New releases that have floated my boat so far this year?
Deerhoof - Deerhoof Vs Evil
Malachai - Return to the Ugly Side
Akron/Family - Akron/Family S/T The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shintu TNT
Banjo or Freakout - s/t
Black Tempest - Secret Astronomies (natch!)
Wooden Shjips - West
Solus 3 - Corner of the World
Hell's Kitchen - Doctor's Oven
The Caretaker - An Empty Bliss Beyond this World
Neon Indian - Era Extrana
High Wolf - Shangri-La
Psychic Ills - Hazed Dream
But ... if I had to choose an overall favourite, I think the one that would just see off the competition would be "I a Moon" by North Sea Radio Orchestra. Not sure what musical category it fits into (which is always a good thing, IMO) - whether it's neo-chamber music or English folk that's been augmented with orchestral arrangments - although I can hear faint echoes of the early, pre-electronic High Llamas, Frank Zappa's "Lumpy Gravy", Vashti Bunyan, Nick Drake's "Five Leaves Left" and William D. Drake's various projects outside of the Cardiacs (which isn't so surprising as he frequently moonlights with them on keyboards). Nonetheless, despite its intricacies it's certainly not prog rock, as it has no rock elements whatsoever.
Sadly, I think the Untied Knot CD the new Black Tempest opus will have to wait for next year's list, because I'm not quite fully familiar enough with them yet.
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