The 11 Best Albums of 2012...so far

As you probably know from my rantings this year, finding great music has been in short supply.  I feel like I want to like more music than I actually do.  I follow the new releases pretty religiously...to the point that Tuesday is as sacred in my house as Sunday is in most of middle America.  I'm always looking for the next Bon Iver, the XX, or Arcade Fire.  But with the mediocre batch of releases this year...I'll settle for the next Motion City Soundtrack at this point.  (Okay, maybe not that)

This batch of releases is actually fairly solid...just nothing mind blowing...not yet.  Great music does have to grow on you.  And maybe some of the highly-touted releases (The Men, Torche, Kelly Hogan, Sharon Van Eten, Liars, Father John Misty, Ceremony, Daughn Gibson, Pallbearer, Dexys, Screaming Females, or The Walkmen) will grow on me.  Until then...this is what we have to work with.

Here are the 11 Best Albums of 2012...so far:

1. The Big Pink - Future This
2. Jack White - Blunderbuss
3. Schoolboy Q - Habits & Contradictions
4. Silversun Pickups - Neck of the Woods
5. Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
6. The Cribs - In The Belly of the Brazen Bull
7. The Shins - Port of Morrow
8. Japandroids - Celebration Rock (only $2.99...limited time!!)
9. Joey Bada$$ - 1999  (this one is free!!)
10. Alabama Shakes - Boys and Girls
11. Jay Farrar - New Multitudes

What are your favorites this year?  

The 11 Best Albums of 2012 So Far

I've never figured out the way critics decide which aging rock stars to skewer and which ones to reward.  There were a lot of big releases last year from bands making comebacks.  There were many of them I was very impressed with...only to read the reviews later and find out I must be sorely mistaken.  I thought the new album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers was their best since Blood Sugar Sex Magic, but when I read the reviews they told me it might be "their worst effort"...and "a sign of the apocalypse of alternative music."  I was pleasantly surprised by the new Janes Addiction.  But the reviewers called it "musical retardation," "F-minus," and "dead baby dumpster drivel."  Meanwhile, I thought the new Bush and Beastie Boys were huge disappointments to only learn that they were some of the best comebacks of the year.  I know music is arbitrary...but sometimes it seems like a band's hip factor has more to say about whether their album will be well-received or not.

This year...I at least seem to be somewhat inline with the critics.  I doubt VH will stay atop the list for the whole year...but it's nice to a familiar face leading the pack out of the gates.

Here are the 11 Best Albums of 2012 so far:

1.       Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth 

2.       Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker, Yim Yames - New Multitudes 

3.       The Big Pink - Future This (Lose Your Mind)

4.       Craig Finn - Clear Heart Full Eyes

5.       Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror

6.       Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory (Stay Useless)

7.       WZRD - WZRD

8.       Anais Mitchell - Young Man in America

9.       Grimes - Visions

10.   Chiddy Bang - Breakfast

11.   Burial - Kindred EP

The 11 Most Anticipate Albums of Winter 2012

The final year of existence is upon us...and here's what we have to look forward to.

They always did say Van Halen would reunite when hell froze over.  I guess they were right.

Here are the 11 Most Anticipate Albums of Winter 2012:

1. Van Halen - Secret Title (2/7)
2. The Shins - Port of Morrow (March)
3. Craig Finn - Clear Eyes, Full Hearts (1/24)
4. Paul McCartney - Kisses on the Bottom (1/31)
5. Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror (2/14)
6. The Big Pink - Future This (1/17)
7. Of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks (1/31)
8. Heartless Bastards - Arrow (2/14)
9. Esperanza Spalding - Radio Music Society (2/28)
10. Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory (1/24)
11. Miike Snow - Happy To You (March)

The 11 Best Albums of 2009: 45-55 (Part 1)

Happy Holidays everyone!

It's that time of the year again...time to make our own "Best of…" list. As you all know, every year I compile a list of the best music albums released during the year. And, I ask all of you to help out.

So, if you haven't done this before or need a quick refresher, it's very simple. Send me your 20 Favorite Albums that were released during 2009. Remember, the only rule is that the album had to be officially released during 2009. If you can't think of 20...send 10...or even 5...if you only like 1, then just send 1.

Once I get all the votes...I'll compile an uber list of 111 of the best albums of 2009.

Here are the 11 Best Albums of 2009: 45-55 (Part 1):

45. Cracker - Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey
46. Here We Go Magic - Here We Go Magic (Fangela)
47. The Bravery - Stir The Blood
48. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
49. Memory Tapes - Seek Magic
50. Volcano Choir - Unmap (only $5.00)
51. Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk
52. Weezer - Raditude
53. St. Vincent - Actor
54. The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love
55. William Elliott Whitmore - Animals in the Dark (There Is Hope For You)