Albums
This list gets smaller each year which makes me sad, but I still think there is a place for a coherent set of songs released together.
- Haley Heynderickx - I Need To Start A Garden
- This was soo soo good. She has this weirdo voice and does this folky/punky/warped garden elf music that sounds old, but totally fresh. Also my favorite live show this year.
- Standout Track: Oom Sha La La
- Beach Slang (Quiet Slang) - Everything Matters But No One Is Listening
- Apparently they are divisive but whatever - they are super fun, and unapologetic about being bombastic, pretentious art school poseurs. Quiet Slang is James Alex’s acoustic-ish solo-ish version of Beach Slang stuff.
- Standout Track - Future Mixtape for the Art Kids
- Instant Music - Instant Music
- A 1981 reissue that never got due credit back in the day. Minimal Synthy Post-Punk. Dark Entries is a really nice label for these kinds of reissues. A bit like Young Marble Giants.
- Standout track - My Boy
Random Songs
- Travis Scott - Sicko Mode (I guess I didn’t listen to much rap this year. But you should also watch the Warriors listening to a “special version“ of this. Dray and Steph are the best)
- Migos - Motorsport (I guess I didn’t listen to much rap this year pt. 2)
- Parquet Courts - Total Football (Socialism, Soccer, and a “Fuck Tom Brady” Drop in the end - so I’m required to like it!)
- Death and the Maiden - Wisteria (Reminds me a bit of that Primitive Radio Gods song)
- Iron & Wine - What Hurts Worse
Pre-2018 Stuff I found
- Psychic TV - Orchids
- OMG - This might become my favorite song ever. It is that good. If you listen to one thing in this post, listen to this.
- Snail Mail - Thinning
- This track is way better than their new album which made its way into everyone’s lists, because people found this track and then felt like they needed to recognize them post-fact. It’s cool. I’ve done this too.
- William Onyeabor - Atomic Bomb and Fantastic Man
- I kinda knew about him, but I didn’t really give him a listen until now. Oh wow. This is so much fun, and intersects nicely with old bollywood and afro-funk.
