It's that time of the year...Mid-Year Favorite Albums

[Buzzkill]

So, IN ORDER, please list your favorite however many albums of the year so far. You may provide a brief explanation.

1. tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L: Saw Merrill perform live two years ago at a music festival and loved it, but never followed up on her at all. She was just totally immersed in her music and art, with crazy face paint and feathers in her hair and just totally in it. She has created something that is wholly original and all her own. She is everything that is great and pure about music and I love her.

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/22935609?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/22935609">Yourstru.ly Presents: tUnE-yArDs Gangsta</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/yourstruly">Yours Truly</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

2. Destroyer - Kaputt: Love Destroyer for the same reasons. He is just the man, and will do whatever the eff he wants. No matter what crazy direction he decides to take his albums, they always seem to get better.

3. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues: Beautiful, personal music. Great for driving around in beautiful weather, which might be my favorite thing to do.

4. Panda Bear - Tomboy: Not much else to say here. Thought it was super underrated from most critics..I actually enjoy listening to it more than Person Pitch.

5. Bon Iver - Bon Iver: Soooo chillll. Love how it all fits together, and <3 the last song.

[FakeLaser]

Word was gonna do this the other day.

Gonna do it now

[FakeLaser]

Damn, a lot of albums I liked this year I guess.

1) Panda Bear - Tomboy
I got sick of it. But then I saw Panda Bear perform it and fell in love all over again. It's not Person Pitch but who could expect that? It's brilliant in its own way.

2) Cults - Cults
Fucking love this album. Just ridiculous catchy and want to sex Maddie in the worst way. Perfect summer album and has that "eerie 50s sound" kinda.

3) Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
So good. This one really grew on me. And it will always make me think of my most recent shroom experience. Mad bugged.

4) Eleanor Friedberger - Last Summer
This is getting slept on hard. Everyone should czech this out, it's right up there with any Fiery Furnace release.

5) Com Truise - Galactic Melt
VHS SEX. Music of the future from 1983.

6) Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
Best hip-hop/rap release of the year and one of the best in a while. Completely different than anything else out there.

7) Zomby - Dedication
A bit more subdued than his last release, more experimental. Still will get you dancing.

9) Puro Instinct - Headbangers In Ecstacy
This was #2 before the preceding albums came out. Kinda got bored of it after a while but still a fantastic album. And they're good live. And they are QTs

10) Washed Out - Within or Without
Ernest Greene took a huge step forward with this one. Even if you didn't dig the EP (which I didn't, other than Feel It All Around), this is worth a shot. Really good music.

11) John Maus - We Must Become The Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
John Maus is a genius. Literally. And he is out of his mind. You know the drill. If you like Ariel Pink, you are going to love this. If not, this is going to be the worst thing ever. Actually, I think this is more accessible than Ariel Pink. Kinda has more of that 80s pop sound to it more than Ariel's stuff.

12) Dirty Beaches - Badlands
THIS is different than anything else out there. Sounds like a bad surfer acid trip from 1955.

13) Elk - Let’s Get Married
Underrated. I guess it's yr basic bedroom musician fare, but something struck a chord with me on this one.

14) Radiohead - The King of Limbs
It's a really good album. It just doesn't stack up with their others. Still comes in at #14.

15) Ducktails - Ducktails III Arcade Dynamics
I like the other EPs more but this is still solid, and features Panda Bear.

16) TOKiMINOSTA - Creature Dreams
Little Pleasures might be my favorite song of the year.

17) Computer Magic - Electronic Fences
I love you even though I tried to "mack it" to you and got shut down. The re-worked Found Out actually might be my favorite track of the year. I'd probably rank this a bit higher but all of the tracks are just remastered or remixed old tracks.

18) Colleen Green - Green One EP
This is probably really bad but I dunno. I like it. It's so catchy. And Colleen is rly hot to me. Also I have her cell number. I should hit her up. She is a fake-ass Best Coast.

19) The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Belong
Not up to snuff with their first album which was #2 behind Merriweather in 2009. Still good, though nothing stands out quite like Contender or Gentle Sons did for me.

20) TV Girl - TV Girl EP
The first two tracks are unreal. Then the third one is ok. The last track is atrocious. So it's #17.

21) Crystal Stilts - In Love With Oblivion
Who says there's anything wrong with a fake Joy Division?

22) Toro Y Moi - Underneath The Pine
I like it. Not a whole lot, but it's good. Toro is probably my least favorite of the chillwavers but I still enjoy.

23) Explosions In The Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
I liked it a lot at first but it just kind of blends in now. It's good. Just maybe "over" this whole thing. How many times can you do the same thing over and over again? Excited to see them in October.

24) Monster Rally - EP
I really like this and it's really chill.

25) Battles - Gloss Drop
Another band who took a big step forward.

26) Conquering Animal Sound - Kammerspiel
Ridin Bjork-waves

27) The Kills - Blood Pressures
Huge letdown, but still worth mentioning.

28) Tim Hecker - Ravedeath 1972
I'm probably sleeping on this a bit, but I'm rarely in the mood for it. When I do listen, I enjoy, in a doomed electronic sense.

29) Times New Viking - Dancer Equitted
I liked this a lot when it came out, but now I'm realizing it's not as good as their past albums. I can see why blogs have "turned on them" a bit.

30) Small Black - New Chain
I really like a couple of tracks but otherwise, kinda forgettable.

31) The Strokes - Angles
It's ok.

32) Pandit - Eternity Spin
Really like two songs. Otherwise, disjointed and unfocused.

33) Flaming Lips/Neon Indian - EP
I rated this really highly at first but now it bores the fuck out of me. Kind of a big disappointment from two bands that I love. Dunno. Maybe I'll like it more if I listen again. Not to say it isn't decent, otherwise it wouldn't be here at all. But yeah. Nothing too special.

[FakeLaser]

I might spend too much time listening to music.

[mitch_h]

Here's my top 10, so far i'd say it's a pretty good year for music. Aside from Memory Tapes nothing has really bombed although I can think of some albums that weren't quite as good as the ones that preceded them, like Radiohead, TVOTR, Okkervil River...

1. Destroyer - Kaputt
2. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
3. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
4. Tim Hecker - Ravedeath 1972
5. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
6. Junior Boys - It's all True
7. John Maus - We Must Become The Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
8. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
9. Wild Beasts - Smother
10. Panda Bear - Tomboy

[FakeLaser]

Damn my numbering got all fucked up

[FakeLaser]

I'll fix it later, have some blokes over now

[Triple A]

1. Destroyer - Kaputt
2. John Maus - We Must Become The Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
3. Panda Bear - Tomboy
4. Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
5. Crystal Stilts - In Love With Oblivion
6. Raw Thrills - And His Chain Gang
7. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up

Tennis - Cape Dory
Toro Y Moi - Underneath the Pine
Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde
YACHT - Shangri-La
La Sera - La Sera
Chad VanGaalen - Diaper Island
Bright Eyes - The People's Key
Cults - Cults
Eleanor Friedberger - Last Summer
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Tune Yards - Who Kill

[FakeLaser]

Forgot to mention tUnE yArDs

[FakeLaser]

I didn't really get into the Destroyer album. Maybe I should give it another spin.

Also need to get the La Sera album. Keep forgetting to download that.

[FakeLaser]

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bfyxI5Mtr98" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This is still the best thing I've heard all year (though I guess it was released in 2008)

Pet Sounds vs. J Dilla

[FakeLaser]

Some choice tracks from the albums I listed...

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/plWq_XMT5i4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KebXzv1wP4A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/L_bkNR-zOn8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
UNREAL

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yA3xury1-8E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UnoBIQWS5bs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iTtRG7QZXO8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/l7qOmTCf3Ek" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KEifJni_NBs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VjqCLDGeBS8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/edV1ePcjs8g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/o5c9w6uWBOI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1yfopY8Dwkg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Yv6RKtZoCOE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oSv5llBNBFA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tnS3LhGLCzc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EUmvw9ZAnho" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Bad Company]

I am listening to Liam Finn's album FOMO a lot, I like it, so much I went out and purchased it. Sure I'm sucking some kiwi music cock, but I quite like the pop sound he's got in this album. And given it's only his second solo album, I can see more great things from him ahead. But he'll always be successful, given he's part of an NZ/Australia music dynasty.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

I've only bought two albums this year that were actually released this year:

Kuniko Kato - Plays Reich 10/10

Kuniko is a Japanese percussionist who has arranged a number of Steve Reich's works for steel pans, vibraphone and marimba. Very tasty indeed. Check it out.

Abigail Washburn - City of refuge 8/10

I like it. Different to her last album, but still, folkie goodness.

[Gertner]

Wow, I feel douchey just reading this thread.

[FakeLaser]

Cool thx

[Buzzkill]

Look Gertner I'm sorry that DJ Wolfgang Van der Gartin didn't make my top 5 alright? Maybe next year

[Gertner]

Very depressing to me.

[Sean]

Defeater - Empty Days, Sleepless Nights
Between the Buried and Me - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues EP
Tyler, the Creator - Goblin
Glassjaw - The Coloring Book EP

I'm struggling to think of what other albums I've listened to from this year.

[Kapoutman]

Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
Akhenaton & Faf Larage - We Luv New York
Radiohead - The King of Limbs
Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding
Gorillaz - The Fall
Sam Roberts - Collider

It's all I can think of right now.

[Rammsteinmad]

The only album I've bought released this year so far is Symphony X's 'Iconoclast', and it is fucking awesome!

Awaiting releases by Dream Theater in September, and hopefully Andromeda and Thought Chamber (I doubt anyone knows these two bands here) will have their new albums this year.

[FakeLaser]

Can't believe I forgot about Yuck

[FakeLaser]

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/glOfHOxdRCU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Gertner]

It was released in late December 2010, but I'm counting it away.

Deadmau5 4x4 =12 is better than any of this indie shit.

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Xhw_LnPepJA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YnwfTHpnGLY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[FakeLaser]

bloghaus