Since everyone's listing 5 or 5 cubed, I'll make a list of one: The Joy Formidable "Wolf's Law." Indie rock, laden with female vocals & heavy guitars.

Heard Yeezus and Daft Punk. Liked it: thought they were good but not great.

Just gonna leave this here...

On the metal front I've also been digging the second Ghost album Infestissumam. Really catchy, with enough pop hook-y goodness to threaten its metal cred. Same with Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, which steps all over genre lines and goes for this overall weird blackened pop sensibility that is just way more fun than it has a right being.

Moving to the other side of the spectrum, Coffins' The Fleshland is a filthy and raw exercise in sheer brutality. With lyrics about as complex as a demented first grader's writing exercise set against a lumbering low-end's beastly plod, don't expect anything remotely complex or thought provoking or tuneful. Total old school death doom ugliness. It gets pretty repetitive though, and it's not something I want to sit down and listen to from start to finish. It all sort of blends together.

Speaking of which the new Autopsy, The Headless Ritual, shows the band is still king when it comes to that kind of sound even after all these years. They've stuck to their guns and have refused to evolve or change their sound much, for better or worse. Both of these releases make for a ghoulish one-two punch of regressive, atavistic music this year and come recommended if you're into that sort of thing. Same as the Coffins stuff, it all sort of melds together and gets really same-y. It's like a giant horde of zombies, and a little goes a long way.

When it comes to pure, unadulterated raw aggression, it's hard to top The Nails' Abandon All Life LP. It's like a brick to the face. Along these lines the new Dead In The Dirt LP will be out on Southern Lord later this year too.

On a mellower note I've also got the Palms debut LP coming my way.

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Some other notes:

Cerekloth's "Halo of Syringes" is still one of the best death metal singles I've heard in a while. Their full-length is something I've been waiting for for some time, and it turned out really awesome. Still prefer the version on their EP of the same name however.

Portal's Vexovoid is a writhing mass of technical death metal insanity. Unlike a lot of tech death that sounds like limp noodling however, Portal keeps things brutal and heavy and doesn't skimp on atmosphere. I came across a review that really summed up Portal's approach nicely, classifying their output as not so much music but some kind of engine to achieve altered states of consciousness. Really though I've been a fan of these guys since the beginning; their whole aesthetic is just awesome, and they put on quite a show with their Lovecraftian costumes and props.

Black Boned Angel's The End is a monolithic doom-drone-blackened-bliss-out release in keeping with his previous MO. This time around however he's incorporated a wider range of sounds into his abyssal pallet, and parts of this quaking mass are---dare I say---beautiful. Sadly this is the project's final release as the name might suggest.

Boris' Praparat is the best thing they've done in a while. It harkens back to their earlier, sludgier days but keeps a bit of psychedelic beauty in the mix. Almost sounds like Jesu at times even. Really though, this is the release many of their fans have been waiting for I think. Just a shame it's so limited in pressing and distribution.

Deafhaven's Sunbather is a gorgeous, shimmering album of black metal come post-rock hybridization goodness. The first track, "Dream House," is my favorite. The album overall is a bit uneven IMHO but still comes highly recommended. If you like it, I also suggest checking out Altar Of Plague's Teethed Glory and Injury as well.

Black Sabbath's 13 is frankly rather boring.

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So, moving on from the metal fixation...

Had a chance to finally listen to Yeezus. I'm just not feeling it. It has its moments, and I'm digging some of Kanye's production choices, but overall there's nothing truly moving or particularly innovative here IMHO. It's almost like... Death Grips Lite maybe? Gosh, here I am agreeing with TheNeedleDrop LOL. I really didn't care too much for Dark Twisted Fantasy either. I preferred Kanye's earlier stuff more I suppose.

Not feeling the new Vampire Weekend. I just can't get into these guys. What am I missing?

Heavy Hawaii is a delightfully demented sonic excursion, like an AM radio from another dimension playing Beach Boys covers. Definitely check out their Goosebumps album.

Got the new Gauntlet Hair (Stills) heading my way along with the new King Tuff (Was Dead). Really looking forward to both of these albums.

Soulful electronica-tinged musicscapes have been pretty big this year. The new James Blake is a good album, though I preferred How To Dress Well's second album last year and this year's release from Vondelpark, Seabed. Also really digging Autre Ne Veut.

Miles' Faint Hearted album is something I'm going to need more time to digest, but so far I'm definitely digging it. It's essentially a solo project from one of the guys behind Pendle Coven and Demdike Stare. The sound is not too far removed from these projects, noisy deep-seated electronic soundscapes that groove with massive beats but serve more as meditative fodder than dance material.

Want to also take a moment to plug Grouper, an artist whom I've admired for quite some time. Her release this year, The Man Who Died In His Boat is really gorgeous. Definitely not for everyone, but if you enjoy ethereal vocals and blissful, washed-out ambience then it's definitely worth a look and listen. Beautiful, delicate punctuations of folk accent an overall pervasive warm melancholia with echo, reverb, and shimmering sounds. Similarly Pan America's new release is stunning, though it takes a more artificial approach compared to Grouper who creates her ambience in a more intimate, bodily sort of way.

The new Esben and the Witch has been on heavy rotation for me. A lot better than their last effort. Really addictive vocal work and a solid musical foundation. Gloomy, woodsy doom-pop.

"Dancing Shell" from Wild Nothing's Empty Estate is my pick for single of the year so far. Also my pick for music video of the year so far. Ugh. So addictive.

Looking forward to the new Soft Metals which should be on its way to me soon.

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Upcoming releases I'm looking forward to this year (in no particular order):

Juliana Barwick - Nepenthe
Washed Out - Paracosm
Fuck Buttons - Slow Focus
No Age - An Object
Porcelain Raft - Permanent Signal
Juliana Holter - Loud City Song
Zola Jesus & Mivos Quartet - Versions
Ty Segall - Sleeper
Crocodiles - Crimes of Passion
Explosions in the Sky & David Wingo - Prince Avalanche
Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks
Medicine - To The Happy Few
Blouse - Imperium
Minks - Tides End
Dead In The Dirt - Blind Hole
True Widow - Circumambulation