Best Music 🎶 of 2022!

wokeupnew said:
Yeah this Beach House album is undefeated. I was seriously thinking it could be dethroned but I listened to it in full today for the first time since late March and "ESP" and "Sunset" floored me. "Sunset" in particular is just something else.


Best of 2022:

Updates in bold

  1. Beach House - Once Twice Melody
  2. Yumi Zouma - Present Tense
  3. Hatchie - Giving the World Away
  4. Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There
  5. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
  6. Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia
  7. Widowspeak - The Jacket
  8. Alex Cameron - Oxy Music
  9. Thyla - Thyla
  10. Spiritualized - Everything Was Beautiful
  11. Wet Leg - Wet Leg
  12. Say Sue Me - The Last Thing Left
  13. Spoon - Lucifer On The Sofa
  14. Porridge Radio - Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky
  15. caroline - caroline
  16. Kikagaku Moyo - Kumoyo Island
  17. Belle and Sebastian - A Bit of Previous
  18. Oceanator - Nothing's Ever Fine
  19. Mitski - Laurel Hell
  20. Gang of Youths - Angel in Realtime
  21. AnaĂŻs Mitchell - AnaĂŻs Mitchell
  22. Melody's Echo Chamber - Emotional Eternal
  23. SASAMI - Squeeze
  24. Pinegrove - 11:11
  25. Band of Horses - Things are Great
  26. Arcade Fire - WE
  27. Animal Collective - Time Skiffs
  28. Wallows - Tell Me That It's Over
  29. Empath - Visitor
  30. Pup - The Unraveling of PUPTheBand

Anticipated albums from/Need more listens before deciding:
  1. The Mountain Goats
  2. Angel Olsen
  3. Kiwi Jr.
  4. Julia Jacklin
  5. She & Him
  6. Soccer Mommy
  7. beabadoobee
  8. Momma
  9. Wilco
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What is this about a new Mountain Goats album? I haven’t caught up on the live stream show from last night yet. So if there was an announcement there I’m out of the loop.
 
I still don't really know what to make of this new Sharon Van Etten album. I think her voice is mixed too deep and there are fewer strong vocal melodies like on her previous albums. Musically it's just okay. Some songs feel ambiguous where nothing really stands out. I worry if this did suffer from the lack of single(s) because it feels like I need something to focus on, something familiar that I heard earlier. I think psychologically when listening to albums we tend to gravitate towards the big single or at least listen to the album with those songs in mind. Maybe I need to listen to songs individually because nothing has stood out the handful of times I've listened to it so far.
 
This one slipped entirely by me last month but showed up in my Stupify algorithms last night, for which I'm extremely grateful!



Won't be to everybody's taste, but this is a great tribute to Bob Kaufman, one of my all-time favourite American Poets (who sadly remains far lesser known than he should be.)

Features contributions from Angel Bat Dawid, Moor Mother and Patti Smith
 
wokeupnew said:
I still don't really know what to make of this new Sharon Van Etten album. I think her voice is mixed too deep and there are fewer strong vocal melodies like on her previous albums. Musically it's just okay. Some songs feel ambiguous where nothing really stands out. I worry if this did suffer from the lack of single(s) because it feels like I need something to focus on, something familiar that I heard earlier. I think psychologically when listening to albums we tend to gravitate towards the big single or at least listen to the album with those songs in mind. Maybe I need to listen to songs individually because nothing has stood out the handful of times I've listened to it so far.
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Interesting take 🤔 I love this album albeit it took me several listens 🎶 to fully appreciate it. The music has helped me understand times of my life and has had a lasting impact on me. This album is a grower and is intended to be listend to from front to back as it is a self-contained narrative. Hence why she didn't drop any singles prior to the album release as she wanted to present it as a whole body of work. Clearly, you have been you've been going about this all wrong! 🤷‍♂️
 
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ALBUMS
Ibeyi - Spell 31
Various - Fragments: Erik Satie
Florence + The Machine - Dance Fever
Rosa Brunello - Sounds Like Freedom
Arms and Sleepers - former kingdoms
700 Bliss - Nothing to Declare
Nduduzo Malhathini - In the Spirit of Ntu
Alune Wade - Sultan
Oded Tzur - Isabela

EPs
Shabaka - Afrikan Culture
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers – Pretty Good For A Girl Band
The Bongo Hop - La Ă‘apa

*(no image on ostrakon)
a2216032116_10.jpg
 
avecigrec said:
View attachment 140977


ALBUMS
Ibeyi - Spell 31
Various - Fragments: Erik Satie
Florence + The Machine - Dance Fever
Rosa Brunello - Sounds Like Freedom
Arms and Sleepers - former kingdoms
700 Bliss - Nothing to Declare
Nduduzo Malhathini - In the Spirit of Ntu
Alune Wade - Sultan
Oded Tzur - Isabela

EPs
Shabaka - Afrikan Culture
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers – Pretty Good For A Girl Band
The Bongo Hop - La Ă‘apa

*(no image on ostrakon)
View attachment 140980
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I think I will move Ibeyi's newest into 🔥. Same for Marina Herlop.
 
Definitely behind on this year's releases due to moving to Chicago in January and trying to get my life in order. Here is what has caught my ears so far in 2022.

Tier 1:
1. Kendrick Lamar: Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (rap)
2. Sunflower Bean: Moment in the Sun (indie rock)
3. Ibibio Sound Machine: Electricity (house, funk)
4. Denzel Curry: Melt My Eyez See Your Future (rap)
5. Just Mustard: Heart Under (shoe-gaze, post punk)

Tier 2:
6. The Smile: A Light for Attracting Attention (rock)
7. Wet Leg: Wet Leg (indie rock, pop punk)
8. Grace Ives: Janky Star (lo-fi pop)
9. Big Thief: Dragon New Warm Mountain (folk)
10. Billy Woods: Aethiopes (rap)

Tier 3:
11. Kojey Radical: Reason to Smile (rap)
12. Nilifur Yanya: Painless (indie rock)
13. Axel Bowman- LULZ (downtempo electronic)
14. Viagra Boys- Cave World (dance punk)
15. Soccer Mommy: Sometimes, Forever (indie rock)
16. Saba: Few Good Things (hip-hop)
17. Charli XCX- CRASH (pop)
18. Spoon- Lucifer on the Sofa (indie rock)
19: Vince Staples- Ramona Park Broke My Heart (rap)
20: Horesegirl: Versions of Modern Performance (indie rock)

Most disappointing = either the new Warpaint or Let's Eat Grandma though I need to give both some extra spins before completely writing them off. And I didn't even bother with the new Peppers even though BSSM is a top 10 album of all-time for me and I love basically everything before Stadium Arcadium.

Look forward to digging through your all's takes.

Edit- Thanks for reminding me Nilifur had dropped a new album. So much to catch up on. Really digging it and will probs slot into Tier 2.
 
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whatwhatsaywhat said:
chilli peppers are one of the most egregious bands of the last 50 years
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Gonna resist taking shots at some of the artists I know you like that I don't (ala Father John)...

The RHCP's are:
A) Good people (have met them)
B) Stupidly talented between Chad, John and Flea
C) Have made some of the most important and influential albums of my lifetime and helped get arguably two separate generations into funk.
D) Are one of the most consistently excellent live bands on the planet.

They also evolved multiple times between the early years and their last important work (By the Way) while sticking the landing. Then they realized they had a formula and you got the bloated Stadium Arcadium. It's been downhill ever since.

If anything they are underrated at this point because outlets like Pitchfork refuse to give their peak era the credit it deserves (see their LAUGHABLE review of Blood Sugar Sex Magic) and because they have been washed and formulaic for basically two decades now. That said, The Getaway was fun and at least tried something different.
 
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Aight one more post before I'm done with my lunch break--

I'm not seeing many people mention a couple of the albums at the very top of my list and I got to page 12. So... Some sample tracks for you all.

My song of the year-- (other than maybe Mother I Sober)



And then another taste--



- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com

And then Sunflower Bean--





Sunflower Bean - Headful of Sugar (Official Audio)

And then Denzel--



Denzel Curry - Melt Session #1 ft. Robert Glasper (Official Audio)
 
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Bennnnn said:
The solo debut from Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear is incredible. I didn't pay much attention to it when it came out a little bit a go, but I rectified that recently. It's a dense, knotty, experimental, wild acoustic album. It's maybe a little too difficult to get into initially, but it really rewards when you come back to it. I love the sound of this album with all its textures. It's like the best stuff Grizzly Bear did, so if you liked them at all, it's well worth a listen. It's also reminiscent of something like Joanna Newsom where the lyrics are layered with meaning and the music is akin to a classical piece in the sense that there is real grand arrangement going on here - but with only a handful of instruments.
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Thanks for the heads up. One of my favorite bands in college and their side projects (ala Department of Eagles) have always been worth checking out.

Others I need to get to include the new SVE, Cordae and Ibeyi (loved their last one). And I'm currently on my 2nd playthough of Nilufer and loving it (almost as much as her debut).

Also-- am I crazy or did I get through all 19 pages of this without anyone mentioning the new Kendrick? Wild.

I am a Kendrick stan (would put him next to the Talking Heads, Radiohead and Pink Floyd when it comes to my favorite artists of all-time), but this new one is one of the densest, most striking works of art I can recall within any genre of music.

I think it's easily better and more interesting than Damn (which I liked a lot), and I have a hard time seeing any other album knocking it off for my album of the year.... As evidenced by the fact that the Smile dropped on the same day and I wound up only listening to it once before just playing MM&BS for a week straight.
 
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DownIsTheNewUp said:
Aight one more post before I'm done with my lunch break--

I'm not seeing many people mention a couple of the albums at the very top of my list and I got to page 12. So... Some sample tracks for you all.

My song of the year-- (other than maybe Mother I Sober)



And then another taste--



- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com

And then Sunflower Bean--





Sunflower Bean - Headful of Sugar (Official Audio)

And then Denzel--



Denzel Curry - Melt Session #1 ft. Robert Glasper (Official Audio)
Click to expand...


This new Denzel is amazing. One of my favorite Coachella performances this year too.
 
DownIsTheNewUp said:
Thanks for the heads up. One of my favorite bands in college and their side projects (ala Department of Eagles) have always been worth checking out.

Others I need to get to include the new SVE, Cordae and Ibeyi (loved their last one). And I'm currently on my 2nd playthough of Nilufer and loving it (almost as much as her debut).

Also-- am I crazy or did I get through all 19 pages of this without anyone mentioning the new Kendrick? Wild.

I am a Kendrick stan (would put him next to the Talking Heads, Radiohead and Pink Floyd when it comes to my favorite artists of all-time), but this new one is one of the densest, most striking works of art I can recall within any genre of music.

I think it's easily better and more interesting than Damn (which I liked a lot), and I have a hard time seeing any other album knocking it off for my album of the year.... As evidenced by the fact that the Smile dropped on the same day and I wound up only listening to it once before just playing MM&BS for a week straight.
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I also just love Kendrick, but yeah I guess I have only talked about it on another thread. It really took me time to appreciate and understand what's going on on the album. He definitely swerved from where I thought he'd go - and I appreciate that move. In some ways the density and complicated emotions / subject matters on the album are exactly the point. He's going against expectations and tearing down who fans see him as. I think that's such an interesting angle to take on his final album for the label. I didn't love it at first, second, or even third listen. But it's really grown on me. While previously I would think any Kendrick album would basically top my year-end list, I don't think this one will. But I do enjoy it more now than I thought I ever would. It's messy, difficult, and bold. I love his ambition on it. But it does seem like the conversation around it has died down a bit. I wonder how much staying power it will have in the coming months in the public consciousness.

As far as hip hop records from this year though, I think Denzel Curry beats Kendrick for me. And I never would have expected that. But I love his album.
 
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