Jack white - blunderbuss and Santana - shapeshifter, for sure

1)The Mars Volta: Noctourniquet
2)First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
3)Mark Lanegan - Blues Funeral
4)the Melvins - Freak Puke
5)Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania
6)mewithoutyou - Ten Stories
7)Jack white-Blunderbuss
8)Davids Lyre - Picture Of Our Youth
9)Ides Of Gemini - Constantinople
10)Miike Snow - Happy To You
11)Matt Elliott - The Broken Man
12)and as much as I hate to admit it, Soen - Cognitive

Looking forward to new Yeasayer, Grizzly Bear, Converge, QOTSA, Them Crooked Vultures, Soungarden, and maybe even Tool(not holding my breath)

Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror
School of Seven Bells - Ghostory
Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
Jack White - Blunderbuss
Marissa Nadler - The Sister
Regina Spektor - What We Saw from the Cheap Seats
Mark Lanegan - Blues Funeral
Young Prisms - In Between
Mariee Sioux - Gift for the End
Richard Hawley - Standing at the Sky's Edge

Here's my list, which is obviously going to change regularly.

Top Albums Of 2012 (So Far) - Rate Your Music

Your top 1 pick makes me very happy.

It's crazy because I heard it before you talked about it, and usually I don't discover this type of album/band on my own. Need to listen to their entire discography.

I wish I still had my Beginner's Guide to Killing Joke mix, but I deleted it along with my entire Mediafire account when Megaupload went down. I'd honestly say you can work your way backwards to their '90's material, then work your way forwards from their '80's material. That's how I did it, but the only problem with that is I don't think I gained a real appreciation for their more New Wave synth material from the mid '80's. Given that my first real taste of them was their 2003 second self-titled album though, I don't thikn that's necessarily a bad thing. Janszoon and Jackhammer are the other two members here I know really like the band, so if you're looking for another opinion on where to start I would recommend asking them.

start with Laugh!...I Nearly Bought One....it is a beginners guide to Killing Joke....and in my opinion has the best version of Pssyche :)

goof....if you have problems finding it i would be honored to up it for you :)

2012 - Rate Your Music

so there is my ratings....although it is not necessarily exactly what i would put as a "top album list"...more of a guide for such a list.....certainly the new Dernière Volonté, Kiss the anus Of A Black Cat, PIGS, Ufomammut, and the Woven Hand live album, are by far my favorites so far the year

so before compiling this i downloaded this Tndersticks ya'll are blabbering about.....damn....this is seriously moving up my list.....you are 2 for 2 Pedestrian :)

Cheers, ill take the up Bob :)

give me a bit and i'll pm you the link :)

No rush bud.

Also, no idea how I forgot OFF!

I pretty much agree with what Pete said. Killing Joke has basically gone through three phases: the post-punk era (early 80s), the new wave era (mid to late 80s), and the Wax Traxian era (for lack of a better term, early 90s to present).

What's THIS For...! is the way to go for the post-punk era.

Absolute Dissent, Killing Joke (the one with the orange cover) and Democracy are probably the best places to start for the Wax Traxian era, though really every album they've released from 1990 onward has been great.

Save their new wave stuff for last since it's their lowest quality work. When you do check it out though, I'd recommend Night Time as probably the best of that era.

Wax Traxian! :rofl:

Hey, what else would you call it? :p:

In no particular order:

1. King Charles - LoveBlood
2. Walk The Moon - Walk The Moon
3. Imagine Dragons - Continued Silence
4. Various Cruelties - Various Cruelties
5. Electric Guest - Mondo
6. Clock Opera - Ways To Forget
7. Good Old War - Come Back As Rain
8. Miike Snow - Happy To You
9. Mona - Mona
10. Fun. - Some Nights

Honorable Mentions: Last Dinosaurs - In A Million Years, The Temper Trap - The Temper Trap, Keane - Strangeland.

And I'm really looking forward to Gossamer by Passion Pit, Beacon by Two Door Cinema Club, and Battleborn by The Killers that are all coming out within the next few months.

There's a lot I haven't listened to this year, but I've liked just about everything I've heard (Huge exception being Ssss by VCMG, that was just terrible)

This is kind of in order of favorite to least favorite, but I love all these albums and it's pretty hard to compare most of them. Order would probably change on a day-to-day basis.

1. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
Honestly what could I say that hasn't already been said? Stellar album.

2. Big K.R.I.T. - 4eva N a Day
I'm surprised I haven't seen more people mention this one. I have yet to listen to Live From the Underground, but this is definitely one of the best hip-hop albums this year. And is it just me or is this a great year for hip-hop?

3. The Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends
It seems like The Flaming Lips have gotten a lot of flack for the various EP's and whatnot they released in 2011, but it came together really well in this album. I wasn't a huge fan of a lot of the stuff from last year, but I liked most of the collaborations. This alubm definitely grows on you.

3. Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N 2 It
The first time I heard this album I found it to be pretty boring. Something about the way it was presented to me made me want to be automatically dismissive of it, and I just wasn't in the right mood (I'd be lying if I said the name of the album/artist and the hype didn't contribute to this, as petty and shallow as that is). One of my favorite reviewers (ozzystylez on RYM) wrote a great review about it, so I gave it a second chance while in a more... contemplative mood I guess? Whatever it was, it just clicked.

4. Jack White - Blunderbuss
This album doesn't really sound all that different from every White Stripes album, but it's a sound I love. I think the hype for this album may have ruined it for people, but if Jack White keeps on making quality garage-rock album like this I don't think I'll ever get tired of them.

5. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
Most of the time I wish artists would just stop making music after a certain point. Usually whatever made them so great in their prime just fades over time, and it's embarrassing to watch people try to recapture that feeling. But sometimes artists improve or change in an interesting way when they age, and Leonard Cohen is a great example of that. I wouldn't exactly say that Leonard Cohen's voice has improved with age, but it's definitely changed in a way that I like. Live in London was one of my favorite albums of 2009, so I had to give this one a shot. It could never compare to his earliest albums, but he made those decades ago so it shouldn't have to.

6. Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror
Sleigh Bells debut Treats was one of my favorite albums of 2010, and their sophomore album does not dissapoint. It's a really simple and harsh style of noise pop but I love it.

7. BADBADNOTGOOD - BBNG2
It looks a lot of you guys liked this one. if you haven't heard it you should really check it out, it's free. The four non-cover songs they did on this one fit right in with the covers, I'm excited to see what they do next.

8. Mitchmatic - It's Probably Raining
This didn't get much press. The only reason I heard it was because one of the songs was featured on All Songs Considered. Why Don't You Know? is one of the most original hip-hop songs I've heard in recent history, and you should at least give the song a shot. The rest of the album isn't really on the same level as this song, but it's solid and Mitchmatic deserves more attention than he's received.


9. Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself
I love Andrew Bird and I love this album. I've been trying to think of an explanation for why I love this album for and nothing comes to mind. No one can whistle like this and while that's only a small part of the appeal, but it's enough of a justification for me.


10. The Magnetic Fields - Love at the Bottom of the Sea
Post 69 Love Songs Magnetic Fields albums don't get a lot of love. Personally Distortion is probably my favorite Magnetic Fields album, but I thought Realism was pretty bad, and I can't deny that i can't really compare to their previous ones. The Magnetic Fields are my favorite band, and when Realism came out it was depressing. It was the first time that they had truly made something disappointing. Luckily this album was a big improvement. It's not a great album, but it's solid and Quick! is up there with my favorite Magnetic Fields songs. I might not be listening to all of these songs in a few years, but Stephin Merritt can still write a song that makes me tear up a little and that's enough


Honorable Mentions: Dry the River - Shallow Bed and Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
I liked both of these album but they haven't really grown on me the same way the other ones have. I'll listen to them again for sure.

Non-album Tracks
Oh Village - Headlights / Red Death
This one is a demo I guess (with the internet the distinction is getting more and more meaningless, but whatever), but as far as I can tell this has gotten basically zero press. Someone posted it on a forum and I fell in love with it. Really beautiful stuff, you should check it out.
Oh Village Bandcamp

St. Vincent - Krokodil / Grot
I love St. Vincent, and I'll always love her usual sound, but I'd love to hear her go as harsh and intense on her next album as she does on this single. I don't usually pay much attention to Free Record Store Day releases so this came this was huge shock when I first heard it.

10. The Shins - Port of Morrow
9. Gucci Mane - I'm Up
8. Death Grips - The Money Store
7. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
6. Spiritualized - Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
5. Sigur Ros - Valtari
4. Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N 2 It
3. The Tallest Man on Earth - There's No Leaving Now
2. Japandroids - Celebration Rock
1. Big K.R.I.T. - Live From the Underground

Still have a lot to hear though

4EvaNaDay > Live From The Underground

My Top 10 thus far

10. Yppah - 81
9. Maccabees - Given To The Wild
8. El-P - Cancer For Cure
7. BadBadNotGood - BBNG2
6. The Saddest Landscape - After The Lights
5. Silversun Pick-Ups - Our Neck Of The Woords
4. Beach House - Bloom
3. The Menzingers - On The Impossible Past
2. Death Grips - The Money Store
1. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music

none of yall have the same selections has me i feel no love 0_o mines like a totaly different list

I had Blunderbuss on mine, and EP †† and Silent Hour / Golden Mile are both pretty high on my list of things that came out this year that I need to check out still.

Nice additions there, I think those albums are both great, especially Alabama Shakes. My english teacher last year always mentioned them to me, but I never really checked them out, and then with their album, I realized how much I liked them. They're a nice refreshing change from all the indie/alternative music I listen to, even though they're technically alternative too I suppose, but you know what I mean!

10. If These Trees Could Talk "Red Forest"
9. OFF! "OFF!"
8. Death Grips "The Money Store"
7. Cloud Nothings "Attack On Memory"
6. Torche "Harmonicraft"
5. Japandroids "Celebration Rock"
4. Ceremony "Zoo"
3. Burial "Kindred"
2. Fucked Up "Year Of The Tiger"
1. The Menzingers "On The Impossible Past"

Thanks man, sounds like you have a cool English teacher.

Hahah, yeah he's a good guy. We still email each other music every now and then.

:beer:

Think we're the only two that actually had this in our list.

I ranked it like 4th a few months back, but it's been my most played album of the year for sure. A lot of songs that didn't initially click for me have revealed themselves to be masterpieces.

But yes, glad to see another MBer who's into this band as well. :)

Like a lot of you here, I also haven't been too impressed with this year's offerings. A few that I think will still be competing for best of 2012 by the end of the year (in no order):

Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light
THEESatisfaction - awE naturalE
Grimes - Visions
Japandroids - Celebration Rock
Craft Spells - Gallery
Santigold - Master of My Make Believe
Blockhead - Interludes After Midnight
Beach House - Bloom
Rush - Clockwork Angels (still rockin)
Air - Le Voyage Dans La Lune

And if you read my review on the Pumpkins' Oceania, you know how much I wanted it to make a best of list... But it just ain't happening.

Really? I have listened to a significant number of albums this year that left no impression on me, but right from the first listen of On The Impossible Past, I knew it was a great album.
Every song was catchy and unique from the others.

I'm going to have to look at some of the recommendations from the lists in this thread, but absolutely nothing has really grabbed me so far this year. I think that Bloom might grow on me, but beyond that I haven't heard anything that I feel like going back to. That being said, i'll give a few of the albums listed here a listen, see if anything clicks.

What are some of your favorite bands? I've gotta give Bloom another shot too, I haven't listened to it all, but I'll see if it grows on me soon.

Kishi Bashi - 151a

Beautiful album, dreampop, orchestral, Album of the Year.

I would post the album art but none of that til I have 15 posts.

I have some other favorites I anyone is interested.

I've heard them on All Songs Considered a few times, I've been meaning to check out that album for a while now.

Edit: Just listened to it on their bandcamp page and I love it, I could see this being a top album for me for this year after a few listens. Ya'll should check it out, it's really infectious indie pop.

This was pretty good, but not as experimental as I expected it to be when I heard what he'd written for Paralytic Stalks.

Saw him open for Of Montreal in March and he was phenomenal. The stuff he can do with a violin and a loop pedal is really impressive.

After I first heard the album and loved it I wanted to find more naturally. So I read up a little on him. He is the violinist for Of Montreal, so that would explain him opening for them. He is in some other bands but I never really looked into them. Sadly he has only made 151a and an EP called Room For Dream solo. The EP isn't worth getting, it's two songs from 151a and two others which are kinda meh.

You said he wrote some stuff Paralytic Stalks, I'll have to check that out.

He's parted ways with Of Montreal as of last week to focus on his own career. He arranged the strings on Paralytic Stalks, which played a reasonably large role. It's a whole different animal of an album though.

pretty good stuff so far i checked out the 1st page alot of good stuff

THE GATHERING - Leaves **
BadBadNotGood – BBNG2 ***
Black Swan – Swansong **
Sharon Van Etten - Serpents *
Allo Darlin' - Dreaming *
The Samuel Jackson Five - Skinflick Dress Rehearsal *
Nurse With Wound - I've Plummed This Whole Neighborhood **
s / s / s - Beyond Any Doubt **
Joseph Arthur - In The Sun *
Sonic Station - Love´s Gonna Show The Way *
Lone - Galaxy Garden ***
Melody Gardot **
Revenge - Parasite Gallows (In Line) **
Fenn O'Berg
Laurel Halo
Half Moon Run
EL-P


Keep it coming

They better be. Apparently they were gonna come out with a new album in May but they are still working on it. Nobody knows it's for certain though.

The Beatles, Beach Boys, Radiohead, Queens Of The Stone Age, Blur, Gorillaz, Beck...nothing too exciting. Nothing seems to be doing anything for me this year, though. I still have some albums to give a try, though. Today i'll probably give R.A.P. Music a try, see if it clicks with me.

Mount Eerie - Clear Moon
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...
Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory
Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light
Japandroids - Celebration Rock
Beach House - Bloom
The Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends
Actress - R.I.P
John Talabot - ƒIN
Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
Anathema - Weather Systems
Grimes - Visions
The Tallest Man on Earth - There's No Leaving Now

Ding, pretty much a repeat of what has been mentioned.

For the most part, I do not find any of these 'exceptional' (only the Beach House album comes close).