Here is my annual rundown of things I managed to give more than a cursory listen to in this year of electronic etudes, Creole celebrations, and conspirator campaigning. As always, this is NOT meant as my “Best of” list or anything other than an experiment in exhibitionism and voyeurism. I do it because I enjoy reading about what others are listening to and so I’d like to reciprocate. One thing I’ve noticed about my list this year is that it seems more experimental for several artists. There were many side projects that came to fruition. There were also many happy and welcome returns to action after extended absences, including new music from Depeche Mode, The National (two albums!), Yes, Queens of the Stone Age, Cornelius, Trevor Rabin, and The Polyphonic Spree. The were also new singles from The Beatles, Peter Garrett, The Smile, and U2.
As always, YMMV.
Next year is a biggie. Keep your voter’s registration updated.
F*ck Greg Abbott and the many Crazy Horses he drafts for.
Aesop Rock / Integrated Tech Solutions
Balmorhea / Pendant World
Belle and Sebastian / Late Developers
Ceramic Dog / Connection
Cornelius / Dream in Dream
Depeche Mode / Memento Mori
Dropkick Murphys / Okemah Rising
Explosions in the Sky / End
Hammock / Love in the Void
Heavy MakeUp / Heavy MakeUp
Janelle Monáe / The Age of Pleasure
Jean-Michel Jarre / OXYMOREWORKS
M83 / Fantasy
Matmos / Return to Archive
Mort Garson / Journey to the Moon and Beyond
Pat Metheny / Dream Box
Pretenders / Relentless
Queens of the Stone Age / In Times New Roman...
Rob Hirst, Jim Moginie & Hamish Stuart / Red Continent
Robert Rich / Travelers' Cloth
Rodrigo y Gabriela / In Between Thoughts...A New World
Shinyribs / Transit Damage
SQÜRL / Silver Haze
Stephen Marley / Old Soul
Steven Wilson / The Harmony Codex
The Baseball Project / Grand Salami Time!
The Mars Volta / Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazon
The National / First Two Pages of Frankenstein
The National / Laugh Track
The Orb & David Gilmour / Metallic Spheres In Colour (Expanded)
The Polyphonic Spree / Salvage Enterprise
Trevor Rabin / Rio
U2 / Songs of Surrender
Vince Clarke / Songs of Silence
Wynton Marsalis / Symphony No. 4 "The Jungle"
Yes / Mirror To The Sky
Updated Thursday, December 21
A couple of releases that snuck past me:
Madness / Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie
The Damned / Darkadelic