[deadgrandma]

Ok, so maybe its not exactly mid-year but its close enough. I wanna know what your favourite albums have been so far in 2012, what disappointed you and what you are looking forward to....

Best Albums of 2012 (so far) - a very short list

Project UNDARK- Radium Girls 2011- I'm getting pretty hooked on this album, I'm not even sure what it is meant to be. Just a big experiment methinks. Phew gets to be Phew and the sounscapes created here are grim and industrial. It gets more and more accessible with each listen, though I don't think it would be possible to 'crack' all that is going on here. But yeah, good to hear Phew back on the scene.

Jane Zhang- Listen to Jane Z Live- I'm in love with this recording. Nothing particularly special or experimental about it, just pure pop. But it's Jane's delivery that makes it all worth the while, this girl is pitch perfect, emotive enough to make a grown man shed a tear. Check it out if you wanna hear a good C-pop album.

Tokyo Jihen- Color Bars: Not the best album on first impressions, maybe I shouldnt even consider it an album, being an EP and all. But I dunno, it has had a much longer lasting appeal than I thought it would have. I like 4 out of 5 of the songs (sorry, Izawa, Kai Horrodust is atrocious) and the production value makes it stand out from all the other TJ releases.

The Shins- Port of Morrow: This album is received pretty mixed from fans and critics, but from a personal level, it's been a pretty good addition to my collection. The album flows well, James Mercer sounds good and there hasn't been a better produced Shins album before this (maybe to their determent, but that's another discussion).

Meshuggah- Koloss- Still the unbeaten metal album for 2012, this is really amazing technical metal at Meshuggah's best.

Old Man Gloom- No: Good comeback album, nice and doom-ey.

Sa Dingding- The Coming Ones: Now, I've mentioned this around, but I don't really think I've spoken how important this release actually is to me. To me, this is no doubt going to be a tough one to top this year. Hell, I don't even think Ringo could top it. This album is one of those that is highly enjoyable on first listens, but each listen reveals more and more. I dare even say that it is the next KZK.

WHAT?!!!!! you say, you crazy bro! But in all seriousness, this is the album to check out regardless of what you may think of her before this. Every single song fits, has purpose. The powerful bookends are reminscent of KZK to me. But its the intracacies, the songs woven into songs that make this album amazing. Not to mention Sa Dingdings AMAZING voice that has me choking up on many occasions. If you only listen to one album from 2012, this is the one.

Worst albums
The Smashing Pumpkins- Oceania- Yeah, nah. This got old fast. I never want to listen to it again.
Koda Kumi- Japonesque- This is the most painful out of the Avex whores for sure. Didn't even finish it in one sitting.

Looking forward to:
Mariko Goto- 299793458- Yeah, that first single is great, I hope this album is the bomb
Jun Togawa- Mushi no Onna- Mika Ninagawa Selection- sure it's another collection, but you know, its JUN TOGAWA.

Dreading-
Tori Amos- Gold Dust- Tori's current state of performance doing old songs... yeah.

I'll likely expand this list later, but those are the highlights and lowlights I can think of off the top of my head/