31 replies to this topic

[Josh Hurst]

John Mulvey has posted his favoite albums of the years, halfway into it; so has NPR.

Anyone else care to take a turn?

My own Top 10:

1. Robert Glasper Experiment, Black Radio
2. Dr. John, Locked Down
3. Jack White, Blunderbuss
4. Kelly Hogan, I Like to Keep Myself in Pain
5. Jon Cleary, Ocappela
6. Richard Hawley, Standing at the Sky's Edge
7. Alejandro Escovedo, Big Station
8. Anders Osborne, Black Eye Galaxy
9. Bobby Womack, The Bravest Man in the Universe
10. Bonnie Raitt, Slipstream

[Kyle]

Sure--

Off the top of my head and in no particular order are some of my favorites:

Robert Glasper, Black Radio
Esperanza Spalding, Radio Music Society
Carolina Chocolate Drops, Leaving Eden
Allo Darlin', Europe
Bonnie Raitt, Slipstream
Elizabeth Cook, Gospel Plow
Jon Cleary, Ocappela
Dr. John, Locked Down
Richard Hawley, Standing at the Sky's Edge
Justin Townes Earle, Nothings Gonna Change the Way I Feel about You Now
First Aid Kit, The Lion's Den
Rosie Thomas, With Love
Damien Jurado, Maraqopa
JD McPherson, Signs & Signifiers
John Fullbright, From the Ground Up
Sara Watkins, Sun Midnight Sun
Treme, Season Two soundtrack

[Christian]

Has Vijay Iyer's Accelerando fallen off the chart? We seemed enthusiastic when it was released.

[Josh Hurst]

Christian, on 19 June 2012 - 07:43 AM, said:

Has Vijay Iyer's Accelerando fallen off the chart? We seemed enthusiastic when it was released.

I posted my top ten on Facebook last week, Christina, and Accelerando was on it-- but since then, I've heard the Bobby Womack, which edged it out. Still love Accelerando-- an essential album for his "Human Nature" cover alone, I think.

[Christian]

That's fine, Josh. And don't call me "Christina."

I was enjoying "Human Nature" the other day, wondering if it was a great jazz recording, or just a familiar melody played (more than) pleasantly.

[Jason Panella]

In alphabetical order:

Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker and Jim James - New Multitudes
Richard Hawley - Standing at the Sky's Edge
Damian Jurado - Maraqopa
The Life and Times - No One Loves You Like I Do
Lightships - Electric Cable
Lost in the Trees - A Church That Fits Our Needs
Twilight Sad - No One Can Ever Know

I've heard a few others, but these are the ones that've stuck with me the most.

Edited by Jason Panella, 19 June 2012 - 03:03 PM.

[Andy Whitman]

I haven't even tried to rank these, and I know there are far more than 10, but here are my favorites thus far:

Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
Allo Darlin' - Europe
Anais Mitchell - Young Man in America
Anders Osborne - Black Eye Galaxy
Aradhna - Sapna
The Beach Boys - That's Why God Made the Radio
Bobby Womack - The Bravest Man in the Universe
Bonnie Raitt - Slipstream
Brendan Benson - What Kind of World
Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
Carolina Chocolate Drops - Leaving Eden
Choir of Young Believers - Rhine Gold
Dave Perkins - Deadline
Dexys - One Day I'm Going to Soar
Dirty Three - Toward the Low Sun
Dr. John - Locked Down
El-P - Cancer for the Cure
Esperanza Spalding - Radio Music Society
Farrar, Johnson, Parker, Yames - New Multitudes
Father John Misty - Fear Fun
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel ....
Gentleman Jesse - Leaving Atlanta
Giant Sand - Tucson
Graham Coxon - A&E
Gravenhurst - The Ghost in Daylight
Guided By Voices - Class Clown Spots a UFO
Horse Feathers - Cynic's New Year
Jack White - Blunderbuss
James Blackshaw - Love is the Plan, the Plan is Death
John Fullbright - From the Ground Up
Jon Cleary - Occapella
Kathleen Edwards - Voyageur
Kelly Hogan - I Like to Keep Myself in Pain
Lambchop - Mr. M
Lee Fields - Faithful Man
Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
Lightships - Electric Cables
Lost in the Trees - A Church That Fits Our Needs
Loudon Wainwright III - Older Than My Old Man Now
Mairi Morrison and Alasdair Roberts - Urstan
The Men - Open Your Heart
The Menzingers - On the Impossible Past
mewithoutYou - Ten Stories
Mind Spiders - Meltdown
Mount Eerie - Clear Moon
Nada Surf - The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy
Patrick Watson - Adventures In Your Own Back Yard
Paul Buchanan - Mid Air*
Richard Hawley - Standing at the Sky's Edge
Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio
Rush - Clockwork Angels
Shearwater - Animal Joy
The Shins - Point of Morrow
Sigur Ros - Valtari
The Tallest Man on Earth - There's No Leaving Now
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Everybody's Talkin'
Tindersticks - The Something Rain
Trampled by Turtles - Stars and Satellites
Vijay Iyer - Accelerando
Waco Brothers and Paul Burch - The Great Chicago Fire
Yellow Ostrich - Strange Land

* Okay, I know I said I wasn't ranking albums, but this is my favorite thus far.

[Jason Panella]

Oh, thanks for reminding me that I listened to (and liked) the Lightships album, Andy.

[Greg P]

2012 albums I have listened to, in their entirety, more than five times:

Kathleen Edwards, Voyageur
Soundtrack of Our Lives, Throw it to the Universe
Father John Misty, Fear Fun
Spiritualized, Sweet Heart , Sweet Light

[Hugues]

So far I purchased the new albums of:

First Aid Kit
Chairlift
Porcelain Raft
Lana del Rey
Beth Jeans Houghton & the Hooves of Destiny
Sharon Van Etten
La Grande Sophie
Tennis
Amanda Mair
Moore + Sons
Rachel Ries (handmade EP that she sent to me from Czech republica!)
Frankie Rose
Hunx
Sophia Knapp
Anaïs
Annie Gallup
Gentleman Jesse
Lonely Drifter Karen
La Sera
Barbara Carlotti
Ren Harvieu
Lori Carson
Bonnie Raitt
M. Ward
Loudon Wainwright III
Allo Darlin'
We Are Serenades
Dar Williams
Rufus Wainwright
Sarah Jaffe
Marina & the Diamonds
Norah Jones
Richard Hawley
The School
Beach House
Best Coast
Saint Etienne
Ladyhawke
Broken Water
Marissa Nadler
The Walkmen
Crocodiles
Friends
Kelly Hogan
Mynabirds
Shonen Knife

but I've just started to listen to the top of the pile... 'cause i've just finished my 2011 comp! (it makes 4 CDs, it's been a great year for music, and especially rock'n'roll!)

Anyway so far, I really like Porcelain Raft, Chairlift, Beth Jeans Houghton and Lana Del Rey. On the other hand, I can't stand First Aid Kit upon a few listens, the singer sings too loud. It was hard already with Lori McKenna and Lydia Loveless, though I kept a few tracks for my 2011's comp.

Edited by Hugues, 19 June 2012 - 05:17 PM.

[opus]

Some favorites so far...

Brother Sun, Sister Moon - Brother Sun, Sister Moon
C-Jeff - Preschtale
Damien Jurado - Maraqopa
Lightfoils - Lightfoils EP
Northern Valentine - Fin de Siecle

Haven't quite decided on Mount Eerie, yet.

I still have yet to really dig into the new albums from mewithoutYou, Richard Hawley, and Paul Buchanan, but I suspect they'll be on my list too.

[Josh Hurst]

NPR readers pick Blunderbuss.

[J. Henry Waugh]

I'm not too proud to admit that I have been looking forward to these lists for a long time now. Thank you, friends.

The 2012 releases I have listened to most are Voyager, New Multitudes and (my favorite, a time machine) Mermaid Ave. Vol III.

[Darryl A. Armstrong]

Well, I've got a lot to listen to on those lists. Here's mine so far (in alphabetical order):

Beach House - Bloom
Blaudzun - Heavy Flowers
Chairlift - Something
Grimes - Visions
Kathleen Edwards - Voyageur
Lana del Rey - Born to Die
Norah Jones - Little Broken Hearts
Porcelain Raft - Strange Weekend
School of Seven Bells - The Night
Shearwater - Animal Joy
We Are Serenades - Criminal Heaven
We Have Band - Ternion

ETA: We Are Serenades - Criminal Heaven

Edited by Darryl A. Armstrong, 21 June 2012 - 07:32 PM.

[Darren H]

For Spotify users, I've created a playlist from all of these recommendations.

[Darryl A. Armstrong]

Darren H, on 22 June 2012 - 08:07 AM, said:

For Spotify users, I've created a playlist from all of these recommendations.

Thanks Darren! Very cool. Can subscribers add selections, do you know? I notice a few you missed.

[Darren H]

Most are missing because they're not available at Spotify. I've included everything I could find.

[Andrew]

I buy very little new music, but here's my huge list of faves in descending order:

Rush, Clockwork Angels
Springsteen, Wrecking Ball
Regina Spektor, What We Saw from the Cheap Seats

I was rather meh about Sigur Ros' latest. Probably next on my music purchase list is Sara Watkins' new CD.

[Crow]

I have a lot to get caught up on, but these are the ones that have stuck with me the most so far:

Dr John - Locked Down
Jack White - Blunderbuss
Shearwater - Animal Joy
The Choir - The Loudest Sound Ever Heard
Vijay Iyer Trio - Accelerando
Matthew Perryman Jones - Land of the Living
Lovedrug - Wild Blood
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Area 52
Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself
The Rocketboys - Build Anyway

Edited by Crow, 22 June 2012 - 04:33 PM.

[Gavin Breeden]

My Top Five Favorite Albums so far (alphabetical):

Carolina Chocolate Drops, Leaving Eden
Dr. John, Locked Down
Anais Mitchell, Young Man in America
Robert Glasper Experiment, Black Radio
Bobby Womack, The Bravest Man in the Universe


Other albums I've really enjoyed but haven't spent a great deal of time with yet:

Jack White, Blunderbuss
The Beach Boys, That's Why God Made the Radio
Bruce Springsteen, Wrecking Ball
Richard Hawley, Standing at the Sky's Edge
Alejandro Escovedo, Big Station
Jon Cleary, Ocappela
Hot Chip, In Our Heads
Bonnie Raitt, Slipstream
Beach House, Bloom
The Tallest Man on Earth, There's No Leaving Now
Esperanza Spalding, Radio Music Society
The Welcome Wagon, Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices
Elizabeth Cook, Gospel Plow
Lyle Lovett, Release Me
Japandroids, Celebration Rock

And stil a lot of things that interest me that I haven't gotten to yet...