Ok, since I only talk about brand new CDs or music I've stolen in the EDF music thread:
Its a bit... different, but my two favorite CDs this year are from essentially the same group. The first is from the actual band, Animal Collective, and is called Strawberry Jam.
Animal Collective - Peacebone
Animal Collective - Fireworks
If you even remotely enjoy either of those songs and get a chance to see them live sometime, do it. Their live show is amazing.
One member, "Panda Bear" (Noah Lennox) explaining where the album name came from:
[ QUOTE ]
It was actually an idea that I had, sitting on an airplane, getting my tray of food. There's a little packet of strawberry jam on it-- this was, like, a year, year and a half ago. The sun was coming in through the airplane window, and I just looked at [it] and said, "Man, it'd be really sweet if we could get the music from the album to sound like [what] this looks like." I knew it was really sweet, tangy stuff, but it also has this real sharp quality to it. There was something futuristic looking about it, and I definitely wanted the album to have that sort of quality. Hopefully the music continues that sort of feeling. And the cover photo is an interpretation of that idea.
[/ QUOTE ]
The second is that same person's solo album which was released earlier this year.
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Panda Bear - Bros
I'll second Dom's first three albums as all being good. I'm going to have to listen to the last one since I have a soft spot for good country music, probably because its so rare these days.
I'll stop for now. I usually go overboard when I start talking about new music I like.