As usual, my list is focused on indie stuff. You can find pop stuff elsewhere. This list is presented in alphabetical order. Hope you like it.
Alex G “Cross the Sea”
God Save The Animals (Domino)
This list may be in alphabetical order, but it would be difficult to choose any album from 2022 that was better than Alex G’s God Save The Animals. I’m pretty sure you’re going to see it on most “best-of” lists this year. I’ve been a fan of Alex G for years, back to when he was (Sandy). His previous albums like Beach Music and House of Sugar were highlights in their respective years; this album is a true masterpiece. Some people have mistaken it for a religious album, but on closer examination, it’s more of an examination of religion itself rather than any kind of ode toward religious worship. By the way, he’s released nine full length albums, a couple of EPs, and a bunch of singles… and he’s 29 years old. You’ll continue to hear more from him, and it will almost certainly be very, very good.
Andrew Goldring “Tell Me It’s Easy"
Caterpillar (Self Released/Crooked Acre)
Somewhat like Alex G above, but in a much less accolade-filled, critically-acclaimed way, Andrew Goldring is an engineer and a producer in addition to being a cool songwriter and performer. I’ve enjoyed a number of his tunes, but I thought he branched out a little more into the interesting zone with songs off his self-released album Caterpillar which came out in November. Originally from Salt Lake City, Andrew gigged with a bunch of musicians… I think I initially found him from his stint performing with Mini Trees, and I enjoyed his debut album from 2019. Since then, he’s set up camp in Nashville and created this new collection which is sonically vibrant and experimental while still retaining the more listenable aspects of pop composition. It’s never annoying for the sake of annoying people.
Bill Callahan “Coyotes”
Ytilaer (Drag City)
What can I say about this deep-voiced legend? Bill Callahan spent most of the ‘90s and early 2000s performing as Smog, and he’s never been anything but great. His new album Ytilaer (“Reality” spelled backwards) is full of moods… not always happy, not always sad, but the craft of the songwriting is fucking unearthly. This is his 19th album; you are guaranteed to find something that speaks to you on everything he’s ever released. It’s not folk and it’s not country and it’s not pop. I don’t know what it is other than good, and in this increasingly post-genre world, that’s all I ask for.
Daisynuke “Guest Speaker”
Single (Self Released/Bathnoid Records)
Some of the music I enjoy the most comes from musicians that are less than unknown. Like, when I find a guy who has less of a musical following than ME, I know it’s probably not going to be easy digging up info on the artist or band. Daisynuke is a bedroom pop artist out of New Zealand. And… end of story. I don’t think he’s released an album per se; just a string of several singles over the past few years. Hopefully he’ll continue making music that’s as cool as this. I know I enjoyed chilling to this tune while enjoying the Joshua Tree desert vibe, so that’s always a big bonus for my list.
Flasher “Dial Up”
Love is Yours (Domino)
Ugh, GOD, this is good. Flasher is an indie rock band hailing from D.C., and I believe they were formerly a trio that’s now pared down to a duo consisting of Emma Baker and Taylor Mulitz. There’s definitely a ‘90s rock vibe to much of the album, but it seems to look to the future as well as the past. The sound is purposefully tight and subtle. It’s punchy yet dreamy. Love is Yours was listed in Bandcamp’s “Essential Listening” list this year, and the honor is fully merited. Ego-driven note: I had it on my list before they put out their’s so… I don’t know what point I was going to make, but I know the good shit when I hear it.
Fonteray “Green Viridian”
Single (Mammal Sounds)
Allow me to dispel a nasty rumor: some feel I only listen to and enjoy guitar-based music, and that’s a giant load of shit. I have always been into electronic sounds as long as they’re used in organic ways, and Fonterey is fucking great! It’s the project of Melbourne, AU-based multi-instrumentalist Drew McCarty, who takes the fat sounds of vintage synths and turns out singles like “Green Viridian” with sophisticated neo-soul vibe that’s a mile ahead of most current artists in this genre. Amazing wide soundscapes, great danceable vibe, and it’s music you could actually play at a party without people thinking you’re some kind of giant weirdo, even though you totally are.
Goon “Emily Says”
Hour of Green Evening (Démodé)
Despite my continued reluctance to go to shows or be in crowds of any sort, I have become the biggest Goon fan imaginable over the past year. If I would have left my hermitically shielded shelter to see any band play in 2022, it would have been these guys. It’s hard to believe that just in 2022, Goon did the outstanding Paint by Numbers, Vol. 1 EP, another limited-edition EP titled Six Covers, the mind-blowing Hour of Green Evening full-length album, and the Red Ladder EP with some more b-sides, demos and alt versions of tunes. Soft singing Kenny Becker is the main creative force behind this band, and I have yet to hear literally anything they’ve done that wasn’t pretty much perfect.
Horsegirl “Billy”
Versions of Modern Performance (Matador)
I feel like I’m cheating a bit here because I first heard “Billy” the debut single by Chicago band Horsegirl, toward the end of 2021. However, it’s included on their debut album Versions of Modern Performance that was released in June 2022, so we’re good. Three young women in their late teens from Chicago, Horsegirl captures a cloudy, grindy vibe that you might have expected from Sonic Youth or Dinosaur Jr., which, when you realize the album was produced by John Agnello who worked with those bands and many other ‘90s indie rock influencers, makes all the sense in the world. I love the songs, the garage-like sonic atmosphere, and indeed, the renewed modernness of this performance in throwback vibe.
Indigo Sparke “Burn”
Hysteria (Sacred Bones)
It wasn’t a big surprise to learn that this Australian singer-songwriter was brought up on a diet of Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. Her sophomore album Hysteria is a pandemic record, and benefits sonically from the production ear of Aaron Dessner of the National. Her debut Echo, produced with Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker, was excellent in its sparseness, but this album is also great with some more full and spacious instrumentation while still remaining intimate and delicate. Good music for an overcast day.
Interpol “Something Changed”
The Other Side of Make-Believe (Matador)
Interestingly, I was never a big Interpol fan, and I’m still not a big Interpol fan, so when The Other Side of Make-Believe came out this summer, I checked it out mostly in order to make snarky comments about it. And then I genuinely I liked it, and was disappointed that I lost the opportunity to talk shit about it. In both Interpol’s and my defense, at the time of their period of big buzz, I was kinda checked out in terms of early 2000s indie rock with a few exceptions like Queens of the Stone Age and the like. Anyway, this happens every once in awhile… some band who I actively disliked or just outright ignored eventually does something that grabs me, and that’s what Interpol did in 2022. Hats off.
Jockstrap “Concrete Over Water”
I Love You Jennifer B (Rough Trade)
So, this is this year’s band that I discovered super early on, tried to hip people to, no one gave a shit, and then months went by and now it’s on everyone’s 2022 best-of list. So this is 2022’s “I Told You So” album, and I’m fine with that. Jockstrap are London-based Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye, and their debut album I Love You Jennifer B is frighteningly sophisticated yet strangely listenable experimental art pop. Every aspect, from the adventurous production through the musically complex performances to the use of an 18-piece orchestra to Ellery’s outstanding and distinctive vocals, makes this one of the most interesting and impressive musical releases of the year by far.
Kendrick Lamar “The Heart Part 5”
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (PGLang/TDE/Aftermath/Interscope)
First, let’s be clear: most of my featured music on these annual lists are by more underground indie artists and bands, which is not how one of the most respected hip hop artists of all time would be categorized. Also, I’m counting “The Heart Part 5” as part of the Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers album because it was included with the digital release. It actually came out immediately before the album to help build the excitement for K.Dot’s first new solo release in over four years. How “not underground” is this song? At the 2023 Grammy Awards, it’s up for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. Regardless, I think both it and the entire album that followed are a) great and b) important landmarks in time that will help define 2022 in retrospect. Conscious hip hop can lose its vibe in the prioritization of message; that tends not to happen with Kendrick, where the sonic mood always holds its own with the spray of lyrics.
Kurt Vile “Jesus on a Wire”
(watch my moves) (Verve)
As anyone who knows me knows well, I’ve been singing the praises of KV for a little over ten years now, and anything he puts out, I’m gonna jump on and absorb right away. It’s interesting that with (watch my moves), his debut on Verve, has Kurt occasionally referencing that label’s storied indie rock act (Velvet Underground) with Lou Reed’s singy-talky vocal delivery. But this album definitely stands on its own, and the somewhat droney nature of the songs feels purposeful rather than lackadaisical. I could have picked several songs to highlight off the album, but I enjoyed the vibe of “Jesus on a Wire” which has almost a duet feel with Cate Le Bon singing the high octave.
Macie Stewart “Defeat”
Mouth Full of Glass (Orindal)
Once again, this list gets confusing from time to time. Macie Stewart, one half of the Chicago-based art rock outfit Finom (that was known as Ohmme until recently), released this album in 2021, and I adored it and had the song “Garter Snake” on last year’s list. With me so far? This year, Macie re-released Mouth Full of Glass with two new songs (“Maya, Please” and “Defeat”), and that’s why she’s back on the list this year. Why did she re-release the album? Why not put out the new songs as singles, or save them for the next album? How would I know? I don’t know these things. I just talk about music I like.
Momma “Speeding ’72"
Household Name (Polyvinyl)
Momma’s previous album Two Of Me was probably the best thing that happened to me in 2020, other than not catching or dying of COVID. This SoCal duo of high school friends who have now relocated to Brooklyn, 20-something Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten, are making music that would be at home right next to alt-rock ‘90s icons like Smashing Pumpkins, Pavement, Nirvana, and others in that ilk. But it’s also slightly tongue-in-cheek in the aspect that the world has changed so much since the prime era of stadium-level alt rockers, and the band themselves seem aware of it. But the music is fun and deliciously melodic and well constructed. You can’t not like it.
Neil Young “Chevrolet”
World Record (Reprise)
What, you may ask, is old Neil doing on my otherwise-indie music list? Well, I’ll be frank here: I am a huge longtime admirer of Neil but this is the first brand-new song of his in years and years that I genuinely appreciated. “Chevrolet” is a 15-minute epic with Crazy Horse that’s very much in the same school of vide as “Like a Hurricane” or “Cowgirl in the Sand”. I think it would have fit in on Live Rust, and it’s definitely the tune that most grabs me from his 2022 album World Record. I’m actually more enamored by the 50-year re-release of Harvest, but “Chevrolet” merits its own place in the pantheon of iconic NY music.
Silver Liz “L.I.F.”
It Is Lighter Than You Think (Self Released/Extremely Pure)
Silver Liz are Carrie and Matt Wagner, a married couple from Chicago but now based in Brooklyn. Word to the wise: this album goes off in multiple directions, but in a great way if you can appreciate the vibes of shoegaze, electronica, alt country, and dream pop on a track-by-track basis. The album is terrific all the way through but I was fully captivated by “L.I.F.” with its overtly melancholy feel and amazing atmosphere, courtesy at least in part from Hamilton Belk’s excellent work on the pedal steel. I think I’m a sucker for pedal steel in sophisticated pop. So underrated.
Skinny Dippers “Night to Day”
The Town & The City (Secret Sushi)
It’s not uncommon for me to have inadvertent connections between the bands/artists on my year-end list. This time, it’s with Brooklyn indie pop rock band Skinny Dippers, the project of singer-songwriter Ryan Gross. He worked with neighbors Jordan Dunn-Pilz and Dan Alvarez as contributors/producers on his debut album, and they happen to be a band called TOLEDO whom you’ll see a few slots down this list. This indie rock/folk collection is very solid, and has some sonic vibes that hearken back to the West Coast mellow gold of the mid-70s.
Space Equator “Keep Me Down”
S / T LP (Self Released)
Another individual in band form, Space Equator is Brendan Fillingham, an LA-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer. It’s a super impressive album, with elements of the softer side of psychedelia with some unexpected but highly enjoyable progressive pop aspects mixed in. A super artful record, shockingly well produced, Space Equator is definitely one of my new finds of 2022 for which I am the most grateful. I should probably add here that 2022 was horrifyingly full of bands that all sounded exactly alike, and Space Equator’s self-titled debut was a huge breath of air that was clean and fresh and different. Viva la difference.
Sun Era “Chow”
Brother (Self Released)
While I am not always impressed with the current tsunami of bedroom pop, Brother by Sun Era at least takes the term literally, to the point that he was compelled to mention that the drums were done in the basement, while everything else was literally recorded in his bedroom. It’s a raw little indie rock album with some slithery ‘90s vibes and is just fully enjoyable. I like every song. Who is Sun Era? Some guy named Jack from Gaithersburg, MD, making cool music. That’s all you get. You get no more. That, and the music.
TOLEDO “Flake”
How It Ends (Grand Jury)
This is honestly some pretty impressive shit for a debut album. I don’t get how a band can sound this mature on their first outing, but I do think having the assistance of Melina Duterte (aka Jay Som) didn’t hurt any in that regard. The songs themselves are open and honest, sometimes deceptively simple but sonically fascinating. TOLEDO is a labelmate of Hovvdy, and they share some of that band’s soft earnestness. I definitely want to keep an eye on these guys and see where they go from here.
Weyes Blood “Grapevine”
And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow (Sub Pop)
This is Natalie Mering’s fifth album recording as Weyes Blood, and she’s as powerful and fascinating now as the first time I heard her music about eight years ago. She’s gone from the underground to near universal beloved status in the indie music world, with everyone rightfully marveling at the controlled alto vibrato and Karen Carpenter sumptuousness of her vocal timbre when they discover her. But she’s more than a great singer; Weyes Blood is at her peak as a songwriter, and both lyrically and musically, And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow is among the most surprising music you’ll hear this year, reminding you of the past while throwing you into the future.
2022 Honorable Mentions:
Angel Olsen "Big Time"
Big Thief "Simulation Swarm"
Björk “Ovule”
Cate Le Bon "Wheel"
Carla dal Forno "Side by Side"
Dayydream "Wasn't"
Dry Cleaning "Conservative Hell"
Ging "We're Here, My Dear"
Girlhouse “Cool Guy”
Hand Habits w/Amelia Meath "Under The Water"
Michael B Thomas "August"
Mitski "Love Me More"
Niall Summerton "Dusty"
Pecq "It's a Lie"
Sasami "Tried To Understand"
Skullcrusher "They Quiet the Room"
Triathlon "Relax"
Unknown Mortal Orchestra “I Killed Captain Cook”
Warpaint “Hips”
Widowspeak "The Drive"
Winter ft Hatchie "Atonement"
Wombo "Seven of Cups”
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