Albums of the year

[smizzy]

Discussion of the artists that I believe produced the top albums of the year. This is my opinion of course. I don't have the same taste and appreciation for different kinds of music as everyone here. Therefore I'll list my top albums and anyone else can name of their list and we'll argue and conversate from that point.

Again there's no formula or science to my list. These albums are in order of which one would I pick up before the other.

I've attached a standout from each album.
10. Torche - Harmonicraft

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9. Wild Nothing - Nocturne

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8. Dope Body - Natural History

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[YOUTUBE]xlZPo_pYgSw[/YOUTUBE]

7. Beach House - Bloom

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[YOUTUBE]7SyZZi0D18M[/YOUTUBE]

6. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave

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[YOUTUBE]Ab0Cw38AbWo[/YOUTUBE]

5. Swans - The Seer

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4. Death Grips - The Money Store

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3. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...

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[YOUTUBE]S5hO8UF9FJ4[/YOUTUBE]

2. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

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1. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, mA.A.d city

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Kendrick Lamar delivered with another great concept album, but this time he had Dr. Dre's hands all over the production. A lot of the singles off of the albums are good by themselves, but once you hear that album, track to track, and see where how the songs fall into place, it will knock you off your feet. Kendrick is a an actor within his songs, rapping over various subjects that hit home with many people, but takes the role of the subject of the songs. The skits between songs tie everything together and allude to the stories being told in the music. It doesn't hurt that Kendrick Lamar is one of greatest gifts in rap right now. His rhyme patterns and content are a breath of fresh air in a genre, that in my opinion, has been hurting.

Also just for more converation, some albums I anticipate for next year:
Earl Sweatshirt, Arcade Fire, Azelia Banks, hopefully a new Tool album.

 

[This Is My Name Thank You]

I don't have a top ten like you do Smizzy, but I can say that this year has been good for music. I've enjoyed the new All That Remains, Lamb of God, Ill Nino, Ax Wound, Hell Yeah and a few others my tired brain cannot think of.

It was a year where the music has been good. I just started listening to rap again, so I am not sure if the cds I have are from 2011 or 2012. I won't put them down since I am not sure. I am usually behind in time with Rap lol.

As for a new Tool album. It would be great, it'd be really great. Tool is an amazing band that makes beautiful, heavy and amazing songs. I thought that I have heard a new song from them on the radio about a month back. I've checked and checked and yet, I have not found any new Tool songs anywhere. I guess I was hoping it was a new Tool song. Hopefully 2013 will be the year for new Tool.

 

[Thom]

I'm just going to stick to one, probably the album of the year for me. If I was to make a list, I'd be going backwards and forwards for ages trying to decide orders, so yeah, I'll just go with what is probably my favourite. I don't even know, I've probably forgotten something I've listened to even more, but yeah. That probably didn't make any sense, but I don't feel like reading it again.

For my money, Skepta's Blacklisted is the album of the year. Genuinely not a bad track on there, there's an old-school sounding track with Megaman (of So Solid Crew fame), a new Boy Better Know collab, club tracks like You Know Me, some tracks that have been floating around for a while (Tour Bus Massacre and Ace Hood Flow) and the highlight for me, Castles. Absolutely huge track. A bit of a departure from his older stuff, but vaguely reminiscent of Reflecting from his Microphone Champion album. Yeah, enough of me rambling about, well, nothing really. Here's Castles.

[YOUTUBE]0dsjqsz4MR4[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Dagger Dias]

The albums of the year for me are Imaginaerum by Nightwish and Living Things by Linkin Park. Both of them were excellent efforts by their respective bands and were by far the most played material in my playlist this year.

Imaginaerum is an album I highly recommend. Nightwish is my favorite band and despite some of the fans disliking Anette (who has actually left the band recently) she does a lot better on this material than she did on Dark Passion Play. It's a very enjoyable disc that you are guaranteed to find at least one track on it that you'd like. Notable tracks you should check out include: Storytime, I Want My Tears Back, Last Ride of the Day, and Slow Love Slow. I have the special edition that includes instrumental tracks for each song. The instrumentals are excellent in their own right.

Anyone who disliked Linkin Park's last two albums need to check this one out. It is the band's best material since Hybrid Theory and contains some of their absolute best work in my opinion. Lost In the Echo, In My Remains, Burn It Down, I'll Be Gone, Roads Untraveled, and Powerless are all fantastic tracks that you should check out. Roads Untraveled might very well be the most beautiful song the band has ever done. At the very least you need to take a look at Burn It Down if you haven't already. There's not a single bad track on here. Give it a chance, you might be pleasantly surprised by how good it is.