favorite albums this year?

We're almost done with the year, and there was a point at which I stopped listening to actual music and just listened to video game (and anime) music all day. Not to say that stuff is bad, obviously, but my point is that I probably missed some good albums, and i was just wonderin what y'all liked the bestttttttt. and any that haven't come out that you're waiting for.

my favorite three this year;

Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind

Om - Advaitic Songs

Gojira - L'enfant Sauvage

I didn't listen to much non-metal this year (well, you can't really call Om metal entirely but still) besides the Sigur Ros album which i found pretty boring.

@Animasta said:

there was a point at which I stopped listening to actual music and just listened to video game (and anime) music all day.

I've been there, man. In fact, I am there. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to hop around Istanbul to Bakemonogatari music. *そうします*

Well, so far these could be candidates.

Death Grips - The Money Store

MA_DOOM - Son of Yvonne

Blu & Exile - Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - The Heist

Aesop Rock - Skelethon

I really liked Tempest too, but I'm not really sure if it's going to be a candidate for AotY.

Probably Some Nights by Fun.

time to see what the kids are listening to

I am out of the loop

Keep going

It's the best.

@Video_Game_King said:

@Animasta said:

there was a point at which I stopped listening to actual music and just listened to video game (and anime) music all day.

I've been there, man. In fact, I am there. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to hop around Istanbul to Bakemonogatari music. *そうします*

you must escape this trap!

(I have not really escaped as my current playlist includes more Shoji Meguro then any other single artist but baby steps)

Channel Orange - Frank Ocean

XXX - Danny Brown

Untitled EP - Hodgy Beats

Gossamer - Passion Pit

It's been a really good year for music

So far it's definitely been Violent Waves by Circa Survive for me.

@Animasta:

Aw hell. Guess what I listened to immediately before Bakemonogatari just today?

Grimes - Visions

Jessie Ware - Devotion

Sepalcure -Sepalcure

Diiv - Oshin

Great year, so far.

• El-P - Cancer for Cure
• Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
• Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...
• Zammuto - Zammuto
• Baroness - Yellow & Green

@Animasta said:

Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind

1. Accept, Stalingrad. Just some great, anthematic-as-fuck heavy metal with considerable speed metal stylings.
2. Aggression, Viocracy. A slice of technical thrash metal gold.
3. Blessed Curse, Blessed Curse. The album runs way too long, but it's really thrashy and has tons of attitude.
4. Exumer, Fire & Damnation. Old school thrash. It all sounds samey-samey, but I really like that about the album.
5. Fear Factory, The Industrialist. Absolutely incredible industrial metal. This one has a bit more ambience and nuance that their previous effort, and I'm into it way more for it.
6. God Forbid, Equilibrium. Thrashy metalcore. These guys have come a long way.
7. Jake Kaufman, Double Dragon Neon. Yes, the soundtrack for this game is AMAZING.
8. Kreator, Phantom Antichrist. This is the greatest Kreator record from the last decade. They returned to Violent Revolution-style glory, and it is oh so glorious.
9. Overkill, The Electric Age. I mean, the guys killed it with their previous record, and this is an extension of that. Another out-of-left-field crushing ball of attitude and speed.
10. Steelwing, Zone Of Alienation. I'm not a fan of the production on this, but these guys continue their trademark Iron Maiden-influenced heavy metal. Solid, but fairly average.
11. Sybreed, God Is An Automaton. Along with Fear Factory's release this year, this is an amazing industrial record. Sybreed is a bit more influenced by moody synths, slower passages and Depeche Mode-esque stylings. They absolutely smash it this year with pure ambient synths and moody vocal work. Their best since Antares, and that album is one of the greatest ever conceived.
12. Testament, Dark Roots Of Earth. This album is a piece of shit and these guys haven't done anything decent in like, eight years. Worst album of the year.

Brother Ali - Mourning of America and Dreaming in Color <-----Alternative Hip-Hop

The White Panda - Bambooyah! <-------fucking awesome mash-ups and juggles (so good i gotta post it)

Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind

Wodensthrone - Curse

Ash Borer - Cold of Ages

Xibalba - Hasta La Muerte

Both Death Grips albums and a bunch of mixtapes

@Animasta said:

there was a point at which I stopped listening to actual music and just listened to video game ( and anime) music all day.

I've been there, man. In fact, I am there. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to hop around Istanbul to Bakemonogatari music. *そうします*

I guess Ne Obliviscaris was pretty good. I always lose track of what music came out this year, but I always remember what video games did. Which is weird, I spend the same amount on both.

Good Kid mAAd City by Kendrick Lamar.  It still hasnt come out yet and its my favourite album this year.  Thats right.  

probably "The Sticks" from Mother Mother

In no particular order:

Pallbearer - Sorrow and Extinction

Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes

Jessie Ware - Devotion

Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan

Japandroids - Celebration Rock

Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music

Chromatics - Kill For Love

Grimes - Visions

Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...

Death Grips - The Money Store

Actress - R.I.P.

Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

The Gaslamp Killer - Breakthrough

The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth

------------

This ended up being a pretty long list, there has been a lot of good music released this year.

@TooWalrus:

I saw the warning, but for whatever reason, the audio plays perfectly for me. Whatever. This one says the audio is fine, but you miss the cool animation as a result.

@TAFAE said:

In no particular order:

Pallbearer - Sorrow and Extinction

Forgot about Pallbearer, that album is really good.

This album was pretty good.

1. Swans - The Seer
2. B L A C K I E - Gen
3. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
4. Chris Reimer - The Chad Tape
5. THEESatisfaction - awE naturalE

@LAMP said:

1. Swans - The Seer
2. B L A C K I E - Gen
3. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
4. Chris Reimer - The Chad Tape
5. THEESatisfaction - awE naturalE

Shit, there's a new Godspeed album?! Holy crap, that is going to be epic. I'm seeing them in November as well. So stoked.

Also right now I'm listening to You by Kate Havnevik, which is probably going to end up pretty high on my AotY list as well. She's so damn talented. Still need to listen to the new Caspian record as well...

Japandroids - Celebration Rock is definitely my favorite. I listen to it constantly. Flawless

Others:
TNGHT - TNGHT EP

Right Away, Great Captain! - The Church of the Good Thief

Passion Pit - Gossamer

Jack White - Blunderbuss

Animal Collective - Centipede Hz

Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...


So much good music this year. I haven't even gotten a chance to check out Grizzly Bear's album yet!

This album was pretty good.

i'm kind of out of the loop as well, but a lot of the stuff I hear on the radio and recent stuff on youtube sounds like garbage. Just fucking noise.

Can someone recommend me something that obviously sounds good and has lots of energy/emotion, is technically impressive, melodically interesting, has a singer with a powerful voice that can do a lot of crazy stuff, and perhaps has a healthy dosage of funk/groove/soul. It doesn't have to include all of that, but I shall emphasize the part about the strong vocals.

Please recommend stuff!!!

@Meltac said:

Well, so far these could be candidates.

Death Grips - The Money Store

Did you enjoy No Love Deep Web?

Baroness - Yellow and Green

Between The Buried And Me - Parallax II: Future Sequence

Metric - Synthetica

Trioscapes - Separate Realities

Periphery - Periphery II: This Time It's Personal

I think Flying Colors' self-titled debut is my favorite so far this year with Rush's "Clockwork Angels" coming in at a close second. After that it gets a little more difficult. There's still a few other albums I have to listen to first.

Tempest - Bob Dylan

if your into jazz christian scott put out a pretty rad record this year.

Silversun Pickups- Neck of the Woods

The Smashing Pumpkins- Oceania

Metric- Synthetica

Muse- The 2nd Law

The Hives- Lex Hives

Passion Pit- Gossamer

Also, a question to Metric fans- How do I get a hold of the Synthetica Reflections? I can listen to them on Spotify, but I can't find anywhere to purchase them.

@Aegon said:

i'm kind of out of the loop as well, but a lot of the stuff I hear on the radio and recent stuff on youtube sounds like garbage. Just fucking noise.

Can someone recommend me something that obviously sounds good and has lots of energy/emotion, is technically impressive, melodically interesting, has a singer with a powerful voice that can do a lot of crazy stuff, and perhaps has a healthy dosage of funk/groove/soul. It doesn't have to include all of that, but I shall emphasize the part about the strong vocals.

Please recommend stuff!!!

Based on your list, I could not recommend Violent Waves by Circa Survive enough. They're an experimental rock sort of semi-hardcore punk band from Philadelphia. These dudes are incredible musicians, and their singer has a very unique and very powerful voice - he sings high-pitched, might take a little getting used to.

Also although they went on hiatus last year, Thrice is essential listening if you technically proficient and soulful music. Vheissu is their best album IMO, but Beggars might be a better introduction to them. Their most recent album, Major/Minor, is basically them reinventing grunge in 2011; it's very good, but might not be for everybody.

@casperhertzog said:

if your into jazz christian scott put out a pretty rad record this year.

I love jazz but don't have many modern records in my collection. What's his style?

@Aegon said:

i'm kind of out of the loop as well, but a lot of the stuff I hear on the radio and recent stuff on youtube sounds like garbage. Just fucking noise.

Can someone recommend me something that obviously sounds good and has lots of energy/emotion, is technically impressive, melodically interesting, has a singer with a powerful voice that can do a lot of crazy stuff, and perhaps has a healthy dosage of funk/groove/soul. It doesn't have to include all of that, but I shall emphasize the part about the strong vocals.

Please recommend stuff!!!

uh, the new the mars volta maybe (Nocturniquet)? It was decent enough; I much prefer The Bedlam in Goliath but vOv.

@Animasta said:

@Aegon said:

i'm kind of out of the loop as well, but a lot of the stuff I hear on the radio and recent stuff on youtube sounds like garbage. Just fucking noise.

Can someone recommend me something that obviously sounds good and has lots of energy/emotion, is technically impressive, melodically interesting, has a singer with a powerful voice that can do a lot of crazy stuff, and perhaps has a healthy dosage of funk/groove/soul. It doesn't have to include all of that, but I shall emphasize the part about the strong vocals.

Please recommend stuff!!!

uh, the new the mars volta maybe (Nocturniquet)? It was decent enough; I much prefer The Bedlam in Goliath but vOv.

Whatever man, Frances the Mute is by far and away the best Mars Volta record. But yeah, Bedlam is good, and Nocturniquet is very solid. But man, FTM is over-worldly. Also the album artwork is incredible; one of the few album covers that I love enough to have a poster of it.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely wouldn't recommend FTM to a newbie, unless you already have a deep love of prog-rock. But in terms of everything that band is about, FTM is them at their absolute best.

Guided By Voices - Let's Go Eat The Factory. I'm just a really big GBV fan and have been for a long time, so for them to come back with a pretty strong album is awesome. Class Clown Spots A UFO was only okay and I haven't heard Bears For Dinner yet.

Passion Pit - Gossamer

The Walkmen - Heaven. Song For Leigh might be my favorite song this year. My girlfriend kinda played the crap out of it though.

Kelly Hogan - I Like To Keep Myself In Pain. I love Neko Case, but she hasn't put out an album in ages, so I guess her friend will have to do.

Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself

Cat Power - Sun

Alabama Shakes - Boys And Girls. I actually totally forgot about this album until going through a blog I wrote about music for a few months before getting totally burned out. This album's great though.

@Atlas: L'Via L'viaquez is probably my favorite TMV song (either that or tetragrammatron), but TBIG has hte best ratio of songs I really like so it's still my favorite.

I hated Centipede Hz when I first heard it but now it's growing on me like crazy.

Death Grips 2 albums,

Leonard Cohens new one,

Japandroids,

Killer Mike,

lol the only new album I listened to this year was Gossamer

Uhh, I haven't been keeping up on new artists but I have been enjoying Vows by Kimbra. It came out in North America in 2012 so I guess that counts.

Poets of the Fall - Temple of Thought

Katatonia - Dead End Kings

OSI - Fire Make Thunder

Possibly the new Kamelot album. Going to be weird without Khan singing though.