2023 AOTY So Far

have yet to be mentioned:

john cale - mercy (board seems cool on this one but i revisited it last week and it made me feel like i was trapped in gelatin, rules so much)
pile - all fiction (ppl ignore this incredibly creative and cool rock record at their peril)
the mars volta - que dios te maldiga mi corazon
krallice - porous resonance abyss
maara - the ancient truth
fall out boy - so much (for) stardust
narrow head - moments of clarity
kesha - gag order

I haven’t heard much new music lately but I’m with you on mercy it’s his best in 20 years for me (I was gonna say I’ve been pretty cold on stuff he’s done since hobosapiens, which I adore, but I forgot the reworked mfans & the circus live album)

the mars volta - que dios te maldiga mi corazon

forgot to mention this but it will easily be top 5 for me this year

An album I'm enjoying start to finish: En Attendant Ana - Principia. Indie with echoes of Stereolab, Broadcast, and motorik.
https://enattendantana.bandcamp.com/album/principia

Another mention for Lisa O'Neill who I love, but also...

Dina Ögon, Oas - random Spotify discovery from earlier in the year, really coming into its own now summer is beginning. Immaculate, smooth, baroque jazzpop from Stockholm, just the right side of too cute.

Hamish Hawk, Angel Numbers - terrific Scottish sophistipop which has grown on me a lot since my initial disappointment.

Langendorf Utd, Yeahno Yowouw Land - gorgeous Ethiopiquey jazz from Swedish saxophonist who's played with James Yorkston etc.

David Brewis, The Soft Struggles - makes a strong case for Sunderland as the new Canterbury scene, lovely, wistful, astralweeksy chamberfolk.

Jim Ghedi & Toby Hay - sublime, duelling, twangling acoustic guitars from Yorkshire and Wales.

Felicita, Spalarkle - moreish, wonky hyperpop. Occasionally like Virginia Astley signed to PC Music.

Dina Ögon, Oas

this one was good, twisty turny, immaculately produced lounge pop

Haven't seen anyone mention...

Yaeji - With a Hammer -- inventive, diverse electronic album with Korean and English female vocals, some drum n bass, some techno, some club
Kara Jackson - Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? -- was very impressed with this but have to revisit. Don't know anything that sounds quite like it, but heard a bit of Leonhard Cohen and maybe Fiona Apple in it. Stark folk rock with poetic, blunt lyrics.

Stereogum's list from yesterday has Yaeji at #12 fwiw
https://www.stereogum.com/2225527/best-albums-of-2023-first-half/lists/album-list/

I liked all her previous releases but was bored with it. Maybe I'll give it another spin.

oh sorry I guess you meant mentions here. Her count of list placements above isn't bad.

Man, not sure what it is, but I haven't been able to reconnect with Yaeji the way I did with her first couple EPs. New one is nice imo, but that's about it.

I love "raingurl" but the album is a bit of a snooze.

Man, not sure what it is, but I haven't been able to reconnect with Yaeji the way I did with her first couple EPs.

Maybe Nick Sylvester's production is actually good and underrated

Interesting because I have had the opposite experience with her music -- didn't see what all the fuss was about with the EPs but really enjoyed the album.

Also think the spreadsheet was locked. Would appreciate if one of you can verify it's working now.

Can't quite remember what albums came out this year but have definitely enjoying...

Abracadabra - Shapes & Colors
Water From Your Eyes - Everyone's Crushed

that water from your eyes album is really good yes

At the moment:

Tanith - Voyage (mystical and proggy 70s-ish hard rock - great vibes)
Aindulmedir - Star Lore (dark and wintry ambient synth)
Deerhoof - Miracle-Level

My five favourites so far

Blawan - Dismantled Into Juice (EP)
Galen Tipton - Brain Scratch
Avey Tare - 7s
Depeche Mode - Momento Mori
Yves Tumor - Praise a Lord

Jim Ghedi & Toby Hay - sublime, duelling, twangling acoustic guitars from Yorkshire and Wales

Nice to see mention of this record. One of my top picks for the year so far alongside:

Alberto Lizarralde - "Haizeyxe"
Annelies Monsere - Mares
Marlene Ribeiro - Toquei no Sol
Waclaw Zimpel - Train Spotter

avalon emerson, eddie chacon, and billy woods

don't blame anyone for checking out on Kool Keith's spotty output years ago but "Serpent" produced by Real Bad Man is really great

avalon emerson, eddie chacon, and billy woods

― LaMDA barry-stanners (||||||||)

Are you me? Those might also be my current top 3

Avalon Emerson & the Charm - s/t
Decisive Pink - Ticket To Fame
Kali Malone - Does Spring Hide Its Joy
Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good!
Everything But The Girl - Fuse
MSPAINT - Post-American
Susanne Sundfør - Blómi

& some NZ releases:
Grecco Romank - Wet Exit (industrial/EBM with opera and rave flourishes, best live act in NZ right now)
Maxine Funke - River Said (first half is lysergic folk, while the second half splits the difference between Arthur Russell & Alistair Galbraith)
Guardian Singles - Feed Me To The Doves (propulsive post-punk owing more to the Pacific Northwest than Flying Nun; cute Priit Pärn-esque rotoscoped music video)
Jonathan Bree - Pre-Code Hollywood (slinky Scott Walker moves with Nile Rodgers cameoing)

My favourites so far:

Avalon Emerson – & the Charm
Caroline Polachek - Desire...
Tiny Ruins - Ceremony
Yves Tumor - Praise a Lord....
Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good!
James Holden – Imagine This is a High Dimensional Space of All Possibilities

cosign the Decisive Pink album. lovely.

and the Bar Italia album.

yeah I just heard that bar Italia really great stuff, late period blonde redhead vibes sometimes

and Feeble Little Horse! my favorite discovery of this mid-year thing we all do.

Maxine Funke - River Said (first half is lysergic folk, while the second half splits the difference between Arthur Russell & Alistair Galbraith)

Ooh, I loved her previous record, a discovery from a previous ILM poll

oh, also:
Mui Zyu - Rotten Bun for an Eggless Century

This thread is due for an update, or ILM has been completely derailed and gotten a stiff neck from looking backwards and downwards.

I'm discovering the Canto Ostinato 4-piano piece from Simeon ten Holt through Erik Hall's version with a piano / Rhodes piano / Hammond organ. At best it's like minimal classic prog, at worst it's an entrancing music box, actually scratch that, it's just a mesmerizing piece.

still The Tubs

Id add these to my shortlist above:

Lankum - False Lankum
The Clientele - I am not there anymore
Nabihah Iqbal - DREAMER

probably norm by andy shauf for me. pretty much a perfect album. hopefully the new sparklehorse record tomorrow will knock it off its perch

Mine will def be:
The Japanese House - In The End It Always Does

Followed by:
feeble little horse - Girl with Fish
Blake Mills w/ Chris Weisman - Jelly Road
Westerman - An Inbuilt Fault
Natural Information Society w/ Ari Brown - Since Time Is Gravity
George Winstone w/ Ben Monder - Odysseus
David Lord - Forest Standards, Vol. 3
Thomas Bangalter - Mythologies
Rezzett - Meant Like This
Chris Speed Trio - Despite Obstacles
Trickster - Live In Brooklyn
Sam Weinberg Trio w/ Chris Lightcap & Tom Rainey - Implicatures
John Edwards/Andrew Lisle/Dirk Serries/Colin Webster - Out Of Nowhere
VoidCeremony - Threads Of Unknowing
Incantation - Unholy Deification
Conjureth - The Parasitic Chambers
Ulthar - Anthronomicon
Moufang/Czamanski - Recreational Kraut
Nondi_ - Flood City Trax
Tim Hecker - No Highs
Tirzah - trip9love...???

Reissues/archival releases:
No-Neck Blues Band - Niente Piu Canzoni
Rick White - Eric's Trip Demos (92-95)
Arthur Russell - Picture Of Bunny Rabbit
Sam Gendel - Pass If Music
Nana Vasconcelos/Nelson Angelo/Novelli - Nana, Nelson Angelo, Novelli

Jute Gyte and Tirzah simuldrop has def shaken up my standings, Fire-Toolz still on top tho

This has really been a difficult year for me, there are a handful of albums I enjoy, but nothing truly great. I think I need to find some new genre to get obsessed with.

tirzah
amaarae
pj harvey
meshell ndegeocello
laura groves
avalon emerson
kelela
jessy lanza
ratboys
julie byrne
zach bryan

Some recent albums deserving of love

Modern Cosmology - What Will You Grow Now?
Alison Goldfrapp - The Love Invention
Belbury Poly - The Path
Blank Banshee - 4D
George Clanton - Ooh Rap I Ya
Jaimie Branch - Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)

Currently leaning:
Flesh and the Dream - Choose Mortality

some i haven't seen here yet:

beatings are in the body - st
being dead - when horses would run
ben howard - is it?
asher gamedze - turbulence and pulse
philippe brach - les gens qu'on aime
bernice - cruisin'
jana horn - the window is the dream

Here are some favorites that I haven't posted on this thread yet:

Kurt Rosenwinkel - Undercover: Live at the Village Vanguard
Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band - Kings Highway
v/a - I Am A Pilgrim: Doc Watson at 100
Hudson Mohawke & Nikki Nair - Set the Roof EP
Nakibembe Embaire Group (Nyege Nyge)
Maxine Funke - River Said
Tristan Arp - End of a Line or Part of a Circle? EP
Metrist - Pollen III (Timedance)
Daniel Ake - Green Thumb
Lukas Traxel - One-Eyed Daruma

co-sign that being dead album

also would be remiss if i didn't list my two most-listened albums of the summer

babyface ray - summer's mine
veeze - ganger

Noname deserves a mention

The Tubs - Dead Meat
&
billy woods/Kenny Segal - Maps

are solidly my top 2

My most listened to for last few months:

Amaarare - Fountain Baby
Carly Rae Jepsen - The Loveliest Time
JIM - Love Makes Magic
Ben Howard - Is It?
Nabihah Iqbal - Dreamer
Django Django - Off Planet Pts 1-4
The Clientele - I Am Not There Anymore
Overmono - Good Lies

this is my corny head in the sand list

rezzett - live at stand by
mpu101 - mpu103
nimu - picture in picture
life expectancy - decline
exhibition - the last laugh
örnatorpet - evigt främmande, evigt fjärran
ascended dead - evenfall of the apocalypse
randolph & mortimer - the incomplete truth
cloud forest protection agency - c.f.p.a vol. ii
golden hallway music - rules & chance vol. 3
billy woods and kenny segal - maps
asymetric80 - blood lies
rae sremmurd - sremm 4 life
lana del rey - did you know that there’s a tunnel under ocean blvd
kassem mosse - workshop 32
hans peter neergård - til deg
boldy james, richgains - indiana jones

one more:

wave temples - panama shift

this slowdive album is a major contender for me. I've listened to it an awful lot considering it came out a week ago.

BC Camplight - The Last Rotation Of Earth

the tubs - dead meat

Jaimie Branch - Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)

― Muad'Doob (Moodles)

+1

xp yes! i mean 'look at these friennnnnndddsss, there's nothin like em nowhere!' a few weeks ago i had the privelege of djing an all day hardcore/metal show and telling my friend standing next to me i'm about to hit these fools with a track called 'tv turkey'

the self-titled album by Dead Pioneers, nothing else this year came close for me

Totally agree Chris, both albums are spectacular but, for me, The Window is on another level. I first came across it from listening to Wednesday and immediately loved it, whereas i just can get with that Wednesday record at all.

I also prefer The Window to the Wednesday album. More melodic and closer to, say, Waxahatchee.

Nom your AOTY noms over on the EOY noms thread: ILM's 2023 End of Year Tracks & Albums Poll / NOMINATIONS THREAD

the country album of the year is the kelsea ballerini ep