Comments

My best friend in middle school's favorite bands were Tool and Dave Matthews Band, so HA! My anecdote is more relevant than yours! (Just kidding, I get what you're sayin')
Cat's Blues was the first song I'd heard by Will Oldham. From there I fell in love with Viva Last Blues and eventually branched out to his other work, but I still have a special place in my heart for this album.
It really is true that among any Molina fan there will be a wide range of favorites. Axxess & Ace is what got me into his work, but there are so many songs I've found from there that speak to me. It's really hard to know quite what to say once someone like Jason Molina is gone, but I think Sam did a great job here of summing up many of our feelings about his music.
Jason Molina's music and lyrics helped me through a lot of hard times and influenced my own writing in so many ways. I didn't know him personally, but I still feel extremely affected by his death. Rest in peace, Jason.
I was shocked to see Yawn Yawn Yawn was left off the list. Easily my favorite Les Savy Fav song up there with We'll Make A Lover Of You.
At what point did Star Slinger stop making soulful electronic music and start making shitty rap beats?
Is it just me or does no one here look like they're actually having that much fun? The majority of the audience is recording it with their iPhone for some cheap thrills later. Drunk chick on the bench is the only one enjoying herself. I can tell you if I paid the kinda money these guys did for SS Coachella I would be living it up.
I'm really surprised John Talabot's "Fin" didn't make the cut. Did it just come out so early in the year that everyone forgot about it? It's definitely one of the best electronic albums to come out in the last few years.
I was a bit put off by the list until I read your comment. You're right... The Mountain Goats are one of those artists that really hit you in the feels. I'd probably put "Full Force Galesburg" in my top 5, but I could also see how someone could put "We Shall All Be Healed" in that spot (where as it'd probably be far lower on my list.
I don't think Player Piano was half bad. Seek Magic was definitely better, but "Wait In The Dark," "Today Is Our Life" and "Sun Hits" were all on par with the best of Seek Magic in my opinion. It was the inconsistency that really brought Player Piano down in my opinion.
This is pretty great although I wish they'd get it together and put out a new album.
I was tempted to go with Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan because it's such a solid album, but I went with John Talabot's Fin for best album. It's so god damned good and is really one of the best electronic albums I've heard in the past few years.
Have you heard the drumless version they put out? It's pretty great and I think some of the songs even benefit from being stripped down like that (The Page and Kill For Love in particular).
I'd take a million Mumford & Sons for just one more NMH album...
Agreed. I sometimes get shit for it from friends who are D-Plan fans, but Change has always been my favorite album. Sentimental Man, The Other Side, Memory Machine and Following Through all should've been on this list in my opinion.
That Meters track is so damned good.
Some Kinda Hate? She? Angelfuck? We Are 138? I know these lists are hard, but Astro Zombies, London Dungeon, Mommy Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight? and Horror Business aren't even top 20 material. Oh well... opinions are like somethingsomethingsomething...
Aside from the recommendations already made here (later Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, The Field...) I'd also throw out Manual (Until Tomorrow and Ascend are perfect albums in my opinion), Tim Hecker if you're looking to get a little weird (Haunt Me, Haunt Me, Do It Again), Four Tet's "Pause" (and really anything he's done) is incredible. Autechre's "Tri-Repetae++" and "Incunabula" are both classics as well. Amon Tobin's "Bricolage" is another essential album. Lastly, I'd say if you dug Tim Hecker or are looking to get into the more ambient/experimental type stuff check out Fennesz's "Endless Summer." You know, Stereogum does not cover nearly enough electronic music now that I think of it.