Urban 75's Albums of the Year... The Results!

[miniGMgoit]

I'm surprised Gallon Drunk didn't make it in. It's a wonderful album.

 

[sim667]

As we're doing lists now:

1. Death Grips - The Money Store
2. Niveau Zero - Jasmine
3. Bong-Ra - Monolith
4. Ruby my dear - Remains of shapes to come
5. Death Grips - No Love Deep Web
6. Laid Blak - Red & Blak
7. The Destroyers - Hole in the universe
8. Clark - Iradelphic
9. Die Antwoord - Ten$ion
10. Squarepusher - Ufabulum

But since then I've also heard
Underhill - Silent Siren
Crystal Castles - (III)
Bass clef - Reeling Skullways
Sinister Souls - Beat the drum hard

Basically if I hadnt of heard those after, I'd have submitted a top 14 instead of top 10, those 4 are all wicked albums.

 

[DJ Squelch]

My favourites of the year -

01 Killer Mike - R.A.P. music
02 Voices From The Lake - Voices from the lake
03 Poolside - Pacific standard time
04 Mark Lanegan - Blues funeral
05 Lone - Galaxy garden
06 Chromatics - Kill for love
07 Goat - World music
08 Shackleton - Music for the Quiet Hour / The Drawbar Organ EPs
09 Claro Intelecto - Reform Club
10 Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light
11 Andrew Weatherall - Masterpiece
12 Matthew Dear - Beams
13 Lindstrøm - Smalhans
14 Alex Winston - King con
15 Petar Dundov - Ideas from the Pond
16 Willis Earl Beal - Acousmatic Sorcery [original version ltd. ed.]
17 Dino Sabatini - Shaman's paths
18 The Skints - Part & parcel
19 Hidden Rooms - Greyland
20 Fort Romeau - Kingdoms
Etnica - Live in Athens 1996
The Analog Roland Orchestra - Home

I thought Shackleton or Killer Mike had a chance of making the top 30.

 

[Dr. Furface]

1. The Internet – Purple Naked Ladies
2. Farrah Abraham – My Teenage Dream Ended
3. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city
4. Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland – Black is Beautiful
5. Group Rhoda – Out Of Time, Out Of Touch
6. Actress – RIP
7. Laetitia Sadier – Silencio
8. Grimes – Visions
9. Blondes – Blondes
10. Evian Christ – Kings & Them
11. Traxman – Da Mind of Traxman
12. Robert Hood – Motor : Nighttime World 3
13. Laurel Halo – Quarantine
14. Carter Tutti Void – Transverse
15. Liars – WIXIW
16. Moon Duo – Circles
17. JJ Doom – Key to the Kuffs
18. Trust – TRST
19. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Mature Themes
20. Julia Holter – Ekstasis

I was amazed to see my #1 album feature in our poll at all, even more that it reached as high as 21. I thought I'd be the only one voting for it as it seemed to bafflingly sink without trace the moment it was released, so it's good to see there must be a few other urbs who also appreciated its brilliance

 

[boing!]

Not heard #17 Eccentronic Research Council. Sounds interesting, might have to check that out.

My list:
18. Mount Eerie - Clear Moon
17. FAY - DIN
16. Singing Adams - Moves
15. The Magnetic North - Orkney: Symphony of the Magnetic North
14. Old Apparatus - Alfur
13. Iris DeMent - Sing The Delta
12. Dirty Three - Toward The Low Sun
11. Actress - R.I.P
10. Bass Clef - Reeling Skullways
9. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
8. Holy Other - Held
7. Vessel - Order Of Noise
6. Emptyset - Medium
5. Andy Stott - Luxury Problems
4. Om - Advaitic Songs
3. Josephine Foster - Blood Rushing
2. Raime - Quarter Turns Over A Living Line
1. Sufjan Stevens - Silver & Gold

Damn right I put a christmas album at number 1!

 

[belboid]

Damn right I put a christmas album at number 1!

Damn right you were the only bugger to put them in reverse order, grrrrr...... I almost docked you points, awkward sod

 

[ouchmonkey]

Last year the Horrors were robbed of their rightful place at the top of the tree and this year it's Tame Impala. Just shocking, Urban75. Shocking.

Tame Impala are even worse than The Horrors. by a massive margin in fact. they're just cack

 

[Voley]

Only heard two on the list (Beefheart / Spiritualized) both of which I voted for. This is a small victory for me. I'm glad that Dexys aberration didn't do well. When I am King we'll remove it from history entirely.

 

[redsquirrel]

I'm surprised Gallon Drunk didn't make it in. It's a wonderful album.

Made my top 5.
Cheers for organising this again belboid.

Here's my list for anybody that is interested.
Very good year for Michael Gira, Geoff Barrow and Chris Carter/Cosey Fanni Tutti who all managed to get two albums in.

1. Swans - The Seer
2. Carter Tutti Void - Transverse
3. Earth - Angel of Darkness, Demons of Light II
4. Richard Hawley - Standing at The Sky’s Edge
5. Gallon Drunk - The Road Gets Darker From Here
6. Laura Gibson - La Grande
7. X-TG - Desertshore/The Final Report
8. Swans - We Rose From Your Bed With The Sun In Our Head
9. Scott Walker - Bish Bosch
10. Public Image Limited - This is PiL
11. Dr John - Locked Down
12. Dirty Three - Toward The Low Sun
13. Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow - Drokk
14. Peggy Sue - Play The Songs of Scorpio Rising
15. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
16. Dexys - One Day I’m Going To Soar
17. The Magnetic North - Orkney Symphony of the Magnetic North
18. Liars - WIXIW
19. Om - Advaitic Songs
20. BEAK> - >>

Not heard #17 Eccentronic Research Council. Sounds interesting, might have to check that out.

1. Sufjan Stevens - Silver & Gold

Damn right I put a christmas album at number 1!

the ERC is definitely worth checking out, doesn't totally work IMO but it wasn't far off my top 20.

Is that Sufjan Stevens better than his last Xmas album? I was pretty uninspired by that.

 

[boing!]

Damn right you were the only bugger to put them in reverse order, grrrrr...... I almost docked you points, awkward sod

I thought it would build the suspense more that way.

 

[redsquirrel]

24 Earth –Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II

Somehow, though, these tracks and their themes don't wash away or turn into seismic smears that would have suited Earth back when "Kurt Kobain" was offering up guest vocals. Recorded during the same sessions that yielded volume one of this series, they show the strong skeleton, sans distraction. More importantly, they confirm the suspicion that the crew Carlson gathered for the Angels of Darkness recordings is the most sympathetic, versatile, and unselfish group he's ever had.

Best cover of the year too

 

[Voley]

Excellent work as ever, belboid, thanks. Always throws up some interesting oddments. I usually d/l a couple of the more interesting sounding ones. I usually think they're shit but it's still worthwhile. Fuck Buttons I think it was or something last time round.

 

[ska invita]

1. ALPHA & OMEGA meets DAN I - Blessed are the Poor
A&O can do no wrong for me, just love the unique way they do dub. Dan I's vocal style took me a couple of listens to get into, but I've come around - the slight rawness adds to the conviction of the music.


2. Lazer Sword – Memory
From San Fran, experimental techy electronica, but all the tracks groove and have soul and emotion to them rather than just noodling about for the sake of it. According to discogs the style is House, Bass Music, Glitch, Techno, Dubstep, Electro, Experimental. Definitely Fresh. And E-ish


3. Funk ARk - High Noon
Straight up modern big band instrumental funk with a touch of afro in there too. Works really really well. I think theyre from Washington...definitley the US somewhere


4. Heny G - Childhood
This album was officially launched in October and some tunes are from last year even but still hasn't officially come out yet, looking like really early 2013. However Ive heard most of the tracks played by Heny G when djing and they're great. To sum it up you could say its Bukem meets proper dubstep.

 

[ska invita]

bubbling...

Actress RIP
Often breathtaking production going on and a album that grows over time, which is always a good thing. I dont usually do that well with ambient music, but theres just enough drive in there to keep me locked in for the duration...

Holly Cook in Dub
Sweet dub album, but not enough to set the world on fire


Billy Woods - History Will Absolve Me
First contact with Billy Woods for me, those he's done a couple of albums in the past. Upfront raps over some really original heavy beats, with a quality of lyrics that reminds me a bit of Kool Keith - tough poetry...serious, relentless record.


Enei - Machines
Hard and clinical DnB from Russia. Wicked and crisp. DnB albums are rarely albums though, just a collection of 12s, and thats true for this too, so tracks go on just a little bit too long for where you might mix out of them, but i'd imagine if you get it as a pack of 12s then you cant go wrong. Also from Russia was the Subwave album on Metalheadz - he's done some great one off tracks (Dreamcatcher my favourite), but this album didn't live up to my expectations.


Mala - Mala in Cuba
Not sure how well this works as an album, prefer hearing the tunes in the mix, but definiltey some great music in there.

Black Radio
Robert Glasper Experiment
US Soul Jazz lives! All star vocal line up, from Meshell Ndegeocello to Mos Def. Some tracks are excellent, others less interesting, but a nice package all in.


Deadbeat - Eight
Bass heavy deep dub techno from Canada...great music for winter, if yhou like that kind of thing

Love And Danger by Kool Keith - usual hit and miss madness from KK, but the worlds a better place for his endless records.

Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes
Got into flying lotus a bit this year, having found it a bit boring in the past, but I think I understand where its coming from now... stoned and sunny california

 

[Spandex]

3. Funk ARk - High Noon
Straight up modern big band instrumental funk with a touch of afro in there too. Works really really well. I think theyre from Washington...definitley the US somewhere.

I like them. They sound like the sort of band Daptone Records release. I haven't listened to much of that US afro-funk revival stuff this year. I'll have to check the album when I get a chance. Cheers.

 

[mauvais]

If Scott Walker is still making shit ghost noises, then fuck Scott Walker.

I couldn't be bothered to contribute anything, because I hadn't listened to anything from 2012 in 2012, but now I have a bit and I'm going to say these are missing. They might not be missing because I haven't bothered to read the thread either. But fuck Scott Walker's shit ghost noises, y'hear?

Allah-Las - Allah-Las
Django Django - Django Django
First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
The Magnetic Fields - Love At The Bottom Of The Sea
The Tallest Man On Earth - There's No Leaving Now

Fuck him.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

I've just listened to a couple of tracks from the Frank Ocean album.

Seriously, who the fuck voted for this

 

[Left]

Don't want to shit on this thread, but isn't this obsession with album-as-art-form a bit old hat in 2012?

 

[Nanker Phelge]

Shit......now I've got no excuse to make effort to go listen to loads of new music and leave all them old italians alone for a few weeks.....

 

[Spandex]

Don't want to shit on this thread, but isn't this obsession with album-as-art-form a bit old hat in 2012?

No.

People still release albums and people still listen to albums. Having a best of vote is a good way for people to discuss what's been released this year, say what they like and what they hate, see what they've missed.

Why would it be old hat?

 

[Left]

OK.

 

[killer b]

If Scott Walker is still making shit ghost noises, then fuck Scott Walker.

he is a bit tbf.

 

[ska invita]

I like them. They sound like the sort of band Daptone Records release. I haven't listened to much of that US afro-funk revival stuff this year. I'll have to check the album when I get a chance. Cheers.

theyre really class i think. ive bought two copies to give away as christmas presents. i dont think they've been to the uk yet, so not really known here...i stumbled across them on the net.
You can listen to the whole LP here before buying one!! http://musicmp3.ru/artist_the-funk-ark__album_high-noon.html

If you dont know Antibalas i recommend them too - theyre more strict afrobeat, big band from New York. The early albums are better - this years album was the weakest so far I thought, but all well worth checking. Firing live too. 3 albums here http://musicmp3.ru/artist_antibalas.html, but the two earlier ones are the best imop.

 

[belboid]

If Scott Walker is still making shit ghost noises, then fuck Scott Walker.

I couldn't be bothered to contribute anything, because I hadn't listened to anything from 2012 in 2012, but now I have a bit and I'm going to say these are missing. They might not be missing because I haven't bothered to read the thread either. But fuck Scott Walker's shit ghost noises, y'hear?

...

Fuck him.

This post is so wrong, but I've just got to 'Like' it

 

[belboid]

bubbling...

Actress RIP
Often breathtaking production going on and a album that grows over time, which is always a good thing. I dont usually do that well with ambient music, but theres just enough drive in there to keep me locked in for the duration...

the Actress was the album that, after seeing how well it was doing (it was in the lead for a while) I decided I had to listen to before I could finalise my list.

I just didn't get it at all.

 

[belboid]

My list (without album titles, because I didn't need to


Barry Adamson
Eccentronic Research Council
Moon Duo
Jim Jones Revue
Public Image Ltd
Jack White
North Sea Scrolls
Swans
X-TG
Scott Walker
Julian Cope
Beth Jeans Houghton
Calexico
Dirty Projectors
Future of theLeft
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Grizzly Bear
Singing Adams
sigur ros
The xx

 

[ska invita]

the Actress was the album that, after seeing how well it was doing (it was in the lead for a while) I decided I had to listen to before I could finalise my list.
I just didn't get it at all.

I particularly got a kick out of the technical studio trickery that was going on in it, especially in the first half,
-for example the 'invisible' kick drum pump on this track

theres some great textures ......unusual combination of sounds...like this


but overall its too down for my tastes. We've stuck it on in the evening here kind of in the background a few times and its grew on me a bit but i skip a few numbers and get a bit bored by the end. Only the albums in my top 4 are ones i really like to listen to all the way through - the rest of my list was a bit hit and miss

 

[Dr. Furface]

I've just listened to a couple of tracks from the Frank Ocean album.

Seriously, who the fuck voted for this

I don't get it either, can't understand why it's received so much attention and high placings in 'respectable' end of year polls

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

OK, now I've just tried the first 20 mins of the Actress album. The production is good but the tracks are a bit, well, dull really.

 

[Spandex]

If you dont know Antibalas i recommend them too - theyre more strict afrobeat, big band from New York. The early albums are better - this years album was the weakest so far I thought, but all well worth checking. Firing live too. 3 albums here http://musicmp3.ru/artist_antibalas.html, but the two earlier ones are the best imop.

Yeah, their album this year kind of passed me by. I listened to a few clips, it didn't grab me immediately and I didn't go back to it. My favourite is still their pre-Antibalas album as The Daktaris.