory
Here We Go Magic - A Different Ship
Marina & The Diamonds - Electra Heart
Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls

 

[IWasBored]

none of these lists have an order.

stuff i really liked a lot. as in, this stuff was pretty full of awesome:
shearwater - animal joy
cloud nothings - attack on memory
metz - metz
ducky boys - chasing the ghost
brian jonestown massacre - aufheben
hot water music - exister
blaqk audio - bright black heaven
magnetic fields - love at the bottom of the sea
bruce springsteen - wrecking ball

stuff i was rather indifferent and apathetic toward, or too much modern psychedelia and/or shoegaze:
beach house - bloom
alcest - les voyages de 'ame (i am far too lazy to look up what alt+num keys i have to press to make the ^ over the a)
wild nothing - nocturne
baroness - yellow & green
father john misty - fear fun
spiritualized - sweet heart sweet light
tame impala - lonerism

biggest disappointments, or the part where punk rock lets me down:
bouncing souls - comet
japandroids - celebration rock
gaslight anthem - handwritten
say anything - anarchy, my dear


huge fucking waste of time, although kind of wondering why i even bothered:
animal collective - centipede hz
swans - the seer
pennywise - all or nothing
katatonia - dead end kings
counting crows - underwater sunshine



probably about 2 dozen other things i still haven't gotten around to yet, and i'll be gleaning other ideas from youse guyses lists.

 

[u2popmofo]

I hate how Counting Crows lead single from that album was a miserable cover of a great Travis single. How can you not be embarrassed as a band to release a cover as your lead single?

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Haha, for real? What song was it?

 

[IWasBored]

I hate how Counting Crows lead single from that album was a miserable cover of a great Travis single. How can you not be embarrassed as a band to release a cover as your lead single?

ouch. i don't even know what song that was, but there was not a single good moment on the entire record.

 

[No spoken words]

I gave up list making ages ago, but, my tiny handful of favorites:


Fiona Apple

Tame Impala

Father John Misty

Wild Nothing

Beach House

Frankie Rose

Shearwater (2nd favorite album of the year)

Bloc Party

Twin Shadow

Stars

Cloud Nothings

and the best album I listened to is from Grizzly Bear

 

[IWasBored]

mofo's had a musket pointed at me for years, for many reasons, but amongst them is the fact that i still have not heard port of morrow (i'm sure). but i've never been the best shins fan. i bought wincing when it came out, and i'm not even sure i ever listened to that more than once. kind of a far cry from when chutes came out and i played something off it pretty much every week on the radio cos, well, it was awesome.