Monday, December 27, 2021

The 50 Best Albums of 2021

 


ArtistTitle
50Clan of XymoxLimbo
49Vince StaplesVince Staples
48ParannoulTo See The Next Part of The Dream
47Gruff RhysSeeking New Gods
46MorcheebaBlackest Blue
45MotoristsSurrounded
44BlankenbergeEverything
43Saint EtienneI've Been Trying to Tell You
42PiroshkaLove Drips and Gathers
41Always YouBloom of The Rose
40SaccadesFlowing Fades
39DaveWe're All Alone in This Together
38The CoralCoral Island
37Gus GusMobile Home
36Durand Jones & The IndicationsPrivate Space
35TunsDuly Noted
34Hard FeelingsHard Feelings
33K.D.A.P.Influences
32JamesAll The Colours of You
31Floating PointsPromises
30Wolf AliceBlue Weekend
29Godspeed You! Black EmperorG_d's Pee At State's End
28Veil of LightLandslide
27Kiwi Jr.Cooler Returns
26CelesteNot Your Muse
25Cadence WeaponParallel World
24Self EsteemPrioritise Pleasure
23SUUNSThe Witness
22Field MusicFlat White Moon
21MassageStill Life
20ShameDrunk Tank Pink
19Lindsey BuckinghamLindsey Buckingham
18JungleLoving in Stereo
17IDERshame
16Laura MvulaPink Noise
15Teenage FanclubEndless Arcade
14GhettsConflict of Interest
13Julia BardotBauhaus L'Appartamento
12Small BlackCheap Dreams
11ActorsActs of Worship
10The KVBUnity
9Dry CleaningNew Long Leg
8Hayden ThorpeMoondust For My Diamond
7Arlo ParksCollapsed in Sunbeams
6Nation of LanguageA Way Forward
5Arab StrapAs Days Get Dark
4MogwaiAs The Love Continues
3Museum of LoveLife of Mammals
2Little SimzSometimes I Might Be Introvert
1Beachy HeadBeachy Head


Saturday, December 5, 2020

The 50 Best Albums of 2020

 


50Nubya GarciaSource
49clipping.Visions of Bodies Being Burned
48WileyThe Godfather 3
47Fontaines D.C.A hero's Death
46Houses of HeavenSilent Places
45The Luxembourg SignalThe Long Now
44Nadine ShahKitchen Sink
43Clan of XymoxSpider On The Wall
42Empress OfI'm Your Empress of Of
41Bob MouldBlue Hearts
40Field MusicMaking A New World
39Dog DayPresent
38Linea AsperaLinea Aspera LPII
37SAULTUntitled (Black Is)
36SAULTUntitled (Rise)
35MuzzMuzz
34ZoonBleached Wavves
33Sufjan StevensThe Ascension
32Of MontrealUR FUN
31Peel Dream MagazineAgitprop Alterna
30The ReflectorsFirst Impression
29Run The JewelsRTJ4
28KestrelsDream or Don't Dream
27bdrmmBedroom
26MoaningUneasy Laughter
25Kylie MinogueDisco
24KorineThe Night We Raise
23SupercrushSODO Pop
22Hazel EnglishWake Up!
21Rolling BlackoutsSideways to New Italy
20Shabazz PalacesThe Don of Diamond Dreams
19Car Seat HeadrestMaking A Door Less Open
18Tame ImpalaThe Slow Rush
17Washed OutPurple Noon
16Cut CopyFreeze, Melt
15Roisin MurphyRoisin Machine
14The Magic GangDeath of The Party
13Dua LipaFuture Nostalgia
12CaribouSuddenly
11Nation of LanguageIntroduction, Presence
10Everything EverythingRe-Animator
9Private WorldAleph
8BlossomsFoolish Loving Spaces
7EOBEarth
6TrickyFall To Pieces
5UltraistaSister
4Jessie WareWhat's Your Pleasure
3Jetstream PonyJetstream Pony
2Perfume GeniusSet My Heart On Fire Immediately
1Working Men's ClubWorking Men's Club

Friday, December 13, 2019

The 50 Best Albums of 2019

This feels about right for this year.




50 Toy - Happy In The Hollow
49 Tindersticks - No Treasure But Hope
48 Murray A. Lightburn - Hear Me Out
47 Gang Starr - One of The Best Yet
46 Friendly Fires - Inflourescent
45 Raphael Saadiq - Jimmy Lee
44 Omni - Networker
43 Danny Brown - uknowwhatimsayin
42 Capitol Dream - Noise
41 Anyway Gang - Anyway Gang

40 Mikal Cronin - Seeker
39 clipping - There Existed an Addiction to Blood
38 White Lies - FIVE
37 One True Pairing - One True Pairing
36 Big Eyes - Streets of The Lost
35 Boy Harsher - Country Girl Uncut
34 Skepta - Ignorance is Bliss
33 Foals - Part 1 & 2 Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost
32 Lamb - The Secret of Letting Go
31 Blaqk Audio - Only Things We Love

30 FKA Twigs - MAGDALENE
29 Ladytron - Ladytron
28 Dead Horse One - The West Is The Best
27 slowthai - Nothing Great  About Britain
26 The New Pornographers - In the Morse Code of Brake Lights
25 Girl Ray - Girl
24 Operators - Radiant Dawn
23 Kano - Hoodies All Summer
22 Hot Chip - A Bath Full of Ecstasy
21 American Football - American Football (LP3)

20 Justin Sweatt - Say Your Goodbyes
19 Holy Ghost! - Work
18 Chromatics - Closer to Grey
17 Sampa - The Great The Return
16 Ex Hex - It's Real
15 Boy Harsher - Careful
14 Local Natives - Violet Street
13 Lower Dens - The Competition
12 Stealing Sheep - Big Wows
11 Redd Kross - Beyond The Door

10 Tallies - Tallies
9 Thom Yorke - Anima
8 Ride - This Is Not A Safe Place
7 The Soft Cavalry - The Soft Cavalry
6 Little Simz - Grey Area
5 Supercrush - Never Let You Drift Away
4 Young Guv - GUV 1 & 2
3 Ceremony - In The Spirit World Now
2 DIIV - Deceiver
1 Swervedriver - Future Ruins

Saturday, December 8, 2018

The 100 Best Albums of 2018

I listened to over 200 new recordings this year, to varying degrees. Some I listened to briefly and moved on. Some I listened to often and moved on. These are the 100 albums in 2018 that I enjoyed most. Some of them still require some care and attention. Some of them will become classics I listen to for many years to follow. I thought there were a lot of really great albums this year, but I am not sure anyone made a truly amazing record. Probably because it is getting harder and harder to create something truly unique and fascinating. Still lots of wonderful artists out there making really sincere art. 

The sequencing up to 30 is pretty solid. Up to 50 is still pretty accurate. From 50 to 100 the sequencing gets a bit dodgy, even if my process and thought process remained sound throughout. I did not include e.p's, otherwise Nine Inch Nails, Aphex Twin, and Chromatics would all be here, and likely all in the top 30. There is probably an equal mix of popular artists and much less popular artists. The only list I have seen on the internet that is remotely similar might be Drowned in Sound, likely because it is UK based and most of my favourite music comes from the UK. Unlike the Pitchforks of the internet, this is a fun annual project for an aging music nerd, I don't care if anyone lands on this page. If you have though, I hope you find something interesting you have not heard before.



ArtistTitle
100FoxwarrenFoxwarren
99Twin ShadowCaer
98ChromeoHead Over Heels
97The MidnightKids
96EditorsViolence
95Creep ShowMr. Dynamite
94JungleFor Ever
93Snail MailLush
92SuperchunkWhat A Time to Be Alive
91Born RuffiansUncle, Duke and The Chief
90Troye SivanBloom
89Bush TetrasTake The Fall
88Wye OakThe Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs
87Oh PepI Wasn't Only Thinking About You
86Public Access T.V.Street Safari
85BodegaEndless Scroll
84SpiritualizedAnd Nothing Hurt
83MitskiBe The Cowboy
82David ByrneAmerican Utopia
81BahamasEarth Tones
80Confidence ManConfident Music For Confident People
79Frankie CosmosVessel
78Belle AdairTuscumbia
77Marie DavidsonWorking Class Woman
76Manic Street PreachersResistance Is Futile
75Gazelle TwinPastoral
74StarcrawlerStarcrawler
73ShadowpartyShadowparty
72Lily AllenNo Shame
71Yukon BlondeCritical Hit
70ShadA Short Story About War
69Young GalaxyDown Time
68Gus GusLies Are More Flexible
67Stephen Malkmus & The JicksSparkle Hard
66J MascisElastic Days
65SwearinFall Into The Sun
64Fara-OPure-O
63Laura JeanDevotion
62GrmlnImpressions From The Dark
61Kamasi WashingtonHeaven and Earth
60John GrantLove Is Magic
59OughtRoom Inside The World
58Single LashProvidence
57A ProjectionFramework
56Rolling Blackouts Coastal FeverHope Downs
55HaterSiesta
54HeatersSuspended Youth
53Gang Gang DanceKazuashita
52NothingDance on the Blacktop
51DeeperDeeper
50ADULT.This Behaviour
49Wild NothingIndigo
48Django DjangoMarble Skies
47Fucked UpDose Your Dreams
46The PresetsHi Viz
45SuunsFelt
44Acid DadAcid Dad
43NonameRoom 25
42IceageBeyondless
41The BethsFuture Me Hates Me
40SabaCARE FOR ME
39Blood OrangeNegro Swan
38Dead can DanceDionysus
37The Good, The Bad, and The QueenMerrie Land
36MournSorpresa Familia
35Xander HarrisVillains Of Romance
34ParcelsParcels
33FischerspoonerSir
32Creux LiesThe Hearth
31Kurt VileBottle It In
30Boy HarsherLesser Man
29Sloan12
28Denzel CurryTA1300
27RobynHoney
26The Slow Readers ClubBuild A Tower
25Anderson .PaakOxnard
24U.S. GirlsIn A Poem Unlimited
23ShoppingThe Official Body
22Christine and the QueensChris
21HookwormsMicroshift
20Neneh CherryBroken Politics
19MoaningMoaning
18ActorsIt Will Come To You
17InterpolMarauder
16Janelle MonaeDirty Computer
15SuedeThe Blue Hour
14Pusha TDAYTONA
13Sunflower BeanTwentytwo In Blue
12PreoccupationsNew Material
11The LongcutArrows
10The OriellesSilver Dollar Moment
9Field MusicOpen Here
8Vince StaplesFM
7The KVBOnly Now Forever
6IdlesJoy As An Act of Reistance
5Beach House7
4Johnny MarrCall The Comet
3Anna CalviHunter
2ShameSongs of Praise
1Young FathersCocoa Sugar