I meant to do this last week, but with the holiday weekend things got a bit hectic and I forgot. 2011 is halfway over, so what 10 albums from this year are you digging most so far? They must have been released between January 1st and July 1st.
1. James Blake - James Blake 2. Lady Gaga - Born this Way 3. Bon Iver - Bon Iver 4. Radiohead - The King of Limbs 5. Nick 13 - Nick 13 6. Feed Me - Feed Me's Big Adventure 7. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong 8. The Decemberists - The King is Dead 9. Glasvegas - Euphoric/Heartbreak 10. Origin - Entity
I've already heard the new Beirut and will tell you now that it will more than likely be in my top 3 at the end of the year, but it doesn't come out until August so I'll have to leave it out for now. I still need to give Destroyer's Kaputt some more listens as well, as I have a feeling that still may creep into my final top 10 by January.
Also, only about 5 of those albums really WOWWED me. I guess 2011 hasn't impressed me quite as much as I thought so far.
1. James Blake - James Blake 2. The Weeknd – House of Balloons 3. Yuck – Yuck 4. Braids - Native Speaker 5. Bon Iver - Bon Iver 6. chune-Yards – w h o k i l l 7. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up 8. Gil Scott Heron and Jamie XX - We're New Here 9. EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints 10. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
I kinda disagree Pea, this year has been pretty stellar so far. I had to leave off another 5-10 albums that really wowed me so far
I'm really far behind this year, but the two albums that stick out off the top of my head are the Destroyer and Antlers albums.
Side note, I still really respect Pitchfork, and I know most of you think it is the modern comparison of hipster bullshit, but I have to ask cbats, is the EMA album really worth listening to? Your list seems particularly Pitchfork-esque (sorry), and I found nothing enlightening when I saw her live recently.
Made this list about a week ago on another site but I'll rewrite it for you sugartits
1. Antlers - Burst Apart 2. The Mountain Goats - All Eternals Deck 3. The Decemberists - The King Is Dead (This should not be #3. Get your shit together 2011) 4. The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar 5. Yellow Ostrich - The Mistress 6. Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver 7. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues 8. The Lonely Forest - Arrows 9. Radiohead - The King of Limbs 10. Howth - Howth 11. Panda Bear - Tomboy
I listened to the Big Roar for the first time today, and although I usually don't have an opinion on an album until I listen to it three to five times, I really liked it. I kept thinking, "this is the best straight up rock album I've heard in a while."
I'm really far behind this year, but the two albums that stick out off the top of my head are the Destroyer and Antlers albums.
Side note, I still really respect Pitchfork, and I know most of you think it is the modern comparison of hipster bullshit, but I have to ask cbats, is the EMA album really worth listening to? Your list seems particularly Pitchfork-esque (sorry), and I found nothing enlightening when I saw her live recently.
oh there is no denying my list is awfully full of pitchfork favorites but I think you could also say it's very NPR-esque and that'd be true also. Hell, the only two albums you listed both got best new music as well. I think what would be more telling aspect of my list to point out is that all of the albums are either debuts or sophomore albums, there aren't any veterans on there.
regarding EMA, I've heard mixed things about her live but I imagine I'd love it. It was kind of inevitable that I'd love her album though because her old band Gowns is one of my favorites. Red State still gets frequent spins (and is probably better than PLMS).
Pretty much agree on the joy formidable. The album isn't doing anything new or exciting but it's a lot of fun. If you get a chance to see them their live show is even better
The Residents - Lonely Teenager Bosco Delrey - Everybody Wah Battles - Gloss Drop Panda Bear - Tomboy Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What Nicolas Jaar - Space is Only Noise R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now Man Man - Life Fantastic Radiohead - The King of Limbs
...in no particular order really. Not bad for the first half of the year, especially considering the second half of the year holds a new Primus record and a new They Might Be Giants record.
I really liked the Bon Iver record the first time I heard it but each successive listen I've been like, huh. It's like someone surgically removed all of the melodies and interesting lyrics from the first Bon Iver record.
The Fleet Foxes record is no more or no less pleasant than I thought it would be. I'm in love with the title track and the rest I could take or leave. So for all intents and porpoises it is identical to the first Fleet Foxes record in my mind: ten or so lovely but forgettable songs and one that really grabs you by the throat and shakes you ('White Winter Hymnal', 'Helplessness Blues' respectively).
I have yet to give this a listen, but it's on my radar. I'm one of those people who's usually a year or two behind when it comes to listening to new music. I'm still catching up on stuff from 2009 and 2010.
Braids - Native Speaker PJ Harvey - Let England Shake Iron and Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
These are my only 4 1/2 star albums from this year so far, though I like most of what everyone else has mentioned too, and also new albums from Cults, TVotR, Dirty Beaches, Fucked Up and Geotic.
Radiohead - King of Limbs Battles - Gloss Drop Destroyer - Kaputt Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues Nicolas Jaar - Space is Only Noise Braids - Native Speaker Bon Iver - Bon Iver The Antlers - Burst Apart
Those are the Albums that have grabbed my attention the most so far this year. But there is still a lot of time, and a lot of albums left until the year is done.
On a side not, I think that everyones list will be (to some extent) Pitchfork-esque. Lets be honest, they review the music that we all listen to, and more times then not, they actually do a better job then we give them credit for. Now you could list a couple metal albums in your list to make it not Pitchfork--esque, but then it would just be StereoGum-esque. Good music is good music regardless of what blogazine has BNM'd it, amirite?
![[Home]](http://images.proboards.com/new/menu/home.png "[Home]")
![[New Topics]](http://images.proboards.com/menu/topics.png "[New Topics]")
![[Help]](http://images.proboards.com/new/menu/help.png "[Help]")
![[Search]](http://images.proboards.com/new/menu/search.png "[Search]")
![[Login]](http://images.proboards.com/new/menu/login.png "[Login]")
![[Register]](http://images.proboards.com/new/menu/register.png "[Register]")