Every year I collect my favorite records of the past year. As tired and clichéd as these lists may be, they're fun for me to do—even if these posts take a hell of a lot of time.
In addition to the tradition of composing this list, I sometimes meander through some thoughts, trying to connect any themes that might pop up about my favorite music in the past 12 months. One thing that strikes me this year is how my music discovery is algorithmic has become. Six out of ten of these releases were discovered through algorithmic recommendation (Spotify and YouTube primarily). Of the remaining four, three are releases of bands that I've found previously, likely through similar means.
Ordinary there's the potential that this might bum me out—I used to find more music talking to people and listening to the radio—but I'm just happy to find music that I like. They don't have to be organic, home-grown, non-GMO recommendations. Part of me wants to go down the cynical path of what opaque algorithms are doing to our collective music tastes, however the old methods of recommendation still work. I still hear about bands from people that I talk to and sometimes I even listen to the radio.
The Finalists
- Algiers - Shook
I'm such a fan of Algiers. They are an amazing example of a band that has merged disparate sounds into a cohesive and challenging whole. Shook is one of those great albums that takes a band's unique sound and dials it up a few notches. Algiers also really embody a punk/hardcore ethos, supporting other bands and giving them a platform. Finally, the album design—and consistent aesthetic—is right up my alley. - Bully - Lucky For You
About 10 years ago there was a trend of garage-ish bands that were actually one person that played all the instruments on an album, and then hired a group of session musicians to tour with. Folks like Jay Reatard, Wavves, and Cloud Nothings typified this ethos and sound. Bully started the other way, beginning as a band and continuing as the solo project of Alicia Bognanno. As with previous releases, these tracks cut out the filler. Though the production is a bit more refined here, each song is genuine, raw, and powerful. - CZARFACE - CZARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
While I'm not huge into hip-hop, I freakin' love CZARFACE. The beats are great and the lyrics are fun with clever rhymes. So many tracks have in-jokes for fans of Marvel and DC comics, but they really leaned into it for this record. A great listen from start to finish. - Private Lives - Hit Record
Probably one of the more straight-ahead releases on this list. Private Lives sits squarely in the garage-punk realm. What they lack in innovation, they more than make up in terms of quality and consistency. Great tracks that just make you want to groove. - The Hives - The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons
What can I say about The Hives that hasn't been said before? What I will say is that this is no comeback album. It's a return to form. - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse…
I have a very strong reaction to a King Gizzard… album: either I love them or I hate them. Sometimes their sound gets noodle-y or prog-y, which completely bores me. This one is just solid stoner metal jams—just the way I like 'em. - Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - Land of Sleeper
Speaking of stoner metal, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs is my favorite discovery in that genre in a while. You can feel the weight of every single riff and it's hard not to headbang. - Snooper - Super Snõõper
This is just a fun record and it shreds. Snooper has two speeds: stopped and super fast. Vocals are fast and frantic without being screechy. And for some reason there's a loose concept about spys. I don't know. Either way this is a ripper. - Stuck - Freak Frequency
I'm not sure how I'd classify Stuck, but they'd definitely be post something. Post-rock? Post-hardcore? I don't know but they put out a hell of a record this year. I haven't heard other folks talking about this one but I'm hoping that Stuck gains more momentum soon. They really deserve a bigger fanbase. - Jeff Rosenstock - HELLMODE
I think I discovered this album around the same time most people did, though I'll honestly say that I dismissed it at first. I had pegged Jeff as a sort of singer/songwriter type more associated with his ska roots, which is clearly not the case for this record. This is the first albums of his that I've listened to and it's catchy as hell (pun intended).
Best Album That I Bought This Year That Didn't Come Out This Year
Perrenial's In The Midnight Hour is such a standout for me from the past year. It seems like they are no longer active, and I'm really bummed. While not old—it came out in 2022—I missed the initial release of this album. Each track is just a frantic, all-out breakdown. It's loud and noisy without being a mess. They're tight with each start and stop being crisp. With interesting lyrics and nice variety between songs, it's a fantastic listen.
Playlist of the Year
I pulled together some of the stand-out tracks from each of the albums above. Here's a YouTube playlist with each one:
Postscript: As with last year, I linked to the appropriate Bandcamp pages for these releases where I could. Not all artists are on Bandcamp, which means you can probably find them in the usual popular music places. Bandcamp is going through a bit thing now, with the recent sale to a private equity firm and massive layoffs, but it's still the best way to directly support artists directly. If you like any of these records, I would encourage you to purchase them to directly support the artists.