ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2012

i didnt discover sharon van etten until after i voted, but i really love Tramp-- anyone think it still has a chance?

General ilm consensus iirc is that her older albums are better.

I don't really get the Cocteau Twins/Beach House comparison, not that their music is completely different, but Cocteau Twins are luxurious and hedonistic, Beach House are wistful and melancholic.

http://i.imgur.com/DoLOTTD.png

24. ACTRESS R.I.P (473 Points, 17 Votes, 1 First Place Vote) Spotify

xp:
Cocteaus were more interested in drama. This is more a hypothetical Stevie Nicks working with Eno album.

Stevie Nicks working with Eno

If that were ever to happen, I think it would be a helluva lot more interesting than Beach House.

Actress was my #1. Love this album so much; totally grouped with SAW 85-92 for me (although it will be interesting to see if it stands up as well as that has).

Pat Benatar working with Daniel Lanois

huge amount of xposts to lex - I voted for both the Cataracs and Dev; thought there was more of an ILM buzz around the Cataracs but looking at it now it was swallowed up within the Dev thread and I think I had more IRL discussions about them after foisting that EP on people. Bah. OTOH ILx seems pretty uh suspicious of anything too trashily L.A.

Poll has gotten a bit mimsy after the Cherry Thing/VFTL, I enjoy one or two tracks by nearly all these artists but couldn't face a whole album of any of them.

too lowish

I like the Actress record a lot, but I have to confess that I don't out-and-out love it.

seems about the right placing for actress. my least favourite of his three records. surprised this is the one people suddenly seem to have got excited about - perhaps it's just a case of it being his third album and people are aware of him now.

listened to the actress record loads trying to crack it, but somehow none of it really stuck with me at all. all a bit too bitty as an album, and even the pretty tracks like jardin just felt like sketches. that said, i will give it one more go...

Controversial #23 coming up.

As in, if I'd realized it was really more a single than a proper EP, I'd have disallowed it.

http://i.imgur.com/8XGpX4I.png

23. BURIAL Kindred EP (479 Points, 16 Votes, 1 First Place Vote) Spotify

Well, it is 30 minutes or so long...

As in, if I'd realized it was really more a single than a proper EP, I'd have disallowed it.

Yeah, but it's also 30 minutes of music. (I didn't vote for it, just saying.)

It's 30+ minutes of music...

sorry, xposts

you naughty voters

Actress was my #1. Love this album so much; totally grouped with SAW 85-92 for me (although it will be interesting to see if it stands up as well as that has).

― toby, woensdag 30 januari 2013 22:38 (10 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

He's good, but I doubt he'll ever make anything as good as "You Spin Me Round" or "Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi".

Burial beating Actress is crazy.

The other two Actress albums are good, but this is much better, to me. Feel like The previous one actually got a lot more attention?

I didn't realize the songs on the flip were as long as they apparently are. Typically, though, if the a-side of a 12" has just one track, it's a single.

burial is in general very one-dimensional and then a three song ep in the album poll, boo. nothing against the organisers of the poll, you are doing a phantastic job.

I thought this was great. I liked that this was a significant evolution in his style from Untrue

length/number of songs is a shit determinant. If the artist calls it an EP, or a single, or an album, than go with it. I mean, this past year's OFF! album is 17 songs but only 15 minutes.

y'all are really into your grayscale dance music this year

i can understand burial being in an album list more than "danger"

that said both are EPs and deserve their own poll

are the tracks and albums polls always this samey? ie in terms of the same artists showing up on both?

also some of the best dance music of the year is on that release

prefer it greatly to the incredibly bland stuff presumably still to place (talabot, blondes, etc)

listened to the actress record loads trying to crack it, but somehow none of it really stuck with me at all. all a bit too bitty as an album, and even the pretty tracks like jardin just felt like sketches. that said, i will give it one more go...

― Jaap and roids (NickB), Wednesday, 30 January 2013 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

That music box piano running through holds any bitty elements nicely -- not producing as insistent a rhythm as Aphex's Nannou, but ultimately succeding I think.

I have no problem with EPs being included. I think it has placed way too high here (even though I voted for Ashtray Wasp in tracks), but I think that about lots of other albums too.

prefer it greatly to the incredibly bland stuff presumably still to place (talabot, blondes, etc)

:\

I'm not really into their type of shit, but I'd still take it over a lot of the dance music that's placed so far. I've given up hope for my own vote Young Smoke to place, but I'm still holding a candle out for Mala.

i mean talabot is nice enough but it's basically like listening to dance music's version of coldplay

are the tracks and albums polls always this samey?

Seems that way this year more than usual.

also the panda bear vocals on that album are gross

coldplay comparisons to inflammatory to be meaningful

if you want to be dismissive some kind of jobbing indie rock would band would be a better analogy

http://i.imgur.com/jPhJscZ.png

22. JULIA HOLTER Ekstasis (503 Points, 18 Votes, 1 First Place Vote) Spotify

someone else add #21 to the playlist when it comes up, I have to bounce

TOO LOW

Honestly thought this one might do really really well this year after a solid showing in the 2011 poll.

i thought ekstasis was good (and voted for it) but it seemed kind of weird that this was her breakthrough when 2011's Tragedy was more accessible/song-based

Ooh, another one of mine. Where did Tragedy place in last year's poll?

xp re: talabot: i suppose so, my point is to me it seems very safe and MOR

coldplay comparisons to inflammatory to be meaningful

if you want to be dismissive some kind of jobbing indie rock would band would be a better analogy

― Tim F, Wednesday, January 30, 2013 2:12 PM Bookmark

Eh, that's probably more inflammatory at this point. Does anyone even still froth at the mouth about Coldplay in 2013? I mean ffs, one of the dance albums that's placed has a Coldplay cover and no one's crying foul.

That...is an album I listened to once and didn't really know what to make of.

going to see julia on sunday, cooled on ekstasis a bit having fallen in love with it early last year. still think i found room for it in my ballot.

i mean talabot is nice enough but it's basically like listening to dance music's version of coldplay

this sounds p good

holter is kinda enh, a bunch of unfulfilling answers to uninteresting questions. cool t-shirts tho

I keep confusing her with Holly Herndon, who I like both more and less.