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[imagist42]

zomg he's creating a new topic that's so taboo

As some of you will remember, I've spent the last two years in Poland, without regular computer or Internet access. As a result, I've kind of fallen behind the times on teh musics. I really miss it. Unfortunately, I don't think I will ever really have the time to dig through two years' worth of QC forum posts, music blog entries and whatever other related sources of information I can get my hands on to discover everything that has passed me by.

So what I want to ask for is your personal recommendations. What would you dub as essential listening from the period of November 2008 to November 2010? What new albums by old favorites, or stellar entries by solid newcomers, could you not give up? Or what music have you even come across in the last two years without which you don't understand how you've lived all this time? I'm not going to pretend my musical knowledge was anywhere close to comprehensive even before I went off the radar, so if you just discovered something great from 10 years ago there's a good chance I don't know about it yet either.

Yeah, I could probably go back and peruse the "best music" threads for the last two years, but I'm far too lazy to that. Hey, it's okay if we admit it and don't make excuses, right? Besides, I'm looking more for analyses and summaries of what really topped your individual charts, in retrospect. Or flaming. I could use some flaming.

-CUBONE HATES 

[Johnny C]

The single best record I've heard in the last two years has probably been Portico's First Neighbours. Portico's a Vancouver band who sound like Lady Slint, except that they have  a predilection for grafting their sparse guitar rock to odd horn arrangements and lovely pop hooks. Helps that they've got some of the smartest lyrics I've ever heard. Really wonderful.

[ImRonBurgundy?]

I personally really enjoy Future of The Left's 2009 album Travels With Myself and Another.

[Melodic]

Aww Johnny you're making my city blush.

[michaelicious]

Speaking of Vancouver and ladies, White Lung put out a great album this year. You might enjoy it if you are into punk/listening to 11 songs in 24 minutes.

[David_Dovey]

I'm not sure what music you are into so I'll try to split this up into some broad genres with some links

HEAVY:
The Devin Townsend Project- Addicted (Supercrush)
Shrinebuilder- s/t (Pyramid of the Moon)
Coalesce- Ox (Wild Ox Moan)
Celeste- Misanthrope(s) + Morte(s) Nee(s) (get these albums for free + legal here)
Alcest- Ecailles de Lune (in the Mediafire thread, I think?)
Darkthrone- Circle the Wagons (definitely in the Mediafire thread)
Black Breath- Heavy Breathing (see above, Escape From Death)
Ludicra- The Tenant (A Larger Silence)
Kvelertak- Kvelertak (KVELERTAK)
Electric Wizard- Black Masses (MF thread)
Agalloch- Marrow of the Spirit (Stream the whole thing over here)
Salome- Terminal
haarp: The Filth (stream that shit)
Trap Them- Filth Rations (You can get an mp3 for this on the Southern Lord website)

TRU PUNX:
Police Teeth- Real Size Monster Series (download this for cheap here)
Titus Andronicus- The Monitor (it's in the Mediafire thread somewhere, A More Perfect Union)
The Austerity Program- Backsliders and Apostates Will Burn (here's a myspace)
Bottomless Pit- Blood Under The Bridge (I think someone put this in the mediafire thread as well. Get it)
The Ex- Catch My Shoe (Double Order, in the MF thread)
Nails- Unsilent Death (people losing their shit over this in the Hardcore thread, there's a track for download on the Southern Lord site I linked to for Trap Them)

HIPSTER SHIT:
LCD Soundsystem- This is Happening + The London Sessions (London sessions got put in the mediafire thread real recent)
Arcade Fire- The Suburbs
Neil Young- Le Noise (MF thread)
The Extra Lens- Undecard (John Darnielle from the Mountain Goats side-project)
Daft Punk- Tron: Legacy Soundtrack (in the MF thread)

GET ON THE SOULTRAIN:
Janelle Monae- The Archandroid (Tightrope)
Aloe Blacc- Good Things (Meeeediafire)

I hope this isn't all too much at once. I guess you'll probably filter out what doesn't interest you.

[the_pied_piper]

A varied list that I could not be bothered to order:

Blood Red Shoes – Fire Like This
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Let It Sway
The Thermals – Personal Life
El Guincho – Pop Negro
Los Campesinos! – Romance Is Boring
Liars – Sisterworld
Steel Train – Steel Train
LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
Extra Lens – Undercard
Seabear – We Built A Fire
fun. – Aim and Ignite
Serious Sam Barrett – Close To Home
VA – Dark Was The Night
My Latest Novel – Deaths and Entrances
The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
The Antlers – Hospice
Röyksopp – Junior
The Thermals – Now We Can See
Frank Turner – Poetry of the Deed
We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls
Future of the Left – Travels With Myself and Another

[Nodaisho]

I'm probably going to keep thinking of new things, but I have three off the top of my head. I'll second Dovey's recommendation of Agalloch, and add one for Smiling Dogs by Man's Gin. I don't know anywhere to stream it, sadly. While I was writing this post, I thought of Moving Crosscurrent of Time by Morningside. Sometimes they are called The Morningside, it's a Russian thing. You can find most of that album on youtube, at least.

edit: thought of another. Enslaved's Axioma Ethica Oddni.

[Dimmukane]

While Agalloch's being mentioned I figured I should throw out Gallowbraid's Ashen Eidolon EP.  Really solid Folk Metal in the vein of Ashes Against the Grain, albeit it's  just one guy out of Utah with some session musicians.

[De_El]

I agree with a lot of stuff already posted so I'm just gonna focus on stuff that hasn't been mentioned yet. Don't take that as an implication that what I mention myself are the only things I consider "essential listening" from the last 2 yrs.

2009
YACHT - See Mystery Lights
Tiny Vipers - Life on Earth
Telepathe - Dance Mother
Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer
Pictureplane - Dark Rift
Joy Orbison - Hyph Mngo b/w Wet Look
HEALTH - Get Color
The Field - Yesterday and Today
Dizzee Rascal - Tongue N Cheek

2010
Women - Public Strain
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Future Islands - In Evening Air
Girl Unit - Wut
The Das Racist mixtapes Shut Up, Dude and Sit Down, Man
Beach House - Teen Dream
Altar Eagle - Mechanical Gardens

[valley_parade]

I'm gonna say it.

Sit Down, Man > Shut Up, Dude

[squawk]

YES to the yacht and sunset rubdown! god i love spencer krug

[conradtao]

I'm gonna say it.

Sit Down, Man > Shut Up, Dude

Is this news?

[KaosPilot]

Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
Marnie Stern - Marnie Stern

[valley_parade]

I'm gonna say it.

Sit Down, Man > Shut Up, Dude

Is this news?

I absolutely loved Shut Up, Dude. And then one day, BAM. The new one snuck up on me with it's awesome.

And btw, agreed with Marnie Stern, goddamn.

[Vuk]

Metal/other shit that's heavy
Converge - Axe To Fall
Mastodon - Crack the Skye
Deathspell Omega - Paracletus
Withered - Dualitas
Castevet - Mounds of Ash
Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit
Cephalic Carnage - Misled By Certainty
The Endless Blockade - Primitive
Ulcerate - Everything Is Fire
Magrudergrind - s/t
Augury - Fragmentary Evidence
Blut Aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta II
Kylesa - Static Tensions
Portal - Swarth
Deafeted Sanity - Chapters of Repugnance
Wormed - Quasineautrality
Alcest - Ecailles des Lunes
Pulling Teeth - Paranoid Delusions/Paradise Illusions
Trap Them - Filth Rations
Nails - Unsilent Death
Iron Age - The Sleeping Eye
The Secret - Solve Et Coagula
Caravels - Floorboards
Harvey Milk - A Small Turn of Human Kindness
Torche - Songs for Singles
The Armed - Common Enemies
This Will Destroy You - Communal Blood & Moving On the Edges of Things
Electric Wizard - Black Masses
Orgone - The Joyless Parson
Rosetta - A Determinism of Morality
Loma Prieta - Life/Less


Punk/hardcore/whatever
Killing the Dream - Lucky Me
Lewd Acts - Black Eye Blues
Nomos - Notes from the Acheron
Vaccine - Human Hatred
Cult Ritual - s/t LP
Aerosols - s/t LP
Punch - s/t LP
Slices - Cruising
Mind Eraser - Split with Slang

Indie/other not heavy or not that heavy stuff
Japandroids - Post-Nothing
Superchunk - Majesty Shredding
Native - Wrestling Moves
Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Castevet - The Echo and the Light
Everyone Everywhere - s/t
The Appleseed Cast - Sagarmatha
Mew - No More Stories Are Told Today, I'm Sorry They Washed Away...
Autolux - Transit Transit
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
The Depreciation Guild - Spirit Youth
Metric - Fantasies
Minus the Bear - OMNI
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - s/t
No Age - Everything In Between
Portugal. The Man - American Ghetto
Sonic Youth - The Eternal
Washed Out - Life of Leisure
Telefon Tel Aviv - Immolate Yourself
Wavves - Wavvves
wisp - The Shimmering Hour

[valley_parade]

Wavves - Wavvves

Perfect for the person who doesn't actually enjoy music.

[David_Dovey]

A lot of stuff in here came out pre-November '09, guys 

[Tom]

Wavves - Wavvves

Perfect for the person who doesn't actually enjoy music.

Wavves is endemic of all that is wrong with indie rock.

[michaelicious]

Castevet - Mounds of Ash
Castevet - The Echo and the Light

I like that you listen to both Castevets.

[Joseph]

A lot of stuff in here came out pre-November '09, guys 

Hey guy. He said November '08.

[valley_parade]

Wavves is endemic of all that is wrong with indie rock.

o/

Him and his stupid girlfriend.

[David_Dovey]

A lot of stuff in here came out pre-November '09, guys 

Hey guy. He said November '08.

Oh dang. It's good I misread that, actually. My list could've been way, way bigger.

[Tom]

Wavves is endemic of all that is wrong with indie rock.

o/

Him and his stupid girlfriend.

\o

Shame Jacob Cooper is going to be his new drummer, seems like a crap move.

[Vuk]

I don't like their other stuff, but I still think that one Wavves album is pretty awesome, or at any rate, worth checking out if you've been out of the loop for a while.

Castevet - Mounds of Ash
Castevet - The Echo and the Light

I like that you listen to both Castevets.

Both so awesome!

[KaosPilot]

Metal/other shit that's heavy
Converge - Axe To Fall
Nails - Unsilent Death

Indie/other not heavy or not that heavy stuff
Japandroids - Post-Nothing
Native - Wrestling Moves
Telefon Tel Aviv - Immolate Yourself

Yeah, these too.  Especially that Converge. Especials. Something about that word doesn't look right, am I spelling that wrong? Especially.

[ErrantVenture]

I'm gonna be more inclined towards punk/poppunk than some of you guys i guess xD

• The Upsides by the Wonder Years was literally the best album I've heard in years. The lyrics and emotion are so brutally honest I feel like I'm reading soupy's god damn diary when I listen to it.
• Four Year Strong had their best album to date with Enemy of the World.
• The Gaslight Anthem was solid again with American Slang, though I liked the '59 Sound better tbh.
• Fireworks did more great work with All I Have To Offer Is My Own Confusion.
• Propaghandi put out Supporting Caste in 2009 which is a really good punk/hardcoe album with plenty of social/political commentary.
• Say Anything was outstanding in 2009 with their self-titled album.
• Say Anything was outstanding in 2009 with their self-titled album.
• Billy Talent was great on Billy Talent III if you're into that weird crazy Canadian hardcore.
• Can't forget about some of the more mainstream pop punk stuff like Paramore's Brand New Eyes either.

[Tom]

Dude, try paragraphing. You might even like it.

[ErrantVenture]

Dude, try paragraphing. You might even like it.

Fucking better? zzzz

[est]

Daft Punk- Tron: Legacy Soundtrack (in the MF thread)
Aloe Blacc- Good Things (Meeeediafire)

By co-incidence I just bought both of these today, Aloe Blacc as a gift for a friend, and the TRON soundtrack for me.  Both seem pretty great.

[JD]

FUCKIN' MEERACLES

[DavidGrohl]

Ramona Falls - Intuit        One of my favorites of 2009.  You can find it in the MF Thread if you search. 

[PintsizesBloodyCock]

Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker - Questamation

[valley_parade]

I'm gonna be more inclined towards punk/poppunk than some of you guys i guess xD

Man, you are terrible at pop-punk.

House Boat, for fuck's sake.

[KickThatBathProf]

a lot of these you guys probably already know

Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue
Black Keys - Brothers
Caribou - Swim
CFCF - Continent
Danger - 9/17 2007
Delorean - Subiza
Delphic - Acolyte
Dom - Sun Bronzed Greek Gods
El Guincho - Pop Negro
Fever Ray - s/t
Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
fun. - Aim and Ignite
Girls - Album
Girls - Broken Dreams Club
Gui Boratto - Take My Breath Away
HEALTH - DISCO 2
HEALTH - Get Color
Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
Japandroids - Post-Nothing
Los Campesinos! - Romance is Boring
Michael Cassette - Temporarity
mr. Gnome - Heave Yer Skeleton
Nosaj Thing - Drift
Pantha du Prince - Black Noise
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme
Real Estate - s/t
Robyn - Body Talk (all of them)
Royksopp - Junior
Simian Mobile Disco - Temporary Pleasures
Sleigh Bells - Treats
Slow Club - Yeah So
Smith Westerns - s/t
Subway - Subway II
Tobacco - Maniac Meat
The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa
Women - Public Strain

[Tom]

What's the deal with Girls, I honestly don't see the appeal of this band.

[Kyros]

The Thermals - Now We Can See ('09) and Personal Life ('10)
The Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come
The Extra Lens - Undercard
Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me
Twin Sister - Color Your Life and Vampires with Dreaming Kids
St. Vincent - Actor
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Beach House - Teen Dream

Basically The Thermals, The Mountain Goats, and a whole bunch of hipster shit.

[valley_parade]

What's the deal with Beach House, I honestly don't see the appeal of this band.

[KickThatBathProf]

What's the deal with Girls, I honestly don't see the appeal of this band.

dude has an interesting voice
sounds like i wanna go to the beach and drink and hang out and shit
also the horn stuff on the last album was hot shit

[Vuk]

What's the deal with Beach House, I honestly don't see the appeal of this band.

Seriously, band is so fucking boring.

[De_El]

Do you like dream pop? If you don't like dream pop you are probably not gonna like Beach House. I really like Victoria Legrand's dramatic voice, and their sense of space in their music. The guitar lines are good, I like the hooks and I'm a sucker for a well-utilized organ.

[Vuk]

I love dream pop and shoegaze, but few bands nowadays can pull the style off, imo.

[valley_parade]

What's the deal with Beach House, I honestly don't see the appeal of this band.

Seriously, band is so fucking boring.

Now you're just confusing them with The Pains of Being Pure At Heazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Vuk]

Psh, s/t was so good. Not so sure I'll like the new album as much, but oh well.

[amok]

Re: 09/10, the Fever Ray album was one of the most interesting records in recent memory (some of the resultant remixes ain't half bad either)

[Nodaisho]

What's the deal with Girls, I honestly don't see the appeal

New sig quote?

[Tom]

Do it

[Ballard]

A lot of stuff in here came out pre-November '09, guys 

Hey guy. He said November '08.

Oh dang. It's good I misread that, actually. My list could've been way, way bigger.

Half the dude's list came out in 2007 and early 2008.

[Damnable Fiend]

I don't know about "essential", but I liked all of these albums

Darkthrone - Circle the Wagons
Agalloch - The Marrow of the Spirit
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - Kollaps Tradixionales
Electric Wizard - Black Masses
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO - In 0 to Infinity
Natural Snow Buildings - The Centauri Agent
Autechre - Move of Ten
Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky
Blut aus Nord - What Once Was... Liber I
Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
Deathspell Omega - Paracletus
Kayo Dot - Coyote
AMM - Sounding Music
Sigh - Scenes From hell
Current 93 - Baalstorm, Sing Omega
Sun City Girls - Funeral Mariachi