New music for you, 2022

[delicatemoth]

Black Dresses - Waiting 42moro

The song is from last year but the video is new and watching Rook and Devi makes my heart soar and ache at the same time.

[RobW]

Mock Tudors - Crypto

Saw them support the equally excellent The Bug Club last night at Scala and they already won me over when they bounded on in adidas hoodies, hats and shorts (though one of them was wearing white Converse - maybe he didn't get the memo). They are from Sheffield, as far as I know, Crypto is the only song they've released and they were just damn fun. Hopefully see one of their own gigs at some point in the near future.

From their Bandcamp page - "Crypto is a song about a high school crypto mining gang on the verge of landing a landmark forex trade only to be disturbed by their mum."

https://mocktudors.bandcamp.com/track/crypto

[RobW]

Sault have released 5 albums today, all free to download (the link expires in 4 days)

https://twitter.com/HeyFranHey/status/1588402197078818816

[Furtho]

Characteristically up-and-at-'em new single by The Go! Team.

[Satchmo Distel]

Higher - Sault, from the five-album deluge mentioned above:

[danielmak]

Ribbon stage sounds like a mix of early 90s indie pop (think bands that would have fit on the Simple Machines label or K Records), twee, C86, and a little post-punk.

https://ribbonstage.bandcamp.com/alb...-with-the-most

[Jimski]

Sky Ferreira's latest:

[Jimski]

Heard this today, and immediately thought it was brilliant.

[anton pulisov]

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Tis the season for Album of the Year posts. 6 Music:

https://canvas-story.bbcrewind.co.uk...the-year-2022/

(Kendrick Lamar in the top spot).

[Furtho]

Another scorching single by The Go! Team.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Loud and Quiet give the title to Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals

https://www.loudandquiet.com/short/l...the-year-2022/

[Tony C]

The Quietus is an online site I have greatly enjoyed for years, yet nothing has traditionally made me feel older than their records of the year’ list. However, not so bad this time round, I am familiar with at least three albums (Aldous Harding, Fontaines DC, Richard Dawson) and I’ve heard of a few others. I see that Jockstrap, a band I mentioned in another context on another thread a few days ago, are at the top of the heap. Happy reading.

https://thequietus.com/articles/3240...norman-records

Edit - ah, I see the ‘Ghosted’ album is in at 27, one of my recent favourites.

[danielmak]

I looked at the Spotify Viral 50 chart today for a project I'm working. I noticed the Cramps' version of "Goo Goo Muck" was in the top 30, which seemed strange. I hadn't heard the song in any commercials that might lead to land amidst Drake on the charts. I should have known better. Netflix. I doubt this is going to touch Kate Bush's renewed popularity. Anyway, not new for me but new for the kids in 2022, which is cool.

[caja-dglh]

There is a good amount of very cool music placement. All of the NPR background stuff is Mogwai and others. They are on a very clear mission.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

The Line of Best Fit rankings:

https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/fea...ms-2022-ranked

Ethel Cain in the top spot, with a surprisingly low placing for BCNR, given that Line of Best Fit are very much aligned with the EOTR/Green Man end of things.

[danielmak]

Early 90s indie rock sound from Gladie with "Mud"

[Tony C]

I somehow missed that old favourites Goat had released an album this year. ‘Oh Death’ is pretty good too. They are touring next year as well with dates in Manchester and Leeds so will definitely catch one of those.

[Tony C]

I’ve just discovered Warrington Runcorn New Town Development Plan. Considering many of their song titles refer to areas of Warrington that I lived in or around for twenty five years I am surprised I initially missed them.

However I’m delighted I found them. ‘District Road, Open Space’ from this year is superb. So too is their album from last year.

[Jobi1]

Did anyone have a standout album of the year this year? I feel like there have been a lot of albums I've liked but nothing that I've really properly loved. If I was forced to pick one, it'd probably be The Big Moon's 'Here Is Everything'. Also enjoyed the new ones by three bands I'd rather written off producing anything of great interest again: The Black Angels, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and White Lies, all doing their best stuff for years. But other than that, a lot I enjoyed, but nothing that really knocked my socks off.

[BallochSonsFan]

I havent done a top 10 albums for this year as I'm still working my way through some purchases/Christmas gifts. There are also a few albums I don't have that would probably feature highly. But here's what impressed me musically in 2022, along with a couple of things that didnt.

Album of the year: Angel Olsen - Big Time. Switches between classic country and stripped down tracks that showcase Olsen's voice brilliantly. Nothing has touched it all year for me. Absolute stand out album.

Other brilliant releases in the past 12 months:
Tomberlin - I Don't Know Who Needs To Hear This.
Alela Diane - Looking Glass
Stella Donnelly - Flood.
Laura Veirs - Found Light

Albums that I intent to catch up with at some point in the next few months:
The Local Honeys - The Local Honeys, Larkin Poe - Blood Harmony, Courtney Marie Andrews - Loose Futures, Alvvays - Blue Rev and Julia Jacklin - Pre Pleasure.

Gig of the year - Felice Brothers at St Lukes. An absolutely fantastic live band. By rights, neither of the 2 remaining brothers in the band should still be capable of performing. There's not a substance that Ian and James haven't indulged in. But when they're clean(ish) and focused then they just absolutely knock it out the park. An incredible energy, particularly when Jimmy gets the accordion on and Ian starts singing "Aerosol Ball". One of the finest live acts around.
Other notable highlights:

Stereo Naked at The Glad Cafe
Laura Veirs at Summerhall
Angel Olsen at The Usher Hall
This Is The Kit at The Old Firehouse

Discovery of the year: Tomberlin. Her 2022 effort that I've mentioned above was her 2nd album, following up her 2018 effort "At Weddings". I'd heard the name and knew that she was reasonably well rated. I'd read about her in the usual music magazines and noted the name without going to a whole lot of effort to find out more (see also Soccer Mommy and Snail Mail, both of whom I really need to get into in 2023). Saw her supporting Angel Olsen and she was absolutely brilliant. Very much Elliott Smith vibes from her really sparse songs. Her 2 albums were more expensive than they should have been from the merch stand. To be honest, I only bought them because I'd queued for them and was ready to pay for them. I'm really glad I did.

Re-releases of the year: Fabienne Delsol. Delsol re-released all 4 of her albums this year. I have 3 of them. Amazon managed to lose the 4th, so I'll need to try and get it (Reflex Records in Newcastle had it before Christmas) at some point. I'm a huge fan of Ye-Ye and 60s French pop in general. Fabienne Delsol switches effortlessly between her native French and English vocals. Her music is straight out of a cool late 60s/early 70s Parisian cafe. You can practically see Anna Karina in some bar having just picked Delsol's music on the jukebox.

It hasn't all been highlights. 2 huge disappointments this year and both of them are live music related. Joint worst gigs of 2022 are The Courettes at McChuills and Sarah Shook at The Hug n Pint. I'm not including Heartless b*****ds at Mono in here. Heartless b*****ds was down to me. I hadn't heard their latest album and wasn't prepared for how different it sounded to their earlier releases. On reflection? Heartless Basterds' more recent work is absolutely fine and perfectly enjoyable, even if it doesnt make use of Erika Wennerstrom's incredible voice. The venue was rather sparse and there was a distinct split between those who were expecting new HB and those of us dreaming of a live version of their cover of "Done Got Old" by Junior Kimbrough. The 2 sets of fans in the crowd mixed like oil and water. But that doesnt come close to the problems with The Courettes and Sarah Shook. Neither were the fault of the artists. The Courettes are an unashamedly raw and raucous garage rock band, who'd sound perfectly at home on a Nuggets compilation. They make a wonderful racket on record and an equally infectious one on stage. At least they would if you could see and hear them properly. McChuills in May was hot, sweaty, far too full and unless you were at the very front then it was impossible to spot the diminutive Flavia Couri strutting her stuff. They still sounded good, but its a fleapit of a venue that wasn't suited for that heat and those numbers. The only hope is that if they continue to build their cult and loyal following then a better venue will be in the offing for their next visit. The same can be said of Sarah Shook and The Disarmers. Touring her latest effort "Nightroamer", the band were booked into the cramped and often uncomfortable Hug n Pint venue. Its no fault of Sarah or her band. They were tight. They performed with energy and flair. Shook is a fantastic front person. Its just that you couldn't actually hear her as her vocals were lost in a truly dreadful audio mix. It sounded terrible. The majority of the crowd felt the same way and whilst they didnt give the band a hard time, the frustrations with the terrible sound were clear. I'll also add Sarah Shook's album as a bit of a frustration. It's not really a low point, but on several songs her voice sounds over-produced and a little artificial when she changes pitch. Its a real shame - her voice is great and doesnt need any computer-based help via Pro Tools. I'm also really disappointed with a poor Celtic Connections line up in what was supposed to be their big 30th anniversary year. I just can't bring myself to go to see Lucinda Williams (her voice has gone) and despite their being only a handful of folk I want to see (Aoife O'Donovan doing 2 nights, including her take on Springsteen's Nebraska album), they still managed to clash Nickel Creek and Rozi Plain. CC just seems really half arsed this year.

Song of the year: I absolutely fell in love with this song the second I heard it. I must have listened to it at least 100 times this year. Laura Veirs' cover of the Elliott Smith song "Between The Bars" ran it close. I'll admit that when she sung it live in Edinburgh this summer, there was more than a few grains of dust in my eye. I can't have a cover as my song of the year though, so it really had to be Angel Olsen - All The Good Times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjXQWZryxOM&ab_channel=AngelOlsenVEVO

All in all? A fairly decent 2022 that included some great albums and a few really good gigs that helped me be more positive about live music. And it's always great if you can see Lemonheads with Evan Dando not completely out of it. Roll on 2023, kicking off with a chance to see The Delgados live and a few Celtic Connections shows.

[delicatemoth]

Haven't really listened to albums, but the Twitter Pop Polls I participate in will shortly be starting the 2022 edition, which is a fine way to see a bunch of crowdsourced song recommendations. I'll post the link here when it starts. I got to choose a curated group of my own (four songs) for this one.

[gjw100]

Stuck at home on New Year's Eve with Covid and listening to some of my favourite albums of this year, I thought that I would share something from saxophonist/vocalist Soweto Kinch's extraordinary new album 'White Juju' here on the last knockings of this thread rather than the Jazz thread. Recorded live in November 2021 at the Barbican, with the members of his regular quartet – Rick Simpson piano/keyboards/samples, Nick Jurd bass and Gregory Hutchinson drums/percussion accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lee Reynolds. This is music that Ellington or Mingus would have been proud to have called their own.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

We had a poll on the Facebook group I'm part of and I voted for (1-10) Black Country New Road, Jockstrap, Let's Eat Grandma, First Aid Kit, Big Thief, Taylor Swift, deathcrash, Sasami, Sorry and Alvvays. Which largely reflected what I listened to rather than detailed analysis of artistic merit.

I did include tomberlin in my "honourable mentions", agreeing with BSF that it was a real find.

[delicatemoth]

The Songs of 2022 Pop Cup has started on Twitter. A great way to hear a wide range of new music. Spotify playlists and YouTube links are posted.

https://twitter.com/peoples_pop/status/1610642285980700673