Category: Year End Lists

Another weird year is in the books. Thankfully there was a ton of great music to help us make our way through it. Hoping for brighter days ahead for us all…

SHASTA GILMORE

Here are some new releases, new reissues, and just things I picked up this year that I really loved

• Shintaro Sakamoto – The Feeling Of Love
• Strum and Thrum: The American Jangle Underground
• Alan Vega – After Dark
• The Clean – Boodle Boodle Boodle
• The Cure – Disintegration
• Goblin – Suspiria OST
• Curtis Mayfield – Curtis (expanded edition)
• Screamers – Demo Hollywood 1977
• The Sound – Jeopardy
• Suburban Lawns – S/T

PHILIP CERZA

My favorite albums of 2021 are Sweep It Into Space by Dinosaur Jr and Superwolves by Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Matt Sweeney. Here are some other projects and records from this past year I loved:

• Admonitions // Endless Boogie
• Afrique Victime // Mdou Moctar
• Comfort To Me // Amyl & The Sniffers
• Happier Than Ever // Billie Eilish
• Haram // Armand Hammer & The Alchemist
• Harmonizer // Ty Segall
• Hey What // Low
• If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power // Halsey
• Jubilee // Japanese Breakfast
• Like A Stone // Remember Sports
• Ma Délire // Myriam Gendron
• McCartney III // Paul McCartney
• New Long Leg // Dry Cleaning
• No Medium // Rosali
• Path of Wellness // Sleater-Kinney
• Pick A Day To Die // Sunburned Hand of the Man
• Pressure Machine // The Killers
• Shadow I Remember // Cloud Nothings 
• Sound Ancestors // Madlib
• Star-Crossed // Kacey Musgraves
• Things Take Time, Take Time // Courtney Barnett
• Two Saviors // Buck Meek
• El Último Tour Del Mundo // Bad Bunny
• Ultrapop // The Armed
• Urban Driftwood // Yasmin Williams
• “Stoned At The Nail Salon” // Lorde
• “Soul Love” // Jeff & Ruby Parker
• “Like I Used To” // Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen
• “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” // Taylor Swift

JAMIE DRIER

• The Bug – Fire (Ninja Tune)
• Max Richter – Voices 2 (Decca)
• Pan Daijing – Jade (Pan)
• Loraine James – Reflection (Hyperdub)
• Tirzah – Colourgrade (Domino)
• Charles – Let’s Start A Family Tonight (Babe City Records)
• Teste – Graphic Depictions (L.I.E.S.)
• Ploy – Unlit Signals (L.I.E.S.)
• Jeff Parker – JP’s Myspace Beats (International Anthem)
• Hiro Kone – Silvercoat The Throng (Dais)
• Space Afrika – Honest Labour (Dais)
• Aaron Dilloway & Lucrecia Dalt – Lucy & Aaron (Hanson)
• Chynna – Drug Opera (Twin)
• Various Artists – Paura (A Collection of Italian Horror Sounds
• From The Cam Sugar Archive) (Decca / Cam Sugar)

STEVE RAHMAN

This year was thoroughly exhausting. These are the records that I think most helped me through the longest of the days.

LA Exes “Get Some”
I love things that can contain a multitude of emotions in a single space & “Get Some” does that better than most records. It’s a sobering record sometimes, full of upbeat, sunshine-y pop tunes that often as not are about heart-break; Not in a depressing oh-my-gosh-it’s-all-terrible-and-I-wanna-die way, but in a more subtle “I wouldn’t mind disappearing for a while, a Temporary Goodbye” kinda way. In fact, one of my favorite things about this record is the humor with which they tackle the subject matter, even the stuff that really might make you sad if you think about it too hard.

Melanie Charles “Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women”
Melanie Charles as a musician & producer is at times incredibly challenging for me. On this Verve Remixed project, each song is originally performed by another great woman in jazz & soul, but Charles takes them in incredibly diverse directions. The way that Charles manipulates & interpolates the original tracks is creative & adventurous, & I haven’t even mentioned the beautiful way she uses her voice. This record exemplifies fearlessness.

Skyzoo “All the Brilliant Things”
If what you want from your Rap music is very good rapping & very good beats, it’s difficult to overlook Skyzoo. Prolific & brilliant, there aren’t many pens in the world that can match Sky’s & the layered entendres that populate the whole of “All the Brilliant Things” require listen upon listen.  The thing is, what you get with Skyzoo is consistency. Each track will be well crafted, with impeccable lyrical delivery & beats that knock. This is dope beats, dope rhymes… what more could y’all want.

Silk Sonic “An Evening with Silk Sonic”
I don’t know how to talk about this record without hyperbole. I don’t know what hasn’t been said about it since it came out. I don’t even know where to begin with this partnership between Anderson .Paak & Bruno Mars. All I can say is it’s a throwback R&B record with smooth, clean, crystal clear production. It’s pure ear-candy. It sounds great & it feels great. I know there’s a lot of criticism to be had about originality or lack there-of, but baby… who cares!? This record is groovy as hell & sometimes that’s all that matters.

A couple more from this year:

• We Are the Union “Ordinary Life”
• Rosemarie “Sinnergy”
• Mac Ayres “Magic 8Ball”
• Beach Bunny “Blame Game EP”
• CJ Fly “The Way I (H)ear It Vol. 1”
• Arlo Parks “Collapsed in Sunbeams”
• Adrian Younge “The American Negro”
• Sam Dew “Moonlit Fools”
• Chika “Once Upon a Time EP”
• Kota the Friend & Statik Selektah “To Kill A Sunrise”
• Olivia Rodrigo “Sour”
• Tyler the Creator “Call Me If You Get Lost”
• Leon Bridges “Gold-Diggers Sound”
• Meet Me @ the Altar “Model Citizen EP”
• Little Simz “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert”
• Kacey Musgraves “Star-Crossed”
• Tasha “Tell Me What You Miss the Most”
• Men I Trust “Untourable Album”

DYLAN SOWLE

BEST OF 2021

Best Albums:

1. Parannoul – “To See The Next Part Of The Dream” (Longinus Recordings)
South Korean shoegaze/emo hybrid, all made by one dude using digital instruments, yet sounds as full and lush as if a full band had been present in the studio. Will make you nostalgic for experiences you’ve never had, and places you’ve never been. Unfortunately this has only received very limited pressings, as the label it’s on is run out of a dorm room where I went to college. Without a doubt the greatest thing I’ve heard all year.

2. The Killers – “Pressure Machine” (Island)
The Killers were my all time favorite band in middle school and high school, but every album after Day & Age has sounded like increasingly bloated arena rock. The turnaround on this record completely took me by surprise, even if it’s just complete Springsteen worship. Feels like a return to Sam’s Town, and an album where they finally take their foot off the pedal and allow their songwriting to breathe. Beautiful American music.

3. Richard Dawson & Circle – “Henki” (Domino)
I only just listened to this record, so it almost seems unfair to list it this high, but I can’t stop thinking about it. I really have no history with either Richard Dawson or Circle, so this came out of left field for me and I’m not sure how to talk about it yet?? It feels epic, ancient, psychedelic, and weaving a wild tale for you to chase after. I can’t wait to listen to this over and over again.

A Bunch Of Other Really Great Albums:

• Galdre Visions – “Galdre Visions” (Leaving Records)
• Freak Genes – “Power Station” (Feel It Records)
• Luca Yupanqui – “Sounds of the Unborn” (Sacred Bones)
• Dry Cleaning – “New Long Leg” (4AD)
• Jeff Rosenstock – “Ska Dream” (Polyvinyl/ Quote Unquote Records)
• Squid – “Bright Green Field” (Warp)
• Chai – “Wink” (Sub Pop)
• Snow Ellet – “Suburban Indie Rockstar” (Self Released)
• Bo Burnham – “Inside (The Songs)” (Imperial Distribution)
• Iron Maiden – “Senjutsu” (Parlophone)
• Guided By Voices – “Styles We Paid For” (Guided By Voices, Inc.)
• The Armed – “Ultrapop” (Sargent House)
• Olivia Rodrigo – “Sour” (Geffen)
• Silicone Prairie – “My Life On The Silicone Prairie” (Feel It Records)
• Fire-Toolz – “Eternal Home” (Hausu Mountain)
• Natalie Bergman – “Mercy” (Third Man)
• Anika – “Change” (Sacred Bones)
• Torres – “Thirstier” (Merge)
• Marissa Nadler – “The Path of the Clouds” (Sacred Bones)
• Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – “Carnage” (Goliath)
• Silk Sonic – “An Evening With Silk Sonic” (Aftermath Entertainment)
• Orwell – “Orwell 1995” (Expert Work Records)
• ABBA – “Voyage” (Polar)
• Andrew W.K. – “God Is Partying” (Napalm Records)

Best Compilations:

• Various Artists – “Heisei No Oto: Japanese Left-Field Pop From The CD Age, 1989-1996” (Music From Memory)
• Various Artists – “Somewhere Between: Mutant Pop, Electronic Minimalism & Shadow Sounds of Japan 1980-1988” (Light In The Attic)
• Various Artists – “Virtual Dreams: Ambient Explorations in the House & Techno Age, 1993-1997” (Music From Memory)
• Various Artists – “Numero 95” (Numero Group)
• Various Artists – “The World’s Most Precious Cows” (The World’s Most Precious Cows)
• Cheeky – “Freaky Deaky: The Cheeky Discography” (Quote Unquote Records)
• Various Artists – “Intermission” (Ghost Box)
• Parannoul/ Asian Glow/ sonhos tomam conta – “Downfall of the Neon Youth” (Longinus Recordings)
• Tangled Shoelace – “Turn My Dial: M Squared Recordings and More, 1981-84” (Chapter Music)

Best Singles & Reissues:

• Andrew W.K. – “Babalon” (Napalm Records) [single]
• A.r.t. Wilson – “Overworld” (Numero Group) [reissue]
• Dramarama – “Cinema Verite” (Pasadena Records) [reissue]
• Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen – “Like I Used To” (Jagjaguwar) [single]
• ABBA – “I Still Have Faith In You” (Polar) [single]
• Hole Dweller – “Flies The Coop” (Dungeons Deep) [reissue]
• LCD Soundsystem – “Christmas Will Break Your Heart” (DFA) [single, reissue]

Great Stuff From Last Year That I Missed:

• Feminazgul – “No Dawn For Men” (Tridroid) [released December 2020]
• Heather Trost – “Petrichor” (Third Man) [released November 2020]
• Logic System – “Venus” (Wewantsounds) [2020 reissue]

CHARLIE CAREY

Charlie’s Top 10 Albums of 2021 In Alphabetical Order

*Courtney Barnett – Things Take Time, Take Time
The Australian singer’s third album impresses with a relaxed thoughtfulness that makes it stand out from the frantic anxiety of her first two.

*Beach Bunny – Blame Game
Beach Bunny’s second EP continues to deliver a bubbly sound with gut wrenching lyrics

*Girl In Red – If I Could Make It Go Quiet
Hey, do you listen to Girl In Red? Even if you don’t, you should listen to her debut album if you have ever dealt with anxiety or depression.

*IDLES – Crawler
I would never call an IDLES album soft, but if you ever want to feel angsty but not, like, their usual full blown Bristol post-punk angsty, this is a good starting point.

*Maneskin – Teatro d’ira: Vol. I
This album sounds like glitter and sweat and I wouldn’t have asked for anything else from the Italian rock band.

*PinkPanthress – To Hell With It
Her debut mixtape is only 20 minutes because if it was any longer it would be too powerful. Hyperpop excellence.

*Poppy – Flux
Poppy continues to reclaim her sound in this broadly rock, fully awesome and worth your time album.

*Taylor Swift – Red (Taylor’s Version)
If you can’t appreciate a single song on this two hour album then you must have never been wronged by a man, and I envy you for that.

*Hayley Williams – Flowers for Vases
Hayley Williams of Paramore’s second solo album proves her talent as a vocalist and songwriter in a deep exploration into herself.

*WILLOW – Lately I Feel Everything
I pray to God for a pop punk resurgence. In Travis Barker’s name I pray, Amen.

ANDREW MIN

BO BURNHAM – INSIDE
-i laughed, i cried, i googled “pedagogically”

DRY CLEANING – NEW LONG LEG
-“I’ve been thinking about eating that hot dog for hours, Kiss me”

PINKPANTHERESS – TO HELL WITH IT
-I’m 9 and my dad is playing limewire mp3s in the g-force visualizer

PARANNOUL – TO SEE THE NEXT PART OF A DREAM
-The racer x of south korean lofi bedroom indie emo shoegaze noise pop

TAYLOR SWIFT – RED (TAYLOR’S VERSION)
-putting phoebe and taylor together is targeted advertising

SILK SONIC – AN EVENING WITH
-The only band having fun in 2021

MAGDALENA BAY – MERCURIAL WORLD
-the transition from track 4-5 is worth your time alone

DOJA CAT – PLANET HER
-her best since “MOOO!”

JAPANESE BREAKFAST – JUBILEE
-the background vocals on “posing in bondgae” give big ghost in the shell vibes

FLOATING POINTS & PHAROAH SANDERS – PROMISES
-for fans of the saxophone

REISSUE:

• DJ SHADOW-ENDTRODUCING….
• RADIOHEAD-KID A MNESIA

ANTHONY ILLARDE 

• LUIS BACALOV La Strega In Amore OST (CAM Sugar LP)
• BEVIS FROND Little Eden (Fire 2LP)
• CHEAP TRICK In Another World (BMG LP)
• CLINIC Fantasy Island (Domino LP)
• ALICE COOPER Detroit Stories (Ear Music LP,
• DORIS Did You Give The World Some Love Today, Baby? (Mr Bongo LP)
• EL MICHELS AFFAIR Yeti Season (Big Crown LP)
• FLEUR DE LYS Circles: The Ultimate (Countdown 2LP)
• BOBBIE GENTRY The Windows Of The World (UMC LP)
• BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND Keyboard Fantasies (Transgressive LP)
• TOM JONES Surrounded By Time (EMI LP)
• KHRUANGBIN Mordechai (Dead Oceans LP)
• KISS Destroyer 45th Anniversary Edition (UMG 2LP)
• BRIJ BHUSHAN KABRA Lure Of The Desert (EMI LP)
• LA LUZ La Luz (Hardly Art LP)
• MENAHAN STREET BAND The Exciting Sounds of Menahan Street Band (Daptone LP)
• HAILU MERGIA Tezeta (Awesome Tapes From Africa LP)
• MONKEES Missing Links Volume 2 (Friday Music LP)
• ENNIO MORRICONE I Malamondo (CAM Sugar 2LP)
• PATCHWORK Mean & Dirty (De Wolfe LP)
• PERSONALITY CRISIS Creatures For Awhile (Porterhouse LP)
• POETS OF RHYTHM Discern/Define (Daptone LP)
• RAMONES Triple J Live At The Wireless  (Sire LP)
• RUDIMENTARY PENI Great War (Sealed LP)
• SHANNON & THE CLAMS Year Of The Spider (Easy Eye Sound LP)
• SLADE Old New Borrowed & Blue (BMG LP)
• SWELL MAPS Mayday Signals (Easy Action LP)
• VANISHING TWIN Ookii Gekkou (Fire LP)
• SVEN WUNDER Natura Morta (Piano Piano LP)
• VARIOUS Punks In Peoria (Alonas Dream LP)
• VARIOUS Underground Mood (Holy Basil LP)

ZACHARY WAGENFUEHR

• richard dawson & circle – henki
• parannoul – to see the next part of the dream
• erika de casier – sensational
• memo boy – songs & demos (2015-2017)
• floating points/pharoah sanders – promises
• irini – lost in dreams
• julie – pushing daisies ep
• mj lenderman and wednesday – guttering
• little simz – sometimes i might be introvert
• landowner – consultant
• claire rousay – a softer focus
• skee mask – pool
• sofa – source crossfire
• sweet trip – a tiny house…
• various – heisei no oto
• various – la ola interior
• knocked loose – at tear in the fabric of life ep
• bye2 – teeth restoration
• dj sabrina the teenage dj – the makin magick II album
• kayo dot – moss grew on the swords and plowshares alike
• golden boy – i never meant for this to happen
• naked flames – it is what it is
• dj camgirl – cannon
• aaron dilloway/lucrecia dalt – lucy & aaron
• steve summers – generation loss

LUKE DAHLGREN

new music from the Reckless shelves!…

• Auf Togo – Movements (SaS)
• Black Dice – Mod Prog Sic (FourFour)
• The Body – I’ve Seen All That I Need to See (Thrill Jockey)
• Damiana – Vines (Hausu Mountain)
• Erika de Casier – Sensational (4AD)
• Floating Points / Pharoah Sanders / London S.O. – Promises (Luaka Bop)
• Myriam Gendron – Ma délire: Songs of Love Lost & Found (Feeding Tube)
• Helado Negro – Far In (4AD)
• Sofia Kourtesis – Fresia Magdalena (Technicolor)
• Ruth Mascelli – A Night at the Baths (Disciples)
• Parquet Courts – Sympathy for Life (Rough Trade)
• Joseph Shabason – The Fellowship (Western Vinyl)
• Ryan Sullivan – Utility [self-released]
• Steve Summers – Generation Loss (L.I.E.S.)
• Tirzah – Colourgrade (Domino)
• Vanishing Twin – Ookii Gekkou (Fire)
• Leon Vynehall – Rare, Forever (Ninja Tune)

…plus some compilations!

• v/a – 10 Years of Acid Test (Acid Test)
• v/a – Alan Lomax’s American Patchwork: Field Recordings 1978-1983 (Mississippi)
• v/a – Essiebons Special 1973-1984: Ghana Music Power House (Analog Africa)
• v/a – Heisei No Oto: Japanese Leftfield Pop From the CD Age, 1989-1996 (Music From Memory)
• v/a – Somewhere Between: Mutant Pop, Electronic Minimalism & Shadow Sounds of Japan, 1980-1988 (Light in the Attic)
• v/a – Two Synths, A Guitar (and) a Drum Machine: Post-Punk Dance #1 (Soul Jazz)
• v/a – Virtual Dreams: Ambient Explorations in the House & Techno Age, 1993-1997 (Music From Memory)

(also check out these Bandcamp & Soundcloud picks!)

• AceMo – Unreleased Trax Vol. 1 [self-released]
• Kareem Ali – Getting Through [self-released]
• Body-San – Reborn While Shopping (Noumenal Loom)
• Chaos in the CBD – Brainstorm EP (In Dust We Trust)
• DK – The Ancient Kingdom (Good Morning Tapes)
• Facta – Blush (Wisdom Teeth)
• Hidden Sequence – Intimate Disco (Piston Recordings)
• Irini – Lost in Dreams (Planet Uterus) 
• N0V3L – NON-FICTION (Flemish Eye)
• Saphileaum – Transpersonal Experience (Good Morning Tapes)
• Tristan Arp – Alternate Looking Glass (Eternal Ocean)
• Ulla – Limitless Frame (Motion Ward)
• yes/and – yes/and (Driftless)
• Yu Su – Yellow River Blue (Beijing Cultural Communication Co.)

BENJAMIN HEGY

Record Releases- 2021

• Elori Saxl- blue of distance [western vinyl]
• Dry Cleaning- new long leg [4ad]
• Moontype- bodies of water [born yesterday records]
• Linda Smith- till another time: 1988-1996 [captured tracks]
• Matt Sweeney & Bonnie “Prince” Billy- superwolves [drag city]
• Chai- wink [sub pop]
• Dame Area- ondas tribales [mannequin]
• Nana Yamato- before sunrise [dull tools]
• Yu Su- yellow river blue [music from memory]
• Madlib- sound ancestors [madlib invasion]
• Legowelt- pancakes with mist [nightwind records]
• Charlotte Greve- sediments we move [new amsterdam records]
• Tirzah- colourgrade [domino]
• Ydegirl- s/t [escho]
• Makaya McCraven- deciphering the message [blue note]
• N-ter- détroit on my mind EP [electro records]
• Apoc Krysis X Jupiluxe- set up [780845 records dk]
• Grouper- shade [kranky]
• Circuit Des Yeux- -io {matador]
• Dos Santos- city of mirrors [international anthem recording company]
• Jeff Parker- jp’s myspace beats [international anthem recording company]
• Jeff Parker- forfolks [international anthem recording company]
• Amyl & the Sniffers- comfort to me [ato]
• Macie Stewart- mouth full of glass [orindal]
• Alleged Witches- work after machinery [natural sciences]

Times are strange, music is weird, lower your blood pressure.

The plural of vinyl is vinyl.

JON MASSEY

I listened to probably 75% of all wide-released indie rock albums this year. I gained nothing by this experience, and furthermore it liquefied my brain. 

10 LPs/activities I enjoyed, available at reckless:

-katy kirby / cool dry place (keeled scales) — arbitrary AOTY pick

-the ophelias / crocus (joyful noise) —the kind of record where you hear the sound of an ambulance going by in the vocal mic. perfect median between 2021-style confessional songwriting + Yo La Tengo in their chamber pop mode. someday this will soundtrack a Bloomsday-style tour of Cincinnati where I rank the public libraries by “vibe” and point out various places I was hit by cars

-raiding the New Age CD section — great gift idea for the broke: these bad boys start at only $3.99! if you must have it on wax check out Numero’s excellent Numero 95 comp (Numero). either way this is the year to give that special himbo/thembo in your life the gift that keeps on giving: New Age Music

-japanese breakfast / jubilee (dead oceans) — I saw this band live and they sounded exactly like Wilco to me. Or maybe I’d just had a few too many NEW ENGLAND STYLE IPAS????

-wobbly / popular monitress (hausu mountain) — let’s say somehow ontological boundaries became blurred and you accidentally inhaled a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) through your nose and then looked for a tissue to try and blow it out but you don’t have any tissues because you’re a logan square band guy; but then suddenly not only can you not find a tissue but now your house is a scratched up copy of NBA 2K. Karl Malone is executing a mid-range jump shot into your kitchen sink. What are you going to do about it? this album gave me havana syndrome

moontype / bodies of water (born yesterday) —straight down the lane, we love to see it, Chicago excellence, whenever spin this I do a 2-handed Italian chef kiss. sometimes I’m on my bike and it’s very dangerous to do the chef kiss but I do it anyway

-marc riordan / life systems (sophomore lounge) —soothing and ominous, urban but also dreamily pastoral. deep breath and a can of soda

-ryley walker / course in fable (husky pants) — the year is 2035. Everything from the book “Station Eleven” has happened. Phish is cool again. your friends are trading Phish bootlegs, from the crappy years, like 2003. a copy of “Close to the Edge” on CD costs $4,000. an elite mod on forums.stevehoffman.tv has heard there’s a VG+ original copy of “In the Court of the Crimson King” buried under the ruins of Michigan Central Station in Detroit. a confidential buyer (possibly Elon Musk) has offered to pay two billion dollars for it, in specie. you’ll have to fight your way there and back through Indiana—burning scrub brush, far as the eye can see; trigger-happy militia patrols; packs of stray dogs. you’ll have to subsist on saltine crackers and pedialyte. you’ll have to fire a harpoon gun, multiple times. The task is herculean. They say it cannot be done. but many years ago, you took a stranger’s recommendation, and you listened to “Course in Fable”. and now you are ready to do what must be done

black midi live @ Sleeping Village 9/13/2021 — telling people I was in “in the pit” at this show because a tall person stepped on my foot and caused me to spill my New England Style IPA. the LP is great too

-another michael / new music + big pop (run for cover) — a handful of dynamo singles are the main attraction but the album cuts grow on you; good to see that Philly is still in the ring. go sixers

-fav label of ‘21 / Orindal, who put out great records by wednesday, macie stewart, karima walker, dan wriggins, etc.

-fav beer / New England Style IPA                       

———also liked by me, and stocked here———

records by: Adult Mom — Bad Bad Hats — Boo Hiss — Charles — DJ Black Low — Dummy — Hand Habits — Lande Hekt — Lael Neale — Carlos Niño — Spellling — Pauline Anna Strom

———bandcamp-only releases——— 

personal space / a lifetime of leisure — patricia brennan / maquishti — subtitles / commoner — chaos in the cbd / te puke thunder EP — fievel is glauque / god’s trashmen sent to right the mess, &c. — SLONK / where do you see yourself in five years? — ki oni / stay indoors and swim + indoor plant life — wombo / keesh mountain

MATT JENCIK

• The Body & Big Brave Leaving None But Small Birds
• Can Live in Brighton 1975
• Can Live in Stuttgart 1975
• Cerebral Rot Excretion of Mortality
• Lucinda Chua Antidotes
• Circuit Des Yeux -io
• Coldreams Crazy Night
• Alice Coltrane Kirtan: Turiya Sings
• John Coltrane A Love Supreme Live in Seattle
• Crypta Echoes of the Soul
• Sarah Davachi Antiphonals
• Kenny Dorham Quiet Kenny reissue
• Dramarama Cinema Verite reissue
• Dream Unending Tide Turns Eternal
• FACS Present Tense
• Roger Fakhr Fine Anyway 
• Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders w/ The London Symphony Orchestra Promises 
• Myriam Gendron Ma Delire: Songs of Love Lost & Found
• Grouper Shade
• Hollie Kenniff The Quiet Drift 
• Lamp of Murmuur Submission & Slavery
• Kedr Livanskiy Liminal Soul
• Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble Now
• Mare Cognitum Solar Paroxysm
• James McAlister Scissortail
• Mia Joy Spirit Tamer
• Mistreater Hell’s Fire
• Lee Morgan Rajah: Blue Note Tone Poet Series  
• Natural Information Society w/ Evan Parker Descension
• Jeff Parker Forfolks
• Qrixkuor Poison Palinopsia
• Clara Rockmore Lost Theremin Album
• Claire Rousay Softer Focus
• Elori Saxl The Blue of Distance
• Seam Headsparks reissue
• Seth La Morsure du Christ
• The Silver Ward of Roses
• Linda Smith Till Another Time 1988-1996
• Stephen Radar of Small Dogs reissue
• Stormkeep Tales of Other Time
• Andy Stott Never the Right Time
• Tangerine Dream The Keep (Soundtrack) reissue
• Tribulation Where The Gloom Becomes Sound
• Voivod Outer Limits reissue
• Yasmin Williams Urban Driftwood
• Various Artists Heisei No Oto: Japanese Left-Field Pop From the CD Age 1989-1996
• Various Artists Somewhere Between: Mutant Pop, Electronic Minimalism & Shadow Sounds
• Neil Young Carnegie Hall 1970
• Neil Young Young Shakespeare
• Neil Young & Crazy Horse Way Down in the Rust Bucket

FAVORITE USED LP SCORES

• Gene Ammons Jungle Soul
• Francoise Hardy If You Listen
• Quincy Jones Deadly Affair (Soundtrack)
• Oliver Nelson Skull Session
• Popol Vuh Aguirre
• Roedelius Jardin Au Fou
• Steve Tibbetts Northern Song

LEA BOARD

In no particular order:

• The Armed “Ultra Pop”
• Doja Cat “Planet Her” 
• Pixel Grip “Arena”
• Turnstile “Glow On”
• Lil Nas X “Montero”
• Shame “Drunk Tank Pink”
• Dry Cleaning “New Long Leg” 
• Spirit of the Beehive “Entertainment, Death”
• Flying Lotus “Yasuke”
• Mannequin Pussy “Perfect EP” 
• Olivia Rodrigo “Sour”
• Torres “Thirstier”

KELSO ANTOINE

(in no particular order)

1. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert // Little Simz
2. Collapsed in Sunbeams // Arlo Parks
3. Lately I Feel Everything // Willow
4. To Hell With It // PinkPanthress
5. To Enjoy Is the Only Thing // Maple Glider
6. New Long Legs // Dry Cleaning
7. Things Take Time, Take Time // Courtney Barnett
8. Go Home, Go Home, Go Home // Adelaide
9. Sol Azul // Drea C.
10. I Know I’m Funny, ha ha // Faye Webster
11. Barnyard // Good Morning
12. Get Some // LA Exes
13. Glow // Alice Phoebe Lou
14.Jubilee // Japanese Breakfast
15. Fun House // Hand Habits
16. Skin // Joy Crookes
17. Absolutely // Dijon
18. The Melodic Blue // Baby Keem
19. Turning Wheel // Spelling
20. Promises // Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders
21. Planet (i) // Squirrel Flower

2021 Reissues

Endtroducing….. // DJ Shadow
3 Feet High & Rising // De La Soul
Kid A mnesia // Radiohead
Live Evil // Miles Davis
Kirtan! Turiya Sings // Alice Coltrane
Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea // PJ Harvey
All Things Must Pass // George Harrison 

SEAN ROWADER

1. Deftones – Digital Bath (Telefon Tel Aviv Version) / Feiticeira (Arca Remix)2. Record Setter – I Owe You Nothing 
3. The Armed – Ultrapop4. Turnstile – Glow On
5. Spirit of the Beehive – Entertainment, Death
6. From First To Last – Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Bodycount (RSD Reissue)
7. Drug Church – Tawny
8. Equip – Cursebreaker Gaiden 
9. Sincere Engineer – Bless My Psyche
10. Hospital Bracelet – South Loop Summer

HARRY BAKER

• 10. BLACK MIDI- CALVACADE
• 9. CITIES AVIV- CRASHING SOUND OF HOW IT GOES
• 8. BLAKE SAINT DAVID- BE YOUR OWN CELEBRITY
• 7. JOY CROOKES- SKIN
• 6. MOOR MOTHER- BLACK ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AIR
• 5. SPELLLING- TURNING WHEEL
• 4. MAPLE GLIDER- TO ENJOY IS THE ONLY THING
• 3. INJURY RESERVE- BY THE TIME I GET TO PHOENIX
• 2. DRY CLEANING- NEW LONG LEGS
• 1. BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD- FOR THE FIRST TIME

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• CASSANDRA JENKINS- AN OVERVIEW ON PHENOMENAL NATURE
• MIHO HATORI- BETWEEN ISEKAI & SLICE OF LIFE
• DIJON- ABSOLUTELY
• ARMAND HAMMER- HARAM
• THE ARMED- ULTRAPOP
• LITTLE SIMS- SOMETIMES I MIGHT BE AN INTROVERT
• AROOJ AFTAB- VULTURE PRINCE

TYLER LOPEZ

ALBUM OF THEE YEAR
• JULIAN ANDREAS – LETHAL HARDCORE [Live Adult Entertainment]

RUNNER UP since it dropped too late to be last year’s RUNNER UP
• Playboi Carti – Whole Lotta Red [Interscope]

Other Favorites (in somewhat of an order)

• • You’ll Never Get to Haven – Wave Your Moonlight Hat for the Snowfall Train [Mystic Roses]
• • Paysage d’Hiver – Geister [Kunsthall]
• • Florian T M Zeisig – Music for Parents [Metron]
• • Sewerslvt – Skitzofrenia Simulation [self]
• • Sewerslvt – We Had Good Times Together, Don’t Forget That [self]
• • Deterioration – Transcending Human Confines [Shattered Dreams]
• • DJ Speedsick – Snake Pit LSD [DNA]
• • Anything Him Hun put on Soundcloud
• • Sarah Davachi – Antiphonals [Late]
• • Elori Saxl – The Blue of Distance [Western Vinyl]
• • ojeRum – Solverhvide Skyer [Garden Portal]
• • In Aeternam Vale – Boites [self]
• • Picnic – s/t [Daisart]
• • Casper McFadden – Medicalmechanica [Kitty On Fire]
• • Fire – Toolz – Eternal Home [Hausu Mountain]
• • Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement – Flying Fish Ambience [Hospital]
• • Romance – A Kiss Is Just A Kiaa [Ecstatic]
• • Nordgeist – Frostwinter [Kunsthall]
• • Jarhead Fertilizer – Product of My Environment [Closed Casket Activities]
• • Kjostad – Warlord [self]
• • Lil Ugly Mane – Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern [self]
• • DJ Black Low – Uwami [Awesome Tapes From Africa]
• • Aaron Dilloway & Lucrecia Dalt – Lucy & Aaron [Hanson]
• • Vatican Shadow – SR-71 Blackbird Survivors [Hospital]
• • Ferriterium – Calvaire [Epictural]
• • Mare Cognitum – Solar Paroxysm [I, Voidhanger]
• • Grima – Rotten Garden [Naturmacht]
• • Dipygus – Bushmeat [Memento Mori]
• • Rudimentary Peni – Great War [Sealed]
• • Fugitive Wizard – Obscuri AEternum [Grime Stone]
• • Caveman Cult – Blood and Extinction [Nuclear War Now!]
• • Spectral Wound – A Diabolic Thirst [Profound Lore]
• • Max Richter – Voices 2 [Decca]
• • Dean Blunt – Black Metal 2 [Rough Trade]
• • Nocturnal Effigy – The Night’s Sorrow [self]
• • Mortiferum – Preserved In Torment [Profound Lore]

ETHAN D’ERCOLE

 in no particular order

• Black Monument Ensemble: “Now”
• John DuCann: “World’s Not Big Enough”
• Skip Tracer EP
• Pat Campbell’s “Christian Guilt” cassette
• Nervous Eaters “Eaterville Vol.2”
• Krga “Moi St.”
• Hozac Books: “Where the Wild Gigs Were” and “I Don’t Fit In”
• Adam Roth “Down the Shore Soundtrack”
• Jason Griff: “Fireside Chats”
• Matt Jencik: “Matt & Lyra”
• TAXI Season 2
• TAXI Season 3

SARAH FRIER

• Sometimes I Might Be Introvert – Little Simz
• Other You – Steve Gunn
• Present Tense – FACS
• Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish
• I Don’t Live Here Anymore – War On Drugs
• Harmonizer – Ty Segall
• Montero – Lil Nas X
• Crawler – IDLES
• Gold-Diggers Sound – Leon Bridges
• Things Take Time, Take Tim – Courtney Barnett
• Sweep It Into Space – Dinosaur Jr

EMILY ELHAJ (Love Lion Music)

ALBUMS

• Tirzah Colourgrade (Domino)
• Black Angels Don’t Fall Down (LITA)
• Gloria Ann Taylor Be Worthy (Ubiquity)
• Pino Palladino & Blake Mills Notes With Attachments (Verve/Impulse)
• Madalyn Merkey Standards (self)
• Jarvis Cocker Chansons d’Ennui Tip-Top (ABKCO)
• Zella Day & Weyes Blood “Holocene”(Concord)
• Peacers Blexxed Rec (Drag City)
• Circuit des Yeux io (Matador)
• Nightshift Zöe (Trouble In Mind)
• Beak< “Oh Know” (Invada)
• Rodrigo Amarante Drama (Polyvinyl)
• Sam Gendel Fresh Bread (Leaving)
• Marisa Anderson & William Tyler Lost Futures (Thrill Jockey)
• Sylvie EP (Terrible Records)
• Lilac s/t (self)
• Floating Points / Pharoah Sanders / London Symphony Promises (Luaka) 
• Green-House Music for Living Spaces (Leaving)
• Death Is Not The End s/t (Death Is Not The End) cass
• Stereolab Electrically Possessed (Switched On Vol. 4) (Duophonic/Warp)
• Mia Doi Todd Music Life (City Zen)
• CLEATS “French Disko” (self)
• Martin Gore The Third Chimpanzee EP (Grabbing Hands Music)
• Becca Mancari Annie (Captured Tracks)
• The Notwist Vertigo Days (Morr Music)
• Grouper Shade (Kranky)
• Sven Wunder Natura Morta (Piano Piano)
• Michael Hurley The Time of the Foxgloves (No Quarter)
• Tasha Tell Me What You Miss The Most (Father/Daughter)
• Elder & Kadavar Eldovar: A Story of Darkness & Light (Robotor)
• Alice Coltrane Kirtan: Turiya Sings (Impulse!)
• Yes/And s/t (Driftless)
• v/a Mary’s House (Love Lion)

REISSUES

• Rich Vreeman (Disasterpeace) It Follows ost (Music On Vinyl)
• Austin Leonard Jones The Wonder Years of Austin Leonard Jones Vol. 1 & 2 (Perpetual Doom)
• Arthur Russell Another Thought (Be With)
• Steve Reid Nova (Soul Jazz)
• Beverly Glenn-Copeland Keyboard Fantasies (Glass Modern)
• Lubomyr Melnyk KMH: Piano Music in the Continuous Mode (Unseen Worlds)
• Slow Walkers s/t (Peak Oil)
• The Durutti Column Another Setting (Factory Benelux)
• The Durutti Column Dry (Spittle)
• Omar Khorshid With Love (We Want Sounds)
• Hailu Mergia Tezeta (Awesome Tapes From Africa)

SHOWS

• Jess Cornelius, Yellow House Session
• Mary Lattimore & Walt McClements, outside
• Jon Natchez & Sofia Bolt, outside
• Angel Olsen & Sharon Van Etten, “Like I Used To” on Fallon
• Nailah Hunter, Marisa Anderson, & William Tyler, outside
• Kim Gordon, Pitchfork
• Cat Power, Pitchfork
• Rodrigo Amarante e sua banda, The Ford
• Elles font l’abstraction Exhibition, Pompidou, Paris

DAVE MARTIN (Captured Tracks/Omnian Music Distribution)

New Records

• Chris Brokaw – Puritan (12XU)
• Scientists – Negativity (In The Red Records)
• Divine Horsemen – Hot Rise Of An Ice Cream Phoenix (In The Red Records)
• FACS – Present Tense (Trouble In Mind)
• Endless Boogie – Admonitions (No Quarter)
• Stefan Christensen – Cheap Things (World of Echo)
• Smoke Bellow – Open For Business (Trouble In Mind)
• Aquarian Blood – Bending The Golden Hour (Goner)
• Emily Robb – How To Moonwalk (Petty Bunco)
• CIA Debutante – Dust (Siltbreeze)
• Swansea Sound – Live At The Rum Puncheon (HHBTM)
• Circuit Des Yeux – -io (Matador)
• Damon & Naomi w/ Kurihara – A Sky Record (20/20/20)
• Strapping Field Hands – Across The Susquehanna (Petty Bunco)
• Michael Beach – Dream Violence (Goner)
• Palberta – Palberta 5000 (Wharf Cat)
• Astute Palate – S/T (Petty Bunco)
• Eleventh Dream Day – Since Grazed (Comedy Minus One)
• Mess Esque – Dream #12 (Bedroom Suck) & S/T (Drag City)
• Body/Dilloway/Head – S/T (Three Lobed)
• Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble – Now (International Anthem)
• Thalia Zedek Band – Perfect Vision (Thrill Jockey)
• Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime (Matador)
• Cindy – 1:2 (Mt St Mtn)
• Mountain Movers – World What World (Trouble In Mind)

Reissues / Archival

• Static – Toothpaste and Pills:  Demos and Live 1978 – 1981 (Third Man)
• V/A Cameroon Garage Funk (Analog Africa)
• Stephen – Radar of Small Dogs (Yellow Electric)
• The Clean – Tally Ho b/w Platypus / Boodle Boodle Boodle / Modern Rock / Mister Pop (Merge)
• Screamers – Demo Hollywood 1977 (Superior Viaduct)
• Come – Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (Fire)
• Unsane – Improvised Munitions & Demo (Lamb Unlimited)
• Zouo – Agony Remains (Relapse)
• The Fall – Live At St. Helen’s Technical College (Castle Face)
• Can – Live in Brighton 1975 / Live in Stuttgart 1975 (Spoon / Mute)
• Magic Roundabout – Up (Third Man)
• Don Cherry / Don Cherry’s New Researches – The Summer House Sessions / Organic Music Theater (Blank Forms)
• John Coltrane – A Love Supreme Live In Seattle (Impulse)
• Spike In Vain – Disease Is Relative / Death Drives a Cadillac (Scat)
• The Dents – 1979-1980 (Hozac)
• Mistreater – Hell’s Fire (On The Dole)
• The Verlaines – Live At The Windsor Castle 1986 (Schoolkids Records)
• Frigate – Dreams of the Deep (D.Q. Records)
• The Offset: Spectacles – S/T (Trouble In Mind)
• V/A Four Stars – (Swineken Recordings)
• John Du Cann – The World’s Not Big Enough (Just Add Water)
• Thalia Zedek – Been Here And Gone (Thrill Jockey)
• Half Japanese – I Guess I’m Living: The Charmed Life Tapes (Fire)
• Hawkwind – Greasy Truckers Party (Parlophone)
• Upper Hand – Iron City Hardcore 1988/1989 (Mind Cure)

Singles / EPs / Tapes / Digital

• Des Demonas – Cure For Love (In The Red Records)
• Matt Jencik – Matt & Lyra (Trouble In Mind)
• Lifeguard Receiver b/w Sun Ra Jane / Taking Radar b/w Loose Cricket (Chunklet / Self Released)
• Headroom –  Rubber Match (Petty Bunco)
• Rock Set – Pitea Kommun b/w Up In My Room (On The Dole)
• Electric Chair – Social Capital (Iron Lung)
• Blues Ambush – S/T 
• Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments – First Avenue Minneapolis, MN 6/17/1997
• Hypnotizing Chickens – I’m On Time (Petty Bunco)
• Gina Birch – Feminist Song (Third Man)
• 75 Dollar Bill – Social Music:  Live At Troost Vol 1. & 2
• Leda – Covid “Music” I Made With My Guitar (Knotwilg)
• Formal Wear – Classic Water EP (Self Released / Chunklet)
• Axxe – Through The Night b/w Rock Away The City (On The Dole)
• Magic Roundabout – Sneaky Feelin b/w Song For Gerard Langley (Third Man)
• Classics Of Love – World Of Burning Hate
• Brian Case – Practice Tape (Trouble In Mind)
• Planet On A Chain – Last Word, Last Act
• Four Plugs – Wrong Treatment b/w Biking Girl (2:13:61 / In The Red Records)
• Vampa – Plugget (On The Dole)
• Live Music / Rooms Full of People
• Chris Brokaw – Record Grouch / Scott Ave Dead end / Mama Tried
• Warthog – Thomas Street / AB Studios
• Sweet Apple – Rock N Roll Hall of Fame
• Yo La Tengo / Mountain Movers – Central Park Summerstage
• Angel Bat Dawid – Herbert Von King Park
• Sun Ra Arkestra / Sistazz Of The Nitty Gritty – Central Park Summerstage
• Mary Lattimore – Union Pool
• Fire Music – Film Forum
• Dump / Sloppy Heads – Mama Tried
• Royal Arctic Institute – 18th Ward Brewing / Berlin
• FACS – Elsewhere / Bowery Ballroom
• Oneida / Jamie Branch – Forest Park Bandshell
• Velvet Underground – Film Forum
• Mark Morgan – Record Grouch 
• Sanhedrin – Our Wicked Lady
• Bela Koe Krompecher – Book Bar / Record Grouch
• 75 Dollar Bill – Columbus Park
• Napalm Death – Irving Plaza
• Vaccines 1 & 2 Bathgate Contract Postal Station – Bronx NY
• Vaccine Booster – The Jefferson Brooklyn NY

New music is truly one of the only things that kept us going in 2020. Thank you so much for supporting us this year and dealing with all of the crazy ups & downs. We hope 2021 is truly much better for everyone… 

Love – Reckless

Philip Cerza

My favorite record of 2020 is Live Forever by Bartees Strange.
Other 2020 releases I loved: 
Altar of Harmony // Luke Schneider
Always Tomorrow // Best Coast
Blue Hearts // Bob Mould
Circles // Mac Miller
Coriky // Coriky
Fantasize Your Ghost // Ohmme
Fetch The Bolt Cutters // Fiona Apple
Fine Line // Harry Styles
Folklore // Taylor Swift
Getting Into Knives // The Mountain Goats
grae // Moses Sumney
Imploding The Mirage // The Killers
Inlet // Hum
Just Look At That Sky // Ganser
Lianne La Havas // Lianne La Havas
May Our Chambers Be Full // Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou
The New Abnormal // The Strokes
NO DREAM // Jeff Rosenstock
The Passion of… // Special Interest
Punisher // Phoebe Bridgers
Reunions // Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit
Saint Cloud // Waxahatchee
Stay Alive // Laura Jane Grace
SUGAREGG // Bully
Suite For Max Brown // Jeff Parker
That’s How Rumors Get Started // Margo Price
Things I Never Said // Oceanator
We’re New Again // Makaya McCraven & Gil Scott-Heron
Women In Music Pt. 3 // HAIM

**Honorable mentions: Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, my girlfriend’s AOTY and a real good soundtrack for quarantine chores. David Byrne’s American Utopia on Broadway. Tom Petty’s Wildflowers and All The Rest. Prince’s Super Deluxe Sign O’ The Times. Wilco’s Summerteeth remasters. Sturgill Simpson’s bluegrass LP. RTJ4. Fuzz III. The Go-Go’s documentary and new song. Fountains of Wayne’s “Hackensack” with Sharon Van Etten for the Jersey 4 Jersey benefit (RIP Adam Schlesinger). The Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen records that sort of sound like goodbyes. And Michael Imperioli’s record with his band Zopa. It hasn’t gotten a physical release yet but I hope we carry it when it does because I swear it rules. Thank you for supporting Reckless this year. Black Lives Matter.

JOSEPH SEGER – BEST OF 2020

SMUT – POWER FANTASY EP (BAYONET)

ADRIENNE LENKER – SONGS & INSTRUMENTALS (4AD)

LOMA – DON’T SHY AWAY (SUB POP)

NAKED ROOMATE – DO THE DUVET (TROUBLE IN MIND)

DAVID NANCE – STAUNCH HONEY (TROUBLE IN MIND)

GIRL FRIDAY – ANDROGYNOUS MARY (HARDLY ART)

GEN POP – PPM66 (POST PRESENT MEDIUM)

P22 – HUMAN SNAKE (POST PREDENT MEDIUM)

BIG JOANIE – SISTAHS (REPRESS. DAYDREAM LIBRARY)

SPECIAL INTEREST – THE PASSION OF… (THRILLING LIVING)

CHRONOPHAGE – THE PIG KISS’D (CLETA PATRA)

STRAW MAN ARMY – AGE OF EXILE (D4MT LABS INC.)

MUTANT STRAIN – MUTANT STRAIN (SORRY STATE)

SNIFFANY & THE NITS – GREATEST NITS (THRILLING LIVING)

PYLON – GYRATE (NEW WEST)

PYLON – CHOMP (NEW WEST)

PUBLIC ACID – CONDEMNATION EP (BEACH IMPEDIMENT)

SWEEPING PROMISES – HUNGER FOR A WAY OUT (FEEL IT)

FRUMPIES – FRUMPIE ONE PIECE (KILL ROCK STARS)

DEALER – BOOGIE, BOOZE, & BIRDS (SPLATTERED)

SATANS RATS – WHAT A BUNCH OF RODENTS (OVERGROUND)

VARIOUS ARTISTS – ELLAS SON ELECTRICAS – MUJERES EN EL

UNDERGROUND METALICO ESPANOL 82-91 (BEAT GENERATION)

WHITE HEAVEN –  OUT (REPRESS. BLACK EDITIONS

LOMELDA HANNA (DOUBLE DOUBLE WHAMMY)

MARY LATTIMORE SILVER LADDERS (GHOSTLY)

U.S. GIRLS HEAVY LIGHT (4AD)

PHOEBE BRIDGERS PUNISHER (DEAD OCEANS)

SQUIRREL FLOWER – I WAS BORN SWIMMING (POLYVINYL)

Benjamin Hegy

2020*

New Releases

Jacoti Sommes- travel time [orange milk]

Priscilla Ermel- origens da luz [music from memory]

Beatrice Dillion- workaround [pan]

phantom posse- forever underground [orchid tapes]

Jeff Parker & the New Breed- suite for max brown [int’l anthem]

Neil Young- homegrown [reprise]

Zebra Katz- less is moor [vinylfactory]

Sarah Davachi- cantus, descant [late music]

Ana Roxanne- because of a flower [kranky]

Pharaoh Overlord- 6 [rocket recordings]

Sun Ra Arkestra- swirling [strut/ art yard]

Lucrecia Dalt- no era solida [rvng intl.]

Nidia- nao fales nela que a mentes [principe]

Teleplasmiste- to kiss the earth goodbye [house of mythology]

Flaming Tunes (Gareth Williams & Mary Currie)- s/t [superior viaduct]

Label OTY: Blue Note

I’ve spent much of 2020 listening to these classic recordings at home via their ongoing “Tone Poet” & “Blue Note 80 & Classic” series. These reissues sound great and offer great value and should offer example of how reissues should look and sound.

I’d also like to formally thank my friends, coworkers and the internet for constantly providing me with music. If it weren’t for you all, I would still be at home listening to CCR, more than I still do. Also, sincere gratitude to every one of our customers that continues to support our stores, this industry and our livelihoods. 

Eternal shout outs: song writers, music makers, sound generators, home recordists, noise enthusiasts, gear geeks, two channel audio, electronics designers & engineers, global supply chains, Taylor Swift for still printing CDs, scented garbage bags full of wet DVDs, all the middle aged dudes, mental illness, everyone that’s ever worked retail or food service, YOUTUBE/discogs/Spotify, theQuietus, every record store ever and the people that go there, brick & mortar hi-fi shops, the US Postal Service, delivery drivers, digital chess, return policies, usb cables and every dog i’ve ever loved. RIP my attention span

John Massey

—10 things I liked from Reckless:

Lomelda / Hannah (Double Double Whammy) — my favorite album of 2020 sounds pleasant enough at first and then you get drawn into its urgent and oblique world: talking in circles, running up against the edges of life, like a poem or a math problem, or maybe she’s just writing about hanging out with your friends in a parking lot, I can’t really always tell, but anyway it’s a killer record

Katie Dey / mydata (Run For Cover) — the first good album ever made about going online succeeds partly because of schubert-level songcraft and partly because it sounds cool as hell. The 2020s will be the decade of MIDI strings and you can take that to the bank. Public criers beware: save this one for your room

Hum / Inlet (Earth Analog) — 2020 has been a banner year for loud snare drums. At first I loved this album but thought the snare drum was way too loud. Now to be honest I think it’s not loud enough

Shinichi Atobe / Yes (DDS) — I would love to listen to this record while standing on the moving sidewalk at a large airport

Brandee Younger + Dezron Douglas / Force Majeure (International Anthem) — probably 2020’s least “ambitious” int’l anthem release gets the nod because it’s the only thing I’ve heard this year that has managed to calm me down for more than 30 seconds at a time 

The Beths / Jump Rope Gazers (Carpark) — is there like a school that New Zealand bands go to? What’s going on down there?

Fenne Lily / Breach (Dead Oceans) — Phoebe British. Do you see what I did there

Emma Ruth Rundle + Thou / May Our Chambers Be Full (Sacred Bones) — 3 things I am legally bound to respect for all time: grunge, Louisville KY, and spelling “magical” as “magickal”

Ratboys / Printer’s Devil (Topshelf) —  E-flat Major is back baby. it’s good again. Awoouu (wolf howl)

Mike Hanapi / With Kalama’s Quartet (Mississippi) — there’s a lot of bad/corny pre-Renaissance Hawaiian music out there but this loving reissue is the real deal. Anyone with even a passing interest in Hawaiian music / Pacific music in general needs to buy two copies of this immediately

—plus a few things i liked from bandcamp:

Bats / There’s a River Up High (Citrus City)

Morhping (sic) / Distance Learning Suite (Strudelsoft)

Fennec / Free Us of This Feeling (self-released)

K-Lone / Cape Cira + the Falls EP (Wisdom Teeth)

DJ Python / Mas Amable (Incienso)

Thanya Iyer / KIND (Topshelf)

Max Gowan / Last Companion (Z Tapes)

Oldsoul / You Were Overwhelmed (Counter Intuitive)

Miserable Chillers / Audience of Summer (self-released)

Dylan Sowle

Best Albums of 2020:

1. Torres – “Silver Tongue” (Merge Records)

2. AJJ – “Good Luck Everybody” (AJJ Unlimited LTD)

3. Jeff Rosenstock – “No Dream” (Polyvinyl Record Company)

4. Bright Eyes – “Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was” (Dead Oceans)

5. The Flaming Lips – “American Head” (Warner Records)

6. Bob Dylan – “Rough And Rowdy Ways” (Columbia)

7. Melkbelly – “Pith” (Wax Nine Records)

8. Phoebe Bridgers – “Punisher” (Dead Oceans)

9. The Magnetic Fields – “Quickies” (Nonesuch)

10. Fire-Toolz – “Rainbow Bridge” (Hausu Mountain)

11. Lowell Brams & Sufjan Stevens – “Aporia” (Asthmatic Kitty Records)

12. Dan Deacon – “Mystic Familiar” (Domino)

13. Omar Souleyman – “Shlon” (Mad Decent)

14. Deeper – “Auto-Pain” (Fire Talk)

15. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – “Chunky Shrapnel” (Flightless)

Honorable Mentions:

1. Idles – “Ultra Mono” (Partisan Records)

2. Danzig – “Danzig Sings Elvis” (Cleopatra)

3. The Black Lips – “In A World That’s Falling Apart” (Fire Records)

4. Nick Cave – “Idiot Prayer” (Bad Seed Ltd.)

5. Wasted Shirt – “Fungus II” (Famous Class)

Best Reissues:

1. Hiroshi Yoshimura – “Green” (Light In The Attic)

2. Dear Nora – “Three States: Rarities 1997-2007” (Orindal Records)

3. The Boys Next Door – “Door, Door” (Warner Music Australia)

4. Michael Rother – “Sterntaler” (Grönland Records)

5. Fountains Of Wayne – “Welcome Interstate Managers” (Real Gone Music)

6. Jonathan Richman – “I, Jonathan” (Craft Recordings)

7. that dog. – “Totally Crushed Out!” (Third Man Records)

Luke Dahlgren

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Horse Lords – The Common Task (Northern Spy)

RUNNER-UP

Bergsonist – Middle Ouest (Optimo)

A BAKER’S DOZEN MORE THAT I LOVED

Civic Center – The Ground Below (American Dreams)

Couch Slut – Take a Chance on Rock ‘n’ Roll (Gilead)

Alabaster DePlume – To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1 (International Anthem)

Earth To Mickey – Brace & Bit (LA Club Resource)

Green-House – Six Songs for Invisible Gardens (Leaving)

Jon Hassell – Seeing Through Sound: Pentimento Vol. 2 (Ndeya)

Military Genius – Deep Web (Tin Angel)

OOIOO – nijimusi (Thrill Jockey)

Kelly Lee Owens – Inner Light (Smalltown Supersound)

Theo Parrish – Wuddaji (Sound Signature)

Protomartyr – Ultimate Success Today (Domino)

Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou – May Our Chambers be Full (Sacred Bones)

Westerman – Your Hero is Not Dead (Partisan)

PLUS: A HANDFUL OF

REISSUES, COMPS  & LOST TREASURES

Jon Hassell – Vernal Equinox (Ndeya)

Heron – Heron (Trading Places)

Miguel Noya – Canciones Intactas (Phantom Limb)

Pylon – The Pylon Box (New West)

Neil Young – Homegrown (Reprise)

ALSO: CHECK OUT THESE BANDCAMP GEMS!

BB – Hey Ladies (Puss)

D.K. – The Goddess Is Dancing (Good Morning Tapes)

E-Live – Boogie For Life  (Star Creature Universal Vibrations)

Mor Elian – Clairvoyant Frog (Visible Spectrum)

K-LONE – Cape Cira (Wisdom Teeth)

Molero – Ficciones del Trópico (Holuzam)

Significant Other – Postdrome (Well Street)

Ulla – Tumbling Towards a Wall (Experiences Ltd.)

v/a – All Welcome (Good Morning Tapes)

Lea Board

In no particular order:

Run The Jewels “Run The Jewels 4”

Phoebe Bridgers “Punisher”

The Strokes “The New Abnormal”

Molchat Doma “Monument”

Idles “Ultra Mono”

Dehd “Flower of Devotion”

Bright Eyes “Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was”

Sheet Ghosts “Did It Ever Happen?”

Mort Garson “Music From The Patch Cord Productions” (Compilation)

Tones On Tail “Pop” (Reissue)

Matt Jencik

Actress Karma & Desire

Daniel Avery & Alessandro Cortini Illusion of Time

Julianna Barwick Healing is a Miracle

The Bats Foothills

Bing & Ruth Species

Burial/ Four Tet/ Thom Yorke Revolution/His Rope

Brian Case Parallel Voices

Pascal Comelade Sentimientos 

Coriky Coriky

Count Ossie & the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari Grounation 

Country Westerns Country Westerns

Patrick Cowley Some Funkettes

Cryptic Shift Visitations from Encleladus 

Sarah Davachi Cantus, Descant & Bandcamp releases

Alabaster Deplume To Cy & Lee: Instrumental Vol. 1

Bob Dylan Rough & Rowdy Ways

Eluvium Virga 1

Enslaved  Utgard

FACS Void Moments

Feminazgul No Dawn for Men

Fielded Demisexual Lovelace

Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist Alfredo

Grifteskymfning Bedrövelsens Härd

Irreversible Entanglements Who Sent You?

Clarice Jensen The Experience of Repetition as Death

Katatonia Jhva Elohim Metha LP reissue

L-Seven L-Seven 

Adrianne Lenker Songs & Instrumentals

Klara Lewis Ingrid

Lurker of Chalice Tellurian Slaked Forest 

Lustre The Ashes of Light

Malokarpatan Krupinské Ohne

Gia Margaret Mia Gargaret 

The Microphones Microphones in 2020
Midwife Forever

Molchat Doma Monument

Oranssi Pazuzu Mestarin Kynsi 

Paysage d’Hiver Im Wald

Pylon Box

Ana Roxanne Because of a Flower

Mamman Sani Unreleased Tapes 1981- 1984

Skeleton Skeleton

The Stooges Live at Goose Lake August 8th, 1970

Sweven The Eternal Resonance

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings All the Good Times

Hiroshi Yoshimura Green

Neil Young Homegrown

Neil Young Archives Vol. II

Zombi 2020

Andrew Min

porridge radio – every bad

freddie gibbs/the alchemist – alfredo

gorillaz – song machine vol 1

loma – don’t shy away

bully – sugaregg

1975 – notes on a conditional form

haim – women in music pt III

hypoluxo – hypoluxo

george clanton & nick hexum – s/t

nothing – the great dismal

slowdive reissues

-pygmalion

-blue day

-holding our breath

-slowdive

Jake Lingan

Actress, “Karma & Desire” (Ninja Tune)

Arthur, “Hair Of The Dog” (Honeymoon)

Autechre, “Sign” & “Plus” (Warp)

William Basinski, “Lamentations” (Temporary Residence)

David Behrman, Paul DeMarinis, Fern Friedman, Terri Hanlon & Anne Klingensmith, “She’s More Wild…” (Black Truffle)

Dean Blunt, “Roaches 2012-2019” (World Music)

Bill Callahan, “Gold Record” (Drag City)

N Chambers, “Facets” (Love All Day)

Com Truise, “In Decay, Too” (Ghostly International)

Cotton Casino, “The Reflection” (Eye Vybe)

Angel Bat Dawid And Tha Brothahood “Live”, (International Anthem)

Crazy Doberman, “Illusory Expansion” (Astral Spirits)

Deep Space Duo, “Spacetones” (Love All Day)

Deerhoof, “Future Teenage Cave Artists” (Joyful Noise)

Diamond Soul, “Maya’mi” (Orange Milk)

Beatrice Dillon, “Workaround” (PAN)

Euglossine, “Psaronius” (Orange Milk)

Fire-Toolz, “Rainbow Bridge” (Hausu Mountain)

Gerrit Hatcher & Jakob Warmenbol, “Sublime Again”

Horse Lords, “Common Task” (Northern Spy)

je’raf, “Throw Neck” (Amalgam/ No Index)

Jessy Lanza, “All The Time (Hyperdub)

Lama Lobsang Palden & Jim Becker, “Compassion” (Drag City)

Klara Lewis, “Ingrid” (Editions Mego)

Toshioki Matsumura, “A Visual Brain 1986-1993” (chOOn!!)  

Scott McGaughey, “You Don’t Need A Key To Leave” (Shmee)

Makaya McCraven, “Universal Beings E & F Sides” (International Anthem)

Brett Naucke, “EMS Hallucinations” (American Dream)

Nonlocal Forecast, “Holographic Universe(s?)! (Hausu Mountain)

Quicksails, “Blue Rise” (Hausu Mountain)

Ohmme, “Fantasize Your Ghost” (Joyful Noise)

Aki Onda, “Nam June’s Spirit Was Talking To Me” (Recital)

ONO, “Red Summer” (American Dream)

Jim O’Rourke, “Shutting Down Here” (GRM Portraits)

Ana Roxanne, “Because Of A Flower” (Kranky)

Andy Slater, “Unseen Reheard” (No Index)

Carl Stone, “Stolen Car” (Unseen Worlds)

Thundercat, “It Is What It Is” (Brainfeeder)

Michael Vallera, “Window In” (Denovali)

Reissues:

African Head Charge reissues (On-U Sound)

Barry Cleveland with Bob Stohl and Kat Epple, “Stones Of Precious Water” (Morning Trip)

Pedro Comelade, “Sentimientos” (Etats-Unis)

The Entourage Music & Theatre Ensemble, “The Neptune Collection” (Folkways)

Flaming Tunes, “Flaming Tunes” (Superior Viaduct)

Fluence, “Fluence” (Etats-Unis)

Motohiko Hamase reissues (WRWTFWW)  

Jon Hassell, “Vernal Equinox” (Ndeya)

Prince, “Sign ‘O’ The Times” Super Deluxe (Paisley Park

Pylon reissues (New West)

Akio Suzuki, “Analopos” (Room 40)

Hiroshi Yoshimura, “Green” (Light In The Attic)

Zoviet France reissues (Vinyl On Demand)

Jamie Drier

Surgeon – Raw Trax 2

Shitcluster – Meat Thief

E-Saggila – Dedicated to Sublimity

Beau Wanzer – Kitchen Clock

Half Waif – Caretaker

Vladislav Delay/Sly & Robbie – 500 – Push Up

Marcel Dettmann/Silent Servant/ Pye Corner Audio Issue # 2

Marie Davidson & L’oeil Nu – Renegade Breakdown

$hit & $hine – Malibu Liquor Store

Gary Errera

John Frusciante – MAYA

He continues with electronic music and this time he really hit his stride. Recalls Squarepusher, Aphex Twin, Venetian Snares. Pretty amazing this same guy made Curtains, many other solo records, and wrote all the good RHCP songs back in the 90s.

Dave Cartwright

*in no particular order (except for Duma, Duma wins 2020)

Duma – Duma (Nyege Nyege Nyege)

Bergsonist – Middle Earth (Optimo)

Sockethead – Harj-o-marj (Youth)

Paysage d’Hiver – Im Wald (Kunsthall)

Beau Wanzer – Busted & Bamboozled (Ophism)

Locked Club – Atom Hell EP (Tram Planet)

Playa S & Playa D – Da Summa Mix of ’97 (Tape House Chicago)

Various – Joyous Sounds! (Chicago Research)

Satoshi & Makoto – CZ – 5000 Sounds & Sequences II (Safe Trip)

Orphx – Fragmentation (Hospital Productions)

Steven Rahman

In the year 2020, I found it extremely hard to keep up with things

that were released, so this is not a list of things that were

necessarily better than the other things that came out. They are just

things that I happened to be exposed to, & that helped to lighten the

load…

Without Further Ado:

1. Spillage Village – Spilligion

I mean… what do you do when one of the most interesting collectives

in Hip Hop drop a near perfect record? It’s a sermon & a service. It’s

the kind of rapping that my head longs for, but also a message that

resonates in my heart without ever feeling preachy. It’s so good, I

would bet good money it’s the thing I’ve come back to most over this

year.

2. Sen Morimoto – Sen Morimoto

Sen Morimoto’s sense of self seems to be unshakeable. He bends & flips

genres & styles but, it always sounds like Sen. I was looking forward

to this record, particularly after his removal from the virtual

concerts this year, & it delivers. It’s got it’s quirks & it’s

strangenesses, but it fits together really well & I enjoy the vibe.

3. Khruangbin & Leon Bridges – Texas Sun/ Khruangbin – Mordechai

I love very little as much as I’ve come to love Khruangbin’s unique

sound. It’s just masterful what they’re able to do with what seems

like a really minimalist approach. Then if you add Leon Bridges, who

is for what little money I have one of the better writers in soul

music today, you’ll get something that not only works, but just seems

natural.

4. Open Mike Eagle – Anime, Trauma, & Divorce

Unapologetic Art Rap… but with knock. I think this is the best thing

I’ve ever heard from Mike & I don’t know that I would have believed

that was possible after Dark Comedy. It’s a serious record, but the

comic timing & absurdity is still there. It’s such a fun listen even

with the morbid subject matter.

5. Tank & the Bangas – Friend Goals

This is probably my favorite band in the world right now. They are

whimsical & joyous, & a balm in a cold world. This was done over the

course of the quarantine as they weren’t able to spend much time on

the road, & instead turned that into some really thick tunes.

A few honorable mentions:

Grip – Proboscidea, Kirby – Sis., Tayla Parx – Coping Mechanisms, Run

The Jewels – RTJ4, Kipp Stone – Homme, Nick Grant & Tae Beast – God

Bless the Child, Deante Hitchcock – Better, Emily King – Sides, Dezron

Douglass & Brandee Younger – Force Majeure

Ade Mitchell

1.ALFREDO-FREDDIE GIBBS&ALCHEMIST

2.WU HEN-KAMAAL WILLIAMS

3.1985-KNXWLEDGE

4.IT IS WHAT IT IS-THUNDERCAT

5.SHOOT FOR THE STARS/AIM FOR THE MOON-POP SMOKE

6.I CANT GO OUTSIDE-CHANNEL TRES

7.SPILLIGION-SPILLAGE VILLAGE

8.PRAY 4 PARIS-WESTSIDE GUNN

9.BURDEN OF PROOF-BENNY THE BUTCHER

10.A WRITTEN TESTIMONY-JAY ELECTRONICA

HONORABLE:FUCK THE WORLD-BRENT FAIYAZ

ANTHONY ILLARDE

SHARHABIL AHMED The King Of Sudanese Jazz (Habibi Funk LP)

DAVID BOWIE Metrobolist (Parlophone LP)

BUDOS BAND Long In The Tooth (Daptone LP)

CHEAP TRICK Out To Get You! Live 1977 (Legacy LP)

CHICANO BATMAN Invisible People (ATO LP)  

PASCAL COMELADE Sentimientos (Etats-Unis LP)

ELVIS COSTELLO Hey Clockface (Concord LP)

DAMNED Rockfield Files (Spinefarm LP)

NAPOLEAN DEMPS Norma Jean (Daptone 45)

DU-RITES A Funky Bad Time (Old Maid LP)  

MORT GARSON Music From Patch Cord Productions (Sacred Bones LP)

GILBERTO GIL With Os Mutantes (Audio Clarity LP)

A GIRL CALLED EDDY Been Around (Elefant LP)

GROUPIES Primitive (Beat Rocket LP) 

HELIOCENTRICS Telemetric Sounds (Madlib Invazion LP)

IVEYS Maybe Tomorrow (Audio Clarity LP)

KENNELMUS Folkstone Prism (Modern Harmonic LP)

KINKS Glenhenry Winners (Mississippi LP)

BARABARA LYNN The Atlantic Years 1968-1973 (Run Out Groove LP)

ROD McKUEN Beatsville (Modern Harmonic LP)

MONOPHONICS It’s Only Us (Colemine LP)

PRETENDERS Hate For Sale (BMG LP)

SLADE Cum On Feel The Hitz (BMG LP)

STRIKE UNDER Immediate Action (Wax Trax LP)

SUN RA A Fireside Chat With Lucifer (Modern Harmonic LP)

SCOTT WALKER Songs From His T.V. Series (Pleasure For Music LP)

WILD CHERRIES I’m The Sea (Just Add Water 45)

VARIOUS Beach Blvd (Radiation LP)

VARIOUS Behind The Dykes: Beat, Blues And Psychedelic Nuggets From The Lowlands 1964-1972 (Music On Vinyl LP)

VARIOUS Cleveland Confidential (Superior Viaduct LP)

VARIOUS The Land Of Sensations & Delights: The Psych Pop Sounds Of White Whale Records 1965-1970 (Craft LP)

Sean Rowader

Here are my favorite releases from 2020:

1. Dorian Electra –  My Agenda (Electronic / Futurepop) [Digitally Self-Released]

-Dive into the Sea of Electra, drown in jewelry and accessories before growing digital gills that deliver oxygen to the most neglected recesses of your being.  Abrasive, unapologetic, kind, loving, and inventive.   

Favorite track: My Agenda (ft. Village People, Pussy Riot)

2. Channel Tres –  i can’t go outside (Hip Hop / Detroit Techno) [Digital Release on GODMODE]

-Somewhere between Hip Hop and House, Channel Tres is on a couch, in a plane, in the sky.  How can something be so fire yet so chilled out?  

Favorite track: fuego (ft. Tyler, The Creator)

3. Yin Yin –  The Rabbit That Hunts Tigers (Funk / Psychedelic) [LP on Les Disques Bongo Joe]

-Nose-riding a 16 foot surfboard in the lotus flower stance, meditating on the crest of a wave that never crashes.  Time isn’t a straight line, it’s a fundamental element of limitless dimensions.

Favorite track: One-Inch Punch

4. Horse Lords –  The Common Task (Krautrock / Avante-Garde) [LP on Northern Spy]

-Carl Linveld said it best, “Horse Lords are like using a fidget spinner to map out a migraine aura.  I mean that in the best way possible.” 

Favorite track: Fanfare for Effective Freedom

5. Kid Cudi –   Man on the Moon III: The Chosen (Hip Hop / Neo-Psych) [LP on Wicked Awesome]

-Triumphantly, Scott Mescudi completes the trilogy he started 11 years ago.  Cudi voyages into new territory and production while retaining all his unique idiosyncrasies that made him so likeable in the first place.  This is like joyriding through your own neural pathways.

Favorite Track: Lovin’ Me (ft. Phoebe Bridgers)   

6. CB Radio Gorgeous –  EP (Punk / Hardcore) [7-inch on Thrilling Living]

-Fast and frenzied, glamorous and grimey, high on energy and low on fluff, and always over too soon.  The first band I would see live when shows can return. 

Favorite track: The Devil  

7. Foxy Shazam –  Burn (Glam-Rock / Hard-Rock) [LP on EEEOOOAH]

-If there was ever a year that needed Foxy’s comeback the most, it was this one.  A true test of what it means to be uplifting, undeniable, and unstoppable.  A national treasure of Smithsonian magnitude.     

Favorite track: Into the Wild

8. Yves Tumor –  Heaven to a Tortured Mind (Psych-Soul / Art-Pop) [LP on Warp]

-When I was laid up in hospital with a shattered ankle and a staph infection, isolated from my people, and disoriented from 3 surgeries worth of anesthesia, it was this album that I found most comfort in.  Thank you Yves.    

Favorite track: Gospel for a New Century

9. Luke Schneider –  Altar of Harmony (Ambient / Lap Steel) [LP on Third Man]

-A truly beautiful, honest, meditative, and mind blowing experience from one of the most legendary lap steel guitarists of our time.  This is what happens when a humble session musician finally gets the spotlight.  Prepare to catch your own jaw on its way to the floor. 

Favorite track: somnificus 

10. 100 Gecs –  1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues (Hyperpop / Comp) [LP on Dog Show]

-Never did I think I’d be penning a remix album on my AOTY list, but here we are.  Lots of different genres, collaborators, and styles cohesively come together.    

Favorite track: gecgecgec (ft. Lil West, Tony Velour)

Honorable Mentions:

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – K.G.

Osees – Protean Threat

Idles – Ultra Mono

Hayley Williams – Petals for Armor

Machine Gun Kelly – Tickets to my Downfall

Run The Jewels – RTJ4

Ho99o9 – Blurr

Dogleg – Melee

Thundercat – It is what it is

Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts V

Kip McCabe

Kip’s “some things I liked in 2020”

Budos Band “Long in the Tooth”

Bill Callahan/Bonnie Prince Billie covers series

Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Orchestra “Dimensional Stardust”

Run The Jewels “RTJ4”

Idles “Ultra Mono”

Hum “Inlet”

Jeff Parker “Suite for Max Brown”

Tyler Lopez

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Paysage D’Hiver – Im Wald [Kunsthall]

Other Favorites
DJ Akoza – Control Theory [Doom Shop]
Kjostad – Extinctionist [Chondritic Sound]
Beau Wanzer – Busted & Bamboozled [Ophism] “have you ever eaten tater tots from Skylark?…”
Of Feather & Bone – Sulfuric Disintegration [Profound Lore]
Paysage D’hiver – Im Traum (along w/ the other 4 singles released this year.) [Kunsthall]
Leandro Fresco & Rafael Anton Irisarri – Una Presencia En La Brisa [A Strangely Isolated Place]
THX1312 – Intentionally Decapitated Police Officer [Deathbomb]
THX1312 – This Speedcore Kills Fascists [MOBCORE CHICAGO]
Guilt Attendant – Suburban Scum [Hospital]
Michael Vallera – Window In [Denovali]
King Von – Welcome to O’Block [Empire]
Internal Rot – Grieving Birth [Iron Lung]
Old Tower – The Last Eldolon [Profound Lore]
Nonlocal Forecast – Holographic Universe(s?)! [Hausu Mountain]
Vatican Shadow – Persian Pillars Of The Gasoline Era [20 Buck Spin]
Dead C – Unknowns [Ba Da Bing!]
TrippJones x SpaceGhostPurrp x Loko Los – Gladiator Season, Vol. 2 [self]
Bing & Ruth – Species [4AD]
Container – Scramblers [Alter]
DJ Speedsick – Blood Mixed With Shit Mixed With Blood [Psychic Liberation]
Turia – Degen Van Licht [Eisenwald]
Undergang – Aldrig i livet [Me Saco Un Ojo]
Undeath – Lesions of a Different Kind [Prosthetic]
Lamp of Murmuur – Heir Of Ecliptical Romance [Death Kvlt]
William Basinski – Lamentations [Temporary Residence Limited]
Temple Nightside – Pillars of Damnation [Iron Bonehead]
Autechre – Sign [Warp]
Destruct – Echoes Of Life [Grave Mistake]
Vomir – Quarantine A-OK [Deathbed Tapes]
Microphones – Microphones In 2020 [P.W. Elvrum & Sun, Ltd.]
Ike Release – Personality Fragments [Episodes]

Bryan Smith

Bought and enjoyed in 2020

Jeff Parker : Suite for Max Brown
Cryptic Shift : Visitation from Enceladus
Daniel Avery & Mossimo Cortini : Illusion of Time
X – Alphabetland
Malokarpatan – Krupinske Ohne
Coriky – Coriky
Songhoy Blues – Optimisme
Sweven – The Eternal Resonance
Havukruunu – Uinuos Syomein Sota
Bedsore – Hypnagogic Hallucinations

Reissues:
Miles Davis – Double Image
Bill Evans – Some Other Time (The Lost Session From The Black Forest)
Lee Morgan – The Cooker
J* & K* – Stonebone
Various – Black Riot (Early Jungle, Rave And Hardcore)
Flaming Tunes – Flaming Tunes
Young Marble Giants – Colossal Youth 2LP

Budget bin (re)discoveries:
Urban Verbs – Urban Verbs (1980)
Belfegore – Belfegore (1984)
Dave Edmunds – Repeat When Necessary (1979)
cheap classical CDs!

Friends of the store

Emily Elhaj (Reckless alum)

ALBUMS

Lomelda – Hannah (Double Double Whammy)

SAULT – Untitled (Black Is) (Forever Living Originals)

Cindy Lee – What’s Tonight To Eternity (W. 25th)

Lambchop – TRIP (Merge)

Kacey Johansing – No Better Time (Night Bloom)

Oliver Coates – skins n slime (RVNG Intl)

Ana Roxanne – Because of a Flower (Kranky)

Tasha “But There’s Still The Moon” (Father/Daughter)

Deerhoof – Future Teenage Cave Artists (Joyful Noise)

TOPS – I Feel Alive (Musique)

U.S. Girls – Heavy Light (4AD)

Sofia Bolt – Share a Glass (self)

Chris Cohen “Physical Address” (Mexican Summer)

Gum Country – Somewhere (self)

Jeff Parker – Suite for Max Brown (Int’l Anthem)

Lucinda Williams – Good Souls Better Angels – (Highway 20/Thirty Tigers)

The Innocence Mission – See You Tomorrow (Thérèse Records)

Keeley Forsyth – Debris (The Leaf Label)

Sam Burton – I Can Go With You (Tompkins Square)

Jeremy Cunningham – The Weather Up There (Northern Spy)

Sweven – The Eternal Resonance (Ván)

Dean Blunt – Roaches 2012-2019 (World Music)

Alabaster dePlume – To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1 (Int’l Anthem)

Aretha Franklin – Just For Music (JFM)

Wire – Hive Mind (pinkflag)

Damar Davids – Bronze (Maximum Exposure)

Valentina Goncharova – Recordings 1987-1991, Vol. 1 (Shukai)

Jeremiah Meece – Suffering (self)

MJ Guider – Sour Cherry Bell (Kranky)

Michael Vallera – Window In (Denovali)

Equip – “Airship Theme (Fast Air Travel)” (self)

Peel Dream Magazine –  Agitprop Alterna / Moral Panics (Slumberland)

Cut Worms – Nobody Lives Here Anymore (Jagjaguwar)

Gregor – Destiny (Chapter Music)

Country Westerns s/t (Fat Possum)

Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad – Run This Town OST (Linear Labs)

Ohbliv – Spirit Medicine B Sides (694479 Records DK)

Yebba – Distance (RCA)

Mary Lattimore & Paul Sukeena – “Dreaming of the Kelly Pool”

REISSUES

Solomon Ilori – African High Life (Alternative Fox)

Kraftwerk catalog (Parlophone)

Brian Wilson & Van Dyke Parks – Orange Crate Art (Omnivore) 

Sun Ra – Haverford College 1980 Solo Piano (Sun Ra)

Ceramic Hello – The Absence of A Canary (Ice Machine)

PJ Harvey – Dry (Too Pure)

Neil Young – Homegrown (Silver Bow)

Stephen Malinder – Pow Wow (Self)

Jonathan Richman – I, Jonathan (Craft)

Duval Timothy – Brown Loop (Carrying Colour)

Robert Wyatt – His Greatest Misses (Domino)

The London Suede (Demon Records)

Christie Coyle (Redeye Distribution)

HAIM – Women In Music Pt. III – Columbia  

Arca – KiCk i – XL

Grimes – Miss Anthropocene – 4AD

Yves Tumor – Heaven To A Tortured Mind – Warp

Fleet Foxes – Shore – ANTI-

NOTHING – The Great Dismal – Relapse

Tame Impala – The Slow Rush – Interscope

Arca – @@@@@ – XL

Rose City Band – Summerlong – Thrill Jockey

Adrianne Lenker – songs – 4AD 

The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You – Astralwerks 

Dave Martin (Captured Tracks)

New Records

Thurston Moore – By the Fire – Daydream Library 

Kawaguchi Masami NRS & Kryssi Battalene – S/T – C/Site

Facs – Void Moments – Trouble in Mind

Lavender Flu – Barbarian Dust / Tomorrow Cleaners – In The Red / Meds

The Silence / Masaki Batoh – Electric Meditations / Smile, Jesus Loves YOU!- Drag City

Magik Markers – 2020 – Drag City

David Nance – Staunch Honey – Trouble In Mind

Dead C – Unknowns – Ba Da Bing!

Don Howland – Endgame – In The Red

Lewsberg – In This House – 12XU

Patois Counselors – The Optimal Seat – Ever/Never

E – Complications – Silver Rocket

Bill Nace – Both – Drag City

Rubber Blanket – Our Album – Spacecase

Gunn-Truscinski Duo – Soundkeeper – Three Lobed

Chubby & the Gang – Speed Kills – Static Shock

Lifeguard – Dive – self released

Cindy – Free Advice – Paisley Shirt/Mt. St. Mtn / Tough Love

75 Dollar Bill – Live at Tubby’s – Grapefruit

Raspberry Bulbs – Before The Age of Mirrors – Relapse

Bailterspace – Concret – Self Released

The Bats – Foothills – Flying Nun

Heavy Discipline – S/T – Painkiller

Chloe Alison Escott – Stars Under Contract – Chapter Music

Brain Drugs – S/T – Self Released

Reissues/Archival

Divine Horsemen – Live 1985-1987 – Feeding Tube 

Vertical Slit – Live at Browns – Siltbreeze

L Seven – Unreleased, Studio and Live – Third Man

Stooges – Live At Goose Lake August 8th, 1970 – Third Man

White Heaven – Out – Black Editions

Pylon – Box – New West

Jimi Hendrix – Live in Maui – Experience Hendrix

A Burning Bus – S/T – In The Red

Endless Boogie – The Gathered and Scattered Vol. 1-4 – No Quarter

Faith – Live at CBGB’s – Outer Battery

UFO – Live in Youngstown – Chrysalis 

V/A – We Were Living in Cincinnati – Hozac

V/A – Jobcentre Rejects Vols 3 & 4 – On the Dole

Def Leppard – The Early Years 1979-1981 UMC

Hawkwind – At the BBC – Parlaphone

Redd Kross – Phaseshifter / Show World – Third Man

Reigning Sound – Home For Orphans – Merge 

Pole – 1-3 – Mute

Musica Transonic – S/T – Black Editions

Sonny Vincent – Diamond Distance & Liquid Fury – Hozac

Whirlywilrd – Complete Discography – Hozac

Eddie Criss Group – Undertaker – Hozac

Toho Sara – S/T – Black Editions

Velvet Underground – Live at the 2nd Fret

United Mutation – Dark Self Image – Radio Raheem

Singles / EPs

Home Blitz – All Through the Year – Sophomore Lounge

ISS – Too Punk For Heavy Metal – Total Punk

Native Cats – Two Creation Myths – Rough Skies

Limousine Beach – Stealin’ Wine + 2 – Tee Pee 

Rat-Nip – A Comfortable Chair – Song Book Records

Matt Jencik – Mind Out of Joint / 1969 in Pittsburgh – Self released

Chris Brokaw – Heaven – Self Released

Speed Plans – Field of Vision – Self Released

Public Acid – Condemnation – Beach Impediment

Yo La Tengo – Sleepless Night – Matador

Invalid – Demo – Cruel Noise 

Walkin’ Bulldog – Powerglide Vol. 1 & 2 – Self Released

Big Joanie – Cranes in the Sky b/w It’s You – Third Man

White Stains – Demo – Cruel Noise

Peace Talks – A Lasting Peace – Cruel Noise

Andy Larsen (Matador Direct)

New albums

M. Takara and Carla Boregas – Linha D’Água (El Rocha Records)

Valentina Magaletti, Marlene Ribeiro – Due Matte (Horn of Plenty)

Kübler Ross – Kübler Ross (Akashic Records)

Sarah Davachi – Cantus, Descant (Late Music)

Alan Braufman – The Fire Still Burns (Valley of Search)

Vladislav Delay – 500 Push-Up (feat Sly and Robbie) (Sub Rosa)

Beatrice Dillon – Workaround (Pan)

Ambrose Akinsmusire – on the tender spot of every calloused moment (Blue Note Records)

Lewsberg – In This House (12XU)

Cindy Lee – What’s Tonight To Eternity (W.25th)

Special Interest – The Passion Of (Night School/Thrilling Living)

Crazy Doberman – Illusory Expansion (Astral Spirits)

Nailah Hunter – Spells (Leaving Records)

CS + Kreme – Snoopy (Trilogy Tapes)

EPs, singles, collections, reissues, etc

Don Cherry – Om Shanti Om (Black Sweat Records)

Charles Curtis – Performances and Recordings 1998-2018 (Saltern)

Nkisi – Initiation (Initiation)

Neutrals – Personal Computing (Slumberland Records)

Xylitol – I’m Pretty Sure I Would Know If Reality Were Fundamentally Different Than I Perceived It To Be (Thrilling Living)

Alvin Lucier – String Noise (Black Truffle)

Coil – Musick To Play In The Dark (Dais)

Harry Pussy – Superstar (Palilalia)

Panasonic – Remix EP (Sahko Recordings)

Marika Politissa – All Parts Dark (Olvido Records)

Flaming Tunes – Flaming Tunes (Superior Viaduct)

Home Blitz – All Through The Year (Sophomore Lounge)

Time Cow – Time Cow’s Live Prog Dancehall From Home (Boomkat Editions)

Brett Grossman: former employee/ current staff veterinarian

Thirty-Nine Albums in Twenty-Twenty I listened to repeatedly:

Adrianne Lenker “Songs” (4ad)

Tristan Perich “Drift Multiply” (New Amsterdam)

Beatriz Ferreyra “Echos+” (Room40)

Dirty Projectors “5EPs” (Domino)

R.A.P. Ferreira and The Jefferson Park Boys “Purple Moonlight Pages” (Ruby Yacht)

White Poppy “Paradise Gardens” / “Sound Meditations 2” (Not Not Fun Records)

Cindy Lee “What’s tonight to Eternity” (W. 25th)

Laura Marling “Song for Our Daughter” (Chrysalis/ Partisan)

KMRU “Peel” (Editions Mego)

Fiona Apple “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” (Epic/ Clean Slate)

Joanne Robertson “Painting Stupid Girls” (World Music)

Angel Olsen “Whole New Mess” (Jagjaguwar)

Honey Radar “Sing the Snow away” (Chunklet Industries)

Yves Jarvis “Sundry Rock Song Stock” (Flemish Eye)

Jockstrap “Wick City” (Warp)

Jay Electronica “A Written Testimony” (Roc Nation)

Dehd “Flowers of Devotion” (Fire Talk)

Carl Stone “Stolen Car” (Unseen Worlds)

Sarah Davachi “Gathers” (Boomkat Editions), “Cantus, Descant” (Late Music)

Field Works “Ultrasonic” (Temporary Residence Limited)

Tara Clerkin Trio “Tara Clerkin Trio” (Laura Lies In)

Loving “If I am only My Thoughts” (Last Gang Records, Inc.)

Model Home “One Year” (Disciples)

William Basinski “Lamentations” (Temporary Residence Limited)

Liv.e “Couldn’t wait to tell you…” (In Real Life Music Publishing LLC)

Julianna Barwick “Healing is a Miracle” (Ninja Tune)

Lucrecia Dalt “No Era Solida” (Rvng Intl.)

Isabella, Jasper, and Simon Fisher Turner “Savage Songs of Brutality and Food” (Soleilmoon)

Otta “Songbook” (BOKKLE PIAS)

Military Genius “Deep Web” (Unheard of Hope)

Aki Onda “Nam June’s Spirit Was Speaking To Me” (Recital)

Ulla “Tumbling towards a well” (Experiences Ltd)

Jyoti “Mama, you can bet!” (SomeothaShip Connect)

No Home “Fucking  Hell”  (Hungry and Undervalued)

Markus Floats “Third Album” (Constellation)

Ian William Craig “Red Sun Through Smoke” (130701)

Lomelda “Hannah” (Double Double Whammy)

Built to Spill “Built to Spill plays the songs of Daniel Johnston”  (Ernest Jenning Record Co.)

Katie Gately “Loom” (Houndstooth)

Reissues/Archival:

Philip Corner “Chord: B Major/ Bb Minor 9 / Gong! (Transcription for Low Strings) (Unseen Worlds)

Imaginary Softwoods “Annual Flowers in Color” (Amethyst Sunset)

Lol Coxhill and Morgan-Fisher “Slow Music” (Aguirre)

Stephan Mathieu and Ekkehard Ehlers “Heroin” (Keplar)

Craig Kupka “Crystals” (Smithsonian Folkways)

Julia Reidy “Vanish” (Editions Mego)

Roedelius “Tape Archive Essense 1973-1978)” (Bureau B)  

The The “See Without Being Seen” (Cinéola)

Songs not on records or on records I like less

Vague Imaginaires “Mais qu’est-ce Que” 

Autechre “Esle 0”

Circa 2000 “The Echoing Green”

Pure X “Middle America”

Divino Niño”Made up My Mind”

Helena Deland “Seven Hours”

Bianca Scout, j.b. Glazer, Cameron Molloy, Harald Smart, Jacob Samuel, Elena Isolini “Dark Lore Bingo”

Sparkle Division “Sparkle on Sad Sister Mother Queen/ No  Exit”

Shit and Shine “Cream Tee”

Teleplasmiste “A Goodly Company”

Sharhabi Ahmed “Kamar Dawa” 

Ty Segall/ Cory Hanson “She’s a Beam”

Tricky “Vietnam”

Y La Bamba “Mariposa De Coalcomán”

Zia + Oscar Jan Hoogland “Trip The Light  Fantastic”

Lemon Twigs “Live in Favor of Tomorrow” 

CEL “Pink Korridor”

Aki Tsuyuko “Above another Lake”

Princess Nokia “Sunday Best”

MinaeMinae “Algenüberzug”  

 

Dylan Sowle
BEST OF 2019

Tim Hecker – Anoyo (Kranky)
Steve Hauschildt – Nonlin (Ghostly International)
Better Oblivion Community Center – Better Oblivion Community Center (Dead Oceans)
Mort Garson – Mother Earth’s Plantasia [reissue] (Sacred Bones)
Equip – Cursebreaker X (100% Electronica)
Mike Krol – Power Chords (Merge)
Andrew W.K. – The Wolf [first time on vinyl] (Enjoy The Ride)
Adventure Time: The Complete Series Soundtrack (Mondo)
Amanda Palmer – There Will Be No Intermission (8ft. Records)
Alessandro Cortini – Volume Massimo (Mute)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Ladytron – Ladytron (Ladytron Music)
Iggy Pop – Free (Loma Vista)
The Flaming Lips – King’s Mouth (Warner Records)
LCD Soundsystem – Electric Lady Sessions (DFA)
Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow (Jagjaguwar)
Flying Lotus – Flamagra (Warp)
Thom Yorke – Anima (XL Recordings)
King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard – Infest The Rats’ Nest (Flightless)
Hide – Hell Is Here (Dais Records)
Shrek: Music From The Original Motion Picture [first time on vinyl] (Geffen)

Philip Cerza
Jaime // Brittany Howard
All Mirrors // Angel Olsen
Anak Ko // Jay Som
The Center Won’t Hold // Sleater-Kinney
Igor // Tyler The Creator
Ilana (The Creator) // Mdou Moctar
In League With Dragons // The Mountain Goats
LEGACY! LEGACY! // Jamila Woods
Life Metal // SUNN O)))
Miss Universe // Nilüfer Yanya
No Holiday // The Muffs
Norman Fucking Rockwell // Lana Del Rey
On The Line // Jenny Lewis
Pony // Orville Peck
Purple Mountains // Purple Mountains
Remind Me Tomorrow // Sharon Van Etten
Sasami // Sasami
Sound & Fury // Sturgill Simpson
Thrashing Thru The Passion // The Hold Steady
Two Hands // Big Thief
When I Get Home // Solange

J.D. Reager
2019: My Year

New records
1. Toy Trucks Rockets Bells & Poetry lp
Ferocious garage rock/punk rock with big power pop hooks from Memphis, TN.  OG/ex-Reigning Sound.
2. Arthhur Lost In The Walled City cassette
Frenetic and dance-y rock music from Chicago with actual heart.  Amazing live band – so good, in fact, I stole them for myself (very politely). 
3.  Tape Deck One False Step cassette
Weird pop music from Memphis.  They Might Be Giants meets Randy Newman played by a metal band.  So good, in fact, I put it out myself (not as politely).
4.  Heels Good People Even Do Bad Things cd
Sincere and ragged folk-punk duo from Memphis.
5. Tim Heidecker What The Brokenhearted Do lp
Break-up album parody that hits/cuts on numerous fronts.

Old records
1. John Linnell State Songs lp
Re-issue of a wildly underappreciated solo album by the accordion-playing John from They Might be Giants previously only out on cd.  Features a haunting and charmingly out of tune carousel organ and songs so infectious, you may consider actually visiting Utah or Montana. 
2. Bruce Springstone Live at Bedrock 12” single
Sweet, blue collar rock jam that really evokes a certain place and time + a killer sax solo. Dig of the year candidate.
3. In-store plays
In addition to my usual suspects, I got into big Ike & Tina Turner, Dave Clark Five, McCartney Ram album, “Strange” Al Yankovic, Rufus Thomas, the Dillards, The Music Man soundtrack, and Leonard Nimoy kicks this year. 

Live shows
Jenny Slate @ the Vic, Bob Mould @ Metro, Comedy Bang Bang @ Chicago Theater, Riot Fest (Jawbreaker/Descendents/B-52s/Guided By Voices), Ben Ricketts/Heels/Rosey @ Hi-Tone (Memphis)

Neighborhood eats
1. Mixteco fish taco lunch w/ habanero salsa
2. IDOF chicken shawarma plate
3. Bop N Grill bulkogi philly egg roll

Angela Avila
Best of 2019 
(In No Particular Order)
Affront – Demo
TR/ST – The Destroyer-1
Slant – Vain Attempt 7” 
Jackal – EP 7” 
DJ N***a Fox – Cartas Na Manga
Skepta – Ignorance Is Bliss
Felicia Atkinson – The Flower and The Vessel
Sunami – Demo
Hannah Diamond – Reflections
DJ Nate – Take Off Mode
Game – No One Wins
Roy Garrett & Man Parrish – Hot Rod To Hell
Psychos – One Voice
Megan Thee Stallion – Fever
Wild Side – Who The Hell Is Wild Side?
Kedr Livanskiy. – Your Need
Lil Moss – TITU
Eartheater – Trinity
Qual – Cyber Care EP
Firewalker – The Roll Call 7”
Caroline Polachek – Pang
Sandy Alex G. – House of Sugar

REISSUES:
Angela – Fantasy 12”
Dolly Mixture – Demonstration Tapes
The COMES – No Side
Lhasa – Acetabularia/ Acetatechno
Articles of Faith 7”s

Steven Rahman
In no particular order, these are things I liked from this year’s release slate:

Adam Deitch Quartet – Egyptian Secrets
Ezra Collective – You Can’t Steal My Joy
Benny the Butcher – The Plugs I Met
Injury Reserve – Injury Reserve
Dreamville – Revenge of the Dreamers 3
Da Baby – Baby on Baby
YBN Cordae – Lost Boy
Chance the Rapper – Big Day
Future Teens – Breakup Season
Phum Viphruit – Bangkok Balter Club
Moonchild – Little Ghost
Tank & the Bangas – Green Balloon
Clear Soul Forces – Still
21 Savage – I Am > I Was
Little Brother – May the Lord Watch
RWSKY – Drop It Low For Jesus

Gary Errera
Darkthrone – Old Star
Madonna – Madame X
Iggy Pop – Free
Kedr Livanskiy – Your Need
Alcest – Spiritual Instinct
Equip – Cursebreaker X
Drab Majesty – Modern Mirror
Boy Harsher – Careful
Moodymann – SINNER
Fire-Toolz – Field Whispers (Into the Crystal Palace)

ANTHONY ILLARDE
BEST OF 2019

CURT BOETTCHER & FRIENDS Looking For The Sun (High Moon LP)
CARDIGANS First Band On The Moon (Universal LP)
END RESULT The Seven Year Locust Returns (Alonas Dream LP)
THE FALL Bend Sinister / The Domesday Pay-Off Triad Plus! (Beggars Banquet 2LP)
LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS It Rains Love (Big Crown LP)
ARETHA FRANKLIN Amazing Grace Documentary
ARETHA FRANKLIN Songs Of Faith: Aretha Gospel (Geffen LP)
HARLEM GOSPEL TRAVELERS He’s On Time (Colemine LP)
DURAND JONES & THE INDICATIONS American Love Call (Dead Oceans LP)
DAMON LOCKS BLACK MONUMENT ENSEMBLE Where Future Unfolds (International Anthem LP)
PETER PERRETT Humanworld (Domino LP)
JESSICA PRATT Quiet Signs (Mexican Summer LP)
MAMMAN SANI La Musique Electronique Du Niger LP (Sahel Sounds)
RAYMOND SCOTT The Jingle Workshop 2LP (Modern Harmonic)
STEREOLAB Mars Audiac Quintet (Elektra 2LP)
VANISHING TWIN The Age of Immunology (Fire LP)
CAETANO VELOSO Caetano Veloso (Third Man LP)
JESSY WILSON Phase (May 3rd LP)
VARIOUS All The Young Droogs (RPM 3CD)

Dillon Guelich 
Titanic Rising – Weyes Blood
Free – Iggy Pop
Pinata – Freddie Gibbs and Madlib
Purple Mountains – Purple Mountains
Infest the Rats Nest – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Ventura – Anderson Paak
Lookout Low – Twin Peaks
Fly or Die II: Bird Dogs of Paradise – Jaimie Branch
Where Future Unfolds – Damon Locks/Black Monument Ensemble
Stomping off from Greenwood – Greg Ward’s Rogue Parade
Waning Days of Babylon – Sci-fi Sleep Cycles (ANGUS)
Forward – Paul Dietrich Jazz Ensemble
Lost in the Walled City – Arthhur (honorable 2018 mention)
Crushing – Julia Jacklin

     My apologies to all of the albums I didn’t hear or list

Luke Dahlgren
— a dozen great new albums from the Reckless shelves —
Big Thief – U.F.O.F. (4AD) folk
Delroy Edwards – Wagon Wheels (L.I.E.S.) house
Giant Swan – Giant Swan (Keck) techno
Laurel Halo [mix] – DJ-Kicks (!K7) techno / experimental
Mid-Air Thief – Crumbling (Top Shelf) art pop / psych-folk
Jessica Pratt – Quiet Signs (Mexican Summer) folk
Junius Paul – Ism (International Anthem) jazz
Ana Roxanne – ~~~ (Leaving) ambient / experimental
Vanishing Twin – The Age of Immunology (Fire) art pop / electronic
v/a – CR015 (Chicago Research) industrial / experimental / post-punk
v/a – Eminent Domain (L.I.E.S.) industrial / techno / noise
v/a – Sunny Side Up (Brownswood) jazz

— plus: some reissued materials from this year —
Sachiko Kanenobu – Misora (Light in the Attic) folk
Konk – The Magic Force of Konk: 1981-1988 (Futurismo) funk-punk / no wave
Protomartyr – No Passion All Technique (Domino) post-punk
Arthur Russell – Iowa Dream (Audika) art pop / folk
Laurie Spiegel – The Expanding Universe & Unseen Worlds (Unseen Worlds) ambient / experimental
Jim Sullivan – If the Evening Were Dawn (Light in the Attic) folk
Victrola – Born From the Water: Demos 1983-1985 (Dark Entries) darkwave
v/a – The World of Keith Haring: Influences + Connections (Soul Jazz) disco / electro / punk

— also: check out these great Bandcamp releases —
AceMo – All My Life house
Afrikan Sciences – Centered house / experimental
Dan Derks – Nested & Phylum ambient / experimental
Flesh of the Stars – Mercy doom metal
MoMA Ready – The NYC Dance Project house

Lilly Cozzens
Cate le Bon – Reward
Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow
Andrew Bird – My Finest Work Yet
Grün Wasser – Not Ok With Things
Lana del Ray – NFR!
Michael Kiwanuka – Kiwanuka
Dehd – Water
Aldous Harding – Designer
Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising
Bill Callahan : Shepard in a Sheepskin Vest
Beau Wanzer – Lies121 EP
Panther Modern – Los Angeles 2020 EP
Luke Temple – Taking Chances (single)

James Marlon Magas 
Favorite 2019 releases
Let’s face it, 2019 has been a trying one for many. Music is one thing that helps unify us, give us strength to endure, resist and if we’re lucky, even thrive. Let music give us power. The surface may be gooey but the underground is alive and well.

David Shettler – Oblivian cassette (Trees USA)
DJ Nigga Fox – Cartas Na Manga 2×12” (Principe)
DJ Fett Burger & Speckgurtel – Red Scorpions 2LP (Clone Royal Oak)
Matt Jencik – Dream Character LP (Hands In the Dark)
Beau Wanzer – BW011 12” (Brew)
Roy Garrett & Man Parrish – Hot Rod to Hell LP (Dark Entries)
Patrick Cowley – Mechanical Fantasy Box LP (Dark Entries)
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Bandana LP (RCA/Keep Cool)
Heart of the Ghost – Heart of the Ghost II LP (Dagoretti)
Robert Ashley – Private Parts LP (Lovely Music) reissue
Sun City Girls – Dawn of the Devi LP (Abduction)
Brett Naucke – Electronic Hypnosis Program 12” (Make Noise)
Jason Letkiewicz – The Reflecting Pool LP (Into the Light)
Mort Garson – Plantasia LP (Sacred Bones)
Pauline Oliveros – Reverberations 1 2LP (Important)
Solange – When I Get Home LP (Columbia)
Yutaka Hirose – Nova + 4 2LP (WRWTFWW)
Bill Orcutt – Odds Against Tomorrow LP (Palilalia)
Various Artists – Plastic Dance 2 LP (Cache Cache)
Nate Young – Volume 3: Dance of the Weeping Babe 12” (Lower Floor Music)
Good Fuck – Cherry Tree LP (Goof Duck)
DJ Overdose – Hang In There 12” (Curtis Electronix)
Mukqs – Any% cassette (Doom Trip)
ADULT. – Subsurface / Coming Apart 12” (Dais)
HIDE – Hell Is Here LP (Dais)
Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble – Where Future Unfolds LP (Outernational Conspiracy)
Incapacitants – Stupid Is Stupid 4LP box (Hospital Productions)
Los Piranas – Historia Natural LP (Glitterbeat)
Wobbly – Monitress CD/cassette (Hausu Mountain)
Teeth Agency – Johnny Mermaid 7” (Teeth Agency)
Wolfmanhattan Project – Blue Gene Stew LP (In the Red)
Madteo – Dropped Out Sunshine LP (DDS)
Steve Hauschildt – Nonlin LP (Ghostly International)
Blood Incantation – Hidden History of the Human Race LP (Century Media)

Things that happened:
Fire_Toolz live at Reckless Records on Record Store Day 2019
Sunn O))) at Rockefeller Chapel
Plantasia live at Garfield Park Conservatory (full disclosure: I was a participant)
Wobbly live at Reckless Records a coupla days ago
Flying Luttenbachers live at Co-Prosperity sphere

Jake Lingan
(Sandy) Alex G- “House of Sugar” (Domino)
Aphex Twin- “Peel Session 2” (Warp)
Satoshi Ashikawa- “Still Way (Wave Novation 2)” reissue (WRWTFWW)
Robert Ashley- “Automatic Writing”  & “Private Parts” reissues (Lovely Music)
Felicia Atkinson- “The Shelter And The Vessel” (Shelter Press)
Autechre Live (Warp)
Ka Baird- “Respires” (RVNG INTL)
Billington/ Shippy/ Wyche- “The Eventual Warp Cat” (No Index)
Blood Orange- “Cupid’s Pulse” (Domino)
Blue Gene Tyranny- “Out Of The Blue” reissue (Unseen Worlds)
Blue Gene Tyranny & Peter Gordon- “Trust In Rock” (Unseen Worlds)
Angel Bat Dawid- “The Orcale” (International Anthem)
Dave Dunno- “Bonefire” (self)
Equip- “Cursebreaker X” (100% Electronica)
Euglossine- Coriolis (Hausu Mountain)
Fire-toolZ- “Whisper” (Orange Milk)
Floating Points- “Crush” (Ninja Tune)
M Geddes Gengras- “I Am The Last of That Green and Warm-Hued World (Hausu Mountain)
Gerrit Hatcher- “Burnt Pan Rolling” (Kettle Hole)
Toshifumi Hinata- “Broken Belief” (Music From Memory)
Yutaka Hirose- “Nova +4” (WRWTFWW)
Frank Hurricane and the Hurricanes Of Love- “Life Is Spiritual” (Feeding Tube)
Iona Fortune- “Tao Of I Vol. 2” (Ecstatic)
Peter Ivers- “Becoming Peter Ivers” (RVNG)
Matt Jencik- “Dream Character” (Hands In The Dark)
JPEGMAFIA- “All My Heroes Are Cornballs” (EQT)
KHGB- “KHGB” (No Index)
KVL- “Volume 1” (Astral Spirits)
Lambchop- “This (Is What I Wanted To Tell You)” (Merge)
Craig Leon- “Anthology of Interplanetary Folk Music Vol. 2: The Canon” (RVNG INTL)
Merzbow- “Pulse Demon” reissue (Relapse)
MUKQS- “SD Biomix”  (Orange Milk)
Musica Esporadica- “Musica Esporadica” reissue (Music From Memory)
Brett Naucke- “Electronic Hypnosis Program” (Make Noise)
Nonlocal Forecast- “Bubble Universe” (Hausu Mountain)
Yoshio Ojima- “Une Collection Des Chainons: Music Fro Spiral” Vol. 1 & 2 (WRWTFWW)
Purple Mountains- “Purple Mountains” (Drag City) [RIP DAVID BERMAN]
Purple Pilgrims- “Perfumed Earth” (Flying Nun)
Royal Trux- “White Stuff” (Fat Possum)
Sharkula x MUKQS- “Prune City” (Hausu Mountain)
Solange- “When I Get Home” (Columbia)
Spirits Having Fun- “Auto-Portrait” (Ramp Local)
Carl Stone- “Baroo” & Himalaya” (Unseen Worlds)
Sunn O)))- “Life Metal” & “Pyroclasts” (Southern Lord)
To Live And Shave In L.A.- “Spatters Of A Royal Sperm” (Hanson)
Two Daughters- “Recordings 1979-1981” (VoD)
Vatican Shadow- “Washington Buries Al Qaeda Leader At Sea”, “Kuwaiti Airforce” & “Pakistan Military Academy” reissues (Hospital)
Visible Cloaks, Yoshio Ojima & Satsuki Shibano- FRKWYS Vol. 15
Xosar- “The Possessor Possesses Nothing” (Bedouin)
Nilufer Yanya- “Miss Universe” (ATO)
Neil Young- “Tuscaloosa”/ “Colorado” (Reprise)
Zoviet France reissues (VoD)
ZRL- “Physics For Listeners” (Homeroom)
Various- “Midnight In Tokyo Vol. 3” (Studio Mule)
Various- “Outro Tempo II- Electronic And Contemporary Music From Brazil 1984-1996” (Music From Memory)

Zack Caputo
1: Sonic Citadel by Lightning Bolt
The legendary hyper-jazz-metal duo returned after nearly half a decade to drop their most varied & consistent effort in years. Bouncing between some of the most accessible and some of the most violent material they’ve ever put to tape, this is the kind of record that seems to be becoming more and more rare nowadays: where every single moment of the 2 LP experience is fantastic and worth your time. This is easily one of the best records in a Lightning Bolt’s catalog, a discography filled with absolutely required listening.

2: There Existed An Addiction To Blood by Clipping.
Continuing their undying pursuit of pushing the conceptual boundaries of hip-hop music,
Clipping. released this genuinely chilling and immensely well crafted look into the “horror” behind “horrorcore”. Featuring some mind-blowing and innovative production (“Run For Your Life” is a true standout, having the beat play from the passing car of a character stalking our protagonist) and relentless flows, There Existed… is truly Clipping.’s crowning achievement so far. The single “Blood Of The Fang” is my vote for song of the year.

3: Bird Box Extended by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
I know you’re already rolling your eyes because a dusty record store clerk put a seemingly ostentatious 4 LP soundtrack release on their list, but hear me out! Instead of being a stereotypical squawk fest that just repeats the trailer motif or a pale imitation of synth-heavy horror scores of yore, Reznor & Ross created a two hour masterclass in sound design and drawn out tension. Tracks like the chilling, nine minute long “Trespasser” dig deep into your psyche and establish this boxset as their own take on the source material instead of background music for a mediocre film.

4: Volume Massimo by Alessandro Cortini
Yes, it may not be a massive evolution for Cortini’s signature soundscapes, but I would argue that such an evolution isn’t entirely necessary as his sound is so uniquely his already.  Volume Massimo no doubt finds him refining and perfecting the moods and timbres teased out of his drool-worthy synth collection, adding more layers than previous solo efforts to create a collection of concoctions that are beautiful, haunting, hypnotizing, and altogether virtuosic.

5: The Talkies by Girl Band
While everyone was busy thinking Girl Band had broken up after giving us the brilliant and, I would argue, ahead of its time Holding Hands With Jamie, they were busy creating this nerve shredding collection of new tracks. Diving deeper into moods of anxiety and panic while almost completely removing any climaxes or any sort of catharsis from the tracks, The Talkies feels like a nihilistic allegory for modern times where there is no light at the end of the tunnel, you just have to get used to the darkness.

6: Magdalene by FKA Twigs
I will argue until I’m blue in the face that FKA Twigs gets nowhere near enough credit for how much they helped usher in the current era of pop & R&B music, including breaking down the barrier between the two. Magdalene, their first album in five years, is a beautiful confirmation of this fact. Furthering the experimental sound found on her previous EP, M3LL155X, but pairing it with stronger songwriting and piercingly intimate lyricism, Magdalene is a beautiful achievement that requires multiple listens and every ounce of your attention to truly unravel.

7: NIGHTMARES TO REALITY by HPSHAWTY
SIC Records is slowly becoming one of my favorite modern labels, thanks to the legendary hip-hop reissues they put out this year (including records from Memphis legend Blackout, Bay Area OG C-Bo, and the trailblazing DJ Screw), but tapes like HPSHAWTY’s NIGHTMARE TO REALITY show that they’re not solely focused on the past. While recalling the unnerving moods and atmospheres of classic Memphis tapes from the likes of Tommy Wright III and DJ Paul, HPSHAWTY updates the sound in a way that elevates it from simply being a carbon copy to a fantastic release that stands on its own. Their collaborative release with KEVINTHECREEP, titled MANHUNT 2 and also on SIC Records, is equally dope.

8: Highway Hypnosis by Sneaks
On their third record, Sneaks takes their minimal, post-punk-like approach and applies it to an unexpected style: trap music. The result is a beautiful & weird release that’s as hypnotic as the title suggests. The tracks unfold and evolve, bang and clash in ways that recall M.I.A. or even some of the more tame Alec Empire productions, while Sneaks’ repeated mantras and deliveries create an experience truly one of a kind. Sneaks has never stayed in one place for long musically, but if they were to stay with this sound for one more album and flesh it out a little more, I’d be very interested to see what that evolution sounds like.

9: Anima by Thom Yorke
Thom Yorke has always been an amazing songwriter, creating some of the most emotionally resonant and devastating songs of the past couple decades with Radiohead, but his solo albums have never quite scratched the same itch for me personally. This is where Anima comes in, Yorke’s best solo album to date. Working with his live performance set up instead of a more concrete studio set up, the tracks on Anima pulse with nervous energy and fantastic grooves, with Yorke always seeming to find just the right pocket for the kick, just the right melody for the vocals, just the right timbre for the synths. It is a little front loaded and tapers off slightly near the end, but the two song run of “Twist” into “Dawn Chorus” (or Side B on the 2LP release) is the best single side of any record this year. 

10: All My Heroes Are Cornballs by JPEGMAFIA
Much has been said about how JPEGMAFIA constantly referred to this album as being  “disappointing” during the press run leading up to its release and it’s easy to see where he was coming from. Turning the dial way down from the aggression on his 2018 breakout Veteran, All My Heroes… finds JPEGMAFIA exploring more of the vaporwave sound he helped shape (see Dreamcast Summer Songs, released under his moniker Devon Hendryx if you don’t know what I’m talking about) and pairing it with more of the singing and emotional beats he teased previously. While not quite hitting the same sweet spot between experimental and accessible Veteran did, which in turn made it resonate with me so strongly, it’s still nowhere near the disappointment Peggy prematurely prepared his audience for. 

Honorable Mentions:
bi/MENTAL by Le Butcherettes
Remind Me Tomorrow by Sharon Van Etten
The Devil You Know by The Coathangers
The Hunchback of Based God by Lil B
uknowwhatimsayin? by Danny Brown

J David Cartwright
In no particular order

Anna Roxanne – ~ ~ ~ (Leaving Records)
Dean Blunt – Zushi (self-released)
Dj Speedsick – Nothing Lasts (Bank)
Gabber Modus Operandi – HOXXXYA (SVBKVLT)
The Arno – Ways Of Perfection (Chicago Research)
AceMoMa – AceMoMa EP (Jenken Recordings)
Mutant Joe – Home Invasion Anthems (Natural Sciences)
Fire-Toolz – Field Whispers [Into The Crystal Palace] (Orange Milk)
Victrola – Born From The Water (Dark Entries)
Angel Bat Dawid – Oracle (International Anthem)
Mr. Grimm – Anxiety (Static Switch)
Monogamy/ SCLT – Monogamy/ SCLY (Reserve Matinee)
Textasy – TEXAS TERRORTECH VOL. 1 (Natural Sciences)
DJ DR-660 – Sex Music (FTP)
Kim Gordon – No Home Record (Matador)

Ben Hegy
Cate Le Bon- reward [mexican summer]
Jamila Woods- Legacy! Legacy! [jagjaguwar]
Joshua Abrams Natural Information Society- mandatory reality  
[eremite records]
Boy Harsher- careful [nude club records]
Nilufer Yanya- miss universe [ato records]
Tyler, the Creator- igor [columbia]
Angel Bat Dawid- oracle [international anthem recording company]
Solange- when i get home [columbia]
Andrew Wasylyk- paralian [athens of the north]
Dj N*gga Fox- cartas na manga [principe]
Ela Orleans- movies for ears [night school]
Equip- cursebreaker x [100% electronica]
Mega Bog- dolphine [paradise of bachelors]
Park Jiha- philos [glitterbeat]
Resavoir- resavoir [international anthem recording company]

Matt Jencik
Big Thief U.F.O.F.
Blood Incantation Hidden History of the Human Race
Blut Aus Nord Hallucinogen
J.R. Bohannon Dusk
Darkthrone Old Star
Delia Derbyshire Dreams reissue
Suzanne Doucet reissues
FACS  Lifelike
Fennesz Agora
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib Bandana
Inoyama land Commissions 1977-2000
Itasca Spring
JAB Erge Herbe
Clarice Jensen Drone Studies
Leviathan Verrater 4LP
Kedr Livanskiy Your Need
Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble Where Future Unfolds
Kali Malone Sacrificial Code
Fumio Miyashita Wave: Sounds of the Universe
Kinloch Nelson Partly on Time: Recordings 1968-1970
Nightfell A Sanity Deranged 
Ossuarium Living Tomb
Pan American A Son
Jessica Pratt Quiet Signs
Python Astrological Warfare
Rodan Hat Factory ‘93
Arthur Russell Iowa dream
75 Dollar Bill I Was Real
Sofia Bolt Sofia Bolt 
Solange When I Get Home
Masahiro Sugaya Horizon Vol. 1 
Thee Speaking Canaries Who Are the Shitbirds Playing? 
Telefon Tel Aviv Dreams Are Not Enough
Tomb Mold Planetary Clairvoyance 
Weyes Blood Titanic Rising
Thom Yorke Anima
Neil Young Tuscaloosa 
Neil Young Colorado
Various Artists Outro Tempo II: Electronic And Contemporary Music From Brazil 1984-1996

Shows
Neko Case at The Vic
The Chills at Empty Bottle
Chromatics at Park West 
Grouper at Pitchfork Midwinter
Itasca/Matchess at The Hideout
Jawbox at Reckless and Metro
The Misfits at AllState Arena 
Peter Murphy 40 years of Bauhaus Ruby Celebration w/ David J at Rockefeller Chapel
Angel Olsen at The Riviera
Pan American at Elastic Arts
Max Richter at Harris Theater
Robyn at Aragon
Shellac at Reckless
Sunn O)))/Papa M at Rockefeller Chapel
Sharon Van Etten at Thalia Hall
This Is Not This Heat at Thalia Hall
Voivod at Thalia Hall
Jozef Van Wissem at Empty Bottle
Weyes Blood at Lincoln Hall
WITCH at Lincoln Hall

Oh yeah, I MET NEIL YOUNG

Leo Ciccone
Caterina Barbieri /// Ecstatic Computations
Bibio /// Ribbons
Floating Points /// Crush
Angel Bat Dawid /// The Oracle
Nils Frahm /// All Encores
Steve Hauschildt /// Nonlin
Jefre Cantu-Ledesma /// Tracing Back The Radiance
Loscil /// Lifelike
Topdown Dialectic /// Vol. 2
Telefon Tel Aviv /// Dreams Are Not Enough

Joe Seger
TOP RELEASES FOR 2019
HARD TO NARROW IT.
MIGHT HAVE MISSED SOME.
NO PARTICULAR ORDER.
EVERYTHING THAT BLEW ME AWAY & REISSUES I WAS HAPPY ABOUT.

VANISHING TWIN – AGE OF IMMUNOLOGY (FIRE)
DEAD MEADOW – FEATHERS (REISSUE) (TEKELILI/XEMU)
DOLLY MIXTURE – DEMONSTRATION TAPES (REISSUE) (STATE51)
DOLLY MIXTURE – OTHER MUSIC LP (SEALED)
DUSTER – CAPSULE LOSING CONTACT (NUMERO)
DUSTER – DUSTER (MUDDGUTS)
BIG THIEF – U.F.O.F. (4AD)
BIG THIEF – TWO HANDS (4AD)
LUX – NEW DAY 7″ (LA VIDA ES UN MUS)
SCREAMING SNEAKERS – S/T (GENERATION)
JULIA JACKLIN – CRUSHING (POLYVINYL)
WEYES BLOOD – TITANIC RISING (SUB POP)
POSSIBLE HUMANS – EVERYBODY SPLIT (TROUBLE IN MIND)
BORIS – AKUMA NO UTA (REISSUE) (THIRD MAN)
INSTITUTE – READJUSTING THE LOCKS (SACRED BONES)
MORT GARSON – PLANTASIA (REISSUE) (SACRED BONES)
ABWARTS – AMOK KOMA (REISSUE) (NEATNEATNEAT)
MALARIA! – COMPILED 2.0 (MOABIT)
CHRONOPHAGE – PROLOG FOR TOMORROW (CLETA PATRA)
BRUISED – ROTTEN CODEX (CHICAGO RESEARCH)
PORNO GLOWS – EP (VIOLENT PEST)
NEON – NEON (SQUARE ONE AGAIN)
PUZZLEHEAD – BIG SNIFF (STUCCO)
PARSNIP – WHEN THE TREE BEARS FRUIT (TROUBLE IN MIND)
COMES – NO SIDE (LA VIDA ES UN MUS)
NOSFERATU – SOLUTION A
RAKTA – FALHA COMUM (IRON LUNG)
GROOVE DOMESTIC PRODUCT – DEMO (SELF)
SHANNON LAY – AUGUST (SUBPOP)
JAY SOM – ANAK KO (POLYVINYL)
JESSICA PRATT – QUIET SIGNS (MEXICAN SUMMER)
ITASCA – SPRING (PARADISE OF BACHELORS)

Sean Rowader

1. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Infest the Rat’s Nest (Thrash Metal / Stoner Rock) [LP on Flightless/ATO] 

-Gizzard’s 15th album is a half hour of all-killer-no-filler thrash metal that departs from their signature hazy psychedelia. Infest the Rat’s Nest is full of snarling vox, house rattling double bass onslaught drums, djenting guitar hooks and hellish Venusian songwriting. There’s no satire going on here, this is clearly a band that just wants to have fun SHREDDING! Favorite track: Self-Immolate 

2. 100 gecs – 1000 gecs (Monster Energy Drink Core / Experimental Electronica) [LP on Dog Show Records] 

-Chicago’s Laura Les and Los Angeles’ Dylan Brady take all the best parts of 2008 internet culture and blend it up in a happy-nightcore 3AM party rager. These songs are quick, constantly changing direction and absolutely dripping with Monster EnergyTM. Favorite track: hand crushed by a mallet 

3. Mdou Moctar – Ilana: The Creator (Taureg / Psych-Pop) [LP on Sahel Sounds] 

-Hands down my favorite show of 2019 was Mdou Moctar’s April performance at Empty Bottle. Ilana is the first Mdou LP recorded with a full band in-studio, so these tracks carry some extra ‘live’ magic. Mdou’s songwriting reaches a new echelon, as the satisfying compositions outshine the instrumentation and production. Criminally good. Favorite track: Tarhatazed 

4. Uffie – Tokyo Love Hotel (Electroclash / Dream Pop) [Digital Self Release] 

-Once upon a time. . . when music videos still aired on MTV, when MySpace still mattered, when the most recent Harry Potter film was Goblet of Fire (2006), an electropop prodigy named UFFIE was making waves in the electronica underground. After a handful of singles and a debut LP Uffie seemingly vanished. Until now! After a decade away from the game, Uffie returns with a 7 song EP that is more dreamy and less abrasive than her early stuff. Favorite track: Sharpie

5. McCafferty – The House with No Doorbell (Emo / Delonge Core) [LP Self Release] 

-Although McCafferty is infamous for dropping off tours, cyclical break-ups (yes plural, the band has been “permanently ended” many times), and ultimately stressing out the fanbase, somehow they always manage to keep new material flowing. The House with No Doorbell isn’t as bonafide and aggressive as their 2018 LP, Yarn, but instead shows off the band’s ability to craft hooks, melodies, harmonies and overall vocal range. Favorite track: Unforgivable Curse #3

6. 6. clipping. – There Existed an Addiction to Blood (Hip Hop / Experimental) [2xLP on Sub Pop] 

-In a triumphant return, Clipping drops a ‘transmutation of horrorcore’ concept record that showcases expert use of samples, noisey production, and absolutely insane flows from Daveed. This record is full of nods to classic horror tropes like ‘Carpenter-esque’ piano 
on the lead single “Nothing Is Safe.” The album finishes with an 18-minute track from Annea Lockwood entitled “Piano Burning”, which is… well… a piano burning. Favorite track: Blood of the Fang 

6. 6. 7. PUP – Morbid Stuff (Pop Punk / Emotional Tinge) [LP on Rise Records] 

-Some bands change, grow, evolve, maybe even devolve… but not PUP. This Canadian pop-punk 4-piece has a thing for consistency and so do their die hard fans. Morbid Stuff feels more like the third installment of a trilogy instead of a completely new album. PUP’s third LP is full of “adulting is hard, life can get f***ed” lyrics that are balanced out with upbeat joy-ridden hooks. Favorite track: Sibling Rivalry 

6. 6. 8. FKA Twigs – Magdalene (Art Pop / Slow Core) [LP on Young Turks] 

-After three years of studio work, the legendary FKA Twigs drops only their second full-length album, Magdalene. Twigs’ executively produced this record with collaborations from Skrillex, Michael Uzowuru, Koreless and others as co-producers. This album is incredibly diverse and showcases more vocal acrobatics than we’re used to on previous Twigs’ releases. Clearly all the time spent crafting this album was worth it as Magdalene is an absolute ascendancy. Favorite track: Home with You 

6. 6. 9. Raconteurs – Help Us Stranger (Garage / Power-Pop) [LP on Third Man] 

-11 years after Consolers of the Lonely, the superheros of alternative radio stations everywhere, the Raconteurs assemble and return! While fans may have been weary that the return was only a short lived cash-grab, the Raconteurs quickly put those thoughts to rest with some of their best songwriting ever, late night TV performances, and a colossal world-tour. Favorite track: Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying) 

6. 6. 10. Sturgill Simpson – Sound & Fury (Psychedelic Country / Boogie Rock) [LP on Elektra] 

-Railroad foreman turned twangbox extraordinaire, Sturgill Simpson releases a genre-bending country/psych/boogie/synth-rock album accompanied with a full-length anime visual album. This experience is so diverse and inviting that it’s no surprise Sturgill is attracting more listeners to the waning and lonely Country section. This album is so dance-able it makes me want to take roller-disco lessons. But most of all, please do not sleep on the Netflix-released visual album with expert cinematography from Masayuki Fujii and Chigi Kanbe. Favorite track: Ronin 

Honorable Mentions
Gang Starr – One Of The Best Yet
Cage The Elephant – Social Cues
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Fishing For Fishies
Oh Sees – Face Stabber
Blink 182 – Nine

Tom Walczyk
Bob Mould – Sunshine Rock (Merge Records)
Facs- Lifelike (Trouble In Mind)
Luxurious Bags – Frayed Knots (Twisted Village) ** First time ever on vinyl
Shellac – End of Radio (Touch & Go)
** Peel Sessions 1994
LE’ Pee- Diabolique (A Records)
** Anton Newcombe + Liminanas
Black Midi – Schlagenheim (Rough Trade)
** Amazing live set at Pitchfork this year
Delta 5 – Singles & Sessions 79- 85
(Kill Rock Stars)
Polvo  – Polvo (Merge Records)
**  Their first 7” record plus a few bonus songs put on one 12”
Peter Perrett – Humanworld (Domino)
** Singer from The Only Ones
Jonathan Fire *Eater – Wolf Songs for Lambs & Tremble Under Boom Lights (reissues on Third Man) ** Members went on to for The Walkmen

Honorable Mentions
Mort Garson – Mother Earth’s Plantasia (Sacred Bones)
Duster – Numero Reissues

Ethan D’Ercole
ONLY ONES: “Live in Chicago, 1979”
COLOURED BALLS: “Last Supper, First”
PRINCE: “Originals”
TERRY STAMP: “Fatsticks”
PATRICK COWLEY: “Mechanical Fantasy Box”
HAMMERSMITH GORILLAS: “Why Wait ’til Tomorrow 1974-1981”
SOLANGE: “When I Get Home”
HECKS: “My Star”
MATT JENCIK: “Dream Character”

Yasmin Bashir
Albums of the year: 
Solange- When I Get Home 
Klein- Lifetime
Fka Twigs- Magdalene
Kelsey Lu- Blood
Visible Cloaks, yoshio ojima, and satsuki shibano–Serentiatem
Mega Bog- Dolphin 
Spelling- Mazy Fly
Sasami- Sasami
Injury Reserve- Injury Reserve 
Kedr Livanskiy- Your Need 

P.R. Ryan
2019 Good Albums (In No Particular Order)
Denzel Curry – ZUU (Loma Vista)
Hot Chip – A Bath Full Of Ecstasy (Domino)
Charly Bliss – Young Enough (Barsuk)
Caroline Polachek – Pang (Perpetual Novice)
Alex Cameron – Miami Memory (Secretly Canadian)
Otoboke Beaver – ITEKOMA HITS (Damnably)
Purple Mountains – Purple Mountains (Drag City)
Injury Reserve – Injury Reserve (Loma Vista)
Channel Tres – Black Moses EP (Godmode)
Black Marble – Bigger Than Life (Sacred Bones)
Tyler, The Creator – IGOR (Columbia)
Black Midi – Schlagenheim (Rough Trade)
Katie Dey – Solipsisters (Run For Cover)
Vampire Weekend – Father Of The Bride (Columbia)
Bonnie “Prince” Billy – I Made A Place (Drag City)
Bleached – Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? (Dead Oceans)
Empath – Active Listening: Night On Earth (Get Better)
Mike Krol – Power Chords (Merge)
Sandro Perri – Soft Landing (Constellation)
The New Pornographers – In The Morse Code Of Brake Lights (Concord)
Ezra Furman – Twelve Nudes (Bella Union)
Richard Dawson – 2020 (Domino)
Orville Peck – Pony (Sub Pop)
Pure Bathing Culture – Night Pass (Infinite Companion)
Rapsody – Eve (Roc Nation)

Friends of Reckless
Emily Elhaj (Musician/Writer/Reckless alum)
Albums
Brittany Howard – Jaime (ATO)
Aldous Harding – Designer (4AD)
Marvin Gaye – You’re the Man (UMG)
Sofia Bolt – Waves (Loantaka)
Girl Ray – Girl (Moshi Moshi)
Arian Shafiee – Pacific Medications (Lillerne)
Jessica Pratt – Quiet Signs (Mexican Summer)
Matt Jencik – Dream Character (Hands in the Dark)
KIM – s/t (Love Lion)
Cate Le Bon – Reward (Mexican Summer)
Hand Habits – placeholder (Saddle Creek)
Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow (Jagjaguwar)
Chris Cohen – s/t (Captured Tracks)
Eric Dolphy – Musical Prophet: The Expanded 1963 New York Studio Sessions (Resonance)
Mac DeMarco – Honey Moon (Haruomi Hosono) (LITA)
Cass McCombs – Tip Of The Sphere (Anti)
Wand – Laughing Matter (Drag City)
Esther Suarez – La Bolognesina (Little Axe)
Solange – When I Get Home (Columbia)
Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society – Mandatory Reality (Eremite)
Ana da Silva & Phew – Island (Shouting Out Loud)
Beyoncé – Homecoming (Parkwood/Columbia)
Vanishing Twin – The Age Of Immunology (Fire)
V/A – Late Night Tales: Floating Points (Night Time Stories)
75 Dollar Bill – I Was Real (Thin Wrist)
Angel Bat David – The Oracle (Int’l Anthem)
Tool – Fear Inoculum (Dissectional)
Pavo Pavo – Mystery Hour (Bella Union)
Chrissie Hynde – Valve Bone Woe (self)
Common – Let Love (Loma Vista)
Radiohead – III Wind (XL)
Homeshake – Helium (Sinderlyn)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Ghosteen (Ghosteen)
Beth Gibbons – Henryk Górecki: Symphony No. 3 (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs) (Domino)
Big Thief – U.F.O.F. (4AD)
Rip Hayman “Dreams of India and China: Field Recordings & Repercussions 1973-1986 (Recital)

Reissues
Don Cherry – Brown Rice (Verve)
Anna St. Louis – First Songs (Woodsist)
Johnny Greenwood – There Will Be Blood (Nonesuch)
Neil Young – Dead Man OST (Warner)
Haruomi Hosono (LITA)
Cruising OST (Waxwork)
Duster – Capsule Losing Contact (Numero)

Shows
Sharon Van Etten, Amoeba
Cass McCombs, Amoeba
Mdou Moctar & Marisa Anderson, Zebulon
Chris Cohen, Lodge Room
Aldous Harding, Old Style
Austin McCutchen & Ryley Walker, Zebulon
Cate Le Bon & Mac DeMarco, The Greek
Stereolab & Wand, Ace Theater
Sharon Van Etten & Sofia Bolt, Pappy & Harriet’s
Zsela, Brooklyn Steel
Rodrigo Amarante, Palace Theatre
Angel Olsen Tour 2019

DJing Public Records, Brooklyn
Iggy Confidential podcast

Coffee
Coffee Manufactory, Los Angeles
Groundwork, Los Angeles
St. ALi, Melbourne
Congregation, New Orleans
Tandem, Portland, Maine
Maru, Los Angeles
Flat Track, Austin
Monmouth, London
Courier Coffee, Portland, Oregon

Jocelyn Brown (Music Supervisor/Producer)
albums I loved this year: 2019
telefon tel aviv – dreams are not enough galcher lustwerk – information
prince – originals
solange – when i get home
arthur russell – iowa dream
matt jencik – dream character
natural information society – mandatory reality
giant swan – s/t
dj shadow – our pathetic age
alessandro cortini – volume massimo
angel olsen – all mirrors 
helado negro – this is how you smile
raphael saadiq – jimmy lee
charles rumback and ryley walker – little common twist
lizzo – cause i love you
surachai – come, deathless
ana roxane – ~~~
khruangbin – hasta el cielo
jets – zoospa
cellophane garden – relation to the infinite
matana roberts – coin coin chapter 4: memphis
ryne ziemba – cataclysmos
jessica pratt – quiet signs
sault – 5
caterina barbieri – ecstatic computation
same waves – algorithm of desire
here lies man – no ground to walk upon
daniel wohl – etat 
jaimie branch – fly or die II: bird dogs of paradise
minutes unlimited – green data
waajeed – ten toes down ep 
freddie gibbs and madlib – bandana
itasca – spring
dj spinn – da life ep
emmavie – honeymoon
barker – utility
fennesz – agora
nick cave & the bad seeds – ghosteen
resavoir – s/t
baby rose – to myself
kindness – something like a war
75 dollar bill – i was real
hildur gudnadottir – chernobyl ost
brittany howard – jaime
kim gordon – no home record
labrinth – euphoria ost 
clairo – immunity
jenny lewis – on the line
sharon van etten – remind me tomorrow
rafael anton irisarri – solastalgia
robyn – honey
weyes blood – titanic rising
chasms – the mirage
william basinski – on time out of time
kiefer – superbloom
michael kiwanuka – kiwanuka
floating points – crush
black monument ensemble – where future unfolds
hania rani – esja 
carlos nino and friends – bliss on dear oneness
helen money – arriving angels
sunn o))) – life metal
nils frahm – all encores
freddie gibbs and madlib – bandana
sasami – s/t
tyler, the creator – igor
michael vincent waller – moments
nia andrews – no place is safe
laurel halo – dj kicks
andy stott – it should be us
benny sings – city pop
mereba – the jungle is the only way out
bill orcutt – odds against tomorrow
georgia anne muldrow – vweto II
various artists – outro tempo II

Dave Martin (Captured Tracks)
1  Wayne Rogers  – The Air Below (Twisted Village) / Major Stars – Roots Of Confusion Seeds Of Joy (Drag City)
2  Facs – Lifelike (Trouble In Mind)
3  Aquarian Blood – A Love That Leads To War (Goner)
4  75 Dollar Bill – I Was Real (Thin Wrist)
5  Gotobeds – Debt Begins At Thirty (Sub Pop)
6  The Silence – Metaphysical Feedback (Drag City) / Masaki Batoh – Nowhere (Drag City)
7  Gong Gong Gong – Phantom Rhythm (Wharf Cat Records)
8  Rocket 808 – S/T (12XU)
9  Ceremony – In The Spirit World Now (Relapse)
10 Flesh Eaters – I Used To Be Pretty (Yep Roc)
11 David Kilgour – Bobbie Is A Girl (Merge)
12 Matt Jencik – Dream Character (Hands In The Dark)
13 Thurston Moore – Spirit Council (Daydream Library)
14 Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society – Mandatory Reality (Eremite)
15 Brian Crook with The Renderers – This World Just Eats Me Up Alive (Ba Da Bing)
16 Eddy Current Suppression Ring – All In Good Time (Castle Face)
17 Stefan Christensen – The Upcoming Flame (Bruit Direct Disques)
18 Dead C – Rare Ravers (Ba Da Bing)
19 Cate Le Bon – Reward (Mexican Summer)
20 Sulfate – S/T (Prison Tapes)
21 Hash Redactor – Drecksound (Goner)
22 Mike Donovan – Exurbian Quonset (Drag City)
23 Modern Nature – How To Live (Bella Union)
24 Vivian Girls – Memory (Polyvinyl)
25 XV – S/T (Life Like) 

Reissues
1 Peter Laughner – S/T box (Smog Veil)
2 Rema Rema – Fond Reflections  
3 Peter Jefferies – Last Ticket Home / Clutter (Grapefruit) 
4 Tokyo Flashback – Psychedelic Speed Freaks (Black Editions) 
5 Revenge – S/T (In The Red)
6 The Victims – S/T (In The Red)
7 The Pooh Sticks – S/T 7″ box (Optic Nerve)
8 Scientists – Not For Sale:  Live 1978/1979 (Grown Up Wrong)
9 Makoto Kawashima – Homo Sacer (Black Editions)
10 Country Teasers – The Toe Rag Sessions (Crypt)
11 Jim Shepard – Heavy Action (Ever/Never)
12 The Dum Dum Boys – Let There Be Noise (In The Red)
13 Bill Direen – A Memory of Others O.S.T. (Sophomore Lounge)
14 Jobcentre Rejects Vol 1 & 2 (On The Dole)
15 Cynics – Rock ‘N’ Roll (Get Hip)

Singles / EPs
1 Hammered Hulls – S/T 7″ (Dischord) 
2 Tyvek – Changing Patterns of Protective Coating – (Doubles Tapes) 
3 The Girl In Times New Viking – S/T (FAH-Q Catalog) 
4 F.U.K. – Road Kill b/w I Got A Head (Hozac) 
5 Too Much – Patent Leather b/w Dyslexia (Merge)
6 Long Hots – Nickle & Dime b/w Give & Take (Third Man)
7 David Nance – Meanwhile b/w Credit Line (Third Man) 
8 Loose Nukes – Demo 7″ (Cruel Noise) & Behind The Screen 7″ (Beach Impediment)
9 Rubber Blanket – New Garbage Truck b/w Pedestrian Bridge (Spacecase Records)
10 Heavy Discipline – S/T (Painkiller) 
11 Skiftande Enheter – S/T (Levande Begravd) & Snubblar genom drömmar (Appetite)
12 Scientists – 9H₂O.SiO₂ (In The Red)
13 Rat Nip – S/T (Self Released)
14 Vivienne Styg – Rose of Texas (Self Released)
15 Stress Group – S/T (Self Released)

Live shows
Ceremony @ Elsewhere
Loose Nukes / L.O.T.I.O.N. – Home Sweet Home
Jon Spencer & the Hitmakers – Rough Trade
Heavy Discipline / Rat Nip / Bad Breeding – Brooklyn Bazaar 
Fucked Up / Haram – Music Hall of Williamsburg
Scientists / Des Demonas – St. Vitus
Warthog / L.O.T.I.O.N. – Asbury Park Brewery
Limousine Beach – The Broadway
Bill Direen – Aeon Bookstore
Major Stars – Nublu
Cynics – Gran Torino
Benni / Sick Thoughts – Poor Boys
75 Dollar Bill & Josh Abrams and Natural Information Society – Roulette 
75 Dollar Bill & Condo Fucks – Union Pool
Public Puberty – The Grove
Hash Redactor – Hart Bar
Steve Gunn / Meg Baird & Mary Lattimore – Bowery Ballroom
Facs – St Vitus
Dark Blue – St Vitus
Gong Gong Gong PS 1
Ex Hex – Bowery Ballroom
Hammered Hulls – Union Pool
Flesh Eaters – Bowery Ballroom
David Nance / Long Hots / Home Blitz – Union Pool
Miss June – Berlin
Cate Le Bon / Dinosaur Jr. / Kurt Vile – Central Park Summerstage
This is Not This Heat – Elsewhere
Warm Drag – some house party
Tyvek – The Glove
Sanhedrin – St Vitus

Brett Andrew Grossman / Reckless Staff Veterinarian

Jim Magas
FAVORITE RELEASES of 2018

DJ Fett Burger & Stiletti Ana – 358 Men 2LP (Freakout Cult)
Hogg – Self-Extinguishing Emission LP (Scrapes)
Ectomorph – Stalker 2LP (Interdimensional Transmissions)
DJ Nigga Fox – Cranio LP (Warp)
DJ Lilocox – Paz & Amour LP (Principe)
Niagara – Apologia LP (Principe)
Donato Dozzy – Filo Loves the Acid 2LP (Tresor)
Shinichi Atobe – Heat 2LP (DDS)
Joan of Arc – 1984 LP (Joyful Noise)
ADULT. – This Behavior LP (Dais)
HIDE – Castration Anxiety LP (Dais)
Mutant Beat Dance LP boxed set (Rush Hour)
Mark Morgan – Department of Heraldry LP (Open Mouth)
EP-4 – Lingua Franca LP (WRWTFWW)
Mukqs – 起き上がりcassette (Doom Trip)
Sarah Davachi – Gave In Rest LP (Ba Da Bing)
Demdike Stare – Passion 2LP (Modern Love)
Chris Corsano & Bill Orcutt – Brace Up! (Palilalila)
Teeth Agency – Outhouse Book/USB credit card (Teeth Agency)
Teeth Agency – Lizards Garden Book/USB credit card (Teeth Agency)
Jeff Mills – Waveform Transmissions 2LP (Tresor) reissue
Brett Naucke – The Mansion LP (Spectrum Spools)
Beau Wanzer – Beau Wanzer 12” (L.I.E.S.)
Steve Hauschildt – Dissolvi LP (Ghostly)

Philip Cerza
What A Time To Be Alive – Superchunk
All Nerve – The Breeders
Be The Cowboy – Mitski
Black Panther – Kendrick Lamar
Bought To Rot – Laura Jane Grace
Devotion – Tirzah
Dirty Computer – Janelle Monae
Double Negative – Low
Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
Hell-On – Neko Case
Historian – Lucy Dacus
Hive Mind – The Internet
Honey – Robyn
Lush – Snail Mail
Ordinary Corrupt Human Love – Deafheaven
Parts – Ohmme
Sweetener/ “thank u, next” – Ariana Grande
Swimming – Mac Miller
There’s A Riot Going On – Yo La Tengo
Transangelic Exodus – Ezra Furman
You’re Not Alone – Andrew W.K.

Luke Dahlgren
Shared Album of the Year:
– Makaya McCraven – Universal Beings (International Anthem)
– Parquet Courts – Wide Awaaaaake! (Rough Trade)

Best of the Rest:

ROCK + POP
Beak> – >>> (Temporary Residence Ltd.)
IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance (Partisan)
The Internet – Hive Mind (Columbia)
Kikagaku Moyo – Masana Temples (Guru Guru Brain)
Mourn – Sorpresa Familia (Captured Tracks)
Sandro Perri – In Another Life (Constellation)
serpentwithfeet – soil (Secretly Canadian)
Shopping – The Official Body (FatCat)
Tirzah – Devotion (Domino)
U.S. Girls – In A Poem Unlimited (4AD)
v/a – Uneven Paths: Deviant Pop from Europe 1980-1991 (Music From Memory)
v/a – Venezuela 70, Vol II: Cosmic Visions of a Latin American Earth (Soul Jazz)
[reissue] Gene Clark – Gene Clark Sings For You (Omnivore)
[reissue] The Dylan II – Kinou no Omoide ni Wakare o Tsugerundamono (Pony Canyon)
[reissue] Happy End – Happy End & Kazemachi Roman (Pony Canyon)
[reissue] High Rise – II (Black Editions)
[reissue] Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes – No. 2, Ame Debout, & Paix
(Anthology)

JAZZ
Idris Ackamoor & the Pyramids – An Angel Fell (Strut)
Ben LaMar Gay – Downtown Castles Can Never Block the Sun (International Anthem)
Mako Sica & Hamid Drake – Ronda (Feeding Tube)
Javier Santiago – Phoenix (RopeADope)
Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth (Young Turks)
v/a – Soul of a Nation, Vol II: Jazz is the Teacher, Funk is the Preacher (Soul Jazz)
[reissue] The Art Ensemble of Chicago – Les Stances a Sophie (Soul Jazz)
[reissue] John Coltrane – Both Directions at Once (Impulse!)
Joseph Shabason – _Anne_ (Western Vinyl)

DANCE
A.A.L (Against All Logic) – 2012-2017 (Other People)
Daniel Avery – Song For Alpha (Mute)
DJ Sotofett & Vera Dvale – Detour Dub / To Want You 12” (Wania)
Essaie Pas – New Path (DFA)
Jon Hopkins – Singularity (Domino)
Niagara – Apologia (Principe) Person of Interest – In Vitro 12” (L.I.E.S.)
Wareika – Water, Sky, Sun, Wood (Mule Musiq)
v/a – Welcome to Paradise, Vol. III: Italian Dream House 90-94 (Safe Trip)
[reissue] ESG – Come Away With ESG (Fire)

HIP-HOP
Black Milk – Fever (Mass Appeal)
Roc Marciano – Behold a Dark Horse (Fat Beats) <<< minus the homophobia
Saba – Care For Me (Saba Pivot)
Earl Sweatshirt – Some Rap Songs (Columbia)

METAL
The Body – I Have Fought Against It, But I Can’t Any Longer (Thrill Jockey)
Green Druid – Ashen Blood (Earache)
Sleep – The Sciences (Third Man)
Thou – Magus (Sacred Bones)
YOB – Our Raw Heart (Relapse)

EXPERIMENTAL, etc.
Andrew Bernstein – An Exploded View of Time (Hausu Mountain)
Egyptology – Sur les autres mondes (Hands In The Dark)
Laurel Halo – Raw Silk Uncut Wood (Latency)
Jon Hassell – Listening to Pictures: Pentimento Vol. I (Ndeya)
Sarah Louise – Deeper Woods (Thrill Jockey)
Saloli – The Deep End (Kranky)
Yves Tumor – Safe in the Hands of Love (Warp)
v/a – Switched-On Eugene (Numero)
[reissue] Heldon – Heldon.6. Interface & Stand By (SouffleContinu)
[reissue] Ursula K. Le Guin & Todd Barton – The Music and Poetry of the Kesh (RVNG Int’l)
[reissue] Michele Mercure – Beside Herself (RVNG Int’l)
[reissue] This Heat – Made Available, Repeat / Metal, & Live 80-81 (Modern Classics)

Zack Caputo
Top 10 Of 2018:

1: You Won’t Get What You Want by Daughters [post-punk/noise rock]
In a comeback to go down in history, Daughters returned from an 8 year slumber to release this monster of a record. These 10 songs are air-tight, consisting of beautiful & arresting lyrical imagery paired perfectly with some of the most alarming & straight up terrifying songwriting I’ve ever heard. Add some fantastic production and brilliant pacing and it all adds up to an unbelievably brutal record about losing your sense of self to the anxiety of our modern times. This isn’t just one of the best albums of the year, but this is easily one of the best noise rock albums of all time.

2: Year Of The Snitch by Death Grips [experimental hip-hop]
When I first heard Death Grips in 2012, they confused me and I (eventually) loved it. Now, in 2018, they continue to leave me scratching my head wondering how they still can make music this boundary pushing and yet stay so good. Despite throwing as many genres at the wall as they can over 13 tracks, almost every single experiment pans out beautifully, creating the most dense but rewarding record they’ve ever released. It might not be the easiest entry point in their prolific portfolio, but it’s a sign that Death Grips is still broadcasting from light years ahead of us all.

3: Veteran – JPEGMAFIA [experimental hip-hop]
JPEGMAFIA dropped Veteran at the beginning of the year and almost made me finish this list right then and there. It’s a head-spinning mix of beautifully left-field sample choices, an endless barrage of satirical yet powerful bars, and some of the most intense performances & flows of the year. Top to bottom, it’s an amazing stroke of twisted genius that shouldn’t be missed.

4: Bad Witch by Nine Inch Nails [industrial/experimental rock]
While the previous two EPs Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross have put out in this trilogy were great, they did carry a melancholy feeling of nostalgia. Bad Witch, however, see the duo fearlessly pushing forward in a way that was sorely missed. While only 6 songs, the truncated format plays in their favor, stripping any filler for a straight and impactful shot of jazz-by-way-of-Blackstar-tinged industrial rock. It’s a beautiful oddity in the NIN discography and one of the best albums they’ve ever done.

5: Scholarz Mate by Chessmastaz [hip-hop]
At only 27 minutes, Scholarz Mate is a jaw-dropping exercise in the power of straight, no chaser hip-hop. Chessmastaz forgo any and all excess, throwing the listener straight through the ringer with 12 songs of non-stop flows where almost every single line is a quotable. Add their mystifying production and you have a powerful example of pure hip-hop. While there will always be a place for grandiose musical statements, this album cuts out all the extraneous outside stimuli and does what most artists can’t: speak straight to your soul.

6: I’ll Tell You What! by RP Boo [footwork]
RP Boo has always captivated me with how minimal their production is and I’ll Tell You What! is no different, its 12 tracks acting as a lesson in minimalist perfection. But it’s not all just that classic RP Boo sound, with many songs featuring surprisingly lush synth-tones & even some incredibly beautiful melodies. But don’t worry, because no matter the melody, every single moment of this record is backed by absolutely devastating grooves. Over two decades into his career, RP Boo still is putting out forward thinking music, truly earning as his status as a Chicago legend.

7: You’re Not Alone by Andrew W.K. [PARTY]
The prodigal son of party finally returns with a beautiful, kaleidoscopic creation. Embedded with all of the little facets of Andrew W.K. that make him the one-of-a-kind figure he is, You’re Not Alone splits its runtime between upbeat powerhouses, heartfelt ballads, zippo-worthy slow jams, & insightful but idiosyncratic spoken word interludes. The party god has never sounded so honest and truthful before, stripping the violent or cryptic lyrics of previous releases for introspective & uplifting mantras, which results in his most consistent and powerful record. The party never dies, and with Andrew W.K., it just keeps getting better and better.

8: OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES by SOPHIE [dance/experimental]
OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES shows SOPHIE stripping back her viciously guarded anonymity for an album that’s as important lyrically as it is musically, combining incredibly stank-face-inducing dance production & beautiful ambient sound design with heartfelt but cryptic lyricism about gender politics in our current, terrifying climate. In a time where governments, corporations, & entire cultures are actively working towards stripping away the rights the LGBTQ+ community has spent centuries fighting for, SOPHIE translates not only the terror of that looming threat, but the beauty of the community & love shared in the face of it.

9: Collapse EP by Aphex Twin [braindance]
Aphex Twin is a bonafide legend for a reason. The albums he released 20 years ago still sound as if they were made today & his output since his triumphant comeback Syro in 2014 may have eased up on the frantic production, but is no less detailed & virtuosic. But, then he releases the Collapse EP. In the mere 4 songs (5 if you use the download card in your LP!), you can hear the calm, measured approach of Syro melt away almost immediately. Showcasing a sound that harkens back to a more intense, impenetrable Aphex Twin without sounding nostalgic or redundant, Collapse EP is yet another brilliant addition to the insanely large RDJ discography with a sound all its own.

10: soil by serpentwithfeet [experimental gospel-pop]
Anyone with a Bjork cosign is worth paying attention to, of course, but serpentwithfeet stands out for their haunting blend of experimental pop and gospel elements. The 11 track soil is almost uncomfortably intimate, with absolutely gorgeous vocal performances over spacious production, all held together by gospel inspired melodies that give the 40 minutes you spend with this record a pathway straight to your heart. It’s topped off with top notch lyricism, depicting relationships ending with a unique, sometimes unnerving honesty & the struggle of trying to stay spiritual in a world filled with so much hate. It’s an arresting, beautiful listen best experienced in the dark, just you and Josiah.

Honorable Mentions:
The Sciences by Sleep [stoner metal]
Daytona by Pusha A [rap]
Platinum Flame by Lil B [rap]
3rd Ward Bounce by Big Freedia [bounce]
Streams Of Thought Vol. 1 by Black Thought [hip-hop]
Panic Blooms by Black Moth Super Rainbow [psych-hop]
Some Rap Songs by Earl Sweatshirt [rap]

Matt Jencik
Asylum Party Borderline LP reissue
Daniel Avery Song For Alpha
Meg Baird & Mary Lattimore Ghost Forests
The Beatles Esher Demos
Casino Versus Japan Suicide By Sun
Oliver Coates Shelley’s on Zenn​-​La
John Coltrane Both Directions at Once
Cosmic Invention Help Your Satori Mind LP reissue
Dedekind Cut Tahoe
Disco Inferno D.I. Go Pop LP reissue
Drudkh They Often See Dreams About the Spring
Bob Dylan More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14
GAS Rausch
Facs Negative Houses
Steve Hauschildt Dissolvi
Index Originals Vol. 1 1967-1968
Jóhann Jóhannsson Mandy soundtrack
Khruangbin Con Todo El Mundo
Low Double Negative
Mako Sica & Hamid Drake Ronda
Mayerling Roche
C. Memi Heavenly Peace 12” reissue
Michele Mercure Beside Herself
Nocturnal Projections Complete Studio Recordings
Nocturnal Projections Inmates in Images
Papa M Broke Moon Rises
Paysage d’Hiver Die Festung LP reissue
Primitive Knot Decanting the Dream-Gore
Mark Renner Few Traces
Happy Rhodes Ectotrophia
Catherine Ribeiro & Alpes LP reissues
Saloli The Deep End
Sleep The Sciences
Spiritualized And Nothing Hurt
David Sylvian & Holger Czukay Plight & Premonition/ Flux &     
Mutability reissue
This Heat LP reissues
Tribulation Down Below
Thom Yorke Suspiria soundtrack
Neil Young Roxy: Tonight’s the Night Live
Neil Young Songs For Judy
V/A A Totally New Sound
V/A Midday Moon: Ambient & Experimental Music From Australia & New
Zealand 1980-1995
V/A Technicolor Paradise: Rhum Rhapsodies & Other Exotic Delights
V/A Uneven Paths: Deviant Pop From Europe: 1980-1991

Shows
Def Leppard @ Wrigley Field
Dødheimsgard/ Bölzer @ Reggie’s
Enslaved @ Metro
GAS @ Art Institute of Chicago
Hot Snakes @ Thalia Hall
Kikagaku Moyo @ Thalia Hall
Kranky 25 @ Rockefeller Chapel
Matchess @ International Museum of Surgical Science
Mdou Moctar @ Reckless Records
Minibeast/Insect Factory @ The Hideout
Janelle Monae @ Chicago Theater
My Bloody Valentine @ The Riviera
Public Image Limited @ Thalia Hall
Quintron & Miss Pussycat @ Spellcaster Lodge
Radiohead @ United Center
Simple Minds @ Chicago Theater
Sleep/Dylan Carlson & Riviera
Southern Lord 20th @ Echoplex
Midori Takada @Art Institute of Chicago
This Is Not This Heat @Pitchfork
Träd, Gräs och Stenar/Endless Boogie @ Hideout
Thom Yorke/Olive Coates @ Chicago Theater
Neil Young @ Auditorium Theater

Jacob Kart
Carl Stone – Electronic Music From the 80’s and 90’s
Ryley Walker – Deafman Glance
Autechre – NTS Sessions
John Coltrane – Both Directions at Once
Kurt Vile – Bottle It In
Lala Lala – The Lamb
Aphex Twin – Collapse EP
Sarah Davachi – Let Night Come On Bells End The Day
Eiko Ishibashi – The Dream My Bones Dream
Ben Lamar Gay – Downtown Castles Can Never Hide The Sun

Ben Hegy
Mark Renner- few traces [rvng intl.]
DRINKS- hippo lite [drag city]
Various Artists- uneven paths: deviant pop from europe 1980-1991
[music from memory]
Gas- rausch [kompakt]
Joan Of Arc- 1984 [joyful noise]
Pusha T- daytona [good music]
Blood Orange- black swan [domino]
Makaya McCraven- universal beings [international anthem]
Neneh Cherry- broken politics [smalltown supersound]
Eiko Ishibashi- dream my bones dream [drag city]
Princess Nokia- girl cried red [rough trade]
Shit and Shine- bad vibes [rocket recordings]
Rezzett- rezzett LP [trilogy tapes]
Aqueduct Ensemble- improvisations on an apricot [last resort]
Chris Carter- cccl volume 1 [mute]
Khruangbin- con todo el mundo [night time stories LTD.]
Laura Cannel- reckonings [brawl records]
Mutant Beat Dance- s/t [rush hour music]
Yves Tumor- safe in the hands of love [warp]
Che-Shizu- a journey [black editions]
Colored Music- s/t [wrwtfww]
EP-4- lingua franca-1 [wrwtfww]
Mkwaju Ensemble- mkwaju & ki-motion [wrwtfww]

Beth Klacko
•David Byrne & Various Artists – True Stories, A Film by David Byrne: The Complete Soundtrack
•Chris Carter – Chemistry Lessons Volume 1
•Sign Libra – Closer To The Equator
•Jon Hassell – Listening To Pictures
•Will Long – Long Trax 2
•Hiroshi Yoshimura – Pier & Loft (Reissue)
•Laraaji – Vision Songs Volume 1
•U.S. Girls – In A Poem, Unlimited
•Mary Lattimore – Hundreds Of Days
•Various Artist – Technicolor Paradise, Rhum Rhapsodies & Other Exotic Delights (Numero Group)
•MKWAJU Ensemble – KI-Motion (Reissue)
•Steve Hauschildt – Dissolvi
•Various Artists – Uneven Paths: Deviant Pop from Europe 1980-1991 (Music From Memory)
•Ben Pirani – How Do I Talk To My Brother?
•Yo La Tengo – There’s A Riot Going On
•Various Artists – Switched On Eugene (Numero Group)
•Kurt Vile – Bottle It In
•Shinichi Atobe – Heat
•EP-4 – Lingua Franca 1 (Reissue)
•Joan Of Arc – 1984

Dave Hofer
Everything Is Recorded – Everything Is Recorded (XL)
Knelt Rote – Alterity (Nuclear War Now!)
Paul White – Rejuvenate (R&S)
Tomb Mold – Manor of Infinite Forms (20 Buck Spin)
Outer Heaven – Realms of Eternal Decay (Relapse)
Turnstile – Time & Space (RoadRunner)
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Hope Downs (Sub Pop)
Sissy Spacek – Ways Of Confusion (Nuclear War Now!)
Closet Witch – Closet Witch (Halo of Flies Records, Sassbologna, Jems, Circus of the Macabre, Don’t Care Records or React With Protest Records, depending on where you live)
The Dirty Nil – Master Volume (Dine Alone)
Bloodbath – The Arrow of Satan is Drawn (Peaceville)
Homeboy Sandman & Edan- Humble Pi (Stones Throw)

Sean Rowader
1. Gigantic – Danky Muniz (Party Grunge / Punk) [Cassette on Push and Pull Records]
-This copyright infringement concept record tears up the roof of the house like Captain Crunch tears up the roof of the mouth. This was technically released at the end of 2017, but I didn’t have the pleasure of blasting it ‘til summer. Danky Muniz is full of lightning fast hooks, guttural scripture and party vibes. I highly recommend watching their one-take music video, “Skankenstein”, produced by Locke and Stache. Easily my number one!
2. IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance (Post Punk / Noise Rock) [LP on Partisan Records]
-The second LP from Bristol’s IDLES doubles down on raw post-punk grooves and tireless, melodic chants from lead singer, Joe Talbot. My favorite song is “Danny Nedelko.”
3. Death Grips – Year of the Snitch (Hip Hop / Experimental) [LP on Third Worlds / Harvest]
-A morphing, genre-contorting and hypnotic release from the greatest band of the digital era. Death Grips’ 6th studio album warrants multiple listens to pull apart the layers. . . kinda like the layers of an onion. Track 9, “Dilemma”, features the co-director of Shrek. Track 3, “Black Paint”, was named song of the summer by Rolling Stone. Some collaborators include DJ Swamp, Lucas Abela and Justin Chancellor. Should I keep going?
4. Moon Honey – Mixed Media on Woman (Peyote Dipped Cotton Candy / Art Rock) [Digital Self Release]
-Moon Honey’s long awaited second album challenges the sexualization of the female form in media, while also discussing the existential differences between meaning and value. Amidst the acrobatic vocals of Jess Joy and the fluttering guitar work of Andrew Martin, Mixed Media on Woman is intoxicating and refreshing. My favorite song is “White Satin.”
5. Tsuzing – 東方不敗 東方不敗 (Techno / EBM) [LP on L.I.E.S.]
-Tzusing released his first effort on the L.I.E.S. label in 2017, however the vinyl didn’t hit the shelves at Reckless until this past year. Tsuzing splashes industrial darkness across meditative
beats with a razor-sharp precision. My favorite song is “Post-Soviet Models.”
6. Various Artists – The Rick and Morty Soundtrack (Stage & Screen / Compilation) [2xLP on Sub Pop]
-The delicate pacing of this compilation creates a triad of laughing, facepalming and crying. If you’re not familiar with the show, know that the writers don’t mind regularly ripping your heart out, and the soundtrack is the scalpel. Features songs from Blonde Redhead, clipping, Mazzy Star, Chaos Chaos and more.
7. Yves Tumor – Safe in the Hands of Love (Abstract / Indie Pop) [2xLP on Warp Records] -This album confronts natural disorientations of existence, such as the paradox of love and torture. Tumor’s lyrics feel honest and forthcoming, while the experimental instrumentation jars you into a state of vulnerability. My favorite song is “Let the Lioness in You Flow Freely.”
8. Moon Hooch – Light It Up EP (Cave Music / Jazz Fusion) [3×7 inch EP on Hornblow Recordings]
-This band’s riotous live performances eventually got themselves banned from the Bedford Avenue subway stop in NYC. NYPD officers frantically stopped subway travellers from dancing on the edge of the platform. Since those humble beginnings in the early 2010’s, Moon Hooch evolves with the Light It Up EP, adding dynamic range and challenging scales to their dance-centered hivemind. “Growing Up” is a slammer.
9. Jack White – Boarding House Reach (Avant Garde / Blues Adjacent) [LP on Third Man]
-The third man himself put out his most bizarre release yet, Boarding House Reach. White uses uncharacteristic recording tactics such as digital instrumentation, masking his voice with a vocoder (“Get in the Mindshaft”), and tracking in quiet hotel rooms while on the road. Highly recommended to those who enjoy the strange and weird. My favorite song is “Everything You’ve Ever Learned.”
10. DZ Deathrays – Bloody Lovely (Dance Punk / Post Punk) [LP on I Oh You]
-Bloody Lovely is the pinnacle of perfect skateboard video game music. That is all.

Jack Curtin
UNWOUND – LEAVES TURN INSIDE YOU (reissue)
SLOW MASS – ON WATCH
ORCHID MANTIS – YELLOW HOUSE
ALEX CAMERON – FORCED WITNESS
BLITHE FIELD – DAYS DRIFT BY
FISHMANS – NIGHT CRUISING 2018
SUN KIL MOON – GHOSTS OF THE GREAT HIGHWAY (reissue)
NOT FOR YOU – DROWN
MAKAYA MCCRAVEN – UNIVERSAL BEINGS
MONOBODY – RAY TRACING

Dillon Guelich
BON VOYAGE – MELODY’S ECHO CHAMBER
SUNWATCHERS II – SUNWATCHERS (CHECK THIS OUT!!!!)
DAYTONA – PUSHA T
MARAUDER – INTERPOL
PREDATOR/PREY – GRUN WASSER
UNIVERSAL BEINGS – MAKAYA MCCRAVEN
DIRTY COMPUTER – JANELLE MONAE
CURRENTS, CONSTELLATIONS – NELS CLINE 4
LITTLE DARK AGE – MGMT

Jake Lingan
ADT- “Insecurities” (Hausu Mountain)
Acid Mothers Temple- “The Night He Fell To Us” (Eye Vybe)
Angelwings Marmalade- “Sole Window” (Eye Vybe)
Felicia Atkinson & Jefre Cantu-Ledesma- “Limpid As The Solitudes” (Shelter Press)
Autechre- “NTS Sessions 1-4” (Warp)
Meg Baird & Mary Lattimore- “Ghost Forests” (Three Lobed)
G.B. Beckers- “Walkman” reissue (Music From Memory)
Andrew Bernstein- “An Exploded View Of Time” (Hausu Mountain)
Kate Bush reissues (Parlophone)
Blood Orange- “Negro Swan” (Domino)
Dean Blunt- “Soul On Fire” (self-released)
Bucket Brigade- “Bucket Brigade” (No Index)
Celestino- “How To Cut A Thought” (Love All Day)
Cheer Accident- “Fades” (Skin Graft)
Class War- “Take A Trip With…” (self-released)
Colored Music- “Colored Music” reissue (WRWTFWW)
John Coltrane- “Both Directions At Once” (Impulse!)
Crazy Bread- “Vocoder Divorce” (Astral Spirits)
Creation Rebel- “Dub From Creation” reissue (On-U Sound)
Brian Eno Ambient reissues (Virgin)
Equip- “Synthetic Core 88” (Yetee)
Felt- “Crumbling The Antiseptic Beauty”/ “Splendour of Fear” reissues (Cherry Red)
Foodman- “Aru Otoko No Densetsu” (Sun Ark)/ “Moriyama” (Palto Flats)
Gas- “Rausch” (Kompakt)
Ben Lamar Gay- “Downtown Castles Can Never Block The Sun” (International Anthem)
Gerrit Hatcher- “Parables For The Tenor” (Astral Spirits)
Steve Hauschildt- “Dissolvi” (Ghostly International)
TIm Hecker- “Konoyo” (Kranky)
Haruomi Hosono- “Philharmony”/ “Omni Sight Seeing” reissues (Light In The Attic)
Junegrass- “Electric Grass” (Eye Vybe)
Quin Kirchner- “The Other Side Of Time” (Astral Spirits)
Lambchop- “What Another Man Spills” reissue (Merge)
Geoffrey Landers- “1 X 1” (Music From Memory)
Laraaji- “Vision Songs Vol. 1” (Numero)
Larmschutz- “Divine Descent” (No Index)
Laurel Halo “Raw Silk Uncut Wood” (Latency)
Mary Jane Leach- “(F)lute Songs” (Modern Love)
Louise Bock- “Repetitives In Illocality” (Feeding Tube)
Mako Sica & Hamid Drake- “Ronda” (Astral Spirits/ Feeding Tube)
John Maus- “Addendum” (Ribbon Music)
Charles Mingus- “Jazz In Detroit/ Strata Concert Gallery/ 46 Selden” (180 Proof)
Mkwaju Ensemble- “Mkwaju”/ “Ki-Motion” reissues (WRWTFWW)
Frank Ocean- “Endless” (Boys Don’t Cry)
Ohmme- “Parts” (Joyful Noise)
Jim O’Rourke- “Sleep Like It’s Winter” (Newhere)
Brett Naucke- “The Mansion” (Spectrum Spools)
Molly Nilsson- “Twenty Twenty” (Night School)
Playboi Carti- “Die Lit” (Interscope)
Platformer// 204863 split (Static Switch)
Potions- “Ositano” (Hausu Mountain)
Quicksails- “The Bright” (Hausu Mountain)
Happy Rhodes- “Ectotrophia” (Numero)
Warren Sampson- “Traveller” reissue (Love All Day)
Shit And Shine- “Bad Vibes” (Rocket)
Sip- “Live On Planet Catieo” (Eye Vybe)
Carl Stone- “Electronic Music From The Eighties & Nineties” (Unseen Worlds)
William Surran- “William Surran” (Love All Day)
Kuniyuki Takahashi- “Early Tape Works 1986-1993 Vol. 1 & 2” (Music From Memory)
This Heat- “Live 80/81”, “Made Available” & “Repeat/ Metal” reissues (Modern Classics)
Throbbing Gristle- “Mission of Dead Souls”/ “Journey Through A Body” reissues (Mute)
Massimo Toniutti- “Il Museo Selvatico” reissue (Black Truffle)
20 Guilders- “Il Grande Silenzia” (Eye Vybe)
Twila Bent- “Lwas” (No Index)
Vibrating Skull Trio// Packard/Hoogland- “Seed Blunt/ AC DC” (Gilded)
Ryley Walker- “Deafman Glance” (Dead Oceans)
Beau Wanzer- “Beau Wanzer” (L.I.E.S)
Reese Williams- “Moon’s Bright Path” (Love All Day)
Akiko Yano- “Tadaima” reissue (We Want Sounds)
Yo La Tengo- “There’s A Riot Going On”/ “Summer Sun” reissue (Matador)
Neil Young- “ROXY: Tonight’s The Night Live”/ “Songs For Judy” (Reprise)
Various Artists- “Switched On Eugene” (Numero)
Various Artists- “Technicolour Paradise: Rhum Rhapsodies & Other Exotic Delights” (Numero)
Various Artists- “Uneven Paths: Deviant Pop From Europe [1980-1991]” (Music From Memory)

Best events (ever): Merzbow in a warehouse on Goose Island at 1 AM/ Sun Ra Arkestra at the Art Institute/ “Lawrence Of Arabia” on 70mm at the Music Box.
RIP Glenn Branca, Nic Roeg & Cecil Taylor

Jamie Drier
Sophia Loizou – Irregular Territories (Cosmo Rhythmatic)
Nadine Byrne – Dreaming Remembering (iDEAL RECORDINGS)
Lucrecia Dalt – Anticlines (RVNG INTL.)
Grouper – Grid Of Points (Kranky)
Angele David-Guillou – Movements Organiques (Village Green)
Christina Vantzou – No. 4 (Kranky)
Space Afrika – Somewhere Decent To Live (Sferic)
Tirzah – Devotion (Domino)
Teresa Winter – What The Night Is For (Death Of Rave)
Bruce Gilbert – Nihilo (Editions Mego)
Facs – Negative Houses (Trouble In Mind)
Makaya McCraven – Universal Beings (International Anthem Recording Company)
Demdike Stare – Passion (Modern Love)
Penelope Trappes – Penelope Two ( Houndstooth)
Amnesia Scanner – Another Life (PAN)

Nicolette Meyer
Favorites of 2018 in no particular order except for #1:
15. Fucked Up – Dose Your Dreams
14. Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer
13. Dead Can Dance – Dionysus
12. Ectomorph – Stalker
11. Robyn – Honey
10. Author and Punisher – Beastland
9. The Carters – Everything Is Love
8. Blood Orange – Negro Swan
7. Makayla McCraven – Universal Beings
6. DJ Koze – Knock Knock
5. Cult Leader – A Patient Man
4. Sleep – Sciences
3. Prince – Piano & A Microphone 1983
2. Fielded – Drip Drip
1. Rosalia – El Mar Querer

Anthony Illarde
DAMNED Evil Spirits (Spinefarm LP)
TOM DISSEVELT & KID BALTAN Electronic Music (Fantome LP)
DR. JOHN Gris Gris (Mono Mix) (Jackpot LP)
DRAGONS A Sea For Yourself Soundtrack (Modern Harmonic LP + DVD)
ETHERS Ethers (Trouble In Mind LP)
HONEYBUS Story, Recital, For Where Have You Been (Mapache LPs)
BASIL KIRCHIN I Start Counting Soundtrack (Trunk LP)
SHA LA DAS Love In The Wind (Daptone LP)
PAUL WILLIAMS Someday Man (Ship To Shore LP)
FRANK ZAPPA Lumpy Gravy Primordial (Zappa LP)
RY COODER & MANUEL GALBAN Mambo Sinuendo (Nonesuch LP)

Gary Errera
2018 Top Five

5.Nine Inch Nails – Bad Witch.
Nice Little EP from Trent.
4.Idles – Joy as an Act of Resistance.
A for effort, C for Execution.
Cool to see a contemporary popular “punk” record I guess.
3.Robyn – Honey.
Solid Addition to her catalog.
2.The Smashing Pumpkins – Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past.
No Future. No Sun.
Again a nice little EP but it’s almost halfway decent.
1.Unwound – Leaves Turn Inside You (Reissue) –
Even though it’s a reissue this is the best release of 2018.

John Jackson
In no order
Ras G & The Afrikan Space Program – Stargate Music. Cosmic Hip Hop instrumentals with a spiritual vibe.

Platformer/204863 – Platformer/204863 Debut split from two experimental artists from Chicago (also Reckless employees) David Cartwright and Zachary Caputo. Platformer side is full of mystical yet danceable grooves, deep sub bass, and dreamy soundscapes. 204863 side is an experimental sound collage using drones, vocal samples, field noises, and other samples.

John Hassell – Listening to Pictures Hassell’s latest album after taking a 9 year break! In typical Hassell style, this one is a blend of jazz, ambient, and electronic elements.

Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids – An Angel Fell This is a perfect example of where contemporary jazz is going. With a blend of spiritual elements, Afrobeat Funk, Hip Hop, and free jazz it’s hard to even classify this as any one genre.

Makaya McCraven – Universal Beings This release follows McCraven and his band to four cities Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and London. All four sides represent different flavors on the drummer’s palate.

Ben Lamar Gay – Downtown Castles Can Never Block the Sun Chicago based trumpeter releases a compilation of songs recorded over the years. Styles span from traditional to free jazz, and everything in between.

Westside Gunn – Supreme Blientel 2018 has been a good year for Westside Gunn and Griselda records. This is hardcore Hip Hop with production from the likes of Pete Rock and the Alchemist.

Krushlove & Rosewood – GXD Chicago based producer Krushlove’s collaboration with emcee Rosewood to create a Hip Hop Noir type of project.

Roc Marciano – Behold a Dark Horse Roc Marciano returns with a selection of Hip Hop tunes that evoke a blaxploitation vibe. With beats by Alchemist amongst others, and features from OG’s Busta Rhymes and Black Thought.

Czarface & MF Doom – Czarface Meets Metal Face Hardcore Hip Hop performed in a comic book style of format.

Dylan Sowle
Top 15 of 2018

15. Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo (Night Time Stores Ltd.). I’m sure this will end up on tons of year-end lists, and deservedly so. I am not good at talking about music, but this band is very good at playing music, so just go listen to it and enjoy yourself.

14. The Beths – Future Me Hates Me (Carpark). The Beths toured with Peach Kelli Pop earlier this year, which should give you an idea of what they sound like. Not as sugary sweet as PKP, but with plenty of pop hooks that will be in your head for days. This is their debut album, so we can be excited for much more in the future.

13. Fire-Toolz – Skinless X-1 (Hausu Mountain). If someone wanted me to give them just one example of the most unique, hard-working, and experimental music in Chicago, this would be it. I never know what to expect when I go to a Fire-Toolz show. Sometimes I feel like my face is being melted off, and other times I find myself lulled into a peaceful, but glitched-out dream state. This one is pretty ambient and smooth, but get yourself into a basement with Fire-Toolz some night if you want the full experience.

12. The Voidz – Virtue (RCA, Cult). A great evolution from their first album 4 years ago, Virtue goes in a million directions at once, and they all pretty much work. “Qyurryus” is THE track. Middle Eastern vocal influences, but sent into hyperdrive with auto-tune effects and lurching guitars. I still listen to this band even though my girlfriend has a crush on Julian Casablancas.

11. Shannon and the Clams – Onion (Easy Eye Sound). Shannon Shaw has never disappointed me, which is more than I can say for most things in life. Did you see these guys on Halloween at Thalia Hall? They all dressed in classic “nerd” costumes and covered Black Sabbath. So good.

10. GYMSHORTS – Knock Knock (Wallflower, Burger Records). The first LP from GYMSHORTS is finally here!! This band is so much fun! You’ll probably get to see them for like 5 bucks in some dive bar if you hurry, but they’ve been touring with Tacocat so people might wise up to how cool this band is and soon you’ll have to pay to stand in the back at the Metro or something. Just some kids who love classic rock riffs and playing ding dong ditch.

9. Liz Phair – Girly-Sound To Guyville (Matador). Technically not a new album this year, but this box set includes the essential Liz Phair album Exile In Guyville, alongside the Girly-Sound tapes which provide the foundation for her song-by-song response to the Rolling Stone’s Exile On Main Street. Liz’s album is better, by the way. Hearing these raw, early versions of songs I’ve been enjoying for years was an amazing experience, and this box set just feels so important to hold in my hands.

8. Jóhann Jóhannsson – Mandy OST (Lakeshore Records). Oh, Mandy. It’s a beautiful, psychedelic, hilarious, terrifying movie, and Jóhannsson’s score is so crucial to the entire atmosphere of the film. Those acid-eating, Slipknot-looking, demon bikers wouldn’t be quite as spooky without the tunes to back them up.

7. Yob – Our Raw Heart (Relapse). Powerful doom metal that swallows you up like a giant wave. This album has a terrifying beauty that gives one the feeling of listening in on some unknown religious ritual. Swelling riffs and vocals that will beat you down repeatedly, and you’ll like it.

6. Fucked Up – Dose Your Dreams (Merge). Fucked Up is a band that continues to mystify me. How can a hardcore punk band sound like this? Can you even call this hardcore at all any more? How can they cram so many opposing styles and ideas into one record and have it sound this GOOD? I guess I don’t know and I don’t care, because this album rules.

5. Mitski – Be The Cowboy (Dead Oceans). The first time I heard Mitski was when I was watching an episode of Adventure Time where Marceline the Vampire Queen does a cover of her song “Francis Forever”. Something about the simultaneously optimistic and tragic themes of that show fit Mitski’s music perfectly. This album is painfully emotional, yet strong and stoic in a way that only she can be. We should feel lucky that this album exists.

4. Idles – Joy As An Act Of Resistance (Partisan Records). I was late to the game on Idles, but I am so glad I got on board when I did. Working-class punk music that I didn’t know even existed in 2018. Spotify told me that not only did I listen to this band more than any other musician this year, but that this somehow contributed to me listening to “non-mainstream artists 115% more than the average user”. That’s some real street cred, dude.

3. Surfbort – Friendship Music (Cult). These guys look like they could be the house band in a John Waters movie about some dirty, yet kind-hearted punks who like to sniff glue and ride dirtbikes. Manic punk rock with some very poppy hooks. Spin this and freak out, man!

2. Andrew W.K. – You’re Not Alone (RED MUSIC). Andrew W.K. is the single most positive, thoughtful, and empowering voice in the world today, and this album is the sum of all his hard work in partying and making people feel like there is goodness left on the planet. If you still only know him because of “Party Hard”, do yourself a favor and dig deeper. Read his advice columns from the Village Voice, watch his kids’ show Destroy Build Destroy, watch YouTube videos of him talking to Larry King about drugs. I’m gonna go listen to this album in my car and cry now.

1. Car Seat Headrest – Twin Fantasy (Matador). Originally recorded in 2011, this year found Will Toledo re-recording the entire record and releasing it on Matador. This is an album that you just have to listen to all the way through. It’s a concept record that does everything right, with emotion that feels real and consistent themes that never feel overbearing. It also references John Linnell and Ray Bradbury, so I’m sold.

P.R. Ryan
MGMT – Little Dark Age (Columbia)
George Clanton – Slide (100% Electronica)
Andrew W.K. – You’re Not Alone (Sony)
Screaming Females – All At Once (Don Giovanni)
Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer (Sub Pop)
Kali Uchis – Isolation (Virgin)
Kero Kero Bonito – Time ‘n’ Place (Polyvinyl)
Superorganism – Superorganism (Domino)
SOPHIE – OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES (MSMSMSM/Future Classic)
Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo (Dead Oceans)

J David Cartwright
Tirzah – Devotion (Domino)
RnB with fresh, sparse arrangements and direct lyrics that cut to the bone. Gives me the shivers.
Favorite track: Guilty

Mondo Lava – Ogre Heights (Hausu Mountain)
This album is an instant morale booster. Joyful, loose jams that are very reminiscent of the Donkey Kong Country OST. Favorite track: Hippodrome (9 minutes of pure bliss)

Bergsonist – i (Self-Released)
Really well executed Icy techno/ electro. Favorite track: Bomb Silicone
The name of the EP isn’t “i”, but that is the closest character I could find.

Lockbox – Free VDV Prayer (Hausu Mountain)
A lot of positivity in this one. Hyper-digital sounds that build and collapse in often funky rhythmic ways.
Favorite track: EEPROM4

Exhibitionist – Smoke Signals (Reserve Matinee)
Haunting broken-record-sounding loops that effectively lure me into a trance. Big on atmosphere and partially recorded at the Green Mill! Favorite track: The Big Stir

Amnesia Scanner – Another Life (Pan)
Few groups have encapsulated our modern dread like Amnesia Scanner. They take the glossy club sound, fracture it and make it metal. Favorite track: AS Too Wrong (incredible video!)

Dj Fett Burger & Stiletti Ana – 358 Men (Freakout Cult)
2 LPs of smooth, deep house jams that don’t feel over-thought or rushed. Dj Fett Burger will always have my attention. Favorite track: Men

Foodman – Aru Otoko No Densetsu (Sun Ark)
Abstract and playful, Foodman continues to push his sound to the far reaches of the mind with cartoonesque characters and deep synth tones.
Favorite track: Sauna

Chessmastaz – Scholarz Mate (Static Switch)
Old School hip-hop flavor with mindful lyrics and jagged beats. A Chicago duo that keep it real on all levels.
Favorite track: Get It

Woody – Relentless Kickdrum (Self-Released)
Pop music chopped to bits and re-purposed for bodily release on the dancefloor. Frantic and high-energy, how I want to dance off 2018. Favorite track: Hell

Reissues:
Wild Geese – The Wild Geese EP (was/ is)
Christoph De Babalon – If you’re into it, i’m out of it (Cross Fade Enter Tainment)

Favorite DJ mix: Ciel – Crack Mix 232

Steven Rahman
In 2018 I liked many things that I would like to share with you.

In no particular order:

– Black Thought’s continued Virtuosic dominance of the English language. –
If you are not aware of the 10 minute freestyle on Funk Flex’s radio show that started this year, you may very well have been under a rock. The never ending argument about whether or not Hip Hop has died, or whether lyricism is no longer valued might have been broken down so that it might be forever broke. After the video hit the internet, there was a whole 2 weeks of “Black Thought the GOAT” talk & I for one am here for it. Top that off with Streams of Thought Vol. 1 (produced by 9th Wonder) & Vol. 2 (produced by Salaam Remi) & The Roots front man has put together an MVP year.

– J. Cole’s guest verses. –
Cole released KOD, a very good album that continues his practice of solo albums without features., but it doesn’t quite reach the highs that Cole can reach. Something about Hip Hop requires collaboration, an almost familial community of creatives bringing the best out of their compatriots.So it’s little surprise two of Cole’s best verses this year come on the LPs of his Dreamville signees. On 6LACK’s East Atlanta Love Letter, the track “Pretty Little Fears” Cole puts on a clinic with a magnificently tender verse. He finished the year on J.I.D.’s Dicaprio 2, with Off Deez matching J.I.D. & his much quicker pace with a vibrant gratuitous braggadocio.

– The GOAT Trio & their repeated exceeding of expectations –
Noname, Saba, & Smino (& Phoelix) are the definition of a super-team. Individually talented, together they’ve put out two classic tracks. When Noname released Telefone, an incredible album which featured “Shadow Man” as a closing track I was shocked, amazed & impressed, but really the trio stepped it up to stratospheric levels with “Ace” on Room25. In addition, Saba dropped what might be my favorite single rap album of the year with Care for Me & Smino’s Noir is right up near the top with it.

– The year of radical softness & the “Alone at Last” release show at Sleeping Village –
Chicago’s poetry scene is one of my favorite things. It’s a breeding ground for great musicians & writers, & artists of all kinds. In a year where we’ve watched the world change & not always for the better, the voice of the poets is one that stands out. The singular event that I remember is this record release party with Tasha & her all femme, all-star band. I spent the next few days with the lines “Holy, holy, holy is my bed at night, alone at last with space to cry…” echoing through my days. It was an amazing, embracing show, that left me feeling gentler than I have in a while.

– Things I loved, but have fewer thoughts about –
Eve Ewing’s & Saladin Ahmed’s comics, Hanif Abdurraqib’s “They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us,” Breakbeat Poets Volume 2: Black Girl Magic, Fatimah Asghar’s ‘If They Come For Us,” Steve McQueen’s “Widows,” Boots Riley’s “Sorry to Bother You,” Rafael Casal’s & Daveed Diggs’ “Blindspotting,” Big Kids Slam, Chance the Rapper’s Loosies, Anna Burch’s “Tea Soaked Letter,” Limetown’s Second Season. That’s it!

Joe Seger
Albums that came out or were reissued in 2018, in no particular order, that I enjoyed the most.

CAVERN OF ANTI-MATTER “Hormone Lemonade” (Duophonic)
RAYS “You Can Get There From Here” (Trouble In Mind)
DAVID NANCE GROUP “Peaced and Slightly Pulverized” (Trouble In Mind)
MOUNTAIN MOVERS “Pink Skies” (Trouble In Mind)
CHEAP NASTIES “Cheap Nasties” (HoZac)
NEGATIVE SCANNER “Nose Picker” (Trouble In Mind)
CARBONAS “Your Moral Superiors: Singles And Rarities” (Goner)
THE BYRDS “Sweetheart Of The Rodeo” *Reissue* – 50th Ann. Legacy Edition (Columbia)
STEREOLAB “Switched On” *Reissue* (Duophonic)
STEREOLAB “Aluminium Tunes” *Reissue* (Duophonic)
STEREOLAB “Refried Ectoplasm – Switched On Vol. II” (Duophonic)
KIKAGAKU MOYO “Masana Temples” (Guruguru Brain)
DUSK “Dusk” (Don Giovanni)
COSMIC INVENTION “Help Your Satori Mind” *Reissue* (Drag City)
MARKED MEN “On The Other Side” (Dirtnap)
DEAD MEADOW “The Nothing They Need” (Xemu)
MICHAEL NESMITH & THE FIRST NATIONAL BAND “Magnetic South” *Reissue* (Sundazed)
CHARLES BRADLEY “Black Velvet” (Daptone)
GENE CLARK “Sings Songs For You” (Omnivore)
DEAF WISH “Lithium Zion” (Sub Pop)
DEAD MOON “Dead Moon: The Book” (Mississippi)
SPECIAL INTEREST “Spiraling” (Raw Sugar)
HIGH ON FIRE “Electric Messiah” (Entertainment One)
FU MANCHU “Clone Of The Universe” (At The Dojo)
REDD KROSS “Hot Issue” *Reissue* (Merge)
UNWOUND “Leaves Turn Inside You” *Reissue* (Numero)
UNWOUND “New Plastic Ideas” *Reissue* (Numero)

Tom Walczyk
Basement Beehive — various (Numero Group)
Honeybus – Story (2018 Mapache Reissue)
Sam Gopal – Escalator (reissue) Lemmy pre Motörhead
Smoking Popes – Into the Agony (Asian Man Records)
Idles – Joy As An Act of Resistance (Parisian Records)
Breeders – All Nerve (4Ad records)
Ty Segall – All 4 records released this year
(Anticipation for his 5th CIA)
Kikagaku Moyo – Masana Temple (GuruGuru Brain Records)
The Fall— Superior Viaduct Reissues
Spacemen 3 – Superior Viaduct Reissues

Kip McCabe
Things that were good about 2018

Alexandra Stréliski “INSCAPE”
Nils Frahm “Encores 1”
Saloli “Deep End”
Movies and TV
Cobra Kai – You Tube
The Expanse Season 3 – SyFy

Friends of Reckless

Emily Elhaj (Love Lion)
ALBUMS

The Breeders – All Nerve (4AD)
Makaya McCraven – Universal Beings (International Anthem)
Drinks – Hippo Lite (Drag City)
Sam Gendel & Sam Wilkes – Music for Saxophone and Bass Guitar (Leaving Records)
Hailu Mergia – Lala Belu (Awesome Tapes From Africa)
U.S. Girls – In A Poem Unlimited (4AD)
Tirzah – Devotion (Domino)
Prophet – Wanna Be Your Man (Stones Throw)
Grid City (Love Lion)
Amen Dunes – Freedom (Sacred Bones)
Grouper – Grid Of Points (Kranky)
Wand – Perfume (Drag City)
La Luz – Floating Features (Hardly Art)
Arvo Pärt – Fur Alina (Mississippi Records)
Marisa Anderson – Cloud Corner (Thrill Jockey)
Lilac – Demo (self)
Lionlimb – Tape Recorder (Bayonet)
Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo (Dead Oceans)
FACS – Negative Houses (Trouble In Mind)
Nipsey Hussle – Victory Lap (Atlantic)
Kali Uchis – Isolation (Virgin EMI)
Smoke Bellow – Isolation 3000 (Ehse)
Proud Father – Creations for Electric Guitar (Reserve Matinee)
Melody’s Echo Chamber – Bon Voyage (Fat Possum)
Jóhann Jóhannsson – Mandy OST (Lakeshore)
Wei Zhongle – The Operators (Self Sabotage)
Pablo’s Eye – Bardo For Pablo (Stroom)
Sam Evian – You, Forever (Saddle Creek)
Mouse On Mars – Dimensional People Part III (Thrill Jockey)
Sleep – The Sciences (Third Man)
Ben LaMar Gay – Downtown Castles Can Never Block The Sun (Int’l Anthem)
Yo La Tengo – There’s a Riot Going On (Matador)

Mindkiller podcast by Anya Davidson

REISSUE

John Coltrane – Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album (Verve)
Catherine Ribeiro & Alpes reissues (Anthology)
Lurker of Chalice – s/t (Nuclear War Now)
Belong – October Language (Spectrum Spools)
The Nightcrawlers – The Biophonic Boombox Recordings (Anthology)
Unwound – New Plastic Ideas (Numero Group)
Wire reissues (Pink Flag)
Ted Lucas – s/t (Yoga)
Massive Attack – Mezzanine (UMC / Virgin EMI)

SHOWS

White Magic, Zebulon
Julianna Barwick, Bootleg
Jeff Parker Quartet, ETA
The Breeders, The Fonda
Beyonce, Coachella
Rodrigo Amarante, Zebulon
Wand, Nuerolux
Vagabon, The Getty
Pavo Paco, Moroccan Lounge
Equip, Zebulon
Beak>, Echoplex
Mikal Cronin, Gold Diggers
La Luz, The Echo
Kranky 25, First Congregational Church of L.A.

Morgan Cuinet (Hands in the Dark)
In no particular order:
Jessica Moss – Entanglement (Constellation)
FACS – Negative Houses (Trouble in Mind)
Ice Baths – Ice Baths (Blank Editions)
Michele Mercure – Beside Herself (RVNG / Freedom to Spend)
Denis Wise – Wize Music (Finders Keepers)
Razen – The Night Receptionist (Meakusma)
Jason Kolàr – Modified Perspectives (Stroom)
Bégayer – Terrain à Mire. Une Maison Rétive. Contrainte par le Toit (Les Disques Bongoe Joe)
Carl Stone – Electronic Music From the Eighties And Nineties (Unseen Worlds)
Meyers – Struggle Artist (Shelter Press)
Christina Vantzou – No.4 (Kranky)
Sarah Hennies – Embedded Environments (Blume)
Roland Kayn – Simultan (Die Schachtel)
Norberto Lobo – Estrela (Three:Four)
Good Luck in Death – They Promised Us A Bright Future, We Were Content With An Obscure Past (Nahal Recordings)

Dave Martin (Captured Tracks)

New Records
1. Shifters – A Cunning Plan – Trouble In Mind
2. Superchunk – What A Time To Be Alive – Merge
3. Low – Double Negative – Sub Pop
4. Facs – Negative Houses – Trouble In Mind
5. E – Negative Work – Thrill Jockey
6. Thalia Zedek Band – Fighting Season – Thrill Jockey
7. Lavender Flu – Mow The Glass – In The Red
8. Meg Baird & Mary Lattimore – Ghost Forests – Three Lobed
9. Jon Spencer – Spencer Sings The Hits – In The Red
10. V/A Raise Your Voice Joyce – Static Shock Records
11. David Nance Group – Peaced and Slightly Pulverized – Trouble In Mind
12. Fucked Up – Dose Your Dreams – Merge
13. Snake & Friends – S/T – RIP Society
14. Brian Case – Plays Paradise Official – Hands In The Dark
15. Native Cats – John Sharp Toro – RIP Society
16. Constant Mongrel – Living in Excellence – Anti Fade / La Vida Es Un Mus
17. Warm Drag – S/T – In The Red
18. BB and the Blips – Shame Job – Thrilling Living Records
19. Deaf Wish – Lithium Zion – Sub Pop
20. Special Interest – Spiraling – Raw Sugar Records
21. Terry – I’m Terry – Upset The Rhythm
22. Patois Counselors – Proper Release – Ever/Never Records
23. Tommy Jay & the General – Florida Songs – Feeding Tube Records
24. Body / Head – The Switch – Matador
25. Charnel Ground – S/T – 12XU

Reissues
1. Luxurious Bags – Frayed Knots – Twisted Village
2. High Rise – II – The Black Editions
3. Cosmic Invention – Help Your Satori Mind Dbl LP – Drag City
4. Gaseneta – S/T – Full Contact / Ektro Records
5. Real Kids / Kids – Demos & Live At The Rat! LPs – Crypt
5. Carbonas – Your Moral Superiors – Goner
7. John Coltrane – Both Directions At Once – Impulse
8. Nocturnal Projections – Complete Studio Recordings & Inmates In Images – Dias Records
9. Chris Brokaw – Canaris – Omentum Records
10. V/A – Why Are We Here? – Schoolkids Records
11. Your Food – Poke It With A Stick – Drag City
12. Laughing Hyenas – Third Man / Touch And Go
13. Brown Sugar – Long Strange Drip – Loki
14. Ali Farke Toure
15. Sun Ra – Pine Street Theatre Oct. 28, 1988 – Jackpot Records
16. Simply Saucer – Cyborgs Revisited – In The Red
17. V/A – Destroy All Art Volume 2 – Rock N’ Roll Parasite Records
18. This Kind of Punishment – S/T, A Beard Of Bees – Superior Viaduct
19. Dead Moon – 2xLP + Book – Mississippi
20. Cheap Nasties – S/T – Hozac

Singles / EPs
1. Anthony – Get Over U – First Letter Press
2. Fucked Up – Raise Your Voice Joyce b/w Taken – Merge
3. Superchunk – Our Work Is Done b/w Total Eclipse – Merge
4. Bardo Pond / Major Stars – Chunklet
5. Rocket 808 – Digital Billboards b/w Mystery Train – 12XU
6. Counter Intuits – Vietnamese Lighter b/w Edge – Total Punk
7. Boss – Steel Box b/w I’m The Dog (You’re The Ball) – Goner
8. Protomartyr – Consolation – Domino
9. Shifters – Just Sat Down – Digital Regress
10. Des Demonas – Bay Of Pigs b/w Skrewz – Slovenly Recordings
11. Midnight Mines – Stations b/w Radio Dub – Disci Del Barone
12. Jellicoe & Woodbury – Fear b/w Doubt – Quality Control HQ
13. Skiftande Enheter – Mördande rutin b/w Jag har fått nog – Market Square Records
14. Jeffrey Evans & Ross Johnson – Caldonia b/w Cotton Fields – Spacecase / Selection Records
15. Crown Court – Mad In England – Goner
16. Dinosaur Jr. – Goin Down b/w Tiny – Third Man Records
17. Warthog – S/T – Toxic State
18. Richie Venus – Demetria b/w Demi Dream – Spacecase / Selection Records
19. Dark Blue – Fight To Love b/w For You – 12XU
20. Richard Papiercuts – Twisting The Night – Ever/Never Records

Cassettes / Digital jams
1. Sadie – Lost in Space
2. Long Hots – Monday Night Raw / Live at Three Lobed Jamboree
3. Painted Eyes – Demo 2018
4. Public Persona – Live! From the Student Ghetto
5. Don Howland – Endgame

Shows
Facs – Elsewhere
Weather Warlock / Three Brained Robot / Quintron & Miss Pussycat – Spellcaster Lodge
Major Stars – Union Pool
Flesh Eaters – Harlows / The Independent
Superchunk – Rough Trade
Scientists – Union Pool
Warm Drag – Rec Center and Union Pool
Deaf Wish – Union Pool
David Nance Group / Mountain Movers – Union Pool
Aquarian Blood – Murphy’s
Shells – Outer Limits Lounge
Gotobeds – The Shop
Tim Kerr – Unionknott Gallery
Shit-dels – Betty’s
Dark Blue – St. Vitus

Andy Larsen (Matador Direct)
Sarah Davachi – Let Night Come On Bells End The Day (Recital) / Gave In Rest (Ba Da Bing!)
Demdike Stare – Passion (Modern Love)
Lavender Hex – Lavender Hex
Gas – Rausch (Kompakt)
Jlin – Autobiography (Music From Wayne McGregor’s Autobiography) (Planet Mu)
S.H.I.T. – What Do You Stand For? (Iron Lung Records)
Drew McDowall – The Third Helix (Dais Records)
Miss Red – K.O. (Pressure)
Vile Gash – Nightmare In A Troubled Brain (Youth Attack)
Tirzah – Devotion (Domino)
Helena Hauff – Qualm (Ninja Tune)

Etc:
Happy Rhodes – Ectotrophia (Numero Group)

Etc:
La Misma – Negociacoes De Pas Continuae Como Fazemas Fabulas 7″ (Toxic State Records)
Clara! – Reggaetoneras 3 mixtape (Editions Gravats)
V/A Basement Beehive (Numero Group)

Adam Bartlett (Gilead Media/Eroding Winds)

Daughters – You Won’t Get What You Want (Ipecac)
This went straight to the top of my list. I’ve loved everything Daughters / As the Sun Sets related for… fuck, decades? And seeing the evolution of some of these guys into what Daughters has become has just been an absolute joy. Hell Songs and the self-titled LP were honestly enough to keep me satisfied if this band never made anything else. But then they came out of the shadows and gave us the best record of their discography. Absolute, flawless, artful brilliance. And the best live performance I saw all year. This is my #1 record of the year, everything else is in a random order.

Thou – Magus (Sacred Bones)
I can finally put a Thou full-length on my year-end list! If these guys were going to hop labels for an album, at least it was to someone like Sacred Bones. And at least I still get to do a bunch of cool stuff for them. Couldn’t be more proud of my buds in Thou and all the success they had with their art this year. Magus feels, to me, like Heathen part 2 with more dynamic stuff going on, so that’s cool by me. Good progression.

KEN Mode – Loved (Season of Mist)
Yoooooo, fuckin’ noise rock supreme. Absolutely enamored with this one. Feels like a sick companion LP to the Couch Slut record we released in 2017. Perfect tone and a perfect album duration. I cannot overstate how important it is that I am left wanting more when a record ends, this hits the mark.

Sleep – The Sciences (Third Man)
This was hands-down my album of the year until the Daughters record came out. My previous enjoyment of Sleep varied, but this record gave me an entirely new love for the band, and retroactively made me enjoy their previous records even more. The production is absolutely perfect on this, and made all the better by the fact that it was engineered by Noah Landis of Neurosis, bandmate of Sleep/Neurosis drummer Jason Roeder. This record, to me, feels like it has the huge, meditative OM vibe that I love about Al’s songwriting, just fleshed out with the insane dual solos and flawless drumming that come with metal legends like Pike and Roeder. A spotless record front to back. Despite the retail nightmare it created upon release.

Gas – Rausch (Kompakt)
Very stoked to see some new albums released from the GAS project by Wolfgang Voigt. Beautiful and enveloping ambient music, and easily some of my favorite stuff to play at home around the house on my personal time. Wish I wouldn’t have missed the Chicago performance, major failure on my part. I dug on the 2017 release, Narkopop, but Rausch just absolutely kills.

Visigoth – Conqueror’s Oath (Metal Blade)
I honestly have no idea what I like about this record, because this is not the type of thing I generally enjoy listening to. But here we are, as one of my most-played LPs of the year. I guess everything on this album is just so fucking tight, songwriting rules and the vocals are flawless. Plus a song about the Witcher. Okay I guess I know why I like it, but still, not usually my cup of tea. Visigoth rules.

Anna Von Hausswolff – Dead Magic (City Slang)
Great ethereal, minimalist, atmospheric, indie pop? I’m not sure how to accurately explain what’s going on here, but it fills a void I didn’t know I had, and I’m glad it’s there for me now.

Voivod – The Wake (Century Media)
How is this band so consistently this sick? I didn’t really “get” voivod until a few years ago, but tracking through everything made me a big fan. I didn’t expect this record to rip as hard as it does. I was a fool.

Judas Priest – Firepower (Columbia)
I never liked heavy metal. I don’t know if I still really do or don’t. But I grew up a hardcore kid, I got into a lot of weird shit. I was always resistant to anything remotely popular and generally accepted as “classic.” Young, foolish way of thinking. One of my pals that worked at the record shop finally turned me on to Priest, and I’ve been obsessed ever since. Fucking love this record.

Audrey Ewell (Director of Until the Light Takes Us, Memory Box, and 99%, all made with co-director Aaron Aites of the band Iran) 

There was  a lot of great music this year, from old favorites like
Tim Hecker, the Caretaker, Low, Marissa Nadler, and a great ep from
Fennesz, and new finds, like The Final Age and Anenon (and a weird
month where I couldn’t stop obsessively listening to the Oliver Coates record to the point that now I can’t at all, probably ever again), and lots more, but for me, the Lonnie Holley track “I Woke Up in A Fucked-Up America” is just 2018 encapsulated. Delicate notes are torn apart by a guttural rage, a cry of despair at the horror of modern America… and yet still, buried in there, fighting to rise above the cacophony, the sense that we are better than this, if we can just find a way to wake up from the nightmare and reclaim our humanity. It should be our new national anthem.

Brett Andrew Grossman
New things
The Orielles “Silver Dollar Moment” (Heavenly)
Yui Onodero and Stephen Vitiello “Quivers” (Mikroton Recordings)
Jenny Hval “The Long Sleep” (Sacred Bones)
Snail Mail “Lush” (Matador)
Ian William Craig “Thresholder” (130701)
Yowler “Black dog in my Path (Double Double Whammy)
Deerhunter “Double Dream of Spring” (4AD)
Papa M “A Broke Moon Rises” (Drag City)
Tim Rutili and Craig Butcher “10 Seconds to Collapse” (Jealous Butcher)
Thom Yorke (Suspira) XL Recordings
Drinks “Hippo Lite” (Drag City)
Caretaker “Everywhere at the End of Time Stage 4 and 5 (History Always Favours the Winners)
Alexander Tucker “Don’t Look Away” (Thrill Jockey)
Cucina Povera “Hilja” (Night School)
Grouper “Grid of Points” (Kranky)
Neko Case “Hell-on” (Lady Pilot)
Phew “Voice Hardcore” (Bereket)
Ty Segall “Freedom’s Goblin” (Drag City)
Julia Holter “Aviary” (Domino)
Jeff Tweedy “Warm” (dBpm records)
LaLa Lala “The Lamb” (Hardly Art)
Tim Hecker “Konoyo” (Kranky)
Post Animal “When I think of you in a Castle” (Polyvinyl)
No Age “Snares Like A Haircut” (Drag City)
The Shins Worms of Heart (Aural Apothecary Records)
Loma “Loma” (Subpop)
Mary Jane Leach “(f)lute songs) (Modern Love)

Reissues / Archival
Akira Rabelais “Eisoptrophobia” (Boomkat Editions)
Rimarimba “Below the Horizon” (Freedom to Spend)
Catherine Christer Hennix “Selected Early Keyboard Works” (Black Forms Edition)
Joanne Forman “Cave Vaults of the Moon” (Séance Center)
Mark Renner “Few Traces” (Rvng Intl)
Philip Sanderson “On one of those Bends” (Séance Center)

RECKLESS RECORDS 2017 BEST OF LISTS

Philip Cerza
My favorite album of 2017 is The Navigator by Hurray For The Riff Raff. My favorite EP is Harmony of Difference by Kamasi Washington. Best 7″ is Superchunk’s “I Got Cut” b/w “Up Against The Wall.” Here’s more stuff I loved this year:
Everybody Works – Jay Som
HEAVN – Jamila Woods
Laila’s Wisdom – Rapsody
Ctrl – SZA
Silver Haze – Aye Nako
Uyai – Ibibio Sound Machine
The Ride – Nelly Furtado
What Now – Sylvan Esso
Pleasure – Feist
Antisocialites – Alvvays
MASSEDUCTION – St. Vincent
Tourist In This Town – Allison Crutchfield
Out In The Storm – Waxahatchee
Created In The Image of Suffering – King Woman
Hiss Spun – Chelsea Wolfe
Nightmare Logic – Power Trip
Prisoner – Ryan Adams
4:44 – JAY-Z
DAMN – Kendrick Lamar
Brick Body Kids Still Daydream – Open Mike EaglE
“Cut To The Feeling” – Carly Rae Jepsen

Jamie Drier
Loke Rahbek – City of Women (Editions Mego)
Bjork – Utopia (One Little Indian)
Cosey Fanni Tutti – Time to Tell (Conspiracy International)
Rafael Anton Irisarri – The Shameless Years (Umor-Rex)
Max Richter – Three Worlds: Music From Woolf Works (Deutsche Grammophon)
Shit & Shine – Some People Really Know How To Live (Editions Mego)
Dion – Kickin’ Child: Lost Album 1965 (Norton Records)
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – Kid (Western Vinyl)
Ennio Morricone – Un Uomo Da Rispettare (Superior Viaduct)
JK Flesh – Suicide Estate – (Hospital Productions)

Benjamin Hegy
Creation- action painting [numero]
Midori Takada- through the looking glass [wrwtfww]
Arthur Russell- instrumentals [audika]
Other People Place- lifestyles of the laptop cafe [warp]
Various- outro tempo: electronic and contemporary music from brazil 1978-1992 [music from memory]
Gaussian Curve- distance [music from memory]
Julie Byrne- not even happiness [ba da bing!]
Le Car- auto-reverse [clone classic cuts]
Jaimie Branch- fly or die [international anthem]
Slowdive- s/t [dead oceans]
Drexciya- grava 4 [clone]
Alice Coltrane- the ecstatic music of alice coltrane turiyasangitananda [luaka bop]
Bill Orcutt- s/t [palilalia]
War On Drugs- a deeper understanding [atlantic]
Sza- ctrl [top dawg entertainment]
Neil Young- hitchhiker [reprise]
Kurt Vile & Courtney Barnett- lotta sea lice [matador]
Patrick Cowley- afternooners [dark entries]
Various- space, energy & light (experimental electronic and acoustic soundscapes 1961-88) [soul jazz]
Kelela- take me apart [warp]
Richard Horowitz- eros in arabia [freedom to spend]
Makaya McCraven- highly rare [international anthem]

Jake Lingan
Oren Ambarchi & Crys Cole- “Hotel Record” (Black Truffle)
Ariel Pink- “Dedicated To Bobby Jameson” (Mexican Summer)
Felicia Atkinson- “Hand In Hand” (Shelter Press)
Ka Baird- “Sapropelic Pycnic (Drag City)
William Basinski- “A Shadow In Time” (Temporary Residence)
Billington/ Shippy/ Wyche- “Billington/ Shippy/ Wyche” (Astral Spirits)
David Bowie- “New Career In A New Town” (Parlophone)
Brother Ah- “Divine Music” (Manufactured Recordings)
Bucket Brigade- “Frozen Flags” (No Index) & “Mnemosyne” (Love All Day)
B12- “Electro-Soma” reissue (Warp)
Alice Coltrane- “World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane” (Luaka Bop)
Tony Conrad- “Ten Years Alive On The Infinite Plain” (Superior Viaduct)
Dead Rider- “Crew Licks” (Drag City)
Aaron Dilloway- “The Gag File” (Dais)
Crazy Doberman- “Hell Is Within Us” (Castle Bravo)
Dub Syndicate reissues (On-U Sound)
John Duncan- “Klaar” reissue (Black Truffle)
Ian Dury- “New Boots And Panties!!” reissue (Edsel)
Charles Duvelle & Hisham Mayet- “The Photographs of Charles Duvelle” (Sublime Frequencies)
Luc Ferrari- “Heterozygote/ Petite Symphonie” (Recollection GRM)
Gas- “Narkopop” (Kompakt)
Keiji Haino- “Watashi Dake?” (Black Editions)
Laurel Halo- “Dust” (Hyperdub)
Jon Hassell- “Dream Theory In Malaya Fourth World Music” reissue (Glitterbeat)
Joe Henderson with Alice Coltrane- “The Elements” reissue (Milestone)
Husker Du- “Savage Young Du” (Numero)
Irreversible Entanglements- “Irreversible Entanglements” (International Anthem)
Mary Jane Leach- “Pipe Dreams” (Blume)
Arto Lindsay- “Cuidado Madame” (Northern Spy)
Makaya McCraven- “Highly Rare” (International Anthem)
Roscoe Mitchell- “Bells For The South Side” (ECM)
Mukqs- “11,666,666,666,666,666,666” (Midwich)
Oneohtrix Point Never- “Good Time” Soundtrack (Warp)
Yoko Ono- “Fly”/ “Approximately Infinite Universe” reissues (Chimera)
Bill Orcutt- “Bill Orcutt” (Palilalia)
Giusto Pio- “Motore Immobile” reissue (Soave)
Plastic Crimewave Syndicate- “Thunderbolt of Flaming Wisdom” (Eye Vybe)
Prince & The Revolution- “Purple Rain Deluxe (Expanded Edition” (NPG)
Steve Roach- “Structures From Silence” reissue (Telephone Explosion)
Sampha- “Process” (Young Turks)
Pharoah Sanders- “Izipho Zam (My Gifts)” reissue (Everland/ Strata East)
Yasuaki Shimizu- “Kakashi” reissue (Palto Flats)
Shit & Shine- “Some People Really Know How To Live” (Editions Mego)
Sleaford Mods- “English Tapas” (Rough Trade)
Pauline Anna Strom- “Trans-Millenia Music” (Rvng Intl)
Midori Takada- “Through The Looking Glass” reissue (Palto Flats)
Norm Talley- “Norm-A-Lize” (FXHE)
TALsounds- “Love Sick” (Ba Da Bing!)
Thundercat- “Drunk” (Brainfeeder)
Cosey Fanni Tutti- “Time To Tell” reissue (Conspiracy International)
Jaap Vink- “Jaap Vink” (Recollection GRM)
Wolf Eyes- “Undertow” (Lower Level)
Danny Wolfers- “Unfolding The Future With Amateur Space Jazz” (Nightwind)
ZRL- “ZRL” (No Index)
V/A- “Tokyo Flashback” (Black Editions)
V/A- “Outro Tempo: Electronic And Contemporary Music From Brazil – 1978-1992” (Music From Memory)

Gary Errera
Top 3 Releases(Couldn’t come up with 10 to save my life)
Kedr Livanskiy – Ariadna ()
This is my number one for the whole year. Just listen to it.
Slowdive – Slowdive
Fine addition to their discography.
Death Grips – That first song on the new one
That first song is kinda ok, if you can put aside the large 12 year old hater fanbase.

Top 3 Reissues
John Frusciante – Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt
Finally on vinyl, about flippin time.
Throbbing Gristle – The Taste of TG
Arguably better than Greatest Hits, a fine primer for the TG illiterate.
The Replacements – For Sale: Live at Maxwells 1986
Awesome of them to release a show superfans have had for years. Demand
for the cutouts continues.

Jacob Kart
Laraaji – Celestial Vibration – soul jazz
Brett Naucke – Multiple Hallucinations – Hausu Mountain
Gel set- Body Copy – 2MR
Tal Sounds – Love Sick – Ba Da Bing
Jaimie Branch – Fly or Die – International Anthem
Matthew Lux’s communication arts quartet- contra-fact – Astral Spirits
Bitchin Bajas- Bajas Fresh – Drag City
駄女神 – Mukqs – Hausu Mountain
Visible Cloaks- Reassemblage – RVNG International
Laurel Halo- Dust – Hyperdub

Dave Hofer
2016 Late Additions
Invisibl Skratch Piklz – The 13th Floor
First proper album of turntable wizardry from this legendary crew. Three guys, three mixers, three turntables.
Run the Jewels – RTJ3
The best hip-hop group in some time keeps their momentum pushing forward with El-P’s production anchoring some serious lyrical fire.

Best Albums of 2017
Mutoid Man – War Moans
How this band isn’t huge is beyond me. Members of Cave In and Converge as a power three-piece with riffs, riffs and more riffs. Stephen Brodsky can sing/scream his ass off and they have to be one of the tightest live bands I’ve ever seen. My favorite album of 2017.
Artificial Brain – Infrared Horizon
Outer space death metal with subliminal melodies amidst the blasting and guttural vocals.
All Pigs Must Die – Hostage Animal
Ex and current members of the Hope Conspiracy and Converge deliver another batch of what can only be described as pure, pissed off hardcore. Plenty of riffage, no clean singing.
Cannibal Corpse – Red Before Black
A more straightforward effort from the established splatter-death masters.
Death Toll 80K – Step Down
Their 2011 LP “Harsh Realities” took me by surprise so I was looking forward to this one. Another super-late 2017 release. Absolutely pulverizing grindcore. Near-constant blasting and the usual, but very well done, guttural/crazed-scream vocals. Relentless.
DJ Rude One – ONEderful
Former Chicago DJ/producer finally dropped his album. Boom-bap fans need look no further. Hard as hell.
El Michels Affair – Return to the 37th Chamber
Second batch of live-instrument arrangements of classic Wu-Tang instrumentals. Funky!
Eradicator – Eradicator
Quirky & deceptively complex punk rock from this high-concept Chicago/Milwaukee band.
Friendship – Hatred
Powerful and creative hardcore/grind from Japan.
Full of Hell – Trumpeting Ecstasy
This band has evolved into a unique, experimental grindcore beast. 23 minutes of brain-warping grind.
Goatwhore – Vengeful Ascension
The perfect blend of thrash, death and black metal, once again. One of the most crushing live bands going.
Iron Reagan – Crossover Ministry
Excellent follow-up to their breakthrough The Tyranny of Will LP. You want circle pit riffs? Look no further.
Mellow Harsher/Invertebrate – Split 7”
I love Mellow Harsher. Live, they’re really fun, but their music on its own is serious, chaotic-but-airtight grind. Invertebrate closes their side with Infest and Suppression covers, so what does that tell ya? Hearty grind with a side of sludge.
Morbid Angel – Kingdoms Disdained
Steve Tucker returns to the fold for a solid batch of twisted, Sumerian-happy death metal.
Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire – Brainiac EP
Initially a digital-only release, this EP got a late-2017 vinyl release! eXquire’s delivery & voice are instantly recognizable, his lyrics twisting & turning in ways unexpected. Some real head-nod shit, right here.
Perceptionists – Resolution
Mr. Lif continues his re-storming of the hip-hop world by getting back with Akrobatik and spitting some serious shit.
Phobia – Lifeless God
Pure grindcore from this long-running band. Very intense stuff for speed-freaks only!!
River Black – River Black
Basically this is Burnt By The Sun Part 2; mid-tempo groove with only one misstep: a clean-vocal part late in the album. Great otherwise.

Best Shows of 2017
Mutoid Man at Subterranean
So tight, so heavy . . . this band should be taking over the world any minute now . . .
Code Orange/Dying Fetus/Hatebreed at Metro
AKA The Night of 1,000 Breakdowns.
Run the Jewels at the Aragon & Lollapalooza
The bigger the system, the better those beats sound.
Rude One & Skepta at North Coast Fest
Not performing together, sadly, but Rude One closed out the DJ tent and then Skepta brought his grimey hip-hop to a bunch of stoned people in Union Park.
Mellow Harsher & Pyrrhon at the Empty Bottle
Pure Comedy Grind and free jazz death metal in one night! What more could you ask for?
Iron Reagan at Reggie’s
Their crossover is most potent in a live setting. Very fun, high-energy show.
Goatwhore at House of Blues & Reggie’s
These guys are the masters of crushing tone in a live setting. They’re also a touring machine, and their insanely tight live show is evidence of that. Plus, at least two members are usually wearing spikes onstage.
Weekend Nachos & Mellow Harsher at Subterranean
This was part of the two-night, Weekend Nachos final-shows extravaganza. A fine night of blast beats.

Best Pro-Wrestling Shows (and a must-see match)
AAW: Hell Hath No Fury (Michael Elgin vs. Shane Strickland)
AAW: Unstoppable (ACH vs. Sammy Guevara)
Ring of Honor/New Japan: Global Wars Chicago (Will Osperay vs. Flip Gordon or Marty Scurll vs. Hiromu Takahashi)

Beth Klacko
2017 Releases & Reissues that piqued my interest:

– Gaussian Curve – The Distance
– Laraaji – Celestial Vibration
– War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
– Woo – A La Luna
– Pauline Anna Strom – Trans-Millenia Music
– Colleen – A Flame My Love, a Frequency
– Metro Area – Metro Area
– Jun Fukamachi – Nicole(86 Spring & Summer Collection Instrumental Images)
– Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement – Ambient Black Magic
– Gel Set – Body Copy
– Various Artists – Seafaring Strangers / Private Yacht
– Bjorn Torske & Prins Thomas – Square One
– Julia Holter – In The Same Room
– Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society – Simultonality
– Ka Baird – Sapropelic Pycnic
– Julie Byrne – Not Even Happiness
– Slowdive – Slowdive
– Gas – Narkopop

Matt Jencik
Arca S/T
Bell Witch Mirror Reaper
Bjork Utopia
Black Cilice Banished From Time
Bölzer Hero (late 2016 release I missed)
John Carpenter Christine (Original Motion Picture Score) reissue
Brian Case Spirit Design
Circuit Des Yeux Reaching For Indigo
Alice Coltrane Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane
Demen Nektyr
Bill Dixon Orchestra Intents & Purposes LP reissue
Emptiness Not For Music
Enslaved E
Gel Set Body Copy
Grouper Paradise Valley single
Husker Du Savage Young Du
Rafael Anton Irisarri Shameless Years
Johann Johannsson Orphee
Lifelover Pulver reissue
Kedr Livanskiy Ariadna
Look Blue Go Purple Still Bewitched
Lorn Arrayed Claws
Metallica “Master of Puppets” demo from the Deluxe Edition
Modern Art Underwater Kites & Oriental Towers reissues
Charlemagne Palestine Strumming Music LP reissue
Arvo Part Fur Alina LP
Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement Ambient Black Magic
Replacements For Sale: Live at Maxwell’s 1986
Steve Roach Structures From Silence LP reissue
Slowdive S/T
TALsounds Love sick
Time Machines (Coil) S/T reissue
Twin Peaks soundtracks
Venenum Trance of Death
Justin Walter Unseen Forces
Lal & Mike Waterson Bright Phoebus LP reissue
Gillian Welch Harrow & the Harvest LP
Witch of 1692 Impious Mysterial Hymn
Hiroshi Yoshimura Music for Nine Postcards reissue
Neil Young Hitchhiker
V/A Paul Major: Feel the Music
V/A Warfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares

Shows
John Carpenter @ Aragon Ballroom
Circuit Des Yeux performing Nico’s “Chelsea Girl” w/ Laraaji
@Bohemian National Cemetery
Cropped Out Fest in Louisville, KY
Heron Oblivion @Empty Bottle
Jesus Lizard @ Metro
Kikagaku Moyo @ Empty Bottle
Matchess multiple shows
Mayhem playing De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas @ Metro
Nadja multiple shows
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds @ Auditorium Theater
PJ Harvey @ Pitchfork Music Festival
Psychedelic Furs @ Thalia Hall
Raime @Impetus Festival
Slowdive @ The Vic
TALsounds multiple shows

Twin Peaks: The Return
Blade Runner 2049

Chelsea Welch
2017 ~ The Best Things I Heard~
Jacob Kart – Frozen Flags – No Index
Jaimie Branch – Fly or Die – IARC
Gel Set – Body Copy – 2MR
Circuit Des Yeux – Reaching For Indigo – Drag City
Alice Coltrane – The Ecstatic Music Of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda – Luaka bop
Outro Tempo Compilation – (Electronic And Contemporary Music From Brazil 1978-1992) – Music From Memory
Jamila Woods – Heavn – Jagjaguwar
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – The Kid – Western Vinyl
Disco Inferno – 5 EPs – One Little Indian
Kelela – Take Me Apart- Warp
Patrick Cowley – Afternooners – Dark Entries
Slowdive – Self Titled – Captured Tracks
Sean Nicholas Savage – Yummycoma – Arbutus Records
Laraaji – Bring On the Sun – All Saints
Weather Station – Self Titled – Paradise of Bachelor
Yasuaki Shimizu -Music For Commercials (Reissue) – Crammed Discs
Henry Flynt – You Are My Everlovin (Reissue) – Superior Viaduct

Perry Ryan
TEN BEST ALBUMS OF 2017 (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

Richard Dawson – Peasant (Weird World/Domino) [Avant-folk]
Feist – Pleasure (Interscope) [Sparse singer-songwriter]
Sheer Mag – Compilation LP (Wilsuns RC) [Lo-fi power pop]
Tyler, The Creator – Flower Boy (Odd Future/Columbia) [Neo-soul-rap]
Cloud Nothings – Life Without Sound (Carpark) [Hooks on hooks]
Yucky Duster – Duster’s Lament EP (Infinity Cat) [Twee, but in a good way]
Kirin J. Callinan – Bravado (Terrible) [Pop art]
Dirty Projectors – Dirty Projectors (Domino) [Art pop]
Alex Cameron – Forced Witness (Secretly Canadian) [Alex Cameron]
Open Mike Eagle – Brick Body Kids Still Daydream (Mello Music Group) [Art rap]

TWO GREAT REISSUES FOR GOOD MEASURE

Mike Krol – Mike Krol Is Never Dead: The First Two Records (Merge) [Slop pop]
The Replacements – For Sale: Live At Maxwell’s 1986 (Rhino) [No description necessary]

Ethan D’Ercole
DION: “KICKIN’ CHILD”
GOLLIWOGS: “FIGHT FIRE”
ARIEL PINK “BOBBY JAMESON”
VARIOUS ARTISTS: “JUKEBOX MAMBO, VOL.III”
CLASS WAR: “TAKE A TRIP WITH CLASS WAR”
THE COWBOYS “S/T”

Dylan Sowle
My favorite releases of the year, in no particular order:

LCD Soundsystem- American Dream (DFA)
Flaming Lips- Oczy Mlody (Warner Bros.)
Surfbort- Bort To Death (Hozac)
King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard- Murder Of The Universe (Flightless)
Kamasi Washington- Harmony Of Difference (Young Turks)
Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats- Vol. 1 (Rise Above Records)
Various Artists- Hero Of Time (Music From “The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time”) (Materia Collective/Iam8bit)
Black Lips- Satan’s Graffiti Or God’s Art? (Vice)
Melkbelly- Nothing Valley (Wax Nine)
Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch- Blade Runner 2049 OST (Epic)
Oh Sees- Orc (Castle Face)
Guantanamo Baywatch- Desert Center (Suicide Squeeze)
Mike Krol- Mike Krol Is Never Dead: The First Two Records (Merge)

Zachary Caputo
Some of these items were released digitally last year, but their physical release graced my weary record store hands this year. We’ll just say we’re all the class of 2017.

1: Thundercat – Drunk (Zappa Soul / Jazz Rock) [Brainfeeder]
2: Death Grips – Steroids (Crouching Tiger Hidden Gabber Megamix) (Experimental Hip Hop / Dance) [Third Worlds]
3: Lil B – Black Ken (Hip-Hop / Based) [Basedworld Records]
4: The ILYs – Bodyguard (Garage Rock / Art Rock) [Castleface]
5: Death From Above – Outrage! Is Now (Punk Rock / Dance Rock) [Last Gang Records]
6: St. Vincent – Masseduction (Art Rock / Synth Pop) [Loma Vista]
7: Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory (Rap / Experimental Dance) [ARTium Recordings / Def Jam Records]
8: TALsounds – Lovesick (Experimental / Ambient Soundscapes) [Ba Da Bing Records]
9: Paramore – After Laughter (Pop / New Wave) [Fueled By Ramen]
10: Jlin – Black Origami (Experimental Dance / Footwork) [Planet Mu]
11: Nine Inch Nails – Not The Actual Events (Industrial Rock / Noise Rock) [Null Corporation]
12: Kendrick Lamar – DAMN. (Rap) [Top Dawg / Interscope]
13: Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfish – Blade Runner 2049 Original Soundtrack (Film Score / Ambient Electronics) [Epic Records]
14: Machine Girl – …Because I’m Young Arrogant And Hate Everything You Stand For (Digital Hardcore / Noise) [Orange Milk]
15: Run The Jewels – RTJ3 (Hip-Hop) [Run The Jewels, Inc]
16: Greg Fox – The Gradual Progression (Experimental Jazz / Ambient) [Rvng Intl.]
17: Alice Glass – Alice Glass (Noise Pop / Post-Industrial) [Loma Vista]
18: Shobaleader One (Squarepusher) – Elektrac (Jazz Fusion / Live Electronics) [Warp]
19: Gorillaz – Humanz (Dance / Rap) [Parlophone]
20: Lorde – Melodrama (Electropop) [Republic Records]

Honorable Mentions:

Kamasi Washington – Harmony Of Difference (Jazz)
Bjork – Utopia (Art Pop / Electronic)
Arca – Arca (Experimental)
Oneohtrix Point Never – Good Times Original Soundtrack (Film Score / Experimental)
Cherry Glazerr – Apocalipstick (Garage Rock / Punk Rock)
Jamila Woods – HEAVN (Soul / Hip-Hop)

David Cartwright
Yves Tumor “Experiencing The Deposit of Faith” self-released
Beau Wanzer “Untitled” Self-released
Laurel Halo “Dust” Hyperdub
Ramzi “Phobiza “Noite” Vol. 2″ Mood Hut
Machine Girl “Because I’m Young Arrogant & Hate Everything You Stand For” Orange Milk
Joshua Abrams “Simultonality” Eremite Records
Dj Python “Dulce Compania” Incienso
Unknown Me “Subtropics” Not Not Fun
Tony Allen “The Source” Blue Note
Lee Gamble “Mnestic Pressure” Hyperdub
Dj Seinfeld “Time Spent Away From U” Lobster Fury
Greg Fox “The Gradual Progression” Rvng Intl.
Project Pablo “Hope You’re Well” Technicolour

Adam Cavanaugh
(in no particular order)

Solid Space – Space Museum (Dark Entries)
Various Artists – Metroid Trilogy (Moonshake Records)
Slowdive – Slowdive (Dead Oceans)
Midori Takada – Through the Looking Glass (WRWTFWW Records)
Drab Majesty – The Demonstration (Dais Records)
Geinoh Yamashirogumi – Symphonic Suite Akira (Milan Records)
Dallas Acid – Spa Hunter (Flying Moonlight)
Ninja Gaiden The Definite Soundtrack boxset (Brave Wave Productions)
Make-Overs – Try Me (Heel Turn Records)
Stelvio Cipriani – Un’Ombra Nell’Ombra (Four Flies Records)
Ennio Morricone – Space: 1999 (Death Waltz Recording Company)
Susana Estrada – The Sexadelic Disco Funk Sounds of… (Espacial Discos)
Yuzo Koshiro – The Revenge of Shinobi (Data Discs)
Marcello Giombini – La Bestia Nello Spazia (Death Waltz Recording Company)
Protex – Tightrope (Bachelor Records)

Anthony Illarde
BEST OF 2017

TONY ALLEN The Source (Blue Note CD)
BEATLES Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: The Ringo Mix (Capitol LP)
BLONDIE Pollinator (Noble ID LP)
CHICANO BATMAN Freedom Is Free (Ato LP)
EMMA DE ANGELIS Forgiveness (Finders Keepers 45)
PHILIPPE DEBARGE with THE PRETTY THINGS Rock St. Trop (Madfish LP)
MELANIE DE BIASIO Lilies (Play It Again Sam LP)
ABDOU EL OMARI Nuits De Printemps (Radio Martiko LP)
HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE Book Of Sound (Honest Jons LP)
GOKCEN KAYNATAN Gokcen Kaynatan (Finders Keepers LP)
GRAEME MILLER & STEVE SHILL Moomins TV Soundtrack LP (Finders Keepers)
MONKS Hamburg Recordings 1967 (Third Man LP)
MORTIMER On Our Way Home (RPM LP)
NEGATIVE ELEMENT Shouts Of Rebellion (Alona’s Dream LP)
KAITLYN AURELIA SMITH Kid (Western Vinyl 2LP)
RAYMOND SCOTT Three Willow Park (Basta 3LP)
EPIC SOUNDTRACKS Change My Life (Mapache LP)
PIERO UMILIANI Grazie! (Nature Sounds 2LP)
KAMASI WASHINGTON Harmony Of Difference (Young Turks LP)
DUSTIN WONG & TAKAKO MINEKAWA Are Euphoria (Thrill Jockey LP)

READ
Captain Fantastic: Elton John’s Stellar Trip Through The 70s – Tom Doyle (Ballantine)
Feel The Music: The Psychedelic Worlds of Paul Major (Anthology Editions)
Infinite Tuesday – Michael Nesmith (Crown Archetype)
Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol – Steve Jones (Da Capo Press)

Jim Magas
2017 Favorites

Midori Takada – Through the Looking Glass LP (WRWTFWW)
Geinoh Yamashiro – Akira soundtrack LP (Milan)
Bjorn Torske – Host (DJ Sotofett’s Stoydubb) 12” (Sex Tags Mania)
DJ Fett Burger – Pub 18 / 411 Esperanza 12” (Sex Tags UFO)
Bill Orcutt – Bill Orcutt LP (Palialalia)
Rob Noyes – Feudal Spirit LP (Poon Village)
Alexander – Alexander LP (No Label)
Quintron (w/ drawings by Miss Pussycat – Europa My Mirror book (Goner)
Bill MacKay & Ryley Walker – Spiderbeetlebee LP (Drag City)
Angelo Baroncini & Bruno D’Amario – Music For Movement LP (Sonor Music)
Errorsmith – Superlative Fatigue 2LP (Pan)
Beau Wanzer – Untitled II LP (Beau Wanzer)
Beau Wanzer – Issue N. 20 12” (Jealous God)
Not Waving – Good Luck LP (Diagonal)
Porter Ricks – Anguilla Electrica 2LP (Tresor)
Function – Recompiled I/II 2LP (Aton)
Function – Recompiled II/II 2LP (Aton)
Jlin – Dark Lotus LP (Planet Mu)
B12 – Electro Soma 2LP (Warp)
Legowelt – Legendary Freaks in the Trash of Time 2LP (Clone)
Cosey Fanni Tutti – Time to Tell LP (CTI)
B12 – Electro Soma II 2LP (Warp)
Various Artists – Tokyo Flashback 2LP (Black Editions)
Regis – Gymnastics 2LP (Downwards)
MAGAS – Explanatory Denial 12” (Midwich)
Mukqs – 11,666,666,666,666,666,666 LP (Midwich)
Aaron Dilloway – The Gag File LP (Dais)
Coil – Time Machines LP (Dais)
Norm Talley – Norm-a-lize 4LP (FXHE)
Funkadelic – Reworked by Detroiters 3LP (Westbound)
Twin Peaks – The Return tv show

Steven Rahman
Best of the Best:
P.O.S. – Chill Dummy
Oddisee – The Iceberg
Rodney Crowell – Close Ties
Kehlani – SweetSexySavage
Kendrick Lamar – Damn.
Moses Sumney – Aromanticism
SZA – CTRL
Tyler the Creator – Scum F*** Flower Boy
Gabriel Garzon-Montano – Jardin
Childish Gambino – Awaken My Love

Very Very Good:
Sampha – Process
Smino – BLKSWN
J.I.D. – The Never Story
Joey Bada$$ – All Amerikkkan Bada$$
Brother Ali – All the Beauty in this Whole World
Jay-Z – 4:44
Vic Mensa – The Manuscript
Syd – Fin
2 Chainz – Pretty Girls Like Trap Music
.
Good:
Kelela – Take Me Apart
Daniel Caesar – Freudian
Khalid – American Teen
Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory

Luke Dahlgren
These were some of this year’s standout records for me. All titles except for the two I have starred (*) either are carried or have been carried here by Reckless.

TOP THREE:
Protomartyr – Relatives in Descent (Domino) post-punk
The lineage of influence here can be traced closest to bands like The Fall and Pere Ubu. Each song seems to be built from the bottom up; the punchy bass & drum combo provide the songs with its initial character, which is then adorned with earworm guitar licks and tied together with grim ambience. Joe Casey’s “sing-speak” vocals ring out like a mad prophet, articulating the pain of middle-American anxiety, alienation and collapse. These songs routinely locate that rare convergence of unconventional and intuitive, making it an immediately gratifying listen.
Makaya McCraven – Highly Rare (International Anthem) avant-garde jazz
This is an improvised set recorded directly to tape live at Danny’s in Bucktown. The rhythm section led by McCraven on drums treads heavily, drawing the broad templates of each idea the band explores. The coarse audio quality really accentuates how tight the quartet plays without feeling restrictive, allowing the set to rely on the push-pull tension between its frenetic free-jazz outbursts and its deliberate groove-based segments. The resulting record is an absolute tour-de-force, making this an essential listen for anyone with an ear for avant-garde jazz.
Richard Dawson – Peasant (Weird World) freak folk
Peasant is among the more lyrically ambitious and theatrical records from this year. It’s a concept album depicting a mythic version of Dark Ages Europe, and each track is a narrative told from the perspective of a different character. The music here is dark, tactile, unhinged and marked by unconventional melody, structure, and texture (harps, horns, odd percussion) that move quickly between abrasive and pastoral. For those inclined towards its sound – and the sound of other English freak folk – Peasant is an immersive record that continues to reward with repeated plays.

OTHER NEW MUSIC (alpha by artist):
Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society – Simultonality (Eremite) avant-garde jazz
Tony Allen – The Source (Blue Note) jazz / Afrobeat
Jaimie Branch – Fly Or Die (International Anthem) avant-garde jazz
Chicano Batman – Freedom is Free (ATO) Latin soul
Destroyer – ken (Merge) synth pop
* Golden Teacher – No Luscious Life [self-released] dance / nu-disco
Guerilla Toss – GT Ultra (DFA) dance / no wave
Laurel Halo – Dust (Hyperdub) electronic / art pop
Irreversible Entanglements – s/t (International Anthem) free jazz / spoken word
Jlin – Black Origami (Planet Mu) IDM / footwork
Daniele Luppi / Parquet Courts / Karen O – MILANO (Capitol) art rock
(Thee) Oh Sees – Orc (Castle Face) psych-rock
Priests – Nothing Feels Natural (Sister Polygon) art punk
A. Savage – Thawing Dawn (Dull Tools) art rock / alt-country
Ty Segall – s/t (Drag City) psych-rock / garage
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – The Kid (Western Vinyl) electronic / art pop
Joni Void – Selfless (Constellation) electronic / spoken word
Kamasi Washington – Harmony of Difference (Young Turks) jazz
* Zimpel / Ziołek – s/t (Instant Classic) avant-folk / electronic / avant-garde jazz

COMPILATIONS & REISSUES (also alpha by artist):
Alice Coltrane – The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda (Luaka Bop) jazz vocal / Eastern spiritual
Steve Roach – Structures From Silence (orig. 1984 on Fortuna; reissued on Telephone Explosion) ambient
Lal & Mike Waterson – Bright Phoebus (orig. 1972 on Trailer; reissued on Domino) freak folk
Neil Young – Hitchhiker (recorded 1976; Reprise) folk / country (c’mon, it’s Neil Young)
v/a – Even a Tree Can Shed Tears: Japanese Folk & Rock 1969-1973 (Light in the Attic) folk / soft rock
v/a – Soul of a Nation: Afro-Centric Visions in the Age of Black Power (Soul Jazz) jazz / soul / funk / spoken word
v/a – Tokyo Flashback, Vol. 1 (orig. CD only from 1991 on PSF; LP reissue on Black Editions) psych-rock / noise
v/a – Warfaring Strangers: Acid Nightmares (Numero) hard rock / proto-metal

Lea Board
(in no particular order)
Com Truise “Iteration” (Ghostly International)
LCD Soundsystem *American Dream” (DFA)
Electric Wizard “Wizard Bloody Wizard” (Witchfinder)
Kendrick Lamar “Damn” (Interscope)
Blanck Mass “World Eater” (Sacred Bones)
King Gizzard & the Wizard Lizard w/ Mild High Club “Sketches of Brunswick East” (Flightless)
Orb “Naturality” (Castleface)
Oh Sees “Orc” (Castleface)
Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats “Vol. 1” Reissue (Rise Above)
Mike Krol “Mike Krol is Never Dead: The First Two Records” (Merge)
Dan Deacon “Rat Film” (Domino)
Guantanamo Baywatch “Desert Center” (Suicide Squeeze)
Rezn “Let It Burn” (Off the Record Label)
Faust “Fresh Air” (Bureau B)
Chelsea Wolfe “Hiss Spun” (Sargent House)
Black Lips “Satan’s Graffiti or God’s Art?” (Vice)

Benjamin Crowell
Neil Young – Hitchhiker
Bjork – Utopia
Circuit Des Yeux – Reaching For Indigo
The Bell Witch – Mirror Reaper
V/A – Twin Peaks (Limited Event Series Soundtrack)
John Carpenter – Anthology
Alice Coltrane – The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda
Diamanda Galas – All The Way
Chelsea Wolfe – Hiss Spun
Gocken Kaynatan – s/t
Slowdive – s/t

John Jackson
(in no particular order)
Declaime-Young Spirit
FourTet-New Energy
Makaya Mccraven-Highly Rare
Thavius Beck- Technol O.G.
Joshua Abrams- Simultonality
Blockhead-Funeral Balloons
Damu The Fudgemunk- Vignettes
Thievery Corporation-The Temple of I&I
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble- Book of Love
Moka Only-Concert for One

Joseph Seger
Terry – “Remember Terry” LP (Upset The Rhythm)
Parsnip – “Health” (Anti-Fade)
The Country Liners – “Mary Jane Dunphe & Chris McDonnell in The Country Liners” (Wharf Cat)
Laetitia Sadier Source Ensemble – “Find Me Finding You” (Drag City)
Bugg – “Bugg” (Pop Wig)
Kaleidoscope – “Volume 3” (Feel It
Makaya McCraven – “Highly Rare” (International Anthem)
The Cowboys – “The Cowboys” (Hozac)
Darto – “Human Giving” (Agoo)
Rays – “Rays” (Trouble In Mind)
Headroom “Head In The Clouds” (Trouble In Mind)
The Living Eyes – “Modern Living” (Anti-Fade)
Neil Young – “Hitchhiker” (Reprise)
Jackson Politick – “Paste, Vol. 1” (Neck Chop)
The World – “First World Record” (Lumpy/UTR!)
GenPop – “On the Screen” (Lumpy Records)

Kip McCabe
Run The Jewels “III”
Kamasi Washington “Harmony of Difference”
Slowdive “Slowdive”
Neil Young “Hitchhiker”
Juana Molina “Halo”
V/A “Even a Tree Can Shed Tears: Japanese
Folk & Rock 1969-1973”

Molly Mobley
Man, wasn’t 2017 a trip? If you’re like me you think this year left a lot to be desired. But despite everything, there were some solid releases from this past year that deserve to be highlighted. I have made the personal choice to exclude music by cis white male solo artists, as well as bands consisting of only cis white males because I just don’t believe this particular group of ppl deserve accolades this year. So with this list, I have chosen to recognize music made by female, POC, and LGBTQ artists. Mind you that this wasn’t difficult, as almost all of my favorite music from this year was put out by artists that fall into these groups. Spotify told me in my year wrap that my favorite genres were “Post teen pop” and “art rock” and I felt seen, but I have to admit after making this list those seem incredibly accurate. In no particular order, please enjoy my 17 fav albums from 2017!

Kamasi Washington – Harmony of Difference EP.
SZA – Ctrl (Favorite song – Drew Barrymore)
Slowdive – Slowdive (Favorite song – Sugar for the Pill) –
Arca – Arca (Favorite song – Saunter) – ARCA has collaborated with big name artists such as Kanye, FKA Twigs, and most notably Bjork on her album Vulnicura. This self titled release is dark and melodic, abstract and emotional. It’s a gd work of art and a must have in any collection.
Perfume Genius – No Shape (Favorite Song – Just Like Love) Pitchfork already summed up my love for this song perfectly – “It’s the kind of song that makes rags feel like ball gowns, and should probably have been playing when Botticelli painted The Birth of Venus.”
Lorde – Melodrama (Favorite song – The Louvre) – “I overthink your p-p-punctuation use. Not my fault, just a thing that my mine do.” If that single sentence doesn’t sum up modern dating then idk what does.
Kesha – Rainbow (Favorite song – Hunt you Down / Boogie Feet)
Molly Burch – Please be Mine (Favorite song – Please be Mine)
Jamila Woods – HEAVN (Favorite song – LSD (feat. Chance the Rapper) ) – This whole album is a love letter to Chicago and everytime I listen to it I feel so proud to live here.
Princess Nokia – 1992 Deluxe (Favorite song – G.O.A.T./ Brujas)
Kelela – Take Me Apart (Favorite song – Frontline)
MUNA – About U (Favorite song – I Know A Place)
Charli XCX – While Charli XCX’s EP doesn’t necessarily make my top list, the single “Boys” was my absolute favorite song of 2017. I somehow managed to get it on all 6 of my incredibly different Spotify Daily Mixes, which I think is truly impressive.
Nnamdi Ogbonnaya – DROOL (Favorite song – hOp Off) -Nnamdi is one of the most talented musicians I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and if you are smart you will see him play in one of his many projects here in the city before he blows up
Gorillaz – HUMANZ (Favorite song – Saturnz Barz (feat. Popcaan) )
Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life (Favorite Song – Don’t Delete the Kisses)Kendrick Lamar – DAMN (Favorite song – Love feat. Zacari)

Top 6 Live Shows of the Year – (It was impossible to cut one)

Badbadnotgood – Lincoln Hall
Chicano Batman – Thalia Hall
Gorillaz – Huntington Bank Pavilion
Solange – Pitchfork Music Festival
Charles Bradley – House of Vans
Kelela – The Promontory