Best of 2022

((echoplex))

2022 Favorites

• Afrorack - The Afrorack (Hakuna Kulala)
• Authentically Plastic (Hakuna Kulala)
• Carmen Villain - Only Love From Now On (Smalltown Supertown)
• Cate Le Bon - Pompeii (Mexican Summer)
• Coral Club - Lost Cities (Moon Glyph)
• Daniel Rossen - You Belong There (Warp)
• EXEK - Advertise Here (Castle Face)
• Flore Laurentienne - Volume II (RVNG Intl.)
• FOQL - Wehikuł (Mal)
• Francesa Heart - Eurybia (Leaving)
• Green/Blue - Offering (HoZac)
• Jamie Levinson - s/t (s/r)
• Julmud - Tuqoos (Bilna'es)
• Katarina Gryvul - Tysha (Standard Deviation)
• La Punta Bianca - Disquiet (Detriti)
• Latest Fad - LSD Spider (Fading Systems)
• Matt Evans - Soft Science (Moon Glyph)
• Mauskovic Dance Band - Bukaroo Bank (Bongo Joe)
• Meridian Brothers - Meridian Brothers & El Grupo Renacimiento (Ansonia)
• Naima Bock - Giant Palm (Sub Pop)
• Non Plus Temps - Desire Choir (Post Present Medium)
• Onyon - s/t (Trouble In Mind)
• Papercuts - Past Life Regression (Slumberland)
• Pye Corner Audio - Let’s Emerge! (Sonic Cathedral)
• Salamanda - ashbalkum (Human Pitch)
• Sessa - Estrela Acesa (Mexican Summer)
• Société Etrange - Chance (Bongo Joe)
• Sofie Birch - Holotropica (Intercourse)
• The Soundcarriers - Wilds (Phosphonic)
• Sunfear - Octopus (Dark Entries)
• Winged Wheel - No Island (12XU)
• Yves Jarvis - The Zug (Anti-)

Reissues & Compilations

• Branko Mataja - Over Fields And Mountains (Numero Group)
• Coco Lagos y sus Orates - Descargas (Vampi Soul)
• Groupo La Droga - s/t (Vampi Soul)
• Hydroplane - s/t (Efficient Space)
• Iceblink - Carpet Cocoon (Moon Glyph)
• Los Kintos - s/t (Vampi Soul)
• Travesía - Ni Un Minuto Más De Dolor (Little Butterfly)
• V/A - The Afrosound Of Colombia Vol. 3 (Vampi Soul)
• V/A - Color de Trópico Vol 3 (El Palmas)
• V/A - Perú Selvático - Sonic Expedition into the Peruvian Amazon 1972-1986 (Analog Africa)
• V/A - Saturno 2000 - La Rebajada de Los Sonideros 1962-1983 (Analog Africa)
• V/A - Síntesis Moderna: An Alternative Vision Of Argentinean Music 1980-1990 (Soundway)

Babu

Babu Best of 2022

Babu’s New Releases

• Beyoncé  - Renaissance (Parkwood)
• Shygirl  - Nymph (Because)
• Junglepussy - Jp5000 (Junglepussy)
• Sudan Archives  - Natural Brown Prom Queen (Stone’s Throw)
• FKA twigs - CAPRISONGS (Young)
• Black Rave Culture  - BRC Vol 2 (Black Rave Culture)
• Paurro - Galavisión (Cómeme)
• Björk - Fossora (One Little Independent)

Albums that are not new but I fell in love with during 2022 (Babu)

• Solange - True (Terrible)
• Lady Gaga - ARTPOP (Interscope)
• Sunbear  - Sunbear (Soultrain)
• Arca - KICK ii (XL)
• Arca - kick iiii (XL)
• Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste (Prospect Park)
• JAY-Z - The Blueprint (Roc-A-Fella)
• Blood Orange - Coastal Grooves (Domino)

Live Shows (Babu)

• Smino - March 11 - Lower Sproul @ UC Berkeley
• Yves Tumor - March 18 - 1015 Folsom
• Doja Cat - April 17 - Coachella
• Phoenix - June 8 - Primavera Sound
• Gorillaz - June 9 - Primavera Sound
• Arca - Sept 24 - Portola
• Five Armed Sloth - November 4 - Battle of the Bands @ UC Berkeley
• Machine Girl - November 29 - Regency Ballroom

DJ sets (Babu)

• Ash Lauryn - February 6 - The Monarch
• Jamie xx - April 17 - Coachella
• Tygapaw - June 11 - Primavera Sound
• Honey Dijon - June 20 - Battle Hymn - NYC
• Mike Q - October 1 - Space 550 San Francisco
• Physical Therapy - October 8 - Club 6 San Francisco
• The Carry Nation - October 30 - Unter - NYC

Berkestir

Berkestir 2022

New Stuff

• Afrorack - The Afrorack (Hakuna Kulala)
• Marisa Anderson - still,here ( Thrill Jockey)
• A Place To Bury Strangers - See Through You (Dedstrange)
• Chris Bathgate - The Significance Of Peaches (Quite Scientific)
• The Beths - Expert In A Dying Field (Carpark)
• Black Jesus Experience - Good Evening Black Buddha (Agogo)
• Boris - Heavy Rocks (Relapse)
• Jane Antonia Cornish - Sierra (Cantaloupe Music)
• Brian Eno - Foreverandevernomore (Opal)
• Fenella - The Metallic Index (Fire)
• Floating Points Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra - Promises (Luaka Bop)
• Goat - Oh Death (Rocket)
• Gnod - Hexen Valley (Rocket)
• Harlem Gospel Travelers - Look Up! (Colemine)
• Hawkwind - We Are looking In On You (Cherry Red)
• Robyn Hitchcock - Shufflemania! (Tiny Ghost)
• Latest Fad - Lsd Spider (Fading Systems)
• The Linda Lindas - Growing Up (Epitaph)
• Mikayla Mcvey - Time Turns Everything (The Long Road Society)
• Meridian Brothers & El Grupo Renacimiento - S/T (Ansonia)
• Jessica Moss - Galaxy Heart ( Constellation)
• Marissa Nadler - The Wrath of the Clouds(Sacred Bones)
• Posthuman - Echo Almaz East (The Dark Outside)
• Pye Corner Audio - Let’s Emerge! (Sonic Cathedral)
• The Soft Moon - Exister (Sacred Bones)
• Troposphere 7 - Grey Parrots (Hakuna Kulala)
• Veryan - Here//Now (S/R)
• Erie Wanda - Internal Radio (Joyful Noise)
• Johanna Warren - Lessons for Mutants (Wax Nine}
• White Hills - Mitosis( Heads On Fire Industries/White Hills)
• White Hills - The Revenge Of Heads On Fire( Heads on Fire/ White Hills)

Old Stuff

• Can - Live In Cuxhaven 1976 (Spoon)
• Coil - Musick to Play In The Dark 2 (Dais)
• Sandy Denny - Early Home Recordings (Earth)
• Minoru Fushimi - Thanatos of Funk(180G)
• Hawkwind - Dreamworkers of Time Th I’ll e BBC Recording 1985-1995 (Atomhenge)
• Nazz - Lost Masters & Demos (Purple Pyramid)
• Nik Turner - Space Ritual 1994(Purple Pyramid)
• V/A - Dave Brock Presents…This Was Your Future Space Rock (And Other Psychedelics) 1978-1998 (Cherry Red)
• Walter Wegmuller - Tarot (Breeze)

Carnacki

11 favourite cassettes (in alphabetical order)

Diane Barbé - A Conference of Critters (forms of minutiae)
Andrew Chalk - Dreams (Faraway Press)
David Colohan - Small Moves Ellie Small Moves / Night, North Paterson (Was Ist Das?)
Euphotic - Conjugate Regions (Ikuisuus)
Kemper Norton - Rife (Woodford Halse)
Lia Kohl - Too Small to be a Plain (Shinkoyo)
Daniel McLennan - Unfurling Redemption (Cruel Nature)
Marissa Nadler - The Wrath of the Clouds (Sacred Bones)
Manja Ristić - Him, Fast Sleeping, Soon He Found in Labyrinth of Many a Round, Self-Rolled (mappa)
Skyminds - Terra Preta (Not Not Fun)
To End It All - Live At Teatro De La Psychomachia / Strength Is Nothing (ft. Zvi) – A Partial Soundtrack For Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Stalker” (Scry Recordings)

11 favourite digital-only releases (in alphabetical order)

Eszter Balint - I Hate Memory (S/R)
Jesse Olsen Bay - weather/weight (S/R)
Cinder Well & Jim Ghedi - I Am A Youth That’s Inclined To Ramble (S/R)
Circuit Des Yeux - Sunset Poem, reimagined by Claire Rousay (Matador)
Clipping - Remxng series (Sub Pop)
irr. app. (ext.) - “Attention Dear” 2022 Digital Monthly Single series (errata in excelsis)
Lime Rickey International - The Train (S/R)
Carol Anne McGowan - re:versions (S/R)
Rabbit Rabbit - Rabbit Rabbit Radio Volume 5: Love Is Code (S/R)
Songs Of The New Erotics - There Walked Slowly From Time To Black Rosettes, Golden Eye Breathing It In, And They To Spring (Disembraining Songs)
Various - For Ukraine vols. 1-3 (Headphone Commute)

11 favourite small things (in alphabetical order)

Bevis Frond - Typical Freakout 7” (Hypnotic Bridge)
Danielle Dax - Invictus Arduis 7” (Heaven’s Lathe)
The Doomed Bird of Providence - Ransoms for Cars 7” (10 to 1)
DWLVS - On a Clear Drop You Can See Forever 7” (Stoned to Death)
Andrew Liles / Lux Lyall & Andy Votel - Care In The Community / Six 7” (Golden Lion Sounds)
Nurse With Wound - Shipwreck n’ Roll 7” (ICR)
People Like Us - Free Sunshine 7” (Heaven’s Lathe)
Shanna Sordahl - So She Shone / So They Shone 7” (Full Spectrum)
Surplus 1980 with GW Sok - Kremlin Gremlin 7” (A Dull Fiddler) (Surplus Industries)
Andrew Weathers - Early Works 8” (Full Spectrum)
Nick Cave - Seven Psalms 10” (Cave Things)

22 favourite live shows (in chronological order)

• Senyawa, 1 March, The Lab, SF
• Kali Malone, 10 April, Grace Cathedral, SF
• Dean Santomieri / Tom Nunn, 15 April, Mosswood Chapel, Oakland
• Jake Blount, 19 April, Freight & Salvage, Berkeley
• Cheryl E. Leonard, 22 April, Mosswood Chapel, Oakland
• Grouper, 29 May, The Castro, SF
• Emily Wells, 10 June, Starline Social Club, Oakland
• Grale, 22 July, Mosswood Chapel, Oakland
• Steve Von Till / Helen Money, 9 Aug, Starline Social Club, Oakland
• Emily Jane White, 11 August, The Chapel, SF
• Lia Kohl, 12 August, Mosswood Chapel, Oakland
• Circuit Des Yeux, 17 August, The Lab, SF
• Marissa Nadler / Jessica Way / Serpentent, 24 August, Golden Bull, Oakland
• Sarah Davachi, 10 September, Grace Cathedral, SF
• Melt-Banana, 1 October, Great American Music Hall, SF
• Fierce as Death: Queer at the Song of Songs, Jewlia Eisenberg memorial, 2 October, CJM SF
• Dire Wolves, 2 October, The Knockout, SF
• Luxury Skin, 25 October, Sid Gold’s Request Room, NYC
• Trevor Dunn’s Trio-Convulsant plus four, 27 October, Solar Myth, Philadelphia
• Edward Schocker / Keith Evans, 13 November, Shapeshifters Cinema, Oakland
• Old Million Eye, 17 November, Beauty Supply, Oakland
• Kristin Hersh, 28 November, Bottom of the Hill, SF

25 favourite records (in alphabetical order)

Abronia - Map of Dawn (Cardinal Fuzz / Feeding Tube)
Marisa Anderson - Still, Here (Thrill Jockey)
Félicia Atkinson - Image Language (Shelter Press)
Jake Blount - The New Faith (Smithsonian Folkways)
Burd Ellen - A Tarot of the Green Wood (Mavis)
Matti Bye Ensemble - Häxan (Time Released Sound)
Charming Hostess - The Ginzburg Geography (Tzadik)
Common Eider King Eider - Yearn (Cyclic Law)
Jane Antiona Cornish - Sierra (Cantaloupe)
Current 93 - If a City is Set Upon a Hill (HomAleph)
Dreadnought - The Endless (Profound Lore)
Clara Engel - Their Invisible Hands (Elephant Shrew)
Laibach - Wir Sind Das Volk (Mute)
Adrian Lane - Missing The Crows (whitelabrecs)
Cheryl E. Leonard - Antarctica: Music from the Ice (Other Minds)
Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch - Ravage (130701)
Mama’s Broke - Narrow Line (Free Dirt)
Jessica Moss - Galaxy Heart (Constellation)
Nina Nastasia - Riderless Horse (Temporary Residence)
Nurse With Wound - Nefarious vols. II - III (United Dairies)
Raum - Daughter (Yellow Electric)
Various - Women Take Back The Drone (UBUIBI)
Emily Wells - Regards to the End (Thesis + Instinct)
Emily Jane White - Alluvion (Talitres)
Kristeen Young - The Beauty Shop (S/R)

Some favourite plain ol’ reissues (in alphabetical order)

Human Greed - Black Hill: Midnight at the Blighted Star (Was Ist Das?)
Nurse With Wound - The Ladies Home Tickler (United Dirter)
Nurse With Wound - Salt Marie Celeste - Salt (United Dirter)

Some favourite reissues into physical form of previously digital-only items (in alphabetical order)

Kate Carr - Making Do Vol. 1 (Tool Use)
Dark Leaves - Laid Under Leaf, Under Branches (Ramble Records)
Clara Engel - The Cicada Session & In The Fog (Ramble Records)
Mekons - Exquisite (Glitterbeat)

Deep Mission

Best of 2022

• Nadia Ackerman - Coconut Bunny Cake
• Gaye Su Akyol - Anadolu Esderi
• Elvis Costello & The Imposters - The Boy Named If
• Mary Fahl - Can’t Get It Out of My Head
• The Mutants - Curse of the Easily Amused
• Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio - Cold as Weiss
• Mayya - Infinite Possible Futures
• Steve ‘n’ Seagulls- Another Miracle
• Phuong Tam - Magical Nights
• Afro Yaqui Music Collective - Maroon Future
• Michelle D’Amour & The Love Dealers - Hot Mess
• The Great Necks - Impressions of Spain
• Cameron Knowler & Eli Winter - Anticipation

DJ Aahh

2022 Top 10 Releases Z-A

• Weval - Time Goes (Technicolor)
• Sonogram -  Compendium (Simulacra)
• The Soft Pink Truth - Is It Going to Get Any Deeper Than This? (Thrill Jockey)
• Sen Morimoto - Sen Morimoto (Sooper)
• Momu - Moons of Jupiter (Loöq)
• Maps - Counter Melodies - Part 1 (Mute)
• Louis Cole -  Quality Over Opinion (Brainfeeder)
• Kelly Lee Owens - Inner Song (Smalltown Supersound)
• J.Rocc - A Wonderful Letter (Stones Throw)
• Automatic - Excess (Stones Throw)

DJ Dokkaebi

DJ Dokkaebi’s Favorite Albums of 2022 (In No Particular Order)

• Mitski - Laurel Hell (Dead Oceans)
• Ethel Cain - Preacher’s Daughter (Daughters of Cain Records)
• Julia Jacklin - PRE PLEASURE (Polyvinyl Record Co.)
• Cate Le Bon - Pompeii (Mexican Summer LLC)
• The 1975 - Being Funny in A Foreign Language (Dirty Hit)
• Mapache - Roscoe’s Dream (Innovative Leisure)
• Big Thief  - Dragon New Warm Mountain (4AD)
• Andres Miguel Cervantes - The Crossing (Speakeasy Studios)
• Father John Misty - Chloe and The Next 20th Century (Sub Pop Records)
• Alex G - God Save The Animals (Domino Recording Co Ltd)
• SASAMI - Squeeze (Domino Recording Co Ltd)
• Beach House - Once Twice Melody (Sub Pop Records)
• Rubi Ate the Fig  - Desert Electric (Desert Recordings)
• Khruangbin and Vieux Farka Toure - Ali (Dead Oceans + Night Time Stories)
• Kokoroko - Could We Be More (Brownswood Recordings)
• Xiomara Torres - La Voz Del Mar (Patois Records)
• Trombone Shorty - Lifted (UMG Recordings)
• Little Simz - NO THANK YOU (AWAL Recordings)
• The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble - Step Down (Colemine Records)
• Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio - Cold As Weiss (Colemine Records)
• Black Jesus Experience - Good Evening Black Buddha (Agogo Records)
• Sessa - Estrela Acesa (Mexican Summer)
• Weyes Blood - And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow (Sub Pop Records)
• Faye Webster - Car Therapy Sessions (Secretly Canadian)
• Park Jiha - The Gleam (tak:til)

Other Good Albums of 2022

• Fat Trout Trailer Park - Florida (22Twenty)
• Harlem Gospel Travelers  - Look Up! (Colemine Records)
• Third Coast Percussion - Perspectives (Cedille)
• Ravyn Lenae - HYPNOS (Atlantic Recording Corporation)
• NewJeans - NewJeans 1st EP (ADOR Co)
• Toro Y Moi - MAHAL (Dead Oceans)
• Steve Lacy - Gemini Rights (L-M Records)

DJ Donut Monoxide

Donut Monoxide - Favorite Live Music of 2022

• January 29 -  Ivy Room - The Young Barons
• February 12 - Ivy Room - Generacion Suicida
• March 12  -  Fox Theatre - Judas Priest
• April 16, and October 6 - UC Theatre - The CHATS
• April 19 - Independent SF - Viagra Boys
• May 17, SF Masonic - The Damned(original line-up except for Captain Sensible) , Blondie
• May 22, SF Masonic - Bauhaus
• May 28, Eli’s Mile High Club - BongFather, Rosie Plaza
• June 4th, Ivy Room - Year of The Fist, The Vulturas, Throw Rag
• June 16 - Ivy Room - Las Sucias, Fred Frith Trio
• June 17 - Great American Music Hall - Healing Magic, Cephalic Carnage, Calavera Brothers
• July 2,3  - Mosswood Meltdown - Twompsax, The Dirtbombs, Podium, The Carbonas, The Fevers, The Vaxxines (cover of Bondage Up Yours!)
• July 4 - Backyard of house a few doors down from Stay Gold - Poison Ruïn
• July 8, - Bottom of the Hill - Electric Machine Gun Tits, Top Secret Robot Alliance
• July 16 - SF Independent - Bombino
• August 13 - Bargain Rock Showcase - Durty Whyte Boots, Boars, Phantom Surfers
• August 27 - The Fillmore - Mdou Moctar
• September 9 - Shoreline - George Thorogood
• September 23 - Fox Theatre - Grace Jones
• September 25 - The Last Dirtbag Challenge - Hot Laundry
• September 27 - Concord Pavilion - Iron Maiden
• October 2, - Hardly Strictly Bluegrass - Amythyst Kiah
• October 5, The Chapel - King Khan & The BBQ Show
• October 7,9 - Thee Stork Club - The Mummies
• October 8,9 - Halloween Meltdown -  Amyl & The Sniffers, The Spits, Sheer Mag, Body Double, The Bugs.
• October 13 - Great American Music Hall - Brujeria, Napalm Death
• October 29 - Masonic SF - The B-52’s
• October 31, A Driveway in Oakland - Driveway Follies Puppet Show. Founded by Larry Schmidt…
• November 5 -  Downtown Oakland -  Penury, Cancer Christ, DeathgraVe, Necrot, **Possessed**
• December 11 - Regency SF -  The BellRays, Me First & The Gimme Gimmes

E. Lit

Favorite Albums of 2022:

• Wrecking Crew - Sedale Threat (Wrecking Crew)
• Billy Woods & Preservation - Aethiopes (Backwoodz Studioz)
• Elucid - I Told Bessie (Backwoodz Studioz)
• AJ Suede & Televangel - Metatron’s Cube (Fake Four Inc)
• WateRR & Tone Beatz - Order of the Day: Return of the Cherry Tree (Filthe)
• Buck 65 - King of Drums (s/r)
• Andrew - The Rain Knows What It’s Doing (Three Dollar Pistol)
• Roc Marciano & The Alchemist - The Elephant Man’s Bones (ALC)
• Louis Cole - Quality Over Opinion (Brainfeeder)
• Psalm One & Custom Made - Bigg Perrm (Filthe)

Excuse My French

Excuse My French Best of 2022 List:

New Releases:

• bvdub - Violet opposition (n5MD)
• Mark Barrott - Travelling Music EP (International Feel recordings)
• S.O.N.S. - The Escape (S.O.N.S.)
• Zakè & 36 - Stasis Sounds For Long-Distance Space Travel II (PITP)
• Biosphere - Shortwave Memories (Biophon records)
• Horace Andy - Midnight Rocker (On-U Sounds)
• Horace Andy - Midnight Scorcher (On-U Sounds)
• Kyle Hall - Good Hado EP (Forget The Clock)
• Eris Drew & Octo Octa - Day After A Night With U / Stars & Water (fabric originals)
• Marine Eyes - Chamomille (PITP)
• Karsten Pflum - Camera Obscura (Touched Music)
• Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - When The Lights Go (Nice Age)
• Bon Enfant - Diorama (Duprince)
• Veronica Stanton - Caught Up On A Feeling (s/r)
• Tiken Jah Fakoly - Braquage de Pouvoir (Chapter Two)
• Khondo - Plus Haut Que La Tour Eiffel (La COuvreuse)
• Mademoiselle K - Mademoiselle K (Kravache)
• Les Gordon - Nuances (Morning Crash Record)
• Bjork - Fossora (One Little Independent Record)
• La Féline - Tarbes (Kwaidan Records)
• Zazie - Aile-P (La Zizanie)
• Montparnasse Musique - Archeology (Real World Records)
• Maxence CYrin - Melancholy Island (Warner Classics)
• Fally Ipupa - Formule 7 (F'Victeam Entertainment)
• This Immortal Coil - The World Ended A Long Time Ago (Ici Ailleurs)
• Gaël Faure - L'Eau et La Peau (Zamora Label)
• Arovane + EMHO - In Between (Sonic Dialogue)
• Gimmik - Sonic Poetry (n5MD)
• Okada - Fragility (n5MD)
• Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxymore (Columbia, Sony Music)
• Gaël Faye, Grand Corps Malade & Ben Mazué - Éphémère (Anouche Records)
• Aldous Harding - Warm Chris (4AD)

Re-releases & compilations

• v/a - Penrose Showcase, Vol. 1
• v/a - NFRv_009 Natural Rhythm, Saison, Risk Assessment (No Fuss Records)
• v/a - Found Sound, VOl. 3 (Touched Music)
• Adham Shaikh - Early Works 1992-1994 (re-discovery records)
• FM Skyline - Deluxe Memory Suite (100% Electronica)
• Nuron + Fughe - DAT Tapes 1993-1994 (De:tuned)
• v/a - Dailysession Gig Pak EP 1 (Dailisession Records)
• This Immortal Coil - The Dark Age of Love (Ici Ailleurs)
• v/a - Inside Records, Vol. 1 (Inside Records)
• OrelSan - Civilisation (7th Magnitude, 3ème Bureau, Wagram Music)

Film Close-Ups

Film Close-ups' Favorite Films of 2022:

• Aftersun
• Banshees of Inisherin
• The Batman
• Confess, Fletch
• Crimes of the Future
• EO
• Everything Everywhere All At Once
• Fire of Love
• Flee
• Glass Onion
• Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
• Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
• Hatching
• I Didn't See You There
• Memoria
• Men
• The Menu
• Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
• My Old School
• Nope
• The Northman
• Petite Maman
• Prey
• Remember This
• Tár
• Three Thousand Years of Longing
• Turning Red

Foob

Music that shaped Foob in 2022

Music that was released in 2022 (or very close to 2022)

• Biosphere - Shortwave Memories (Biophon)
• Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra - Promises (Luaka Bop)
• The Necks - Three (ReR Megacorp)
• Los Days - West Winds (Too Good)
• Sote - Majestic Noise Made In Beautiful Rotten Iran (Sub Rosa)
• Chris Child & Micah Frank - Tape Pieces Vol. 3 (Foil)
• Simon Posford – Flux & Contemplation - Portrait Of An Artist In Isolation (Twisted)

Music that was not released in 2022

• Victrola - Maritime Tatami / A Game Of Despair (Dark Entries)
• René & Angela - Wall To Wall (Capitol)
• Ethnic Heritage Ensemble - Impressions (Red Record)
• TOPS - Picture You Staring (Arbutus)
• VA - Anthology of Electroacoustic Lebanese Music (Unexplained Sounds Group)
• Delegation - Eau De Vie (Mercury)

Imaginary Radio

Imaginary Radio’s Best Of 2022

Imaginary Radio’s Top 2022 Releases

Belle & Sebastian - A Bit Of Previous (Matador)
Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You (4AD)
Bill Callahan - YTI⅃AƎЯ (Drag City)
Charley Crockett - The Man From Waco (Son of Davy)
Courtney Marie Andrews - Loose Future (Fat Possum)
Dr. John - Things Happen That Way (Rounder)
Frankie Cosmos - Inner World Peace (Sun Pop)
Jazzanova - The Sound Of Detroit (Strata)
Julia Jacklin - Pre Pleasure (Polyvinyl)
Kingdom Of Mustang - Into Beautiful Blue (Kool Kat)
Lambchop - The Bible (Merge)
Laura Veirs - Found Light (Raven Marching Band)
MONO - My Story, The Buraku Story [soundtrack] (Temporary Residence)
ORA Singers - Stella (harmonia mundi)
Rusty - The Resurrection Of Rust (EMI)
Tedeschi Trucks Band - I Am The Moon [all four] (Fantasy)
The Beths - Expert In A Dying Field (Carpark)
The Dead Tongues - Dust (Psychic Hotline)
The Linda Lindas - Growing Up (Epitaph)
Toro Y Moi - Mahal (Dead Oceans)

 

Imaginary Radio’s Top 2022 Shows

AJ Lee & Blue Summit - The Independent
Anaïs Mitchell - The Chapel
Avett Brothers - JazzFest
Bela Fleck - Freight & Salvage
Bonnie Light Horseman - Hardly Strictly
Dashawn Hickman & Charlie Hunter - Hardly Strictly
New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars - Quarterfest
NRBQ - The Chapel
Rhiannon Giddens - SF Jazz
Sarah Shook & the Disarmers - Hardly Strictly

Leftfield Lance

2022 Favorites

7"

• Communicant - La Roue (Six Tonnes de Chair)
• The Gabys - S/T (Fruits & Flowers)
• Lassie - Temporary Cemetery (Turbo Discos)
• Neutrals - Bus Stop Nights (Static Shock)
• Paperniks - S/T (s/r)
• Snooper - Town Topic (Electric Outlet)

12"

• Children Maybe Later - What a Flash Kick! (Sloth Mate)
• Horsegirl - Versions of Modern Performance (Matador)
• Non Plus Temps - Desire Choir (Post Present Medium)
• Ribbon Stage - Hit with the Most (K)
• Rose Mercie - ¿Kieres Agua? (Celluloid Lunch)
• Smirk - Material (Feel It)
• The Submissives - Wanna Be Your Thing (Bruit Direct)
• Tony Jay - Hey There Flower (Mt St Mtn)

Tapes, Downloads, etc.

• Added Dimensions - S/T (s/r)
• Galore - Blush (Paisley Shirt)
• Onyon - S/T (U-Bac)
• Red Pants - When We Were Dancing (Paisley Shirt)
• Self Improvement - Visible Damage (Floating Mill)
• Society - All Flies Go To Hell (Spared Flesh)

 

Lucky Star

Lucky Star 2022 Favs

New(ish) Releases:

• Indigo De Souza - Any Shape You Take (Saddle Creek)
• Wet Leg - Wet Leg (Domino Recording Co.)
• Girlpool - Forgiveness (Girlpool Music)
• Chalk Talk - Sometimes I Call You (S/R)
• Arlo Parks - Collapsed In Sunbeams (Transgressive Records)
• Weyes Blood - And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow (Sub Pop Records)
• FKA Twigs - Caprisongs (Atlantic Recording)

Old Releases:

• Elliott Smith - Figure 8 (UMG Recordings)
• Amy Winehouse - Frank (Universal Island Records)
• Mazzy Star - She Hangs Brightly (Capitol Records)
• The Meters - Rejuvenation (Atlantic Recording Corp.)
• Marvin Gaye - I Want You (UMG Recording)
• Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, And Delivered (UMG Recording)
• Pretty Sick - Angel Landing (Dirty Hit)
• Cymande - Promised Heights (Partisan Records)
• Minnie Ripperton - Come to My Garden (Capitol Records)
• Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - I Learned The Hard Way (Daptone Records)
• Donny Hathaway - Live (Atco Records)
• Funkadelic - America Eats Its Young (Westbound Records)
• Parliment - Mothership Connection (The Island Def Jam Music Group)

Megasoup

Megasoup's Favorite Albums From 2022:

• Acid Twilight - Mustang Zodiac (Not Not Fun)
• Adrian Quesada - Boleros Psicodélicos (ATO)
• Afrorack - The Afrorack (Hakuna Kulala)
• Al Lover - Cosmic Joke (Fuzz Club)
• Alina Bzhezhinska - Reflections (BBE)
• Amanda Whiting - Lost in Abstraction (Jazzman)
• Arthur King - Changing Landscapes {Mina Las Pintadas} (AKP Recordings)
• Auntie Flo & Sarathy Korwar - Shruti Dance (ManMakeMusic)
• Barbie Bertisch - Prelude (Love Injection)
• Beau Sorenson - Indifference Will Devour You (Bandcamp self release)
• billy woods - Aethiopes (Backwoodz Studioz)
• Bitchin Bajas -  Bajascillators (Drag City)
• Carmen Villain - Only Love From Now On (Smalltown Supersound)
• Chancha Vía Circuito - La Estrella (Wonderwheel)
• Channelers - Time, Space, and Thought (Inner Islands)
• Chip Wickham - Cloud 10 (Gondwana)
• Coral Club - Lost Cities (Moon Glyph)
• Daniel Villarreal - Panamá 77 (International Anthem)
• Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek - Dost 2 (Bongo Joe)
• Emeka Ogboh - 6°30′33.372″N 3°22′0.66″E (Danfotronics)
• Ensemble Nist-Nah - Elders (Black Truffle)
• Esmerine - Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More (Constellation)
• Fields Of Mist - Illuminated60 (Ilian Tape)
• Ghost Power - Ghost Power (Duophonic Super 45s)
• Gi Gi - Sunchoke + Lamella Pressed (Good Morning Tapes + INDEX:Records)
• Gianluca Petrella & Cosmic Renaissance - Universal Language (Schema)
• Golden Brown - Luminous (Inner Islands)
• Greg Foat - Psychosynthesis (Blue Crystal Records)
• Günter Schlienz - Ausflüge I (Cosima Pitz)
• Homeboy Sandman - Still Champion (Mello Music Group)
• Horace Andy - Midnight Rocker + Midnight Scorchers (On-U Sound)
• Hugjiltu 胡格吉乐图 - Cycle 循环 (Dustyballz)
• Immanuel Wilkins - The 7th Hand (Blue Note)
• Jasper Høiby - What It Means To Be Human (Edition)
• Joel Ross - The Parable of the Poet (Blue Note)
• Kanot - Textile Fantasies (Höga Nord Rekords)
• Kraus - Fire! Water! Air! Kraus! (Soft Abuse)
• Lara Somogyi - Exclamation (Mercury KX)
• Los Amparito - Recalentados (Bandcamp self release)
• Lucrecia Dalt - Ay! (RVNG Intl.)
• Makaya McCraven - In These Times (International Anthem)
• Mary Halvorson - Amaryllis (Nonesuch)
• Maya Youssef - Finding Home (self released)
• Mega Ran x Amerigo Gazaway - STRANGERS: Back To The Lab (Soul Mates)
• Melody's Echo Chamber - Emotional Eternal (Domino)
• Misha Sultan - Roots (Hive Mind Records)
• Montparnasse Musique - Archeology (Real World)
• N Chambers - Mirage Colony (Soft Profile)
• Natalia Lafourcade - De Todas las Flores (Sony)
• Nok Cultural Ensemble - Njhyi (SA Recordings)
• Nomade Orquestra - Na Terra das Primaveras (Bandcamp self release)   
• Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling & Andreas Werliin - Ghosted (Drag City)
• Park Jiha - The Gleam (Tak:til / Glitterbeat)
• Perkutao - Mis Ancestros (Buh)
• Popp - Blizz (Squama)
• Purelink - Puredub (Lillerne Tape Club)
• Raveena - Asha’s Awakening (Warner)
• Rhabdomantic Orchestra - Almagre (Agogo)
• Rokia Kone & Jacknife Lee - BAMANAN (Real World)
• Rosa Beach Mason & Sean Conrad - Wake (Inner Islands)
• Sabla + Đ.K. - Totem Society (Worship)
• Salamanda - ashbalkum (Human Pitch)
• Sarathy Korwar - KALAK (Leaf)
• Sault - UNTITLED (God) + 11 (Forever Living Originals)
• Sessa - Estrela Acesa (Mexican Summer)
• Soda Lite - Aqua Solar Cura (Not Not Fun)
• The Soft Pink Truth - Is It Going to Get Any Deeper Than This? (Thrill Jockey)
• The Soundcarriers - Wilds (Phosphonic)
• SpaceMoth - No Past No Future (Wax Nine)
• The Spy from Cairo - Animamundi (Wonderwheel)
• The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble - Step Down (Colemine)
• Tapani Rinne & Juha Mäki-Patola - Open (Hush Hush)
• Tim Bernardes - Mil Coisas Invisíveis (Psychic Hotline)
• TOROZEBU - TOROZEBU (Black Acre)
• Wau Wau Collectif - Mariage (Sahel Sounds)
• The Weather Station - How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars (Next Door)
• WEMA - WEMA (!K7)
• Weyes Blood - And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow (Sub Pop)
• Winter - What Kind Of Blue Are You? (Bar/None)
• V/A - Adrian Sherwood Presents: Dub No Frontiers (Real World)
• V/A - ZZK Sound Vol. 4 (ZZK)

Megasoup's Favorite Reissues and Archival Releases from 2022:

Broadcast - Maida Vale Sessions (Warp)
Celestine Ukwu - No Condition Is Permanent (Mississippi)
Charles Stepney - Step on Step (International Anthem)
Faust - Punkt (Bureau B)
Los Golden Boys - Cumbia de Juventud (Mississippi)
Luis David Aguilar - Ayahuasca: Música para Cine de Luis David Aguilar: 1978-1983 (Buh)
Martin Franklin & Richard Clare - Invocation (Oryx_Records)
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 - Strangers From The Universe (Bulbous Monocle)
V/A - The Afrosound Of Colombia Vol. 3 (Vampi Soul)
V/A - Eccentric Deep Soul (Numero Group)
V/A - Exploring Gong Culture In Southeast Asia: Massif And Archipelago (Sub Rosa)
V/A - Padang Moonrise: The Birth of the Modern Indonesian Recording Industry 1955-69 (Soundway)
V/A - Perú Selvático - Sonic Expedition Into The Peruvian Amazon 1972-1986 (Analog Africa)
V/A - Pierre Barouh and the Saravah Sound - Jazz, Samba and Other Hallucinatory Grooves 1965-1976 (WeWantSounds)
V/A - Saigon Supersound, Vol. 3 (Saigon Supersound)
V/A - Saturno 2000: La Rebajada De Los Sonideros 1962-1983 (Analog Africa)
V/A - Soul Jazz Records presents STUDIO ONE MUSIC LAB (Soul Jazz)
V/A - Unity Is Strength (Trojan)
V/A - Wamono Groove: Shakuhachi & Koto Jazz Funk '76 (180g)
V/A - With Love: Vol. 1 (Mr. Bongo)

Megasoup's Favorite Singles, EPs, and Mini-Albums (less than 30 minutes):

Chip Wickham - Astral Traveling (Gondwana)
Cousin - Hudson (Nummer)
Dania - Voz (Geographic North)
Esau - Other Places (Bandcamp self release)
Julian Zyklus - Waterpiano (Hush Hush)
Malibu - Palaces of Pity (UNO)
Matthew Halsall – The Temple Within + Changing Earth EPs (Gondwana)
N Chambers - Grid Flora (Bandcamp self release)
Pachyman - El Sonido Nuevo de (ATO)
Shabaka - Afrikan Culture (Impluse!)

Microtone

Microtone: 22 Albums I Kept Returning to in 2022 (chronological by release date)

• The Soundcarriers – Wilds (Phosphonic)
• Voision Xi 喜辰晨 -  Lost for Words 欲言又止 (JZ Music)
• Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You (4AD)
• Carmen Villain – Only Love from Now On (Smalltown Supersound)
• Park Jiha – The Gleam (Glitterbeat)
• YĪN YĪN – The Age of Aquarius (Glitterbeat)
• Maya Youssef – Finding Home (S/R)
• Saphileum – Ornaments (Oslated)
• Amine Mesnaoui & Labelle – African Prayers (Lo Recordings)
• Golden Brown – Luminous (Inner Islands)
• Billow Observatory – Stareside (Felte)
• Wema – WEMA (!K7)
• Shabaka Hutchings – Afrikan Culture (Impulse!)
• Acid Twilight – Mustang Zodiac (Not Not Fun)
• Salamanda – Ashbalkum (Human Pitch)
• Esmerine – Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More (Constellation)
• Medicine Singers – Medicine Singers (Stone Tapes/Joyful Noise)
• Skyminds – Terra Preta (Not Not Fun)
• Sun Dawei  – Yòu 右 (SR)
• Emeka Ogboh - 6°30′33.372″N 3°22′0.66″E (Danfotronics)
• The Soft Pink Truth – Is It Going to Get Any Deeper Than This? (Thrill Jockey)
• Lucrecia Dalt – ¡Ay! (RVNG Int’l)

Microtone: A few notable compilations, collections, and retrospectives

• Kiyoshi Yamaya, Toshiko Yonekawa, Kifu Mitsuhashi – Wamono Groove: Shakuhachi & Koto Jazz Funk ’76 (180g)
• Liang YiYuan 梁奕源 – Those that Die in a Dream: A Twenty Years Retrospective (Unexplained Sounds Group)
• Various Artists – Begging the Moon: Phleng Thai Sakon & Luk Krung, 1945-1960 (Death is Not the End)
• Various Artists – Drifting with Friends (Eating Music)
• Various Artists – For Ukraine Volumes 1, 2, and 3 (Headphone Commute)

Mike Burma

Mike Burma - Fave Discoveries of 2022

ALBUMS - no particular order

Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra - Promises (2021, Luaka Bop)

• Mid-Air Thief - Gongjoong Doduk (orig 2015, reissued 2021 on bandcamp) <from South Korea>
• neutrals - Bus Stop Nights 7" E.P. (2022, Static Shock) <from Oakland>
• Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp - We're OK. But We're Lost Anyway (2021, Les Disques Bongo Joe) <from Geneva, Switzerland>
• Women - Public Strain (2010, Jagjaguwar) <from Calgary, Canada>
• Artsick - Fingers Crossed (2022, Slumberland)
• Suburban Lawns - Suburban Lawns (originally 1981 release on Capitol, reissued 2021 by Superior Viaduct) <a recent discovery for me, check out if you like Devo>
• Afro Yaqui Music Collective - Maroon Futures (2021, Neuma) <from Pittsburgh, PA>
• Body Double - Milk Fed (2020, Zum Audio)  <from Oakland>
• Orquesta Akokán - 16 Rayos (2021, Daptone) <from Havana>
• Kim Gordon - No Home Record (2019, Matador)
• Wayne County & The Electric Chairs - The Safari Years CD boxset (2020, Captain Oi!) <music from 1977-79>
• Silk Sonic - An Evening with Silk Sonic (2021, Atlantic/Aftermath) <duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak>
• Phuong Tam (Phương Tâm) - Magical Nights: Saigon Surf Twist & Soul (1964-1966) (2021, Sublime Frequencies) <another great collection from Bay Area legend Mark Gergis>
• Idles - Ultra Mono (2020, Partisan)
• Fake Fruit - Fake Fruit  (2021, Rocks In Your Head) <from Oakland>
• Sons Of Kemet - Black To The Future (2021, Impulse!)
• Beynelmilân - Yeraltı Oyun Havaları (2020, Korsan Plakçılık) <from Turkey>
• Whateverglades - Don't Call Me Baby / I Watch Over Me  (2020, No Egrets Records, 7" single)
• Fatty Cakes and the Puff Pastries - Fatty Cakes and the Puff Pastries (2018, Emotional Response) <produced by Alice Bag>
• Bobby Ramone - Rocket to Kingston (2020, Guerilla Asso) <Bob Marley songs in da Ramones stylee. And the cover art...chefs kiss>
• VARIOUS ARTISTS - A Kaleidoscope Of Sounds: Psychedelic & Freakbeat Masterpieces (2018, 7x7" boxset, Mercury/Decca/Polydor) <includes The Wimple Winch>
• VARIOUS ARTISTS - Venezuela 70 (Cosmic Visions Of A Latin American Earth: Venezuelan Experimental Rock In The 1970s)  (2018, Soul Jazz)
• VARIOUS ARTISTS - Saigon Rock & Soul: Vietnamese Classic Tracks 1968-1974 (Sublime Frequencies, 2012)

SONGS - no particular order

• TEKE::TEKE - "Yoru Ni" - Shirushi (2021, Kill Rock Stars) <from Montreal Québec>
• Seamus Fogarty - "Johnny K" - A Bag Of Eyes (202, Domino) <from London>
• Johnny Cash - "God’s Gonna Cut You Down" - American V: A Hundred Highways (2006, American) <Shocked that I hadn't listened to this album until now. Burma, you're fired>
• Big Thief - "Spud Infinity" - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You (2022, 4AD)
• Model Zero - "Leather Trap" - Little Crystal b/w Leather Trap 7" Single (2022, Third Man) <from Memphis, TN>
• Obongjayar - Message in a Hammer (2021 single, 3:38 version)  <Nigerian artist living in London>
• Lonnie Holley - "So Many Rivers (The First Time)" - National Freedom  (2020, Jagjaguwar) <from Atlanta, GA>
• Natacha Atlas - "I Put A Spell On You" - Ayeshteni (2001, Mantra) <creative interpretation of the classic>
• The Spook School - "I Want To Kiss You" - Try to be Hopeful (215, Fortuna Pop!) <from Edinburgh, Scotland>
• The Bobby Lees - "Dig Your Hips" - Hollywood Junkyard EP (2022, Ipecac)
• Fireflies - "She's My Witch (VDCR Remix)" - The Machine Stops (2021, Bandcamp)
• Mattiel - "Count Your Blessings" - Mattiel (2017, Heavenly) <from Atlanta>
• The Donkeys - "Don't Go" -  Don't Go/Living Legends (1981, MCA, 7 inch single)
• The Chats - "6L GTR" - Get Fucked (2022, Bargain Bin Records)
• School Damage - "Sick Of You" - Break Up 7" (2014, Detonic)
• Sprints - "Im In a Band" - A Modern Job EP (2022, Nice Swan)
• Medicine Singers - "Sunset" - Medicine Singers (2022, Mothland) <supergroup of Ikue Mori, Jaimie Branch, Laraaji, and members of Swans>
• Lola Flores - "A Tu Vera" - La Inimitable (1990, Perfil, Spain)
• Kelly Stoltz - "Dodged a Bullet" - Ah! (etc) (2020, Agitated)
• Algiers - "Dispossession" - There Is No Year (2020, Matador)
• Cable Ties - "Sandcastles" - Far Enough  (2020, Merge)
• NOV3L - "Untouchable" - Non-Fiction (2021, Flemish Eye) <from Vancouver, BC, Canada>
• Snooper - "Running" - Music For Spies 7" (2020, Computer Human Records) <from Nashville>

Pop Goes The Weasel

Favorite Songs of 2022

• Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupul - "HAHA" - Topical Dancer (DeeWee)
• EXEK - "Beyond Currency" - Advertise Here (S/R)
• James Hunter Six - "Never" - With Love (Daptone"
• Ibibio Sound Machine - "!7 18 19" - Electricity (Merge)
• Julia Jacklin - "I Was Neon" - Pre-Pleasure (Polyvinyl)
• Cate Le Bon - "Dirt on the Bed" - Pompeii (Mexican Summer)
• Tove Lo - "True Romance" - Dirt Femme (Pretty Swede)
• Modal Melodies - "Driving" - Modal Melodies (Anti Fade)
• Kevin Morby - "This is a Photograph" - This is a Photograph (Dead Oceans)
• Weyes Blood - "It's Not Just Me, It's Everybody" - And in the Darkness Hearts Aglow (SubPop)

 

Favorite Album from 2021, Not Heard Until 2022:

Dummy - Mandatory Enjoyment (Trouble in Mind)

Rare Earth

2022 Favorites

New Releases:

• Cate Le Bon - Pompeii (Mexican Summer)
• Papercuts - Past Life Regression (Slumberland)
• OSEES - A Foul Form (Castle Face)
• Alvvays - Blue Rev (Polyvinyl Record Co.)
• Father John Misty - Chloë And The Next 20th Century (Sub Pop)
• John Carroll Kirby - Cryptozoo (Stones Throw)
• Automatic - Excess (Stones Throw)
• Mitski - Laurel Hell (Dead Oceans)
• Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (TDE)
• Vince Staples - Ramona Park Broke My Heart (Blacksmith Recordings)
• Duster - Together
• Weyes Blood - And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow (Sub Pop)
• Kikagaku Moyo - Kumoyo Island (Guruguru Brain)
• Thee Sacred Souls - thee Sacred Souls (Penrose)

Reissues:

• Betty Lou Landreth - Betty Lou (Backatcha)
• Frank Ocean - Blonde (Blonded)
• John Coltrane - Blue Train (Stereo & Mono) (Blue Note)
• Hallelujahs - Eat Meat, Swear A Oath (Black Editions)
• Grachan Moncur III - Evolution (Blue Note)
• Farm - Farm (Guerssen)
• Grant Green -  Feelin’ The Spirit (Blue Note)
• Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media - In The Groove (Deep Jazz Reality)
• Sandro Brugnolini - L’Uomo Dagli Occhiali A Specchio (Edizioni Musicali Redi)
• Alice Coltrane - Ptah, The El Daoud (Verve)
• Sun Ra - The Futuristic Sounds Of Sun Ra (Savoy)
• Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams (Superior Viaduct)
• Ziad Rahbani - Houdou Nisbi (Wewantsounds)
• Miho Kei & Jazz Eleven - Kokezaru Kumikyoku (HMV)

Compilations:

• V/A - America Dream Reserve (Smiling C)
• V/A - Busy Is Good (Big Nice)
• V/A - Down & Out (NTS)
• V/A - Padang Moonrise (The Birth Of The Modern Indonesian Recording Industry 1955-69) (Soundway)
• V/A - Perfect Motion (Perfect Motion)
• V/A - Saturno 2000-La Rebajada De Los Sonideros 1962-1983 (Analog Africa)
• V/A - Sky Dust Drifter (Forager)
• V/A - V4 Visions: Of Love And Androids (Numero Group)
• V/A - Vacation From My Mind (Forager)
• Norma Tanega - I’m The Sky: Studio And Demo Recordings, 1964-1971 (Anthology)
• Roberta Vandervort & Sally Townes - Roberta Vandervort & Sally Townes (Forager)
• Mary Lattimore - Collected Pieces: 2015-2020 (Ghostly)
• Stereolab: Pulse Of The Early Brain (Switched On Vol. 5) (Duophonic UHF)
• Karate - Time Expired (Numero Group)

7”:

• SvenWunder - Asterism Waltz (Piano Piano)
• Caroline Polachek - Billions (Perpetual Novice)
• Thee Oh Sees - Dark Weald (Philthy Phonographic)
• Sven Wunder - Jazz At Night (Piano Piano)
• Surprise Chef - The Positive And The Negative (Mr. Bongo)
• Thee Sacred Souls - Trade Of Hearts (Penrose)

Live Shows:

• Osees @ The Chapel
• Karate @ Great American Music Hall
• Kikagaku Moyo @ The Warfield
• Thee Sacred Souls @ The Chapel
• The Smile @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
• Stereolab @ The Fillmore
• Cate Le Bon @ The UC Theater
• King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard @ The Greek
• Cindy Lee @ Rickshaw Stop
• The Red Pears @ Bottom Of The Hill
• Margaritas Podridas @ Eli’s Mile High
• Os Mutantes @ The Chapel
• Hania Rani @ The Chapel
• Broken Social Scene @ Gundlach Bundschu

Sparkle Motion

Best of 2022 List

Music without words (mostly)

• Ahmad Jamal -Emerald City Nights Live at the Penthouse 1965-1966 (Jazz Detective)
• Caroline Shaw, Attacca Quartet -  Evergreen  (Nonesuch)
• Bitchin Bajas -  Bajascillators  (Drag City)
• Chip Wickham - Astral Traveling (Gondwana)
• Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch  -        Ravage (130701)
• Glenn Dickson - Wider Than the Sky  (S/R)
• Jeffrey Derus, Brandon Elliott: Choral Arts Initiative -  From Wilderness: A Meditation On The Pacific   Crest Trail (Navona)
• Jóhann Jóhannsson, Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier & American Contemporary Music Ensemble - Jóhannsson: Drone Mass (Deutsche Grammophon)
• Julian Lage - View With a Room (Blue Note)
• Kali Malone - Living Torch (Portraits GRM)
• Kham Meslien - Fantomes…Futurs (Heavenly Sweetness)
• Kirk Knuffke Trio - Gravity Without Airs  (Tao Forms)
• Makaya McCraven - In These Times (International Anthem)
• Mary Halvorson - Amaryllis/Belladonna  (Nonesuch)
• Matthew Shipp Trio - World Construct (ESP Disk)
• Myra Melford’s  Fire and Water Quartet – For The Love of Fire And Water (RogueArt)
• Oren Ambarchi  - Shebang (Drag City)
• Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling & Andreas Werliin   - Ghosted (Drag City)
• Park Jiha - The Gleam  (Glitterbeat)
• Shara Nova & A Far Cry - The Blue Hour (New Amsterdam)
• Third Coast Percussion - Perspectives (Cedille)
• Vicky Chow - Jane Antonia Cornish: Sierra (Cantaloupe)
• Vikingur Olafsson - From Afar (Deutsche Grammophon)

  Music with words

• Aldous Harding - Warm Chris (4AD)
• Angel Olson -  Big Time (Jagjaguwar)
• Aoife Nessa Frances -  Protector  (Partisan)
• Beach House -  Once Twice Melody (Sub Pop)
• Beth Orton -  Weather Alive(Partisan)
• Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You (4AD)
• Bill Callahan - Reality (Drag City)
• Cat Power - Covers (Domino)
• Cate le Bon - Pompeii (Mexican Summer)
• Cecile McLorin Salvant  - Ghost Song (Nonesuch)
• Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul - Topical Dancer (Dee Wee)
• Daniel Avery - Ultra Truth (Phantasy Sound)
• Daniel Rossen - You Belong There (Warp)
• Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek  - Dost 2 (Bongo Joe)
• Fenella - The Metallic Index (Fire Records)
• Gwenno - Tresor  (Heavenly)
• Horace Andy  - Midnight Rocker (On-U Sound)
• Jake Blount  - The New Faith (Smithsonian Folkways)
• Jenny Hval  - Classic Objects (4AD)
• Kae Tempest - The Line is a Curve (American Recordings)
• Kurt Vile - (watch my moves) (Verve)
• Lucretia Dalt  - Aye! (Rvng Intl.)
• Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - Dear Scott (Modern Sky UK)
• Panda Bear & Sonic Youth – Reset (Domino)
• Rich Ruth - I Survived, It’s Over (Third Man Records)
• Rokia Kone & Jacknife Lee - Bamanan  (Real World Records)
• S.G. Goodman - Teethmarks  (Verve Forecast)
• Sam Prekop and John McEntire - Sons Of (Thrill Jockey)
• Sault  - Air & 11 (Forever Living Originals)
• Sessa - Estrela Acesa  (Mexican Summer)
• Spoon  - Lucifer on the Sofa (Matador)
• The Smile- A Light for Attracting Attention (XL Recordings)
• Warpaint - Radiate Like This (Virgin)
• Weyes Blood -  And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow (Sub Pop)
• Wilco  -  Cruel Country (dBpm)

Comps & special collections

• Bert Jansch - Bert at the BBC (Fire Records)
• Bill Callahan & Bonnie Prince Billy -  Blind Date Party (Drag City)
• Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard - Pioneering Women of Bluegrass: The Definitive Edition      (Smithsonian Folkways)
• Imaginational Anthem Vol. XI: Chrome Universal - A Survey of Modern Pedal Steel – Various Artists (Tompkins Square)
• Norma Tanega - I’m the Sky: Studio and Demo Recordings, 1964–1971 (anthologyrecordings)
• Pierre Barouh and the Saravah Sound -Jazz, Samba and Other Hallucinatory Grooves (1965-1976) - (WeWantSounds)
• Sarah Cahill - The Future is Female, Vol 1 & 2  (First Hand Records)
• Silberland - Vol. 1: The Psychedelic Side of Kosmische Musik 1972-1986 – Various Artists (Bureau B)
• Sky Dust Drifter: private press LP’s and 45’s from 1973-1980- Various Artists (Forager Records)

 

Velvet Einstein

Favorites from 2022

 

• Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil - "Dai Boh" (ENKO)
• Ibibio Sound Machine - "Electricity" (Merge)
• IC3PEAK - "Kiss OF Death" (S/R)
• Kobo Town - "Carnival of the Ghosts" (Stonetree)
• Leyla McCalla - "Breaking The Thermometer" (Anti-)
• Shilpa Ray - "Portrait of a Lady" (Northern Spy)
• Sudan Archives - "Natural Brown Prom Queen" (Stones Throw)
• Taeyeon - "INVU - The Third Album" (SM Entertainment)
• Wet Leg - "Wet Leg" (Domino)
• Yungchen Lhamo - "Awakening" (S/R)

Vernal Pools

Vernal Pools Best of 2022

Top 10 A-Z

• Charlotte Adigéry/Bolis Pupil - Topical Dancer (Dee Wee)
• Florist - S/T (Double Double Whammy)
• Halcyon - The will to nurture (GERYON)
• Immanuel Wilkins - The 7th Hand (Blue Note)
• Jemima Coulter - Grace After a Party (Hand In Hive)
• LEYA - Eyeline (NNA Tapes)
• Nora Brown - Long Time To Be Gone (Jalopy)
• Sarah Davachi - Two Sisters (Late Music)
• Valentina Magaletti - A Queer Anthology of Drums (bié)
• 700 Bliss - Nothing To Declare (Hyperdub)

Other Favorites A-Z

• Becca Stevens/Attacca Quartet - Becca Stevens | Attacca Quartet (GroundUP)
• Dialect - Advanced Myth (Warm Winters)
• Ellen Arkbro/Johan Graden - I get along without you very well (Thrill Jockey)
• Ethel Cain - Preacher’s Daughter (Daughters of Cain)
• Gwenno - Tresor (Heavenly)
• How Strange It Is - S/T (Bud Tapes)
• Huerco S. - Plonk (Incienso)
• Hurray For The Riff Raff - LIFE ON EARTH (Nonesuch)
• Ibibio Sound Machine - Electricity (Merge)
• Little Simz - NO THANK YOU (Forever Living Originals)
• Loshh - akọle (Don’t Sleep)
• Lowswimmer - Glasshouse 2 (Lowswimmer)
• Mabe Fratti - Se Ve Desde Aquí (Unheard of Hope)
• Marina Allen - Centrifics (Fire)
• Mono Moon - Boundary (S/R)
• Moor Mother - Jazz Codes (ANTI-)
• MUNA - S/T (Dead Oceans)
• Naima Bock - Giant Palm (Sub Pop)
• Nilüfer Yanya - PAINLESS (ATO)
• Odie Leigh - How Did It Seem To You? (S/R)
• Parannoul/Asian Glow - Paraglow (POCLANOS)
• Scarcity - Aveilut (The Flenser)
• Shannen Moser - The Sun Still Seems to Move (Lame-O)
• Sudan Archives - Natural Brown Prom Queen (Stones Throw)
• Tanya Tagaq - Tongues (Six Shooter)
• Wildlife Freeway - Sunny (Community Music)
• Yumi Zouma - Present Tense (Polyvinyl)
• Zguba - Znój (LOŻA Oficyna)