Acclaimed Music Forums

The Artists of the Decade (so far) - artists that have more than 1 album in AMF EOY Top 10 in 2010s:

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (2010); Reflektor (2013)
Beach House - Teen Dream (2010); Bloom (2012)
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010); Yeezus (2013)
St. Vincent - Strange Mercy (2011); St. Vincent (2014)
Swans - The Seer (2012); To Be Kind (2014)
The National - High Violet (2010); Trouble Will Find Me (2013)

Dan wrote:01The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream

Thanks for all the amazing work you've put into this Dan. It was a very unusual way of rolling the list out in parts; one that gave us all a chance to discuss the lower-placed less-renowned choices, while also building up tension going into the top five. As for the results itself - it wasn't my top choice but I enjoyed 'Lost in the Dream' nonetheless. I hope it manages to hold on to the critical recognition it's gained this year and that The War on Drugs managed to build on the momentum they've had since 'Wagonwheel Blues' and 'Slave Ambient' to create an even better record next time!

PlasticRam wrote:

bootsy wrote:

Nick wrote:
And I'm glad FKA Twigs failed to crack the top 10. Easily the most overrated album of the year.

Except it's not. Even though you are trying convince us it is.

When people say these things, they're talking subjectively. Don't be so confrontational.

Not being confrontational. I love it how one person can express their opinion and it can be fine but if someone challenges that opinion it's confrontational. Stop being sensitive about it. I expressed my opinion just like he did. Give me a break.

bootsy wrote:

PlasticRam wrote:

bootsy wrote: Except it's not. Even though you are trying convince us it is.

When people say these things, they're talking subjectively. Don't be so confrontational.

Not being confrontational. I love it how one person can express their opinion and it can be fine but if someone challenges that opinion it's confrontational. Stop being sensitive about it. I expressed my opinion just like he did. Give me a break.

Hey guys, no need to get worked up over this. Those short sentences may sound a bit "snappy" and come out as confrontational, even if they're not. It's the problem with forums. Let's keep our heads cool, OK?

Nice work, Dan. Some fine albums in this list. There are many of my favourite releases in there. Namely;

Robert Plant - Lullaby...
Damien Jurado - Brothers & Sisters..
Eno • Hyde - High Life
Warpaint - Warpaint
Strand Of Oaks - Heal
The Antlers - Familiars
Röyksopp & Robyn - Do It Again
Owen Pallett - In Conflict
Beck - Morning Phase
Wild Beasts - Present Tense
Caribou - Our Love
Aphex Twin - Syro
Todd Terje - It's Album Time
St. Vincent - St. Vincent
Sun Kil Moon - Benji
The War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream

Some of my favourites that didn't make this list are;

East India Youth - Total Strife Forever
I Break Horses - Chiaroscuro
Gem Club - In Roses
Mogwai - Rave Tapes
Broken Bells - After The Disco
Ásgeir - In The Silence
Bibio - The Green EP
Death Vessel - Island Intervals
65DaysOfStatic - Wild Light
Tycho - Awake
Mø - No Mythologies To Follow
Hauschka - Abandoned City
SOHN - Tremors
Eno • Hyde - Someday World
Plaid - Reachy Prints
Douglas Dare - Whelm
Taylor McFerrin - Early Riser
Tom Vek - Luck
Lone - Reality Testing
Glass Animals - ZABA
Lee Fields - Emma Jean
Sebastien Tellier - L'Aventura
Plastikman - EX
Bear In Heaven - Time Is Over One Day Old
The New Pornographers - Brill Bruisers
Opeth - Pale Communion
Sinkane - Mean Love
Hooray For Earth - Racy
A Winged Victory For The Sullen - Atomos
Mr Twin Sister - Mr Twin Sister
Tony Allen - Film Of Life
The Juan MacLean - In A Dream
Kiasmos - Kiasmos
Les Sins - Michael
Röyksopp - The Inevitable End
Clark - Clark
Jon Hopkins - Asleep Versions (EP)
John Grant - & The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

Chambord wrote:The Artists of the Decade (so far) - artists that have more than 1 album in AMF EOY Top 10 in 2010s:

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (2010); Reflektor (2013)
Beach House - Teen Dream (2010); Bloom (2012)
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010); Yeezus (2013)
St. Vincent - Strange Mercy (2011); St. Vincent (2014)
Swans - The Seer (2012); To Be Kind (2014)
The National - High Violet (2010); Trouble Will Find Me (2013)

Who would have guessed a few years ago that Swans would join Kanye and the high profile indie acts on this list? It's awesome how they've hit the critical mainstream since The Seer.

2010: Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (greatest album of all time)
2005: Sufjan Stevens- Illinois (6th all time)
2012: Frank Ocean- Channel Orange (13th all time)
2013: Vampire Weekend- Modern Vampires of the City (26th all time)
2011: PJ Harvey- Let England Shake (30th all time)
2007: LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver (81st all time)
2009: Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion (108th all time)
2008: Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes (146th all time)
2006: Belle and Sebastian- The Life Pursuit (Haven't listened and it seems like I'm not the only one. I guess we all need to check it out then.)

Like :
1. 2005: Sufjan Stevens- Illinois
2. 2008: Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes
3. 2013: Vampire Weekend- Modern Vampires of the City
4. 2006: Belle and Sebastian- The Life Pursuit

OK :
5. 2011: PJ Harvey- Let England Shake
6. 2014 : The War on Drugs - Lost in the dream
7. 2009: Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion

Dislike :
8. 2007: LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver
9. 2010: Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
10. 2012: Frank Ocean- Channel Orange


To be honest, for me, except Illinois, I found none of these album really deserve to be here.

And you, Dan, part of the D.N.A of this forum, thank you.

GucciLittlePiggy wrote:2006: Belle and Sebastian- The Life Pursuit (Haven't listened and it seems like I'm not the only one. I guess we all need to check it out then.)

Yes, it seems like the forum has got it's own lost classic!

Nick wrote:The War on Drugs joins these other artists in "Winners of the AM EOY Poll"...

Hmm, if I was going to rank them...

LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (Love all three of the LCD albums but this pinches 1st place)
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake (best of her post-2000 releases but RoM and TBYML are on the higher tier for me)
The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City (very good but I'm in the minority that preferred their debut)
Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit (Top 5 B&S album, 2006 was a slow year so I can see how this won the vote)

I still don't know where I stand with 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy', my opnion on it changes too often.

Thank you for the thank yous.

DocBrown wrote:I see only 40 number one votes. Did someone's favourite album fail to make the top 100?

Yes, bonnielaurel's number one, Glorious by Foxes, just missed the top 100. Here is the spreadsheet of all the albums that received points, for anyone interested:
I was hoping to disclose the songs results today, but unfortunately there are now a few unforeseen changes to my plans for today, and I will only be able to do it tomorrow. Sorry for the delay!

Thank you for all your work Dan!

Surprised: No one else voted for Hozier
Not Surprised: No one else voted for La Roux
Happy:Other people voted for The Grates

Henrik wrote:

GucciLittlePiggy wrote:2006: Belle and Sebastian- The Life Pursuit (Haven't listened and it seems like I'm not the only one. I guess we all need to check it out then.)

Yes, it seems like the forum has got it's own lost classic!

Listened to it. It was great. Not sure if it's on the same level as their 90s classics, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless.

Dan wrote:

Henrik wrote:

Dan wrote:85
Aurelio – Lándini



Points: 23.57 (2 votes)

Biggest fans: Dan (3) nicolas (9)

Also a fan:

Place on critics’ list: 527

Dan, if I had more time, I would have listened to yours and Nicolas' world music favorites and helped them up the list. This is simply wonderful. I hope there are a couple more along the way, as I really look forward to discovering more albums like this!

What source do you use to find these gems?

Glad you like the Aurelio album, Henrik. I obviously agree that it’s just delightful. To answer your question regarding sources I use: throughout the year I pay attention to the World Music Charts Europe website (which has a monthly chart of world music albums selected by Europe-based "specialists" in the genre - they also have a very useful annual year-end chart). The World Music Network website also has a monthly chart that is worth exploring. Other year-end lists that I find useful are the ones by fRoots and Songlines. And besides Nicolas, there are two people on RYM whose taste in world music I can really relate to, and I discovered quite a lot of good world music albums through their 2014 lists: AlRog and Patricksmash.

This is great! Do you think that WMCE chart could be added to AM? I don't see why not.

Dan wrote:Thank you for the thank yous.

Here's another one: Thank you, Dan the Man!

My ranking of the album poll winners:
1. 2008: Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
2. 2013: Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City
3. 2007: LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
4. 2014: The War On Drugs - Lost In The dream
5. 2005: Sufjan Stevens- Illinois
6. 2011: PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
7. 2006: Belle And Sebastian- The Life Pursuit
8. 2009: Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
9. 2012: Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
10. 2010: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Great roll out, Dan, even if from my perspective the top two were snooze-fests.
Ranking the winners since 2005:

2012: Frank Ocean- Channel Orange (No. 1 in respective year)
2013: Vampire Weekend- Modern Vampires of the City (No. 1)
2011: PJ Harvey- Let England Shake (No. 2)
2010: Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (No.5)
2006: Belle and Sebastian- The Life Pursuit (No. 2)
2005: Sufjan Stevens- Illinois (No. 8)
2008: Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes (No. 9)
2007: LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver (No. 12)
2009: Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion (No. 11)
2014: The War on Drugs - Lost in a Dream (The only one I don't have in my personal collection)

Thanks, Dan!

2010:Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
2014: The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
2011: PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
2006: Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
2013: Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
2012: Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
2005: Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
2008: Fleet Foxes - s/t
2007: LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
2009: Animal Collective - Merriwether Post Pavilion

Great poll! Super fun, can't wait to see how the songs turn out

Henrik wrote:Do you think that WMCE chart could be added to AM? I don't see why not.

Hey Henrik. I meant to answer this question earlier, but I was determined to finish the countdown of the 2014 songs poll today, even though it was a more demanding task than I thought it would be. So whenever I had free time away from my family and work, I went data entry mad...



... I suppose you know the feeling!

I was in fact hoping that the WMCE charts could be added to AM, and I also don't see any reason why they shouldn't be allowed. This is your site, so it's ultimately your decision, and it sounds like you want those year-end lists to be included. I will gladly transcribe them over the next month or so and post them in the critics' lists section of the forum.

Dan wrote:I will gladly transcribe them over the next month or so and post them in the critics' lists section of the forum.

Thanks! You definitely don't need to transcribe the full lists, as they seem to include every voter's single nomination. As I don't include single writer's EOY lists that wouldn't make sense. I was thinking just the top 10s or top 20s.

Okey dokey.

1. 2005: Sufjan Stevens- Illinois
2. 2006: Belle and Sebastian- The Life Pursuit
3. 2008: Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes

I don't like the other albums. I'm afraid I don't really enjoy the music that appeals to most people nowadays.

2005: Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
2011: PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
2012: Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
2014: The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
2008: Fleet Foxes - s/t
2010: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
2013: Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
2009: Animal Collective - Merriwether Post Pavilion
2006: Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
2007: LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

The first 4 albums are my favorite albums of those years.

Edit: It's actually a dead heat between "Let England Shake" and The Black Keys' "El Camino".

Excellent
Let England Shake
Sound of Silver
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Illinois
Lost in the Dream

Good
Channel Orange
Modern Vampires of the City

Meh
Merriwether Post Pavilion
Fleet Foxes

Haven't Heard
The Life Pursuit

1. 2006 Belle & Sebastian- The Life Pursuit (a tremendous year with plenty of pop gems)
2. 2007 LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver
3. 2011 PJ Harvey- Let England Shake
4. 2013 Vampire Weekend- Modern Vampires of the City