It’s a little early, but in the spirit of engaging with each other beyond just mindless list posting, take this time before the official mid-year mark to make a plea for a record or two that’ll likely show up on your list which you loved, or think went a little too under the radar around here in the first half of 2022. Talk about why you dig it, maybe throw a RIYL in there, maybe even a song recommendation if you wanna make like chalamet and be a real fuckin peach Or you can be a depraved lunatic and post your list early despite the incredible release day we’ve got next week. The choice is yours but you’d be wrong and despite what you’ve heard I do make the rules
Yeah, this record is great. I wasn’t aware of him before, but Boat Songs caught my attention immediately. Way fuzzier than the few alt-country type of artists I typically gravitate to
Def not prepared; won't attempt to order. But, favorites (including EPs, demos..) include: Ethel Cain - Preacher's Daughter 40 Watt Sun - Perfect Light Final Declaration - Fight 2 Survive String Machine - Hallelujah Hell Yeah Oso Oso - sore thumb Gridiron - No Good at Goodbyes Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems Riverby - Absolution GGGOLDDD - This Shame Should Not Be Mine Prince Daddy - ST Pictoria Vark - The Parts I Dread Just Mustard - Heart Under Shit Narnia - Cloudbelt Dull Mourning - Ugly Fame Green 80 - Demo Sharp Tongues - Carry On Ghost Fame - Nobody Wants to Be Here Alto Arc - ST Downward - The Brass Tax Bloom Parade - Love Songs Sealed Fate - Crawling Back Home is Where/Record Setter - Split Faye Webster - Car Therapy Sessions No Trigger - Acid Lord State Drugs - Explosions on the Radio Envision (FL) - And Still... All sub to change, BUT with the exception of Ethel Cain. Fuck *EDIT - Did not read the OP thoroughly prior to posting; that's my bad and I'm sorry. Just browsed through my list and selected faves; however, that Ethel Cain record hit me harder than anything has in a minute. It came out a few days after my girlfriend died unexpectedly (we were about to move in together, I'm 30 and she's the only girl I've ever considered "forever" with and the sentiment was mutual, haven't stepped in my apt since her death because 90% of our relationship was spent in my room, she'd be turning 27 this coming Wednesday, was emotionally close to her to an extent I didn't think possible for myself; if I've ever been "in love" with anyone, I was with her...main point - I'm sad). The whole album is fantastic but I was NOT ready for "A House In Nebraska;" that hit me HARD, in a way that I don't think any other song ever has. Just elicited significant emotional catharsis and I cried like a baby (talking tears, snot running down my face) throughout the duration of the song. It's a beautiful song and Ethel Cain is a fantastic musician; just wasn't ready for that song at the time but I suppose I needed it. Album is beautiful; AOTY contender for sure.
Here's my list without any specific order: Astrid Øster Mortensen - Skeargårdslyd Dehd - Blue Skies Diatom Daily - Time-Lapse Nature The Garbage & The Flowers - Cinnamon Sea Honningbarna - Animorphis Horsegirl - Versions of Modern Performance Hurula - Ingen är Kär i år och andra sånger INVSN - Let the night love you La Culpa - La Culpa Les Rallizes Dénudés - The OZ Tapes Mitski - Laurel Hell Nicfit - Fuse Porridge Radio - Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky The Reds, Pinks and Purples - Summer at Land's End Rome Is Not a Town - Tender Arms Power Heels Rope - The End Rotten Mind - Unflavored Sinead O'Brien - Time Bend And Break The Bower Vidro - Glöd Wet Leg - Wet Leg
Ronnie Martin - From the Womb of the Morning the Dew of Your Youth Will Be Yours Gang of Youths - Angel in Realtime Are my two favorite things this year.
Belle & Sebastian - A Bit Of Previous Static Dress - Rouge Carpet Disaster Praise - All In A Dream Drake - Honestly, Nevermind Ravyn Lenae - HYPNOS Arcade Fire - WE
haha ;D haven't thought of it too much yet, but I'll be more than glad to see what I'm missing from ppl's recommendations. So far for me the biggest highlights (that I also think I could rep in here if someone skipped any of them) are: Caracara - New Preoccupations One of my most anticipated sophomore albums, very emotive post-hc/post-rock adjacent & well-performed tunes, produced by Will Yip, and well, the production here just shines as well. Good lyrics, Moving Mountains s/t era resemblance, and a cherry on top with an Anthony Green feature. Hot Water Music - Feel The Void Pretty obvious, but somehowe they're keeping it fresh and exciting. Cool to hear Chris from Flatliners as their official third vocalist being used here as a lead voice. It's also a return to partnership with Brian McTernan after many years, which seems to be a huge win to me. Perdro The Lion - Havasu A surprise release, which I found to be much better than the previous one, pretty cool and some of the best David Bazan work in years.
Will probably edit with this next big release day, especially to get MUNA in here somewhere. In general, this year has really hit for me in pop/indie pop, and has been light on rock and folk/country albums that really stuck with me. Top 5: 1) Hippo Campus - III Easy #1 for me that hits the perfect indie pop balance of having every single song being immediately catchy and being weird and different enough that it doesn’t sound like everything else happening in the genre 2) highasakite - Mother Big Norwegian synth-pop, if you like synth-pop. “Love him anyways” is the highlight for me on here if you were to try one song. 3) AURORA - The Gods We Can Touch The RIYL here is probably if you wanted an album by the haunting echo in “Into the Unknown” from Frozen that occasionally hits heavy on social issues. 4) Penny and Sparrow - Olly Olly Two dudes strumming a guitar and singing cool melodies. 5) Gang of Youths - angel in realtime Sprawling indie rock album candidly and genuinely hitting upon all the emotions that came with the death of a parent. 10 others I like: The Regrettes - Further Joy Sigrid - How To Let Go Dear Rouge - Spirit Jukebox the Ghost - Cheers OWEL - The Salt Water Well Harry Styles - Harry’s House Molly Tuttle - Crooked Tree Mitski - Laurel Hell Fickle Friends - Are We Gonna Be Alright? Bad Suns - Apocalypse Whenever 10 great songs: “in the wake of your leave” - Gang of Youths “Love him anyways” - highasakite “2 Young 2 Die” - Hippo Campus “Let Me Drown” - Orville Peck “Virginia (Wind in the Night)” - The Head and the Heart “Colorglut” - Caracara “The Only Heartbreaker” - Mitski “Where Do We Go From Here?” - MisterWives “Alabama Haint” - Penny and Sparrow “Baby Blue Shades” - Bad Suns
In no particular order... A Wilhelm Scream - Lose Your Delusion Gang of Youths - Angel In Realtime Bartees Strange - Farm To Table Coheed & Cambria - Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind Signals Midwest - Dent Alexisonfire - Otherness Joyce Manor - 40oz to Fresno Hot Water Music - Feel The Void Chris Cheney - The Storm Before The Calm Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There Band of Horses - Things Are Great Cold Years - Goodbye To Misery King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum Billy Talent - Crisis of Faith Dashboard Confessional - All The Truth I Can Tell State Champs - Kings of the New Age Marigold - A Better Place Kevin Devine - Nothing's Real, So Nothing's Wrong Valleyheart - Heal My Head
Caracara - New Preoccupations Dashboard - All the Truth That I Can Tell Cold Years - Goodbye to Misery Charlie Simpson - Hope Is A Drug Valleyheart - Heal My Head Gang of Youths - angel in realtime Hatchie - Giving The World Away Hot Water Music - Feel the Void
Caracara is the obvious standout for me so far this year (like most people). Everything Everything has impressed me a lot in these past few weeks, which I think flew under most radars here. I was aware of the band and knew a few songs, but I tried this album out on a whim and it is an absolute blast. It's a proper summer album for me. I like to call albums like this a "bumwiggler". It sounds immaculate and crisp for a self-produced album and is peppered with unconventional vocals. The lyrics in particular are a big talking point as a selection of the lyrics were generated by an AI trained on some weird inputs such as Beowolf, Chinese philosophy, 4chan posts and the LinkedIn Terms & Conditions... If you only have time for one song, then this is the one that grabbed me: I would recommend checking out the album though while doing some dishes or something mundane and it will absolutely brighten up your day. RIYL: Foals, alt-j
My top ten (for now) 1. Camp Cope - Running with the Hurricane 2. Charli XCX - Crash 3. Jack White - Fear of the Dawn 4. Dashboard Confessional - All The Truth That I Can Tell 5. FKA Twigs - Caprisongs 6. The Weeknd - Dawn FM 7. Avril Lavigne - Love Sux 8. Stand Atlantic - FEAR 9. Banks - Serpentina 10. Bloc Party - Alpha Games Also been enjoying Rosalia, Mahalia, Warpaint and Kendrick. Lets see how much this list changes in another 6 months.
Black Country new road Big thief Oso oso The smile Pup Caracara Beach house P Daddy Bartees Joyce Manor
Haha no apology necessary, people can post lists if they really want, the world’s on fire Have never heard of Ethel Cain before, but after reading your take and a little bit about her, I’m interested in checking the record out. At the very least I’m happy to hear it’s brought you some piece of comfort in the wake of something that awful. Real sorry to hear about what you’ve been going through
I’m doing a grade A job of keeping my excitement cool and controlled over here but if you tell me it’s Momma I will perish
Cold Years - Goodbye To Misery Dashboard Confessional - ATTTICT Bad Suns - Apocalypse Whenever Elvis Costello - Boy Named If Jack White - Fear of the Dawn PLOSIVS - PLOSIVS A Wilhelm Scream - Lose Your Delusion Pulley - The Golden Life In that order so far. New Coheed will definitely make it.
Listening to new music has been really on the back burner for me so far this year. However, Love Sux by Avril Lavigne has been an absolute delight. What a perfect little shameless blast of good vibes.
Everyone who enjoys hip hop should not be sleeping on the newest Billy Woods album. Also a ton of good stuff this year from: Double Gainer Trauma Rey Design Flaw Going222jail Yung Kayo SOM