Your Album of the Year 2012
 

Yes, it is that time of the year again when you must decide which has been your favourite album released this year.

As I will not get the new Converge and Pig Destroyer albums until Xmas, I have only bought 13 albums that were released this year:

Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...
Carolian Chocolate Drops - Leaving Eden
The Cinematic Orchestra - In Motion #1
Deftones - Koi No Yokan
Patricia Kopatchinskaja - Bartok/Eotvos/Ligeti
Audra Mae and the Almighty Sound - Self-titled
Meshuggah - Koloss
Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orechestra - Theatre is Evil
Punch Brothers - Who's Feeling Young Now?
Mindy Smith - Mindy Smith
Regina Spektor - What we saw from the cheap seats
Sara Watkins - Sun Midnight Sun
Jenny Owen Youngs - An Unwavering Band of Light

Out of all of them, Regina Spektor's most recent offering was nearly as disappointing as her previous, Far. Sara Watkin's album was surprisingly good. Deftones and Meshuggah brought the goods once again. But my favourite album was:

http://youhearthat.files.wordpress.c...eg?w=500&h=444

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Mumford & Sons - Babel

Also really enjoying Glad All Over, the new Wallflowers album.

Beach House - Bloom

Deadmau5 "album title goes here"

The Gaslight Anthem-Handwritten

Justin Bieber

Agreed.

Will have my official list ready in a week or so

Debating between

Metz - Metz
DIIV - Oshin
Flying Lotus - Until The Quiet Comes
Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory
Laurel Halo - Quarantine

Rahu - The Quest for the Vajra of Shadows
Drudkh - Eternal Turn of the Wheel
Kreator - Phantom Antichrist
Lacrimosa - Revolution

Sorry, I couldn't pick just one.

Edit: Last minute addition, Mgla - With Hearts Towards None.

My favorite album in 2012 was this

http://www.prefixmag.com/site_media/...bum-covers.jpg

Good music, great wank material!

Fantastic contributions. Will declare.

Man with the Iron Fists Soundtrack

Mumford & Sons - Babel
DMB - Away From The World
Avett Brothers - The Carpenter

:heart: this song from 2012


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Mumford & Sons - Babel
RUSH - Clockwork Angels

plenty of good ones stated

tame impala - lonerism
the antlers - undersea
conor oberst and the mystic valley band - one of my kind
jack white - blunderbuss

kinda diggin:
liars - wixiw
big boi - dangerous lies and vicious rumors
minus the bear - infinity overhead


kinda haven't listened to as much as i should.

I need to listen to that new Big Boi shit..

i lost touch with hip hop. maybe hip hop lost touch with me.

Blackstar has a new album out that I haven't listen to either..

I am slipping..

I can't imagine sitting and listening to a hip hop album and rating it.

Why??

Cause it's Hip Hop and it means you gotta jump and start dancing...

Hip Hop is totally un-relatable subject material to me. To me, if I can dance to it I can tolerate it but I can't imagine sitting down and trying to write a review since I base most of my opinions of music on LYRICS AND STRUCTURE.. If I cannot identify with anything that they are saying then it's not worth rating. Also, I am, in most but not all cases, against sampling/stealing. As well, I am also against all music (not just rap/hip hop) that simply repeat their chorus over and over and over. I'm actually quite educated on music, music history and song structure so it "grinds my gears" when there is very little to no substance. A song should be a story. Not a loop.

Now I am not saying I am not a fan of hip hop/ Rap. There was a time in my life where that is what I loved. And to this day I still enjoy a great deal of it. My only point is I cannot sit down, AT THIS PLACE IN MY LIFE, and write a subjective review of source material I cannot identify with at all.

I don't want to rustle any feathers and I may have opened Pandoras Box, and I accept that. It's just not for me. Most of what I hear these days angers me for the points I mentioned above. I'm happy to share my rap/hip hop favorites and examples that I love/loved if it gets to that point.

You are making pretty broad generalizations there.. There are all types of Hip Hop artists so it's not like people only rap about one thing..

Is every rock song you've ever heard about the same subject??

Ridiculous line of thinking..

Mos Def-War

Anti violence, anti war protest against big Government..



Devin the Dude-Lacville '79

An anthem about having a shitty car and being broke..



Atmosphere-Sunshine

About a hangover day..



Just like ANY other genre of music, Hip Hop is a vast art from from all types based on all things..

It's not all "bitches" and guns..

Broad as in what I hear in the Billboard 200 which is a pretty accurate grouping of what is current. Obviously I never said there weren't exceptions to the rule.

That is pop, not Hip Hop..

Same could be said for top 100 rock..

Fun Fact: I don't believe "rock" exists anymore. Back in the day when life was black and white rock existed. Now its genres and sub genres. The term rock, as a stand alone, is dead.

Much like "country"

I still haven't heard Deftones new album, but it's safe to say Marilyn Manson's Born Villain is #1.


http://wp-images.emusic.com/assets/2...rn-villain.jpg

Don't remember if any band that I like put anything out, Smashing Pumpkins new album is alright, need to listen to it again/seeing them tonight actually..

I thought it was a pretty good year for music, listened to a lot of stuff.

1. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
2. Liars - WIXIW
3. Beach House - Bloom
4. Chromatics - Kill For Love
5. Walkmen - Heaven
6. Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory
7. Fiona Apple - Idler Wheel...blah blah blah
8. Andy Stott - Luxury Problems
9. Grizzly Bear - Shields
10. Tame Impala - Lonerism
11. Kendrick Lamar - Good kid
12. Jessie Ware - Devotion
13. Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dreams
14. Burial - Kindred
15. Mac Demarco - 2
16. Actress - Rip
17. Holy Other - Held
18. Swans - The Seer
19. Ricardo Donoso - Assimilating the Shadow
20. Killer Mike - RAP Music

Just listened to Frank Ocean. Loved "Crack Rock" or whatever the track title is. My coworker turned me on to it.

Frank Ocean ruins the Odd Future channel on Pandora..

:foc:

Short form version: Rap is crap!

Lol dude he's jewish. If he did like rap i'd be shocked.

Hey now, don't stereotype Gertner. Many fine Jews like this outstanding rap group

http://www.henrystonemusic.com/blog/...ejewspants.jpg

I'm just gonna start listing down my favorites. Will keep editing this post to include any new stuff / things that i remember.

Dawnbringer - Into The Lair Of The Sun God
Chris Black and his various projects have been a revelation ever since i discovered Nucleus, Dawnbringer's previous release. Into The Lair Of The Sun God lacks a bit of the punch that made Nucleus worthy of album of the decade, but this mix of traditional and NWOBHM slays any other 'classic heavy metal / revival' release this year.

Baroness - Yellow & Green
The sludginess and heaviness shown on previous releases may have given way for more melodies and harmonies, but the dual disc album showcases the band like never before. For example, there's the soft, ethereal Eula. Contrast that to the anthemic and uplifting Take My Bones Away. Just two ends to where Baroness can stretch themselves.

Woods Of Ypres - Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light
Mastermind David Gold didn't live to see the release of possibly, his masterpiece. Gold's marvellous voice combines with the simplistic music to create an emotionally intense journey that leaves you spellbound. The lyrical themes of death, loss and suffering touch a chord.

Pig Destroyer - Book Burner
I was never a Pig Destroyer fan till this came out. I loved the Natasha EP, for its sheer vision. But Book Burner finally got me hooked to PD's savage and brutal flavour of grind. Scott Hull is a riff machine, and the drumming here is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Anathema - Weather Systems
This album won me over within the first few seconds itself. Beautiful, lush, warm, calming, emotive, soothing. Perfect for the drive back home when you are looking to unwind.

Indian Releases That You Should Check Out:
Sky Rabbit - Sky Rabbit
Extended review here: http://thetossedsalad.com/2012/01/review-sky-rabbit/

Skyharbor - Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos
The classic Djent story: Started as a solo bedroom project gets unusual attention and fanfare on the internet. And balloons. One thing leads to another, and the project, with Dan Tompkins (ex-TesseracT) on vocals gets signed to Basick Records. The instrumental demos we were subject to initially have evolved to become monstrous ambient tunes. Always loved TesseracT with Tompkins, and i daresay, this is the closest we'll get to that sound.

And Shameless Plugs:
The Riot Peddlers - Sarkarsm EP
We released this 6 track EP on August 15, 2012 - India's 65th Independence Day. It's hardcore punk laced and tailored to Indian sensibilities and issues. Fast, vitriolic, no-bullshit.
Stream & Download: http://theriotpeddlers.bandcamp.com

Solar Deity - 2 EPs & 2 Singles
Raw black metal explored in the various styles the genre offers.
Stream & Download: http://solar-deity.bandcamp.com

1) damn it feels good to be a gangsta - substance galore. Def a song with a story yet a catchy hook. Un-relatable yet in the case of such strong lyrics it doesn't matter.


Eminem - most everything he did. I think he's a genius


The Friday Soundtrack - for no other reason than I grew p cruising the streets in my Chevy cavalier blaring it. There is a mental image you'll never get out of your head.

For me the best album this year has been Anathema - Weather Systems.

Some absolutely gorgeous stuff on there.