bunkaroo

Take that bunkaroo 2012!

nothingfails

Alt-J is awesome... I don't get the hate. How are they soft and easy?

nothingfails

we get it!! You hate alternative, you think music below a certain decibel level is "wuss music". If it can't get a pit going it's easy listening crap. Some of us actually can enjoy music that you don't have to headbang to.

I think Alt-J kicks ass, I can't wait to see them in March. One of the best debuts of 2012 besides Django Django and Of Monsters And Men.

Rocketdog2000

Obscure and irrelevant to you, perhaps, but don't think that everyone feels that way just because you do.

Hiro11

It's weird how several old school "alternative" bands have had such successful "second lives" in the past few years.

Sonic Youth seemed like they were on a long downward spiral that stretched back to the early nineties. Then, starting with "Murray Street", they suddenly released four of their best albums ever in quick succession.

Legendary post-punk band Mission of Burma releases a grand total of one LP in their "first life", inspires everyone from REM (who covered one of their songs in every concert they did in the heyday) to Pearl Jam (who named their second album after Mission of Burma's first) and then disappears for two decades. Suddenly, they're back and have now released four absolutely amazing and ferocious LPs in a row, including 2012's excellent "Unsound". They are on an absolutely unstoppable tear.

Dinosaur Jr. breaks up in complete acrimony, gets the original line-up back together after a 15 year hiatus and has now released three completely amazing albums in a row, including this year's masterful "I Bet on Sky".

Even long lost "hopeless causes" seem revitalized. My Bloody Valentine is on the verge of releasing their next album, something I've been waiting twenty years for. Jeff Mangum / Neutral Milk Hotel is more and more active every year (he did a full tour last year, something unthinkable a few years ago) and seems on the verge of coming back. Even the complete black hole that is Lee Mavers from The La's has suddenly been playing unannounced (and apparently excellent) shows over the past couple of years.

What's next? Minor Threat reconvenes in their fifties? Husker Du buries the hatchet and goes on tour (this may not be so far fetched)? A new Fishbone album that actually kicks ass? New Feelies material? X pulls Billy Zoom out of the retire home and makes a masterpiece? The mind boggles.

CRM114

C'mon. Don't act as if Red Kross is some international sensation. Next you'll be telling me they are doing a stadium tour with Spacehog.

CRM114

They released an album last year. I posted about it here and got one response and they were more popular than Redd Kross!

Rocketdog2000

Never said they were (although they did have some hits in the UK), but they are far more appreciated and influential (especially among power pop aficionados) then Spacehog will ever be. That you would even think they are on a similar level just shows you don't know what you are talking about. You need to step outside your little world sometimes, my friend, and maybe do a little extracurricular listening & research. One of the reasons Redd Kross took such an extended hiatus, was that bassist Steve Macdonald was working with many other artists over the years as a musician and producer (Jellyfish, The White Stripes and The Format are just a few among them). Just because they were never more than a blip on your personal radar, doesn't mean they aren't worthy. There's plenty of great music beyond what you normally listen to.

Personally, I don't believe I've ever owned or even heard a Feelies album. However, just because they were never huge sellers either, and really likely only achieved a similar cult status as Redd Kross have, that doesn't make me think any less of them or their contributions to the music world. I would never be so pretentious as to think otherwise, either. You're not quite as clever as you think you are.

Hiro11

I think you guys are vehemently agreeing.

Also, just listened to the new Feelies album. Damned good. Even the effing dB's released a new album in 2012.

orangecrush

Nice to see some love for Sara Watkins. I love this record.

Nice to see mewithoutYou get mentioned as well. They are, by far, my favorite band and I love this album. Rickie is the most energetic drummer I have seen live.

orangecrush

I'm holding out hope for The Smiths reunion.

Highfire

I'm a bit late to the party, but I was trying to get as many albums as possible before I made my list. I thought 2012 had some truly great albums.


1.Father John Misty- “Fear Fun”

2. Alt-J- “An Awesome Wave”

3. Lord Huron- “Lonesome Dreams”

4. Kopecky Family Band- “Kids Raising Kids”

5. Anais Mitchell- “Young Man in America”

6. The Lumineers- “The Lumineers”

7. Of Monsters and Men- “My Head Is An Animal”

8. Dirty Projectors- “Swing Lo Magellan”

9. Grizzly Bear- “Shields”

10. Menomena- “Moms”

11. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – “Here”

12. Shearwater- “Animal Joy”

13. The Big Pink- “Future This”

14. Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons- “Old Believers”

15. Efterklang- “Piramida”

16. Fiona Apple- “The Idler Wheel Is Wiser…”

17. Dr. Dog- “Be the Void”

18. Lost in the Trees- “A Church That Fits Our Needs”

19. Chappo- “Moonwater “

20. Jack White- “Blunderbuss “

21. Delta Spirit- “Delta Spirit”

22. Kendrick Lamar- “good kid, m.A.A.d city “

23. Kishi Bashi- “151a”

24. Wintersleep- “Hello Hum”

25. Patrick Watson- “Adventures In Your Own Backyard”


Honorable Mentions:

Metric- "Synthetica"
Bright Moments- "Natives"
Bastille- "Other People's Heartache Part 2" (A great album of covers)
The Heavy- "The Glorious Dead"
Dry the River- "Shallow Bed"
Suckers- "Candy Salad"

nothingfails

I like your taste Highfire. Some really great albums on your list even if it is "wuss music" according to metalheads who let the pit dictate the worth of a band

she_wolf

Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas

Dan1boy

Well, Highfire's list is certainly what the majority would consider the definitive "hipster" youth oriented list. Lotta folk-y, blues-y and shoegaze-y stuff on there that the vast majority wouldn't delve into.

That's a good thing, BTW.

Hiro11

Given the fact that they were apparently offered $50MM to do five shows and turned it down, this seems ulikely.

Which brings up another point, just how rich, self centered and disconnected from any sort of reality would four people have to be to turn down $50MM for five shows? Pull yourselves together, jackasses. If I were in the same situation, even if the guitarist stole my wife and burned down my house, I'd be up there on stage with him with a big smile on my face.

CRM114

You have to really despise someone to turn down that money. Morrissey just played around here last week in a minor league hockey arena. The Smiths reunion would be super huge. At least I think it would....maybe not?

nothingfails

Now that 2012 has settled into the recent past... I think my faves would look like this

1. David Byrne & St. Vincent - Love This Giant
2. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel
3. Mumford And Sons - Babel
4. Django Django - Django Django
5. Bob Dylan - Tempest
6. Of Monsters And Men - My Head Is An Animal
7. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
8. Muse - The 2nd Law
9. Passion Pit - Gossamer
10. Hot Chip - In Our Heads
11. Avett Brothers - The Carpenter
12. Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man
13. Calexico - Algiers
14. Fun - Some Nights
15. Killers - Battle Born

Highfire

I'm glad you and Dan1boy approve of my list! I really do appreciate a lot of different types of music, but these were just the albums that impacted me the most. I would have liked to included the new Big Boi album, but it really didn't stand out to me upon first listen. As far as metal goes, the most I can really get into is System of a Down and Rob Zombie. I'm not sure if either qualify as metal or just hard rock. As for the pit, based on my experiences from last week, Bloc Party fans can get pretty crazy

I really need to give the new Calexico and A.C. Newman albums a listen.