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
I like to talk about music. A lot. All the time. I'm not kidding. Not even a little.
Friday, December 13, 2019
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.
| Artist | Title | |
| 100 | Foxwarren | Foxwarren |
| 99 | Twin Shadow | Caer |
| 98 | Chromeo | Head Over Heels |
| 97 | The Midnight | Kids |
| 96 | Editors | Violence |
| 95 | Creep Show | Mr. Dynamite |
| 94 | Jungle | For Ever |
| 93 | Snail Mail | Lush |
| 92 | Superchunk | What A Time to Be Alive |
| 91 | Born Ruffians | Uncle, Duke and The Chief |
| 90 | Troye Sivan | Bloom |
| 89 | Bush Tetras | Take The Fall |
| 88 | Wye Oak | The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs |
| 87 | Oh Pep | I Wasn't Only Thinking About You |
| 86 | Public Access T.V. | Street Safari |
| 85 | Bodega | Endless Scroll |
| 84 | Spiritualized | And Nothing Hurt |
| 83 | Mitski | Be The Cowboy |
| 82 | David Byrne | American Utopia |
| 81 | Bahamas | Earth Tones |
| 80 | Confidence Man | Confident Music For Confident People |
| 79 | Frankie Cosmos | Vessel |
| 78 | Belle Adair | Tuscumbia |
| 77 | Marie Davidson | Working Class Woman |
| 76 | Manic Street Preachers | Resistance Is Futile |
| 75 | Gazelle Twin | Pastoral |
| 74 | Starcrawler | Starcrawler |
| 73 | Shadowparty | Shadowparty |
| 72 | Lily Allen | No Shame |
| 71 | Yukon Blonde | Critical Hit |
| 70 | Shad | A Short Story About War |
| 69 | Young Galaxy | Down Time |
| 68 | Gus Gus | Lies Are More Flexible |
| 67 | Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks | Sparkle Hard |
| 66 | J Mascis | Elastic Days |
| 65 | Swearin | Fall Into The Sun |
| 64 | Fara-O | Pure-O |
| 63 | Laura Jean | Devotion |
| 62 | Grmln | Impressions From The Dark |
| 61 | Kamasi Washington | Heaven and Earth |
| 60 | John Grant | Love Is Magic |
| 59 | Ought | Room Inside The World |
| 58 | Single Lash | Providence |
| 57 | A Projection | Framework |
| 56 | Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever | Hope Downs |
| 55 | Hater | Siesta |
| 54 | Heaters | Suspended Youth |
| 53 | Gang Gang Dance | Kazuashita |
| 52 | Nothing | Dance on the Blacktop |
| 51 | Deeper | Deeper |
| 50 | ADULT. | This Behaviour |
| 49 | Wild Nothing | Indigo |
| 48 | Django Django | Marble Skies |
| 47 | Fucked Up | Dose Your Dreams |
| 46 | The Presets | Hi Viz |
| 45 | Suuns | Felt |
| 44 | Acid Dad | Acid Dad |
| 43 | Noname | Room 25 |
| 42 | Iceage | Beyondless |
| 41 | The Beths | Future Me Hates Me |
| 40 | Saba | CARE FOR ME |
| 39 | Blood Orange | Negro Swan |
| 38 | Dead can Dance | Dionysus |
| 37 | The Good, The Bad, and The Queen | Merrie Land |
| 36 | Mourn | Sorpresa Familia |
| 35 | Xander Harris | Villains Of Romance |
| 34 | Parcels | Parcels |
| 33 | Fischerspooner | Sir |
| 32 | Creux Lies | The Hearth |
| 31 | Kurt Vile | Bottle It In |
| 30 | Boy Harsher | Lesser Man |
| 29 | Sloan | 12 |
| 28 | Denzel Curry | TA1300 |
| 27 | Robyn | Honey |
| 26 | The Slow Readers Club | Build A Tower |
| 25 | Anderson .Paak | Oxnard |
| 24 | U.S. Girls | In A Poem Unlimited |
| 23 | Shopping | The Official Body |
| 22 | Christine and the Queens | Chris |
| 21 | Hookworms | Microshift |
| 20 | Neneh Cherry | Broken Politics |
| 19 | Moaning | Moaning |
| 18 | Actors | It Will Come To You |
| 17 | Interpol | Marauder |
| 16 | Janelle Monae | Dirty Computer |
| 15 | Suede | The Blue Hour |
| 14 | Pusha T | DAYTONA |
| 13 | Sunflower Bean | Twentytwo In Blue |
| 12 | Preoccupations | New Material |
| 11 | The Longcut | Arrows |
| 10 | The Orielles | Silver Dollar Moment |
| 9 | Field Music | Open Here |
| 8 | Vince Staples | FM |
| 7 | The KVB | Only Now Forever |
| 6 | Idles | Joy As An Act of Reistance |
| 5 | Beach House | 7 |
| 4 | Johnny Marr | Call The Comet |
| 3 | Anna Calvi | Hunter |
| 2 | Shame | Songs of Praise |
| 1 | Young Fathers | Cocoa Sugar |
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
The 50 Best Albums of 2017
It's usually 100.
-->
I tried to make it 25.
Here's 50.
| Artist | Title | |
| 50 | Dreamcar | Dreamcar |
| 49 | The Black Angels | Death Song |
| 48 | Lucky Soul | Hard Lines |
| 47 | Goldfrapp | Silver Eye |
| 46 | Thumpers | Whipped and Glazed |
| 45 | Feist | Pleasure |
| 44 | Kelley Stolz | Que Aura |
| 43 | Soulwax | From Deewee |
| 42 | Zola Jesus | Okovi |
| 41 | Protomartyr | Relatives in Descent |
| 40 | Alvvays | Antisocialites |
| 39 | Vince Staples | Big Fish Theory |
| 38 | Antipole | Getting Frequent Now |
| 37 | Frankie Rose | Cage Tropical |
| 36 | DJ Hell | Zukunftsmusik |
| 35 | Anna of The North | Lovers |
| 34 | Little Cub | Still Life |
| 33 | Omni | Multi-Task |
| 32 | Maylee Todd | Acts of God |
| 31 | Broken Social Scene | Hug Of Thunder |
| 30 | London Grammar | Truth Is A Beautiful Thing |
| 29 | Ariel Pink | Dedicated to Bobby Jameson |
| 28 | Enter Shikari | The Spark |
| 27 | Japanese Breakfast | Soft Sounds From Another Planet |
| 26 | Grizzly Bear | Painted Ruins |
| 25 | Century Palm | Meet You |
| 24 | Dutch Uncles | Big Balloon |
| 23 | Drab Majesty | The Demonstration |
| 22 | Spoon | Hot Thoughts |
| 21 | Unkle | The Road, Pt. 1 |
| 20 | Xander Harris | Termination Dust |
| 19 | Everything Everything | A Fever Dream |
| 18 | Future Islands | The Far Field |
| 17 | Cymbals | Light Your Mind |
| 16 | Kendrick Lamar | Damn |
| 15 | Wolf Alice | Visions of A Life |
| 14 | Sparks | Hippopotamus |
| 13 | Tennis | Yours Conditionally |
| 12 | Algiers | The Underside of Power |
| 11 | Ride | Weather Diaries |
| 10 | Charlotte Gainsbourg | Rest |
| 9 | Cut Copy | Haiku From Zero |
| 8 | Oddisee | The Iceberg |
| 7 | St. Vincent | Masseduction |
| 6 | Mogwai | Every Country's Sun |
| 5 | Fever Ray | Plunge |
| 4 | Sampha | Process |
| 3 | Slowdive | Slowdive |
| 2 | LCD Soundsystem | american dream |
| 1 | The Horrors | V |
Monday, December 12, 2016
The Top 150 Songs of 2016
I like songs and artists that sound like they should be popular, and deserve to be popular, but mostly are not that popular. I started with over 300 songs I quite liked this year, and somehow managed to narrow it down to a whopping 150. Some of them have synths and elecronics, many of them have guitars and drums. Some of them are rap and none of them are country. All of them are clever, melodic, and harmonious, and they are all especially listenable.
Here is the playlist, because I make very good playlists :)
-->
| Song | Artist | |
| 150 | What's It Gonna Be? | Shura |
| 149 | Bad Decisions | Two Door Cinema Club |
| 148 | You Bring The Summer | The Monkees |
| 147 | Estuvo Bien | Mexrrissey |
| 146 | Swing Street | Steve Porcaro (ft. Michael McDonald) |
| 145 | Alakazam ! | Justice |
| 144 | Sleepover | Kaya Stewart |
| 143 | Never Ever | STRFKR |
| 142 | Pain | De La Soul |
| 141 | Don't Wanna Dance | Paper Lions |
| 140 | Then Again | Pinegrove |
| 139 | Vertigo Flowers | Nothing |
| 138 | In The Moment | DMAs |
| 137 | Honey Sweet | Blossoms |
| 136 | Arizona Hwy | The Darcys |
| 135 | Hey Girl | Cullen Omori |
| 134 | Thin Air | Teenage Fanclub |
| 133 | King Of The World | Weezer |
| 132 | Racing Country | EZTV |
| 131 | My Instincts Are The Enemy | American Football |
| 130 | Flower of Sex | Merchandise |
| 129 | Evil Disco | Public Access T.V. |
| 128 | White Street | Kristin Kontrol |
| 127 | Staring At All This Handle | Simian Mobile Disco |
| 126 | It Means I Love You | Jessy Lanza |
| 125 | Secrets | The Weeknd |
| 124 | Big Cat | Wild Beasts |
| 123 | These Words | Lemon Twigs |
| 122 | Didn't Try To Run Away | Kyle Forester |
| 121 | Life Of Pause | Wild Nothing |
| 120 | Cold To See Clear | Nada Surf |
| 119 | Departures | Portrayal |
| 118 | Descent of Their Last End | Kestrels |
| 117 | Planet You | The Julie Ruin |
| 116 | Fading Lines | Amber Arcades |
| 115 | Signals | School of Seven Bells |
| 114 | Ambulance | The Amazing |
| 113 | Another Dimension | Toy |
| 112 | Nobody | Operators |
| 111 | Siberian Nights | The Kills |
| 110 | (Girl We Got A) Good Thing | Weezer |
| 109 | The Book of Too Late Changes | Cotton Mather |
| 108 | The End Of Things | Bob Mould |
| 107 | Sun Rays | Syd Arthur |
| 106 | The Wheel | PJ Harvey |
| 105 | Something Like Love | Light Fantastic |
| 104 | So Tired | Hockey Dad |
| 103 | Hold On | Teenage Fanclub |
| 102 | Mind Over Matter | Tuns |
| 101 | She's Mine | Alex Cameron |
| 100 | Breakfast In Bed | Mayer Hawthorne |
| 99 | untitled 03 | Kendrick Lamar |
| 98 | Eat Your Heart Out Adonis | Wild Beasts |
| 97 | The Sweetest Romance | Breakbot |
| 96 | Dial Me In | Factory Floor |
| 95 | FloriDada | Animal Collective |
| 94 | Aaja | Swet Shop Boys |
| 93 | Got It Good | Kaytranada |
| 92 | Youth | Glass Animals |
| 91 | Riverina | The Temper Trap |
| 90 | Caroline | The Blessed Isles |
| 89 | A Love Song | Ladyhawke |
| 88 | Whole Food | Denmark Vessey |
| 87 | Breakdance Lesson N.1. | Kaytranada |
| 86 | Information | Eliot Sumner |
| 85 | Open Your Eyes | School Of Seven Bells |
| 84 | Wake Up | Soft Kill |
| 83 | No Peace | Syd Arthur |
| 82 | never | jennylee |
| 81 | Talk To Me | Run The Jewels |
| 80 | Won't Go Crazy | Kyle Forester |
| 79 | It's A Good Thing | Field Music |
| 78 | The Valley | Mayer Hawthorne |
| 77 | Straight up Satan | Xander Harris |
| 76 | Lyrics | Skepta |
| 75 | X-Communicate | Kristin Kontrol |
| 74 | Rome | Operators |
| 73 | Stimulation | Preoccupations |
| 72 | Marc Bolan Blues | Luke Haines |
| 71 | Melbourne | DMAs |
| 70 | Red Flag | The Moth & The Flame |
| 69 | Take It Out On Me | White Lies |
| 68 | Little Kids | Suede |
| 67 | Lost Illusions | Exploded View |
| 66 | New Song | Warpaint |
| 65 | The Pop Kids | Pet Shop Boys |
| 64 | A Couple Dollars | Apollo Brown & Skyzoo |
| 63 | Love is A Fire | Junior Boys |
| 62 | Ain't That Something | Trashcan Sinatras |
| 61 | Back Among Friends | Tuns |
| 60 | Raygun | Hockey Dad |
| 59 | Dopamine | Diiv |
| 58 | Twilight Driving | Methyl Ethyl |
| 57 | Get My Bang | Wild Beasts |
| 56 | If Rah | Underworld |
| 55 | Nobody Speak | DJ Shadow & Run The Jewels |
| 54 | Ordinary | Jagwar Ma |
| 53 | My Number | Paper Lions |
| 52 | Baby give up on it | Junior Boys |
| 51 | Lost Somebody | A Tribe Called Quest |
| 50 | untitled 08 | Kendrick Lamar |
| 49 | Together | Kaytranada |
| 48 | You Don't Get Me High Anymore | Phantogram |
| 47 | Mother Emanuel | Local Natives |
| 46 | Shut Up Kiss Me | Angel Olsen |
| 45 | Jungle Jenny | Omni |
| 44 | Hunny Bunny | Hockey Dad |
| 43 | Bombay Blue | Mystery Jets |
| 42 | Radio Silence | Shearwater |
| 41 | No Tomorrow | Suede |
| 40 | It's Different For Girls | Of Montreal |
| 39 | Never Enough | Jessy Lanza |
| 38 | Groovy | Pet Shop Boys |
| 37 | The Space Program | A Tribe Called Quest |
| 36 | Augustine | Blood Orange |
| 35 | Don't You Want to Know What's Wrong? | Field Music |
| 34 | Walrus | D.D Dumbo |
| 33 | Blume | Eagulls |
| 32 | Burn The Witch | Radiohead |
| 31 | Lazarus | David Bowie |
| 30 | The Community of Hope | PJ Harvey |
| 29 | Winter Radio | Zoos Of Berlin |
| 28 | Silly Me | Yeasayer |
| 27 | He The Colossus | Wild Beasts |
| 26 | 2100 | Run The Jeweis |
| 25 | Buckle Bunny | Xander Harris |
| 24 | Am I Wrong | Anderson Paak |
| 23 | boom boom | jennylee |
| 22 | Under The Sun | Diiv |
| 21 | Crash | Against Me! |
| 20 | Cold Vermouth | Omni |
| 19 | Give Me A Reason | Jagwar Ma |
| 18 | Junie | Solange |
| 17 | T5 | Swet Shop Boys |
| 16 | Battlecry | Digitalism |
| 15 | Indentikit | Radiohead |
| 14 | Satan | D.D Dumbo |
| 13 | Too Soon | DMAs |
| 12 | End Of An Era | Public Access T.V. |
| 11 | Goin Down | Dinosaur Jr. |
| 10 | Mixed Messages | Tuns |
| 9 | All Night | Trashcan Sinatras |
| 8 | Nylon Strung | Underworld |
| 7 | We The People | A Tribe Called Quest |
| 6 | A Night Out With | Hockey Dad |
| 5 | Alpha Female | Wild Beasts |
| 4 | In Deep | The KVB |
| 3 | Dark Days | Local Natives |
| 2 | Disappointed | Field Music |
| 1 | Ablaze | School of Seven Bells |
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