auto

The 2012 Rank'em as You Hear Them Thread

Okay, I did a horrible job keeping up on this last year but I'm going to try to get back on track in 2012.

The rules are simple:

This thread is for ranking albums that are released in 2012 only. This does not include reissues or albums that you have purchased/heard for the first time this year but were released in prior years. This does not include albums released at the end of 2011 or that you just discovered in 2012.

Keep your list in one post (edit!) and keep them in some sort of order. See the second post for my system.

Note: Please don't use a "placeholder" post if you don't actually plan on updating your list.

This thread is to post lists but feel free to discuss the music too. Hopefully we can introduce each other to some good music this year!

auto

auto's 2012 Rankings:




Sleigh Bells:


Leonard Cohen: Old Ideas


Lana Del Rey: S/T













To Be Rated:

DJLinus

I did a pathetic job this year, but I'll do my best in 2012.

Giles

I'll give it a shot, but I really don't listen to full length albums that much.

Perkinsun Dzees

David Byrne & St. Vincent - Love This Giant


Paul Buchanan - Mid Air
Metric - Synthetica
Of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks


Best Coast - The Only Place
Milo Greene - Milo Greene
Passion Pit - Gossamer
Saint Etienne - Words and Music by Saint Etienne
The Vaccines - Come of Age


Spector - Enjoy it While it Lasts

Quake1028

John's 2012 Album Rankings (As of 12/19/12)

(9) **RANKED**
The Avett Brothers - The Carpenter
Aesop Rock - Skelethon
Glen Hansard - Rhythm and Repose
El-P - Cancer 4 Cure
The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten
The Tallest Man on Earth - There's No Leaving Now
Metric - Synthetica
Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes
Sigur Rós - Valtari

1/2 (20) **RANKED**
Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood of Colour
Memphis May Fire - Challenger
Bob Dylan - Tempest
Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
Deftones - Koi No Yokan
First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
Islands - A Sleep & A Forgetting
Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city
The Weeknd - Trilogy
Lit - The View From the Bottom
Brother Ali - Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color
The Walkmen - Heaven
The Offspring - Days Go By
Brother Ali - The Bite Marked Heart
Tenacious D - Rize of the Fenix
Neon Trees - Picture Show
Imagine Dragons - Night Visions
Now, Now - Threads
Minus the Bear - Infinity Overhead
Garbage - Not Your Kind of People

(52) **ALPHABETICAL**
9th Wonder & Buckshot - The Solution
9th Wonder & Murs - The Final Adventure
Action Bronson - Rare Chandeliers
Alicia Keys - Girl on Fire
Attack Attack! - This Means War
Beach House - Bloom
Bloc Party - Four
Burial - Kindred
Chairlift - Something
Craig Finn - Clear Heart Full Eyes
Dark Time Sunshine - ANX
Daughn Gibson - All Hell
Deerhoof - Breakup Song
Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits
Dum Dum Girls - End of Daze EP
Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE
Frightened Rabbit - State Hospital EP
Grizzly Bear - Shields
Half Moon Run - Dark Eyes
Hot Chip - In Our Heads
Jack White - Blunderbuss
Japandroids - Celebration Rock
John Mayer - Born and Raised
Lacuna Coil - Dark Adrenaline
Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
Miike Snow - Happy to You
Millionyoung - Amanecer
Mumford & Sons - Babel
Nada Surf - The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Psychedelic Pill
Norah Jones - Little Broken Hearts
Of Monsters And Men - My Head is an Animal
Passion Pit - Gossamer
P.O.S. - We Don't Even Live Here
Rick Springfield - Songs for the End of the World
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Area 52
Ryan Bingham - Tomorrowland
Sara Bareilles - Once Upon Another Time EP
Silversun Pickups - Neck of the Woods
Tame Impala - Lonerism
The Antlers - Undersea
The Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips & Heady Fwends
The Fray - Scars & Stories
The Hives - Lex Hives
The Maccabees - Given to the Wild
The Mars Volta - Noctourniquet
The Shins - Port of Morrow
The Temper Trap - s/t
The Ting Tings - Sounds From Nowheresville
The xx - Coexist
Various Artists - The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond **
Xzibit - Napalm

1/2 (41) **ALPHABETICAL**
A.C. Newman - Shut Down the Streets
Air – Le voyage dans la Lune
Anberlin - Vita
Andrew Bird - Hands of Gloryl
Band of Horses - Mirage Rock
Band of Skulls - Sweet Sour
Bob Mould - Silver Age
Crystal Castles - (III)
Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet on Sky
Dr. Dog - Be the Void
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
Here We Go Magic - A Different Ship
Hospitality - s/t
How to Destroy Angels - An omen EP_
Imperial Teen - Feel the Sound
Jason Mraz - Love is a Four-Letter Word
Justin Townes Earle - Nothing's Going to Change The Way You Feel About Me Now
Linkin Park - LIVING THINGS
Matt & Kim - Lightning
Menomena - Moms
mewithoutYou - Ten Stories
Murs X Fashawn - This Generation
M.Ward - A Wasteland Compilation
of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks
Plants and Animals - The End of That
Ringo Starr - Ringo 2012
Schoolboy Q - Habits & Contradictions
School of Seven Bells - Ghostory
School of Seven Bells - Put Your Sad Down
Shearwater - Animal Joy
Slash - Apocalyptic Love
Swans - Seer
The All-American Rejects - Kids in the Street
The Cranberries - Roses
The Menzingers - On The Impossible Past
The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth
The Little Willies - I Worship You
The Magnetic Fields - Love at the Bottom of the Sea
Two Door Cinema Club - Beacon
WZRD - s/t

(33) **ALPHABETICAL**
Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
Andrew Bird - Break it Yourself
Animal Collective - Centipede Hz
Anthony Green - Beautiful Things
Ben Kweller - Go Fly a Kite
Best Coast - The Only Place
Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
BT - If the Stars are Eternal So Are You and I
Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory
David Byrne & St. Vincent - Love This Giant
deadmau5 - > album title goes here <
Dirty Projectors - About to Die
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Here
Expensive Looks - Dark Matters
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel....
Four Tet - Pink
fun. - Some Nights
Green Day - ¡UNO!
Green Day - ¡TRE!
Ian Anderson - Thick as a Brick 2
Kimbra - Vows
Lyle Lovett - Release Me
Maroon 5 - Overexposed
Meek Mill - Dreams & Nightmares
Muse - The 2nd Law
Rufus Wainwright - Out of the Game
Rush - Clockwork Angels
Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror
Styles P - The World's Most Hardest MC Project
Tennis - Young & Old
The Cult - Choice of Weapon
Titus Andronicus - Local Business
Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth

1/2 (14) **ALPHABETICAL**
B.o.B. - Strange Clouds
Bruno Mars - Unorthodox Jukebox
Deer Tick - Tim EP
Floating Action - Fake Blood
Green Day - ¡DOS!
Grimes - Visions
Lana Del Rey - Born to Die
Madonna - MDNA
Matthew Dear - Beams
Matthew Dear - Headcage
Say Anything - Anarchy, My Dear
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Out of Frequency
The Killers - Battle Born
Wild Nothing - Nocturne

(8) **ALPHABETICAL**
Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
Guided by Voices - Let's Go Eat the Factory
Heartless Bastards - Arrow
Kid Rock - Rebel Soul
Lamb of God - Resolution
Lana Del Rey - Paradise
Municipal Waste - The Fatal Feast
Travis Barker & Yelawolf - Psycho White EP

1/2 (2) **ALPHABETICAL**
of Montreal - Daughter of Cloud
Usher - Looking 4 Myself

BOMB (3) **ALPHABETICAL**
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes
Death Grips - The Money Store
No Doubt - Push and Shove

** - Will not be included in Top 10

**Now Listening**
Guilty Simpson & Apollo Brown - Dice Game
Roc Marciano - Reloaded
Skeme - Alive & Living
Vinnie Paz - God of the Serengeti
Sean Price - Mic Tyson
Ab-Soul - Control System
Various Artists - The Man With the Irons Fists OST
Various Artists - G.O.O.D. Music: Cruel Summer
Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Part 1
Alanis Morissette - Havoc and Bright Lights
Yeasayer - Fragrant World
Rick Ross - God Forgives, I Don't
Jimmy Fallon - Blow Your Pants Off
Curren$y - Stoned Immaculate
Big K.R.I.T. - Live from the Underground
nAs - Life is Good

TOP 15 OF THE YEAR
1.The Avett Brothers - The Carpenter
2.Aesop Rock - Skelethon
3.Glen Hansard - Rhythm and Repose
4.El-P - Cancer 4 Cure
5.The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten
6.The Tallest Man on Earth - There's No Leaving Now
7.Metric - Synthetica
8.Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes
9.Sigur Rós - Valtari
10.Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood of Colour

11.Memphis May Fire - Challenger
12.Bob Dylan - Tempest
13.Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
14.First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
15.Islands - A Sleep & A Forgetting

Mordred

I did a fine job of this last year, and expect to continue the tradition in 2012


1. If These Trees Could Talk - Red Forest
2. Latitudes - Individuation
3. Landforge - Servitude to Earth


4. Deftones - Koi no Yokan
5. Anathema - Weather Systems
6. ÆGES - The Bridge
7. Gojira - L'Enfant sauvage
8. Toundra - (III)
9. Cavo - Thick as Thieves
10. RAM - Death
11. In Mourning - The Weight of Oceans
Devin Townsend Project - By a Thread - Live in London 2011
Moving Mountains - New Light EP
Pelican - Ataraxia/Taraxis
Ufomammut - ORO: Opus Primum
The Used - Vulnerable


Alcest - Les Voyages de l'âme
Ancients - Star Showers on the Euphrates
Angel Witch - As Above, So Below
As I Lay Dying - Awakened
Baroness - Yellow & Green
Between the Buried and Me - The Parallax II: Future Sequence
Caspian - Live at Old South Church
Caspian - Waking Season
Chelsea Wolfe - Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs
Christian Mistress - Possession
Cloudkicker - Fade
Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind
Eisley - Deep Space EP
Fang Island - Major
Florence + the Machine - MTV Unplugged
Gorod - A Perfect Absolution
Halestorm - The Strange Case of...
Huntress - Spell Eater
Imagine Dragons - Night Visions
Jorn - Bring Heavy Rock to the Land
Keith Merrow - Retrospecial
Les Discrets - Ariettes oubliees...
Mike Doughty - The Question Jar Show
Mumford & Sons - Babel
OSI - Fire Make Thunder
pg.lost - Key
Shinedown - Amyrillis
Stories for the Lost - For Clouds
Swans - The Seer
Taylor Swift - Red
The Avett Brothers - Carpenter
The Samuel Jackson Five - The Samuel Jackson Five
The Shins - Port of Morrow
The Sword - Apocryphon
Worm Ouroboros - Come the Thaw


10 Years - Minus the Machine
All-American Rejects - Kids in the Street
American Dollar - Awake in the City
Arjen Anthony Lucasen - Lost in the New Real
Balmorhea - Stranger
Brendon Small - Brendon Small's Galktikon
Deathmøle - Meade's Army
Dethklok - Dethalbum III
Earth - Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II
Flyleaf - New Horizons
High on Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis
Ingrid Michaelson - Human Again
Iron Maiden - En Vivo!
Isis - Live VI
Joe Bonamassa - Driving Towards the Daylight
Leech - If We Get There One Day, Would You Please Open the Gates?
MAGNETOSCOP. - une fleur dans le goudron
Marriages - Kitsune
Metric - Synthetica
MONO - For My Parents
Neurosis - Honor Found in Decay
Nile - At the Gate of Sethu
Overkill - The Electric Age
P!nk - The Truth About Love
Pretty Maids - It Comes Alive: Maid in Switzerland
Rhett Miller - The Dreamer
Royal Bliss - Waiting Out the Storm
sleepmakeswaves - sleepmakeswaves EP
té - ゆえに、密度の幻想は綻び、蹌踉めく世界は明日を『忘却』す。
Tenacious D - Rize of the Fenix
Testament - Dark Roots of Earth
The Darkness - Hot Cakes
The Killers - Battle Born
The Lumineers - The Lumineers
The Night Flight Orchestra - Internal Affairs
The Ocean - The Grand Inquisitor EP
Three Steps to the Ocean - Scents EP
Torche - Harminocraft
Ufomammut - ORO: Opus Alter
Young Hunter - Stone Tools


Accept - Stalingrad
Aerosmith - Music from Another Dimension
Ancestors - In Dreams & Time
Blut aus Nord - 777 - Cosmosophy
Coheed and Cambria - The Afterman: Ascension
Corrosion of Conformity - Corrosion of Conformity
Deathmøle - Advances
Devin Townsend Project - Epicloud
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Here
Eluveitie - Helvetios
Firewind - Few Against Many
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 'Allelujah' Don't Bend! Ascend!
Hammock - Departure Songs
Ihsahn - Eremita
Jeff Loomis - Plains of Oblivion
Job for a Cowboy - Demonocracy
John Mayer - Born and Raised
Kill Devil Hill - Kill Devil Hill
Periphery - Periphery II
Roxette - Travelling
Rush - Clockwork Angels
Sigur Rós - Valtari
Slash - Apocalyptic Love
Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania
Steve Vai - The Story of Light
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Everybody's Talkin'
TesseracT - Perspective
The Pilgrim - Misery Wizard
Three Days Grace - Transit of Venus
Tourniquet - Antiseptic Bloodbath


Chairlift - Something
Dokken - Broken Bones
Down - Down IV, Part I: The Purple EP
Enslaved - RIITIIR
Evans Blue - Graveyard of Empires
Gifts from Enola - A Healthy Fear
In This Moment - Blood
Jack White - Blunderbuss
Lacuna Coil - Dark Adrenaline
Linkin Park - Living Things
Muse - The 2nd Law
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Area 52
Sigh - In Somniphobia
Silversun Pickups - Neck of the Woods
Steven Wilson - Catalogue / Preserve / Amass
Stone Sour - House of Gold & Bones Part 1
Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion
The Gathering - Disclosure
Toadies - Play.Rock.Music.
Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth


Agalloch - Whitedivisiongrey
Drewsif Stalin's Musical Endeavors - Absurdity
Everclear - Invisible Stars
Flobots - The Circle in the Square
Hurt - The Crux
Lilacs & Champagne - Lilacs & Champagne
Matchbox 20 - North
P.O.D. - Murdered Love
The Temper Trap - The Temper Trap
UFO - Seven Deadly


Aimee Mann - Charmer
Carina Round - Tigermending
Heart - Fanatic
Jack Blades - Rock 'n Roll Ride
Lamb of God - Resolution
Meshuggah - Koloss


Animal Collective - Centipede Hz
Great White - Elation





Through 10-26-12

Top 10 is listed above, the rest are in alphabetic order.

Biggest Surprise: Landforge - Servitude to Earth - Amazing one-man instrumental metal project. Terrible, terrible album cover too.
Biggest Disappointment: [b]Devin Townsend Project[b]- Epicloud - Not terrible but utterly forgettable, and I'm a huge Devin fan.

Oliver Clothesoff

George Harrison - Early Takes Volume 1


Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet On Sky
AC Newman - Shut Down the Streets
Bob Mould - Silver Age
Tindersticks - The Something Rain
La Sera - Sees the Light


Beach House - Bloom
Guided by Voices - Class Clown Spots a UFO
The Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends
Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself



Future of the Left - The Plot Against Common Sense
Air – Le voyage dans la Lune
Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth
Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
Guided By Voices - Let's Go Eat the Factory


The Walkmen - Heaven
D'Eon - LP
Corin Tucker Band - Kill My Blues
Sigur Ros - Valtari
Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror
Spiritualized - Sweet Hearth Sweet Light
Jack White - Blunderbuss
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel is wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do


David Byrne and St. Vincent - Love This Giant
Lace Curtains - The Garden of Joy and the Well of Loneliness
First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
Cat Power - Sun
The Vaccines - Come of Age


Xiu Xiu - Always
The Magnetic Fields - Love at the Bottom of the Sea
Best Coast - The Only Place
Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
Kelly Hogan - I Like To Keep Myself in Pain


Lana Del Rey - Born to Die



Now Playing:
Godspeed You! Black Emperor: ALLELUJAH! DON’T BEND! ASCEND


Upcoming Playlist:
Gaz Coombes - Gaz Coombes Presents Here Come the Bombs
The Raveonettes - The Observator
Soundgarden - King Animal

maxfisher

As of 11/28/12:

1. Metric - Synthetica
2. Miike Snow - Happy to You
3. Menomena - Moms
4. Divine Fits - This is a Thing Called Divine Fits
5. Cat Power - Sun
6. The xx - Coexist
7. White Rabbits - Milk Famous
8. Grizzly Bear - Shields
9. Beach House - Bloom
10. Eight and a Half - Eight and a Half
11. The Killers - Battle Born
12. Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal
13. Silversun PIckups - Neck of the Woods
14. Mumford & Sons - Babel
15. The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Throw it to the Universe
16. Preteen Zenith - Rubble Guts & BB Eye
17. Stars - The North
18. Bloc Party - Four
19. The Twilight Sad - No One Can Ever Know
20. Our Lady Peace - Curve
21. Band of Skulls - Sweet Sour
22. Jack White - Blunderbuss
23. Fang Island - Major
24. Sigur Ros - Valtari
25. Muse - The 2nd Law
26. The Avett Brothers - The Carpenter
27. The Shins - Port of Morrow
28. Spiritualized - Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
29. Paul Banks - Banks
30. The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten
31. Big Wreck - Albatross
32. Matt and Kim - Lightning
33. The Vaccines - The Vaccines Come of Age
34. Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends
35. Lovedrug - Wild Blood
36. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
37. P.O.S. - We Don't Even Live Here
38. The Menzingers - On the Impossible Past
39. Keane - Strangeland
40. Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself
41. The Walkmen - Heaven
42. Ben Folds Five - The Sound of the Life of the Mind
43. The Tallest Man on Earth - There's No Leaving Now
44. Future of Forestry - Young Man Follow
45. Dirty Projectors - Swing Low Magellan
46. The Temper Trap - The Temper Trap
47. Why? - Mumps, etc.
48. Japandroids - Celebration Rock
49. Lightships - Electric Cables
50. Ben Gibbard - Former Lives
51. The Raveonettes - Observator
52. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
53. Nada Surf - The Stars are Indifferent to Astonomy
54. Jens Lekman - I Know What Love Isn't
55. Lyle Lovett - Release Me
56. Motion City Soundtrack - Go
57. Bat for Lashes - The Haunted Man
58. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes - Here
59. Kaiser Chiefs - Start the Revolution Without Me
60. Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror
61. Dr Dog - Be the Void
62. Josh Ritter - Bringing in the Darlings
63. Glen Hansard - Rhythm and Response
64. Dave Matthews Band - Away from the World
65. Band of Horses - Mirage Rock
66. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...
67. Childish Gambino - Royalty
68. The Cult - Choice of Weapon
69. Brad - United we stand
70. Punch Brothers - Who's Feeling Young Now
71. Best Coast - The Only Place
72. Cursive - I Am Gemini
73. Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires
74. Brendan Benson - What Kind of World
75. M Ward - A Wasteland Companion
76. Jay Farrar/Yim Yames/Anders Parker/Will Johnson - New Multitudes
77. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
78. Ben Kweller - Go Fly a Kite
79. B.o.B. - Strange Clouds
80. Craig Finn - Clear Heart Full Eyes
81. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d. city
82. Gotye - Making Mirrors
83. Lambchop - Mr. M
84. Margot & the Nuclear So & So's - Rot Gut, Domestic
85. Of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks
86. The Magnetic Fields - Love at the Bottom of the Sea
87. Animal Collective - Centipede Hz
88. Van Halen - Different Kind of Truth
89. PS I Love You - Death Dreams
90. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
91. Rush - Clockwork Angels
92. Eve 6 - Speak in Code

Currently Listening To:
Trail of Dead - Lost Songs
Soundgarden - King Animal

FatTony

I finally caught the vinyl bug, so it'll be interesting to see how much new stuff I listen to this year.

**Ranked**
The Menzingers - On The Impossible Past I had high expectations for this, and it delivered! It doesn't have the raw energy of their past releases, but the songwriting has been stepped up a notch to make up for it. Early contender for AOTY. "Ava House" is the weak spot on this album, and it's still a damn fine song, just in a bit of an odd spot in the tracklist.
No Trigger - Tycoon It took six years to get a follow up to the good-but-not-great Canyoneer, but it was absolutely worth the wait. Can't wait to blast this with my windows rolled down all summer. Loud, fast, and energetic as hell.
Classics Of Love - Classics Of Love Jesse Michaels' (Operation Ivy) newest project. All punk rock should be this good, and there's a bit of ska on here to boot. Way to keep it going, Jesse!
Joyce Manor - Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired I still think the hype behind this band is overblown, and it took a while for last year's self-titled release to sink in, but this is a damn fine album if a bit short at 15 minutes. The drum machine effects were an interesting choice for a garage punk band, but it worked out just fine.

**Sorted by Purchase Date**
The Sidekicks - Awkward Breeds This sounds like a band that was heavily influenced by Pinkerton. Indie rock with an energy that keeps it from ever being dull, and a huge step up from their previous album.
SHARKS - No Gods I had really high expectations for this, and while it's good, it lacks the energy and urgency of their past material. This might get bumped up to 5 stars with time, but my mild disappointment is currently keeping it a 4-star rating.
Cleave - The Circle EP Stellar (US?) debut from these dudes, wish I'd heard of them prior to Fest last year so I could see them live. They're basically a Japanese take on Heartsounds, minus the female vocals. I have no problem with this.
Japandroids - Celebration Rock They make a hell of a lot of noise for two dudes. This album is a lot of fun, and I think these guys have it in them to write a perfect album someday, but this isn't it. I'm still getting familiar with the album, but there's 2 tracks that I could see skipping as I listen to it more. Everything else is solid gold though.

**Sorted by Purchase Date**
Xerxes - Our Home Is A Deathbed Bought this based largely on the comparisons they drew to Touche Amore (whose latest was my AOTY of 2011). Sadly, the comparisons were unwarranted and the album is merely okay. Not something I'll throw on very often.
Anti-Flag - The General Strike Another Anti-Flag album. Nothing wrong with that, but nothing that really sticks out on this one either. They're as solid as ever, but the previous album was a bit more memorable.
Hot Water Music - Exister I've never been a big HWM music fan, much to the chagrin of fellow punks. While I enjoy this newest album, it hasn't really convinced me that these guys belong on the pedestal so many put them on. A handful of really solid songs here, but the rest is forgettable.

**Sorted by Purchase Date**
Say Anything - Anarchy, My Dear Max Bemis and company will never reach the heights they achieved on their first album. I've known this for many years, yet I keep buying their new releases, hoping to catch a glimpse of what once made them special.
MxPx - Plans Within Plans Pretty much the same as Say Anything, though Secret Weapon was a pretty good return to form for these guys. It's crazy that after 2 decades as a band, they have yet to progress beyond writing songs about heartbreak and girls - they're all married and have kids now! Their musical abilities haven't advanced much either.
Balance And Composure - Acoustic 7" I hoped this would make B&C click for me the way Make Do And Mend's acoustic EP from last year did. It didn't. I don't get this band.

**Ranked by How Much I Fucking Hate It**
fun. - Some Nights I enjoyed their debut, but I just can't get into this one. *I hate that they used auto-tune for effect too since Nate Ruess can actually sing quite well (I guess it's better than using auto-tune to cover shitty singing, but I still hate the sound).

Unreleased/Haven't Picked Up Yet/Haven't Listened To It Enough To Rate It
Sigur Ros - Valtari
The Dopamines - Vices
Teenage Bottlerocket - Freak Out!
The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten
Mute - Thunderblast

The Bus

This is a great recommendation. The first album this year I listened to all the way through the first time. More than that, I replayed it as soon as I was done.

Hiro11

Here's what we've got so far:


El-P: "Cancer 4 Cure" (Prodigy, KRS-One, Meat Beat Manifesto, Kool Moe Dee etc. This guy is one of the greats.)


Sleep: "Dopesmoker" (reissue) (a bit of a lost classic, unique and uncompromising, I can't stop replaying it)
Santigold: "Master of my Make Believe" (good songs supported by great production, sounds really, really good when played loud)
Twin Shadow: "Confess" (terrific tour through a variety of early eighties pop/R&B/rock styles. "Five Seconds" may be my favorite song so far this year)
Meshuggah: "Koloss" (a terrific, long awaited follow-up to the brilliant "Obzen". One of the more accessible and strongest efforts by a completely original band, they're in a real groove right now)
Killer Mike: "R.A.P. Music" (Outkast protege finally makes a great album. Southern style twang with dynamic El P production)


Diiv: "Oshin" (reverb drenched Smith/Ride/Slowdive pop album. Some truly great tracks on this album, notably "Human" and "How Long Have You Known")
White Arrows: "Dry Land is not a Myth": sort of like an indie pop album assembled in a lab from common recent hipster tropes: take some Vampire Weekend afro-pop, mix in some distorted syncopation from Tune-Yards etc, retro-electronics ala MGMT and shimmering washes of Beach House guitar. Blend on high. Still, it sounds good. Dumb lyrics, though.
Menzingers: "Out of the Impossible Past" (solid pop-punk with smart lyrics)
Cloud Nothings: "Attack on Memory" (whiny "screamo" post punk, but effective and hooky)
Spiritualized: "Sweet Heart, Sweet Light" (just like every Spiritualized album, moments of epic, world class, best-of-the-year, soul shattering brilliance and then some druggy haze)
Beach House: "Bloom" (way better than their last album, IMO. More dream pop in this outing and better, more focused songs)
No Trigger: "Tycoon" (zippy, catchy pop punk, songs are a little weak and the production is a bit thin, but the band can play their ass off and it's a lot of fun)
Saint Etienne: "Words and Music by Saint Etienne" (SE makes another good album of classy grown-up synth pop. This is not a classic on the order of "So Tough" or "Tiger Bay", but it's really good)


Gold Motel: S/T (simple sixties pop. Great for background music at a party or the beach.)
PS I Love You: "Death Dreams" (would rank higher if I could stand the guy's voice. Goddamn these are talented musicians, but... that voice)
Dr. Dog: "Be the Void" (shambling, rootsy rock a la My Morning Jacket. A few very good songs on this album)


Alabama Shakes: "Boys and Girls" (OK band, OK singer, OK album, don't get the hype)
Sigur Ros: Valtari (SR disappears further into waves of synths and cooing vocals... yes they've always had that sound but it used to have a bit more teeth. It's not terribile, but I'm pretty bored with this band at this point.)


Torche: "Harmonicraft" (let down for me after the great "Meanderthal". A few good songs save it from being a total loss)
B.O.B. "Strange Clouds" (bloated, unfocused and a bit of a mess, just a few hints that this could have been really good. But no, it isn't)

Quake1028

Posts 6 and 7 are kicking some ass .

Rocketdog2000

In release order, here are my Top Picks of the year so far...


Nada Surf - The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy
Van Halen - A Different Kind Of Truth
Delta Spirit - s/t
The Shins - Port Of Morrow
Our Lady Peace - Curve
Jack White - Blunderbuss
Silversun Pickups - Neck Of The Woods
John Mayer - Born And Raised
Metric - Syntheitca
The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten
Bloc Party - Four
Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits
Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet On Sky
Muse - The 2nd Law
KISS - Monster
Rick Springfield - Songs For The End Of The World

Honorable mention...
Gotye - Making Mirrors - because it was released overseas last year, but not here until this one

Right now The Gaslight Anthem, Divine Fits and Nada Surf are duking it out for the Top spot.

benedict

Time to cut this one loose, methinks.