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 | Album: 1 of 75 Artist: Leonard Cohen Title: Old Ideas Released: 2012-01-27 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Going Home (03:51) 2 Amen (07:35) 3 Show Me the Place (04:08) 4 Darkness (04:29) 5 Anyhow (03:08) 6 Crazy to Love You (03:06) 7 Come Healing (02:53) 8 Banjo (03:23) 9 Lullaby (04:46) 10 Different Sides (04:05) |
| Old Ideas : Allmusic album Review : Leonard Cohen, has always possessed a droll, self-effacing sense of humor. He expresses it on the opening track of Old Ideas in the third person: "I love to speak with Leonard/Hes a sportsman and a shepherd/Hes a lazy bastard/Living in a suit...." Its just of the typical Cohen topical standards on offer here: spiritual yearning, struggle, love, loss, lust, and mortality are all in abundance, offered with the poets insight. He is surrounded by friends on Old Ideas. Patrick Leonard, Dino Soldo, and Anjani Thomas get production and co-writing credits. Sharon Robinson, Dana Glover, Jennifer Warnes, and the Webb Sisters all appear on backing vocals. Cohen mixes up the musical forms more than he has in the past. The loungey electronic keyboards on "Going Home" are balanced by Glovers female backing chorale, an acoustic piano, and Bela Santellis violin. The sly, minor-key Gypsy jazz groove on "Amen" is played by a banjo, violin, and Cohens guitar; it tempers his searing lyric, which posits the notion that the totality of love, divine or otherwise, can only truly be achieved when the object of desire has seen his worst, metaphorically and literally. "Show Me the Place" finds Cohen once again adopting the Protestant hymnal as directly as he did on "Hallelujah" -- albeit more quietly -- and wedding it to his simple, direct melodic sensibility. The song is a prayer, not for redemption, but to enter the cloud of spiritual unknowing before his demise, to discover the terrain where suffering itself is birthed. Warnes gorgeous backing vocals, piano, guitar, and violin accompany his beneath-the-basement, cracked-leather baritone in delivering the song with conviction and vulnerability. Cohens live band joins him on "Darkness," where he evokes, musically, his love of both late-40s R&B and gospel, even as he frankly discusses the inevitable entrance into the big goodnight. He also revisits the spartan sound of his early career with "Crazy to Love You," written with Thomas, on which his only accompaniment is his acoustic guitar. Here, he wrestles with an unwanted but nonetheless nagging attachment to erotic desire. "Come Healing" is another gospel-ized hymn, with Glovers vocals, church organ, violin, and Cohens nearly croaking vocal; he sings with reverence: "O see the darkness yielding/That tore the light apart/Come healing of the reason/Come healing of the heart...." "Banjo" is a country-blues that gives the songwriter a chance to indulge his love for Hank Williams while reflecting on Hurricane Katrina as Soldos New Orleans-inspired horns add a haunted effect to the tune. Cohen speaks not only for himself, but the ghosts of restless spirits wandering in his vision. "Lullabye"s lyrics, accompanied by a high lonesome harmonica and a whispering jazz organ to counterintuitively offer an attempt at comfort to the disconsolate. "Different Sides," with its slow, loopy groove, is a basic shuffle that addresses unresolved conflict in lust and law (spiritual and carnal), bringing Old Ideas to a close with an ironic tension. Here Cohen meets his well-worn topics head-on. He doesnt sound weary; he accepts them for what they are--all aspects of the same thing: life itself. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 75 Artist: Bob Dylan Title: Tempest Released: 2012-09-07 Tracks: 20 Duration: 2:17:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Duquesne Whistle (05:43) 2 Soon After Midnight (03:27) 3 Narrow Way (07:28) 4 Long and Wasted Years (03:46) 5 Pay in Blood (05:09) 6 Scarlet Town (07:17) 1 Early Roman Kings (05:14) 2 Tin Angel (09:05) 3 Tempest (13:54) 4 Roll On John (07:25) 1 Duquesne Whistle (05:43) 2 Soon After Midnight (03:27) 3 Narrow Way (07:28) 4 Long and Wasted Years (03:46) 5 Pay in Blood (05:09) 6 Scarlet Town (07:17) 7 Early Roman Kings (05:14) 8 Tin Angel (09:05) 9 Tempest (13:54) 10 Roll On John (07:25) |
 | Album: 3 of 75 Artist: Jack White Title: Blunderbuss Released: 2012-04-20 Tracks: 13 Duration: 41:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Missing Pieces (03:27) 2 Sixteen Saltines (02:37) 3 Freedom at 21 (02:51) 4 Love Interruption (02:37) 5 Blunderbuss (03:06) 6 Hypocritical Kiss (02:50) 7 Weep Themselves to Sleep (04:19) 8 I’m Shakin’ (03:00) 9 Trash Tongue Talker (03:20) 10 Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy (03:03) 11 I Guess I Should Go to Sleep (02:37) 12 On and On and On (03:55) 13 Take Me With You When You Go (04:10) |
| Blunderbuss : Allmusic album Review : Jack White leaves such an indelible stamp on any project he touches that a solo album from him almost seems unnecessary: nobody has ever told him what to do. Hes a rock & roll auteur, bending other artists to fit his will, leading bands even when hes purportedly no more than a drummer, always enjoying dictating the fashion by placing restrictions on himself. And so it is on Blunderbuss, his first official solo album, arriving five years after the White Stripes last but seeming much sooner given Whites constant flurry of activity with the Raconteurs, Dead Weather, Third Man Records, and countless productions. Here, hes once again placed restrictions on himself but theyre not quite as clearly defined as theyve been in the past, as when hes gotten great dividends by working with a limited palette. All the restrictions are entirely of a comforting variety: hes abandoned the primitivism of the White Stripes, something that came easily with Meg White bashing away on the drums, and has chosen a quieter, polished route, rotating in different musicians for different tracks. Jack still pulls out some standards from his bag of tricks -- clenched blues explosions, squealing guitars, and a cool breeze of electric piano -- but musicians matter and this bunch of pro players tightens and softens his attack (sometimes to its detriment, as on a clumsy cabaret version of Little Willie Johns "Im Shakin"). When Blunderbuss gets furious, its hard not to miss the chaos Meg brought to the Stripes -- with her at the drums, "Sixteen Saltines" would fly off the rails -- but its a mistake to think of this album as a professionally produced White Stripes record as it relies as heavily on ideas White explored on his handful of old-timey acoustic cuts and the 70s guitar rock of the Raconteurs. If it resembles any Stripes album its Get Behind Me Satan, the dark, odd 2005 set written in the wake of a breakup and filled with songs of paranoia and recrimination. This too is a divorce album with every song concerning love gone wrong, yet its easy to ignore all the pain roiling underneath because Blunderbuss plays so sweetly, its melodies easing into memory and its surface warm and pleasant. Contradictions are nothing new for Jack White but hes never been as emotionally direct as he is here, nor has he been as musically evasive, and that dichotomy makes Blunderbuss a record that only seems richer with increased exposure. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 75 Artist: Dr. John Title: Locked Down Released: 2012-04-02 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Locked Down (04:59) 2 Revolution (03:25) 3 Big Shot (03:48) 4 Ice Age (04:23) 5 Getaway (04:35) 6 Kingdom of Izzness (03:36) 7 You Lie (04:45) 8 Eleggua (02:53) 9 My Children, My Angels (05:06) 10 God’s Sure Good (04:56) |
| Locked Down : Allmusic album Review : Between 1968 and 1972, New Orleans-cum-L.A. session musician Mac Rebennack transformed himself into Dr. John, The Nite Tripper. He recorded a series of albums for Atlantic, most importantly Gris-Gris, but also Babylon, Remedies, and The Sun, Moon, & Herbs; they seamlessly wove a heady, swampy brew of voodoo ritual, funk, and R&B, psychedelic rock, and Creole roots music. The Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach admitted upon meeting Rebennack that he wanted to produce a Dr. John album and to revisit the Nite Trippers musical terrain on record. The pair worked in Auerbachs Nashville studio with a group of younger players to explore the rawer, spookier elements in Dr. Johns music. Locked Down is not an attempt to re-create Gris-Gris, which remains his classic; it -- and the other three records -- resembled nothing that existed before. Auerbach and Dr. John wanted to make a modern recording that drew on the spontaneous, more organic feel of those records; they succeeded in spades. Locked Down isnt quite swampy, but it is humid, even steamy. Its grooves are tight but raw and immediate. Its lyrics and music are charged with spiritual energy, carnal desire, and righteous indignation. It melds primal rock, careening R&B, and electric blues in an irresistible, downright nasty brew. The fingerpopping horn chart that announces "Revolution," is underscored by a fat baritone sax, an urgent, shake-your-ass bassline, and pulsing guitars. Drum breaks are constant in accompanying Rebennacks screed against corruption, "religious" hatred, and violence, which degrade humanity. His Wurlitzer solo is brief yet searing. "Ice Age"s guitar, drum, and percussion vamp are deadly infectious. Rebennacks voice growls about collusion between the CIA and KKK and the end of an era, as the McCrary Sisters complement the vocals with an R&B chorus line in affirmation. His organ drones and wheezes to complete the picture, yet turns the last line into possibility: "If you aint iced/you got the breath of life within."The electric piano on "Getaway" sets up a funktastic, bluesed-out swing. The guitars and Nick Movshons hyper bassline drive it urgently with clusters of surf-like chords, reverb, and effects, completed by a roiling, over-the rails Auerbach solo. "Eleggua" is pure spaced-out Nite Tripper, a cosmic funky butt strut; its chanted mystical prayers come from the world of flesh and spirit; its populated by slippery, watery guitars, wailing B-3, broken snare beats, and even a flute. That feel is underscored in the nocturnal shift and shimmer of "My Children, My Angels," driven by Rebennacks Rhodes, guitars, and a skittering snare. Its greasy yet somehow in synch with this love letter from a repentant father to his kids. Rebennack and Auerbach send it off, appropriately enough, with rock & roll gospel in "Gods Sure Good" and a joyous chorus from the McCrarys behind-the-lyrics gratitude, highlighted by a swelling B-3 and backbone-slipping grit. No matter which era or what record you prefer, as an album, Locked Down stands with Rebennacks best. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 75 Artist: Frank Ocean Title: Channel Orange Released: 2012-07-10 Tracks: 17 Duration: 55:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Start (00:45) 2 Thinkin Bout You (03:21) 3 Fertilizer (00:39) 4 Sierra Leone (02:28) 5 Sweet Life (04:22) 6 Not Just Money (00:59) 7 Super Rich Kids (05:04) 8 Pilot Jones (03:04) 9 Crack Rock (03:44) 10 Pyramids (09:52) 11 Lost (03:54) 12 White (01:16) 13 Monks (03:20) 14 Bad Religion (02:55) 15 Pink Matter (04:28) 16 Forrest Gump (03:14) 17 End (02:14) |
| Channel Orange : Allmusic album Review : Def Jams contracted edition of Frank Oceans Nostalgia, Ultra never materialized. The label nonetheless released two of the mixtapes songs as singles. One of them, "Novacane," clashed with everything else on the radio, reached the Top 20 of Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and crossed into the Hot 100. The singers presence spread with appearances on Goblin, 4, Watch the Throne, and The OF Tape, Vol. 2. He then completed this album with Malay, OmMas Keith, and Pharrell as his co-producers. Journalists present at June pre-release listening events speculated that some of the lyrics revealed Oceans bisexuality. Ocean subsequently published a screen shot of a document, dated December 27, 2011, that included details of a crushing romantic relationship with a male. Ocean also revealed that he wrote for the sake of his sanity and credited his inner circle: "Im sure these people kept me alive, kept me safe." One listen to Channel Orange makes it obvious that he is as free as an artist as he is as a man. The album doesnt have as many slyly powerful hooks as Nostalgia, Ultra, but Oceans descriptive and subtle storytelling is taken to a higher level. Hes up there with Bilal. As easy as it is to listen to Oceans voice in long stretches -- hes casually expressive -- the number of deep ruminations over slow tempos requires some patience. Even the lone song that could be termed a banger is a ten-minute suite that takes 90 seconds to get on the floor; the song with the widest and most creative scope as well, "Pyramid" shifts from "my black Queen Cleopatra" and ancient Egypt (over swift synth funk) to "Your love aint free no more" and a strip club (over booming, low-profile slickness). The lighter moments, such as the loose and bright "Sweet Life" and the relatively exuberant "Monks," both of which would be standouts on any N.E.R.D. album, offer more than bright coating, dealing in surrealism and sharp observations that are equally penetrating. On the other end, the most personal song is "Bad Religion," a phenomenal brokenhearted ballad consisting of organ, piano, strings, and handclaps: "This unrequited love/To me its nothing but a one-man cult/And cyanide in my Styrofoam cup." Everything that falls between, counting the rumbling drug dependency tale "Crack Rock," the snapping/swooning "Pilot Jones," and the longing falsetto shuffle "Thinkin Bout You," is vivid and worthy of complete immersion. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 75 Artist: Bill Fay Title: Life Is People Released: 2012-08-20 Tracks: 12 Duration: 54:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 There Is a Valley (04:15) 2 Big Painter (03:59) 3 The Never Ending Happening (03:43) 4 This World (03:43) 5 The Healing Day (05:14) 6 City of Dreams (06:10) 7 Be at Peace With Yourself (04:58) 8 Jesus, Etc. (04:17) 9 Empires (03:23) 10 Thank You Lord (03:13) 11 Cosmic Concerto (Life Is People) (07:56) 12 The Coast No Man Can Tell (03:06) |
 | Album: 7 of 75 Artist: Ty Segall & White Fence Title: Hair Released: 2012-04-23 Tracks: 8 Duration: 29:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Time (04:11) 2 I Am Not a Game (04:04) 3 Easy Ryder (02:23) 4 The Black Glove/Rag (05:04) 5 Crybaby (01:58) 6 (I Cant) Get Around You (02:50) 7 Scissor People (03:30) 8 Tongues (04:57) |
 | Album: 8 of 75 Artist: Grizzly Bear Title: Shields Released: 2012-09-17 Tracks: 10 Duration: 48:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sleeping Ute (04:36) 2 Speak in Rounds (04:24) 3 Adelma (01:02) 4 Yet Again (05:18) 5 The Hunt (03:44) 6 A Simple Answer (06:00) 7 What’s Wrong? (05:44) 8 Gun‐Shy (04:30) 9 Half Gate (05:29) 10 Sun in Your Eyes (07:08) |
| Shields : Allmusic album Review : Grizzly Bear were gone for a few years after Veckatimest, but the amount of extracurricular projects they tackled during that time -- Chris Taylors work with CANT, Daniel Rossens solo EP Silent Hour/Golden Mile, and the bands reconfiguring of their own songs into the Blue Valentine soundtrack -- means they never really went away. Shields isnt exactly a dramatic return then, which is somehow fitting considering that this is some of the bands most cerebral music. Theres nothing here with quite the instant appeal of "Two Weeks" or the aching vulnerability of "Foreground"; instead, most of these songs lie between those two poles. Yet Shields is full of remarkably active music, starting with "Sleeping Ute," where acoustic guitars that sound more like theyre being scrubbed than strummed tumble into bubbling synths, which then give way to rhythms that conjure leaves twirling in the breeze. "Speak in Rounds" may be the most rocking song theyve done yet, even if it climaxes with rustling brass and flutes instead of a shredding guitar solo. As dazzling as these flourishes can be, sometimes the complexity of Shields arrangements threatens to overshadow the actual songs, and the most direct moments are among the albums best. "Yet Again" shows once again how good Grizzly Bear are at putting their abstract leanings into their version of a pop single: the guitars ring out with inevitability, the harmonies propel the song to new heights, and everything gets gloriously noisy before it fades away. The bouncy "A Simple Answer" and sleek "Gun-Shy" follow suit, but what makes them and the rest of Shields intriguing is the tension between the musics brash dynamics, and words and feelings that often turn inward. The bands lyrics are more cryptic and coded than ever, and the snippets that listeners get, such as "Cloistered from yourself/You never even try," from "Whats Wrong," are abstractions of relationships that feel like extreme close-ups or birds-eye views. These mysteries dont detract from the pure melodic beauty of songs like "Half-Gate," though, and the way that the album travels from its stormy beginnings to the serenity of "Sun in Your Eyes" means it can be called a song cycle without shame or snickering. While its not as obviously big a statement as Veckatimest was, Shields is plenty ambitious in its own right, and its complexity demands and rewards patient listening. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 75 Artist: Neil Young with Crazy Horse Title: Psychedelic Pill Released: 2012-10-26 Tracks: 9 Duration: 1:27:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Driftin’ Back (27:37) 2 Psychedelic Pill (03:28) 3 Ramada Inn (16:50) 4 Born in Ontario (03:49) 1 Twisted Road (03:29) 2 She’s Always Dancing (08:33) 3 For the Love of Man (04:14) 4 Walk Like a Giant (16:29) 5 Psychedelic Pill (alternate mix) (03:12) |
 | Album: 10 of 75 Artist: Bruce Springsteen Title: Wrecking Ball Released: 2012-03-02 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:01:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 We Take Care of Our Own (03:53) 2 Easy Money (03:36) 3 Shackled and Drawn (03:46) 4 Jack of All Trades (05:59) 5 Death to My Hometown (03:28) 6 This Depression (04:07) 7 Wrecking Ball (05:49) 8 You’ve Got It (03:48) 9 Rocky Ground (04:40) 10 Land of Hope and Dreams (06:58) 11 We Are Alive (05:36) 12 Swallowed Up (In the Belly of the Whale) (05:35) 13 American Land (04:23) |
| Wrecking Ball : Allmusic album Review : Heavy lies the crown on Bruce Springsteens head. Alone among his generation -- or any subsequent generation, actually -- he has shouldered the burden of telling the stories of the downtrodden in the new millennium, a class whose numbers increase by the year, a fact that weighs on Springsteen throughout 2012s Wrecking Ball. Such heavy-hearted rumination is not unusual for the Boss. Ever since The Rising, his 2002 return to action, a record deliberately tailored to address the lingering anger and sorrow from 9/11, Springsteen has eschewed the frivolous in favor of the weighty, escalating his dry, dusty folk and operatic rock in tandem, all in hopes of pushing the plight of the forgotten into public consciousness. Each of his five albums since The Rising have been tailored for the specific political moment -- Devils & Dust ruminated over forgotten Americans in the wake of the Iraq war; We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions was an election year rallying call; Magic struggled to find meaning in these hard times; Working on a Dream saw hope in the dawning days of Obama -- and it’s no mistake that Wrecking Ball fuses elements of all four into an election year state of the union: Bruce is taking stock of where we are and how we’ve gotten here, urging us to push forward. If that sounds a bit haughty, it also plays that way. Springsteen has systematically removed any element of fun -- "Mary’s Place" is the only original in the past decade that could be called a party song -- along with all the romance or any element of confessional songwriting. He has adopted the mantle of the troubadour and oral historian, telling tales of the forgotten and punctuating them with rallying calls to action. Wrecking Ball contains more of the latter than any of its predecessors, summoning the masses to rise up against fatcat bankers set to singalongs lifted from Seeger. Theres an unshakable collectivist hootenanny feel on Wrecking Ball, not to mention allusions to gospel including a borrowed refrain from "This Train," but Springsteen takes pains to have the music feel modern, inviting Tom Morello to do aural paintings with his guitar, threading some trip-hop rhythms into the mix, and finding space for a guest rap on "Rocky Ground." As admirable as the intent is, the splices between old-fashioned folk protests and dour modernity become too apparent, possibly because theres so little room to breathe on the album -- the last recorded appearance of Clarence Clemons helps lift "Land of Hope and Dreams" above the rest -- possibly because the message has been placed before the music. Springsteen is so focused on preaching against creeping inequality in the U.S. that hes wound up honing his words and not his music, letting the big-footed stomps and melancholy strumming play second fiddle to the stories. Consequently, Wrecking Ball feels cumbersome and top heavy, Springsteen sacrificing impassioned rage in favor of explaining his intentions too clearly. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 75 Artist: Tame Impala Title: Lonerism Released: 2012-10-05 Tracks: 12 Duration: 51:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Be Above It (03:21) 2 Endors Toi (03:06) 3 Apocalypse Dreams (05:56) 4 Mind Mischief (04:31) 5 Music to Walk Home By (05:12) 6 Why Wont They Talk to Me? (04:46) 1 Feels Like We Only Go Backwards (03:12) 2 Keep on Lying (05:54) 3 Elephant (03:31) 4 She Just Wont Believe Me (00:57) 5 Nothing That Has Happened So Far Has Been Anything We Could Control (06:01) 6 Suns Coming Up (05:20) |
| Lonerism : Allmusic album Review : Theres a better than decent chance that, no matter where you are, Perth, Australia is pretty far away, a fact that pretty much makes Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker an isolated pop genius isolated pop genius. Working mostly by himself, Parker mines this solitude with brilliant results on Tame Impalas sophomore effort, Lonerism. Diving headfirst into the realm of pop music, the way Parker uses keyboards to explore more traditional melodies makes the album feel like the McCartney to Innerspeakers Lennon, blending the familiar with the far out to craft a Revolver-esque psych-pop experience. This shift from the guitar-heavy sound of the debut to a more synthed-out approach gives the album a more expansive feeling, allowing Parker to explore new textures through layer after layer of melody. As with Innerspeaker, sonic architect Dave Fridmann handles the mixing, and though he wasnt involved in the recording process, Lonerism definitely shares the producers knack for using the space as an instrument in and of itself. This layering of not just sounds, but environments, creates a serene and lonely patchwork of sound, texture, and atmosphere thats a pleasure to explore, offering something different with every journey into its swirling haze of classic pop melody and modern, more experimental, construction. Most importantly, the partnership allows Fridmann to help shape Tame Impalas wild, starry-eyed ambition into something enveloping and accessible, a trick hes performed for the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev again and again. This combination gives Lonerism the best of both worlds, allowing it the creative freedom to emerge as one of the most impressive albums of the home-recording era while still feeling superbly refined. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 75 Artist: Go-Kart Mozart Title: On the Hot Dog Streets Released: 2012-06-25 Tracks: 17 Duration: 52:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 Lawrence Takes Over (03:28) 2 West Brom Blues (03:16) 3 The Sun (02:09) 4 Retro-Glancing (04:05) 5 Come on You Lot (03:13) 6 Blowin in a Secular Breeze (04:34) 7 Mickie Made the Most (02:30) 8 White Stilettos in the Sand (04:01) 9 I Talk With Robot Voice (02:16) 10 Synth Wizard (03:53) 11 Spunky Axe (02:35) 12 Ollie Ollie Get Your Collie (03:03) 13 As Long as You Come Home Tonight (03:16) 14 Robot Rock (00:29) 15 Electrosex (03:26) 16 Queen of the Scene (03:06) 17 Men Look at Women (03:24) |
 | Album: 13 of 75 Artist: Dexys Title: One Day Im Going to Soar Released: 2012-04-30 Tracks: 11 Duration: 56:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Now (06:47) 2 Lost (03:00) 3 Me (04:17) 4 She Got a Wiggle (04:27) 5 You (03:32) 6 Im Thinking of You (07:02) 7 Im Always Going to Love You (05:38) 8 Incapable of Love (05:30) 9 Nowhere Is Home (04:57) 10 Free (03:44) 11 Its O.K. John Joe (07:54) |
 | Album: 14 of 75 Artist: Paul Buchanan Title: Mid Air Released: 2012-05-21 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:04:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Mid Air (02:32) 2 Half the World (02:56) 3 Cars in the Garden (02:49) 4 Newsroom (01:54) 5 I Remember You (02:48) 6 Buy a Motor Car (02:37) 7 Wedding Party (02:36) 8 Two Children (02:35) 9 Summers on Its Way (02:28) 10 My True Country (02:17) 11 A Movie Magazine (02:24) 12 Tuesday (02:12) 13 Fin de siècle (02:01) 14 After Dark (03:56) 1 Have You Ever Been Lonely? (03:04) 2 My True Country (piano) (02:19) 3 After Dark (instrumental) (04:03) 4 Two Children (piano) (02:30) 5 Lost (02:22) 6 Tuesday (instrumental) (02:05) 7 Half the World (demo) (02:58) 8 A Movie Magazine (instrumental) (02:21) 9 Mid Air (demo) (02:36) 10 God Is Laughing (03:41) |
 | Album: 15 of 75 Artist: Field Music Title: Plumb Released: 2012-02-13 Tracks: 15 Duration: 35:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Start the Day Right (02:18) 2 Its Okay to Change (00:58) 3 Sorry Again, Mate (02:08) 4 A New Town (03:58) 5 Choosing Sides (03:12) 6 A Prelude to Pilgrim Street (01:48) 7 Guillotine (03:12) 8 Wholl Pay the Bills? (02:20) 9 So Long Then (02:06) 10 Is This the Picture? (02:41) 11 From Hide and Seek to Heartache (02:49) 12 How Many More Times? (00:40) 13 Ce soir (01:13) 14 Just Like Everyone Else (03:00) 15 (I Keep Thinking About) A New Thing (03:16) |
 | Album: 16 of 75 Artist: Ty Segall Band Title: Slaughterhouse Released: 2012-06-26 Tracks: 11 Duration: 39:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 Death (04:26) 2 I Bought My Eyes (03:46) 3 Slaughterhouse (01:35) 4 The Tongue (02:41) 5 Tell Me Whats Inside Your Heart (03:41) 6 Wave Goodbye (04:33) 7 Muscle Man (01:31) 8 Thats the Bag Im In (02:45) 9 Diddy Wah Diddy (02:24) 10 Oh Mary (01:37) 11 Fuzz War (10:23) |
 | Album: 17 of 75 Artist: Grimes Title: Visions Released: 2012-02-20 Tracks: 13 Duration: 48:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Infinite ♡ Without Fulfillment (01:34) 2 Genesis (04:15) 3 Oblivion (04:11) 4 Eight (01:47) 5 Circumambient (03:43) 6 Vowels = Space and Time (04:21) 7 Visiting Statue (01:58) 8 Be a Body (侘寂) (04:20) 9 Colour of Moonlight (Antiochus) (03:59) 10 Symphonia IX (My Wait Is U) (04:52) 11 Nightmusic (05:03) 12 Skin (06:09) 13 Know the Way (outro) (01:45) |
| Visions : Allmusic album Review : Though the term "witch house" is often thrown around too loosely (and often derisively), Grimes wispy vocals and four-on-the-floor beats are probably the closest to what the style would sound like if its name were taken literally. On Visions, Claire Boucher develops the unmistakable sound she forged on Geidi Primes and Halfaxa, where her songs hovered in space one moment and hit the dancefloor in the next. The baby-ghost vocalizing that was so distinctive and divisive there is here as well, and Boucher sounds especially like an alien pop princess on sparkly tracks like "Infinite Love Without Fulfillment," "Genesis," and "Eight," where shes shadowed by robotic backing vocals. While Visions songs are still largely free from obvious structures -- "Symphonia IX (My Wait Is U)" segues into a minor-key passage like a dream turning dark -- Boucher has learned the values of space and control, and gives more focus to her ethereal whimsy. While the glowing, sensuous "Skin" and "Know the Way" are fine examples of 2010s dream pop, unlike many of her contemporaries, Grimes most danceable songs are her most unique, and allow her to draw on many different influences and sounds. "Be a Body" boasts a surprisingly funky bassline, and on "Circumambient," the songs shadowy R&B leanings are only heightened when Boucher busts out a super-soprano trill that would do Syreeta or Minnie Riperton proud. Similarly, her nods to 80s pop never feel too slavishly indebted to that decade, even when she uses stiff synth string stabs on "Oblivion" or frosty Casios on "Vowels = Space and Time," or lets "Colour of Moonlight (Antiochus)" ride on a beat that sounds borrowed from "When Doves Cry." Instead, these retro winks end up bringing out the darkly rhapsodic, kinetic heart of Grimes music as much as the Asian-tinged melodies, harps, and operatic samples she uses elsewhere. Fresh and surprisingly accessible despite its quirks, Visions is bewitching. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 75 Artist: Sharon Van Etten Title: Tramp Released: 2012-02-07 Tracks: 12 Duration: 46:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Warsaw (02:27) 2 Give Out (04:19) 3 Serpents (03:02) 4 Kevin’s (04:02) 5 Leonard (03:48) 6 In Line (04:44) 7 All I Can (04:54) 8 We Are Fine (03:49) 9 Magic Chords (03:56) 10 Ask (03:21) 11 I’m Wrong (03:55) 12 Joke or a Lie (04:02) |
| Tramp : Allmusic album Review : When Sharon Van Etten issued the ironically titled seven-song Epic in 2009, it stood in stark contrast to her 2007 debut, Because I Was in Love. On the latter record, she employed a full-on rock band, her songwriting gained a more defined precision, and her singing voice -- even at its most vulnerable -- seemed to speak with a confidence that didnt seem to need any frame of reference other than its own. Tramp is titled for the period of post-relationship uncertainty and the period of homelessness Van Etten experienced during its 14-month recording process. Produced by the Nationals Aaron Dessner, who puts the songwriters fine singing voice front and center, it features guest appearances by Zach Condon, Julianna Barwick, and more. "Warsaw," with its jagged electric guitars, bass, halting keyboards, and primitive, tom-tom heavy drums, is a shambling illustration of whats to be found here. Van Ettens protagonist is still vulnerable, but she wills herself toward a horizon past it. Likewise, the sets first single "Serpents," with its rumbling guitars and cracking snares, frankly discusses being physically and emotionally abused, but it comes from the other side, her protagonist is out of the situation, refusing to be a victim. Jenn Wassners backing vocals in every line transform this into an anthem of survival. Not everything here falls down the rock & roll rabbit hole, however. Acoustically driven ballads such as "Kevins," "All I Can," and "Leonard" highlight her subjects character defects and vulnerabilities as well as those of her significant others. Van Ettens lyrics accuse as much as they confess and empathize. More often than not, her subject is the one who leaves, rather than the one left; the reasons are myriad: betrayal, co-dependency, a willingness toward an emotional freedom that allows love itself to dictate what it expects. There is great beauty on Tramp, especially in its last third; from the jaunty, acoustic stroll of "We Are Fine" to the multi-textured, nearly psych-pop of "Im Wrong," to the airy, drifting closer "Joke or a Lie." For all this, Van Etten skirts the edges of giving us a great album without actually delivering one. Perhaps its the exhaustive, confessional nature of its songs, its reliance on three basic melodic ideas, or even its length. Whatever the reason(s), Tramp doesnt quite fulfill its considerable promise. But this isnt a criticism; Van Etten is still a young, developing songwriter who gets more sophisticated with each album. As such, Tramp offers plenty for listeners to enjoy as she goes. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 75 Artist: Neneh Cherry & The Thing Title: The Cherry Thing Released: 2012-06-18 Tracks: 8 Duration: 51:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Cashback (05:59) 2 Dream Baby Dream (08:25) 3 Too Tough to Die (05:14) 4 Sudden Moment (08:27) 5 Accordion (06:10) 6 Golden Heart (04:43) 7 Dirt (06:48) 8 What Reason Could I Give (05:18) |
 | Album: 20 of 75 Artist: The xx Title: Coexist Released: 2012-09-05 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:14:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Angels (02:51) 2 Chained (02:48) 3 Fiction (02:58) 4 Try (03:16) 5 Reunion (03:58) 6 Sunset (03:39) 7 Missing (03:35) 8 Tides (03:02) 9 Unfold (03:04) 10 Swept Away (05:00) 11 Our Song (03:15) 1 Angels (02:51) 2 Chained (02:48) 3 Fiction (02:58) 4 Try (03:16) 5 Reunion (03:58) 6 Sunset (03:39) 7 Missing (03:35) 8 Tides (03:02) 9 Unfold (03:04) 10 Swept Away (05:00) 11 Our Song (03:15) |
| Coexist : Allmusic album Review : In the years between their debut and Coexist, the xxs sound took on a life of its own, thanks in large part to Drakes hit duet with Rihanna, "Take Care," which sampled Jamie Smiths collaboration with Gil Scott Heron, Were New Here. That single embodied and popularized the xxs aesthetic to such a degree that on first listen, Coexist can sound like demos for a potential follow-up. In turn, these songs lay the trios R&B roots bare, with an extra emphasis on that last word: while second albums are where bands usually add more elements to their sound to keep things interesting, the xx go even darker and sparer than they were on their debut, which was pretty sparse and dark to begin with. On the lovely album opener "Angels," elegantly serpentine guitars -- which recalled the Cure and Durutti Column on xx but are now entirely their own -- echo into spectral shadows, and fragments of beats and melodies hang unresolved in the air, surrounded by vast expanses of nothingness. Any track here makes "Basic Space" or "Crystalised" sound like an Arcade Fire song by comparison, but the xx walk the fine line between minimalism and incomplete-sounding confidently. All that silence throws the albums subtle sounds into sharp relief, highlighting the luminous keyboards and percussion on "Try" and "Tides" undulating bassline more effectively than cranking up the volume on them would have. Coexists barely-there arrangements mean that singers Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft do most of the heavy lifting, but theyre both more than capable of carrying the albums intimacy and humanity. While their solo tracks show how much both of them have grown as singers since xx, Sim in particular has become more polished and emotive, sounding even sadder and more seductive on "Fiction" when he sighs "last night the world was beneath us." However, Coexists heart lies in Sim and Madley Crofts duets. The pair sounds more entwined than ever, and whether theyre close together in Coexists vast spaces, as on "Our Song"s final glimmer of hope, or separated by them, as on "Chained," they share an intimacy that makes listeners feel like theyre eavesdropping. But while theres no question that this album is more accomplished than xx, its also less accessible; these songs just arent as immediate as the bands debut, and at times, these tales of love gone wrong or gone away threaten to become repetitive. Still, there are so many moments of spine-tingling beauty, such as the way "Reunion" blends almost imperceptibly into "Sunset," or Madley Croft and Sims shared sigh on "Unfold," that theyre worth a little patience from the listener. Coexists exploration of isolation and intimacy is demanding and rewarding in its bold subtlety and eloquent simplicity. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 75 Artist: Beachwood Sparks Title: The Tarnished Gold Released: 2012-06-26 Tracks: 13 Duration: 43:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Forget the Song (03:38) 2 Sparks Fly Again (04:37) 3 Mollusk (02:34) 4 Tarnished Gold (02:53) 5 Water From the Well (03:41) 6 Talk About Lonesome (03:08) 7 Leave That Light On (04:50) 8 Natures Light (04:41) 9 No queremos oro (02:04) 10 Earl Jean (03:00) 11 Alone Together (04:26) 12 The Orange Grass Special (02:05) 13 Goodbye (02:08) |
 | Album: 22 of 75 Artist: Mark Lanegan Band Title: Blues Funeral Released: 2012-02-03 Tracks: 12 Duration: 55:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Gravedigger’s Song (03:46) 2 Bleeding Muddy Water (06:20) 3 Gray Goes Black (04:13) 4 St Louis Elegy (04:36) 5 Riot in My House (03:55) 6 Ode to Sad Disco (06:27) 1 Phantasmagoria Blues (03:18) 2 Quiver Syndrome (04:06) 3 Harborview Hospital (04:34) 4 Leviathan (04:24) 5 Deep Black Vanishing Train (03:09) 6 Tiny Grain of Truth (07:07) |
| Blues Funeral : Allmusic album Review : Those who liked the moodier, more atmospheric material on the last Mark Lanegan Band offering, 2004s Bubblegum, will find much to enjoy on Blues Funeral -- an album that has little to do with blues as a musical form. Lanegan has been a busy man since Bubblegum. In the nearly eight ensuing years, hes issued three records with Isobel Campbell, joined Greg Dulli in the Gutter Twins, guested on albums by the Twilight Singers and UNKLE, and was the lead vocalist on most of the last two Soulsavers offerings. Produced by Eleven guitarist Alain Johannes (who also fulfills that role here as well as playing bass, keyboards, and percussion), Blues Funeral finds Lanegan in a musically ambitious place. His voice is deeper, smokier, but more restrained, even on the few straight-up rockers. The grain in his voice is more pronounced, offering a sense of coiled menace on each track, one that is ready at all points to explode the musical confines these songs erect, and to overwhelm them all. To his credit, he never does. While the album is sequenced seamlessly, with varying textures and dynamics, there are standouts. Of the two tracks that feature the mysterious guitarist Duke Garwood, "Bleeding Muddy Water" is a mournful, midtempo dirge. Dullis guest spot on backing vocals on the Ennio Morricone-inspired spaghetti westernism of "St Louis Elegy" is beautifully rendered; Joshua Homme lends his guitar to the over-the-rails rock in "Riot in My House." Electronics also have a prominent place on Blues Funeral -- and not merely as atmospheric add-ons: "Ode to Sad Disco," melds a four-on-the-floor drum loop to high lonesome guitars as Lanegan offers a drifting, surreal, quasi-mystical narrative worthy of Alejandro Jodorowsky. "Harborview Hospital"s meld of keyboards and guitars touch on U2s Joshua Tree period and late-80s New Order. Weird as that reads, if anything, these expansive retro sonics provide Lanegans raspy baritone a foil, with added texture that lends not only a sense of beauty, but walks out the tension between elegiac lyric and harmonic lyricism. "Leviathan" is the only thing that really approaches blues here, though its via a 21st century approximation of Led Zeppelins darker, airier moments on Physical Graffiti. Blues Funeral, while an adventurous, strident, and complex album, will likely polarize longstanding Lanegan fans; but if they cant follow him into this new terrain, its their problem. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 75 Artist: Julia Holter Title: Ekstasis Released: 2012-03-05 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:32:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 Marienbad (05:24) 2 Our Sorrows (06:16) 3 In the Same Room (03:58) 4 Boy in the Moon (08:19) 5 Für Felix (04:11) 6 Goddess Eyes II (06:23) 7 Moni Mon Amie (03:31) 8 Four Gardens (06:12) 9 Goddess Eyes I (03:40) 10 This Is Ekstasis (08:54) 1 Try to Make Yourself a Work of Art (06:38) 2 The Falling Age (13:41) 3 Marienbad (04:15) 4 Our Sorrows (06:39) 5 So Lillies (04:39) |
 | Album: 24 of 75 Artist: Allah-Las Title: Allah-Las Released: 2012-09-18 Tracks: 12 Duration: 39:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Catamaran (03:32) 2 Dont You Forget It (03:04) 3 Busmans Holiday (03:28) 4 Sacred Sands (03:31) 5 No Voodoo (03:01) 6 Sandy (02:44) 7 Ela Navega (03:54) 8 Tell Me (Whats on Your Mind) (03:32) 9 Catalina (03:43) 10 Vis-à-vis (03:28) 11 Seven Point Five (02:47) 12 Long Journey (03:12) |
 | Album: 25 of 75 Artist: Patti Smith Title: Banga Released: 2012-06-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 58:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Amerigo (04:36) 2 April Fool (03:46) 3 Fuji‐san (04:12) 4 This Is the Girl (03:49) 5 Banga (02:51) 6 Maria (05:05) 7 Mosaic (04:12) 8 Tarkovsky (The Second Stop Is Jupiter) (04:50) 9 Nine (05:02) 10 Seneca (05:39) 11 Constantine’s Dream (10:19) 12 After the Gold Rush (04:13) |
 | Album: 26 of 75 Artist: Graham Coxon Title: A+E Released: 2012-04-02 Tracks: 10 Duration: 47:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 Advice (02:34) 2 City Hall (04:19) 3 Whatll It Take? (04:29) 4 Meet and Drink and Pollinate (05:21) 5 The Truth (04:43) 6 Seven Naked Valleys (05:45) 7 Running for Your Life (04:56) 8 Bah Singer (04:00) 9 Knife in the Cast (06:35) 10 Ooh, Yeh Yeh (05:11) |
 | Album: 27 of 75 Artist: Alabama Shakes Title: Boys & Girls Released: 2012-04-03 Tracks: 11 Duration: 36:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hold On (03:46) 2 I Found You (02:59) 3 Hang Loose (02:24) 4 Rise to the Sun (03:08) 5 You Ain’t Alone (04:44) 6 Goin’ to the Party (01:45) 7 Heartbreaker (03:47) 8 Boys & Girls (03:25) 9 Be Mine (04:14) 10 I Ain’t the Same (02:55) 11 On Your Way (03:05) |
| Boys & Girls : Allmusic album Review : Pitched somewhere between the retro-purist vibe of Sharon Jones and the nervy revivalism of Jack White, Alabama Shakes possesses a curious character: theyre rooted in the past but its clear theyve learned their moves musicians removed some three or four generations from the source. Instead of playing like refractions from a hall of mirrors, Alabama Shakes 2012 debut Boys & Girls emphasizes how American roots music is now grounded in the 60s notion of blues & soul, all filtered through the prism of 70s classic rock. And its not just that Heath Fogg tears great, gnarled riffs out of his guitar while the rhythm section of Zac Cockrell and Steve Johnson hit the downbeat with a brutal force -- lead singer Brittany Howard phrases like a rock singer, playing up vocal affections with glee, ratcheting up the drama by laying hard into her elongated phrases. Which isnt to say Alabama Shakes ignores the straight stuff: much of Boys & Girls is anchored in a Southern soul groove spliced from Stax and Muscle Shoals, the guitars of Fogg and Howard full and bold in their cleanly chopped rhythms, echoing the work of Steve Cropper and Jimmy Johnson. But Alabama Shakes arent purists, theyre modern -- they splice familiar sounds and forms together, then reshuffle them in subtly surprising ways. Unlike White or his Great Lakes cousins the Black Keys, Alabama Shakes arent entirely enamored with what they can re-create in the studio -- theyre too attached to the power of a live performance, making them an ideal candidate for a T-Bone Burnett or Joe Henry production somewhere down the road -- but they bear no special allegiance to the didactic needs of retro-rock. Their roots are just that -- roots, not anchors, allowing the group to grow, often in unexpected and quietly thrilling ways. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 75 Artist: Paul Weller Title: Sonik Kicks Released: 2012-01-01 Tracks: 14 Duration: 43:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Green (03:03) 2 The Attic (02:15) 3 Kling I Klang (03:14) 4 Sleep of the Serene (02:00) 5 By the Waters (03:29) 6 That Dangerous Age (02:30) 7 Study in Blue (06:37) 8 Dragonfly (03:41) 9 When Your Garden’s Overgrown (03:11) 10 Around the Lake (02:11) 11 Twilight (00:20) 12 Drifters (03:07) 13 Paperchase (05:01) 14 Be Happy Children (02:45) |
| Sonik Kicks : Allmusic album Review : Take the title of Sonik Kicks as literally as that of its predecessor, the galvanizing 2010 Wake Up the Nation. Sonik Kicks delivers upon its titular promise immediately, coming to life with the stuttering electronic pulse of "Green," which immediately sweeps into a brightly colored psychedelic chorus, one of many dense collages and sudden shifts Paul Weller offers on his 11th solo album. Some of this contains echoes of the sprawling, picturesque double-album 22 Dreams, the 2008 record that began his latter-day renaissance, but Weller is determined not to repeat himself on Sonik Kicks, pushing himself into startling fresh territory with abandon. Whats striking about the record is how much mileage he gets by rearranging old tropes, finding freshness in familiar sounds twisted so heavily they no longer sound comfortable. Aside from a slight hint of Krautrock, filtered through Berlin-era Bowie, theres no unexpected new sound or style here, but Sonik Kicks vibrates with vitality, Weller and his co-producer Simon Dine finding unexpected connections and crevices within his signature vintage soul, mod rock, and progressive folk. As good as these songs are -- and they are, whether its the sly self-laceration of "That Dangerous Age" or the gentle sway of "By the Waters" -- what truly defines Sonik Kicks is, well, its aural stimulation. This is a record that buzzes with ideas, its giddy with the noise it makes, and once its initial rush fades away, it still has plenty to offer in substantive songs and sheer sonic pleasure. | ||
 | Album: 29 of 75 Artist: Chris Robinson Brotherhood Title: Big Moon Ritual Released: 2012-06-04 Tracks: 7 Duration: 1:00:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Tulsa Yesterday (11:54) 2 Rosalee (09:05) 3 Star or Stone (09:32) 4 Tomorrow Blues (07:07) 5 Reflections on a Broken Mirror (07:37) 6 Beware, Oh Take Care (07:46) 7 One Hundred Days of Rain (07:27) |
 | Album: 30 of 75 Artist: Ry Cooder Title: Election Special Released: 2012-08-20 Tracks: 9 Duration: 38:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Mutt Romney Blues (03:45) 2 Brother is Gone (05:03) 3 The Wall Street Part of Town (03:42) 4 Guantanamo (03:28) 5 Cold Cold Feelings (05:25) 6 Going to Tampa (03:57) 7 Kool-Aid (04:10) 8 The 90 and the 9 (05:15) 9 Take Your Hands Off It (03:47) |
 | Album: 31 of 75 Artist: Hot Chip Title: In Our Heads Released: 2012-06-08 Tracks: 23 Duration: 2:03:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Motion Sickness (05:21) 2 How Do You Do? (04:45) 3 Dont Deny Your Heart (04:31) 4 Look at Where We Are (03:59) 5 These Chains (04:16) 6 Night & Day (04:31) 7 Flutes (07:05) 8 Now There Is Nothing (04:00) 9 Ends of the Earth (05:41) 10 Let Me Be Him (07:41) 11 Always Been Your Love (05:04) 1 Jelly Babies (05:21) 2 Doctor (04:01) 3 Look at Where We Are (Major Lazer vs. Junior Blender Digital Drums remix) (04:02) 4 Night and Day (Daphni mix) (07:38) 5 Flutes (A JD Twitch Optimo remix) (08:06) 6 Night & Day (demo) (04:41) 7 Now There Is Nothing (demo) (03:38) 8 Babies (demo) (03:45) 9 How Do You Do? (demo) (03:45) 10 Flutes (demo) (06:32) 11 Night & Day (Moretime remix) (07:19) 12 Let Me Be Him (Joes dub) (08:01) |
| In Our Heads : Allmusic album Review : After 2010s relatively somber One Life Stand, Hot Chips members resurfaced in side projects including the About Group, the 2 Bears, and New Build, all of which took different approaches to electro-pop but shared an almost tangible joy in music-making. It sure feels like some of that happiness rubbed off on In Our Heads, one of Hot Chips most confident, joyous, and danceable albums yet; if the bands previous album was about how seriously they take the relationships in their lives, then this album explores how much fun they have in them. "Remember when we first heard the wall of sound?," Alexis Taylor asks on the soaring album opener, "Motion Sickness." This intermingling of love, music, and love of music -- all propelled by some of Hot Chips most undeniable rhythms -- carries through the rest of In Our Heads, whether its the breezily endearing 80s synth pop reinventions of "Dont Deny Your Heart," the life-affirming electro-funk of "How Do You Do?," or the soulful surrender of "These Chains" (like many of the albums numerous highlights, these two songs have Taylor and Joe Goddard share lead vocal duties). Hot Chip let their unabashed love of dance music get the upper hand on two of In Our Heads most show-stopping tracks -- which, probably not coincidentally, were both lead singles for the album. "Night & Day" is one of the bands most playful and sneakily sexy dancefloor movers since "Ready for the Floor," all wriggling basslines and deadpan rap ("I like Zapp, not Zappa/So please quit your jibber-jabber," Taylor insists at one point). Meanwhile, the smooth house underpinnings on "Flutes" make its seven-minute journey from doubt to love all the more transporting. In Our Heads is also Hot Chips most direct album yet, delivering their quirks and grooves with bigger, broader strokes that dont feel dumbed down; "Let Me Be Him" spells out the albums themes, but also decorates them with chirping birds and languid guitars that sound like an idyllic afternoon in a park. That Hot Chip manage to balance their kinetic and confessional sides so well here is no small feat, and In Our Heads is some of their finest and most accessible music, which is an extra treat for fans who liked One Life Stands sentiments but wished that album moved feet as easily as it moved hearts. | ||
 | Album: 32 of 75 Artist: Richard Hawley Title: Standing at the Sky’s Edge Released: 2012-05-07 Tracks: 9 Duration: 50:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 She Brings the Sunlight (07:23) 2 Standing at the Sky’s Edge (06:39) 3 Time Will Bring You Winter (05:26) 4 Down in the Woods (05:23) 5 Seek It (05:11) 6 Don’t Stare at the Sun (05:46) 7 The Wood Colliers Grave (03:07) 8 Leave Your Body Behind You (05:19) 9 Before (06:13) |
 | Album: 33 of 75 Artist: Micachu & The Shapes Title: Never Released: 2012-07-23 Tracks: 14 Duration: 34:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Easy (01:47) 2 Never (01:36) 3 Waste (01:56) 4 Slick (02:47) 5 OK (03:29) 6 Low Dogg (02:39) 7 Holiday (02:25) 8 Heaven (02:57) 9 You Know (01:30) 10 Glamour (01:18) 11 Top Floor (00:46) 12 Fall (04:12) 13 Nothing (04:54) 14 Nowhere (02:33) |
 | Album: 34 of 75 Artist: Bobby Womack Title: The Bravest Man in the Universe Released: 2012-06-01 Tracks: 15 Duration: 53:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 The Bravest Man in the Universe (03:52) 2 Please Forgive My Heart (04:30) 3 Deep River (01:49) 4 Dayglo Reflection (04:18) 5 Whatever Happened to the Times (04:08) 6 Stupid Introlude (00:21) 7 Stupid (03:51) 8 If There Wasn’t Something There (04:38) 9 Love Is Gonna Lift You Up (03:43) 10 Nothin’ Can Save Ya (03:47) 11 Jubilee (Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around) (02:07) 12 It’s Been a Long Night (03:36) 13 Hold the River Down (03:38) 14 Central Avenue (03:50) 15 Please Forgive My Heart (Funk version) (04:59) |
 | Album: 35 of 75 Artist: Six Organs of Admittance Title: Ascent Released: 2012-08-20 Tracks: 8 Duration: 41:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Waswasa (05:26) 2 Close to the Sky (07:17) 3 They Called You Near (04:20) 4 Solar Ascent (03:25) 5 A Thousand Birds (06:14) 6 Your Ghost (02:58) 7 Even If You Knew (07:12) 8 Visons (From Io) (04:46) |
 | Album: 36 of 75 Artist: Sun Kil Moon Title: Among the Leaves Released: 2012-05-29 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:13:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 I Know Its Pathetic but That Was the Greatest Night of My Life (01:47) 2 Sunshine in Chicago (02:34) 3 The Moderately Talented Yet Attractive Young Woman vs. The Exceptionally Talented Yet Not So Attractive Middle Aged Man (03:43) 4 That Bird Has a Broken Wing (02:30) 5 Elaine (05:15) 6 The Winery (04:25) 7 Young Love (06:42) 8 Song for Richard Collopy (03:29) 9 Among the Leaves (03:31) 10 Red Poison (01:51) 11 Track Number 8 (05:15) 12 Not Much Rhymes With Everythings Awesome at All Times (03:14) 13 King Fish (06:39) 14 Lonely Mountain (05:29) 15 UK Blues (06:16) 16 UK Blues 2 (04:57) 17 Black Kite (05:34) |
 | Album: 37 of 75 Artist: Patterson Hood Title: Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance Released: 2012-09-11 Tracks: 10 Duration: 32:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 12:01 (03:02) 2 Leaving Time (03:18) 3 Betty Ford (02:51) 4 (untold pretties) (03:21) 5 Better Off Without (02:18) 6 After The Damage (03:58) 7 Better Than The Truth (03:31) 8 Depression Era (03:51) 9 Jesus Saves Receipts (02:58) 10 Fifteen Days (03:31) |
 | Album: 38 of 75 Artist: Lightships Title: Electric Cables Released: 2012-04-02 Tracks: 10 Duration: 40:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Two Lines (03:53) 2 Muddy Rivers (04:47) 3 Sweetness in Her Spark (03:27) 4 Every Blossom (02:40) 5 Silver and Gold (04:56) 6 The Warmth of the Sun (03:33) 7 Girasol (03:44) 8 Stretching Out (03:27) 9 Photosynthesis (04:28) 10 Sunlight to the Dawn (05:58) |
 | Album: 39 of 75 Artist: Dirty Three Title: Toward the Low Sun Released: 2012-02-24 Tracks: 9 Duration: 41:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Furnace Skies (04:43) 2 Sometimes I Forget Youve Gone (03:46) 3 Moon on the Land (04:50) 4 Rising Below (05:46) 5 The Pier (04:52) 6 Rain Song (03:49) 7 That Was Was (04:01) 8 Ashen Snow (05:12) 9 You Greet Her Ghost (04:50) |
 | Album: 40 of 75 Artist: First Aid Kit Title: The Lion’s Roar Released: 2012-01-17 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 The Lion’s Roar (05:07) 2 Emmylou (04:18) 3 In the Hearts of Men (04:13) 4 Blue (03:12) 5 This Old Routine (04:24) 6 To a Poet (05:44) 7 I Found a Way (04:13) 8 Dance to Another Tune (04:50) 9 New Year’s Eve (03:07) 10 King of the World (03:39) |
 | Album: 41 of 75 Artist: Flying Lotus Title: Until the Quiet Comes Released: 2012-09-26 Tracks: 19 Duration: 49:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 All In (03:00) 2 Getting There (01:49) 3 Until the Colours Come (01:07) 4 Heave(n) (02:22) 5 Tiny Tortures (03:04) 6 All the Secrets (01:57) 7 Sultan’s Request (01:42) 8 Putty Boy Strut (02:54) 9 See Thru to U (02:54) 10 Until the Quiet Comes (02:11) 11 DMT Song (01:19) 12 The Nightcaller (03:29) 13 Only If You Wanna (01:43) 14 Electric Candyman (03:32) 15 Hunger (03:40) 16 Phantasm (03:51) 17 me Yesterday//Corded (04:40) 18 Dream to Me (01:39) 19 The Things You Left (02:50) |
 | Album: 42 of 75 Artist: Dirty Projectors Title: Swing Lo Magellan Released: 2012-07-09 Tracks: 12 Duration: 42:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Offspring Are Blank (04:01) 2 About to Die (03:59) 3 Gun Has No Trigger (03:24) 4 Swing Lo Magellan (02:38) 5 Just From Chevron (04:07) 6 Dance for You (03:24) 7 Maybe That Was It (03:57) 8 Impregnable Question (02:43) 9 See What She Seeing (03:40) 10 The Socialites (03:49) 11 Unto Caesar (03:38) 12 Irresponsible Tune (02:47) |
 | Album: 43 of 75 Artist: Neil Young with Crazy Horse Title: Americana Released: 2012-06-04 Tracks: 11 Duration: 56:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Oh Susannah (05:03) 2 Clementine (05:42) 3 Tom Dula (08:13) 4 Gallows Pole (04:15) 5 Get a Job (03:01) 6 Travel On (06:47) 7 High Flyin’ Bird (05:30) 8 Jesus’ Chariot (05:38) 9 This Land Is Your Land (05:26) 10 Wayfarin’ Stranger (03:07) 11 God Save the Queen (04:08) |
 | Album: 44 of 75 Artist: Sun Araw & M. Geddes Gengras meet The Congos Title: Icon Give Thank Released: 2012-04-10 Tracks: 7 Duration: 43:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 New Binghi (02:26) 2 Happy Song (06:50) 3 Food Clothing and Shelter (06:52) 4 Sunshine (05:19) 5 Jungle (07:05) 6 Invocation (06:03) 7 Thanks and Praise (08:23) |
 | Album: 45 of 75 Artist: Japandroids Title: Celebration Rock Released: 2012-06-05 Tracks: 8 Duration: 35:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Nights of Wine and Roses (04:02) 2 Fire’s Highway (04:44) 3 Evil’s Sway (04:27) 4 For the Love of Ivy (04:13) 5 Adrenaline Nightshift (04:26) 6 Younger Us (03:33) 7 The House That Heaven Built (04:49) 8 Continuous Thunder (04:59) |
| Celebration Rock : Allmusic album Review : Japandroids’ Brian King and David Prowse admitted that they were at the point of breaking up just after recording Post-Nothing, when it suddenly exploded and became a critically adored sensation. Never fans of recording, the unexpected success -- largely due to Pitchfork’s promotion of the track “Young Hearts Spark Fire” -- gave the duo a chance to tour for two years and get a taste of what they considered fun, playing the music for as many people as possible. When they returned to the studio for their follow-up, they aimed for new songs that stadium crowds would feel; huge, simple shout-along anthems, with springy “whoa-oh ohs” and “oh yeahs” as hooks, sung from a drunken partier’s perspective. Hence the Andrew W.K.-ish title. Post-Nothing was similarly messy and celebratory, but Celebration Rock dumbs down the formula even more, often staying within the confines of two open chords for a full four- or five-minute song. This gives the record a constant fist-pumping drive, akin to the Gaslight Anthem or Titus Andronicus. All of the glorious innocence is still there, right down to the repeat template artwork, the same less-is-more production by Jesse Gander, and another raw, spirited, chin-first performance by the duo. With the exception of the oddly placed but well-performed cover of the Gun Clubs “For the Love of Ivy,” the songwriting is extremely straightforward. So much so that Celebration Rock could arguably lack the powerful impact of the first record. Still, it’s a hell of lot of fun, and played loud, as it should be, lines like “we’re drinking and we’re still smoking/don’t we have anything to live for? Well, of course we do” are perfect depictions of the uplifting ruckus, youthful exuberance, and sheer passion these boys deliver time and time again. | ||
 | Album: 46 of 75 Artist: Cat Power Title: Sun Released: 2012-08-29 Tracks: 11 Duration: 48:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 Cherokee (04:46) 2 Sun (03:19) 3 Ruin (04:30) 4 3,6,9 (04:00) 5 Always on My Own (02:23) 6 Real Life (02:37) 7 Human Being (03:28) 8 Manhattan (05:16) 9 Silent Machine (04:00) 10 Nothin but Time (10:55) 11 Peace and Love (03:40) |
 | Album: 47 of 75 Artist: Anaïs Mitchell Title: Young Man in America Released: 2012-02-13 Tracks: 11 Duration: 45:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Wilderland (03:08) 2 Young Man in America (05:30) 3 Coming Down (03:06) 4 Dyin Day (03:06) 5 Venus (02:21) 6 He Did (04:05) 7 Annmarie (04:11) 8 Tailor (03:46) 9 Shepherd (05:33) 10 You Are Forgiven (04:13) 11 Ships (06:25) |
 | Album: 48 of 75 Artist: Howlin Rain Title: The Russian Wilds Released: 2012-02-14 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:01:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Self Made Man (08:00) 2 Phantom in the Valley (07:17) 3 Cant Satisfy Me Now (06:19) 4 Cherokee Werewolf (05:26) 5 Strange Thunder (08:53) 6 Plex Reception (00:37) 7 Dark Side (05:18) 8 Beneath Wild Wings (04:16) 9 Collage (05:01) 10 Walking Through Stone (06:53) 11 ...Still Walking, Still Stone (03:09) |
| The Russian Wilds : Allmusic album Review : Howlin Rain frontman/guitarist and songwriter Ethan Miller emerges four years after 2008s Magnificent Fiend with a slew of new bandmates -- keyboardist Joel Robinow is the only holdover -- and working with Rick Rubin as executive producer. Howlin Rain are indeed a different animal than in their previous incarnation. The influences from the 60s and 70s remain even more abundant here, but are spread out in meticulously constructed songs -- even if they dont initially sound like it. With Earthless guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, drummer Raj Ojha, and bassist Cyrus Comiskey in the fold, the creative leap Howlin Rain have made is surprising. Miller is more disciplined as a writer, arranger, and vocalist. His voice, no longer an instrument that scorches the ears (though it can), borrows from Steve Marriott, Uriah Heeps David Byron, and Deep Purples Ian Gillan. With Robinow and Mitchell on backing vocals and two female guests (Susan Appe and Mandy Green), the harmonies on these rough-and-rowdy tracks carry their melodies more easily and allow Miller to be more expressive rather than just ragged. The album, selected from more than three hours worth of material, fits together seamlessly. Heavy guitars and drums, fuzz, effects, organs, Mellotrons, numerous textural elements, and wide-ranging dynamics suggest everything from psych, hard 60s and 70s rock, blues, and even R&B. While opener "Self Made Man" is a straight blues-rocker -- with Miller and Mitchell matching as fine foils on guitar -- "Phantom in the Valley" evokes Quicksilver Messenger Services acid-drenched narratives that evolve until they transform into early Santanas Latin rock by the last section, complete with a horn section and hand drums. "Cherokee Werewolf," with its funky Rhodes piano and call-and-response female chorus, suggests not only the Humble Pie of Smokin and Big Brother & the Holding Company, but Little Feats 1969 debut album with dreamier guitars. "Dark Side" is pure rockist strut circa 1972, while "Beneath Wild Wings" is an intricately constructed nod toward the kind of rock & roll-R&B fusion that was typical in Great Britain in the early 70s. "Walking Through Stone" is overblown, bluesy riff rock with Mitchell pushing his guitar into the red. All of of this is strange and extremely attractive, especially since it shouldnt add up. When the most contemporary tune here is a gorgeous cover of the James Gangs spacy, lilting "Collage," you know youre time-traveling. For all of his obsession with classic rock, Miller is a hell of a songwriter. He combines elements that normally sprawl in tight constructions that sound loose and relaxed. In his new work, passion and feel meet dynamic and melody in equal balance (this is in no small part due to Tim Greens fabulous production). The Russian Wilds is Howlin Rains most accessible recording, but enormous ambition and musical mastery of rock & rolls mighty past make it an essential one, too. | ||
 | Album: 49 of 75 Artist: Damon Albarn Title: Dr Dee Released: 2012-05-07 Tracks: 18 Duration: 48:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 The Golden Dawn (03:56) 2 Apple Carts (02:36) 3 O Spirit, Animate Us (03:48) 4 The Moon Exalted (05:42) 5 A Man of England (03:17) 6 Saturn (02:05) 7 Coronation (01:10) 8 The Marvelous Dream (02:23) 9 A Prayer (01:33) 10 Edward Kelley (03:29) 11 Preparation (03:01) 12 9 Point Star (01:32) 13 Temptation Comes in the Afternoon (02:05) 14 Watching the Fire That Waltzed Away (02:37) 15 Moon (interlude) (00:28) 16 Cathedrals (03:00) 17 Tree of Beauty (02:00) 18 The Dancing King (03:23) |
 | Album: 50 of 75 Artist: Lætitia Sadier Title: Silencio Released: 2012-07-23 Tracks: 12 Duration: 47:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 The Rule of the Game (05:01) 2 Find Me the Pulse of the Universe (02:53) 3 Silent Spot (03:00) 4 Auscultation to the Nation (04:47) 5 There Is a Price to Pay for Freedom (And It Isnt Security) (04:22) 6 Moi Sans Zach (03:49) 7 Between Earth and Heaven (04:08) 8 Lightning Thunderbolt (03:16) 9 Fragment Pour Le Future de LHomme (04:41) 10 Merci de MAvoir Donné La Vie (04:34) 11 Next Time You See Me (02:43) 12 Invitation Au Silence (04:30) |
 | Album: 51 of 75 Artist: Lana Del Rey Title: Born to Die Released: 2012-01-27 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:00:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Born to Die (04:46) 2 Off to the Races (04:59) 3 Blue Jeans (03:29) 4 Video Games (04:42) 5 Diet Mountain Dew (03:42) 6 National Anthem (03:50) 7 Dark Paradise (04:03) 8 Radio (03:34) 9 Carmen (04:08) 10 Million Dollar Man (03:51) 11 Summertime Sadness (04:25) 12 This Is What Makes Us Girls (03:58) 13 Without You (03:49) 14 Lolita (03:39) 15 Lucky Ones (03:47) |
| Born to Die : Allmusic album Review : Lana Del Rey is a femme fatale with a smoky voice, a languorous image, and a modeling contract. Not coincidentally, she didnt lack for attention leading up to the release of her Interscope debut, Born to Die. The hype began in mid-2011 with a stunning song and video for "Video Games," and it kept on rising, right up to her January 2012 performance on Saturday Night Live (making her the first artist since Natalie Imbruglia in 1998 to perform on SNL without an album available). Although its easy to see the reasons why Del Rey got her contract, its also easy to hear: her songwriting skills and her bewitching voice. "Video Games" is a beautiful song, calling to mind Fiona Apple and Anna Calvi as she recounts another variation on the age-old trope of female-as-sex-object. Her vacant, tired reading of the song rescues it from any hint of exploitation, making it a winner. Unfortunately, the only problem with Born to Die is a big one. There is a chasm that separates "Video Games" from the other material and performances on the album, which aims for exactly the same target -- sultry, sexy, wasted -- but with none of the same lyrical grace, emotional power, or sympathetic productions. Del Rey doesnt mind taking chances, varying her vocalizing and delivery, toying with her lines and reaching for cinematic flourishes ("he loves me with every beat of his cocaine heart," "Pabst Blue Ribbon on ice"), and even attempting to rap. But shes unable to consistently sell herself as a heartbreaker, and most of the songs here sound like cobbled retreads of "Video Games." An intriguing start, but Del Rey is going to have to hit the books if she wants to stay as successful as her career promised early on. | ||
 | Album: 52 of 75 Artist: Cate Le Bon Title: Cyrk Released: 2012-01-17 Tracks: 10 Duration: 35:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 Falcon Eyed (02:48) 2 Puts Me to Work (03:29) 3 CYRK (03:05) 4 Julia (03:23) 5 Greta (03:36) 6 Fold the Cloth (05:39) 7 The Man I Wanted (03:08) 8 Through the Mill (03:07) 9 Ploughing Out, Part 1 (03:52) 10 Ploughing Out, Part 2 (02:59) |
 | Album: 53 of 75 Artist: Public Image Ltd. Title: This is PiL Released: 2012-05-28 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:04:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 This is PiL (03:39) 2 One Drop (04:51) 3 Deeper Water (06:07) 4 Terra-Gate (03:47) 5 Human (06:02) 6 i Must Be Dreaming (04:13) 7 it Said That (04:08) 8 The Room i Am iN (03:07) 9 Lollipop Opera (06:53) 10 Fool (05:52) 11 Reggie Song (05:48) 12 Out of the Woods (09:41) |
 | Album: 54 of 75 Artist: Yeti Lane Title: The Echo Show Released: 2012-03-05 Tracks: 13 Duration: 48:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Analog Wheel (07:56) 2 The Echo Show (04:10) 3 Warning Sensations (04:03) 4 - (00:27) 5 Logic Winds (04:01) 6 Strange Call (03:20) 7 -- (00:30) 8 Alba (05:03) 9 --- (01:37) 10 Dead Tired (04:32) 11 Sparkling Sunbeam (05:11) 12 Faded Spectrum (06:48) 13 ---- (01:04) |
 | Album: 55 of 75 Artist: Dan Nichols Title: Be Strong Released: 2001 Tracks: 18 Duration: 55:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Btzelem Elohim (03:41) 2 Ltakein (The Na Na Song) (03:12) 3 Im Tirtzu (04:02) 4 Chazak (03:51) 5 Ivdu Et Hashem/Kol Hanshama (05:44) 6 Oseh Shalom (04:53) 7 Pitchu Li (02:49) 8 Sinu Ra (04:50) 9 Laugh At All My Dreams (03:48) 10 If Im Not For Me (03:40) 11 Dundai (04:50) 12 Kumi Lach (03:16) 13 Psalm 23 (02:56) 14 [silence] (00:04) 15 [silence] (00:04) 16 [silence] (00:04) 17 [silence] (00:04) 18 Kosher Bacon (03:54) |
 | Album: 56 of 75 Artist: Pond Title: Beard, Wives, Denim Released: 2012-01-01 Tracks: 13 Duration: 55:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Fantastic Explosion of Time (04:27) 2 When It Explodes (05:26) 3 Elegant Design (04:09) 4 Sorry I Was Under the Sky (02:48) 5 Sun and Sea and You (04:01) 6 Allergies (04:28) 7 You Broke My Cool (03:50) 8 Moth Wings (03:23) 9 Leisure Pony (03:29) 10 Mystery (04:07) 11 Dig Brother (04:39) 12 Eye Pattern Blindness (05:59) 13 Morenos Blend (04:15) |
 | Album: 57 of 75 Artist: David Byrne & St. Vincent Title: Love This Giant Released: 2012-09-10 Tracks: 12 Duration: 44:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Who (03:49) 2 Weekend in the Dust (03:07) 3 Dinner for Two (03:42) 4 Ice Age (03:13) 5 I Am an Ape (03:05) 6 The Forest Awakes (04:52) 7 I Should Watch TV (03:08) 8 Lazarus (03:13) 9 Optimist (03:49) 10 Lightning (04:15) 11 The One Who Broke Your Heart (03:46) 12 Outside of Space & Time (04:18) |
 | Album: 58 of 75 Artist: Donald Fagen Title: Sunken Condos Released: 2012-08-01 Tracks: 9 Duration: 44:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Slinky Thing (05:12) 2 Im Not the Same Without You (04:31) 3 Memorabilia (04:14) 4 Weather in My Head (05:29) 5 The New Breed (04:35) 6 Out of the Ghetto (04:54) 7 Miss Marlene (04:43) 8 Good Stuff (04:54) 9 Planet DRhonda (05:35) |
 | Album: 59 of 75 Artist: Father John Misty Title: Fear Fun Released: 2012-04-30 Tracks: 12 Duration: 43:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Funtimes in Babylon (03:39) 2 Nancy From Now On (03:54) 3 Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings (03:10) 4 I’m Writing a Novel (03:35) 5 O I Long to Feel Your Arms Around Me (02:23) 6 Misty’s Nightmares 1 & 2 (03:13) 7 Only Son of the Ladiesman (04:09) 8 This Is Sally Hatchet (03:57) 9 Well, You Can Do It Without Me (02:43) 10 Now I’m Learning to Love the War (04:16) 11 Tee Pees 1–12 (03:16) 12 Everyman Needs a Companion (05:19) |
| Fear Fun : Allmusic album Review : As J. Tillman, indie folk crooner Joshua Tillman painted sparse, often melancholic fever dreams that paired the wounded isolation of Nick Drake with the star-crossed country romanticism of Gram Parsons, a sensibility he also brought to the table as the drummer and backing vocalist for Seattles Fleet Foxes. His latest incarnation, Father John Misty, adds Harry Nilsson and Skip Spence to the mix, skillfully imbuing the woodsy Pacific Northwest bark of the Foxes with a patina of vintage Laurel Canyon-inspired bohemia. Fear Fun opens with "Funtimes in Babylon," one of three tracks, including "Only Son of the Ladiesman" and "Everyman Needs a Companion," closely echoing the hymnlike sonic breadth of his former band. All three cater to his strong, clear voice, which sounds like a cross between Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon) and Jonathan Meiburg (Shearwater/Okkervil River), but its tracks two and three that provide the album with its most transcendent moments. "Nancy from Now On," with its shambling protagonist ("Pour me another drink and punch me in the face"), likable gait, and legitimate yacht rock chorus, is a triumph of both style and substance, while the thick and brooding "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings," which ceaselessly wonders "Jesus Christ girl/What are people going to think?" amidst a wall of wet distortion and appropriately thunderous drums, benefits from singer/songwriter/Laurel Canyon scene revivalist Jonathan Wilsons warm and spacious production. Fear Funs deft mix of folly and grandeur strikes a nice balance between the over the top hippie shenanigans of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and the vapid, calculated debauchery of Lana Del Ray, painting the artist as a self-destructive/deprecating Californian gadfly with one foot in the Salton Sea and the other in the lobby of the Chateau Marmont. | ||
 | Album: 60 of 75 Artist: The Limiñanas Title: Crystal Anis Released: 2012-07-30 Tracks: 11 Duration: 32:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Salvation (03:22) 2 Longanisse (02:57) 3 AF3458 (02:34) 4 Kinam Baby (02:10) 5 Hospital Boogie (03:00) 6 Bad Lady Goes to Jail (03:15) 7 Crystal Anis (03:06) 8 Belmondo (03:24) 9 Betty and Johnny (02:35) 10 Une ballade pour Clive (02:45) 11 I’m Dead (instrumental) (03:30) |
 | Album: 61 of 75 Artist: Thee Oh Sees Title: Putrifiers II Released: 2012-09-17 Tracks: 10 Duration: 36:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Wax Face (04:00) 2 Hang a Picture (03:54) 3 So Nice (03:52) 4 Cloud #1 (01:45) 5 Flood’s New Light (02:31) 6 Putrifiers II (06:10) 7 Will We Be Scared (05:23) 8 Lupine Dominus (03:28) 9 Goodbye Baby (03:28) 10 Wicked Park (02:09) |
 | Album: 62 of 75 Artist: Ian Hunter & The Rant Band Title: When I’m President Released: 2012-09-03 Tracks: 11 Duration: 46:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Comfortable (Flyin’ Scotsman) (03:02) 2 Fatally Flawed (05:03) 3 When I’m President (04:21) 4 What For (04:22) 5 Black Tears (03:37) 6 Saint (03:35) 7 Just the Way You Look Tonight (03:34) 8 Wild Bunch (03:54) 9 Ta Shunka Witco (Crazy Horse) (05:47) 10 I Don’t Know What You Want (03:47) 11 Life (04:58) |
| When I’m President : Allmusic album Review : Dont read too much into the release of When Im President just weeks prior to the 2012 U.S. Presidential election. This is by no means a protest record. Ian Hunter isnt nearly as angry as he was back in 2007, when he released the savagely funny Shrunken Heads, nor is he as reflective as he was on 2009s Man Overboard. Perhaps inspired by the brief but glorious reunion of Mott the Hoople, Hunter indulges in good old-fashioned noise, grinding out three-chord boogies and occasionally slipping into a sweet reverie, the slower tunes letting the faster ones kick a bit harder. Backed once again by the Rant Band, the music is loose and earthy, easily swinging into a snippet of gospel at the end of "Wild Bunch" or quoting Jerry Lee Lewis on "What For," and its a pure pleasure to hear them play whether theyre luxuriating in a ballad or updating Chuck Berry, but once again, the key to When Im President is Hunters sharp, incisive songwriting. He may not go broad, but he does go deep, finding new twists within his sonic signatures and writing lyrics that cut to the quick. As always in Hunters third act, theres an acknowledgment of his advancing age but he never dwells on it, never spends time making When Im President into a last testament. Its a snapshot of where he is, and hes in a wickedly joyous mood. | ||
 | Album: 63 of 75 Artist: Calexico Title: Algiers Released: 2012-09-07 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:42:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Epic (04:14) 2 Splitter (03:30) 3 Sinner in the Sea (04:14) 4 Fortune Teller (03:57) 5 Para (03:53) 6 Algiers (03:42) 7 Maybe on Monday (03:37) 8 Puerto (04:23) 9 Better and Better (02:33) 10 No te vayas (04:15) 11 Hush (04:22) 12 The Vanishing Mind (03:54) 1 Frontera / Trigger (05:30) 2 Epic (04:25) 3 The News About William (03:46) 4 Black Heart (04:54) 5 Minas de Cobre (03:41) 6 Inspiración (03:30) 7 Two Silver Trees (04:31) 8 Para (03:53) 9 Quattro (World Drifts In) (04:46) 10 Crystal Frontier (07:52) 11 The Vanishing Mind (04:26) 12 Fortune Teller (04:36) |
| Algiers : Allmusic album Review : Calexico had intended to record the follow-up to 2008s gorgeous Carried to Dust somewhere in Europe, but when those plans fell through, they chose Americas most European city, New Orleans, as their destination. The change of scenery is definitely felt in Algiers, named for the neighborhood in which they set up shop. While Joey Burns and John Convertino havent suddenly thrown Cajun and zydeco into their repertoire, theres still a rich stew (or should that be gumbo?) of sounds here. Calexico are never obvious, and their homage to the Big Easy is neither grandiose nor simple; instead, they incorporate subtle hints of the citys storied musical heritage into their own distinctive style. Algiers is bookended by songs that allude to "The House of the Rising Sun" in their pedal steel melodies; Convertino emphasizes the jazz side of his formidable percussion skills; and "No Te Vayas" is a fitting, and dramatic, tribute to New Orleans Latin and jazz musical roots. This time, however, Calexicos attitude, while not exactly boisterous, is a lot less studied and restrained than it has been in years, resulting in a more down-to-earth set of songs than theyve delivered in quite a while. "Splitter"s big brass and drums make it louder than the bands past few albums combined; "Sinner in the Sea" strikes sparks with its mix of blues and Latin rhythms, marking the first time in a long time that Burns voice has risen above a whispery croon; and while "Maybe on Monday"s bitter but ambiguous farewell to a lover may not be a true murder ballad, it has the sharp sting of one. However, the band still deals largely in shadows and echoes, and Algiers has plenty of those. "Puerto" and the title track feel like they could be a part of Calexicos catalog from way back when, while the single "Para" shows off their eerie, hypnotic side and the lovely Americana pop of "Fortune Teller" and "Hush" recalls Garden Ruins folky idylls. While these tales of people trying to escape their pasts arent quite as masterful as Carried to Dust, Algiers has some great songs and a vitality that Calexico should try to hang onto in the future. | ||
 | Album: 64 of 75 Artist: Orbital Title: Wonky Released: 2012-02 Tracks: 9 Duration: 50:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 One Big Moment (06:16) 2 Straight Sun (05:28) 3 Never (04:43) 4 New France (04:47) 5 Distractions (07:05) 1 Stringy Acid (05:19) 2 Beelzedub (04:54) 3 Wonky (06:13) 4 Where Is It Going? (05:50) |
 | Album: 65 of 75 Artist: Nite Jewel Title: One Second of Love Released: 2012-03-06 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 This Story (02:36) 2 One Second of Love (04:05) 3 She’s Always Watching You (03:38) 4 Mind & Eyes (03:33) 5 In the Dark (04:22) 6 Memory, Man (03:28) 7 Unearthly Delights (02:52) 8 No I Don’t (04:05) 9 Autograph (04:01) 10 Clive (04:34) |
 | Album: 66 of 75 Artist: Goat Title: World Music Released: 2012-08-20 Tracks: 9 Duration: 37:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Diarabi (02:56) 2 Goatman (04:15) 3 Goathead (05:40) 4 Disco Fever (04:23) 5 Golden Dawn (02:50) 6 Let It Bleed (03:54) 7 Run to Your Mama (02:22) 8 Goatlord (03:04) 9 Det som aldrig förändras / Diarabi (07:44) |
 | Album: 67 of 75 Artist: Cornershop Title: Urban Turban: The Singhles Club Released: 2012-05-14 Tracks: 12 Duration: 49:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 What Did the Hippie Have in His Bag? (04:09) 2 Who’s Gonna Lite It Up? (03:49) 3 Non-Stop Radio (Extended Play) (04:12) 4 Solid Gold (04:25) 5 Beacon Radio 303 (03:09) 6 Milkin’ It (04:26) 7 Concrete, Concrete (03:47) 8 Something Makes You Feel Like (04:31) 9 Inspector Bamba Singhs Lament (04:29) 10 Dedicated (03:44) 11 What Did the Hippie Have in His Bag? The High Slung Satchel (05:15) 12 First Wog on the Moon (03:27) |
 | Album: 68 of 75 Artist: Woods Title: Bend Beyond Released: 2012-09-18 Tracks: 12 Duration: 32:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 Bend Beyond (04:25) 2 Cali in a Cup (03:21) 3 Is It Honest (02:38) 4 It Aint Easy (02:23) 5 Cascade (01:55) 6 Back to the Stone (02:53) 7 Find Them Empty (02:15) 8 Wind Was the Wine (01:29) 9 Lily (02:09) 10 Size Meets the Sound (03:01) 11 Impossible Sky (03:02) 12 Something Surreal (02:36) |
 | Album: 69 of 75 Artist: Ty Segall Title: Twins Released: 2012-10-09 Tracks: 12 Duration: 35:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Thank God for Sinners (02:49) 2 Youre the Doctor (02:01) 3 Inside Your Heart (03:40) 4 The Hill (02:39) 5 Would You Be My Love (02:15) 6 Ghost (04:13) 7 They Told Me Too (03:06) 8 Love Fuzz (03:34) 9 Handglams (03:19) 10 Who Are You? (02:04) 11 Gold On the Shore (02:36) 12 There Is No Tomorrow (03:25) |
 | Album: 70 of 75 Artist: Simone Felice Title: Simone Felice Released: 2012-04-02 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Hey Bobby Ray (03:58) 2 You & I Belong (03:16) 3 New York Times (04:06) 4 Courtney Love (03:17) 5 Stormy-Eyed Sarah (02:56) 6 Charade (05:42) 7 Dawn Bradys Son (05:28) 8 Gimme All You Got (03:25) 9 Ballad of Sharon Tate (04:49) 10 Splendour in the Grass (04:01) |
 | Album: 71 of 75 Artist: Lee Ranaldo Title: Between the Times and the Tides Released: 2012-03-20 Tracks: 10 Duration: 47:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Waiting on a Dream (06:14) 2 Off the Wall (03:04) 3 Xtina as I Knew Her (07:04) 4 Angles (03:17) 5 Hammer Blows (04:04) 6 Fire Island (Phases) (06:07) 7 Lost (03:59) 8 Shouts (04:54) 9 Stranded (04:20) 10 Tomorrow Never Comes (04:30) |
 | Album: 72 of 75 Artist: Rufus Wainwright Title: Out of the Game Released: 2012-04-20 Tracks: 12 Duration: 50:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Out of the Game (04:05) 2 Jericho (03:44) 3 Rashida (03:00) 4 Barbara (03:55) 5 Welcome to the Ball (03:26) 6 Montauk (03:56) 7 Bitter Tears (03:31) 8 Respectable Dive (04:55) 9 Perfect Man (03:58) 10 Sometimes You Need (03:20) 11 Song of You (04:50) 12 Candles (07:41) |
 | Album: 73 of 75 Artist: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Title: Meat + Bone Released: 2012-09-17 Tracks: 14 Duration: 43:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Black Mold (03:16) 2 Bag of Bones (03:54) 3 Boot Cut (03:45) 4 Get Your Pants Off (02:43) 5 Ice Cream Killer (03:18) 6 Strange Baby (03:05) 7 Bottle Baby (03:05) 8 Danger (02:43) 9 Black Thoughts (03:22) 10 Unclear (02:02) 11 Bear Trap (04:16) 12 Zimgar (04:08) 13 Tell Me That You Love Me (01:19) 14 Gadzooks (02:04) |
 | Album: 74 of 75 Artist: Bat for Lashes Title: The Haunted Man Released: 2012-10-12 Tracks: 11 Duration: 51:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lilies (04:47) 2 All Your Gold (04:32) 3 Horses of the Sun (04:59) 4 Oh Yeah (04:56) 5 Laura (04:26) 6 Winter Fields (03:42) 7 The Haunted Man (05:15) 8 Marilyn (04:35) 9 A Wall (04:01) 10 Rest Your Head (04:04) 11 Deep Sea Diver (06:21) |
| The Haunted Man : Allmusic album Review : Natasha Khans two previous Bat for Lashes albums -- 2006s Fur and Gold and 2009s Two Suns -- were lavish affairs from their cover images to their intricate songs. However, The Haunted Mans album artwork, which depicts Khan as naked except for the also nude man slung over her shoulders, was one of the first hints that she was taking a slightly different tack with this set of songs. More proof came with "Laura," the soft, spare ballad she picked to be the albums lead single. While Khan explored her flair with character studies on Two Suns, this songs intimacy and the keenly observed details in lyrics like "your tears feel hot on my bedsheets" felt more like a natural progression from songs like "Sad Eyes," off of Fur and Gold. As that album (and Two Suns more restrained moments) showed, Khans singing and writing are more than strong enough to be more or less naked, and she finds freedom in this throughout most of The Haunted Man. Feeling alive is a refrain on many of these songs, most vividly on the proudly sexual "Oh Yeah," where Khan is "waiting like a flower to open wide" and the unearthliness of her upper register adds a fairytale sparkle to her desire. This mix of rawness and delicacy makes her among the best of all the Kate Bush disciples dotting the early 21st century pop landscape at emulating the will-o-the-wisp willfulness of La Bushs work, particularly on the silvery, shivery opening track "Lilies" and "Winter Fields," which soars above the English countryside with just a little bit of fear shading its wonder. When The Haunted Man strays from these sparer sounds, the results are mixed: the tribal/primal rhythms and vocals on "Horses of the Sun" add to its rough-hewn beauty, but the electronic squiggles and processed vocals on "Marilyn" are distracting and indulgent. Still, much of The Haunted Man caters to Khans strengths, and songs such as "All Your Gold," "A Wall," and "Rest Your Head" are among the catchiest shes written in some time. Focus and restraint might not sound exciting in and of themselves, but The Haunted Man is more direct than any of Bat for Lashes previous work, and manages to keep the air of mystique around Khan that has made her one to watch and listen to since her early days. | ||
 | Album: 75 of 75 Artist: Carter Tutti Void Title: Transverse Released: 2012-03-26 Tracks: 5 Duration: 49:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 v1 (10:04) 2 v2 (10:05) 3 v3 (09:05) 4 v4 (10:07) 5 v4 studio (Slap 1) (09:53) |