The Weekly DiScussion: our albums of the year, so far

Air Formation
The Pony Collaboration
The Maccabees
albums are all in my picks of the year so far.
I'm surprised to see The Cribs record - by far the worst of their three albums to date - and 'A Weekend In The City' in there though.

bloc party-massive dissapointment, self important and boring for me

arcade fire-moments of greatness but again a bit pompus and self imortant

Cribs-always gonna deliver great pop tunes, does just that but its not as good as the new fella's

Jaimie T- started off hating it, started to like it, then got bored of it, now i absolutely love it except fot 'money'which i find a bit cack for some reason.

klaxons- surprisingly good
The national- a nice surprise (for me at least)
the shins-good, but like the cribs not as good as the last album.

battles- i'm not convinced

it's not that it's not a good album,it's just it hasn't rewarded repeat listens like the others in this list. my favourites so far this year have been laura veirs, feist, bjork, shady bard and maps.

Bloc Party is worthy. So my list, in no particular order=

Deerhunter- Cryptograms
Bloc Party- AWITC
El-P- I'll Sleep When You're Dead
Blonde Redhead- 23 (if pushed, this would be my favourite of the year)
Battles- Mirrored

I really want to hear Wires On Fire in full, and I am pretty certain both the QOTSA and Iccy Line will make my end of year list too.

A Weekend In The City was patchy. The music's fantastic throughout, but Jesus, there are some Godawful lyrics on there.

The Shins
Bright Eyes (some reason didn't get reviewed?!)
Maccabees
Jamie T
Bloc Party
Deerhunter
Battles

Of Montreal
Battles
Menomena
Times New Viking
Handsome Furs

...Just some highly rated LPs from the archive...

Inevitably, I missed a couple ;o)
x

Compilation, innit.
And it's shit.

I just saw you haven't missed that out. Good one.

dizzee rascal's new album is ace. fo' shizzle etc.

Loads of good enough albums, but nothing has really stood out, and there has been a distinct epidemic of Second Album Syndrome - loads of shite follow ups (Bloc Party leading the pack). Lets hope that we have some gems to look forward to in the coming months. Interpol, White Stripes and maybe Radiohead'll sling LP7 our way before the year is up. Of what we've had, Panda Bear was nice but never truly gripping, Neon Bible wouldve been great if it hadnt had Funeral to follow, and the Shins is a charming listen but hardly a stunner.

Vampire Weekend is amazing and my #1 of the year so far..

Nothing really. Well, I've only actually bought 1 album that was released this year (Sound of Silver.) I'm waiting to get my hands on the new JPL one.

blonde redhead
battles
shellac
twilight sad
ginderman

Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City
It's perhaps not as good as it seemed on first listen, and perhaps not quite as good as Silent Alarm, but it's still a fine album. There's so much potential in Bloc Party, they're the ones we need to watch.

The Cribs - Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever
Indie pop at it's finest. I've listened to it at least once a day since the day it was released. It's got more choruses and hooks in one song than some manage in a whole career.

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
It's just a brilliant album, and deservedly propelled them on to bigger things. It's so grand, full of ambition, and the scope is massive.

The Cooper Temple Clause - Make This Your Own
Fair enough, not the Coopers best, by a long shot, but it's still got more ideas, more invention bursting out of it's seams than so many other records. It really is a shame that they've called it quits. They had the potential to be huge.

Also, not the best, but still good:
Klaxons - Myths Of The New Future
BRMC - Baby 81
Idlewild - Make Another World (I just can't dislike Idlewild. Their back catalogue just means too much to me)

Then again, there's also been some absolute shit. The View, anyone?

glad Bloc Party was in there!! what is wrong with this album exactly???? all i hear is hate towards it!! it is an awkward listen in places but i think that hightens the theme of the album, its one of my favs of the year any way the rest are

Bright Eyes (yes, where was the review????)

Nine Inch Nails- great ideas throughout although not the best work he's done there are some blinding tracks on it.

Sage Francis- some brilliant songs on this although its his weakest work, however that really means nothing.

Battles-well this just gets better with each listen!

el-p - better than fantastic damage?? maybe!!

has there been no review, nor even a mention anywhere on the message boards of the new Neurosis album, Given to the Rising? It's phenomenal

I love them but the version of end of radio just makes me feel a little bit queasy, it could have been so great, it's amazing and electrifying live, yet on record it just teases you with how great it could have been.

Sound of Silver, Reminder and Person Pitch. I still need to give the Battles one more listens.

'Passover' - album of the year, no contest.

aIf there was a contest, The Besnard Lakes would come second with 'Are The Dark Horse'

And Grinderman would be third.

And The Kissaway Trail would be fourth.

Fact!

New Queens of the Stone Age is ace too.
And on the singer-songwriter front, watch out for Jacob Golden. And also Cherry Ghost.

...in order (probably):

1. Yndi Halda - Enjoy Eternal Bliss
2. The National - Boxer
3. 65daysofstatic - Destruction of Small Ideas
4. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
5. Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City

def. arcade fire, im looking forward to the white stripes and qotsa cd this month. also i like this new band called atlas.

Except DiS...

Field Music! Yes please.

Also LCD for me so far. Plus El-P, Panda Bear and Of Montreal. Battles still needs work.

Although I need to check out Cribs, Blonde Redhead, National and Besnard Lakes.

Neurosis - Given To The Rising

but then given last years Tom Waits fiasco perhaps DiS has given up on reviewing truly great albums...?

1.Low - Drums and Guns
2.Modest Mouse - We Where Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
3.Panda Bear - Person Pitch
4.Battles Mirrored
5.The Good the Bad and The Queen -TGTBATQ
6.Blonde Redhead - 23

1. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

if you don't know the story it goes something like this: "The birth of a daughter, alienation and depression in Norway, and subsequent separation from his wife and new child gave him plenty to mull over, work out."

still play this album at least once a week. DiS gave it a 8 but is really a 10. the music gets to you first but than you start to figure out what he is talking about. the lyrics are what takes it to another level because his soul is there for all to witness. he covers things like a lot of sex, drugs, rock and religion and in different ways but we are all human after all. brilliant.

is still the number one for me. Not a single other record this year has made the hair on the back of neck stand up like that.

(though that may have something to do with the fact that the first time I heard the record, I was using a hair dryer while in the bath and accidentally dropped it in)

Battles
Panda Bear
Do Make Say Think
Grails
Deerhoof
LCD Soundsystem

else buy Blue Birds Blood?! It's so so so good

http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/1836006#r1836122

Favourites:

David Thomas Broughton - Red Deer Club Tour EP
Bloc Party - AWITC
A Sunny Day In Glasgow - Scribble..
Bright Eyes - Cassadaga (I suppose)
The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
The National - Boxer
Battles - Mirrored
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna
Panda Bear - Person Pitch

2007 has been a bit of a corker thus far I reckon. My ever changing top 11 looks like this
Albums of 2007 as of June 2007
===============================
[1] - LCD Soundsystem - Sounds of silver
[2] - The Field - From here we go sublime
[3] - QOTSA - Era Vulgaris
[4] - Pole - Steingarten
[5] - Gui Boratto - Chromophobia
[6] - Arctic Monkeys - Favorite Worst Nightmare
[7] - Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
[8] - Deerhunter - Cryptograms
[9] - Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
[10] - Battles - Mirrored
[11] - Dalek - Abandoned Language

New London Scala show on sale now!

it depends. Dalek's abandoned language is a great record. labelled as "experimental hip hop", there is the occasional rapping but it is over whelmed by the ocean of foreboding noise building through each track, so not sure if anyone else would call this hip hop.

Now Kanye West is a dirty word in my book.....

I'm sure everyone will dissagree with me, but after seeing Reverend an the Makers in Leicester last month, i firmly believe that Reverend and The Makers will make the best and most important album of the yeah. A genuine statement of intent. Certainly in terms of music that has any commercial viability. I dont see the point in comparing them to the likes of Battles etc...

John Maclure has a vison and way with lyrics that is ahead of the game in my eyes.

Biffy Clyro
Explosions In The Sky
Modest Mouse
Sondre Lerche
The Shins

Current feelings ^

Eluvium.
and Aereogramme's last effort is deservedly up there too, shame they had to stop really.

disc has certainly had the most play of anything this year on my stereo.

For what it's worth in no particular order

Wires on Fire - WoF
the Cribs - Mens Needs
The Hold Steady - Boys & Girls in America (borderline this year)
Malajube - Trompe L'Oeil

And QOTSA, Arcade Fire and Battles.

Bloc Party are unlikely to make my end of year top list. A good album but I found the lyrics rather gauche and the music patchy. They're best when they rock out, and I hope they realise this for the next album.

Pretentious drivel that sounds like it was written by a 12 year old.

worst bjork album yet. i have heard it all but not in one sitting.

Battles
Blonde Redhead
Maccabees
Bright Eyes
arctic monkeys
Loney Dear

in no particular order
parts & labor
lcd soundsystem
arctic monkeys
cribs
and the besnard lakes

MELT BANANA
How the hell is Jamie T there and not
MELT BANANA

a rather friendly:

battles - mirrored
Coconut records (Jason Schwartzmann - nighttiming
Klaxons - myths of the near future
The national - boxer
of montreal - hissing fauna...

that's all

I'm amazed that there are so few positive comments for Field Music. I can only assume that it's still unheard by most people, otherwise it would surely be in everyone's list.

It's definitely my album of the year, by far.

Von Sudafed
Battles
Panda Bear
Twilight Sad
Low
Maps
Chavez (comp)
Trembling Blue Stars
Bill Callahan

that there have been lots of quite good albums this year but from artists whose previous album was a lot better.

bright eyes, patrick wolf, the shins, the arcade fire, arctic monkeys, bloc party, the cribs, feist.

besnard lakes, of montreal and the hold steady (not really 2007) are the best.

LCD
Arcadde Fire
(U.N.K.L.E)
B.R.M.C.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen (surprise)
Bjork

the rest albums I've listened this year didn't convince me as much to put them here or haven't heard the whole things yet

yeah! wheres the love?!

its a brilliant record... the ending of "Three Changes"/"Green Fields"/title-track is absolutely stunning.

Isn't it the greatest album of the year, I mean, one song better that the other. I can't stop listening to it. Great voice, great sound and very talented musicians.