There’s been way too much craziness happening this year for me to really focus on new music. I heard a lot of music, but I just didn’t have the bandwidth to give it more serious consideration. I’ve been trying to catch up for the last month or so, but the white noise (Trump, if you didn’t know) is overwhelming right now. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to really dig into all of this music at some point and truly hear it. For now, it feels like this, which is good enough, I guess.
Sit Down I Think I Love You
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1. Jack White ~ No Name
I came to this album late in the game, but as soon as I heard it, I loved it. It’s just a good old fashioned, kick ass rock ‘n’ roll album. The production definitely has a heavy ‘70s vibe. Jack should probably be sending Jimmy Page and Robert Plant some royalty payments, though.
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2. IDLES ~ Tangk
While it’s not inevitable that punk bands will mellow with age, in some way, it seems to me that the best ones do. IDLES are certainly mellowing, but are doing so perfectly, in my opinion (with some help from Nigel Godrich). Most importantly, Joe Talbot’s sandpaper voice is wearing smooth, but still retains that vital grit. All told though, they’re still pretty crusty and can still roughhouse a bit.
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3. The Cure ~ Songs from a Lost World
Well, I’ve been waiting on this for years, and yes, it was worth the wait. It honestly sounds like it could have been recorded back in the late ‘80s. Very “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” vibes happening (production-wise). Smith is in fine form here, and this album hits immediately, jumping into my top 10 Cure albums, without doubt, maybe even sneaking into the top 5.
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4. Dummy ~ Free Energy
This L.A. band has come up leaps and bounds. Obviously, they’re still worshipping at the shrine of Stereolab, but they bring their own youthful energy and verve. Keepers.
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5. Helado Negro ~ Phasor
Status quo from this low-key treasure, with more of the mellow vibes. Nice.
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6. Nonkeen ~ All Good?
Spacy, melancholic ambient jazz. As with their previous albums, it just always sounds good to me. It’s an album that I can put on at any time and be happy (even though it sounds sad).
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7. Nala Sinephro ~ Endlessness
Billowing, swirling ambient jazz. At times this feels like a heavily tranquilized Terry Riley is haunting the space, while at other moments it sounds like Sinephro is jamming on her Wii while the Floating Points|Pharoah Sanders’ album is playing softly in the background.
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8. Kim Deal ~ Nobody Loves You More
Kind of what you would expect, but better. The sequencing is a bit wonky, but I like every song. I’d say about half of these tracks could be on a Breeders album, while the others are true solo ventures. Could be the soundtrack to a new Twin Peaks or David Lynch* project.
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9. Wand ~ Vertigo
More moody, spacy art-rock from these American Radiohead acolytes.
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10. Yard Act ~ Where’s My Utopia?
Pretty weird and wild. Obviously, this bears the stamp of artists like the Beastie Boys, Beck, & Gorillaz (the album was produced by Remi Kabaka, Jr., after all), but with their own distinct British vibe. Overall, the sound is cut-and-paste chaos and lyrically it’s all over the place, too. The album does have some deeply introspective moments, though, that cut through the glam.
11. Fontaines D.C. ~ Romance : This album feels like a logical progression, although they may be approaching the line of being overproduced, for my taste. We’ll see where they go with the next album.
12. Fionn Regan ~ O Avalanche : Gorgeous, hypnotic trance-folk from this unsung Irish treasure. His voice and guitar transport me into a deeply narcotic, ethereal haze. While brief, it’s a trip worth taking.
13. Villagers ~ That Golden Time : There are some beautiful gems on this album, but a few tracks that lack luster, as well. The highs are high, though, and those melodies stick right in my head. As always, there is some interesting production work on the album that speaks to O’Brien’s consummate taste. Finally, though, there’s that voice, that earnest, lonesome, world-weary voice that always gets to me.
14. Dave Harrington ~ Skull Dream : Dark and smoky L.A. noir. I just love his whole vibe.
15. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings ~ Woodland : Tried and true American folk music. The new billing is interesting and Dave gets a few vocal turns. They probably could have stuck with the previous arrangement, though, as his contributions don’t hurt, but don’t really enhance the album, either.
What I Like About You
16. Vampire Weekend ~ Only God Was Above Us : Classic melodies, but the production gets in the way sometimes. Occasionally, they are too clever for their own good.
17. Dr. Dog ~ Dr. Dog : I’m glad they’re back, but this album is a little subdued. Still, I’ll take it.
18. Hozier ~ Unheard [EP] : “Too Sweet” is pretty irresistible.
19. The Smile ~ Wall of Eyes | Cut Outs : This band just makes me want a new Radiohead album. While there is beauty here, I think the more measured process that Radiohead uses would improve these songs.
20. Spun Out ~ Dream Noise : More Chicago-style ‘90s alt-pop sweetness.
21. Future Islands ~ People Who Aren’t There Anymore : ‘80s inspired synth-pop.
22. St. Vincent ~ All Born Screaming : I don’t love everything she does, but I do like this.
23. David Gilmour ~ Luck and Strange : I like the sound of this album, but to be honest, Polly Samson’s lyrics always feel a little flat to me. For a guy who’s 78, though, it’s pretty cool.
24. Shabaka Hutchings ~ Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace : A true spiritual jazz masterpiece.
25. Sedibus ~ Seti : More chilled-out, ambient grooves. While still orbiting the heavens, this album feels a little more grounded than their last outing. As usual, the samples from Dr. Alex are very funny.
26. Phosphorescent ~ Revelator : Sounds like a lost Lanois-era Dylan album.
27. Field Music ~ Limits of Language : Still doing their quirky little thing.
28. Goat Girl ~ Below the Waste : Slightly mellower on this album.
29. Beth Gibbons ~ Lives Outgrown : The voice still devastates and the music echoes the void left behind.
30. Wisp ~ Pandora [EP] : Deftones-inspired shoegaze. It could use more variety all around, though.
We’re Going to Be Friends
31. The Orb ~ Orboretum (The Orb Collection)
32. Gamma Knife ~ Kuts
33. Spirit of the Beehive ~ You’ll Have to Lose Something
34. Richard Thompson ~ Ship to Shore
35. Godspeed You! Black Emperor ~ No Title as of 13 February, 2024 28340 Dead
36. Four Tet ~ Three
37. Bolts of Melody ~ Film Noir
38. NewDad ~ MADRA
39. Primal Scream ~ Come Ahead
40. Seefeel ~ Everything Squared [EP]
41. Blitzen Trapper ~ 100’s of 1000’s, Millions of Billions
42. Pure Hex ~ Spilling [EP]
43. Cola ~ The Gloss
44. Khruangbin ~ A La Sala
45. Ishmael Ensemble ~ Rituals
Another Time, Another Place
Badbadnotgood ~ Mid Spiral
Bon Iver ~ Sable [EP]
Alina Bshezhinski & Tony Kofi ~ Altera Vita
Cowboy Sadness ~ Selected Jambient Works, Vol. 1
Dead Horse One ~ Seas of Static
Duster ~ In Dreams
Ezra Collective ~ Dance, No One’s Watching
Google Earth ~ Street View
Jonsi ~ First Light
Ketamine_Shoppe ~ Exit Scam
Mary Lattimore ~ Rain on the Road
MRCY ~ Volume 1
Thurston Moore ~ Flow Critical Lucidity
numun ~ Opening
Pixies ~ The Night the Zombies Came
Elori Saxl ~ Drifts and Surfaces
Small Medium Large ~ SML
Toro y Moi ~ Hole Erth
Tycho ~ Infinite Health
Yoo Doo Right ~ From the Height of Our Pastureland
* RIP David Lynch, artist/icon