Originally Posted by grindy (Post 1912881) IKR? What a ****tard.

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HAIM - Something To Tell You

Y'all know by now how much of a sweet tooth I have when it comes to music, and these guys have hit the mark for me in both albums. Lush soft rock, with hints of country here and there. Good melodies and songwriting.

There's not much to say about the album because it's pretty damn simple, without much variation. But it's so chilled out and dreamy. Good stuff.

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END - From the Unforgiving Arms of God [EP]

Occasionally I take a break from listening to pop, hip-hop and odd synth related music, and delve into something a little more hardcore. This EP was certainly the best deviation from my usual taste this past year.

Short, sweet and hits like piledriver. The title track is brutal from the get-go. In fact, every track is pretty fucking great. The vocals don't overpower the music, the riffs kill it and it never gets boring. Check it out fans of hard/metalcore.

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Sheer Mag - Need To Feel Your Love

I feel like I'm the only person on the forum who ever talks about this band, but I loved them from the first track I heard. They have their niche, and they run with it. Power-Pop with a tinge of Garage-Rock executed to perfection - resulting in a bunch of sweet tunes that range from fun ditties to bellowing anthems.

If you're looking for something to fill the gap between Jay Reatard and Big Star, give these guys a listen. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

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Alvvays — Antisocialites

I've always liked Alvvays, and I think they crafted a really good album with this release. It is a lot more consistent than their debut and feels like it is meant to be a whole piece as opposed to a collection of tracks. They even mastered the ability to write songs that straddle the line between jangling and dreamy pop production with melancholic lyrics.

This album deserves to be ranked alongside the very best in the genre in my opinion. I think it's just so dreamy and sweet.

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Polkadot Stingray - Capacity

Had enough J-Pop in your life? How about some J-Rock to cleanse your palate? This album has a sense of fun and quirk that I rarely come across in UK/US rock music, and the singer is so damn cool. Treat yourself.

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Lucha Lonely - The Bobby Lonely Story

For quite a few years I have been the #1 K-Dot-O-Dot fanboy on this site. Sure, I wasn't first on the scene, but I have repped his material more than anybody else. So it comes as no surprise that I was ecstatic to hear that he had released a new record this year.

The material doesn't really diverge too much from other albums, though it's probably his darkest overall lyrically, and in terms of production. But the important thing is that it's typically smooth as butter, and the guy has more personality in his belly button than most rappers show in their entire careers.

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Kitty - Miami Garden Club

Imagine thinking my baby, my sweetheart, the one true queen and the essence of life wouldn't make my list. Would be CRAZY. But, it pains me to say, this album just didn't quite reach that level I would have hoped for. It's still fantastic, and has deservedly received quite a lot of praise across the board, but I'm just not feeling is as much as her best work.

Compared to Frostbite, it's a lot more mellow. The beats are less synth-heavy and it doesn't aim for as many banger choruses, but it does show much more of Kitty's personality and songwriting ability. If you prefer cohesive albums with a nice mix of tunes, you will probably like this the most.