Clear #1 is Crack-Up by Fleet Foxes
But there's been lots of others I have enjoyed that I would say were my favourites.
Les Amazones d'Afrique - Republique Amazone
This one is sweet, a West African supergoup with some of the best female musicians (apparently), but a great mix of styles, traditional african stuff, desert blues, afrobeat, funk, dub etc. with electronics from the Irish-French producer Liam Farrell who also produced From Kinshasha two years ago). Some really strong grooves on this one, with good vocals too.
Omni - Multi-Task
Second album from these guys but I just discovered them and haven't heard the first. This is just a really good post-punk record, full of sharp, jerky (but also jangly) guitar melodies...very reminiscent of the obvious sort of stuff, Talking Heads, Wire, Devo etc. and there is definitely a Television influence on some of the tracks in terms of the interlocking guitar riffs (Choke). If you are into that sort of stuff you will certainly enjoy this one.
Jack DeJohnette - Hudson
Now this is an outstanding jazz album. DeJohnette rolling back the years playing 70s Miles Davis-esque stuff on a few of the tracks. Some are interesting covers of non-jazz songs like Joni Mitchell's Woodstock, Dylan's Lay Lady Lay, A Hard Rains a Gonna fall (which I don't think worked so well) and the Band's Up on Cripple Creek (brilliant). Really laid-back, old-school vibe to it. Definitely recommended.
Hiss Golden Messenger - Hallelujah Anyhow
As good as I had hoped it would be...always say the same thing when talking about these guys, but while there is nothing groundbreaking about it (very much in the late 60s/early70s roots rock/folk rock vein) it is just damn good music... period. As the name indicates it's a pretty positive/hopeful album, even in the face of some of the stuff going on currently, I guess that's the theme.
Jake Xerxes Fussell- What In The Natural World
Cover art pulled me in but this is a great record. Rootsy, americana, sweet old school blues sort of stuff.
Grizzly Bear- Painted Ruins
Never been a massive Grizzly Bear fan, not to say I dislike them either, but I quite liked this one after a couple of listens. Definitely a proper album rather than a collection of individual tracks. No one song really jumps out at me, but as a whole it's just a really solid album with 'rich' instrumentation and production. Sounds cliche, and it probably is, but it's also pretty accurate...definitely a continuation from Shields rather than some dramatic shift in style.
Binker & Moses - Journey to the Mountain of Forever
Looking at the cover you'd be forgiven for thinking it's some 70s prog-rock record, but it's actually a brand-new jazz album. It was also recorded completely live to analogue gear, with no edits, which is pretty neat. But it's a wonderful record, lots of influences from hard-bop, soul-jazz and at other times, spiritual-jazz.
Wolf Parade - Cry, Cry, Cry
Also enjoyed Wolf Parade's new record a lot, probably their best work since
Apoligies to the Queen Mary.
Ariel Pink - Dedicated to Bobby Jameson
Really fun record with a range of influences...60s pysch, pop, lo-fi, 80s new-wave/post-punk, even a little bit of funk among other things. Pretty good!
Kamasi Washington - Harmony of Difference
It's much shorter than
The Epic (which I think is better actually, feels more cohesive). Some of the tracks feel a bit stagnant at certain points, but usually burst into life eventually (Perspective was quite boring at the start, but by the end I got more into it for example) and on the whole it's another really solid spiritual jazz record. Favourites are probably Humility and Truth.
Iron & Wine - Beast Epic
Standard fare for him but if you are into bearded guys singing nice folk music then you'll like this.
Offa Rex - The Queen of Hearts
It's The Decemberists (never listened to much of them but they are a pretty well known band), with an English singer called Olivia Chaney. Don't know her either, but I saw this on nonesuch's website a while ago and the name of the band/cover art along with the description intrigued me. It is really good, exactly the sort of thing I was expecting. Pretty much a modern take on 70s electric-folk, very reminiscent of Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention, Fotheringay, Albion Band etc.
Some other good ones too, like Father John Misty's which has some excellent songs (and I am huge fan) but the irony and nihilism is just too much for on his latest one, lacks the warmth of his last record. Sam Amidon's
The Follwing Mountain was another good experimental folk one, as was Richard Dawson's
Peasant. Also liked Big Thief's
Capacity, though not as much as their debut. Some where a big let down, e.g Arcade Fire's which was mostly shit imo as well as Beck's new one.