Best Album-2012

Subject: Favorite Album-2012
From: GUEST,Azoic
Date: 20 Nov 12 - 02:59 AM

It is now mid-November and I am curious as to what YOUR favorite album of 2012 is?

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: GUEST,Erich
Date: 20 Nov 12 - 04:46 AM

Strong Believer by "Sir" Oliver Mally (Blues)
Customs & Exercise by Jess & Richard Arrowsmith (Folk)

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: GUEST,Blandiver
Date: 20 Nov 12 - 05:07 AM

Bat for Lashes : The Haunted Man (Pop).

Hesperion XXI : Ésprit D'Arménie (Classical / Traditional).

Björk : Bastards (Pop).

Scott Walker : Bish Bosch (Pop). (Not out until December 4th but from what I've heard of it so far I reckon its significance in my life is pretty much assured. Even my wife is looking forward to this one....)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfrVuhD8maE

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 20 Nov 12 - 05:24 AM

It's a tough call, but I'd probably have to go for the self-titled album by Calum Stewart & Heikki Bourgault - truly top-class flute playing across Irish, Scottish, English, French and Breton musics, a really soulful CD with loads of skill and flash, but never descending into mere top-speed-because-we-can-ishness.

Honourable mentions, and on another day possibly the winning spot, to

The Old Dance School's 'Chasing The Light'
(officially released this year but available last year at gigs and via their Facebook presence so not sure if it counts for 2012 - great widescreen cinematic stuff anyway)

and

Jim Moray - 'Skulk'
(his best and most varied yet, a new-found restraint and lightness of touch on some tracks to offset and complement the impressive wall-of-sound and innovative tracks).

Track of the year, though, has to be Jim Moray's 'Lord Douglas'. My new favourite 'Matty Groves' variant ever.

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: Allan Conn
Date: 20 Nov 12 - 05:26 AM

"Royal Southern Brotherhood" by the Royal Southern Brotherhood

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: GUEST,Blandiver
Date: 20 Nov 12 - 05:39 AM

Not forgetting...

Various Artists : Wierdlore (Folk). (Yes, I know I'm on it, with our dreamily reflective meditation on The Innocent Hare (sorry about the sleevenote), but that's only one track among many that amount, in my heart at least, to a vindication bordering on solidarity. Shame the festival never happened, but when Telling the Bees, False Beards and Rapunzel & Sedayne all featured their Weirdlore tracks at Mosely Festival back in September I felt a deep sense of inter-connected pride in being but one small part of Nigel's Folk Police vision. Nice one, Spleen - you've done us proud!).

I might also add:

Ewan D. Rodgers : Tomorrow Might be Monday (Folk). (Simply the best).

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: GUEST,Jerome Clark
Date: 20 Nov 12 - 11:53 AM

In my judgment, making no later claim than that:

Best album of the year: Tempest, by Bob Dylan (Columbia)

Honorable mentions:

Heart of the Country, by Chris Brashear (Dog Boy)
Old Man Below, by the Dust Busters with John Cohen (Smithsonian Folkways)
Camilla, by Caroline Herring (Signature Sounds)
When My Mama Was Living, by Louisiana Red (Labor)
Troubled in Mind, by Ryan McGiver (self-released)
Calling Me Home, by Kathy Mattea (Sugar Hill)
I'm Gone, by Omar & the Howlers (Big Guitar Music)
The Mando Chronicles, by Peter Ostroushko (3 discs, Red House)
Southern Roots & Branches (Then and Now), by Marty Raybon (Rural Rhythm)
2 Chairs, No Waiting, by Siamese Cousins (Mountain Roads)
Banjo Diary: Lessons from Tradition, by Stephen Wade (Smithsonian Folkways)

Archival:

Lonesome Whistle: An Anthology of American Railroad Song (4 discs, Properbox)

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 20 Nov 12 - 11:59 AM

My favorites:
Port of Morrow by The Shins
The King is Dead by The Decemberists

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Nov 12 - 07:44 PM

Traces - Karine Polwart. Heartbreaking and magnificent.

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: Stewie
Date: 20 Nov 12 - 07:56 PM

Tom Paley's Old-Time Moonshine Revue 'Roll on, Roll On' Hornbeam HBR 0001.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 21 Nov 12 - 04:39 AM

Favourite album was Never by Micachu. Didn't think I'd ever hear another pop album I'd like, but that is just the most invigorating, life-affirming headrush that music has given me in years. All sorts of influences that have meant a lot to me in the past - eg Prince, My Bloody Valentine, Os Mutantes, Motown, Harry Partsch, Charles Ives, hip-hop - but never pretentious with it.

As far as folk goes, I only heard one album I liked this year: C Joynes & Stephanie Hladowski "The Wild Wild Berry".

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: Elmore
Date: 21 Nov 12 - 06:25 PM

Old Ideas by Leonard Cohen released Jan 2012. No contest. Except everybody has a right to his own opinion.

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 22 Nov 12 - 02:29 PM

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 22 Nov 12 - 02:31 PM

It would have been Rupert Bear - but they stopped doing them!

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: ian268
Date: 01 Jan 13 - 08:25 AM

The results ! Thanks to all who took part - this result also ties in with a thread "Best Album-2012" created in November. The clear winner was "The Wild Wild Berry" by Stephanie Hladowski & C. Joynes. The rest are all worth further investigation and a listen to.

1, STEPHANIE HLADOWSKI & C.JOYNES - "The Wild Wild Berry" (boweavilrecordings.com)
2, VOICE OF THE PEOPLE (VARIOUS ARTISTS) - "Good People Take Warning - Ballads sung by British & Irish Traditional Singers"
(Topic Recordings)
3, GERRY DIVER - "Speech Project" (speechproject.net)
4, ED MILLER - "Come Awa' Wi' Me" (Wellfield Records)
5, BRUCE MURDOCH - "Sometimes I Wonder Why The World" (brucemurdoch.com)
6, THE JAY UNGER & MOLLY MASON FAMILY BAND - " A Fiddlers Holiday" (Rounder Records)
7, SIR OLIVER MALLY - "Strong Believer" (Hoanzl - Austria).
8, CALUM STEWART & HEIKKI BOURGAULT - self titled. (calumheikki.com)
9, ROYAL SOUTHERN BROTHERHOOD - self titled. (royalsouthernbrotherhood.com)
10, WEIRDLORE (VARIOUS ARTISTS). (folkpolicerecordings.com)
11, CHRIS BRASHEAR - "Heart Of The Country" (hearthmusic.com)
12, MICACHU - "Never" (rough trade records)

Other notable new albums by more well known acts include KARINE POLWART - "Traces", LEONARD COHEN - "Old Ideas", BAT FOR LASHES - "A Haunted Man", THE SHINS - "Port Of Morrow", BOB DYLAN - "Tempest".

Happy New Year Mudcat followers !

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: ian268
Date: 01 Jan 13 - 03:06 PM

Slightly adjusted late votes and compilers incompetence !


The results ! Thanks to all who took part - this result also ties in with a thread "Best Album-2012" created in November. The clear winner was "The Wild Wild Berry" by Stephanie Hladowski & C. Joynes. The rest are all worth further investigation and a listen to.

1, STEPHANIE HLADOWSKI & C.JOYNES - "The Wild Wild Berry" (boweavilrecordings.com)
2, VOICE OF THE PEOPLE (VARIOUS ARTISTS) - "Good People Take Warning - Ballads sung by British & Irish Traditional Singers"
(Topic Recordings)
3, GERRY DIVER - "Speech Project" (speechproject.net)
4, ED MILLER - "Come Awa' Wi' Me" (Wellfield Records)
5, BRUCE MURDOCH - "Sometimes I Wonder Why The World" (brucemurdoch.com)
6, THE JAY UNGER & MOLLY MASON FAMILY BAND - " A Fiddlers Holiday" (Rounder Records)
7, SIR OLIVER MALLY - "Strong Believer" (Hoanzl - Austria).
8, CALUM STEWART & HEIKKI BOURGAULT - self titled. (calumheikki.com)
9, ROYAL SOUTHERN BROTHERHOOD - self titled. (royalsouthernbrotherhood.com)
10, WEIRDLORE (VARIOUS ARTISTS). (folkpolicerecordings.com)
11, CHRIS BRASHEAR - "Heart Of The Country" (hearthmusic.com)
12, MICACHU - "Never" (rough trade records)
13, TOM PALEY - "Old Time Moonshine Revue, Roll On Roll On" (Hornbeam Recordings)
14, RIBBON ROAD - "Roadside Dreams" (theshipbuliders.com)
15, GORDON BOK - "Because You Asked" (gordonbok.com/timberhead music)

Other notable new albums by more well known acts include KARINE POLWART - "Traces", LEONARD COHEN - "Old Ideas", BAT FOR LASHES - "A Haunted Man", THE SHINS - "Port Of Morrow", BOB DYLAN - "Tempest".

Happy New Year Mudcat followers !

Subject: RE: Best Album-2012
From: Spleen Cringe
Date: 02 Jan 13 - 10:13 AM

Joynes & Hladowski - The Wild, Wild Berry
Nathan Bowles - A Bottle, A Buckeye
The Baird Sisters - Until You Find Your Green
Hiss Golden Messenger - Poor Moon
Charlie Parr - Keep Your Hands on the Plough
Jason Steel - The Weight of Care
Goat - World Music
Kelan Philip Cohran & The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - s/t
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
Beaulieu Porch - s/t
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Psychedelic Pill
Belbury Poly - The Belbury Tales

Individual song - Dead Maids - James McKeown (from English Dream)

Overall winner:

Goat - World Music

Goat - Goatlord