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End of the Year - Albums of 2011


blandy

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I always feel I have a decent knowledge of music until I read these threads. It amazes me how people have heard of and remember so many artists, how they afford to buy all these albums (or find the time to download them) and then find time to not only listen to them, but listen to them enough to be able to put them in an a list of their favourites of the year.

I thinK I need to up my game, there's clearly a lot of good music I'm missing out on. I've only bought about 5 albums this year, most of which were made before I was born

Ditto :lol:

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La Casa Fantom - Selection by Elimination

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A Norwegian 2-piece playing some amalgamtion of hardcore/sludge/power violence. They live out in the wilderness in treehouses or something, which gives them a real unique sound it would seem. One of the most interesting hardcore records I have heard in years.

Cut Hands - "Afro Noise"

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William Bennett's long awaited full length african inspired noise project sees the light of day with this full length release. A few tracks have already been released on some of the most recent Whitehouse records, but the rest is all new. And very very very good. One of my favourites as it came totally out of the blue really, given that pretty much the entire scene figured it would the same old same old, but instead he does this, something totally unexpected, different, and most importantly, it actually works.

Sleepingdog - With Our Heads in the Clouds and Our Hearts in the Fields

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Was lucky enough to see Sleepingdog as part of the Silent Bells tour a couple of weeks ago, and man does this girl HAVE it. I've listened to quite alot of dreampop this year, but this record was just something else. Totally magical, ethereal, wonderful, I can't muster enough superlatives for it. Fans of Stas of the Lid may be interested to know that it was co-written by some block from them or seomthing, but make no mistake that Chantal Acda is the star of the show here. Simple beautiful.

Birds of Passage - Without the World

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If Sleepingdog is beautiful and uplifting dreampop, then Birds of Passage is pure melancholy. Far more minimalist and closer to the drone end of the spectrum in her approach, Alicia Merz's debut is my best discovery of the year thus far. Such wonderful soundscapes. She also released a colab that I have yet to hear, but it is on it's way to me in the post. Very eager to hear what direction she takes in the future

A few other shouts I've seen the thread I would agree with - Moon Duo, Dangermouse & Daniele Luppi, and Kurt Vile I really enjoyed. There's also a french duo who released a really really fun record this year which I heard described as 'breakcore for kids', which is pretty much the perfect description. Loved that album, but am drawing a complete blank on their name! Will have a look when I'm at home :lol:

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Tom Waits - Bad as me

This, this and another this! Didn't listen to anything else for two weeks after I got it.

I also really liked Paul Simon's So Beautiful or So What.

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Favourites for me so far are, in no particular order;

Opeth -Heritage

Mastodon- The Hunter

John Waite- Rough & Tumble

Von Hertzen Brothers- Stars Aligned

Whitesnake- Forevermore.

The Hunter was great. And I'm probably the biggest Opeth fanboy out there, but I thought Heritage was good and maybe like top 20 at best.

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Favourites for me so far are, in no particular order;

Opeth -Heritage

Mastodon- The Hunter

John Waite- Rough & Tumble

Von Hertzen Brothers- Stars Aligned

Whitesnake- Forevermore.

The Hunter was great. And I'm probably the biggest Opeth fanboy out there, but I thought Heritage was good and maybe like top 20 at best.

Yes the Opeth album has split their fan base that's for sure. I'm not a massive fan of theirs, so was delighted with the progy elements, and the fact there were no cookie monster vocals. I love it. I bought it at the same time as the Mastodon album and TBH I didn't play Mastodon for a week or so because it was overshadowed by Opeth for me.

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Favourites for me so far are, in no particular order;

Opeth -Heritage

Mastodon- The Hunter

John Waite- Rough & Tumble

Von Hertzen Brothers- Stars Aligned

Whitesnake- Forevermore.

The Hunter was great. And I'm probably the biggest Opeth fanboy out there, but I thought Heritage was good and maybe like top 20 at best.

Yes the Opeth album has split their fan base that's for sure. I'm not a massive fan of theirs, so was delighted with the progy elements, and the fact there were no cookie monster vocals. I love it. I bought it at the same time as the Mastodon album and TBH I didn't play Mastodon for a week or so because it was overshadowed by Opeth for me.

Will check out the Opeth album, haven't listened to metal for a while but Opeth were always a bit special.

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I know it's common, but Arctic Monkeys' "Suck it and See" qualifies as possibly my favourite album of all time, not just this year, so that wins it for me.

Really?

I like the Arctic Monkeys and for the first 7 or 8 tracks it's a return to form. But it's rather pretentious in places and it's kind of limp dicks it's way to the line.

Though having said that I've spent most of this year catching up on the past. My album of the year is Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R, released about 11 years ago!

Nero - Welcome Reality was surprisingly good.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Favourites for me so far are, in no particular order;

Opeth -Heritage

Mastodon- The Hunter

John Waite- Rough & Tumble

Von Hertzen Brothers- Stars Aligned

Whitesnake- Forevermore.

The Hunter was great. And I'm probably the biggest Opeth fanboy out there, but I thought Heritage was good and maybe like top 20 at best.

Yes the Opeth album has split their fan base that's for sure. I'm not a massive fan of theirs, so was delighted with the progy elements, and the fact there were no cookie monster vocals. I love it. I bought it at the same time as the Mastodon album and TBH I didn't play Mastodon for a week or so because it was overshadowed by Opeth for me.

Will check out the Opeth album, haven't listened to metal for a while but Opeth were always a bit special.

This album is straight up prog. No metal.

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Lulu - Lou Reed & Metallica

I know I'm going to get strung up for this, but I've really enjoyed lulu by lou Reed & Metallica. Neither is a natural for me, I have absolutely no 'metal / thrash / whatever it's called' in my little music library but for some reason this one appealed.

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