I've kinda felt like that for a little while now.. but was thinking maybe I'm a bit out of the loop music wise and I might have just missed some of the better albums of recent years.

Anyone care to list about 5/10 albums from the last two/three years that I should definitely have in my music collection, I find upbeat indie/rock/alternative stuff tends to catch more ear more than other styles but I'm open to anything.

At the moment I'm just finding nothing is keeping my attention for very long...

... Damn internet crashing making me double post!

It's just you, really.....

OK, granted, it depends very much on what you like musically, if you're looking for Doves/Wilco type stuff, I'd say forget it, but elsewhere, some great stuff. Just got my hands on "God Help the Girl" which is a project by Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian and it's utterly lovely in a 60s girl group sort of way. A bit contrived, but delightful. "Hands" by Little Boots may well be the greatest pure pop album since Yazoos "Upstairs at Erics" or "Dare" by the human league. "Moderat" by Moderat (Modeselektor + Apparat) is highly reccomended if you are a fan of electronic music or even if you wouldn't know you're 808 from your 303, it combines Apparats rich warm soft analoge textures with Modeselektors almost comically seismic bass, just as great on headphones or blasting out your subwoofer. For some straight up indie rock, and I mean straight up as in just great tunes with great hooks and no pretentiousness, The Thermals "Now we can see" is also recommended. :)

Posted By stephen on 23 Jun 2009 05:53 AM

... or has this been a very average year for music so far?

I really haven't heard a really special album this year. Even Wilco's latest seems distinctly underwhelming (though is that a surprise after their last effort?). Maybe the Doves have stood up but I still prefer The Last Broadcast to the latest.
 
Probably the Super Furry Animals' new one is the best of a bad bunch. Though I am looking forward to the new White Denim and The Low Anthem.

Average year? Jesus wept. Fever Ray's eponymous album is a treasure. Bill Callahan's new album is a stunning return to form - 'Jim Cain' remains the most beautiful song of 2009. The Stuart Murdoch project is a bit meh at times but has some tunes up there with B&S's finest. Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors, A Camp, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Adrian Crowley, Neko Case and PJ Harvey & John Parish have all released albums worthy of anyone's attention.
Two stunning compilations also this year worthy of note - the Dark Was The Night album featuring some stunning tunes by Feist & Antony Hegarty (even if you dislike him, I daresay you'll like his song on this) and the unreleased but hard to miss Dark Night of the Soul project - Sparklehorse rarely puts his name to something that's not quietly wonderful.
And yet, the best album I've heard thus far this year is by Riceboy Sleeps (Sigur Ros side-project). It's an album of beautiful instrumental beauty hewn from what sounds, in parts, like whales fucking (I imagine) and makes you feel as if you're swimming in amniotic goo - yup, it's that good.
Oh and there's a new Yo La Tengo album to come in September. What a fucking year.

onfire

Ah yes, the Fever Ray album, how I could I forget! Sonic youth have a new one out too.

Must check out that Dark was the Night album. :)

Cheers for those! Really liking The Thermals, they sound kinda like Texas band 'Big Soy' at times. Will check out the others too, should keep me entertained for a little while.. :-)

I suppose, as Binokular has already said, it depends on your taste in music, but I've heard lots of great albums this year.  Placebo, Dark Room Notes, Bat for Lashes, Bill Callahan, Groom and the new Eels album are just some of those I can think of right now (probably because I was listening to them on my holibobs recently).  Music is so subjective though I can understand why you might not have heard anything that you like this year.

OK... let's examine some of these claims to greatness.

Firstly, if an artist that I genuinely love releases an album that, to me, is not up there with his best (stand up Bonnie Prince), then I can't consider that a great album. Like just about all his records since I See A Darkness, Beware starts off in a lovely way... and tails off badly toward the end.

I agree with Idiot Kid that the Eels have made a good record. Except it's virtually identical to Shootenanny. Except not quite as good.

As for Bat For Lashes, I was really looking forward to her new one (loved her first). But the K Bushisms are more affected this time round. And, aside from Daniel, the melodies just aren't there. But I would agree that this one is worth investing more time in.

The Neko Case record is an absolute stinker!!

I went for a run this morning and listened to Sonic Youth's new record - it's got a similar feel to Rather Ragged. A good album I think.

And now for the most ludicrous claim of the lot! That Little Boots has made the best pop record since Dare.... oh my lord. It's not even as good as Robyn's self-titled little gem from last year. Or Annie's Anniemal from a few years back. Plus isn't it just a rip off of Supernature from Goldfrapp?

Posted By stephen on 24 Jun 2009 04:07 PM


And now for the most ludicrous claim of the lot! That Little Boots has made the best pop record since Dare.... oh my lord. It's not even as good as Robyn's self-titled little gem from last year. Or Annie's Anniemal from a few years back. Plus isn't it just a rip off of Supernature from Goldfrapp?

You're entitled to your opinion on an album of course, but if I were a gambling man, I'd wager you haven't listened to Dare in a very long time. Aside from the obvious Phil Oakey connection, it shares a similar naive optimism and pretty much universally appealing tunes. I think this album doesn't play as much to the hipster crowd as much as many were expecting, it is genuine unashamed pop. There are a few duds, like lead single "New in Town" and "Remedy", but these are at worst pleasantly listenable rather than awful. I've found it gets better with repeated listening, rare for a pop album and in that sense reminds of Yazoos "upstairs at Erics", sadly Little Boots sorely lacks what Alison Moyet possessed, a great and powerful voice, her voice does seem to be lacking at times, much like Annie, or even Sarah Cracknell. It definitely does not sound like supernature, it's a lot lighter and warmer sounding for starters.

Anniemal was a great album, absolutely loved it, but it's far less pop and accessible than the critics like to believe. Annie may be all Norweigan glam and shiny synthpop, but I don't think she's in any danger of ever being truly mainstream.

Your critique of the various albums does make you sound a bit cynical to be honest, like you want to be proved right in the "modern music is rubbish" stakes rather than just enjoying the now. Which leads me to another point, the concept of "greatness". I really don't think music is ever seen as "great" when it comes out, that's always something assigned in critical hindsight. If you look at a lot of the records regarded as classics now, in many cases, no one really cared much about them on initial release. The Beach Boys pet sounds had a lukewarm reaction for example. Looking for greatness, well thats just too damn narrow a way of looking at music for me. Music goes into two categories for me, stuff that interests me and find enjoyable and stuff I have no interest in. I don't really care if its flawed, just go with it. It's a far more enjoyable way of approaching things I think, but that's just my take on things. :)

Hi Binokular, I don't think cynical is the right word. I think, on reflection, that jaded may be a more appropriate word. Maybe it's because so much more music is now accessible and, to a certain extent, disposable. I'm not subscribing to "modern music is rubbish". More that 2009 is average... ;-) For example, last year my car stereo was stuffed with crackers from Fleet Foxes, Elbow, Beck... This year I'm scratching around to find stuff that appeals and demands repeated listening. So far I've been listening to Stephen Stills' Manassas more than anything.

Anyway, I take what you say on the chin. And hopefully there's some great stuff to come!

as mentioned before, Doves latest album..absolutely fantastic

Loads of great albums out this year. Cymbals Eat Guitars, Dan Deacon, Antony And The Johnsons, Handsome Furs, Clues, Leonard Cohen and Phosphorescent to name just 7.

Posted By stephen on 25 Jun 2009 07:29 AM
Fleet Foxes, Elbow, Beck... This year I'm scratching around to find stuff that appeals and demands repeated listening. So far I've been listening to Stephen Stills' Manassas more than anything.

I guess it goes back to what was said earlier about "it depends what you like". Very little of that sort of stuff has popped up this year as far as I can see, so if that's your thing you're gonna be disappointed. Even with all the new stuff, I always find I have something old in regular rotation too. At the moment, I've been listening to "Upstairs at Erics" by Yazoo a hell of a lot, hence the reference I guess. ;)

It has been pretty average so far this year but there have been a handful of great albums released all the same...Fever Ray album fantastic - a dark masterpiece from beginning to end that even surpasses her work with The Knife, which is really saying something. New Grizzly Bear is good but takes a few listens, Bat For Lashes is wonderful and I would second Binokular's recommendation for Moderat - great collection of electronica from the German genius Apparat and his Modeselektor friends - would urge you to check out all Apparat's solo stuff as well and also his album with Ellen Allien - 'Orchestra of Bubbles'. Moderat are playing EP this year. New Doves disc is very good but stops just short of being truly great.