My Favorite 50 Records of 2022
Annual Disclaimer: This is definitely NOT intended to be a “Best of” list. Who can possibly hope to listen to enough of the music released each year to presume that they could compile a “Best of” list anyway? Not only that, our individual music taste, as we hopefully all realize, is such a subjective thing. How dare anyone think their music opinion is any more valid or better than anyone else’s! Ideally, the goal of any music lover’s year-end list is to share with fellow music fans the artists, albums, and songs that brought them joy and made life better over the past 12 months.
This year, I listened to over 300 new LPs and EPs released in 2022. This list could have easily reached 100 in terms of albums that I genuinely enjoyed listening to. However, I decided to limit this to my favorite 50 records released this year. I wrote little blurbs about the first 30 albums, and then just provided favorite tracks for 31-50.
The Spotify playlist that includes highlights from each album is located here:
1. The Smile: A Light for Attracting Attention—Perhaps nobody knows, not even the bandmembers themselves, if we will ever get another album and tour cycle from Radiohead, the greatest non-Beatles band in popular music history. Luckily for the music world, Radiohead’s two most well-known members, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, continue to produce genius-level music in a variety of side projects, including first-rate film score work. The Smile is unique as it is a joint side project for Yorke and Greenwood. Formed with Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner and longtime Radiohead producer and general muse Nigel Godrich, The Smile may be as close as we will get to new Radiohead music for the foreseeable future. Luckily for us, their 2022 record A Light for Attracting Attention is absolutely stunningly good, and is arguably a stronger top to bottom album than Radiohead’s most recent album A Moon-Shaped Pool released in 2016. That may sound like sacrilegious hot take territory to some loyal Radiohead fans, but I have to think even the remaining Radiohead band members couldn’t help but be a bit disappointed that these Yorke/Greenwood compositions didn’t get reserved for future Radiohead recording sessions. Thrilling lead single You Will Never Work In Television Again is one of hardest rocking tracks Yorke and Greenwood have recorded in a decade or more. Funky album highlights The Smoke and The Opposite display the obvious benefits of drummer Tom Skinner’s jazz bonafides. Most surprising for me was the record containing some of the most beautiful songs in the Yorke/Greenwood/Godrich catalog, including Free In The Knowledge, Pana-vision, and Open The Floodgates.
The Smile toured extensively this year, finishing with a US leg during the latter part of the year. I made it a priority to catch one of their last shows of the tour in LA just before Christmas. The live performance exceeded all expectation, of course. Their setlist is already featuring several new tracks set to featuring in the already planned second record. While we wait for Radiohead, may The Smile continue to churn out amazing recordings and performances.
Standout Tracks: You Will Never Work in Television Again; The Smoke; Free In The Knowledge; Pana-vision; The Opposite
2. Beach House: Once Twice Melody—By mid-February this year, I was 99% positive that I already knew two of the entries in my eventual year-end Top 5 albums of the year. The inevitable Album Of The Year contenders were the impressive double albums released back to back weeks in early February by consistently excellent indie music institutions Beach House and Big Thief.
Released on streaming services over the last months of 2021 and first month or so of 2022 as four “chapters”, the final installment arrived in time for physical copies of the album to hit the record shops in mid-February. Now eight proper albums into their celebrated catalog, Maryland duo Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally have somewhat surprisingly managed to reach a likely career peak with Once Twice Melody—surprising mainly because they have been so good for so long already! At 18 tracks long, this double LP is an objectively impressive accomplishment. What leaves the biggest impression, however, is just the overwhelming number of near perfect indie dream pop songs overflowing from this masterpiece. Highlight advance single New Romance and the Title Track were among my favorite tracks of the year, but the whole album is an embarrassment of riches. It was fun to catch Beach House on a lovely night at the Ogden Twilight Concert Series.
Standout Tracks: Once Twice Melody; Superstar; New Romance; Sunset; Hurts To Love
3. Big Thief: Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You — A week before Beach House’s double album Once Twice Melody, fellow indie rock gods Big Thief released their own blockbuster double album Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You. Here again, it seemed almost inevitable upon release that this monster record would be a certain Album of the Year contender, regardless of what happened with the remaining 10 ½ months of the year.
Big Thief have quickly built up a notable discography with now five top-quality records in just 6 years since their debut boldly titled Masterpiece was released in 2016. The band’s two most prominent members, Adrienne Lenker and Buck Meek, have also released accomplished solo records during this time as well. Few, if any, active indie rock outfits today are combining sublime, poetic lyrics with complex, satisfying instrumentation resulting in such rewarding music. We will be discovering new joys in this massive album for years to come.
Standout Tracks: Spud Infinity; Change; Certainty; Simulation Swarm; Little Things
4. Kevin Morby: This Is A Photograph— Due to the sheer number of excellent albums released this year, it is inevitable that countless top-shelf records are going to go criminally ignored. I fear that is the fate of this latest release from Kevin Morby. This Is A Photograph is Morby’s seventh record in less than a decade since leaving the indie band Woods and it is probably his most-fully realized artistic statement yet. The songwriting is first-class and added folk and orchestral instrumental flourishes take many of these songs to a higher level than he’s reached previously. A couple of my favorite female singer-songwriters, Erin Rae and Cassandra Jenkins, are enlisted to add gorgeous guest vocals on a couple of highlight tracks as well. Kevin played SLC on Election Night and it was a very welcome distraction!
Standout Tracks: This Is A Photograph; It’s Over; Rock Bottom; Bittersweet, TN; A Coat of Butterflies
5. Spiritualized: Everything Was Beautiful—Jason Pierce, aka J. Spaceman, has been producing hypnotic, drug-influenced psychedelic gospel music through his Spiritualized project for three decades now. It is strangely reassuring for me to be able to depend on J. Spacemen to produce yet another soothing, comfort record of the highest quality. His latest, Everything Was Beautiful, continues his streak of albums that have been described by many as a “return to peak form.” In reality, Spiritualized is just a consistently excellent vehicle for the underappreciated artistic genius of Jason Pierce.
Everything Was Beautiful opens with advance single, and prototypical SPZ track, Always Together With You. Both the A side and B side of the record open with a pair of propulsive, full-arsenal onslaughts from the band. However, my favorite tracks on the record are the two slower bluesy tracks that comprise the second half of the A side, the stunningly beautiful Let It Bleed (For Iggy) and intoxicating second single Crazy.
I genuinely respect and appreciate Pierce’s commitment to his artistic vision. It’s been said that his last two or three US tours actually likely COST him money because he refuses to tour without his full complement of band members and backup singers necessary to reproduce the full sound he has designed for his albums. I’ve seen Spiritualized now over a dozen times and their live shows remain powerful, absorbing experiences. My latest baptism by music was earlier this year at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival, where Spiritualized was appointment viewing as close to the stage as possible. The greatest compliment I can give the band is to say that the new material fit seamlessly alongside their absolute classics (Shine A Light, Come Together, Soul on Fire, etc) in an enthralling set.
Standout Tracks: Let It Bleed (For Iggy); Always Together With You; Crazy; The Mainline Song; Best Thing You Never Had (The D Song)
6. Spoon: Lucifer On The Sofa— Britt Daniel and his Spoon bandmates have been churning out first-rate rock and roll music for over 25 years now and are arguably the best American indie rock band during that timeframe. Lucifer on the Sofa is the 10th full LP by the Austin, Texas group and is somehow surprisingly excellent. In a time when it is especially easy to begin to tune out legacy guitar bands like Spoon, it was genuinely refreshing to find this latest Spoon LP to be as energizing and revelatory as their earlier breakout albums from the 00s and early 10s. Advance singles Wild and The Hardest Cut are two of the best rock singles of their career, but my sneaky favorite song is slower love song My Babe.
One of my favorite live music experiences was enjoying a Spoon hometown show from backstage at the Stubbs BBQ outdoor amphitheater soon after the release of their 2014 record They Want My Soul. Let us all adequately appreciate that this consistently awesome band keeps doing their thing at such a high level. I enjoyed seeing them in SLC earlier this year, even if they were booked at Utah’s worst music venue The Complex.
Standout Tracks: Wild; The Hardest Cut; My Babe; Held; Feels Alright
7. Arctic Monkeys: The Car—I was excited to attend the Primavera Sound LA music festival in September. One of the primary draws was the festival featuring one of only three US performances by the Arctic Monkeys in 2022. I was hoping for some advance insights into the highly-anticipated new album The Car scheduled to be released the following week. Frontman Alex Turner is one of the most compelling performers in music. With all of that in mind, our group decided to attempt to turn back the hands of time and stake out a front and center spot to see AM from a prime location. We could barely walk afterwards, but we had lasted around 7 hours (!) in the same spot waiting for the show to start. The Monkeys’ performance was worth it, although I’m not sure how many more years I have such festival exploits in me!
Only one new song was played, and it was not the excellent advance single There’d Better Be A Mirrorball, but rather second single I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am. The new music to that point foreshadowed that The Car was going to be very similar in vibe to previous LP Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino, a great record that was a bit divisive amongst the fanbase. I am a big enough Arctic Monkeys fan that I am happy to go on whatever musical journey they want for me. However, there is a part of me that does pine for their more carefree, hard-rocking days of almost a decade ago. They will be touring all across America next fall, including a September 20, 2023 stop at the Vivint Center. I’ve now seen the Monkeys several times, and I hope to see them next year as well. Their career-spanning live shows are just too thrilling to ignore, even if their artistically-satisfying late-era albums don’t inspire quite as much enthusiasm.
Standout Tracks: There’d Better Be A Mirrorball; I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am; Hello You; Body Paint; Perfect Sense
8. Phoenix: Alpha Zulu—The French indie band returned this year with their best album since the heady glory days of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix in 2009. For over two decades now, Sofia Coppola’s husband Thomas Mars and his boyhood friends have always been a reliable source of accessible, sophisticated party music. It is easy to imagine highlight single Tonight, featuring Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, soundtracking countless superspreader events in the coming years. Impossibly catchy synthpop gem After Midnight transports me right back to the innocence and naivete of the mid to late 00s with each listen. Album closer Identical was the musical highlight of the 2020 Sofia Coppola/Bill Murray/Rashida Jones film On The Rocks and is a welcome inclusion here. I have so many memories of great Phoenix shows and I’d love to see them back on tour next year playing some of these songs live. I will be on the lookout for any joint Phoenix/Vampire Weekend festival lineups.
Standout Tracks: Tonight (featuring Ezra Koenig); After Midnight; Winter Solstice; Identical; Season 2
9. Arcade Fire: WE— This year saw an overwhelming number of blockbuster albums from legacy indie bands. Music fans benefitted from the almost weekly release of album of the year contender level quality records that were the result of pandemic recording sessions.
Arcade Fire fans could be certain Win, Regine, and crew would produce something meaningful and ambitious in response to pandemic living. Their last record Everything Now, released all the way back in 2017, left even the most diehard of supporters a bit weary and disappointed with what appeared to be a case of Arcade Fire trying way too hard and outsmarting even themselves.
On WE, Arcade Fire trade almost all of the tiring cynicism and excessively clever marketing of the Everything Now album cycle for peak earnestness and sincerity. Such a heart on sleeve approach does risk eyerolls and cringe from music snobs and there are perhaps a few instances of crossing the line of acceptable cheesiness for respectable indie music. On the other hand, would we want our Arcade Fire albums any other way? Now that U2 seems incapable of producing anything of top quality anymore, Arcade Fire is just about the only arena band on earth who could pull off a song as simultaneously inspiring and borderline manipulative as Unconditional I (Lookout Kid). Lead single The Lightning I kicked off the album cycle showing up as a slightly-above average Arcade Fire song, but then morphs into the thrilling and invigorating The Lightning II, better than any single moment on their previous album, and as good as the classic Arcade Fire highs of the 00s.
I appreciate the influence of their good friend James Murphy on the electropop delight Age of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole). Just when they start to lose me just a bit with the superfluous Peter Gabriel guest appearance on a song about race and religion, they wrap the record with a nearly perfect acoustic ballad title-track featuring an affecting Win Butler vocal performance for the ages. So what are we left with in the end? A solid and worthwhile addition to the Arcade Fire discography—certainly no Funeral or The Suburbs, but a refreshing return to form following Everything Now.
Any current discussion of Arcade Fire requires the mention of recent allegations of sexual misconduct against bandleader Win Butler. While that scandal certainly tarnished the positive vibes surrounding the new album and subsequent tour, I have always thought of Arcade Fire as a collective of talented musicians, not just a single personality.
Standout Tracks: The Lightning II; WE; Age of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole); Age of Anxiety I; Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Cool It Down—In a year with a lot of great comebacks, one of the best was the return of NYC indie punk legends Yeah Yeah Yeahs. New record Cool It Down features so many top Karen O moments and fits seamlessly into their iconic discography. Karen and YYYs featured prominently in the Showtime documentary Meet Me In The Bathroom about the early 2000s NYC indie rock scene, so it was especially satisfying that this new record feels so timelessly brilliant.
Lead single Spitting Off The Edge Of The World, featuring a great guest turn by Perfume Genius, is an automatic all-timer. I can’t wait to watch Karen O perform instant classic track Wolf live next year at the Kilby Block Party festival in May in SLC.
Standout Tracks: Spitting Off The Edge Of The World; Wolf; Burning; Fleez; Lovebomb
11. Nilufer Yanya: PAINLESS— The young, exciting London artist Nilufer Yanya continues her ascent to the highest (modest) echelons of indie music stardom with her second full LP Painless. After a series of well-received early EPs, Yanya broke through with her 2019 debut record Miss Universe. Excellent 2020 EP Feeling Lucky? kept her relevant through the pandemic as an appetizer to this latest album.
Highlight track Midnight Sun is a perfect example of Yanya’s charm and appeal—intoxicating vocals, inviting production and instrumentation, and a moody vibe that leaves the listener wanting more of whatever she’s putting out there.
I got to see Yanya play up close at an intimate afternoon set at one of the indoor venues at Coachella. She sounded great and I can’t wait to see what she does next. She also gets bonus points from me for letting King Krule remix Midnight Sun for the deluxe version of the album on Spotify.
Standout Tracks: the dealer; midnight sun; stabilise; L/R; anotherlife
12. Jake Xerxes Fussell: Good and Green Again— The North Carolina folk artist Jake Xerxes Fussell continues to carve out his charming, invaluable niche in the modern indie music scene. Good and Green Again is the fourth album Fussell has put out featuring his modern interpretations and performances of traditional folks songs of the past. It is almost a bit remarkable that he continues to unearth so many underappreciated folk gems to offer a platform for modern appreciation. Love Farewell and Breast of Glass are as gorgeous and uplifting as any songs in his catalog. This new album is unique in that it features the first original instrumental compositions of Fussell’s career. While certainly worthwhile music, here is hoping that his future original work doesn’t distract him too much from finding more lost treasures to revive. Fussell played a pleasant support set for The Decemberists this summer at the SLC Twilight Concert Series. I’d love to see his own full set sometime.
Standout Tracks: Love Farewell; Breast of Glass; Frolic; Washington; Carriebelle
13. Alex G: God Save The Animals—Philly native Alex G has been putting out great bedroom indie rock albums for over a decade now since he quit Temple University to pursue a music career. He signed to Domino in 2015 and God Save The Animals is his fourth record on that label. This album is his first to utilize more of a professional studio recording approach, although his bedroom recording ethos is still very much apparent in the freeform and relaxed approach to many of the songs. Alex G is maybe the closest thing we have to Elliott Smith in music today. Runner was one of my favorite tracks of the year, but the whole record is really strong from top to bottom.
Standout Tracks: Runner; Mission; Early Morning Waiting; Miracles; Immunity
14. Destroyer: LABYRINTHITIS— Dan Bejar has already built up an enviable music career between his membership in beloved indie rock supergroup The New Pornographers and his impressively prolific solo catalog as Destroyer. With his Destroyer project in particular, one really does not know what to expect. Fittingly, I definitely was not expecting Labyrinthitis, the 13th Destroyer record over 25 years, to be my favorite Bejar solo record ever.
Earlier standout albums (Kaputt, Destroyer’s Rubies, Ken, etc.) may have had higher highs (Chinatown, Painter In Your Pocket, Tinseltown Swimming in Blood, etc.) than are to be found here, but obvious and legitimate recency bias concerns aside, I am convinced this latest LP is the strongest and most enjoyable front to back listen of his Destroyer career. Musically, the record is all over the place, darting from breezy indie folk to aggressive synth pop to lovely instrumental interludes. I’d seen Dan as part of The New Pornographers but had yet to see him as Destroyer until I finally caught he and his band playing an inspiring show at the Black Cat in DC in May.
Standout Tracks: June; It’s In Your Heart Now; Eat the Wine, Drink the Bread; The States; Suffer
15. Animal Collective: Time Skiffs— Like many indie music fans who were following the music scene closely in the late 00s, I really enjoyed the peak era of crowd-pleasing Animal Collective output in the 2009–the Fall Be Kind EP and their masterpiece record Merriweather Post Pavilion. In the decade plus since then, I’ve had a hard time feeling much connection to most of the music Animal Collective released.
From that low expectation standpoint, I was very pleased to hear the first advance single for their latest album, an epic standout track called Prester John, which hinted to a more accessible, radio-friendly sound (satellite radio at least). Their new album Time Skiffs certainly doesn’t shift all the way to a pure pop sensibility; however, there is no question that there will be many MPP-era AnCo fans who have drifted away who will be very pleased to hear this album recall those halcyon days of My Girls and Brothersport.
Standout Tracks: Prester John; Strung With Everything; Walker; Cherokee; Dragon Slayer
16. Widowspeak: The Jacket—I’ve been really surprised (but maybe I shouldn’t be) to not see this exceptionally strong album from this unsung band show up on any year-end “Best of” lists. Brooklyn-based indie duo Widowspeak has been putting out underrated, understated indie rock albums for over a decade now. Spearheaded by Molly Hamilton and Robert Earl Thomas, the project is one of the primary acts recording on the quality Brooklyn indie label Captured Tracks. Hamilton’s dreamy vocals and inviting songwriting combine with Thomas’ warm guitar work to create accessible, appealing acoustic rock to soothe in these turbulent times. I dare the reader to listen to lead single Everything is Simple and not be charmed immediately.
Standout Tracks: Everything Is Simple; While You Wait; Salt; The Drive; The Jacket;
17. Toro Y Moi: MAHAL— Chazwick Bundick, aka Chas Bear, aka (and best known as) Toro Y Moi released his seventh album under his TYM name this summer and followed that up with his largest headlining tour of his career. I got to see his show in Philadelphia in July, and the excitement and momentum was unmistakable. Toro Y Moi has gone from being considered one of the godfathers of chillwave back around 2010 or so to now being an indie version of Frank Ocean or The Weekend. This latest record MAHAL features more of a clubby vibe, albeit still a hipster version. The satisfying career-spanning set on this tour demonstrates what a solid discography Chas has built up at this point.
Standout Tracks: Magazine; Postman; Millenium; The Medium; Way Too Hot
18. Harry Styles: Harry’s House— Whether we realize it or not (and/or whether or not we want to admit it!), we all find ourselves influenced by the music tastes and choices of those around us in our households, workplaces, places of recreation, etc.
I have three daughters in the teenage/pre-teen age cohort that live in my home and in the year 2022 that meant we are all listening to Harry Styles’ new album Harry’s House on repeat, whether by choice or by osmosis. The apex of this Harry fandom for my girls was seeing him headline the Coachella Music Festival in April. In my capacity as chaperone, I committed to making sure we arrived early at the main stage to secure a prime location at close enough proximity to see Harry, his tattoos, and his outfits within shrieking distance. Following excruciatingly mediocre warmup act performances that felt like they would never end, it was finally time for Mr. Styles to hit the stage. All of the advance planning and effort, along with some very sore feet, was immediately worth it as I witnessed the euphoric reaction of my daughters to Harry’s initial appearance on stage and first song performance. My heart absolutely melted as I heard my youngest daughter alternate between screaming, giggling, and reciting the lyrics of ubiquitous lead single As It Was.
Jason Sudiekis may not agree, but I’m convinced it is impossible not to be at least somewhat charmed by the talent and charisma of Mr. Styles. Even this cynical pop music skeptic found himself adding guilty pleasure Harry’s House singles to playlists. Harry Styles, this Harry’s House album, and that Coachella experience with my diehard fan daughters will forever be an unforgettable memory from this year.
Standout Tracks: As It Was; Late Night Talking; Daydreaming; Grapejuice; Daylight
19. Black Country, New Road: Ants From Up Here— This British seven-piece released one of the most promising and interesting post-punk records just last year in their impressive debut For the First Time. So it was a bit surprising that Black Country, New Road was already back with a February release for their sophomore album Ants From Up There. This latest record contains many of the same charms as their compelling debut: mesmerizing, slow-burn instrumentals; dramatic, spoken-word vocal performance; and confident, complex story-telling.
Just before the album release, news broke that dynamic frontman Isaac Wood would be stepping away from the band for mental health reasons. It will be fascinating to watch how the remaining members of the band move forward, both in terms of recording new music, as well as performing live shows since they have stated they do not plan to perform any of the music created with and performed by the departed Wood. The best outcome for all may be that Wood eventually rejoin the band at some point. It would be a shame for these two great records to not see extensive touring around the world.
Standout Tracks: Concorde; The Place Where He Inserted The Blade; Chaos Space Marine; Intro; Good Will Hunting
20. Hot Chip: Freakout/Release –Lovable London indie electronic outfit Hot Chip released yet another catchy as hell dance record this year. Hot Chip’s music is an instant mood enhancer for me. Genius bandleaders Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard have been making awesome pop music together for over two decades and show no signs of slowing down. I’ve seen them multiple times over the years and their set this year at Coachella was just as energetic and joyful as ever. And I will always be a loyal Hot Chip fan having attended the lone SS Coachella festival cruise where Hot Chip were one of the headliners. I had many fun run-ins with the band and their families on the cruise ship. Good times!
Standout Tracks: Broken; Down; Eleanor; Freakout/Release; Time
21. Alvvays: Blue Rev— If you were to ask me which modern band is best keeping the flame of the shoegaze music genre alive, Canadian indie band Alvvays would be near the top of the list. Blue Rev is the band’s third album, all on esteemed indie label Polyvinyl. Alvvays found early attention with their excellent self-titled debut in 2014. With this latest record, the band have reached new heights of critical acclaim, placing near the top of several year-end lists of major music magazines. I got to see the band when they passed through SLC earlier this year. They sounded great and I was impressed that their catalog is so deep that my favorite single Plimsoll Punks doesn’t even get played on the setlist every night!
Standout Tracks: Pharmacist; Easy On Your Own?; After The Earthquake; Belinda Says; Pomeranian Spinster
22. Yumi Zouma: Present Tense— If you were to ask me which modern band is best keeping the flame of the shoegaze music genre alive, New Zealand band Yumi Zouma would be another act near the top of the list. In less than ten years, between two trusted indie labels Cascine and Polyvinyl, Yumi Zouma has put out four dreamy full-length LPs and three standout quality EPs.
The band’s well-crafted accessible pop sound continues on their newest album Present Tense. If advance single In the Eyes of Our Love isn’t the catchiest thing you’ve heard all year, it will certainly be close. As for shoegaze, it doesn’t get too much more “shoegazey” than delectable album closer Astral Projection. I’m an idiot and forgot to go to their show when they passed through SLC in November. I better get another chance to see them live.
Standout Tracks: In the Eyes of Our Love; Astral Projection; Where The Light Used To Lay; Give It Hell; Mona Lisa
23. Mitski: Laurel Hell— The Japanese-American indie artist Mitski reached fairly lofty heights of cultural impact with her 2018 album Be The Cowboy. Her latest record Laurel Hell provides more of the same gorgeous, slickly-produced electro-glampop that has become her trademark sound. In any normal time, this record would likely command a high profile. However, I fear Laurel Hell got a bit lost in the shuffle given the tidal wave of prominent records fighting for the attention of music nerds everywhere this year. Regardless, this is a worthy addition to her strong discography. I got to see Mitski play an intense set at the Primavera LA festival and she certainly leaves it all on the stage.
Standout Tracks: Working for the Knife; The Only Heartbreaker; Should’ve Been Me; Love Me More; Stay Soft
24. Khruangbin and Leon Bridges: Texas Moon EP—Fellow Texas music acts Khruangbin and Leon Bridges followed up their fantastic 2020 EP Texas Sun with a darker, sexier companion EP Texas Moon. It continues to be a rewarding listening experience to hear the melding of both artists’ strengths, Khruangbin’s funky instrumentation and Bridges’ soulful vocals, into a result that is even more than the sum of their quality standalone parts. Texas Moon takes a listen or two to full reveal itself, but quickly turns out to be every bit as good as its predecessor. Leon wasn’t there, but I saw Khruangbin play a stellar set at Primavera LA. The highlight was their trademark medley of classic hiphop crowd favorites. I’d love to see Khruangbin and Leon Bridges do a show together performing these companion EPs.
Standout Tracks: B-side; Mariella; Father Father; Doris; Chocolate Hills
25. Beirut: Artifacts— Few things demonstrate the excellence of a band more than releasing an odds and ends compilation that feels more impressive and important than most bands’ strongest work. Such is the case with Artifacts, a compilation record collecting b-sides, alternate versions, and other stray songs from the career of indie stalwarts Beirut.
Early Beirut EP highlights Elephant Gun, Transatlantique and Scenic World are fun and interesting to have in one place, but the highlights of Artifacts are the standout b-sides Fyodor Dormant, Fisher Island Sound, and So Slowly. For me, lead singer and band founder Zach Condon just has one of those voices that moves me and each of these tracks features some of his best vocal work.
Standout Tracks: Fisher Island Sound; Fyodor Dormant; So Slowly; Autumn Tall Tales, Poisoning Claude
26. Panda Bear and Sonic Boom: Reset—An out of nowhere pleasant surprise was this collaboration between Animal Collective mainstay Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) and Sonic Boom (Peter Kember, formerly in Spectrum with J. Spaceman) who both now live in Portugal. The resulting album Reset is a delightful melding of their individual musical tastes and skillsets. One can hear the influence of AnCo, Panda Bear solo work, Spectrum psychadelics, and even some Beach Boys and Bowie.
Standout Tracks: Edge Of The Edge; Gettin’ To The Point; Go On; Everyday; In My Body
27. Shout Out Louds: House— I’ve been enjoying the genuine, uplifting indie rock of the Swedish band Shout Out Louds for almost two decades now. Earlier this year, Merge Records put out their latest record House filled with more of the same positive, quality music from these unassuming underdogs. They are so consistently good and continue to fly so far below the radar that they risk lulling the indie music scene (and even their fans!) to sleep, or to complacency at a minimum. Neither scenario does justice to this great band.
Standout Tracks: Sometimes Sometimes; As Far Away As Possible; Sky And I (Himlen); High As A Kite; My Companion
28. Kurt Vile : Watch My Moves—Some artists are so consistently good, they begin to fly below the radar by lulling the music press and music fans into a state of complacency or ignorance through sheer boring, repeated brilliance. Kurt Vile appears destined to suffer from this phenomenon.
The Philadelphia indie rock hero was not only the lead guitarist for fellow Philly indie rock institution The War on Drugs, but Vile has now put out so many great solo and side project records (such as his great record with Courtney Barnett back in 2018) that even music aficionados are losing track.
Vile’s latest record is an understated, but no less excellent, album entitled Watch My Moves. Lead single Like Exploding Stones is a perfect example of the effortless brilliance of Kurt Vile, from his unassuming vocals, inviting guitar, and comforting synth flourishes.
Standout Tracks: Like Exploding Stones; Flyin (like a fast train); Mount Airy Hill (Way Gone); Hey Like A Child; Say The Word
29. Bonny Light Horseman: Rolling Golden Holy—The indie folk supergroup Bonny Light Horseman, composed of Anais Mitchell, Eric B. Johnson of Fruit Bats, and producer extraordinaire Josh Kaufman, released their sophomore record this year. While not reaching quite the highs of their debut, there is more than enough quality folk and americana on this record for this side project to be worth continuing indefinitely.
Standout Tracks: California; Exile; Comrade Sweetheart; Sweetbread; Summer Dream
30. Fontaines D.C.: Skinty Fia—Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. released their third record in four years in Skinty Fia, perhaps their most accessible record yet. Lead single Jackie Down The Line is one of my favorite tracks of the year.
Standout Tracks: Jackie Down The Line; Roman Holiday; I Love You; Skinty Fia; Big Shot
31. Weyes Blood: And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow—Standout Tracks: Grapevine; It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody; Hearts Aglow; Children of the Empire; The Worst Is Done
32. Soccer Mommy: Sometimes, Forever—Standout Tracks: Shotgun; Bones; Don’t Ask Me; Feel It All The Time; Following Eyes
33. Danger Mouse and Black Thought: Cheat Codes–Standout Tracks: Aquamarine; No Gold Teeth; Because; Strangers; Belize
34. Cola: Deep In View–Standout Tracks: At Pace; Blank Curtain; So Excited; Water Table; Fulton Park
35. Wet Leg: Wet Leg—Standout Tracks: Too Late Now; Angelica; Wet Dream; Being in Love; Chaise Lounge
36. Angel Olsen: Big Time— Standout Tracks: All The Good Times; Big Time; Ghost On; This Is How It Works; Right Now
37. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever: Endless Rooms— Standout Tracks: The Way It Shatters; My Echo; Dive Deep; Tidal River; Blue Eye Lake
38. Aldous Harding: Warm Chris— Standout Tracks: Fever, Tick Tock; Lawn; Passion Babe; Warm Chris
39. Cate Le Bon: Pompeii— Standout Tracks: Harbour; Moderation ; Running Away; Remembering Me; French Boys
40. Erin Rae: Lighten Up— Standout Tracks: True Love’s Face; Modern Woman; Can’t See Stars; Candy and Curry; Cosmic Sigh
41. Plains: I Walked With You A Ways—Standout Tracks: Problem With It; Abilene; Hurricane; Summer Sun; Line of Sight
42. Hatchie: Giving The World Away— Standout Tracks: This Enchanted; Quicksand; Lights On; The Rhythm; Giving The World Away
43. Let’s Eat Grandma: Two Ribbons— Standout Tracks: Happy New Year; Levitation; Hall of Mirrors; Two Ribbons; Watching You Go
44. Julia Jacklin: Pre-Pleasure— Standout Tracks: Lydia Wears A Cross; I Was Neon; Love, Try Not To Let Go; Be Careful With Yourself; Ignore Tenderness
45. Melody’s Echo Chamber: Emotional Eternal— Standout Tracks: Looking Backward; Emotional Eternal; Where the Water Clears the Illusion; Personal Message; Alma
46. Yard Act: The Overload— Standout Tracks: The Overload; Payday; 100% Endurance; Pour Another; Dead Horse
47. Interpol: The Other Side of Make Believe—Standout Tracks: Toni; Fables; Something Changed; Gran Hotel; Into The Night
48. Death Cab for Cutie: Asphalt Meadows—Standout Tracks: Here To Forever; Roman Candles; Asphalt Meadows; Foxglove Through The Clearcut; I Miss Strangers
49. Shinichi Atobe: Love of Plastic– Standout Tracks: Love of Plastic 1; Ocean 2; Love of Plastic 5; Love of Plastic 6; Loop 6
50. Soichi Terada : Asakusa Light—Bamboo Fighter; Diving Into Minds; Double Spire; Silent Chords; Soaking Dry
