Best Ever Albums

Re: 2017 Albums

guilhermesoi — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 10:27:22 GMT

Author: guilhermesoi

Posted: 01/12/2018 15:27

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Re: 2017 Albums

Anti — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 14:06:52 GMT

Author: Anti

Posted: 12/19/2017 19:06

Relic by Forming The Void

This album fucking rips, I love it.

Also, I wish I discovered this album earlier so I could've purchased the wax. It's beautiful.

Mirror Reaper by Bell Witch

Re: 2017 Albums

craola — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 19:36:35 GMT

Author: craola

Posted: 12/19/2017 00:36

CCFX EP by CCFX
came across this ethereal/post-punk thing today and digging it quite a bit. a bit of the cure, the sundays, u2, delays, et al mixed in there.

Re: 2017 Albums

Tap — Thu, 7 Dec 2017 03:18:59 GMT

Author: Tap

Posted: 12/07/2017 08:18

going to check that cafe oto one very soon for sure. also need to explore this list some because I am a big fan of #1 and #3 http://thequietus.com/articles/23721-best-jazz-2017-top-ten-jaimie-branch-pat-thomas-alice -coltrane-nicole-mitchell

Re: 2017 Albums

Anonymous — Thu, 7 Dec 2017 00:32:30 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 12/07/2017 05:32

I frequently see users type that they need to get into jazz more, or they're trying to get into jazz, or something similar. There's a lot of great jazz albums from this year, but here are my three picks for jazz from 2017 for those interested

18.4.17 by Pat Thomas & Orphy Robinson

From the ongoing duo "Blacktop," this live recording from Cafe Oto has the players switching across piano, drums, mallet instruments, toys, and sampling. Part jazz, part dub, part carnival music, part political statement; there's a lot going on in a short set but without the excess gravity that it's parts usually carry with it.

Konzert Für Hannes by Jeb Bishop / Matthias Müller / Matthias Muche

Two and a half trombone duos got together to perform a eulogy for the fourth trombonist. A collaborative exploration of quiet extended techniques emphasizing breath (or the lack of it) weaved through more tonal lines that pay tribute to the dead's style.

The Corner by Fred Van Hove & Roger Turner

Shimmering, delicate, yet physical piano and drum duo

Re: 2017 Albums

RoundTheBend — Wed, 6 Dec 2017 20:28:09 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 12/07/2017 01:28

Thanks everyone!

I've added your lovely recommendations to my chart/listening list.

Re: 2017 Albums

glynspsa — Wed, 6 Dec 2017 09:59:01 GMT

Author: glynspsa

Posted: 12/06/2017 14:59

Drunk by Thundercat

Re: 2017 Albums

Anonymous — Wed, 6 Dec 2017 08:15:21 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 12/06/2017 13:15

sethmadsen wrote:

I'm easily the most boring member of this site.

Anything 2017 you care to recommend me based on my top 30 of this list? The rest I'm either already disappointed with and will be removed soon or stabs in the dark for later. I'm looking for 30 or so albums.

I just got into perfume genius. That was really fantastic. Reminded me of a local group here called Officer Jenny.

I typically like bombastic/obvious music (even if subtle, if that makes any sense), but if you tell me something is a grower, I'll keep at it. I usually get frustrated with challenging music (sorry, my head isn't as good as yours).

The War On Drugs and Fleet Foxes and Mac DeMarco are difficult for me to like for some reason.

As I state - so far my list is just a listening list, not actually curated.

https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=40258

I'm thinking Wolf Alice might work for you. Is this one on your list? They have big tunes and are pretty bombastic. They are reasonably commercial sounding without being dumb or cheesy. I've only listened once to their 2017 album so far but it sounded good to me. Plenty of 90s influence in there too.

Re: 2017 Albums

rkm — Wed, 6 Dec 2017 05:15:36 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 12/06/2017 10:15

sethmadsen wrote:

Give this one a go, if you're looking for another rock record

Shade by Living Colour

Re: 2017 Albums

Purplepash — Wed, 6 Dec 2017 00:34:53 GMT

Author: Purplepash

Posted: 12/06/2017 05:34

sethmadsen wrote:

I have been paying attention to, and enjoying, your music diary and I really think you would get something out of this award winning album. I'm not comparing them to these greats but as a point of reference think U2 meets Bruce Springsteen Aussie/Pacific Islander style. Definitely bombastic but at the same time passionate, emotional, often intimately personal lyrics.

Go Farther In Lightness by Gang Of Youths

Re: 2017 Albums

RoundTheBend — Wed, 6 Dec 2017 00:23:11 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 12/06/2017 05:23

Tha1ChiefRocka wrote:

sethmadsen wrote:

I'm easily the most boring member of this site.

Anything 2017 you care to recommend me based on my top 30 of this list? I'm looking for 30 or so albums.

I just got into perfume genius. That was really fantastic. Reminded me of a local group here called Officer Jenny.

I typically like bombastic/obvious music (even if subtle, if that makes any sense), but if you tell me something is a grower, I'll keep at it. I usually get frustrated with challenging music (sorry, my head isn't as good as yours).

The War On Drugs and Fleet Foxes and Mac DeMarco are difficult for me to like for some reason.

https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=40258

I'm gonna throw some at you, and see if anything sticks.

The Best Weezer album to come out this year

hahaha

Thanks! Also really appreciate the songs. If I can't like an artists best song, I probably won't like their average song.

Here's me verbally processing it (take no offense, no filter):

That Afghan Whigs song was kind of disturbing on many levels. Not a bad song, but I didn't shit myself either.
The Rozwell Kid song was very weezer like wasn't it. Somehow I instantly liked it and then halfway through got bored - totally agree on the weezer joke. No idea what they were thinking.
The Grails was pretty cool, especially at first. I was hoping for some singing and dynamics to it after a while so I skipped through to see and definitely interesting dynamics/instrumental band (probably just as interesting as Godspeed You's album). I assume there's no vocals ever based on the sampling I did. Probably coolest stuff so far.
LA Takedown - really liked this.
I wanted to like Omni. Had this like Talking Heads thing. Maybe I'd listen to them at a club, but after a bit it was just too much.
The B Boys track was fantastic. Loved the bass and energy (haha). Actually bombastic - check - bass - check - punk rock attitude... easily best track so far.
The Pile track also is pretty damn good. It's like alt-country punk rock.
The only beef I think I'd find with the last two bands is if the whole album sounds the same.

Thanks again!

Re: 2017 Albums

Tha1ChiefRocka — Tue, 5 Dec 2017 23:57:33 GMT

Author: Tha1ChiefRocka

Posted: 12/06/2017 04:57

sethmadsen wrote:

I'm gonna throw some at you, and see if anything sticks.

Link

The Best Weezer album to come out this year

Link

Link

Link

Link

Link

Link

Re: 2017 Albums

RoundTheBend — Tue, 5 Dec 2017 23:43:55 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 12/06/2017 04:43

I'm easily the most boring member of this site.

Anything 2017 you care to recommend me based on my top 30 of this list? The rest I'm either already disappointed with and will be removed soon or stabs in the dark for later. I'm looking for 30 or so albums.

I just got into perfume genius. That was really fantastic. Reminded me of a local group here called Officer Jenny.

I typically like bombastic/obvious music (even if subtle, if that makes any sense), but if you tell me something is a grower, I'll keep at it. I usually get frustrated with challenging music (sorry, my head isn't as good as yours).

The War On Drugs and Fleet Foxes and Mac DeMarco are difficult for me to like for some reason.

As I state - so far my list is just a listening list, not actually curated.

https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=40258

Re: 2017 Albums

Tap — Mon, 4 Dec 2017 06:01:32 GMT

Author: Tap

Posted: 12/04/2017 11:01

I'm lazy about updating my chart here but here is what I have to say about my 10 favorites of 2017

1. Laurel Halo - Dust
https://laurelhalo.bandcamp.com/album/laurel-halo-dust-hdblp036
There's just so much going on here, there's that weird sort of sterile hyperreal sort of sound that is very contemporary, but it's tweaked to feel more subdued/monochrome which is totally contradictory. And then there's the contradiction of the strict quantized stock drum sound tracks vs the spacier stuff with Eli Keszler drumming. I don't understand why this works for me so well but it all cohered into this one whole thing that left a big impression on me this year.

2. Jürg Frey - L'ame est sans retenue I
http://www.erstwhilerecords.com/catalog/EC002.html
This is a six hour album that is mostly silence. Absolute, null value silence. The rest is recordings from a park, essentially recordings of air that occasionally have music intruding in them off in the distance. I know, this probably sounds incredibly pretentious. But there is something very special to the way this album purely works with the barest materials to play with the perception of time. I think it's fair to treat this like a psychedelic experience, like you set out to listen to this and that's the thing that you're going to do today. A lot of people may think it's a waste of time and that's their right but if you're interested and really commit to it I think this has something very special to offer.

3. Jaap Vink - Jaap Vink
http://editionsmego.com/release/REGRM018EXT
I haven't heard the giant Roland Kayn thing that came out recently, but from what I understand this is similar territory. This is music generated by elaborate electronic systems, without human intervention outside of the curation of the material and creation of the system as far as I understand (it gets very complicated though so I may be misunderstanding). There is something very human and composed about this material to me though. The drifting sheets of sound are right up my alley on the aesthetic taste side of things, and while I did use the word "drift" just now, the music still feels like it builds to moments with a sense of purpose. Basically if you like ambient or drone type of stuff, I'd strongly recommend this one to you.

4. Sote - Sacred Horror In Design
http://opaltapes.com/album/sacred-horror-in-design
You may know this guy from his old Warp 12" or releases in the past few years on Morphine or Record Label Records, but this new one isn't really on the IDM side of things. I've been into those recent albums a lot, there's something about his approach to synthesis that captures this feeling of hyperbole for me that I can't get enough of. On this album, he takes that hyperbole to electroacoustic music that incorporates traditional instruments and tuning from Persian culture. I've seen comparisons to Dariush Dolat-Shahi's classic Electronic Music, Tar and Sehtar, but that album had the electronics and traditional instruments coexisting separately in space. But on this Sote album, the traditional instruments wear the electronics, and they get exaggerated with this hyperbolic sound and it's really incredible. The last track flips the script and goes into extended technique with the traditional instruments and throws in some Serge from EMS and it is an incredibly satisfying conclusion.

5. Felicia Atkinson - Hand In Hand
https://shelterpress.bandcamp.com/album/hand-in-hand
I wasn't clued in on Atkinson's stuff before 2015's A Readymade Ceremony, but from what I understand that album marked a large change in how she operates. I guess she was on that ambient drone sort of thing, but A Readymade Ceremony was more like this sort of prosumer lofi computer music where it doesn't exactly sound lofi because it's made with prosumer equipment but there's an exploitation of the weird dryness and usage of intentional clipping. This album is much more refined, and a huge step up as far as I'm concerned. It's a very particular sort of computer music that feels like it could only be made now, but with a drab sort of quality to the sound that flies in the face of so much of what's going on right now. That drabness may read as boring but I found that getting on its wavelength to lead to a really engaging experience. And it is relatively accessible in the way the songs incorporate rhythm and pretty clear forms with a sense of development, you shouldn't have to try too hard if it's something you'd be into.

6. Brother Ah - Searching
https://brotherah.bandcamp.com/album/searching-1985
This was part of a 3 disc set of unreleased archival material from Brother Ah, but I wasn't so into the first two discs. The first one had vocals that I could not get past, and the second one just didn't seem all that striking. But this disc is really something. Super 80s synths stretching out into a beautiful new age tomorrow with some trumpet, flute, and of course some fucking conch shell. Gotta have my conch. This is good Sunday music.

7. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - The Kid
https://kaitlynaureliasmith.bandcamp.com/album/the-kid
So I know that Smith's stuff may be too soft for some of you guys, but I've been on board with her stuff since Euclid, and one of the many satisfying musical threads of this decade has been seeing her continuing to step up her game. The sound keeps getting richer and the songwriting is moving away from the mantra type of stuff into something more dynamic. I'm into it.

8. Bhob Rainey - From Null Lands Led, Starrily
https://bhobrainey.bandcamp.com/album/from-null-lands-led-starrily
Here's one for any of you all who are into the old academic electronic stuff, this is an excellent sound adventure in that mold. The middle track slows things down and rides the consistency, but the bread on this sandwich has that whole thing with the longform progression of sound objects and phrases. I have a weakness for that sort of thing but I feel like Rainey brings a special dose of personality to the proceedings, and the structures seem to take advantage of the extreme clarity that is available in musical production today to create a feeling of chaotic activity but with a lot of breathing room to it.

9. Visible Cloaks - Reassemblage
https://visiblecloaks.bandcamp.com/album/reassemblage
Here is another album which just on a superficial level I love because it sounds very good. I'm glad it's been getting some recognition from publications, this one really deserves it. That moment around 1:30 in Terrazzo (Ft. Motion Graphics), where this really sharp sound pops in after some flute and synth doodling, and everything all snaps into focus and primes you for when the synths really start descending in a few moments. That shit is really great. There's a lot of stuff on this album that is really satisfying in how it's put together.

10. Taiwan Housing Project - Veblen Death Mask
https://taiwanhousingproject.bandcamp.com/album/veblen-death-mask
This is great rock music.

Re: 2017 Albums

Fischman — Sat, 2 Dec 2017 11:21:31 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 12/02/2017 16:21

Irish Punk is alive and well

Re: 2017 Albums

dihansse — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 16:09:12 GMT

Author: dihansse

Posted: 11/28/2017 21:09

Today I'm trying to seek out some album I had missed of 2017 and I especially discovered these 2 great ones:

Nothing Valley by Melkbelly

I read somewhere a mixture between the two Kim's (Deal and Gordon of course) and that's exactly what it is while still being highly original, deconstructive, jazzy and catchy at the same time.

Plum by Wand

I don't know their previous records which are supposed more heavy psych rock. This one is fairly mellow but still with very interesting song structures.

Re: 2017 Albums

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 10:35:10 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 11/28/2017 15:35

Finally listened to Aine O'Dwyer's Gallerais, which is the pinnacle (thus far) of the more droning organ works she's been producing after Music for Church Cleaners. Highly recommend.

Also just found and listened to Throes Are the Only Trouble from a quartet of Steve Swell/Michael Foster/Brandon Lopez and a drummer I don't know. One of the more exciting American improvised works from musician's that didn't start pre-'80 released this year.

Re: 2017 Albums

Tap — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 00:31:48 GMT

Author: Tap

Posted: 11/28/2017 05:31

Ahwar by Nadah El Shazly

Hey I feel like a lot of you all might dig this one, it is really something. Read this if you need convincing http://thequietus.com/articles/23638-nadah-el-shazly-ahwar-album-review
https://nadahelshazly.bandcamp.com/album/ahwar

Re: 2017 Albums

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 16:18:30 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 11/27/2017 21:18

The new Ride ranked 71 of the best albums of 2017. Is it serious ? 😮 The album cover and the title may not be very engaging, ok, but this is a huge Ride album. So many good songs : All I want, Cali, both gorgeous : could have been on Going Blank Again , easily. The title track, a wonderful ballad ending in shoegazing bliss. A solid opening track and ending track, and many other good stuff inbetween.

Re: 2017 Albums

craola — Sun, 26 Nov 2017 21:03:33 GMT

Author: craola

Posted: 11/27/2017 02:03

Hayden wrote:

Will agree with the album cover... it's... perhaps not as 'clean' as the album sounds, and a little too inflated. Would've preferred if she used this: ... Which I'm not doubting was a serious contender.

Agreed. That looks much more fitting.

Hayden wrote:

I'll match your highlights list and add Blissing Me and The Gate, both are stellar. Only track I didn't completely dig was Features Creatures.

Features Creatures and the track right after it, Courtship, were two I'd've cut from the album. Gate and Blissing are great tracks. I'd listened to 'em both quite a bit before the album hit, so they didn't have that fresh sheen to 'em.

Hayden wrote:

Should note that Arca (who has def matured as an artist since) was a major producer on Vulnicura as well, even more so than Haxan Cloak (who I'm hoping has something cooking up...). This album is far superior though, and that's not saying anything against Vulnicura.

I'm sure I knew this at the time Vulnicura came out(?), but I'd totally forgotten Arca was a part of that. Thanks for setting me straight on that. In any event, as good as Vulnicura was, Utopia sounds like a progressive step for Bjork.