Originally Posted by Frownland I do actually rank a couple of non-DAMN hip hop albums above this one though, so I won't get upset with you unless, well you know. You know damn well.

Originally Posted by Exo But yeah, different strokes on the middle of the album I guess. I really need to spend a whole session just listening to and reading the lyrics because I feel like I'm missing the whole point of hip hop sometimes. I need to learn to listen to the lyrics and the music at the same time and be able to process both.

#44


Grimace Federation
Auroville

Another band that is proving that the only good thing to come out of Philadelphia is music and It's Always Sunny. These guys have a sound that rivals such bands as Maserati and The Mercury Program with enough differences to make their sound stand out. There are plenty of exmples of this kind of band being stale and derivative but enjoyed this record through til the end.

Really great drumming on this from Chris Wood who I'm going to be keeping an eye out for. Really enjoyed his fills on the track Danger Sequence. Band has enough electronic instrumentation in it such as on the track Drome to almost remind of a band like The Album Leaf. Has way more energy though.

Whole album has this nice blend of electronic, math rock, post rock, and almost IDM rhythms. They also were featured on Aesop Rock's single "Rings" so they're garnering attention it seems.

#43


Floating Points
Reflections - Mohave Desert

Newest record by Sam Shepard who goes by the moniker, Floating Points. He impressed me two years ago with the release Elaenia. This record is a sort of concept album in which everything has a very open desert vastness feel to it. The opening track Mohave Desert sets things up perfectly. It kind of puts you in the desert at night hanging out peacefully with the animals and then the middle of the second track, Silurian Blue kicks in and all of a sudden this peaceful and serene sound opens up and you can really hear the psych influence in Shepards music.

It's a cool record. I love stuff that blends a lot of different music and you get that on this record. Electronic interludes that shift into driving percussion such as in Kelso Dunes.

It's a short album. It's less than 30 minutes, but it does a lot in that span. Perfect for a short night drive or something rad to listen to before bed. I'm hoping for the next record to be a bit longer but I enjoyed the sh*t out of this.

#42


Elder
Reflections of a Floating World

Ahh, sludge.

Sludge is something that really needs to do something either VERY special to wow me or just be incredibly tight and consistent throughout an entire album.

This isn't special. It is just REALLY REALLY tight and consistent throughout the entire hour long length. It felt like a breeze. Lots of really great guitar work on this record. The end of the opening track, Sanctuary, ends with some of the coolest feeling guitar riffs on almost any record this year. They just rip through you. The vocals on this don't get overbearing. I usually dislike sludge and stoner metal vocals but these fit really well.

You're also getting a lot of heavy metal vibes on this. The track Blind almost sounds like a Black Sabbath deep cut. Ends really dirty and I love it.

There will be a number of rock albums to grace this list but I really do think this is probably the smoothest and tightest of them all. They just keep the pace for the entirety of the album and it's something that really impressed me. Perhaps it'd be a lot higher if I was more into stoner rock, but I'm not, so it isn't.

Originally Posted by OccultHawk I was called upon by the muses for greatness.

Originally Posted by Frownland I'm bald, ja.

Originally Posted by Anteater Gotta hand it to ya Exo, this is shaping up to be a grand list. Never really liked Oddisee before but The Iceberg is pretty tight. That album Auroville is nice too: groovy in a vaguely kraut-ish sort of way, but I hear the math-rock elements. I'm still wrapping up my Honorable Mentions on my own thread, but I'll be watching this.