2024 Had The Music

Hello! It's been a while. 

So for some housekeeping, here first is my 2023 list because I didn't get around to posting it other than a Stereogum comment. This year I also had a preemptive Stereogum comment with a premature list that I have since revised. So if I'd given myself time, perhaps I would've also edited this one accordingly. But it's still a good list for what was a good year I think. 

2023: 

1 Sufjan Stevens - Javelin 

 2 Yves Tumor - Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume 

 3 Jess Williamson - Time Ain't Accidental 

 4 Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy 

 5 Snooper - Super Snooper 

 6 Blonde Redhead - Sit Down for Dinner 

 7 JPEG Mafia/Danny Brown - Scaring the Hoes 

 8 Jessie Ware - That! Feels! Good! 

 9 Death Goals - A Garden of Dead Flowers 

 10 Doki Doki - Doki Doki 

 11 Belle & Sebastian - Late Developers 

 12 Esther Rose - Safe to Run 

 13 Indigo De Souza - All of This Will End 

 14 Alex Lahey - The Answer Is Always Yes 

 15 Margo Cilker - Valley of Heart's Delight 

 16 Chris Farren - Doom Singer 

 17 Anjimile - The King 

 18 Jeff Rosenstock - HELLMODE 

 19 Bat Boy - Fun Machine 

 20 Danny Brown - Quaranta 

 21 Aesop Rock - Integrated Tech Solutions 

 22 Light Beams - Wild Life 

 23 Ratboys - The Window 

 24 Vangas - Vangas 

 25 Fucked Up - One Day 

 26 Lol Tolhurst, Budgie, Jacknife Lee - Los Angeles 

 27 Algiers - Shook 

 28 US Girls - Bless This Mess 

 Yeah that's some good stuff but what about 2024? Well yeah, that's the main reason I'm posting this in late December 2024. 

Honorable Mentions:

There were a lot of honorably mentionable albums that could have been on this other list perhaps if I'd given them more of a chance or if they'd hit me at a slightly different angle or at a different time of day/year/life. Night Palace by Mount Eerie was lovely and super long and intimidating but enjoyable too. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds took on the challenge of creating an uplifting album out of tragedy on Wild God but I wasn't feeling it as intimately as the last few. Escape Forever by Soft Kill. BLUE LIPS by ScHoolboy Q. Wussy is a band I should've discovered earlier but Cincinnati Ohio became a favorite in December. Shannon and The Clams were a lot of fun and also interesting and also sad with The Moon Is In The Wrong Place. Big For You by Zsela. Sky Hundred by Parannoul. We Belong by Sinkane was surprising to me just in that I came upon it randomly and it banged so hard. Alan Sparhawk broke my heart with a 1 minute song on White Roses, My God. Hex Dealer by Lip Critic was fun and I feel like I should've liked it more. Tara Jane O'Neil doesn't miss and The Cool Cloud of Okayness was more than just okay. Couch Slut rocked pretty hard on You Could Do It Tonight. I'm very excited about any future Perennial albums after Art History continued to expand on their sound. Eazy Peazy by Man/Woman/Chainsaw. Karate made a super engaging reunion album in Make It Fit. Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii. St. Vincent had a bit of a "return to form" (i.e. she is rocking again, playing guitar like I love) with All Born Screaming. Dark Times by Vince Staples. Petrichor by 070 Shake was exactly what I hoped for with its genre hopping. WeirdOs by O. The return of Les Savy Fav was also what I hoped for on OUI, LSF. Love them. Jim White had a banner year and his album with Marisa Anderson called Swallowtail was a highlight. My Method Actor by Nilufer Yanya. Wow did you hear that Xiu Xiu album 13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips it rocked! Fearless Movement by Kamasi Washington. Kenny Segal & K-The-I??? just crashed into my life in December with Genuine Dexterity and it probably should've made the list. Comatose by Candy Apple was some great Denver hardcore I just discovered when I did some year end browsing. And I just discovered local Denver band Fainting Dreams when they played a sweet festival with Nina Nastasia; Those Left Untouched by the Light is absolutely gorgeous. Okay, that was a lot and here's a lot more.

Okay now the main event that all couple of you that read this are here for!

It's the Top 28 Albums of 2024 According to Me!

Bandcamp links provided where available. Support people who make cool music, now more than ever!

28. Gustaf - Package Pt. 2 - This super fun post punk band continued to be super fun and engaging. I dunno, it hits just like their previous album.

27. Finom - Not God - I just discovered them recently and the dual vocals and guitar licks are super catchy and just great. I'm doing a great job describing stuff aren't I.

26. Hamish Hawk - A Firmer Hand - Reminds me of the classic post punk dudes plus some homoeroticism, it's a lovely time.

25. This is Lorelei - Box for Buddy, Box for Star - This album is like if the evolution of folk music stemmed from The Charm of the Highway Strip by Magnetic Fields. It's that great sound, with a good dose of Merritt-esque wit, and some heartbreak thrown in as well.

24. Ekko Astral - Pink Balloons - Those drums, that intensity. The attitude. Kind of silly but intense?

23. Party Dozen - Crime in Australia - It may not be quite as hard hitting as The Real Work but almost. And that is made up for in groove. Vibes. It feels like a soundtrack to an old school Guy Ritchie movie (complementary...I haven't kept up with his career but his first couple had that cool factor and that's what I'm talking about). Crimes. Do Crimes. Go to a dozen parties. 

22. Mannequin Pussy - I Got Heaven - The punk hits hard, the pop hits hard, the feelings hit the hardest. This is a great album that hits a lot of different sounds and feels disorienting but in a way that only makes me want more.

21. Kendrick Lamar - GNX - I guess the only justification I have to put here is why it's so far down my list. I firmly believe he is the best rapper of the past 20+ years and I know that's a pretty cold take. My favorite thing Kendrick did this year was "Euphoria." Since then it's basically been a victory lap. It's a fun album but it really has me yearning for Mr Morale in its challenging of the audience and oneself. I look forward to the next one.

20. The Smile - Cutouts (note: Bandcamp link is for physical vinyl and doesn't include digital download for some reason. Second most polarizing thing The Smile did this year.) - I was always an Amnesiac > Kid A type of kid. Whatever that means. When these guys put out an album and then put out another album of outtakes from that first one, I like the outtakes better. I really don't know what that means or if it means anything. I like the songs on this one after Wall of Eyes did not really land for me. There are a few songs I love on Eyes but the concentration of bangers on Cutouts is high and it didn't really take any effort on my part for it to turn out that way.

19. Charli xcx - BRAT - I never even tried with her before. But the last couple years I've opened up a little bit to the pop music that's actually popular because it's gotten quite good in many instances. Then a combination of her bringing in Robyn for a remix and Stereogum getting all obsessive led me to giving Brat a chance. There's a certain vulnerability and honesty to this album that really pulled me in and opened me up to the bangers. Isn't it supposed to go the opposite way? Anyway, it's a great combo of two things.

18. Kim Deal - Nobody Loves You More - We haven't gotten a Breeders album in a bit but we got solo Kim Deal. Which makes it more personal. And it was the last time she worked with Steve Albini which makes it more personal. Her vocals are in the same sweet spot for me that always makes me feel good in a way that only she can. It's just a work of beauty that makes me feel good and sad but mostly good.

17. Tyler, The Creator - CHROMAKOPIA - It's just thrilling. The beats and the places it ventures. It almost seems like the rapping is beside the point even though it's great too and has some highly entertaining bits. This is compositions serving a higher purpose.

16. Font - Strange Burden - Reminds me of Liars when they'd go full dance punk. For a full "album" (that is almost an EP however that is defined). It takes me back to that dance club from 20 years ago but somehow doesn't feel out of time. Play it loud. Get in someone's face.

15. Ab-Soul - Soul Burger - I never listened much to Ab-Soul before but for some reason this one hit me right in the right spot. I can't really describe why other than to say it just feels so satisfying. It has a song that references Digable Planets and that's the vibe that it's working with for me.

14. ShrapKnel - Nobody Planning to Leave - I don't remember how I discovered this one; I'd never heard of Curly Castro or Controller 7 before. They haven't gotten a ton of press. They did get Open Mike Eagle on a track so it could've stemmed from that. Anyway, these guys bring such a vibe. It feels like The People Under The Stairs in its adoration for the old school hip hop that came before and an inventiveness that looks forward. This album is just really good and I'm excited to see what else these guys come up with.

13. Waxahatchee - Tigers Blood - I became a huge fan with Saint Cloud, as maybe the first "going country" thing that an artist pulled off in a way that worked to go straight to my heart. Then there was Plains with Jess Williamson, who you may see very high on my 2023 list. So this was bound to be a favorite. And it was my second most listened to album behind only my #1 album that you will see below. So why down here in the double digits? It's a great album that I feel got overly praised/hyped. Slightly. I mean, it's still up here in a very busy year. It's super pleasant and it's got some great love songs. Everyone loves "Right Back to It" but I'm team "365" which is one of my favorite Waxahatchee songs yet, if not my favorite. 

12. Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future - It's just got the songs. Just a bunch of perfect songs. I only recently got into Big Thief for it's kind of silly but authentic fun beautiful messy songs. This solo stuff is so minimalist so all we've got are the songs. And they are immaculate.

11. Father John Misty - Mahashmashana - The way this kicks off is kind of funny. Huge sweeping sounds. A 9+ minute epic that feels even bigger than that. I am a defender of Chloe and the Next 20th Century because of how it emphasized his great vocals and beautiful lyrics. But here, he's back to swinging for the fences and it's a full album of that in different ways. Saxophone solos. No songs under 4 minutes, only a couple under 5. All showstoppers. It's ridiculous and amazing. And those vocals and lyrics are still right up front.

10. Beings - There Is A Garden - I'm not sure how to categorize this. I consider it jazz I guess because of its inventive instrumentals but it's got this skronkiness but it's got these great pop vocal parts but it's so many things. Legendary drummer Jim White was involved in a lot of great projects this year from a supergroup with Steven Malkmus to solo material to something on my honorable mentions list to a reunion with The Dirty Three, but this feels like the best use of his talents. He holds this odd project together while the real star is probably Zoh Ambra on vocals and sax who makes all these exciting elements just pop. To say nothing about Steve Gunn and Shahzad Ismaily (whom I know nothing about but am interested in discovering further) who add some very interesting textures to the mix. People on Bandcamp compare this to the Velvet Underground and I'll allow it. 

9. Clothing - From Memory - Another project that's some people I'd never heard of before (Dawn of Midi and Mobius Band/Cookies) but once I started digging into it I'm finding a lot to love about both of them. I did end up also buying the Cookies album on vinyl. I was first piqued by the presence of Amber Coffman and L'Rain. Coffman in particular who you may remember as one of the main vocalists for Dirty Projectors in their prime. My favorite DP songs featured her extensively, and this album features her extensively. It's some great beat makers and that voice. And L'Rain and Elliott Skinner and Anna Wise. There's something to be said for an album with only four guest vocalists where all the tracks have guest vocalists. There's something to this. Off kilter, gorgeous, catchy, danceable. 

8. Foushee - Pointy Heights - I was compelled to check this out by the album artwork that included some black and white checkerboard flooring. And the single "War" had a very ska beat to it. It ended up hitting really well with its combination of ska beats and joy and great vocals and some very relatable lyrics. A drink of coffee and we'll be 100 bux. This is beautifully produced by Steve Lacy and I think I like it more than his solo album. It was on a major label I believe but I feel like it was super slept on so here is me trying to wake you up. Check out this awesome album!

7. Bacchae - Next Time - You know, when Stereogum first described it, I wasn't so sure about it. They compared vocalist Katie McD to musical theater in how she enunciated her words. But I checked it out anyway because it was a complimentary review and the other elements and political parts seemed to be something I'd like. Songs like "Dead Man" about the dehumanization of corporate living. The DC-ness of it all. And that was right on. The only thing I'd like to add is that the vocals remind me more of Jello Biafra in  the prime Dead Kennedys era. I remember him being described as an opera singer doing punk music and there is a theatricality there but it works in a similar way. It's a real pity this band broke up this year. I hope they continue the DC tradition of starting up new projects from their ashes that end up being equally compelling because there is a lot going on with this album. I adore it.

6. Heems & Lapgan - LAFANDAR - I can't even properly explain how entertaining this album is. How is such a silly album so high on my list? It's just Heems talking shit. He put out another album this year that was more serious but this one here is just so much fun. What else is there to it? There are great guest vocal turns from some notables like Open Mike Eagle and Kool Keith and Quelle Chris and they all work because they all adapt to the silly smart wordplay style that Heems brings. And I feel a real beautiful cultural unity when he rhymes Vinyasa with Piazza, Rasta, pasta, and kielbasa.

5. Shellac - To All Trains - In a year full of musician deaths that I took personally, Steve Albini's stands out. Shellac was an amazing band with three amazing musicians playing off each other, and starting in 2007 I just felt lucky we were getting any new music from them, as it was more of a side project for all of them. It was a combination of great wit and great musicianship and impeccable production. This final album fits that lineage. How the beat cuts him off when he's screaming "we'll be pirates!" or his delivery of "pow! you're pregnant!" it's maybe the most entertaining Shellac album this side of "Prayer to God." I don't know if he knew the end was near when he recorded the perfect send-off in "I Don't Fear Hell" but it is the perfect capper in its context and humor. It's exactly what I'd want to hear from him if he were literally speaking from beyond the grave. Requiescat. 

4. Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk - Another highly praised album that I absolutely bought into when I gave it a chance myself. The people were right on this one. It's kind of like if Goldfrapp or Kylie Minogue sang for The Go! Team? But maybe even more hard in its forays into experimental blasts, kind of like prime Sleigh Bells. So you know, a lot of the best stuff of the late '00s/early '10s but in a way that still feels fresh in '24. If you haven't given the a chance yet, here's another person in the chorus urging you to give it a go.

3. Sprints - Letter to Self - I have a good amount of punk rock fronted by women in my list which makes me happy. This album came out January 5, the first Friday of 2024. And it kicked so much ass that it immediately made its way to my shortlist for the year and I took it off some playlists for a while because it was not in question. Then I came back to it in late November after a long break and it knocked pretty much everything down a peg in my list. It's catchy and has range and rage. The fuzz and the vocals. The beat. The builds. This is why I want to share music with people. Listen to THIS.

2. The Cure - Songs of a Lost World - I always loved and respected The Cure. Disintegration is a contender for best album ever. But I was still awestruck at what they pulled off here. This is just beautiful, sorrowful, pointed music. Almost every song has lyrics referencing "the end." It came out right before the election and it stands as a beautiful piece of music on its own, but after the election, it was my piece of the world I could hold onto. This beautiful sorrowful pointed composition was my reassurance that someone understands things. As tough as it gets going forward, we're not alone. We have the most beautiful man Robert Smith in our corner and that feels good. Whatever happens, we have these 8 perfect anthems to help us remain human as we mourn what is ending.

1. Hurray for the Riff Raff - The Past Is Still Alive - Speaking of perfect anthems, Alynda Segarra has created a full album of perfect anthems for those who fight hard just to survive, those who thrive, and those who did not make it. They're singing for the weirdos and the junkies and the lovers and the barrel of freaks and those who are just trying to get out in one piece. Truth bombs ranging from the poetic ("No one will remember us like I will remember us") to the literal begging for survival ("test your drugs, remember Narcan. There's a war on the people, what don't you understand?") they know when and where to drop what. This record feels simultaneously like a survival guide and a place to meet in the not too distant future when maybe we can smile again.

2022 Was Another Musical Year

 Hi! Me again! Did you know it's already been a year since the end of 2021? And two years since the end of 2020? I think these posts are my main way of telling the passage of time. Well, that and the growing of my child(ren). 

What was this year all about though? Any themes I can extract from it? Was it just another year? It was a year with wonderful music, I can say that much. It was a year I went to some shows for the first time in a while, did you see that post? It's here on this same blog.

Listen, I'm just trying to get this posted. I procrastinated and have about 4 hours left this year and I worry people won't care as much to read this once that clock does its thing it's inevitably going toward.

So here. Favorite albums of 2022. Please let me know if there's anything you think I might like, and if you want to talk for hours about any of these albums.

Honorable mentions:

- Elvis Costello - The Boy Named If - He seemed to flex his Watching the Detectives style muscles on this one, which made for some great tracks. 

- Rolo Tomassi - Where Myth Becomes Memory - I hadn't heard of them and checked this out and it's a great combo of post rock and metal, kind of what I love about Deafheaven but different.

- Bruce Lee Band - One Step Forward. Two Steps Back - Kind of love that there are songs written by Dan P on this one. And just dig the whole thing.

- Jer - Bothered/Unbothered - Ska for the ska folks. Great lyrics, I don't have time to express the awesomeness of this but it's great.

- Beyonce - RENAISSANCE - I have always appreciated Beyonce more than I actually enjoyed her. I did like some Destiny's Child jams though. Anyway, I liked this one though I realized it pretty much had the same beat throughout while I listened to it one time while walking my dog. But I also realized that if Janelle Monae had put out this same album I probably would've put it on my list so you know. Still a bit bothered by the "it should cost a billion to look this good" line though.

- Destroyer - LABYRINTHITIS - What's with all these all caps album titles? I've always preferred the Bejar tracks on New Pornographers albums but never could quite get myself into Destroyer for some reason. But this is the closest I've come.

- Carly Rae Jepsen - The Loneliest Time - Even though it's not one of her best I always have to honorably mention her because she's still fun.

- Spoon - Lucifer On The Sofa - Spoon is always worthy of including on lists. This one was a good rock n roll style good time.

- Ivy Sole - Candid - So much feeling, so much power.

- Big Joanie - Back Home - Super into the singer's voice.

- Plains - I Walked With You A Ways - I was super into Waxahatchee's last album which went all in on the country, and now she's formed a duo with Jess Williamson and they are still all in on the country. "Abeline" was on repeat for me a lot this year.

- Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You - I never checked them out before even though they got a lot of acclaim for their last album (I think). The only reason this isn't on the main list is that it's very long and I think I would've liked it better as a single album. I love a lot of the songs, but not quite as high of a ratio as I'd hope. I'm most into their folky/bluegrassy stuff. 

Let's just start with #1 now

I'm not really ranking stuff except for #1. It was #1 for quite a while as I could not get enough of this album. It's Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems. It's simultaneously the hardest hardcore album I heard this year and the most creative. Dude sings so fast. Lots of odd stuff happens on the album. One of the reasons I couldn't get enough of it is because with every spin it felt new even as it became increasingly familiar. But it's so cohesive and has a lot to say. 

The Singer/Songwriters

The other basically #1 album that I couldn't get enough of for entirely different reasons was Riderless Horse by Nina Nastasia. I'd been waiting for years for her to put out some more music and once she came back it was unlike anything I could have expected. A memorial, a memoir, a devastating account. Very frank. While making no excuses, it may shed some light on why people may stay in abusive relationships. Absolutely heartbreaking.

I always wanted to like Angel Olsen but for whatever reason none of her music ever stuck with me. Until Big Time. Like Waxahatchee, she just had to go all in on country I guess. Favorite memory of this album is probably when I was making breakfast and the title track was playing. My 4-year-old who had never heard it before started singing along "I love you, I love you" and it was quite adorable. Other favorite memories are pretty much hearing every track on this live. Such great songs. 

And I have to also shout out her fellow Wild Heart, Sharon Van Etten. We've Been Going About This All Wrong was an interesting album for me. She wrote so beautifully about parenthood during the pandemic in her newsletter during the lead-up to the album and it felt like exactly my experience. Then the album came out and I listened to it a bunch of times but was not making that same connection as much as I wanted to. But then for some reason, at that Wile Hearts show, it came together so beautifully to me. Like I finally got it.

Father John Misty went full-on Nilsson with Chloe and the Next 20th Century. So that's pretty much it. It sounds just like a lost great Nilsson album. I've always found parallels with their senses of humor, but this one also nails the sound of Nilsson. That's enough to land on this list.

I was pretty surprised by how much I dug Hurray for the Riff Raff's Life on Earth. Basically it reminds me of all my favorite ballads by St Vincent, which in turn remind me of Lou Reed. But there are also some first-degree reminders of the Lou Reed cool on this album. The cool with some amount of vulnerability is super addictive to me.

Is this pop?

Another album that's way up there for me this year is Natural Brown Prom Queen by Sudan Archives. There's such an energy here. It's so much fun and all over the map in a very good way. I don't know how to write about it but I loved it so very much.

Is this the category I should put NNAMDÏ in? I guess this sort of kitchen sink thing is pop at its heart, so sure. Please Have a Seat hits so many right notes for me, maybe the most diverse of all the very diverse albums on this list. Rap, emo, punk, and straight up pop. All super catchy.

I'm not sure what to say about Steve Lacy but Gemini Rights reminded me of Stevie Wonder and made me very happy. I need to speed things up here and try to be quick. Sorry, Steve and everyone else below!

I really did not expect Tears for Fears to make my list when they announced The Tipping Point, even though I dug the first advance single. It was still destined to be a legacy act putting out a pretty good album I'd listen to a couple times and then forget about, as I returned to Songs from the Big Chair as my go-to album. But like, it is really really good. Better than it had any right to be. I think I remember commenting that their later period (as in late 80s) albums were surprisingly good and they had surprising longevity but this is ridiculous.

You know what else was really great pop? Grace Ives. It's like bedroom pop but Janky Star is also like real pop while still being incredibly intimate and confessional and personal (yes, those all basically mean the same thing. I'm hurrying!).

Since they don't really fit anywhere else here, Panda Bear and Sonic Boom blew my mind with Reset. It's pop at heart even though it's pretty experimental. It's the beginnings of the catchiest moments in some of the catchiest songs of the catchiest era (the 60s). It makes me feel good, just like The Kinks, or The Beach Boys, or whatever.

And some rock stuff and rock adjacent stuff

I liked the first Black Country, New Road album quite a bit there but Ants from Up There felt like such a level up on the side of songwriting, lyricism, etc. The singer sounds like my friend Benjamin from Sour Boy Bitter Girl. Which is awesome but a bit unsettling. And it just has this enormous intensity. And like a triple coda of increasingly big moments. So good.

For some reason, The Smile was more interesting to me than the last few Radiohead albums. A Light for Attracting Attention is more than just a Radiohead side project. The two main creative forces of that band combining forces with a great jazz drummer makes for something super interesting. It's the increased focus on the rock side of things that makes it appeal to me so much. Odd time signatures, Johnny Greenwood going wild on many different instruments, it's rad.

I'm skipping a few to put in a punk section but I'll put Party Dozen in this section. The Real Work is almost entirely instrumental save for a great Nick Cave cameo, but it feels so big. Some beats that could be hip hop, but mostly it's big sound that doesn't have a need/room for vocals.

Here's that punk section I mentioned

PUP finally caught me with The Unraveling of Puptheband. All the energy of the best Jeff Rosenstock albums, it just felt like I felt in high school when I listened to punk rock songs. It's what gives me LIFE, man.

How did Hot Water Music manage to make arguably their best album all these decades later? Feel the Void might compete with their best albums. It has everything I've always loved about this band that I hadn't really thought about much in around 20 years. It's got that passionate cry that more than fills the void left by Arcade Fire, who mysteriously disappeared this year and actually have never existed.

If you want some good old fashioned DC punk, Hammered Hulls put out a somehow overlooked album in Careening. But it's got all that stuff I love about Dischord bands, with high intensity and high dynamics and the kind of energy that can only be described as...DC?

Are Special Interest still punk? Endure is basically punk disco. But don't forget The Clash did that sort of stuff too and they were still punk. They have a real Clash energy.

If you didn't know, Perennial is a new band that sounds a lot like my favorite bands of the early 2000s (think Les Savy Fav, DFA 1979, Hot Hot Heat, etc). In The Midnight Hour has all the short dancy yell-along jams you could want and would've killed at Lipgloss.

I don't think Titus Andronicus is particularly punk anymore, as they increasingly embrace more "classic rock" styles and guitar solos and all that. But I still put them here anyway. The Will to Live is such a back-to-basics rock and roll album that is the best album for Patrick Stickles dancing to. Which, if you're unfamiliar, watch one of their videos from this album. But it's basically dad jamming.

I just wanna dance though

A random discovery I made was Holodrum, whose self-titled album came out and I guess they're kind of who's who of British post punk folks (at least one member of Yard Act). But this is pure dance music, full of soul and awesomeness that I can't really describe but it reminds me of both Out Hud and !!! which are more different than you may think but aspects of both can be found on this great album.

Hot Chip is always amazing and Freakout/Release seems like one of their better albums. Another potential song of the year is "Eleanor" but this album just has a lot of that catchiness, soulfulness, Hotchipiness that I love.

Jazz category?

I gotta make a category to put The Comet Is Coming into, which features King Shabaka of Sons of Kemet. Not that this is really jazz. But Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam is a rad space ride on a comet that could probably be considered post rock and I could've just stuck this next to Party Dozen but you know, this was special and deserves to have its own category.

Ok let's also put Ockham's Blazer into this category as well. Even though they are just sort of jazz, sort of hip hop. That British jazz scene is really something. But this album is great for its jazz aspects (it would be great as an instrumental) and also its rapping (it would be great with more generic beats), so it's much fun.

And the rapping category

Gotta put Kendrick Lamar in here because he's Kendrick Lamar. I love how much Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers subverted expectations, even if it made for something uneven. 

But what about Backxwash? I thought her last album was her peak, but His Happiness Shall Come First Even Though We Are Suffering is something even more intense. I didn't give myself enough spins of this but every time I listened I realized it took what I loved about I Lie Buried... and expanded on it and made it...more.

I did not think Marlowe would be on my list when I gave it a spin but Marlowe 3 is so much fun. Kind of reminds me of A Tribe Called Quest with its creative poppy hip hop. I barely listened to the first two albums but I probably should!

I was also surprised with how much I loved Few Good Things by Saba. It's like things I like about Andre 3000, Kendrick Lamar, and some others in one neat package. Lots of catchy thoughtful songs on this one.

And FINALLY, last but not least, Danger Mouse and Black Thought put out quite the collection in Cheat Codes. I listened to it a bunch of times, and pretty much every song became another favorite. Just a great collection of great raps over great beats. Great guests too. But of course the best rapper on the album is arguably the best rapper, Black Thought himself.

Ok that's it. Here's a playlist of most of the stuff. Buy it on bandcamp. On Bandcamp Friday if they're still doing that.

The Number One Shows of 2022

Hello There!

Ye Olde Musick Recappe is coming soon, but I wanted to do a quick post about all the great concerts I went to this year, because after a two year drought, I managed to get out to a few great concerts and they were all the best experiences.

I also would like to just thank all of these artists for going out on the road in the first place. It's becoming less and less economically viable to tour in general and always risky with all the disease going around. All that to bring us these great experiences that cannot be replicated. Live music. It's the stuff.

The Best Concerts of 2022 in Denver That I Saw

1. Tears for Fears and Garbage at Levitt Pavilion (5/29/22)

Why It Was #1: This was the first concert I went to since COVID and the first concert I brought Spencer to. I'd bought tickets for the whole family way beforehand and then it seemed like I was going to have to go alone, as the family was not particularly interested. Finally convinced him to go, and he loved it. It rained lightly which was perfect for Garbage, who is only happy when it rains. And Tears For Fears played all the old hits, which are some of the greatest songs ever, and their new album The Tipping Point is so good that I was almost equally excited to hear the new ones as the classics.

For Fans Of: Legacy acts with way more hits than you may realize, adorable dancing children, wanting to rule the world (i.e. Everybody)

1. "Weird Al" Yankovic & Emo Philips at Ellie Caulkins Opera House (6/4/22)

Why It Was #1: Because I got to bring my dad to see Weird Al, and introduce him to the comedy stylings of Emo Philips, who is right up his alley. Because I missed the original Ridiculously Self-Indulgent Ill-Advised Vanity Tour pre-COVID. It's definitely a different experience than the usual craziness with all the costume changes and video effects. I can't remember the last time I laughed as hard as I did during "Albuquerque" when he went on to list as many berries as he could think of. 

For Fans Of: Marionberry donuts, starting over a long song when it's just about over

1. Calexico & DeVotchKa at Levitt Pavilion (6/11/22)

Why It Was #1: It was free and DeVotchKa was added later on, which was an incredible bonus. Brought Spencer to this one as well, and met up with Mark which was fun. Spent most of the show running up and rolling down the hill. 

For Fans Of: Little Miss Sunshine, trumpet solos, getting worn out and dizzy because you're almost 40

1. Esther Rose w/Dean Johnson at Lost Lake (7/13/22)

Why It Was #1: Esther Rose is one of my favorite recent discoveries, so it was lovely to go out and see one of my "pandemic discoveries" out in the real world. It was also my first "normal" show at a small indoor venue (I was one of very few people in masks, which almost brings the experience as a whole down to #1.2). She played most of my favorite songs from her last couple albums. 

For Fans Of: Crying, bad moods

1. The Wild Hearts Tour w/Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen, and Julien Baker at Mission Ballroom (8/7/22)

Why It Was #1: Got to hang out with Amy! First time at Mission Ballroom! And uh...look at this lineup. Three artists that distinctly have that ability to smash my heart into a million pieces. In their own distinct ways. The sequencing was perfect for me, as the emotions got stronger and stronger with every passing song across these three performers. Seriously, front-to-back maybe the best lineup I've witnessed. Everyone at the peak of their powers. I still don't know Julien Baker that well but she was brilliant. Angel Olsen put out one of my top albums of the year, and nailed those new songs. And Sharon Van Etten played all my favorite songs, and made some more of her songs into more of my favorite songs. And by the end when we were getting epic jams like "Seventeen" and "Like I Used To" my whole being was absorbed into the music. Invigorating like nothing else.

For Fans Of: Ugly crying in public, ugly dancing with friends in front of a bunch of strangers, opening your heart like you used to

1. Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe w/Los Straightjackets at Levitt Pavilion (8/23/22)

Why It Was #1: Because Elvis is always #1 to me! I hadn't had a chance to catch Nick Lowe before, and it was great to see these two masters especially when they played "Peace Love & Understanding" and "Indoor Fireworks" together. We got reserved seats really close to the front and even though I've seen Elvis Costello so many times it felt extra special with the Nick Lowe Injection.

For Fans Of: Indoor Fireworks, when the smoke gets in your eyes, searching for light in the darkness, Los Straightjackets

1. Rebirth Brass Band at Levitt Pavilion (9/8/22)

Why It Was #1: This was a sort of spontaneous decision. I'd seen Rebirth was going to be playing this free show but didn't seem like it would work out. But then it was a Daddy-Spencer evening after I went to back-to-school night so I asked if he wanted to go and we went. Because at this point he's super into concerts at the Levitt. Even if that mostly means rolling around on the grass while music plays. But I am a fan of Rebirth and it was great to hear their funk stylings. Just more great to see the smile on my son's face while we danced around.

For Fans Of: The spontaneity of New Orleans (i.e. the decision to go there reminded me of all the unplanned adventures I've had in New Orleans)

1. Soul Glo at the Marquis (10/7/22)

Why It Was #1: Soul Glo put out the most intense album of the year in my ears, and they 100% translated it into the hardcore show of the year in my mind. I was joined by Eric and was pit-adjacent and it just made me feel so alive. It was a wild show man.

For Fans Of: Feeling alive?

1. Otoboke Beaver at Globe Hall (10/11/22)

Why It Was #1: If you have heard a note of Otoboke Beaver I think you'll understand why this show was special. They shred. Crazy technical chaotic hardcore combined with perfect choreography. They go hard and they go shopping.

For Fans Of: Shopping, sudden left turns

1. Captured! By Robots at the Hi-Dive (10/29/22)

Why It Was #1: Imagine telling 17-year-old me that I'll eventually get to see this robot band when I'm 39. I think at 17 I would've assumed I wouldn't care about it much at 39. But anyway, this is a band I heard so much about in high school but never was able to see them perform. I think most of their shows were 21+, probably at 15th Street Tavern or something. I assumed they were defunct until Eric casually mentioned the show that night. So I made it happen. And damn was that something. Actual robots playing actual drums and guitar and it's metal in multiple ways. And respect to Jay Vance for having an aesthetic that allowed him to wear a mask while performing. Also, Axeslasher played and that was a great discovery for me.

For Fans Of: Mummies, skeletons, insult-hurling robots, actual robots playing actual music like holy crap

1. The Smile at Mission Ballroom (12/11/22)

Why It Was #1: I've never had a chance to catch Radiohead in concert. At this rate I kind of doubt I'll ever have a chance to catch Radiohead in concert. But at this point, that would be a nostalgia concert. The Smile is more than a side project, it really seems like it's the current major creative outlet for Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood. Tom Skinner really works well with those dudes. So this was special. More than just "oh I get to see a couple of the guys from Radiohead." Though that was an aspect of it, watching Jonny just go hog wild on a guitar while Thom does his Thom dance, I know that part of why these guys are special is their more famous old band. But at this point, in 2022, the main thing separating this show and seeing a Radiohead show is seeing the old hits. I would've loved to hear the old hits, but I'm kind of in a weird situation with these guys where even though I've bought and listened to all their albums, nothing in the past 20 years has really stuck on me like the really old hits (Even In Rainbows for some reason). So maybe this was better than seeing Radiohead? Am I disproving my point by repeatedly just making these comparisons though? Anyway. Tom Skinner seems to reinvigorate something in these guys where they are making some super exciting music that I love. They are all operating at such a high level and all three are masters of the craft.

For Fans Of: Radiohead

2021 Music: Here We...Keep Doing This

 I guess I just blog once a year now. I've had lofty ideas about trying to post at least once a month with a check-in of my favorite music from that month, but I just don't sit down often enough to do that. It's like a PA at work, I start listing my accomplishments in January and forget about it in February, and then I have to do a big deep dive in December to figure out what I did all year. So happy December!

If we can call it happy. Omicron is here to prolong this hellscape. Disappointing trial results from the vaccines for young children are here to keep me on edge through the majority of 2022. Another year just passed us by and we continue to wait.

But music keeps happening. Music is how I keep time. Again, I keep track of music as it comes out. I just don't write about it.

In 2021 we lost some giants. Rest in peace, Gared O'Donnell. And Gift of Gab, Biz Markie, and many more.

Sorry, some things I had to just get out there. Seems like the perfect mood to write about great music. Let's go. Not ranking this year, just going in kind of chronological order, to help keep time or whatever. All of this stuff was great and I felt weird whenever people shrugged about the music that came out this year. Either they didn't get it, they weren't looking in the right places, or they were just looking for something different from me. I will say it was nice that there was no big marquee album topping everyone's list this year. 

Here we go. Divided by season because whatever, why not.

Best of Winter 2021 (the pre-vax)

Jazmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales

I forget where I first heard of Jazmine Sullivan but it was recent. Late 2020. Enough to get hyped on this when it came out because her voice is amazing and does so many unique things and I dunno. It's a great voice. This album has such a great feel, divided by interludes that seem as important as the music itself, about what life is like for these Black women. It also means there are like 7 actual songs, so it's almost an EP. But every song matters.

Viagra Boys - Welfare Jazz

This should have been a joke album. It is pretty funny. And the joke lasted all year long...I can still listen to these songs and chuckle about this dude acting like a toddler who doesn't need a woman telling him to clean his room or brush his teeth. Very basic but funny. But it's not just that. The music on this is AMAZING. A pounding beat, all sorts of garage post punk sounds, a saxophone. The synthy "Creatures" is pretty much a perfect outsiders song straight out of the 80s but also timely. I really want to see this band live. Like, I want to see any band live, but this would be quite the show. 

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage

Dude, this album. It is tense. Since Skeleton Tree, these guys have been on another level. They've always been brilliant, but they keep outdoing themselves somehow. I don't even know what to say. It's Nick Cave, who has become maybe the most consistently brilliant lifer in modern pop music. If you know, you know.

Best of Spring 2021 (the vaxxed dayz)

serpentwithfeet - DEACON

I didn't know how he would follow up the brilliant soil, my #1 album of 2018. That one was an impossibly heavy exploration of Black queer struggles. When I heard this one was going to be a positive, uplifting celebration, I was a little reluctant (it took me a whole 5 seconds to preorder the album on vinyl when it was announced) but figured I'd trust him to follow his muse. What we got was an impossibly light celebration of Black queer love. All the deep love but also silly things like wearing socks with sandals and super catchy a capella trumpet sounds. 

Squid - Bright Green Field

I'll admit that I was initially drawn in by how goofy the sing-speak sounded with the adventurous post punk sounds. But the lyrics were quite interesting and I stuck around more enjoyed the rhythm section and the guitar noodling and got some real feeling from the vocal stylings. Mostly, the music is an adventure that hits me in all my spots. This is maybe the kind of band I'd be in if I had the talent/dedication. Super dynamic, you really feel every beat as it bounces all over the place, builds, explodes, bounces around some more, pulls you in, pushes out out, and keeps going.

McKinley Dixon - For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her

This should have been so much bigger. I think the only thing working against McKinley Dixon is the inevitable comparisons. Whenever I try to talk about him, I fall back on saying he sounds a bit like Kendrick Lamar. Who is the GOAT in my opinion, and most opinions. I'm not trying to compare him to the giant, but he flips his flow around in similar ways and the jazz music reminds me of To Pimp a Butterfly. It's conscious, it's experimental, it's highly entertaining, it got me interested in hip hop again after a bit of a lull. Endless creativity. The way he starts with something super catchy, then immediately breaks it to speed up the flow, destroys the beat to rebuild...how in the hell is he only at 10k monthly listens on Spotify? Buy his stuff on Bandcamp.

Best of Summer 2021 (here comes Delta...)

Death Goals - The Horrible And The Miserable

I think I just listen to little enough chaotic hardcore music that when I give it another chance I love it so much. This album takes so many sharp turns, it's pure exhilaration. This is just two dudes. Somehow. The heaviest stuff. Anything that makes you feel this alive in 2021 needs to be savored.

Backxwash - I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES

Speaking of hardcore. The heaviest stuff. Unforgiving hardcore/industrial hip hop. I was blasting this in my Honda Fit one day on my drive home from work, and I am a late 30s white dude, and some teenagers pulled up next to me, I just nodded while the hardest stuff they'd likely heard that day blasted out of my economy car, and they just yelled "you're amazing" which made me feel pretty good about my life choices. At least I made their day. Again, you find what makes you feel alive these days and for me some days it's Black trans industrial hardcore hip hop.

We Are The Union - Ordinary Life

Some days it's white trans ska. I don't make the rules. But I totally dove right back into the ska scene 25 years after it changed my life and set me on my path of musical discovery I've been following to rewarding destinations after rewarding destinations. WATU is special. I've listened to most of the big ska releases of 2021 and most of it feels like a retread (there are still some great bands still doing great things), this album is about Reade's struggles and rewarding path toward her coming out as trans. It's striking in how relatable it is, even to this cishet dude. Songs like "Broken Brain" about struggling with getting your brain to pay attention instead of getting lost in itself, or "Everything Alone" about making poor decisions out of boredom/loneliness. It all leads to the great climax in "December," about shedding the old identity to become one's true self. The horn lines are catchy, the whole thing is catchier than any pop song I heard this year. Ska still has something to say.

Dave - We're All Alone In This Together

Very British. He just raps in a way that makes me feel it all. Like in the first track with the lines like "Me and him got more in common than he thinks but I tell him it's nothin' big so I can go on and live with myself." It's being alone, it's being together. He can rap for 9 minutes with no beat and it just pulls me in. Together. There's also plenty of fun songs with clever wordplay like "Twenty To One" which finds many different meaning to "Twenty to One." It's just great stuff.

Emma-Jean Thackray - Yellow

This one is wild. Some of the grooviest, funkiest beats. It's basically jazz fused with funk, all about the planets and astrology and a kind of spirituality that I don't quite align with personally, but it'd be hard to resist a cult if it were led by Emma-Jean Thackray. She has a wisdom about her, the music builds and feels like freedom? I don't know, it's a good escape from this crazy world to look beyond the stars, or at least beyond the moon.

Tyler, The Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST

I'm finally getting into Tyler. It seems like he's just matured so much since the OFWGKTA days (did I acronym that right?). But he continues to elevate the form and simultaneously be more relatable and simultaneously be super catchy. I don't know. Others have written about how this is him going more into straight up rap and rapping the hell out of it. I guess that's true but there's more to it than that. The way the beats morph but it makes sense with every zig zag the sound takes. Like a mixtape or scanning different radio stations but every beat hits just right. Does this mean anything?

CHVRCHES - Screen Violence

Like everyone else, I loved the first two CHVRCHES albums, didn't care much for the third. I had very little interest when this one was announced. But it's great, it has the same creative bombastic energy of those first albums with a horror-ish theme. They got a John Carpenter remix, after all. And got Robert Smith to show up on a track. I like it because it's triumphant. The best moments are related to horror films, but those triumphant parts of horror films where you are able to breathe, like when Nancy brought Freddy into the waking world or when Sydney kicked Ghostface's ass. Triumph over the horror.

Amyl and The Sniffers - Comfort To Me

I remember checking out their last album because everyone talked about how great it was, but I just didn't care for it. I'm not sure if I changed or they changed, but this album is perfection. Perfect rock and roll. Or punk or whatever you want to call it. It has that energy that makes it hit harder than anything else. It's simple, but her voice hits just right, the drums, the few guitar chords, it's just what I want. I don't know how to explain it. I've always loved punk, and this hits those nerves in just the right way.

Low - HEY WHAT

I listened to a bit of Low in the early 2000s I think. They were interesting but not so interesting that I'd continue to follow them. Checking back in 20 years later due to all the hype they were getting, I was shocked that this was the same band. A completely unique approach to melody, to song structure, while still being super catchy and feel-good. I love the way the fragments of sounds make beats, kind of like what Fugazi was doing back in the day, but with more vocal harmonies and pure gorgeousness (note: not saying Fugazi isn't gorgeous or not the best band ever) and 2021 energy.

Best of Fall 2021 (Boosted just in time for Omicron!)

Xenia Rubinos - Una Rosa

Honestly this is probably my #1 of the year. There's a lot of great stuff out there that made me feel alive, a lot of unique takes on things, and this one did both in such a great way. I listened to a bit of Xenia Rubinos and even got Black Terry Cat on Bandcamp because she showed up attached to two of my favorite artists: Deerhoof ("Singalong Junk" from Mountain Moves) and Battles ("They Played It Twice" from Juice B Crypts). With this new album, I can certainly detect the similarities (some real Battles energy on "Ay Hombre," some Deerhoof vibes in the playfulness across genres), but she is something totally different. The beats on this album, the soulful vocals, particularly the Spanish sung portions, the Laurie Anderson-esque distortions, this is an album that brings together so many of my favorite things while being something completely different. It's a revelation. I love it so much.

Gustaf - Audio Drag for Ego Slobs

This is what post punk is supposed to sound like. I hear a lot of bands these days that get labeled as post punk, but this gets the feeling just right. It's as immediate as punk, it's got the funky bass lines, it's playful. It's pretty simple. It's just right.

Some More Hearty Endorsements

These were on the cusp of making the above list because they're also great.

• Madlib - Sound Ancestors
• Tune-Yards - Sketchy
• Esther Rose - How Many Times
• For Those I Love - For Those I Love
• Dawn Richard - Second Line
• Sons of Kemet - Black to the Future
• black midi - Cavalcade
• Gary Numan - Intruder
• Laura Mvula - Pink Noise
• Yola - Stand For Myself
• Catbite - Nice One
• Indigo De Souza - Any Shape You Take
• Moor Mother - Black Encyclopedia of the Air
• Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
• Deerhoof - Actually, You Can
• Maxo Kream - WEIGHT OF THE WORLD
• The War on Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore

The Best Music of The Worst Year

What even was this year?

Music just hit differently this year, didn’t it? Didn’t everything? This artform that is so good at getting right to your emotional core, in this year of high highs and low lows (many lows), was so poignant. Because our suffering and our joy were somewhat communal. Yes, as individuals we had very personal moments of sorrow and joy -- particularly those who lost loved ones -- but there were so many moments where I genuinely felt that we were all going through things together. The rage and sorrow over the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Elijah McClain. The election. Wildfires. And of course, COVID-19 and the alienation we all felt together during the shutdown (and the haphazard reopening).

I know, we are more divided than ever (see the actual reactions to all of the above events). I’m not that naïve. But it felt like music reached out and provided a conduit for that connection. Even if that connection was between me, an artist, and the rest of that artist’s listeners (not enough of you listened to Dua Saleh!). But it was still a valuable connection that ran deep because of what music is and what it does. It taps into this.

Does any of this make sense? Should I just share my list so you can see what sort of connection we have? Sure, let’s do that.

I’m having a hard time with ranking things. Especially this year. So I’m going to have a number one, but everything else is going to be divided into categories instead of put into an order. If it’s listed here, I loved it and think you should check it out. Maybe on Bandcamp so you can toss a few bucks to an artist that didn’t get to tour this year.

How Dare You! - Surprising albums from artists that I didn’t think could surprise me like that.

• of Montreal - UR FUN
  
  What was it about this one? It shouldn’t surprise me when of Montreal puts out another good one, but they are so prolific that I always go in with low expectations. It seems like nobody has taken them seriously in over a decade even though they’re pretty consistent. When this rush of sugar came out in January, it immediately hit me and gave me a lot of hope. Later in the year, it became my throwback to those pre-pandemic days. Though there are plenty of grounding moments like “You’ve Had Me Everywhere” that happen to be about mortality and connection that gained some extra poignancy in this year where we saw a lot of both of those things. Because of Montreal is at its best when it uses that spoonful of sugar to help the sorrow and alienation go down.
  
  
• ...And They Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - X: The Godless Void and Other Stories
  Come on, it’s 2020. I listened to them a bit in college and thought they were cool but I’ve changed so much since then. How dare they put out a brilliant collection of post hardcore (or whatever descriptor applies) in 2020? This hit my emotions hard with lots of big moments even before the majority of 2020’s nonsense hit. I should’ve known something was amiss.
  
  
• The Flaming Lips - American Head
  Once upon a time, The Flaming Lips put out a perfect album for 2020. The Soft Bulletin, from 1999, expertly combines pure dread and sorrow with the hopeful optimism of jumping into an unknown void. Not to mention literal lyrics about heroes sacrificing themselves to find a cure to a disease plaguing the world. We didn’t need modern Flaming Lips, known for weirdo, off-putting, frankly exhausting experiments to say any more. But they did. And this album once again combines pure dread and sorrow with the hopeful optimism of jumping into an unknown void. Another perfect album for 2020. There’s something somewhat grounded about this album as well, where it really taps into the collective sadness and exhaustion (rather than being exhausting) that is 2020 on planet earth with an earnestness that I didn’t know they were capable of anymore.
  
  
• Taylor Swift - folklore (What? She's not on Bandcamp? I hope she can make ends meet!)
  Seriously, how dare you. I’ve always thought she was fine, as far as popular artists go. But really not for me. Then Aaron Dessner was producer on the new one and I was even more eager to write it off. Like, that’s trying way too hard to be taken seriously and be “indie cool” or something. But I had to at least give that song with Bon Iver a spin. And that song stuck in my head and I realized it was very good. And then I put the whole album on a playlist (my general method for evaluating stuff). And the first several times it came on, I’d think “who was this again? This is good!” and then look and HOW DARE YOU, TAYLOR SWIFT. It is so moving, it definitely has her lyrical style (which I’m mostly learning from this album; it just has a good voice about it), it’s grounded and wonderful. Front to back. Damnit. And she put out a second one that I haven’t really had time to digest yet! Ugh!
  
  
• Thurston Moore - By the Fire
  
  This isn't such an extreme example, but Thurston Moore has put out plenty of solo material that I've been ok just ignoring it. But this one is really exciting. It's got what I love about Sonic Youth all over it. The guitar experimentation. The extended jam sessions. The mood setting. The payoffs. I feel like lots of his solo material is either less guitar-forward or less accessible. This one tows that line wonderfully, in a very Sonic Youthy manner. Dig it!

Great Discoveries - Stuff I learned about this year, obvs.

• keiyaA - Forever, Ya Girl
  
  I don't know what makes this unique, it's just really good soul and it's so damn easy to love. The beats kind of remind me of J Dilla. And the songs are these little pieces of brilliant poetry and singing and I don't know, it's just real good stuff.
  
  
• Dua Saleh - ROSETTA (EP)
  
  I really look forward to Dua Saleh's first full album, assuming they ever go that direction. We keep getting singles and EPs and this EP is the closest thing we have to an album so far. So I have to break whatever rule I never set and include an EP on this list because I am really really excited about this artist. They are totally unique and badass and sound and feel like no one else. It's a hip hop attitude with experimental production and a certain melodic sensibility that I can't pin down. But listening to it is powerful stuff. Music!
  
  
• Kelly Lee Owens - Inner Song
  
  This one is really neat. Some great instrumental electronic music that kind of reminds me of Battles or something. It's like going spelunking, and I just wanted to use that word but it does make me think of exploring caves. Discovery. Anyway, then she sings on some songs and that puts it over the top for me. It brings a certain intimacy to the proceedings. Then there's John Cale to bring a certain "so damn cool" credibility as well.
  
  
• Shamir - Shamir
  
  I never checked out the first couple Shamir albums, though I am guessing I would like them. I read about him in a really good Pitchfork article about black artists in the indie scene and was quite intrigued. This is fascinating bedroom pop that feels very very intimate (I'm noticing a theme here) and so very catchy, straddling lines of pop sensibilities, gender, genre, race, creating something that can only be described as Shamir.
  
  
• Bartees Strange - Live Forever
  
  I first heard of Bartees Strange one Bandcamp Friday when I was browsing some intriguing Black artists. He had an album of covers by The National that was quite intriguing. I gave it a listen but it didn't really catch me. I decided to give him another chance when his album Live Forever came out, and am I glad I did. This is one of my top revelations of 2020 (obviously, as it's on this list). There's a bit of everything here, mostly rock with a whole lot of passion, not too far removed from Arcade Fire or TV on the Radio but still quite unique. Some rapping on "Boomer," some giant M83-esque synths on "Mustang," all in a cohesive package that works better than I feel like I've been able to describe it. Another artist I am really itching to see live. Someday it must happen. And yes, I gave that National covers album another chance and it's great.
  
  
• Special Interest - The Passion Of
  
  It's like a band that actually took the torch of Refused's The Shape of Punk to Come. And other great bands that combined hardcore with electronics, such as Brainiac and The Locust. It's not that complicated. It works really well. And for whatever reason, there aren't a lot of people doing it. What you get is a certain controlled chaos. Or like a train that is going to keep going no matter what happens on the track, if there is someone tied to it or whatever, you can't control the train. You can only control what you're doing while you're stuck on the train. The train will just keep going. 

Ol’ Reliables - I thought it’d probably be pretty good, and it was better than that.

• U.S. Girls - Heavy Light
  Yeah, because 2018’s In A Poem Unlimited was one of my top albums of that year. So of course. Meg Remy keeps doing new things and stuff. She seems to have a really cool network of collaborators and this feels like a good demonstration of that, even though it’s all filtered through Remy’s vision. It’s high energy and BIG but intimate. It’s fearless and super creative. She makes some weird stuff really catchy and it works. I don’t know how else to explain this, but it’s real good. And the use of the Q&A interludes almost makes the album a conversation, as you think of your own experiences and it puts you into a personal mindstate for the songs that follow. Still one of my favorite artists I’ve discovered in the last couple years. It was also the first concert I’d planned on going to that got cancelled when the world got knocked down. I hope she comes back soon.
  
  
• Grimes - Miss Anthropocene
  I almost could’ve put this in the “How Dare You” category even though she hasn’t missed yet music-wise. Just the Elon Musk thing and the baby name thing (remember when that was the big scandal in early 2020?), it was kind of a “this album better be brilliant or it will be terrible” situation. But of course it was brilliant. So personal and heartbreaking and big, like so much of the music discussed here. It sounds like she's just calling out to... you? Us? Whoever is listening? 


• Caribou - Suddenly
  
  I love this because it's simultaneously so digital and so analog. Organic and processed. I don't know, the way he samples pianos and other very analog pieces into such modern sounds is so brilliant, so soulful, you just gotta listen to it. 


• Nicole Atkins - Italian Ice
  
  
Longtime fan of Nicole Atkins. She's in what seems to be an effortless period in her career. At least that's how it sounds. Just the confidence and easy goodness of the songs. Even though her best songs are the ones where she throws her whole self into those vocal breakdowns. Which feels like effort. She just knows exactly where to deploy that secret weapon for maximum effect.


• Run the Jewels - RTJ4
  These dudes. They bring it every damn time and they have yet to disappoint. This might even be my favorite. Not sure, because my favorite RTJ album is probably whatever one I'm listening to at the moment. RTJ2 comes to mind though. But RTJ4 captures the moment so well. Everybody talks about Killer Mike's verse on "Walking in the Snow" and yeah. It gives me shivers. And there's that song with Mavis Staples. And the song that samples Gang of Four. This has to be their best album, doesn't it??
  
  
• Deerhoof - Future Teenage Cave Artists
  
Deerhoof is almost frustratingly reliable. They are so prolific, and every time it's another great album. They were involved with several great albums this year, including some live stuff, some collaborative stuff (check out Greg's collab with Serengeti!), experimental covers...but the "normal" studio release Future Teenage Cave Artists yet again showcased that this is one of the most creative bands working and while it always sounds like Deerhoof with its quirky rhythms and crazy guitars and fun vocals, there's always something a little different and new every time. I can never not include them on a list like this and I can never not recommend them, even though it also feels like I don't know of any new ways to write about what they're doing or what exactly sets this album apart from the last one. It just sounds fresh every time, and it is all worth listening to. So get this one if you haven't, get their past releases if you haven't, just get on the Deerhoof train if you're not already there.


• Margo Price - That’s How Rumors Get Started
  
  I dunno, she's just real good. A modern badass country singer kind of like Loretta Lynn maybe? This is the stuff I'm a real sucker for, what can I say? The album is also really eclectic so it just breezes by. But it does leave a mark. Especially when she goes out on the closer "I'd Die For You."
  
  
• Fleet Foxes - Shore
  
  This one didn't catch me as immediately as I hoped it would. But it's closer to Helplessness Blues than Crack-Up. Which means it's more of a feel-good album that doesn't try to throw you off your game with weird experimental portions. I'm a bit split in my preferences; as I as a rule prefer the experimental stuff, but Helplessness Blues is one of my favorite albums of all time for the way it speaks directly to my own desires to settle down into comfort. Anyway. Have I written enough about this even though I've said very little? This has a lot of the earnestness that I love about Fleet Foxes, and beautiful melodies and general niceness.
  
  
• Annie - Dark Hearts
  This just felt like it got glossed over and overlooked and I really don't understand why. It's only Annie's third album and her first in 11 years! This one's a moody, synthy affair that calls to mind driving in a city at night, not unlike Chromatics. I'm sure this is an album they'd play at the Bang Bang Bar in Twin Peaks. There's such a strong nostalgia to this album, and I get more and more obsessed every time I give it a spin. "The Streets Where I Belong" instantly sounds like a classic radio hit that everybody should know, why don't they all know it? It's that earnestness that I love about the 80s that I've spoken about at length. Nostalgia for when you felt everything so deeply, it's a teenager album even though it's a grown-up album.

Sometimes you just need punk rock - Straightforward veterans of the punk and punk-adjacent scene sometimes just spoke to us in a direct manner. That was appreciated. So I’m going to bring up these ones because they were very special to me.

• AJJ - Good Luck Everybody
  
  I never got into this band back in the day, and only finally checked them out with this album. For some reason. They were part of the Asian Man Records family just as I was moving on to different things. So I didn’t even know they were folky. But they sure have a way with lyrics, don’t they? The style makes the message come in more directly than even normal punk rock, I think. It also came out in the earlier times, but speaks so much to the mess we were already in then. Which is all still very relevant. Good luck, everybody. The mantra of 2020.
  

• Dan Potthast - Cars for Sale
  
  The MU330 frontman has been so prolific and I've tried to keep up. He's so good at speaking plainly about the heart of issues. From a position of compassion and empathy. It's like listening to your conscience. It can make you cry just to hear what you know you already know, but what has not been put so clearly using terms that understand the humanity of everyone. I don't know. In a world where everyone is so clever and cruel, it just rips it all down back to basics and that in itself is such a rebellious act, and it's a very emotional thing.

• Jeff Rosenstock - NO DREAM 
  
  I just missed Jeff Rosenstock. His projects started gaining traction just as I was more or less departing the punk scene. So it wasn't until a few years ago that I checked out his solo material even though I'd heard his name many times. And hot damn, does he bring back those feelings I had as a teenager listening to punk rock. It's got this passion and welcoming air about it. The feeling that this music gets me. It gets it, if you know what I mean. And that makes me feel less alienated, knowing someone gets how I feel these days. When everything else makes no sense and is operating on seemingly "alternative facts," it is really comforting to know you're not alone.


• Touche Amore - Lament
  
  The more hardcore side of punk rock, I'm still kind of a newbie to Touche Amore but this album rocks. It's got the screams that we all wanted to scream in this year that I keep talking about when I talk about the music of this year. Huge passion that felt like such a release of all of the frustrations at a world that doesn't care about our concerns. Turn it up. Sing along. It's that simple. You'll feel (a bit) better. This album in particular seems to be a bit more mature and varied that what I assume they sound like on other albums, with tracks like "Limelight" featuring Manchester Orchestra, and the largely acoustic, piano-driven closer "A Forecast," which speaks so directly to such relatable concerns it just feels like a moment worth mentioning. **shrug** 
  
  
• The Lawrence Arms - Skeleton Coast
  
  Maybe my favorite band of all time at this point. They've had my heart for over 20 damn years now. This may fall below Metropole on my all-time list, but I will always be happy to listen to the Lawrence Arms. Both songwriters are just so damn good now, they know what works and--who knew?--it works. And the closing track "Coyote Crown" sees Chris indulge in some guitar heroics to close it out, which is something I haven't heard from him in some time and I really want to hear this song live now.
  
  
• Coriky - Coriky
  
  The closest thing we're going to get to a new Fugazi album. It has half of them! Plus Amy Farina! It's like what you'd expect, which is The Evens but a little more tilted toward Fugazi thanks to Joe Lally's presence. It's mostly a low-key, dub-ish affair with just enough of that MacKaye fire to keep it interesting. It's always simmering, sometimes boiling over, and comforting like a bowl of soup. I don't know, that doesn't sound like a very appealing metaphor, as much as I love soup. Especially in the winter of our discontent.
  

Other cool stuff - Not everything fits into these little boxes but I still want to call them out.

• Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
  
  I wanted to like her for so long but her music never really spoke to me, even though the reviews all got me really interested. And now she’s gone country and for some reason her voice in a country context is perfect to me. The way her vocals break up here or there, the vulnerability just sucks me right in. Then within that context it feels like a tough interior. I’ll probably have to revisit those older albums now. I’m sure what I love about this album is present on those as well, I just need to open myself up to them a bit more.
  

• The Leonard Simpson Duo - LSD
  
  This is one of those random things that I just liked. I never really paid much attention to Guilty Simpson. But with this album, he became a favorite, and I don't even know why. It's not boastful, it doesn't seem like he's trying to impress, it's almost just a conversation that happens to rhyme. But it makes me happy and it works. Leonard Charles' beats are reminiscent of the late great J Dilla, providing a very laid back foundation for some laid back, feel good rhymes. I guess there's a psychedelic aspect to it, and this is more apparent on some tracks than others, but it doesn't have to be super fancy to be awesome and this album is awesome.

• Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters
  Is this where this belongs? Or old reliables? I feel like trying to put this album into any category would be a big mistake. I don't think I can say anything you haven't already read about this album, it is that good though and they are exactly right. Fiona Apple is a great singular artist with a lot to say and a really great method of saying it. Maybe her greatest album in a catalog of great albums.

And the Number One Is:

1. Moses Sumney - grae
   
   When the first part came out, I thought this might indeed be the album of the year. And then the second part came out and I thought yeah, it probably is. It became the benchmark. And nothing else met it. Because my god. This album is massive. Every aspect feels like Sumney's heart and soul were poured into it and that sounds cliche but every moment is either a giant buildup or a giant catharsis. The robotic vocal interludes sound like Laurie Anderson, but more grounded in literal conversations about Blackness. But that's about as grounded as this album gets because it soars. Put on some headphones for this one. You need to immerse yourself in it. And I don't even know how to describe the music. I don't really want to anyway. The genre is Moses Sumney and it is has as big of an emotional heft as 2020 required. Does that make sense? Does any of this? My only aim is to talk it up enough to get you to check it out for yourself. It's just all the things. Personal, communal, devastating, beautiful. And entirely unique.

Bonus Thing

Here's a Spotify playlist of my favorite tracks of the year. But I maintain, support artists directly. They need it and I need them to keep their careers going long enough to tour when this is all over.