CallMeIshmael's "Ten Best Albums of the Year" (warning: indie content)

[Peter Harris]

[ QUOTE ]
"she was godawful at ATP too, along with the decemberists."

interesting. name five bands you like.

[/ QUOTE ]

a random 5?

[Tron]

Basically all I listen to is rap, so...

(1) Hell Hath No Fury - Clipse
(2) Fishscale - Ghostface Killah
(3) Futuresex Lovesounds - Justin Timberlake
(4) King - T.I.
(5) Girl Talk - Night Ripper
(6) Ratatat - Classics
(7) Doctor's Advocate - The Game
(8) Method Man - 4:21

[img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] I guess I didn't buy/like that many albums

[bdk3clash]

I'm usually a year or two behind albums coming out but of what I've listened to from this year top ten candidates include (in no order)

-Islands "Return to the Sea" (BTW, if you like this check out the Unicorns "Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?" from 2004, one of my favorite albums of the last few years)
-Clipse "Hell Hath No Fury"
-Ghostface Killah-"Fishscale"
-Cut Chemist-"The Audience Is Listening" (no love?)
-Band of Horses-"Everything All the Time"
-Thermals-"The Body, the Blood, the Machine"

Also whatever album that song about "La Gasolina" is on because I couldn't escape from it this summer.

[pdxmike]

the hold steady
tvotr
decemberists
be your own pet
thermals
lambsbread
band of horses
sonic youth

[0evg0]

[ QUOTE ]
No.

At least not according to pitchfork, allmusic and amazon

[/ QUOTE ]

Weird, I guess I just got it in advance and remembered wrong. It was okay at first, then I forgot about it, and then over the last 2 months I've grown to really love the album. "Omaha" is easily one of the top 5 songs of the year.

So, with this new information, and some time to actually consider my rankings:

1. Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming
- If you have any ounce of dark, confused romanticism in you, buy. Spencer Krug is the best artist working right now. There, I said it.

2. TV On the Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain
- Probably the best subtle blend of musical styles I've ever heard. It's not until you listen for the different genres that you can pick them out, but it all works together to make some music that is at once curious yet familiarly comfortable.

3. Swan Lake - Beast Moans
- Even though it didn't really live up to the expectations I had, it really was impossible for it to. There's some missteps, but when Krug, Mercer, and Bejar really are able to mesh, you know they are capable of making the best album in years.

4. Tapes 'n Tapes - The Loon
- Came for good indie rock with fun guitars and good hooks, stayed for what at first gets lost in the background.

5. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
- Do you feel a little nerdy listening to a guy wax so fukcing philosophical? Yes. Can you really connect with everything on the album? No. Is it still absolutely gorgeous and brilliant? Most definitely.

6. Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury
- To me, a great album sets a mood, tone, or message and carries it throughout, without getting repetitive. This album is so sick and dark that it takes a few listens to recover and appreciate the quips.

7. Islands - Return To Sea
- I'm guilty of always comparing this album to "Who Will Cut Our Hair...", but that's not fair. This album would make the top 10 for "Rough Gem" alone, but there's surprising depth to the album and actually more diversity than from the Unicorns.

8. Liars - Drum's Not Dead
- I'm not sure about putting this in the top 10, but I'll go with my gut. I gave this 3-5 listens before telling my friend who recommended it that it was absolute [censored]. Then I waited half a year and gave it another shot. Well, we're a week into giving it another shot and I think I'm coming around. This is the "Hell Hath No Fury" for art-rock.

9. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
- No, they're not the next Beatles, Oasis, or whatever the [censored] it was NME was trying to say they were, but they play good fun indie rock with a surprising amount of cleverness. Damn Brits.

10. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
- Maybe I'll get blasted for it, but there's more filler (and way too many skits) on here than on any other of the top 10 albums, but the best here really make up for it. "Back Like That", "Whip You With A Strap", and "Underwater" almost, almost make you say "Wu-Who?"

[kagame]

This is a really impressive if redundant list. I love the Decemberists, Tapes n Tapes, Belle and Sebastian, TVOTR, MEW, Gnarls, the National is amazing, worth mentioning regardless of the year.

Why is the Shins- wincing the night away getting such a heated and diverse reception? Ok so its not the same as the old material. That doesnt make it better or worse. This is a stage in their development and I personally really enjoy it. But geez chill everyone it hasnt even been officially released yet and everyones already a critic.

I have to add that T.I. King is brilliant.

Ali Farka Toure is a must listen.

The Roots- Game Theory. Wow.

Office Q&A. GET THIS NOW!!

BT- This Binary Universe. Will floor you.

So Im gonna go groove to the national yet one more time :-)

[WalkUpCondo]

If Wincing the Night Away was out in 2006 it would definitely be in my top 10. I think it's great.

[kagame]

Islands - Return To Sea

THANKYOU!

[Jack of Arcades]

[ QUOTE ]
- If you have any ounce of dark, confused romanticism in you, buy. Spencer Krug is the best artist working right now. There, I said it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Krug is awful. I might as well skip all of his songs on Apologies to the Queen Mary. Sunset Rubdown and Swan Lake both really sucked. But you know, subjectivity to music and all.

[ThorKGB]

1.-10.Bob Dylan: "Modern Times"
Best album since "Desire"