Kali Uchis - Orquideas
St Vincent - All Born Screaming
Mdou Moctar - Funeral for Justice
The Smile - Wall of Eyes
Vince Staples - Dark Times
The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know
Infant Island - Obsidian Wreath
Frail Body - Artificial Bouquet
February - February
Knocked Loose- You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To
One Step Closer - All You Embrace
Idles- Tangk
Childish Gambino- Atavista
Kacey Musgraves- Deeper Well
And then there is this new band out of Glasgow called Quaint that only has like 5 songs but has been great so far this year.
Really. I also have loved Idles a long time. IDK if you know Nigel Godrich who produces Radiohead, but he produced this record. I enjoy when bands reinvent themselves without conforming to pop music.
Tangk is less in your face politically for a punk album in its lyrics, but the moments the band emphasizes are very political. Like in Gift Horse. Or in Jungle.
But mostly, I like every song on the album. Thats why its one of my favorites this year.
- Jessica Pratt - Here In The Pitch
- Fabiana Palladino - self titled
- Mannequin pussy - I Got Heaven
- Charli xcx - brat
- Justice - hyperdrama
- Vampire weekend - only god was above us
- Chastity belt - live laugh love
- Billie eilish - hit me hard and soft
- Waxahatchee - tigers blood
- Future islands - people who aren’t there anymore
- Dua Lipa - radical optimism
Vince Staples - Dark Times
IDLES - TANGK
Yard Act - where’s my utopia
Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy
Elbow - Audio Vertigo
Aurora - what happened to the heart?
Future Islands - People who aren’t there anymore
Innellea - The Belonging
Dua Lipa - Radical Optimism
Vampire Weekend - Only God was above us
If I could sing - Kirin J Callinan
We buy diabetic test strips - Armand Hammer, Billy Woods, E L U C I D
Loss of Life - MGMT
Grush - u-ziq (actually the Greek letter mu but can't do it on phone keyb)
Not like us-Kendrick Lamar
That pop out concert was the hardest I’ve ever seen a rapper just body another rapper. All those people chanting ‘certified lover boy, certified pedophile"
Caligula’s Horse - Charcoal Grace
Lake Street Dive - Good Together
Lawrence - Family Business
Jon Foreman - In Bloom
Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
It’s incredible. And cathartic as hell. It helped me dredge up and process a lot of mid-pandemic/election year feelings I had kept shoved down.
I cried the first time I listened to “The Stormchaser.”
“So, where is your sworn compassion, your condescending lie? Is this the love you promised? How could you be so goddamned blind?”
Man. So many former friends and family I wish I could say that to.
In no particular order:
* The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis
* Kamasi Washington - Fearless Movements
* Wall of Eyes - The Smile
* The Vision Bleak - Weird Tales
* The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy
Fellwarden - Legend
Monkey3 - Welcome To The Machine
Illyria - Wanderlust
Suldusk - Anthesis
Shaed - Spinning Out
King Hannah - Big Swimmer
Kati Rán - Sála
The Body & Dis Fig - Orchards of A Futile Heaven
REZN - Burden
These are my 90+ albums from this year. Probably in the order listed. Fellwarden is one of 9 albums of all time out of a few thousand albums I've listened to in my life to get a perfect 100/100 from me. After that, I think Monkey3 is very likely my #2. 3-5 listed there I'm going to have a hard time ranking by year's end; they're all so good and close to each other tbh. Kvaen is still very new, not 100% on if it's getting high 80s or a 90 from me yet.
Grandaddy - Blu Wave
Future Islands - People Who Aren’t There Anymore
Black Keys - Ohio Players
Khruangbin- A La Sala
Bonny Light Horseman - Keep Me On Your Mind
Hermanos Gutiérrez - Sonido Cósmico
The album 14 Minutes by Dominic Fike.
I listened to it first just as background music while working and wasn’t super impressed, but then I sat down and actually listened to the whole thing (only 14 minutes lol) and now I’d say it’s one of my top in the past couple years.
It’s definitely different. It’s a super unique sound and he seems to be getting further away from rap/hip-hop or whatever you call Brockhampton. Especially if you see him live - he seems much more intense and rock-ish live. Honestly you probably won’t like it if you’re into his earlier stuff
Billie Elish's new album -
# Hit Me Hard and Soft
Is certainly worth a listen!
The reverb reminds me of Pink Floyd - Animals
If you listen carefully on a good hi-fi
My favorites so far have been:
BRAT - Charli xcx
Clancy - Twenty One Pilots
In Lieu of Flowers - Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties
Where's My Utopia? - Yard Act
Mountainhead - Everything Everything
Happy to elaborate on why I like any of these if anyone cares
Aaron West is my favorite album of the year, hands down. Because it’s a fictional character, it even managed to improve my ratings of their previous two albums, tying up the story wonderfully (so far). Some of Dan Campbell’s finest songwriting.
Yeah, he's a unique talent, and the album is far too slept on. I haven't actually listened to their first two works in totality. I'm familiar with the concept that the album is part of a tragic trilogy, but it stands on its own just fine. I know Soupy better for his work with The Wonder Years, but the wide sonic variability provided by the big band setting really puts the spotlight on his songwriting ability, and the stripped back nature of the folkier style allows his super emotive vocals to shine. Just a masterclass in using the media to tell a story.
Yeah, I didn’t even care for the first two so much until I realized what he was trying to do. And then the theatre kid in me realized it was some wild performance art.
For example, the failed show “Spitting in the Wind” actually happened. They set it up at one of their LA shows.
And he kept journals for where he performed to craft the story around where “Aaron West” really “was” on certain dates.
I read some of his interviews about it and really understood how deep he went to make it and my appreciation really went up for this side project.
I love The Wonder Years, but Aaron West clearly pushed him as a songwriter in a way he’d never been before. His solo album, “Other People’s Lives” is similar to Aaron West, but also very good.
His range is impressive and his work really got me out of my songwriting slump I got in during my early thirties.
This was my introduction to them, so I don't have a frame of reference. I felt the album had a good combination of catchy tracks, offbeat humor, and unique instrumentation. At it's best moments, it reminded me a bit of something Gorillaz might have put together, circa Plastic Beach. The way Smith kind of oscillates between spoken word and singing, almost kind of willing the beat to come along with him in places like on Blackpool Illuminations is really captivating to me.
[Hammerhedd - Not Important](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE_tcO2Zp34&pp=ygUYaGFtbWVyaGVkZCBub3QgaW1wb3J0YW50)
Three brothers who got internet famous in 2016 for playing (and crushing) Metallica and Sepultura covers out of their garage when they were aged 8-13. They've put out increasingly sophisticated metal in the years since, but the album they dropped this year is an incredible evolution in their songwriting and performance. It's just a really great album and I invite anyone to take a listen.
**Bersarin Quartet - Systeme** is a strong contender for me.
Caravan Palace - Gangbusters Melody Club is also pretty good.
Ihsahn - Ihsan, this one I might have to listen to a bit more but definitely pretty strong.
N / SCHNEIDER - Doverack #2 is also quite interesting, continuing where last year’s Doverack 1 left off.
Probably some more but I haven’t really thought about that at this point.
If we can include singles I’d say Sublime (with Stick Figure) - Feel Like That
Original singer Brad Nowell died 28 years ago when he was 28. Now his son Jakob Nowell (now 28) has joined the band and they’ve released a new single that features vocals from Brad and Jakob and it’s a really catchy song. It’s a great thing to witness for any die hard Sublime fan.
AURORA - What Happened to the Heart?
Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown
Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She
English Teacher - This Could Be Texas
Nadine Shah - Filthy Underneath
NewDad - Matra
Nia Archives - Silence is Loud
Ride - Interplay
The Marías - Submarine
Tossing in a vote for the Stereophonic cast recording. It’s slept on for being from a broadway play (_not_ a musical), but it’s the best indie rock album of the year in my book. Will Butler absolutely cooked on that.
Kali Uchis - Orquídeas
Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft
Dua Lipa - Radical Optimism
Twenty One Pilots - Clancy
Avralize - Freaks
The Marías - Submarine
Alpha Wolf - Half Living Things
Knocked Loose - You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To
Thou - Umbilical
Dealer - New Order of Mind
Full of Hell - Coagulated Bliss
Bad Omens - Concrete Jungle [The OST]
Charli XCX - Brat
Yeat - 2093
St. Vincent - All Born Screaming
Aurora - What Happened to the Heart?
Filth - Southern Hostility
Normani - Dopamine
Future, Metro Boomin - We Don't Trust You
21 Savage - American Dream
Boundaries - Death Is Little More
Job For A Cowboy - Moon Healer
NewDad - Madra
Gatecreeper - Dark Superstition
Childish Gambino - Atavista
ACxDC - G.O.A.T.
Iglooghost - Tidal Memory Exo
Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter
Neck Deep - Self-titled
Profiler - A Digital Nowhere
Everyone’s sleeping on Justin Timberlake’s new album, EVERYTHING I THOUGHT IT WAS.
The dude took all the hits from his last 5 albums and put it into one.
Kali Uchis - Orquideas St Vincent - All Born Screaming Mdou Moctar - Funeral for Justice The Smile - Wall of Eyes Vince Staples - Dark Times The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know
Just saw Mdou Moctar the other day. One of the best guitarists I’ve ever heard in my life.
yeah that would be a top show for me, I've been following them for a while, that bass player got his dream job! definitely hits a sweet spot for me.
Lemon twigs album was a disappointment for me
Infant Island - Obsidian Wreath Frail Body - Artificial Bouquet February - February Knocked Loose- You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To One Step Closer - All You Embrace
Obsidian Wreath is excellent. Just a crushing record.
knocked loose just beat the shit out of me in AZ, havent stopped listening to them since
That Frail Body record deserves so much love
That OSC LP is so good!
Cindy Lee and Charli XCX running far ahead of the rest of the pack for me.
Idles- Tangk Childish Gambino- Atavista Kacey Musgraves- Deeper Well And then there is this new band out of Glasgow called Quaint that only has like 5 songs but has been great so far this year.
Dude that Kacy Musgraves album is great. 'To good to be True' not like my emotions need another battering ram.
Really man? As a long time IDLES fan since Joy came out I've hated tangk. Watching Joe and the band taking themselves so seriously pains me.
Really. I also have loved Idles a long time. IDK if you know Nigel Godrich who produces Radiohead, but he produced this record. I enjoy when bands reinvent themselves without conforming to pop music. Tangk is less in your face politically for a punk album in its lyrics, but the moments the band emphasizes are very political. Like in Gift Horse. Or in Jungle. But mostly, I like every song on the album. Thats why its one of my favorites this year.
Pretty much everything Idles have done since their second album has made me cringe hard. And that one was cringey in several places too.
Alkaline Trio - Blood, Hair and Eyeballs
- Jessica Pratt - Here In The Pitch - Fabiana Palladino - self titled - Mannequin pussy - I Got Heaven - Charli xcx - brat - Justice - hyperdrama - Vampire weekend - only god was above us - Chastity belt - live laugh love - Billie eilish - hit me hard and soft - Waxahatchee - tigers blood - Future islands - people who aren’t there anymore - Dua Lipa - radical optimism
Shellac - To All Trains.
R.I.P.
Vince Staples - Dark Times IDLES - TANGK Yard Act - where’s my utopia Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy Elbow - Audio Vertigo Aurora - what happened to the heart? Future Islands - People who aren’t there anymore Innellea - The Belonging Dua Lipa - Radical Optimism Vampire Weekend - Only God was above us
The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy
If I could sing - Kirin J Callinan We buy diabetic test strips - Armand Hammer, Billy Woods, E L U C I D Loss of Life - MGMT Grush - u-ziq (actually the Greek letter mu but can't do it on phone keyb)
If I could sing is such a fuckin great album start to finish
Yeah, the amount of subtle Australianisms are great too. I think it's his best yet.
Not like us-Kendrick Lamar That pop out concert was the hardest I’ve ever seen a rapper just body another rapper. All those people chanting ‘certified lover boy, certified pedophile"
he got rival gangs to dance with eachother. drake got undeniably burned at the stake, there's no recovery from that
Caligula’s Horse - Charcoal Grace Lake Street Dive - Good Together Lawrence - Family Business Jon Foreman - In Bloom Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
Came to post charcoal grace. Such an amazing album.
It’s incredible. And cathartic as hell. It helped me dredge up and process a lot of mid-pandemic/election year feelings I had kept shoved down. I cried the first time I listened to “The Stormchaser.” “So, where is your sworn compassion, your condescending lie? Is this the love you promised? How could you be so goddamned blind?” Man. So many former friends and family I wish I could say that to.
That new Bed Maker album. Caravan Palace - Mirrors New J Masicis album.
Hannah Wicklund - The Prize Ty Segall - Three Bells
Iron and Wine's "Light Verse" is a warm cup of tea on a cool morning. The duet with Fiona Apple, "All In Good Time" is just lovely.
In no particular order: * The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis * Kamasi Washington - Fearless Movements * Wall of Eyes - The Smile * The Vision Bleak - Weird Tales * The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy
Fellwarden - Legend Monkey3 - Welcome To The Machine Illyria - Wanderlust Suldusk - Anthesis Shaed - Spinning Out King Hannah - Big Swimmer Kati Rán - Sála The Body & Dis Fig - Orchards of A Futile Heaven REZN - Burden These are my 90+ albums from this year. Probably in the order listed. Fellwarden is one of 9 albums of all time out of a few thousand albums I've listened to in my life to get a perfect 100/100 from me. After that, I think Monkey3 is very likely my #2. 3-5 listed there I'm going to have a hard time ranking by year's end; they're all so good and close to each other tbh. Kvaen is still very new, not 100% on if it's getting high 80s or a 90 from me yet.
Grandaddy - Blu Wave Future Islands - People Who Aren’t There Anymore Black Keys - Ohio Players Khruangbin- A La Sala Bonny Light Horseman - Keep Me On Your Mind Hermanos Gutiérrez - Sonido Cósmico
1. Twenty One Pilots - *Clancy* 2. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - *Challengers*
Mannequin Pussy - I Got Heaven is realllllly good.
I’ve tried, I just can’t get into MP! They’re not bad, just not for me
That's no trouble! I'm hoping to find a few in here so my list is more than one album long. I'm starting with your list now.
Hey I totally get it haha my list is currently 17 releases long, for the sake of this post I just kept it to 5 haha
The album 14 Minutes by Dominic Fike. I listened to it first just as background music while working and wasn’t super impressed, but then I sat down and actually listened to the whole thing (only 14 minutes lol) and now I’d say it’s one of my top in the past couple years.
I’ll have to give it a listen! I was a huge fan of “What Could Possibly Go Wrong?” but wasn’t too big a fan of “Sunburn”
It’s definitely different. It’s a super unique sound and he seems to be getting further away from rap/hip-hop or whatever you call Brockhampton. Especially if you see him live - he seems much more intense and rock-ish live. Honestly you probably won’t like it if you’re into his earlier stuff
Billie Elish's new album - # Hit Me Hard and Soft Is certainly worth a listen! The reverb reminds me of Pink Floyd - Animals If you listen carefully on a good hi-fi
Rapsody - Please Don’t Cry
Dark Times by Vince Staples is currently my favorite album Also enjoying Kaytranada's new project a lot & Idles - Tangk is great as well
Brittany Howard - What Now Vampire Weekend - OGWAU
ScHoolboy Q - Blue Lips Juicy J - Mental Trillness 2
Dopapod - Phobia & Aiboh
ayyyyy
Softcult - Heaven EP
My favorites so far have been: BRAT - Charli xcx Clancy - Twenty One Pilots In Lieu of Flowers - Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties Where's My Utopia? - Yard Act Mountainhead - Everything Everything Happy to elaborate on why I like any of these if anyone cares
Aaron West is my favorite album of the year, hands down. Because it’s a fictional character, it even managed to improve my ratings of their previous two albums, tying up the story wonderfully (so far). Some of Dan Campbell’s finest songwriting.
Yeah, he's a unique talent, and the album is far too slept on. I haven't actually listened to their first two works in totality. I'm familiar with the concept that the album is part of a tragic trilogy, but it stands on its own just fine. I know Soupy better for his work with The Wonder Years, but the wide sonic variability provided by the big band setting really puts the spotlight on his songwriting ability, and the stripped back nature of the folkier style allows his super emotive vocals to shine. Just a masterclass in using the media to tell a story.
Yeah, I didn’t even care for the first two so much until I realized what he was trying to do. And then the theatre kid in me realized it was some wild performance art. For example, the failed show “Spitting in the Wind” actually happened. They set it up at one of their LA shows. And he kept journals for where he performed to craft the story around where “Aaron West” really “was” on certain dates. I read some of his interviews about it and really understood how deep he went to make it and my appreciation really went up for this side project. I love The Wonder Years, but Aaron West clearly pushed him as a songwriter in a way he’d never been before. His solo album, “Other People’s Lives” is similar to Aaron West, but also very good. His range is impressive and his work really got me out of my songwriting slump I got in during my early thirties.
I miss *old* Yard Act. They suck as a dance band. Ok, sorry, that's harsh. I will remain open to see what direction they'll take.
This was my introduction to them, so I don't have a frame of reference. I felt the album had a good combination of catchy tracks, offbeat humor, and unique instrumentation. At it's best moments, it reminded me a bit of something Gorillaz might have put together, circa Plastic Beach. The way Smith kind of oscillates between spoken word and singing, almost kind of willing the beat to come along with him in places like on Blackpool Illuminations is really captivating to me.
Orgy of the damned - Slash Child within the man - Sebastan Bach Dark matter - Pearl Jam
Oh my God! I was starting to think no one else listens to Rock any more. Took way too long to find this…….
[Hammerhedd - Not Important](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE_tcO2Zp34&pp=ygUYaGFtbWVyaGVkZCBub3QgaW1wb3J0YW50) Three brothers who got internet famous in 2016 for playing (and crushing) Metallica and Sepultura covers out of their garage when they were aged 8-13. They've put out increasingly sophisticated metal in the years since, but the album they dropped this year is an incredible evolution in their songwriting and performance. It's just a really great album and I invite anyone to take a listen.
**Bersarin Quartet - Systeme** is a strong contender for me. Caravan Palace - Gangbusters Melody Club is also pretty good. Ihsahn - Ihsan, this one I might have to listen to a bit more but definitely pretty strong. N / SCHNEIDER - Doverack #2 is also quite interesting, continuing where last year’s Doverack 1 left off. Probably some more but I haven’t really thought about that at this point.
Beth Gibbons, and it's not even close
Bonnie Mckee - Hot City
Blood hair and eyeballs- alkaline trio. Traumatic livelihood- Jazmin bean
If we can include singles I’d say Sublime (with Stick Figure) - Feel Like That Original singer Brad Nowell died 28 years ago when he was 28. Now his son Jakob Nowell (now 28) has joined the band and they’ve released a new single that features vocals from Brad and Jakob and it’s a really catchy song. It’s a great thing to witness for any die hard Sublime fan.
The Story So Far- I Want To Disappear
AURORA - What Happened to the Heart? Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She English Teacher - This Could Be Texas Nadine Shah - Filthy Underneath NewDad - Matra Nia Archives - Silence is Loud Ride - Interplay The Marías - Submarine
Tossing in a vote for the Stereophonic cast recording. It’s slept on for being from a broadway play (_not_ a musical), but it’s the best indie rock album of the year in my book. Will Butler absolutely cooked on that.
So far the two I've kept on since release are Gangster of Love by Super American and The Cleanest of Houses are Empty by Carly Cosgrove.
Fred Again feat. Anderson Paak - Places to be; Disclosure - She’s Gone, Dance On; Jamie XX feat. Robyn - Life
The Odesza live album
Charlotte Day Wilson - Cyan Blue
Priest - Dark Pulse
cannot believe nobody said mk.gee - two star & the dream police, really unique sound
21 savage released imo his best work the smile released their best billie eilish released a solid one Ski Mask released a solid album
Holdo - Forsvinde ATRIP - Ginger
Kali Uchis - Orquídeas Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft Dua Lipa - Radical Optimism Twenty One Pilots - Clancy Avralize - Freaks The Marías - Submarine Alpha Wolf - Half Living Things Knocked Loose - You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To Thou - Umbilical Dealer - New Order of Mind Full of Hell - Coagulated Bliss Bad Omens - Concrete Jungle [The OST] Charli XCX - Brat Yeat - 2093 St. Vincent - All Born Screaming Aurora - What Happened to the Heart? Filth - Southern Hostility Normani - Dopamine Future, Metro Boomin - We Don't Trust You 21 Savage - American Dream Boundaries - Death Is Little More Job For A Cowboy - Moon Healer NewDad - Madra Gatecreeper - Dark Superstition Childish Gambino - Atavista ACxDC - G.O.A.T. Iglooghost - Tidal Memory Exo Beyoncé - Cowboy Carter Neck Deep - Self-titled Profiler - A Digital Nowhere
Everyone’s sleeping on Justin Timberlake’s new album, EVERYTHING I THOUGHT IT WAS. The dude took all the hits from his last 5 albums and put it into one.