#waterslide diving board ladder to the sky

[newmusickarl]

Top 50 Albums of 2022

19. Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky by Porridge Radio

If you have drifted through 2022 having not listened to this incredible third album from Porridge Radio, then you really need to correct that as soon as possible.

Having turned heads with their brilliant, Mercury Prize-nominated second album Every Bad back in 2020, the Brighton rockers didn’t waste much time delivering the follow-up, the wonderfully titled Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky (Waterslide…). As much as I enjoyed Every Bad, this one for me is even better than its highly acclaimed predecessor.

Out of all the albums nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2020 that I discovered post-shortlist announcement, Every Bad was probably the record that blew me away the most. From the moment the roaring refrain of opener Born Confused rang out over a subtle string arrangement, Porridge Radio had me well and truly hooked. With Waterslide… the post-punk quartet pretty much pick up where they left off on that record, but with added emotional resonance, more polished production and even greater songcraft.

After a short intro, Back To The Radio instantly draws comparisons to their contemporaries Black Country, New Road with frontwoman Dana Margolin’s passionate, broken vocals coursing out over some soaring multi-layered instrumentation. It’s a spine-tingling start with plenty more great moments to be found littered across this one. From The Coral-esque Trying, the melancholic refrain of “I don’t want to be loved” on Birthday Party, the reverberating organs of U Can Be Happy If U Want To and I Hope She’s Okay 2, through tothe piano-driven majesty of Jealousy – it all combines for an invigorating whirlwind of pleasing sounds and life-affirming lyrics.

If all that wasn’t enough, Porridge Radio then save the best two tracks for right at the very end of the record. The Rip (which you can hear above) is easily one of their best and most anthemic tracks to date, with Margolin’s strong vocals belting out the line “And now my heart aches” over some truly colossal rock riffs. Easily one of my songs of the year.

Offering a welcome contrast and change of pace, it is then followed by the album’s gorgeous title track. A stripped-back acoustic ballad centred around the line “I don’t want the end, but I don’t want the beginning – all the way down to hell and all the way up to heaven”, the combination of Dana’s voice, the minimalist arrangement and the gut-punching lyrics makes for utterly breathtaking listen.

2022 has been a mighty strong year for post-punk releases and this Porridge Radio record is right up there with the best for me. Distinctly magical, oddly uplifting and quite frequently stunning, make sure you set some time aside to indulge in this one over the festive period – you won’t regret it.

Best tracks: The Rip, Waterslide Diving Board Ladder To The Sky, Back To The Radio

Listen here

[fizzy-watches-and-listens]

hmmm song of the night

[tornbluefoamcouch]

Artista: Porridge Radio Álbum: Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky Ano: 2022 Faixas/Tempo: 13/43min Estilo: Indie/Post-Punk Revival Data de Execução: 05/05/2023 Nota: 7,7 Melhor Música:  The Rip

[robbinggoodfellows]

rip izzy hands you would have loved the album Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky by Porridge Radio

[drbucksletters]

#1 Porridge Radio - Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky (Secretly Canadian)

***

#2  Kae Tempest - The Line Is A Curve (American Recordings)

#3 Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork (4AD)

#4 Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia (Partisan)

#5  Just Mustard - Heart Under (Partisan)

#6  Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There (Ninja Tune)

#7  Tess Parks - And Those Who Were Seen Dancing (Fuzz Club Records)

#8 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cool It Down (Secretly Canadian)

#9  King Hannah - I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me (City Slang)

#10 Yard Act - The Overload (Island)

#11 Wet Leg - Wet Leg (Domino)

#12 Sea Power - Everything Was Forever (Golden Chariot)

#13 Andy Bell - Flicker (Sonic Cathedral)

#14 Horsegirl - Versions Of Modern Performance (Matador)

#15 The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Fire Doesn’t Grow On Trees (A Recordings)

#16 BODEGA - Broken Equipment (What’s Your Rupture)

#17 The Black Angels - Wilderness Of Mirrors (Partisan)

#18 Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Endless Rooms (Sub Pop)

#19 TV Priest - My Other People (Sub Pop)

#20 Julia Jacklin - Pre Pleasure (Polyvinyl, Transgressive)

[yttebkralc]

Favourite Albums 2022

10. Yard Act - The Overload

9. Porridge Radio - Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky

8. Pool Kids - Pool Kids

7. Just Mustard - Heart Under

6. Let's Eat Grandma - Two Ribbons

5. Black Country, New Road - Ants from Up There

4. Anxious - Little Green House

3. Hyd - Clearing

2. Momma - Household Name

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Beach House - Once Twice Melody Deserta - Every Moment, Everything You Need Drug Church - Hygiene No Devotion - No Oblivion Pusha T - It's Almost Dry The Range - Mercury The Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems

SONG OF THE YEAR

The Sound of Animals Fighting - "Apeshit"

[coolmusiccentral]

Top 50 Albums of 2022

Happy New Year to all! Let's start 2023 with our selection of the best albums that 2022 had to offer, a list that focuses mostly on rock music and its various guises, from the sublime folk rock of Big Thief, to the majestic post-punk of Dry Cleaning, Fontaines D.C. or Horsegirl, from the ethereal indie pop of Beach House to the psychedelic sounds of The Black Angels and everything else in this vast and diverse musical biosphere.

Here are our Top 50 Albums of 2022 (plus a few more), accompanied by a playlist with some of the standout tracks from these excellent records:

Top 50 Albums

Dragon new warm mountain I believe in you - BIG THIEF

Stumpwork - DRY CLEANING

Skinty fia - FONTAINES D.C.

Versions of modern performance - HORSEGIRL

Once twice melody - BEACH HOUSE

Wilderness of mirrors - THE BLACK ANGELS

How do you burn? - THE AFGHAN WHIGS

Lucifer on the sofa - SPOON

Blue rev - ALVVAYS

Hellfire - BLACK MIDI

Wet Leg - WET LEG

The overload - YARD ACT

Loggerhead - WU-LU

Time bend and break the bower - SINEAD O' BRIEN

Cool it down - YEAH YEAH YEAHS

Endless rooms - ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER

Endure - SPECIAL INTEREST

A light for attracting attention - THE SMILE

Covers - CAT POWER

Fear of the dawn - JACK WHITE

Spencer gets it lit - JON SPENCER & THE HITMAKERS

When the wind forgets your name - BUILT TO SPILL

Tired of liberty - THE LOUNGE SOCIETY

Classic objects - JENNY HVAL

Anywhere but here - SORRY

Broken equipment - BODEGA

Reeling - THE MYSTERINES

Radiate like this - WARPAINT

Warm Chris - ALDOUS HARDING

Laurel hell - MITSKI

Waterslide, diving board, ladder to the sky - PORRIDGE RADIO

Everything was beautiful - SPIRITUALIZED

YTI⅃AƎЯ - BILL CALLAHAN

Pompeii - CATE LE BON

Labyrinthitis - DESTROYER

Mr. Morale & the big steppers - KENDRICK LAMAR

Fear fear - WORKING MEN'S CLUB

My other people - TV PRIEST

Big time - ANGEL OLSEN

We've been going about this all wrong - SHARON VAN ETTEN

Ants from up there - BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD

The car - ARCTIC MONKEYS

The boy named If - ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS

Doggerel - PIXIES

Wild loneliness - SUPERCHUNK

Growing up - THE LINDA LINDAS

Heart under - JUST MUSTARD

The other side of make-believe - INTERPOL

Life is yours - FOALS

Topical dancer - CHARLOTTE ADIGÉRY & BOLIS PUPUL

More recommendations: Oh death - GOAT, Expert in a dying field - THE BETHS, Sometimes, forever - SOCCER MOMMY, And in the darkness, hearts aglow - WEYES BLOOD, (watch my moves) - KURT VILE, Sonancy - LOOP, Most normal - GILLA BAND, God save the animals - ALEX G, Time skiffs - ANIMAL COLLECTIVE, Formentera - METRIC, We - ARCADE FIRE, Headful of sugar - SUNFLOWER BEAN, See through you - A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS, Black pearl - 50 FOOT WAVE, Ultraviolet battle hymns and true confessions - THE DREAM SYNDICATE, "Hello, hi" - TY SEGALL, Entering heaven alive - JACK WHITE, Dance fever - FLORENCE + THE MACHINE, This is what we do - LEFTFIELD, No thank you - LITTLE SIMZ, Tableau - THE ORIELLES, Reason in decline - ARCHERS OF LOAF, The Mars Volta - THE MARS VOLTA, Cheat codes - DANGER MOUSE & BLACK THOUGHT, Inner world peace - FRANKIE COSMOS, Here is everything - THE BIG MOON, The line is a curve - KAE TEMPEST, Fossora - BJÖRK, Asphalt meadows - DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, Everything was forever - SEA POWER, Pre pleasure - JULIA JACKLIN, Fire doesn’t grow on trees - THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE, XI: Bleed here now - AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD, Angus tempus memoir - BLUE ORCHIDS, A foul form - OSEES

[post-teenageriotintheheart]

My favourite albums of 2022

After two years of Covid, the year 2022 was finally the year when one felt like things got back to normal, at least felt that way when it comes to my cultural life (definitely not normal when some old dickhead starts f* war). To be precise why it felt normal is the fact that comparing to two previous years I managed to see 37 concerts (if I counted correctly my photos on insta) + 2 festivals + managed to get to normal cinema as well (not that I missed that one much with home cinema at home :P). There are definitely some highlights from it as well, from cinema its most notably one of the greatest movie of last years - The Worst Person in the World (J. Trier at his ultimate best), from concerts there are The Armed (the f* best active live band), but there were more like Porridge Radio (who managed to release two masterpieces during covid years), reunited Maybeshewill or Sigur Ros from post rock, Mitski, Birds in Row, my youth nostalgic concerts with Artic Monkeys & Bright Eyes, seeing Nothing live in club and festival, finally seeing Beck, and post-punk highlights from Soft Kill & Fontaines D.C. 

But this piece was supposed to be about my most favorite albums which were released in last 12 months, right? So there is the list:

Mitski - Laurel Hell > I wouldn't mind Mitski taking as many breaks from music industry as she wants, because if after every break she comes with such album as this one, the world for all loners would be brighter place. I could listed to Love me more on repeat for hours!

Porridge Radio - Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky > While Mitski sings “love me more”, Porridge radio are shouting “I don't wanna be loved” in The Birthday Party song, but kind of feels the same. These are the songs that manage to take you back to your teenage years and expressing the same what you felt then and what you feel now when the moment just take overwhelms you. Porridge radio released their debut in spring of 2020 when all the lockdowns started, might be the occasions that I happen to be at those time that it speaks directly to me, or just we have this great band and we can expect much more.

The Beths - Expert in Dying Fields > This indie band is from New Zealand, that all explains probably why on my list right? Kiwi accent is enough :) but even of those who haven't got this thing for Kiwi bands, after bit weaker second album (it happens if your debut rocks), The Beths are back at their best, definitely one of the best indie pop groups you can catch seeing live.

Birds in Row - Gris Klein > Not sure if more adorable are albums of this French trio or their live shows. The more I am listening to their 2022 piece the more hooked I am getting, the same happen to me with their previous one and I believe the same will happen again. 

Rolo Tomassi - Where Myth Becomes Memory > Yes I admit, I cant be objective, I was loving this new album before I heard it, because I was so excited that new album means new live shows and well there are not many things with which you can be 100% sure it will be great, and I know that in February 2023 it will be just fucking great.

Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia > You wouldn't find better representative of post punk these days than these Irish guys, another great album, great show, if you haven't listen to them yet this is a must.

Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up Here > This is another band who released magnificent albums fusing all genres that I love during covid. Some may say its bit weaker that first one, but still works. Big shame that the whole line up who stood behind these albums is no longer available to see.

Another notable mentions:

Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You

Ithaca - They fear us

Pool Kids - I had them on my Spotify quite often looking back at my statistics :)

Kiwi Jr. - Chopper > their new album was produced by Dan Broecker, it just be must be on my list, right? :D

Dehd - Blue Skies

The Armed - Ultrapop: Live at the Masonic

Lykke Li - EYEYE - its so nice getting older and older with Lykke Li

Caroline - Caroline

[mylandlockedblues]

Top Five New Albums of 2022

My personal ranking that nobody asked for

Ants From Up There- Black Country, New Road

A genre-defining and experimental amalgamation of elements of post-rock, post-punk, indie, pop, and elements of jazz, this album is as stunning as it is complex. Complete with its emotional yet still humorous lyrics delivered in Isaac Wood's unique style, every song on this album will give you chills

Best Track: Basketball Shoes

2. Skinty Fia- Fontaines D.C.

Gloomy Irish post-punk that is both lyrically dense and some of the best atmospheric music for a rainy day. Fontaines D.C. is such an incredible band and I skipped my senior prom to see them live (definitely worth it).

Best Track: I Love You

3. God's Country- Chat Pile

As someone who is generally more into hardcore/post hardcore, rock, and screamo than metal, God's Country makes me think I haven't given the genre a fair shot. This is the first album from the Oklahoma sludge metal band, and I am already obsessed and I can't wait to hear more from them. This would have easily been my favorite album of the year if BCNR and Fontaines D.C. hadn't put out such fantastic records.

Best Track: grimace_smoking_weed.jpg

4. Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky- Porridge Radio

I feel a very personal connection to this album, because it somehow suits navigating the confusion and change of your late teens and early twenties. It is expertly performed indie pop, and I am absolutely in love with Dana Margolin's voice.

Best Tracks: Back To The Radio, Birthday Party

5. Labyrinthitis- Destroyer

I cannot overstate how talented Destroyer is. Every single one of their albums is worth listening to, and Labyrinthitis is no exception. The best way I can describe lead singer Dan Bejar is the reincarnation of T.S. Eliot or some other brilliant poet, paired with an unmatched ear for music.

Best Track: Tintoretto, It's For You

Honorable Mentions:

-Lights For Attracting Attention- The Smile

pseudo-Radiohead album, absolutely brilliant and I hope Thom Yorke keep releasing albums under this project

-Versions Of Modern Performance- Horsegirl

first album from this Sonic Youth-inspired post-punk outfit from Chicago. they are incredibly talented and I feel like the have the potential to make it big.

-Midnights- Taylor Swift

I'm a huge Swifty and there was no way I was gonna forget to include her new album on this ranking. I'm not as critical as some of this album, and I do really like it, but I agree that it isn't her best stuff.

-Asphalt Meadows- Death Cab For Cutie

Actually such an underrated album and I'm surprised I haven't heard more about it. Personally I think they're still going strong as a band and I think they've got the potential for some big hits.

[fotobill]

01. Bill Callahan | YTI​⅃​A​Ǝ​Я

κολλημένα στο άλμπουμ

02. Beach House | Once Twice Melody

03. MJ Lenderman | Boat Songs

04. Big Thief | Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You

05. Black Country, New Road | Ants From Up There

06. Kae Tempest | The Line Is A Curve

07. Dry Cleaning | Stumpwork

08. The Smile | A Light for Attracting Attention

09. King Hannah | I'm Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me

10. Pan Pan | Φαντασμαγορία Τρία

11. Kendrick Lamar | Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

12. Fontaines D.C. | Skinty Fia

13. Built to Spill | When the Wind Forgets Your Name

14. Porridge Radio | Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky

15. Animal Collective | Time Skiffs

16. Sharon Van Etten | We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong

17. Suede | Autofiction

18. Naima Bock | Giant Palm

19. Ty Segall - | Hello, Hi

20. Bazooka | Κάπου Αλλού

[remelemmostmaraholdonlaksz]

Valakinek ma este van kedve Bécsben Porridge Radio koncertre menni?

2 jegyet adok egy áráért:)

[dannymoney]

Favorite Albums of 2022

I place my wallet in my mouth.  I bite down and rank ‘em.

God's Country - Chat Pile

Once Twice Melody - Beach House

40 oz. to Fresno - Joyce Manor

Blue Rev - Alvvays

sore thumb - Oso Oso

Reset - Panda Bear, Sonic Boom

The Car - Arctic Monkeys

Skinty Fia - Fontaines D.C.

Heartmind - Cass McCombs

A Light for Attracting Attention - The Smile

Cruel Country - Wilco

Ants From Up There - Black Country, New Road

Most Normal - Gilla Band

Hellfire - black midi

The Ruby Cord - Richard Dawson

Pompeii - Cate Le Bon

MOTOMAMI - ROSALIA

Diaspora Problems - Soul Glo

Aethiopes - billy woods

When the Wind Forgets Your Name - Built to Spill

Sons Of - Sam Prekop, John McEntire

Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy - Jeff Parker

Comradely Objects - Horse Lords

Omnium Gatherum - King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard

Timewave Zero - Blood Incantation

Time Skiffs - Animal Collective

I Love You Jennifer B - Jockstrap

Deus Arrakis - Klaus Schulze

Fossora - Bjork

Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava -  King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard

Visitor - Empath

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe You - Big Thief

It's Almost Dry - Pusha T

Boat Songs - MJ Lenderman

Blue Skies - Dehd

Bajascillators - Bitchin Bajas

Cherry - Daphni

The 7th Hand - Immanuel Wilkins

Being Funny in a Foreign Language - The 1975

Florist - Florist

Music for Four Guitars - Bill Orcutt

Expert in a Dying Field - The Beths

Everything Was Beautiful - Spiritualized

LABYRINTHITIS - Destroyer

Makaya McCraven - In These Times

Finally, New - They Hate Change

Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky - Porridge Radio

Versions of Modern Performance - Horsegirl

Like a Fable - Shintaro Sakamoto

Warm Chris - Aldous Harding

[fangyuanriot]

21 King Hannah I'm Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me 22 Thank Thoughtless Cruelty 23 Osees A Foul Form 24 Kendrick Lamar Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers 25 MJ Lenderman Boat Songs 26 Beach House Once Twice Melody 27 Cate Le Bon Pompeii 28 Daniel Rossen You Belong There 29 Frankie Cosmos Inner World Peace 30 Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Endless Rooms 31 Green/Blue Paper Thin 32 Destroyer LABYRINTHITIS 33 Horsegirl Versions of Modern Performance 34 The Stroppies Levity 35 Gilla Band Most Normal 36 Stella Donnelly Flood 37 Nilüfer Yanya PAINLESS 38 Just Mustard Heart Under 39 Self Improvement Visible Damage 40 Angel Olsen Big Time 41 The Soundcarriers Wilds 42 Cass McCombs Heartmind 43 Modern Nature Island of Noise 44 50 Foot Wave Black Pearl 45 Kamikaze Palm Tree Mint Chip 46 Disq Desperately Imagining Someplace Quiet 47 Porridge Radio Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky 48 Mush Down Tools 49 The Bug Club Green Dream in F# 50 Loop Sonancy

[wtaktzycia]

Porridge Radio — Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky

Miałem okazję odświeżyć sobie dyskografię Spiritualized lecąc porannym lotem do Frankfurtu. Zerkałem od czasu do czasu jak świat za oknem budzi się do życia i przysypiałem do dźwięków ”Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space”. Chciałem pisać tutaj o ich nowym wydawnictwie, które szeroko nawiązuje do tego klasycznego krążka. W mojej czerwcowej playliście trafiłem jednak ponownie na ostatni album Porridge Radio i zrozumiałem, że żeńskie slacker indie, to coś co trafia do mnie w obecnie o wiele bardziej, niż sprawdzone space rockowe eskapady. 

Kolejne utwory trzeciego w karierze brytyjskiej grupy krążka mijają w swoim przyjemnym nierównym tempie. Muzycy zbliżają się niebezpiecznie blisko zrzucenia wszystkiego, co leży im na sercu — w ostatnim momencie wycofują się jednak, dając słuchaczowi przestrzeń na komfortowy oddech. Zespół wpisuje się w stylistykę współczesnych alternatywnych rockowych bandów, mieszając go z krzykliwym stylem najlepszych lat Modest Mouse czy nawet wyraźnymi wpływami folku. Wszystko to dopełnione klimatem dance-punkowych brytyjskich szlagierów pierwszej dekady XX wieku sprawia znajome, ale świeże wrażenie. 

Dawno żadna płyta aż tak nie wpisała się w to, co ostatnio mnie pochłania. Momentami mam wrażenie jakby Dana Margolin perfidnie zżynała z moich przemyśleń. „I want one feeling all the time / I don't want to feel a thing” – to coś co bardzo potrzebowałem usłyszeć.

Ociosane teksty przypominające mi Florence Shaw, piłujące „Jealousy” czy wahający się głos w ”U Can Be Happy If U Want To”. To tylko kilka pierwszych z brzegu momentów, w których doświadczam pełnego zjednoczenia z ich muzyką. Ta płyta to skarb, którego nie szukałem, a odnalazłem.

[shculley]

Top 100 Albums of 2022

100. Guerrilla Toss - Famously Alive

99. Romero - Turn It On!

98. Battle Ave. - I Saw the Egg

97. Silverbacks - Archive Material

96. Gang of Youths - Angel In Realtime

95. Jana Horn - Optimism

94. Sunflower Bean - Headful of Sugar

93. Spiral Stairs - Medley Attack

92. Disq - Desperately Imagining Someplace Quiet

91. Widowspeak - The Jacket

90. Anxious - Little Green House

89. Holy Fawn - Dimensional Bleed

88. Ty Segall - Hello, Hi

87. Kevin Morby - This Is a Photograph

86. The Dead Tongues - Dust

85. Phoenix - Alpha Zulu

84. Preoccupations - Arrangements

83. Perfume Genius - Ugly Season

82. Wild Pink - ILYSM

81. Nick Hakim - COMETA

80. Toro y Moi - Mahal

79. Peel Dream Magazine - Pad

78. Titus Andronicus - The Will To Live

77. Built To Spill - When the Wind Forgets Your Name

76. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava

75. Martin Courtney - Magic Sign

74. Caracara - New Preoccupations

73. Duster - Together

72. Tony Molina - In the Fade

71. Jack White - Fear of the Dawn

70. String Machine - Hallelujah Hell Yeah

69. Horsegirl - Versions of Modern Performance

68. Cloakroom - Dissolution Wave

67. Band of Horses - Things Are Great

66. Drowse - Wane Into It

65. Sam Prekop, John McEntire - Sons Of

64. Daniel Bachman - Almanac Behind

63. Death Cab for Cutie - Asphalt Meadows

62. Cass McCombs - Heartmind

61. Young Jesus - Shepherd Head

60. Wilco - Cruel Country

59. Cola - Deep In View

58. Mount Kimbie - MK3.5 Die Cuts / City Planning

57. black midi - Hellfire

56. Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork

55. Florist - Florist

54. S.C.A.B. - S.C.A.B.

53. Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

52. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Changes

51. Show Me the Body - Trouble the Water

50. Daphni - Cherry

49. of Montreal - Freewave Lucifer f<ck f^ck f>ck

48. Pinegrove - 11:11

47. Dehd - Blue Skies

46. Spoon - Lucifer on the Sofa

45. Daniel Rossen - You Belong There

44. Jockstrap - I Love You Jennifer B

43. Porridge Radio - Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To the Sky

42. Tomberlin - I Don’t Know Who Needs To Hear This...

41. Babehoven - Light Moving Time

40. Joyce Manner - 40 oz. to Fresno

39. Arcade Fire - We

38. Yard Act - The Overload

37. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Endless Rooms

36. Papercuts - Past Life Regression

35. Bonny Light Horseman - Rolling Golden Holy

34. Thee Oh Sees - A Foul Form

33. The Range - Mercury

32. Gold Panda - The Work

31. Hot Chip - Freakout/Release

30. High Vis - Blending

29. Nilufer Yanya - Painless

28. Aldous Harding - Warm Chris

27. Bloc Party - Alpha Games

26. SPICE - Viv

25. Destroyer - Labyrinthitis

24. Kurt Vile - (watch my moves)

23. Spiritualized - Everything Was Beautiful

22. Animal Collective - Time Skiffs

21. Crime of Passing - Crime of Passing

20. Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia

19. Drugdealer - Hiding in Plain Sight

18. Belle and Sebastian - A Bit of Previous

17. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum

16. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cool It Down

15. caroline - caroline

14. MJ Lenderman - Boat Songs

13. Beach House - Once Twice Melody

12. The Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention

11. Arctic Monkeys - The Car

10. Alvvays - Blue Rev

9. Cate Le Bon - Pompeii

8. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You

7. Friendship - Love the Stranger

6. Wet Leg - Wet Leg

5. Panda Bear, Sonic Boom - Reset

4. Real Lies - Lad Ash

3. Alex G - God Save the Animals

2. Knifeplay - Animal Drowning

1. Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There

[zoetropia]

Zoetropia’s Top 10 Albums of 2022

I listened to 124 records released in 2022. Here are my favorite. First, an unordered list of albums I really liked that didn't make the top 10:

The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field Widowspeak - The Jacket Margo Cilker - Pohorylle Kevin Morby - This Is A Photograph The Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention Spoon - Lucifer On The Sofa Pinegrove - 11:11 Jim Bryson - Country Wifi Porridge Radio - Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky Destroyer - Labyrinthitis Color Green - Color Green Night Shop - Forever Night Special Interest - Endure MJ Lenderman - Boat Songs caroline - caroline Jake Xerxes Fussell - Good and Green Again

And now for the top 10:

10. Beach House - Once Twice Melody: Beach House always seemed to be a band itching to put out a double album. They even put out two albums back to back in 2015, so just seems like they saved us the two month wait this time around. If you like Beach House, you know what you're getting into here: their full, expansive sound polished into a glittering diamond. And fans will find much here to treasure and rediscover over repeated listens. Some of their finest ever songs are "buried" deep in here. Thus the pleasure of a double LP. And while they're not the type of band to explore a bunch of different ideas across an hour and a half, if you're looking to get lost in their vibe, this is the perfect record to do it in.

9. Deserta - Every Moment, Everything You Need: No matter how popular music trends shift and change, I will always have a soft spot for shoegaze. The more sweeping, dreamy, and cinematic, the better, and I'm instantly transported to late nights lying in bed, headphones on, adrift in a sea of sound. This album brings me exactly that. Tidal waves of reverbed guitar, walls of synths, whispered vocals, you've heard it all before, but it's hard to do it without sounding like a parody or too much of an overt homage. I'm not quite sure what the formula is to avoid all that, but this record does it. And I'm more than happy to be swept away.

8. black midi - Hellfire: There's something about this band's ability to rein in their careening noise with such precise control that really speaks to me, and this record captures the excitement of never really being sure what lies around the next turn. Sometimes this approach can backfire, but here, every choice works for me. It's dizzying but in a good way, less like a tornado and more like a thrill ride. But either way, I'm still paying attention.

7. Witch Fever - Congregation: Nice to have a new band that still makes me feel like I can put these weary bones back in to the pit were I to see them live. This is exactly what I look for in punk music: heavy, angry, and cathartic. Sour might very well be my favorite track of the year, and the rest of the record doesn't lag far behind in making me want to scream along and toss a few people around in a pit. Every year needs a good "fuck yeah/you/everything" record and this is mine for 2022.

6. Horsegirl - Versions of Modern Performance: What do you get when you have a young group that listens to way too much 90s indie (with a heavy emphasis on Yo La Tengo), plenty of music family bonafides, and the quietly revolutionary spirit of being a low-to-the-ground guitar band in the age of poptimism? A band much like this, I would guess. Their balance of tuneful and noisy is always something I always dig, and hell, if you get the cred of Yo La Tengo having you open for them at one of their Hanukkah shows, you are aces in my book. The kids are alright, after all.

5. Camp Cope - Running with the Hurricane: Well if this is going to be it for Camp Cope, they picked a good one to go out on. It's a bit of a shame, sure, as this record feels like they have finally found a sound they could call their own. Georgia Maq's vocals soar as ever and the relaxed instruments let these heartfelt songs speak for themselves. They contain big feelings in a small space, like a lonely teenager in their bedroom. And who wasn't ever one of those? This is music that makes my heart swell to bursting. It hurts but it feels so good.

4. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You: I was not as quick to crown Big Thief as the best thing to happen to American indie as a bunch of other people were, and my distaste for hyperbole still prevents me from doing so, but I can not deny the strength of the song catalog they have built up over the years. And more importantly (to me, at least), they have started learning how to put together proper albums. And here is the ever important double album, crucial to every rock band's trajectory. Rare for a double album, there's a hardly a bum track here, and easily some of their best. It's hard to hold a listener's interest for almost an hour and a half but Big Thief bounces across tempos and styles enough to keep things interesting throughout and there's nary the stink of filler. This is the work of a band that is clicking on all cylinders and letting themselves stretch out a bit. The looseness suits them.

3. Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There: A band that figured out how to put it together just to have their lead singer up and quit on them. It may be one of the great "what could have been" stories but that is yet to be determined. At least we have this, an intricate, incisive, lush collections of songs that finds this collective all working at their absolute peak, delivering on the promise of their debut and then some. The songs are just a bit more accessible but still just as maximal, and they crest and crash with a lovely sweeping catharsis. This is big music made for and by people with big hearts, and boy do I love to be caught up in it.

2. Plains - I Walked With You a Ways: The indie country revival (and its continuing to request to reclaim a rich genre from the bros and corporations that have dominated its image for decades) couldn't have much better representation than this record. Jess Williamson and Katie Crutchfield both grew up with and among country music and here, they put their considerable songwriting powers to work carrying the tradition forward while putting plenty of their individual personality into each song. It's a lovely, rich listen, and I do hope it's not the only thing we get of these two working together.

1. Gilla Band - Most Normal: Why do I love this band that sounds like someone having a nervous breakdown in the midst of an agonizing bout of tinnitus? It's not something I can quite put into words. I guess that's why the music is there. It's certainly not for everybody, and Gilla Band is probably my favorite band that I can't recommend to most people I know. But if you ever need a pounding sledgehammer of noise to flood your ears to maybe cancel out the noise that's coming from your brain, this band is here for you. May they always be.