Your Top Albums of 2012

[Big Wooly Mammoth]

cat power - sun. #1 album for me in 2012. by far.

[Big Wooly Mammoth]

and a whole bunch of stuff from this topic tha i will be checking out.

and michael kiwanuka is quite the talent. saw a free 30 minute set as part of the canal plus album de la semanine series last year. this guy should be making it big.

[edger]

Ha. Every year this thread makes me feel wet behind the ears but I still look forward to it in a big way. My list is pretty much Schwa's list. I thought the Old Crow album may just be their best yet. I'd add Mumford's Babel and enjoyed many tracks of the Avett's Carpenter as well

[dave-O]

Top 5:

Wooden Sky – Every Child A Daughter, Every Moon A Sun

El-P – Cure 4 Cancer

Tame Impala – Lonerism

Grizzly Bear – Shields

Father John Misty – Fear Fun

Other good stuff:

METZ - METZ

Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits

Eric Chenaux – Guitar & Voice

Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan

Sharon Van Etten – Tramp

Lord Huron – Lonesome Dreams

Beachwood Sparks - The Tarnished Gold

The jury's still out on:

Grimes - Visions (it's either genius or garbage, I've given up trying to decide which)

Best single:

whatever the name of that Japandroids song is...

WHEN THEY LOVE YOU AND THEY WILL, TELL THEM ALL THEY'LL LOVE IN MY SHADOW

IF THEY TRY TO SLOW YOU DOWN, TELL EM ALL TO GO TO HELL

runner-up: Haim - Forever

Edited December 18, 2012 by Guest

[Northern Wish]

No Good Old War? :whistle:

Edited December 18, 2012 by Guest

[AD]

Best single:

whatever the name of that Japandroids song is...

WHEN THEY LOVE YOU AND THEY WILL, TELL THEM ALL THEY'LL LOVE IN MY SHADOW

IF THEY TRY TO SLOW YOU DOWN, TELL EM ALL TO GO TO HELL

The House That Heaven Built

[DevO]

I wish he would play live more. I think he played more European dates this year than Ontario.

I think he still plays at The Cameron House in Toronto several times a year.. Most recently last night. But the listings don't always make it to his website and I usually notice after the fact.

What's this about Bonnie Prince Billy?

[bradm]

Mike Essoudry's Mash Potato Mashers - Hooray!

Grand Theft Bus - Say It With Me

The Dusty Drifters - The Dusty Drifters

Shokazoba - Congress For Sale

Aloha,

Brad

[phunkyb]

He played the Cameron House last night. It was great.

[scottieking]

1. Father John Misty – Fear Fun – Once again, I don’t see my 2012 on anyone’s top ten, but if you want the album that did it to me, for me, the most this year, it’s this one from Josh Tillman, the drummer of perianal favorites the Fleet Foxes. Diverse, rich, rockin at times and soft the other, each song its own world, this one just got me right down to the gorgeous last track. Key tracks: Hollywood Forever Cemetary Sings, Writing A Novel, O I Long To Feel Your Arms Around Me, Every Man Needs a Companion

2. Dr John – Locked Down – I have always loved the music of this man, and never expected such a strong effort so late in his career. Realistically, this album should have been titled Dan Auberach (of the Black Keys) writes all of the songs for Dr John and they both nail it. It’s flavoured with just enough of both to make it an album I turned tons of people onto this year. Funky black keyed flavor but all Dr John charm. Key Tracks – Locked Down, Getaway, Revolution

3.Plants and Animals – The End of That – At first, I was disappointed with this album. Considering 2008’s Parc Avenue is one of my favorite Canadian band albums of the 2000’s , it felt as if the crazy, unbelievable big sound for this three piece was lost. But the more I listened, the more I realized what we’ve gained here is perfection in simplistic execution of masterful sound writing. Really, really well produced, this album’s first six tracks are a homerun and the boys from Montreal are without saying never to be missed live. Key Tracks: Lightshow, The End of That, Crisis!

4. Grizzly Bear – Shields - Confession. I have only marginally liked Grizzly Bear in the past. But this album did it for me right off the mark and sounds not much like their past efforts. A great odd album full of angles, drenched in reverb and weirdness and beauty. A truly alternative effort that rewards repeat listens. Key Tracksd : Sleeping Ute, Yet again, A Simple Answer

5. Bahamas – Barchords – Ahh, my gentle soothing beauty of the year. No one calmed me ,centred me more than Afie Jurvanen aka Bahamas. This one, just drop the needle and drop down on the couch and float away. Key Tracks: Lost in the Light, Caught Me Thinkin, Time and Time Again,

6. Jack White – Blunderbuss – You had me at vintage organ. Wow, there is so much vintage equipment on this album. It’s the bits and bites album of the year. I find something different everytime I listen.Typical Jack White rockin noise, unexpected genre experiments, loud, soft but all executed by not one but two backing bands (one all female, the other all male, sometimes mixed) And of course Jack’s seemingly endless ability to crank out amazing songs. Key Tracks: Blunderbuss, Sixteen saltines, Missing pieces

7. Japandroids – Celebration Rock – I’m no spring chicken, so it takes a lot to make me feel young again. This music did that and more. I danced and screamed to this album more than any other this year. Ironically, the words are about being old and staying young throughout. High energy, loud, short, perfect. Key Tracks: The House That Heaven Built, Fire’s Highway, Evil’s Sway

8. Dirty Projectors – Swing Low Magillan – These folks hands down make some of the quirkiest music around. Every nook and crany of the album has a little harmony or time change or instrument that makes you glad that people are still finding ways to make music interesting and accessible at the same time. If you don’t have the homerun that is 2009 Bitte Orca, grab it too. Key Tracks: Gun has no trigger, Offspring are Blank, Dance for You

9. Dr. Dog – Be The Void – This album has some of my favorite songs of the year from guys that are super consistent at creating great music. This got a lot of summertime play – if you don’t have 2008’s Fate, I won’t judge but I will wait while you download it, now. Key Tracks: How Long Must I Wait, These Days, Lonesome

10. Dry The River – Shallow Bed- And the winner of the Sons of Mumford (and Sons) award goes to Dry the River. How did they leap frog other contenders like Of Monsters and Men and The Lumineers? Bigger Builds, more interesting harmonies and some grime. If you like it buildy and brit, with a little less stomp, this is it. Key Tracks: Bible Belt, Animal Skins, Weights and Measures

11. Ladyhawk – No Can Do – Yay! Ladyhawk is back. Who? Canada’s best kept secret. A little Husker Du, a little Dandy Warhols, all Ladyhawk. So glad they made it back from the wilderness Key Tracks: Footprints, No Can Do, Bed Bugs

12. Zeus – Busting Visions – First real hot day of the year, back porch, cold bevy, this cranked. First three tracks all summer all the time. One of the best live shows of the year taboot! Key Tracks: Are you Gonna Waste My Time,Anything You Want Dear, LovePain

13. The Tallest Man On Earth – There’s No Leaving Now - Ah the sweet sounds of this soulful Swede touch me like few others. A little more production than usual actually lead to more repeat listenings. Beautiful stuff. Key Tracks: 1904, Leading Me Now

14.Pond – Elegant Design/15. Tame Impala – Lonerism – The dreaded double nomination, for me a tough one and toss up. There are members of Tame Impala in Pond and while both are trippy and psych, Pond really they get the nod for being more on the Stone Roses side of things while Tame Impala is just pure PsychRock Revival. Love em both in the headphones for sure Key Tracks :pond – Elegant Design, Allergies – tame impala – feels like we only go backwards, endors toi

16. Maps and Atlases – Be Ware and Be Careful – for containing a song that may or may not be (spoliers) my number one song of the year , this band’s energy and harmony is fully on display in this effort but just not total album enough. What I love though is the effort to be energetic, harmonious and weird. Key Tracks: Old and Grey, Winter, Vampire

17. Alabama Shakes – Boys and Girls – Found in 2011, I can’t ignore the full length release in 2012. Brittany Howard is the bomb. Late late Saturday night, early morning Sunday for y’all. Key Tracks: Hold On, I Found You, Heartbreaker

18. 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 – I’ve got a soft spot for Fiona. She’s creative. She pushes boundries. She’s a genius. She’s gorgeous. And this year, she put out an amazing soulful, passionate album with the most poetic title of all time. Key Tracks: Every Single Night, Werewolf, Hot Knife

19. Yeasayer – Fragrant – Largely ignored, I thought this album sound wise started to venture into Radiohead territory in the best possible way. Supersonic (see the end of Blue Paper for details) Key Tracks: Fingers Never Bleed, Blue Paper

20.Mumford and Sons – Babel – You can’t love the first album as much as you did and not like the second. Because they are cut from the same cloth. I would argue that there have been improvements. What this album needed was an editor. I can’t shake the feeling they needed stuff to fill out their next concert series. But the first half of the album, gold star. Key tracks: Babel, I Will Wait, Lover of the Light

21. The Avett Brothers : The Carpenter – Solid Songs. Check. Played around here a lot. Check. Anything we haven’t seen before. X. Good enough to be good enough which is nice but not groundbreaking enough for the top ten. Key Tracks: I Never Knew You, Winter in my Heart, Pretty Girl from Michigan

22 . Punch Brothers – Who’s Feeling Young Now – Experimental all string band plays with indie sensibilities and throws in a cover of Kid A. What’s not to love? Key tracks: Movement and Location, Kid A

23. Patrick Watson – Adventures in Your Own Backyard – This may have been the prettiest album of the year. Lush instruments and beautiful songs. I have a feeling I haven’t listened to this one enough.

24. The Lumineers – The Lumineers – 25. Of Monsters and Men – My Head is An Animal The also-rans of the Sons of Mumford genre for me. Some great tracks by both with lots of potential for the future Key Tracks: Lumineers – Ho Hey,Classy Girls – OMAM – Dirty Paws, King and Lionheart

On the Outside Looking in, but still on the turntable

Said The Whale, Cloud Nothings, Divine Fits, Bruce Springsteen, David Byrne and St Vincent, The Walkmen, Lord Huron, Passion Pit, Bobby Womack, Ben Folds Five, The Wooden Sky, Dinosaur Jr, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Godspeed You Black Emperor

Stuff People Love that I Don’t Complete Get

Frank Ocean, Cat Power, Swans

The Dead To Me Category aka Your Last Album was a departure from earlier brilliance but this just sucks

Past Winners: Kings of Leon

This year’s winner: Mother Mother – The Sticks – Seriously, WTF happened to these guys and gals? Zero complexity or fun left in this band. Done!

On Notice: Band of Horses – Mirage Rock – The only mirage was any substance to this album. Weak from a band who I love.

Songs of the Year

1.Old and Gray – Maps and Atlases – A song about painting and lost love

2.Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings – Father John Misty

3.The House That Heaven Built - Japandroids – “if they love you (and they will) Tell them all they are loving my shadow and if they try to bring you down, tell them all to go to hell!†YES!

4.Bright White - Kishi Bashi – I told my Gr 12 politics class this song would be a commercial in May. Last month it was selling Windows 8.

5.Locked Down – Dr John

6. Oh My God It Still Means A lot to Me – The Wooden Sky - Song I sang the most around the house

7.Stay Useless – Cloud Nothings- Bratty and loud

8.Hold On – Alabama Shakes

9.Andrew In Drag – The Magnetic Fields – Funniest Catchy Song of the Year

10.Are you going to waste my time? - Zeus

11.Sleeping Ute – Grizzly Bear

12.Heartbreaker - Walkmen

12.Love is Blindness – Jack White – cover of the year

13. Mystery Jets – Greatest Hits – Sometimes breakups hurt record collections too

14. Hail Bop- Djanjo Djanjo – Jump and Dance

15.Lighting Bolt - Joel Plaskett

16. Myth- Beach House

17. John K Samson – When I Write My Masters Thesis

18. This is not a Song - Islands

19. Bible Belt – Dry The River

20. Spiritulized – Hey Jane

[Hal Johnson]

This thread is great. I went through and arbitrarily picked out a few albums from the many lists and I have to say that Fiona Apple's is the most interesting the first time through. Jury is still out on a couple of the others but I got me some time over the holidays to get to know them.

Incidentally, can anyone recommend something hard and grungy? I was listening to Soundgarden and Metallica's Black album the other day and wondered if there's anything out there these days that's got that kind of energy to it? Needing to rock out a little more, ya know?

[Guest Low Roller]

Foo Fighters and Muse are probably a good start.

[dave-O]

METZ is what you're looking for, Hal.

[Hal Johnson]

Right on, thanks guys.

[DevO]

This thread is always good for reminding me how little I am listening to new music throughout the year. Several of the albums I was going to post, upon fact check, turn out to have been released in 2011. But I like reading about your favs and then chasing after them.. and then a few months later listening to them.

I have just a few:

Doug Paisley - Golden Embers

METZ - METZ

BADBADNOTGOOD - BADBADNOTGOOD

BA Johnston - Hi Dudes!

Bands that I got into in 2012 that I am excited about:

- Fucked Up

- METZ

- Mouthbreathers

[mark tonin]

Thanks for this thread - some great listening ideas for me here.

My only addition to anything that's been mentioned is Jimmy Herring's new release entitled "Subject To Change Without Notice." It's jazzy, it's groovy, it rocks. All instrumental. Very tasty.

Peace, Mark

[ollie]

Incidentally, can anyone recommend something hard and grungy? I was listening to Soundgarden and Metallica's Black album the other day and wondered if there's anything out there these days that's got that kind of energy to it? Needing to rock out a little more, ya know?

Check out Sleigh Bells if you haven't already. The front half of "Reign of Terror" plays to their poppier leanings but "side two" is all metal as far as I'm concerned. Not everyone's cup of tea and I seem to be the only one around here who likes them but give them a try.

Edited December 20, 2012 by Guest

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Incidentally, can anyone recommend something hard and grungy? I was listening to Soundgarden and Metallica's Black album the other day and wondered if there's anything out there these days that's got that kind of energy to it? Needing to rock out a little more, ya know?

Japandroids and METZ both fit that bill. Ladyhawk can lean to the heavy side at times.

[RobL]

oh yes ad the Jimmy Hearing album to my list as well. Sick album!!

Thanks for this thread - some great listening ideas for me here.

My only addition to anything that's been mentioned is Jimmy Herring's new release entitled "Subject To Change Without Notice." It's jazzy, it's groovy, it rocks. All instrumental. Very tasty.

Peace, Mark

[NewRider]

ugh.. can't believe I forgot the new Diamond Rings and The Mountain Goats albums this year. Amazing albums.

[mark tonin]

Thanks for those of you who listed Chris Robinson Brotherhood's Big Moon Ritual. I just gave it a listen for the first time last night. Me likey like!

[YearsAlongTheSea]

This list is looking pretty comprehensive.

One thing I'd add though is:

Old Man Luedecke - Tender In The Night

Only about half of the songs on the album are great. But, those that are, are really, really great. I see a decent future for this cat..

[phunkyb]

This list is looking pretty comprehensive.

One thing I'd add though is:

Old Man Luedecke - Tender In The Night

Only about half of the songs on the album are great. But, those that are, are really, really great. I see a decent future for this cat..

Love the first track on the Luedecke album.