Best Music šŸŽ¶ of 2022!

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ALBUMS
Drive-By Truckers - Welcome 2 Club XIII
Max Richter - The New Four Seasons - Vivaldi Recomposed
The Tragically Hip - Live at The Roxy May 3, 1991
Fantastic Negrito - White Jesus Black Problems
Noori & His Dorpa Band - Beja Power! Electric Soul & Brass from Sudan's Red Sea Coast
Madalitso Band - Musakayike
Porcupine Tree - Closure / Continuation
The Burning Hell - Garbage Island
Theo Croker - Love Quantum


EPs
Auntie Flo & Sarathy Korwar - Shruti Dances
Taxi Kebab ŲŖŲ§ŁƒŲ³ŁŠ ŁƒŲØŲ§ŲØ - Visions al 2ard
Bennie Maupin & Adam Rudolph - Symphonic Tone Poem for Brother Yusef
Hell yeah, Porcupine Tree!
 
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With June, we see my smallest monthly recommended list of 2022 so far for new music releases. The first half of the month was very quiet, but the second half really heated up!

We saw the return of Regina Spektor and one of my favorite bands of all time, Porcupine Tree. There were several RBFs this month, with new-to-me artists like Kim Carnie and Parish, as well as standout metal releases from Swampborn and White Ward. With a few listens, the new Zola Jesus album was a surprising art pop standout. And the new energetic Petrol Girls album is surely the most lyrically relevant album of the year so far, IMO.

Aside from it being a slower month overall, the only big let down for me was the highly anticipated Perfume Genius album. After a few listens, I still can't get into it.. Maybe I still need to sit with it a bit.

Let me know what you think! Did I miss any albums that you would recommend from June? Stay tuned for my upcoming Q2 list and mid-year list!

Kim Carnie - And So We Gather (Gaelic, Singer-Songwriter)
Parish - Parish (Pastoral Proto Metal)
Petrol Girls - Baby (Post-Punk, Post-Hardcore)
Porcupine Tree - Closure/Continuation (Progressive Rock)
Regina Spektor ā€Š- Home, before and after (Alternative, Indie Pop/Rock)
Swampborn - Beyond Ratio (Avant-garde black/death metal)
White Ward - False Light (Post Black Metal, Jazz Noir)
Zola Jesus - Arkhon (Art Pop, Dark Wave, Alternative)
 
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As the last days of June finish up, I am happy to present my 16 favourite albums from Q2 (April, May, and June 2022)! All of these albums were featured on their respective monthly recommended lists (which I've posted previously in this thread), so I'm not going to go into them here. At the end of Q1 I also presented a 16 favourite albums list (which is also featured in this thread), but I feel like Q2 was a stronger quarter overall.

What were your favourite albums from Q2? Stay tuned for my upcoming mid-year list!

*I just realized I should have had Tess Roby listed alphabetically before The Smile.. oh well šŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļøšŸ¤£

Billy Woods - ā€ŠAethipoes (Rap, Hip-Hop)
Blut Aus Nord - Disharmonium - Undreamable Abysses (Industrial Black Metal)
Darkher - The Buried Storm (Doom, Dark Folk)
Ethel Cain - Preacher's Daughter (Gothic Americana, Pop/Rock)
Father John Misty - Chloe And The Next 20th Century (Alternative)
Ibaraki - Rashomon (Thrash/Death/Black/Post Metal, Metalcore)
Kelly Lee Owens - LP.8 (Minimalistic Electro-pop, Techno)
Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (Rap, Hip-Hop)
King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum (Alternative)
Niechęć - Unsubscribe (Jazz Rock)
Petrol Girls - Baby (Post-Punk, Post-Hardcore)
Porcupine Tree - Closure/Continuation (Progressive Rock)
Regina Spektor ā€Š- Home, before and after (Alternative, Indie Pop/Rock)
The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention (Alternative)
Tess Roby - Ideas Of Space (Dream Pop, Alternative)
Zola Jesus - Arkhon (Art Pop, Dark Wave, Alternative)

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AEVITERNE - The Ailing Facade
Aoife O'Donovan - Age Of Apathy
Beach House - Once Twice Melody
Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
Binker & Moses - Feeding The Machine
Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There
Cult Of Luna - The Long Road North
Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyez See Your Future
Ibibio Sound Machine - Electricity
Immolation - Acts Of God
Jenny Hval - Classic Objects
Mirabai Peart - Thousand Eyes
NilĆ¼fer Yanya - PAINLESS
Ode and Elegy - Ode and Elegy
TelefĆ­s - a hAon
Wilderun - Epigone
 
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At the halfway mark of 2022, these are my Top22 albums of the year (so far...) Here is the breakdown of my selections by month and quarter:

January: 1
February: 5
March: 4
Q1 Total: 10

April: 4
May: 4
June: 4
Q2 Total: 12

Beach House - Once Twice Melody (Dream Pop, Alternative Rock)
Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You (Alternative, Indie Rock)
Billy Woods - Aethiopes (Rap, Hip-Hop)
Binker & Moses - Feeding The Machine (Experimental Electronic, Free Jazz)
Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There (Experimental Post-Punk, Alternative)
Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyez See Your Future (Rap, Hip-Hop)
Ethel Cain - Preacher's Daughter (Gothic Americana, Pop/Rock)
Father John Misty - Chloe And The Next 20th Century (Alternative)
Ibaraki - Rashomon (Thrash/Death/Black/Post Metal, Metalcore)
Immolation - Acts Of God (Death Metal)
Jenny Hval - Classic Objects (Art Pop)
Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (Rap, Hip-Hop)
King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum (Alternative)
NilĆ¼fer Yanya - PAINLESS (Alternative, Indie Pop)
Petrol Girls - Baby (Post-Punk, Post-Hardcore)
Porcupine Tree - Closure/Continuation (Progressive Rock)
Regina Spektor ā€Š- Home, before and after (Alternative, Indie Pop/Rock)
TelefĆ­s - a hAon (Electro-pop, Indie Dance, Techno)
Tess Roby - Ideas Of Space (Dream Pop, Alternative)
The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention (Alternative)
Wilderun - Epigone (Symphonic/Progressive Metal)
Zola Jesus - Arkhon (Art Pop, Dark Wave, Alternative)
 
View attachment 144085

ALBUMS
Drive-By Truckers - Welcome 2 Club XIII
Max Richter - The New Four Seasons - Vivaldi Recomposed
The Tragically Hip - Live at The Roxy May 3, 1991
Fantastic Negrito - White Jesus Black Problems
Noori & His Dorpa Band - Beja Power! Electric Soul & Brass from Sudan's Red Sea Coast
Madalitso Band - Musakayike
Porcupine Tree - Closure / Continuation
The Burning Hell - Garbage Island
Theo Croker - Love Quantum


EPs
Auntie Flo & Sarathy Korwar - Shruti Dances
Taxi Kebab ŲŖŲ§ŁƒŲ³ŁŠ ŁƒŲØŲ§ŲØ - Visions al 2ard
Bennie Maupin & Adam Rudolph - Symphonic Tone Poem for Brother Yusef
That Max Richter is amazing.
 
Just found this Russian jazzy avant-garde black/post metal band's debut album on Bandcamp. It's damn good šŸ¤˜Swampborn - Beyond Ratio



The record label that released this is in my neck of the woods!

In fact, the address listed on their website is about a block and a half from me - but lines up with one of two houses recently torn down, so I'm guessing that mailing address no longer works...
 
The record label that released this is in my neck of the woods!

In fact, the address listed on their website is about a block and a half from me - but lines up with one of two houses recently torn down, so I'm guessing that mailing address no longer works...
That's awesome! One of the comments on the album on BC said that this is the last release from Hypnotic Dirge Records (in Canada) šŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļø
 
View attachment 144085

ALBUMS
Drive-By Truckers - Welcome 2 Club XIII
Max Richter - The New Four Seasons - Vivaldi Recomposed
The Tragically Hip - Live at The Roxy May 3, 1991
Fantastic Negrito - White Jesus Black Problems
Noori & His Dorpa Band - Beja Power! Electric Soul & Brass from Sudan's Red Sea Coast
Madalitso Band - Musakayike
Porcupine Tree - Closure / Continuation
The Burning Hell - Garbage Island
Theo Croker - Love Quantum


EPs
Auntie Flo & Sarathy Korwar - Shruti Dances
Taxi Kebab ŲŖŲ§ŁƒŲ³ŁŠ ŁƒŲØŲ§ŲØ - Visions al 2ard
Bennie Maupin & Adam Rudolph - Symphonic Tone Poem for Brother Yusef


I did a silly and completely forgot I had the mp3 files for this album kicking in a zip file in my downloads folder. It would most certainly have been in the collage had I listened before posting!

 
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A Beautiful Time by Willie Nelson
All Those Streets I Must Find Cities For by The Plastik Beatniks
Balsame by Xinobi
Beja Power! Electric Soul & Brass from Sudan's Red Sea Coast by Noori & His Dorpa Band
Closure / Continuation by Porcupine Tree

Dance Fever
by Florence + The Machine
former kingdoms by Arms and Sleepers
Fragments: Erik Satie by Various Artists
Garbage Island by The Burning Hell
Hermetism by Joep Beving

In the Spirit of Ntu
by Nduduzo Malhathini
LeAutoRoiOgraphy by Heroes Are Gang Leaders*
Live at The Roxy May 3, 1991 by The Tragically Hip
Live in Loveland! by Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio
Love Quantum by Theo Croker

Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
by Kendrick Lamar
Musakayike by Madalitso Band
The New Four Seasons - Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Richter
Nothing to Declare by 700 Bliss
Omnium Gatherum by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

Sounds Like Freedom
by Rosa Brunello
Spell 31 by Ibeyi
Welcome 2 Club XIII by Drive-By Truckers
White Jesus Black Problems by Fantastic Negrito
You Never Know by Club dā€™Elf
 
My mid-year is something like this:

1. Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There
2. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
3. Gang Of Youths - Angel In Realtime
4. Yumi Zouma - Present Tense
5. Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyez See Your Future
6. Florence + The Machine - Dance Fever
7. Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia
8. Hatchie - Giving The World Away
9. Wet Leg - Wet Leg
10. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum
11. NilĆ¼fer Yanya - Painless
12. Mitski - Laurel Hell
13. Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers
14. The Weeknd - Dawn FM
15. The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention

All of this will probably change in six months šŸ¤·šŸ»ā€ā™‚ļø - like it hasnā€™t been long enough but that Regina Spektor album is great and there are a handful more that I need more time with too.
 
Been extremely whelmed by the releases Iā€™ve listened to so far this year. Only 1 album that I love and even that Iā€™m not shouting my love for it from rooftops. So here is my mid year list

AOTY
CMAT - If My Wife New Iā€™d Be Dead

Solid Albums I like
Anitta - Versions of Me
Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyes, See Your Future
Mitski - Laurel Hell
PUP - The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND
Yard Act - The Overload
Kendrick Lamar - Mr Morale
The Weeknd - Dawn FM
Hatchie - Giving The World Away
Florence - Dance Fever

Albums that did nothing for me
Father John Misty - Chloe
Black Country New Road - Ants From Up There
Ethel Cain - Preachers Daughter
Charli XCX - Crash
Kilo Kish - American Girl

Most Anticipated Albums for the rest of the year
Lizzo
Beyonce
Rina Sawayama
 
Been extremely whelmed by the releases Iā€™ve listened to so far this year. Only 1 album that I love and even that Iā€™m not shouting my love for it from rooftops. So here is my mid year list

AOTY
CMAT - If My Wife New Iā€™d Be Dead

Solid Albums I like
Anitta - Versions of Me
Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyes, See Your Future
Mitski - Laurel Hell
PUP - The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND
Yard Act - The Overload
Kendrick Lamar - Mr Morale
The Weeknd - Dawn FM
Hatchie - Giving The World Away
Florence - Dance Fever

Albums that did nothing for me
Father John Misty - Chloe
Black Country New Road - Ants From Up There
Ethel Cain - Preachers Daughter
Charli XCX - Crash
Kilo Kish - American Girl

Most Anticipated Albums for the rest of the year
Lizzo
Beyonce
Rina Sawayama
Yard Act is excellent. Did you enjoy Black Country, New Roads debut? AFUH has a bit different sound but I think I enjoy it at least as much. I am kinda with ya on FJM, itā€™s not bad by any stretch but it doesnā€™t draw me back to it like his previous records. Hopefully itā€™ll click eventually, the album sounds great.
 
Oooh I need to get my mid year list together, I havenā€™t updated it in a while and thereā€™s a few good ones I need to add.

I came in here because I really, really like the new Soccer Mommy album. It could very well be her best album in time. Color Theory was a step down from Clean even though it has her by and large best song on it in ā€œCircle the Drainā€. I wasnā€™t keen on this new one initially after two listens, until I got the LP in the mail and it really opened up for me. It came in on Monday and Iā€™ve already spun it every day.
 
Yard Act is excellent. Did you enjoy Black Country, New Roads debut? AFUH has a bit different sound but I think I enjoy it at least as much. I am kinda with ya on FJM, itā€™s not bad by any stretch but it doesnā€™t draw me back to it like his previous records. Hopefully itā€™ll click eventually, the album sounds great.

Their debut took a bit to click but once it did I absolutely loved it, they really arenā€™t my normal genre but that anxiety the debut induced on me is so cool lol. And yeah I feel like Chloe is a well made album that just bores me, Q4 and Mr Blue are both excellent tracks but as an album it just kinda bores me
 
Q2 Update

Total 2022 releases (albums/EPs/mixtapes) listened to as of June 30th: 191 320

I've slowed down with new listening in recent weeks, mostly with no longer having a job in which to listen to music concurrently with work responsibilities. As such, I couldn't convince myself to make a 5x5 for this quarter, and instead dropped down to a 4x5. I thought about adding Angel Olsen, Patricia Wolf's second album from this year, and a few other rap albums to flesh out a full batch of 25, but couldn't convince myself to do it. I still feel strong about the 20 below.

I revisited Ravyn Lenae's debut from earlier this quarter and determined that I love it. In fact, Q2 had a very strong R&B/soul-adjacent stretch. Ditto with art pop. One gripe I have with this year so far is that I am missing a electronic record that I would mark as a favorite for the year, and I hope that one will impress me in the upcoming three months.

A bit rushed as I am on vacation, the chart below is a collage of my 20 favorites from Q2 of this year. No entries are ranked yet; sorted in alphabetical order by band name/artist last name.

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Artificial Brain - Artificial Brain [death metal, black metal]
Boldy James, Real Bad Man - Killing Nothing [gangsta rap, drumless]
Ethel Cain - Preacher's Daughter [slowcore, Americana, singer/songwriter]
Darkher - The Buried Storm [ethereal wave, dark folk, post-metal]
Hatchie - Giving the World Away [dream pop, neo-psychedelia, shoegaze]

Marina Herlop - Pripyat [avant-folk, post-industrial, art pop]
Ibeyi - Spell 31 [alternative R&B, art pop]
Kathryn Joseph - for you who are the wronged [singer/songwriter, ambient pop]
Ravyn Lenae - Hypnos [alternative R&B, contemporary R&B, neo-soul]
Let's Eat Grandma - Two Ribbons [electropop, synthpop]

Obongjayar - Some Nights I Dream of Doors [neo-soul, psychedelic soul, ambient pop]
Petrol Girls - Baby [riot grrl, post-hardcore]
Tess Roby - Ideas of Space [dream pop, ambient pop, art pop]
Joel Ross - The Parable of the Poet [post-bop]
The Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention [art rock, math rock, jazz-rock]

Regina Spektor - Home, before and after [chamber pop, singer/songwriter]
Whatever the Weather - Whatever the Weather [ambient techno, ambient]
Billy Woods - Aethiopes [abstract hip hop, experimental hip hop, drumless]
Yaya Bey - Remember Your North Star [contemporary R&B, neo-soul]
Zola Jesus - Arkhon [art pop, darkwave]

Q1 Update

EDIT: changed Q1 -> Q2 in last paragraph
 
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