Album Of The Year candidates?

[Liam]

Since we are coming near the end of the year, and the conversation kinda semi-started in the MCR thread, I was wondering, what are people's picks so far for potential albums of the year?

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly "Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teenage" - Just an excellent slab of singer/songwriter styley music...catchy, good lyrically, the bloke has a good voice. I came into it expecting nothing, and I was really impressed.

In Flames "Come Clarity" - I'm an In Flames fanboy, but I'm also one of the ones who don't think their change in direction has hampered them that much. Come Clarity is a lot better than "Soundtrack To Your Escape", and is just (as I've said before with In Flames stuff) how I like my metal. It tails off a little towards the end, but thats kinda expected IMO due to the pace it sets off at.

Decapitated "Organic Hallucinogenisis" - Just superb, technical Polish death metal. The guys are just over 20, and they display amazing talent. They also have what I like, the ability to add some groove to their death metal.

Mastodon "Blood Mountain" - I mark for anything Mastodon do, and this album is no exception.

The Abominable Iron Sloth "The Abominable Iron Sloth" - I dunno if I'd consider this the best, or just more a personal favourite, but really good slugdy, stoner metal. I've grown to like that kinda stuff, and AIS just hit the spot.

I probably need more time with Muse "Black Holes And Revelations" and My Dying Bride "A Line Of Deathless Kings", but these two would be up there probably.

So yeah, what do others think? I tend to forget release dates and such, so will add to mine when others offer up albums that I've forgotten

Edited November 5, 2006 by Liam Byrne

[probablyoliver]

Justin Timberlake - FutureSexLoveSounds

- Just excellent music all round. Not a bad song on the album, and with tracks like "My Love", "SummerLove" and "What Goes Around..../....Comes Around" it really makes for an amazing album. Just like Liam with GC.WC.F, I expected nothing, but got everything.

Guillemots - Through the Windowpane

- TSSTB hyped these up to me to be the second coming, and when I got the album, I had very high expectations, and on first listen, I thought it was shit. A few weeks later I tried again, and it just grew and grew and grew on me until it was the only thing in my CD player for about 3 weeks.

Dan Sartain - Join Dan Sartain

- I love this record to pieces. There's not a single song on it I wouldn't recommend, and I think it's the cream of the crop of independent labels releasing independent work.

yourcodenameis:milo - Print is Dead Vol 1

- I've owned this album less than a week, and already it's become infectious. The collaborating artists are amazing, and the diversity is immense. From chill-out melodic folk rock with Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, to full on thrash with Reuben and the dub-esque grime of Lethal Bizzle, it just works so well.

Inkwell - These Stars are Monsters

- My final of my top 5 is Inkwell by a country mile. It just sounds so simple, yet so effective. It's punk rock stripped down to it's sweetest form, and every song is just so damn beautiful.

I couldn't but my five in order, but they're easily the five I'd throw in there, and not to mention we've still got Modest Mouse, Kanye West and Jay-Z to come in next two months, so it could change by the actual end of the year.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Jerry Lee Lewis - Last Man Standing

[YI]

I always feel like I'll forget something when I do this.

The Candidates;

"Unicornography" by The Falcon

Best best Alkaline Trio side project, though it's more of a Lawrence Arms side-project. I loved them after the EP they release, and when they confirmed an album I was stoked. And it doesn't dissapoint. Great, raw vocals. Some amazing songs. The only major downside is the length, with it clocking in under half an hour. Definately an album people should check out though.

"Blood Mountain" by Mastodon

It's not an album I find myself listening to all that much, but it's allround excellent. I don't love it as much as some peole seem to, but they're brilliant musicians, and I love this album so much more than "Leviathan" (The only other Mastodon album I've heard).

"The Garden" by Zero 7

Everything that Zero 7 do and touch is turned to gold. Their 'remix' of Crosses is fucking sexy. Plus Jose Gonzalez does some vocals on the album which is amazing. That can only make it better. Surely? A perfect chillout album.

"Our Darkest Days" by Ignite

Best punk-rock album of the year? YES...Best punk-rock album ever? It's definately a candidate. Some beautiful, bittersweet melodies, amazing vocals and some great lyrics. The vocalist just sounds of sheer passion, and it's amazing to listen to. I must say, I hadn't heard much of Ignite before this album (A couple of songs, which I hated), and listening to older stuff I'm not overly sold, but this album is a 'masterpiece'. Even Reily has said he 'quite liked it'.

"The Crane Wife" by The Decemberists

This might be a bit weird, with it only being released not that long ago. But I've been listening to it a LOT since then. This is their major debut, and none of their artistic integrity can be questioned with this release. It's like The Decemberists we know and love......only better. I swear to God I'm in love with this album. Everything's in the right order, everythig flows perfectly, and there'a a handful of classics in the form of "The Island...", "Perfect Crime #2" and "The Crane Wife 1&2". It's beautiful indie, stil lwith their unique touch of experimentalism.

There's a bunch of other albums that could get in depending on how I'm feeling. "Come Clarity" by In Flames, like Liam said, it tails off a bit, but the first 5/6 tracks are sheer brilliance, then from then on, there's still a number of great songs. "Keasbey Nights" by Streetlight Manifesto, I like this more than the Catch 22 original. Whilst it's pretty much the same thing, it sounds crisper, it's just awesome. Awesome songs the first time round, awesome the second time round. All ska-punk fans owe it to themselves to hear either version. "Black Holes & Revelations" by Muse, it's amazing that Muse's 'weakest' album could still be one of the better albums of the year. I don't like every song, but the great songs more than make up for the poor ones.

Whilst falling quite a little way short, I must say that I really liked; "The Sufferer & The Witness" by Rise Against (A return to form, after the poor "Siren Song..."), "Dead FM" by Strike Anywhere, "Billy Talent II" by Billy Talent (Some really rocking and catchy tunes) and "Electric President" by Electric President (At first I found most of the songs overshadowed by "Insomnia", but the rest is awesome too). Also there's "Stadium Arcadium" by The Chilli's, personally if you cut cut the crap/mediocre stuff, you could have an amazing single CD, that could well rank as CD of the year. But as it is, there's too many tracks I skip, and just don't enjoy.

There's a handful of stuff that I need to listen to more, to be able to judge; "Wild Peace" by Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (Fucking brilliance), "Nuclear Daydream" by Josheph Arthur (Which I was really surprised by on first listen), "Twelve Small Steps, One Giant Disappointment" by Bad Astronaut (1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9) and "Born In The UK" by Badly Drawn Boy. All of which sound fairly promising thus far.

Edited October 25, 2006 by Steve Mandela

[apsham]

Dog Problems by The Format

'nuff said.

[Lord Nibbler]

I couldn't but my five in order, but they're easily the five I'd throw in there, and not to mention we've still got Modest Mouse, Kanye West and Jay-Z to come in next two months, so it could change by the actual end of the year.

[sirdavinator]

I haven't got many albums from this year. Only four so far - Kill by Cannibal Corpse, Come Clarity by In Flames, The Crusade by Trivium and the Suffocation s/t. I like them all. Kill isn't exactly CC's best album, but it's up there. Come Clarity is miles better than anything In Flames had done for the past four years. The Crusade is a disappointment. I expected alot more than a Metallica rip-off, judging from the material from Ascendancy.

And Suffocation's new album just kills all the other albums I have. Album of the Year it is - for me, at least.

[IAceI]

Easiest decision I'll probably make;

"Inside In/Inside Out" by The Kooks.

[apsham]

Oh wait now I am torn... Underoath's album Define The Great Line was fucking sweet as well.

[ACCBiggz]

I really don't see this as any question.

Justin Timberlake's futureSex/LoveSounds

It should take the grammy and any other award hands down.

[Pepsi]

The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

Hands down.

[Ananas]

A few, off the top of my head:

k-os - Atlantis

Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies

John Mayer - Continuum

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

Islands - Return to the Sea

Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere

[Bushmeister]

Well, let's see... We have got a ton of good albums already this year, my personal faves so far including Napalm Death's "Smear Campaign", Summoning's "Oath Bound" and Cattle Decapitation's "Karma.Bloody.Karma". However, my album of the year so far would be "Trample The Weak, Hurdle The Dead" by Skinless. Great brutal death metal with catchy riffing and precise drumming... And the vocals are just lovable as well. My pick (Y)

[Ash J. Williams]

In No Order:

The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth

Bouncing Souls - The Gold Record

Electric Six - Switzerland

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

Streetlight Manifesto - Keasbey Nights

Boy Hits Car - The Passage

(If "best of" CDs count...)

Chris Isaak - The Best of Chris Isaak

[Rashid]

Well I've listened to 3 2006 albums so cleary I'm qualified to vote.

-Rob Zombie's Educated Horses: 6/10

-Billy Talent ll: 7/10

-Pearl Jam's Untitled: 8.5/10

So of the ones I've listened to, Pearl Jam.

[Guest The Bleeding Heart Show of Ringy]

1/ Islands - Return to the Sea

2/ Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies

3/ Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming Of A World Where Lovers Have Wings

4/ Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

5/ Peter Bjorn and John - Writers' Block

6/ I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - Fear Is Our Side

7/ k-os - Atlantis

8/ The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

9/ Swan Lake - Beast Moans.

10/ Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere

That's my top 10 so far.

Edited October 26, 2006 by The Bleeding Heart Show of Ringy

[VinnyT]

[Rashid]

Oh, I also got Start Outta Lynntown. That makes 4 albums. I give both Lynntown and Pearl Jam 8.5/10

[Benji]

"(ONe)" by The Panic Channel

Undoubtably album of the year for me, it's got a little bit of everything I need in an album, I can't really explain it, but it more than made up for the dissapointment that was "Revelations" by Audioslave. It's been played in full every day since I got it and the original demo of "Bloody Mary" has increased my opinion on the band.

Though if I'm honest, no NEW album has really swept me off my feet and kept me there, Angels and Airwaves was great, for a month, ditto Dirty Pretty Things' effort. Stadium Arcadium is an above average album from a band that should be making waves still.

EDIT: I forgot one big one, "Death By Sexy" by Eagles of Death Metal, again, not the most life changing album, but not a single bad track and some great music no matter what your mood.

Edited October 25, 2006 by Guns 'N' Benji

[tristy]

Either:

I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness' "Fear Is On Our Side"

Gorgoroth's "Ad Majorem Satanhas Gloriam"

Evaline's "Postpartum Modesty: A Portrait Of Skin"

Three Days Grace's "One-X"

Lupe Fiasco's "Food & Liquor"

One of those.