parisisstale Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Diamond Rugs!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ih8music Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Yep... Diamond Rugs, Lucero & JTE have been my highlights of 2012 so far. And I was most disappointed with the new Delta Spirit. Not that it's all that bad, just pretty generic sounding. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
solace Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 So far the Shins, Beach House and Japandroids are tops for me. The Beach House album is gorgeous. The Japandroids is great but it feels like Post-Nothing pt. 2. that is my issue with the new Japandroids too... i feel like it's a cleaner/bigger sounding Post Nothing with not as great of hooks/tunes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DrNo Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 #1 by a mile -- Father John Misty Fear Fun Others bubbling up: Sharon Van EttenShearwaterAlabama Shakes Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Cleaners From Venus - Stopping TrainAll you fans of Syd Barrett, Robyn Hitchcock, XTC, Kinks, et. al.: take notice. A collection of outtakes, b-sides, etc. from Martin Newell and company is always worth a listen. First listen, only a few songs in, and it's a wonderful bunch of homespun English pop (not "Britpop"). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lamradio Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Surprised there's no mention of Dr. Dog. Yes Be The Void is not their best record, but I have enjoyed it very much. It's a much more raw, free sound compared to their other material.. Definitely one of my favorites of 2012. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
brianjeremy Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 that is my issue with the new Japandroids too... i feel like it's a cleaner/bigger sounding Post Nothing with not as great of hooks/tunes. I honestly don't know how much longer they can stretch their sound...and I don't see them doing another album. I have enjoyed the singles series and have been anticipating the album for a while. Don't get me wrong, I like it a lot, but I can't help but feel somewhat disappointed by the results. I think it was kind of a cop-out by adding Younger Us to the album, albeit a re-recorded version. It's my favorite Japandroid song and perfectly encapsulates their sound/feel, but I have had that song for almost 2 years now. I guess I set my hopes too high... On a related note, the single/album were waiting on me this afternoon when I got home from work. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Surprised there's no mention of Dr. Dog. Yes Be The Void is not their best record, but I have enjoyed it very much. It's a much more raw, free sound compared to their other material.. Definitely one of my favorites of 2012.They are opening for Wilco later on this year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Sharon Van Etten +1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lamradio Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 They are opening for Wilco later on this year. Yeah, that's going to be an awesome bill... Pretty much a dream show of mine, although a little too far for me to make the journey. The Wilco's will have to bring their A-game or Dr. Dog could potentially blow them off the stage... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
solace Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I honestly don't know how much longer they can stretch their sound...and I don't see them doing another album. I have enjoyed the singles series and have been anticipating the album for a while. Don't get me wrong, I like it a lot, but I can't help but feel somewhat disappointed by the results. I think it was kind of a cop-out by adding Younger Us to the album, albeit a re-recorded version. It's my favorite Japandroid song and perfectly encapsulates their sound/feel, but I have had that song for almost 2 years now. I guess I set my hopes too high... On a related note, the single/album were waiting on me this afternoon when I got home from work. not that they're *THAT* similar, but check out this Technicolor Teeth album: http://technicolorteeth.bandcamp.com/ in particular these tracks 'Station Wagon', 'Chrystalline', and 'Kiss Lighter FM'. been loving their record lately. it's like a great mix of Dinosaur Jr.'s sludge, Wavves surf pop and maybe een some GBV lo-fi, all with quite catchy hooks often still too. production isn't great obviously, but it works for me. personally i like this way more than the new Cloud Nothings album as far as 90's rehash sounding records go. #1 by a mile -- Father John Misty Fear Fun Others bubbling up: Sharon Van EttenShearwaterAlabama Shakes def agree on FJM + SVE, top 5 for sure for me. Shearwater i can't really take Jonathan's voice on record, but live they're quite captivating. they were killer opening for St. Vincent few weeks back so i need to revisit Animal Joy again. and while i'm pretty ho-hum on the Shakes album, but can't wait to see them in August. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
people are leaving Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Sun Kil Moon - Among The LeavesFather John Misty - Fear FunGuided by Voices - Class Clown Eats a UFOAdvance Base - A Shut-in's PrayerJay Farrar/Will Johnson/Jim James/Anders Parker - New MultitudesRufus Wainwright - Out of The GameDavid Myhr - SoundshineChuck Prophet - Temple BeautifulSmash Palace - Do It Again Damien Jurado - MaraqopaPeter Bruntnell - Ringo woz ere Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Al.Ducts Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 These are records I've given a fair listen to so far and how much I've enjoyed them: Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself (B+ High expectations mostly met)Beach House - Bloom (B+ See above)Father John Misty - Fear Fun (B Solid record and one I actually prefer to Fleet Foxes' most recent release)Grimes - Visions (B- Was really digging this initially but I've cooled on it a bit)Japandroids - Celebration Rock (A- Really fun rock and roll)Julia Holter - Ekstasis (A Prettyprettypretty)Lambchop - Mr. M (B+ Honestly my first exposure to Lambchop but I love it. Bill Callahan-esque, or is it the other way around?)Lotus Plaza - Spooky Action at a Distance (B I've always enjoyed his songs on Deerhunter records, here's an album's worth)Polica - Give You the Ghost (A- My Minneapolis bias might be showing but this is a really fresh debut)Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light (A Right up there with the best-of so far. Just great songs)Ty Segall and White Fence - Hair (A- Wild, loud, crunchy) Still waiting on the new Dirty Projectors record. I've got a feeling it's going to be the one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Joe Walsh-Analog Man not bad. it's produced by jeff lynn so it sounds like full moon fever production for walsh Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Joe Walsh-Analog Man not bad. it's produced by jeff lynn so it sounds like full moon fever production for walsh Least. Favorite. Producer.Every production sounds the same. Like Jeff Lynne. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RainDogToo Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Dr. Dog - Be the VoidHeartless Bastards - ArrowDiamond Rugs- Diamond RugsDr. John - Locked DownAlabama Shakes - Boys & GirlsM. Ward - A Wasteland Companion Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DrNo Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Jay Farrar/Will Johnson/Jim James/Anders Parker - New Multitudes Crap. How'd I forget that one? So awesome. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shug Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Heartless Bastards - Arrow seems to have gotten the most votes so far. I just missed seeing them live, bummed about it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
choo-choo-charlie Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Heartless Bastards - Arrow. Incredible album.Jack White - BlunderbussAlabama Shakes - Boys & GirlsJustin Townes Earle - Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me NowThe Explorers Club - Grand HotelTom Jones - Spirit in the Room Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 This one comes out today and I am really looking forward to picking it up:Kelly Hogan is one of the finest and most musically astute vocalists working in American popular music' date=' but this seems to be better understood by her peers than the general public. Hogan cut a pair of fine albums for Bloodshot Records near the turn of the millennium, but they failed to find an audience, and she has since become best known for her fine work as Neko Case's backing vocalist, while she's performed with an array of artists from Tortoise, the Drive-By Truckers, and the Mekons to Amy Ray,Jakob Dylan, and Mavis Staples. Given her busy schedule working with others, it seemed an open question if Hogan would ever get around to making another record of her own, but I Like to Keep Myself in Pain not only puts her in the spotlight where she belongs, it's an instant classic that's as strong as any record that she's appeared on, no small achievement given her résumé. For I Like to Keep Myself in Pain, Hogan asked a number of her favorite songwriters to contribute tunes for the project, and they responded with some first-class material; "Ways of the World" by the late Vic Chesnutt is a Southern gothic that could have come from the pen of Bobbie Gentry; "We Can't Have Nice Things" by Jack Pendarvis & Andrew Bird is a pointed study of love and strife; "Daddy's Little Girl" by M. Ward is an epic-scale fantasy seen through the eyes of Frank Sinatra, and "Plant White Roses" is a marvelous countrypolitain weeper from Stephen Merritt. Hogan was also fortunate enough to recruit a superb studio band for these sessions, including legendary keyboardist Booker T. Jones, guitarist Scott Ligon(a frequent collaborator with Terry Adams and NRBQ), bassist Gabriel Roth (one of Sharon Jones' Dap-Kings), and drummer James Gadson (who has worked with everyone from Ray Charles to Paul McCartney), who navigate the music's stylistic shifts with imagination and a sure hand. But this album is truly Hogan's triumph; she has a marvelous voice, to be certain, but just as importantly, she possesses a rare gift for inhabiting the characters of these songs, and her performances here are both musically satisfying and emotionally compelling, finding the truth at the heart of each song and never letting it go. Hogan also works brilliantly with her accompanists, fitting artfully into the arrangements rather than riding herd over them. At a time when the ability to freakishly bend a note has become the standard by which many judge a vocalist, Hogan's style is refreshingly simple, honest, and strikes its target on every track; whether she's tackling country, pop, supper-club blues, or uptempo R&B, she can sing it right and make you a believer, and I Like to Keep Myself in Pain is the triumphant showcase her talent has deserved for far too long. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Just picked up that Kelly Hogan album. Does it live up to the 4.5-star review that I quoted above? Can't really say after only one listen, but I can say that it is goddamn good and I am glad that I grabbed it. We'll see how it grows with me. I can see it growing into a 4.5-star album. For sure. Should make my year-end top 5, even in a year this strong. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
choo-choo-charlie Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 I'm gonna add the new record by The Walkmen to my list. It's superb. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
worldrecordplayer Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 I'll add to my list, both are excellent: Tedeschi Trucks-Everybody's Talkin' (live)Lettuce-Fly Heartless Bastards-Arrow, still my favorite of the year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
solace Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 that new Kelly Hogan album is damn good... love the Andrew Bird and M. Ward penned songs a lot. first track almost sounds like Van Lear Rose Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KevinG Posted June 7, 2012 Author Share Posted June 7, 2012 that new Kelly Hogan album is damn good... love the Andrew Bird and M. Ward penned songs a lot. first track almost sounds like Van Lear Rose Solace you just sold me on the album. Gonna get it now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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