Rolling "favorite music of 2012 so far" thread (albums and/or tracks edition)

Nice analysis. The Hospitality album has turned into one of my most listened to of the year so far.

Also, I would mention they have a pretty tight little rhythm section, unusual for this type of indie jangle pop.

Thanks skip. I'd like to give that Hospitality album a few more spins, at least before the oh so important ILM EOY poll comes around. (At this point I would want to distance myself a lot from the Company of Thieves comparison I made. The only big thing they have in common is just that they sometimes do things that are a little sophisticated harmonically/technically.)

If YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN - YT//ST [that's how I see it written out officially] can be considered a 2012 release then that is near the top of my list. It was released last year, but reissued this year by a label they just signed to--and I think last year's release might only have been as a download.

(Incidentally, o. nate you might just like that YT//ST. Definitely some nicely done prog things going on there, without it really being straight up prog. rock, although I guess parts of it can pass for prog-metal, which is one way I see them pigeon-holed.)

Still need to listen to Channel Orange. I started it and mostly liked it, but it's not really anything I would normally be in the mood for.

I like Channel Orange more than I thought I would. I'm not usually a big R&B fan tbh, but this creates a mood and atmosphere that puts me more in the mind of something like Stevie Wonder's "Fulfillingness' First Finale" (minus the more upbeat tracks).

I can't believe I haven't even heard Centipede Hz yet

lucky

trying to avoid it myself

Albums

Goat - World Music
Zambri - House of Baasa
Surnatural Orchestra - Pluir
Hafez Modirzadeh - Post-Chromodal Out!
Alio Die - Deconsecrated and Pure
Ramona Falls - Prophet
Harrison Birtwistle - Complete String Quartet (Arditti Quartet)
Niki and the Dove - Instinct
Deerhoof - Breakup Song
Tyme. x Tujiko - GYU
Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
Mouse on Mars - Parastrophics
Quakers - Quakers
Various Artists - Personal Space: Electronic Soul 1974-1984

Tracks

Ab-Soul Ft. Danny Brown & Jhene Aiko - "Terrorist Threats"
Hundred In the Hands - "Keep it Low"
Georgia Anne Muldrow - "Best Love"

this year has been fucking incredible so far, I'm not ready to post a list just yet but I just wanted to say it's kind of hard to believe just how cool this year has been so far re: new music

Albums

Six Organs of Admittance - Ascent
Thee Oh Sees - Putrifiers ii
Angel Olsen - Half Way Home
JJ Doom - Key To The Cuff
LHF - Keepers Of The Light
Monolake - Ghosts
Perc - A New Brutality (ep)
Austin Cesear - Cruise Forever
Bill Fay - Life is People
Chris Forsyth - Kenzo Deluxe
Dr John - Locked Down
Holy Other - Held
LV - Sebenza

latest faves:

Purity Ring - Shrines
Farrah Abraham - My Teenage Dream Ended
The xx - Coexist
Psy - Gangnam Style
The Presets - Pacifica

One track to add:

Shiina Ringo - Jiyuu e Michizure

(TV show theme song.)

also add:

Elle Varner - Perfectly Imperfect

I listened to a snippet of that Goat album yesterday - sounds like it could be amazing.

Tracks

Shackleton - Music For The Quiet Hour part two
Gary War - Pleading For Annihilation
LV(featuring okmalumkoolkat) - DL
Cult Of Youth - Golden Age
Robert Hood - Better Life
Ruby My Dear- Uken
Shifted - Coax
Thee Oh Sees - Hang a Picture

Thee Oh Sees - Hang a Picture

this is a great, great song and still probably two better than it on the album, er, EP

gunplay - 601 & snort is good!

this is a great, great song and still probably two better than it on the album, er, EP

You are right Floods New Light is probably a better track.
It's still an EP with more great songs than the last TY full length album has! Just making the comparison because they get lumped together. FWIW I loved Goodbye Bread.

Yeah "Floods New Light" was one I was thinking of, so was "Lupine Dominus" but then I'm a sucker for that faux-kraut feel.

Various Artists - Personal Space: Electronic Soul 1974-1984

― Cliftonb, Wednesday, September 19, 2012 8:37 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Tell me about this, please.

ryan hemsworth 'last words' ep

cassegrain & tin man carnal (four tracks)

basic channel acid. ultra warm, repetitive

complete:

sensate focus - 10, 5, 3.33333333333333333 all stunning!
dj sprinkles and mark fell - the complete spiral

tracks:

mosca - accidentally feat robert owens both versions
actress - N.E.W or IWAAD not sure, the club banger? the rest is super boring autechre lite sorry

really want to like the new animal collective but it just won't let me in, its unbearable.

Track:

Zazen Boys - Potato Salad

An entire album of this guys ranting gets to be too much for me, but this is the standout track as far as I can tell. There are some beautiful moments when the rhythms and the timbres lock perfectly and produce something fairly fresh.

1:33 especially.

For those who don't know them, they do a super-tight funky math rock sort of thing.

actress - N.E.W or IWAAD not sure, the club banger? the rest is super boring autechre lite sorry

really want to like the new animal collective but it just won't let me in, its unbearable.

― wolves lacan, Thursday, 20 September 2012 20:50 (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I thought the club banger was The Lord's Graffiti. I absolutely agree with Autechre-lite. R.I.P. is so disappointing compared to Splaszh. The latter sounded so fresh and original while R.I.P. almost lifts ideas wholesale from EP7 and Tri Repetae.

Also agree about Animal Collective album. It's the first time I've thought "you know what, I don't give a shit about you guys any more if you're not going to try".

I think there is a pretty good album lurking somewhere underneath Centipede Hz, but it's pretty difficult to find. I've been imagining some of the tracks redone in a Kid Creole + Coconuts style and they'd be a lot better.

and pretty pretty too

there are some good albums and singles in 2012 but i want/need more.

Sic Alps new one on Drag City is their best yet, imo.

oh, god, no

Hm. I'm kind of surprised. Thought you would like it. What are your objections?

yeah i thought i would to, i loved napa asylum! i will relisten soon and return with better opinions4u but i just found it sounded dreadfully like them trying to be straightforward and focused in a way that really didn't suit them; napa asylum's breeziness was a huge part of what i loved about it & this sounded so strained... neways i listened to it once a week ago and turned it off halfway i was so appaled so i really should give it another spin before slamming it esp since i was so adamant that everyone revisit the last lp after it got such bad reviews in its ilm thread

plus i've been in a good mood the past few days which was also the case when i first heard napa asylum, so i should strike while the iron's hot

I love Napa Asylum, too. I can see how you'd react to the first part of the album the way that you did, but the second side does get a little weirder, for lack of a better term. The songwriting doesn't sound different to me, really, just the sound. Maybe it will grow on you?

weird third quarter unordered but sorta
1. Frank Ocean "Super Rich Kids"
2. Sun Araw & The Congos "Happy Song"
3. Beak> "Egg Dog"
4. Dinosaur Jr "Rude"
5. Pussy Riot "Putin Lights Up The Fires"
6. Animal Collective "Moonjock"
7. Lower "Craver"
8. The-Dream "Dope Chick"
9. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti "Baby"
10. Bailter Space "No Sense"
11. Jeff The Brotherhood "Dark Energy"
honorable embarrassing mention: "we are never ever ever getting back together"
somehow less embarrassing secondary mention: "california boy"
embarrassingly singled-out album track: "unplanned parenthood"

xp hope so. the 7"s they released in between this one & napa asylum are p tite too

a lot of ppl whose taste in music i like stump for sic alps. after seeing a pretty mediocre show of theirs once, i never checked out their albums

yeah i've only heard bad things about their live show, think it is kind of a blank dogs scenario tho, the records are v good

ooof yeah lord if i had based my view of blank dogs off seeing them live...ug....honestly i doubt i've listened to them, so regret seeing them

their sound had a certain amount of magick and mystery to me then i was like uhhh you are just boring dudes in a rock bar

they also seemed like petulant dicks when i saw them? kept complaining about bad sound and stopping songs 30 seconds in like nononono that won't do and a 1 2 3--

sic alps, from what i've heard, the problem is they are addicted to heroin and can't get their shit together? but there is also a lot of studio magic on their albums and analogic equipment and stuff that might be hard to pull off live

blank dogs were pretty bored/petulant when i saw them. they seemed like it annoyed them to be there.

Man, I love this Blonde God song Diggin'. Apparently the singer from Merchandise solo (it's from a comp on Night People) but if Merchandise is this good I am just going to have to check them out. This song rules, make sure you make it about 1 minute in, a great change (and cool chorus) follows. Kind of like a gothy Medicine or something.

Night People is a very cool label run by a swell guy.

Added:

The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth

(shocker)

That song is great (xpost)! Have heard a few Night People records (and dug them), but in particular that Blonde God song really made my day.

Amadou & Mariam - Folila
The Very Best - MTMTMK
jj - high summer
Dar Williams - In The Time of Gods
Cat Power - Sun
No Doubt - Push and Shove
Beth Orton - Sugaring Season