A thread to keep the polling thread free of chat. All discussion of aoty related to the polling thread (open imminently) to go here …
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Really shitty year, arguably the worst ever.
Probably go with low as my favourite
Too late to edit the first post. Link to the poll thread is here:
@moderators would you be so kind as to sticky this thread and the polling one? Thanks!
- Halsey: If I Can’t Have Love I Want Power
- Self Esteem: Prioritise Pleasure
- Tyler the Creator: Call Me If You Get Lost
- Manchester Orchestra: The Million Masks of God
- Mick Jenkins: Elephant in the Room
A year of follow-ups to albums I liked more than them to varying degrees (except for Halsey which is miles out ahead)
- Halsey - If I Can’t Have Love I Want Power
Huge thanks to @Avery and @Gnometorious for making that thread about this because there’s literally no chance I’d have listened to it otherwise and it’s so fucking good. An actual album. One of those ones where I’ll never just listen to a track from it because the whole thing is top-to-bottom brilliant and a cohesive whole. If I have to pick an individual highlight I will go with this though:
- Self Esteem - Prioritise Pleasure
I think I do still slightly prefer Compliments Please but I think that’s a lot to do with the amount of time spent with the singles and the sequencing of the album sticking them all in a block in the middle, means it’s felt a bit like listening to two EPs sandwiching the singles that I was a bit fatigued with. Minor complaint though because the album is still fucking brilliant. Highlight is Just Kids and I listen to it on repeat like 5 times in a row fairly regularly. Those harmonies are goosebump inducing:
- Tyler the Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost
This is the most egregiously “don’t like this anywhere near as much as what came before it” on my list but this is still a lot of fun. Tyler in full mixtape mode was always going to lead to quite a discrepancy in terms of overall quality of the project but the highs here are really high and it’s good to hear how much he’s improved as a technician and the production throughout is so inventive, he really is one hell of a fucking talent.
- Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God
Feels like a partner piece to Black Mile to the Surface but, again, I don’t love it anywhere near as much (and that live concert YouTube thing they did of BMTTS was a highlight this year eclipsing this album) but these fuckers sure know how to close an album:
- Mick Jenkins - Elephant in the Room
And finally, another “preferred the last one” but plenty to love about this one even if I don’t find it as cohesive a project as it feels like it could be.
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Oooh I don’t know yet Space Afrika is definitely my album of the year, massively. Beyond that I don’t know this is going to take fucking ages to whittle down to that and 4 others.
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Excuse me but why are you giving @avery credit for a thread I, me, Gnome, myself started? 
I am also hoping for some goddamn respect around here! 
.
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Ps. Three of the albums here are in my top ten albums of the year so I’m thinking I should probably check out the other two 
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Sorry Gnomey, I got confused as Avery tagged me in a post in it. Consider his credit REVOKED
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Just gotta find out who’s the 5th to join Wolf Alice, Tyler, Self Esteem and Japanese Brekkie
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You’ve not heard the last of this!
Here, hear some more: Would you have ventured into said excellent thread, without my helpful and might I add, very respectful tag?
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It would have been unlikely I have to say
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Leading the pack atm:
Iceage - Seek Shelter
Mogwai - As The Love Continues
Weezer - OK Human
Dean Blunt - Black Metal 2
Turnstile - Glow On
Bubbling Under:
Parquet Courts - Sympathy For Life
Lost Girls - Menneskekollektivet
Tirzah - Colourgrade
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - G_d’s Pee at State’s End!
Abba - Voyage
Luis Vasquez - A Body of Errors
Kanye West - Donda
The Go! Team - Get Up Sequences Part One
Squid - Bright Green Field
So… am I allowed to use this thread to keep a record of my top 64 records of the year championship playoffs? @Prob500 is that ok?
It’s what I live for at this time of year.
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Think this has genuinely been an absolutely amazing year for new music. I’m also really aware my tastes are somewhat narrow, and probably a bit narrower this year than normal tbh, so there’s been a ton of acclaimed albums (here or elsewhere) that I haven’t even heard
Hasn’t been the sheer quantity of albums I’ve liked compared to last year or indeed most recent years but the quality level is incredible. Have 60+ albums I have really loved (including a few compilations) and probably 30ish that I’d generally expect to be top 5 or even aoty contenders.
Still at least a couple of upcoming releases on my radar as well.
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Going to make time to listen to some of the things already mentioned, have heard a lot of new music this year but very few albums have stuck with me.
Tough one this year. Some great albums inevitably but no clear out and out winner for me. These are my most listened to albums of this year looking at Last.fm with Self Esteem just beneath there.
I’ll do a top 5 from The Red, The Pinks, Fightmilk, Torres, Amyl and Self Esteem probably on Monday after having a think over the weekend.
Echo this - I actually think it’s been one of the best years I can remember.
No absolute standout, but 15/20 exceptional albums, then another 20+ on top of that I’ve really loved. Most of my favourite albums by acts I’d either never heard of, or would have been surprised if you’d told me they’d make one of my favourite albums.
Mega.
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I’ll be using December to sort the prob500-odd albums I enjoyed this year into a more digestible number (not sure anyone needs to know my 439th favourite album of the year). R.A.P. Ferreira and Bob’s Son still in the mix, looking to pull a Shawn Michaels at the '95 Royal Rumble.
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Ah what the heck… here it is! So every year for the past couple of years I have worked out my favourite 64 records of the year. I then use a random tournament generator to come up with 32 round one playoffs. The rules are simple: I listen to them back to back and my favourite goes through to the next round until only one AOTY remains eventually victorious.
What could be more fun? Nothing. Nothing at all.
| Group #1 | |
|---|---|
| competitor #1: | Lorainne James |
| competitor #2: | Mustafa |
| Group #2 | |
| competitor #1: | Penelope Trapps |
| competitor #2: | Amusement Parks on Fire |
| Group #3 | |
| competitor #1: | Sault |
| competitor #2: | Masayochi Fujita |
| Group #4 | |
| competitor #1: | Grouper |
| competitor #2: | Clairo |
| Group #5 | |
| competitor #1: | Elori Saxl |
| competitor #2: | Sufjan Stevens |
| Group #6 | |
| competitor #1: | Ka |
| competitor #2: | Cassandra Jenkins |
| Group #7 | |
| competitor #1: | Dinosaur Jr |
| competitor #2: | Low |
| Group #8 | |
| competitor #1: | Julien Baker |
| competitor #2: | Half Waif |
| Group #9 | |
| competitor #1: | Your Old Droog |
| competitor #2: | Converge/Chelsea Wolfe |
| Group #10 | |
| competitor #1: | Blanck Mass |
| competitor #2: | KMRU |
| Group #11 | |
| competitor #1: | Year of No Light |
| competitor #2: | Noctule |
| Group #12 | |
| competitor #1: | Arab Strap |
| competitor #2: | Sweet Trip |
| Group #13 | |
| competitor #1: | Atmosphere |
| competitor #2: | Karen Peris |
| Group #14 | |
| competitor #1: | Marissa Nadler |
| competitor #2: | Gojira |
| Group #15 | |
| competitor #1: | Halsey |
| competitor #2: | Dag Rosenquvist |
| Group #16 | |
| competitor #1: | Wolf Alice |
| competitor #2: | Midwife |
| Group #17 | |
| competitor #1: | The Bug |
| competitor #2: | Little Simz |
| Group #18 | |
| competitor #1: | David Boulter |
| competitor #2: | Black Country New Road |
| Group #19 | |
| competitor #1: | A Winged Victory for the Sullen |
| competitor #2: | Loscil |
| Group #20 | |
| competitor #1: | Billie Eilish |
| competitor #2: | The Antlers |
| Group #21 | |
| competitor #1: | Lucy Dacus |
| competitor #2: | Big Brave |
| Group #22 | |
| competitor #1: | Dry Cleaning |
| competitor #2: | Daniel Avery |
| Group #23 | |
| competitor #1: | Torres |
| competitor #2: | Armand Hammer and The Alchemist |
| Group #24 | |
| competitor #1: | Nick Cave & Warren Ellis |
| competitor #2: | Peter Gregson |
| Group #25 | |
| competitor #1: | Madlib |
| competitor #2: | Tyler The Creator |
| Group #26 | |
| competitor #1: | Emma Ruth Rundle |
| competitor #2: | Warmth |
| Group #27 | |
| competitor #1: | Godspeed You Black Emperor |
| competitor #2: | Kauan |
| Group #28 | |
| competitor #1: | Alda |
| competitor #2: | Lorde |
| Group #29 | |
| competitor #1: | Employed to Serve |
| competitor #2: | Matt Sweeny & BPB |
| Group #30 | |
| competitor #1: | An Autumn for Crippled Children |
| competitor #2: | Alexander Bazin |
| Group #31 | |
| competitor #1: | Deafheaven |
| competitor #2: | Wolves in The Throne Room |
| Group #32 | |
| competitor #1: | Mogwai |
| competitor #2: | white flowers |
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