The 2022 Music Thread

[Gorka]

I haven't, but heard good things. I'll give it a go!

[Benji]

On top of having my album of the year just ahead of Lights' "PEP", Avril Lavigne's Spotify Sessions cover of Adele's "Hello" is phenomenal. It's one of those songs I acknowledge as great but never felt Adele suited. Avril kills it.

[livid]

On 20/06/2022 at 11:26, RPS said:

The new Perfume Genius album is his most dense and experimental. Definitely an experience in focus on the sounds of human versus singing. Lots of times the music is accompanied by whimpers or moans. I really enjoy it but I don't know if I'll be up to listening something so heavy often. 

"Herem" is so fucking good. I've been mostly a passive fan here and there but that one hit my like a truck. 

[RPS]

I am meh on the Kendrick Lamar album. 

I really dig the Animal Collective album. Probably my favorite Animal Collective album. So much of what is good about Animal Collective depends on the direction. It seems like the middle ground between their super pop of Painting With and the more dense MPP. 

I thought the Black Country album Ants From Up There was fine. I wouldn't listen to it again, but I see why it is compelling. 

The Destroyer album LABYRINTHITIS was really good. I think I'll need to listen to it a few more times before I can wrap my head around it. 

Laurel Hell by Mitski was fine. The Only Heartbreaker is in the running for song of the year. 

The Yard Act's album Overload was really cool. I enjoyed it. It sort of reminded me of a more punk Parquet Courts. 

The Angel Olsen album Big Time is real good. I don't like country music, but when the songs hit, they hit very hard. 

[RPS]

On 20/06/2022 at 12:26, RPS said:

Rosalia's Motomami is astounding. Album of the year. I passively enjoy lots of different Spanish music - my hubby loves bachata and my mother in law Spanish. A lot of these genres can be very traditional. Rosalia finds little ways to deviate and innovate. 10/10 from me. If you want a grab bag of Spanish music genres, check it out. 

Rosalia's song Hentai is such a bizarre, emotionally intense song. Only Rosalia can turn lyrics like "in love with your pistol, red poppy" and "I wanna make you hentai now" and make it fascinating. 

My kids favorite song is Chicken Teriyaki and they do the silly dance. 

[RPS]

Beyonce released Renaissance on Friday. This was the same day that you received my monkey pox vaccine, a disease that is primarily impacting men who sleep with men. Beyonce is taking inspiration from the era in which gay men like me were perishing due to AIDs. One could believe this was intentional. But the relationship specifically to the gay community vis a vis the monkey pox is coincidental. Beyonce was influenced by a pandemic that was afflicting the world - COVID-19. Although it was not intention, that wrinkle encapsulates Beyonce the artist. She is aspirational, an artist, an icon. But she is also driven to reach across divides, to make concepts/ideas/people mainstream, to remove the edges that make us comfortable.

Renaissance is intense, unrelenting and unified in a vision to celebrate queer and BIPOC identities who paved the way for modern pop music. One could be cynical and think that Beyonce only did this after so many of her peers have made drag, ballroom, house music mainstream. Which is a fair criticism, but Beyonce embraces queerness through the lens of her own sexuality. I would not play this album for my kids - not because of the queer content but because Beyonce seems hell bent on feeling like she is the queen of the bathhouse. Beyonce has holes to be filled and every song she will remind you. 

This is an exceptionally produced and polished record about getting off. The 4 on the 4 beat is perfect for whatever extra curricular activities. House music that excelled in the bathhouses needed a steady beat, nasty basslines/synth and the grunts and groans of the sexually liberated. All are present here and done so immaculately. Only on Church Girl did I cringe. 

Not since Donna Summers has the world heard such an exceptional disco song in Virgo's Groove. Beyonce's vocal performance is exceptional, this is the greatest song she has ever recorded. Beyonce is known for perfection. On Virgo, she is decidedly not perfect. Her voice is not pitch perfect. There are instances where the back up vocals are messy and scattered. Around the second or third verse, her voice cuts out intermittently. But she sounds like she is still having so much fun.

Virgo's Groove is the best Beyonce song ever recorded, but the most interesting track is the last. But in so many ways it personifies Beyonce - how much is planned and how much is projection. On Summer Renaissance, Beyonce sings over I Feel Love by Donna Summers. I Feel Love is the greatest song ever recorded, but is also interesting for it's ubiquity in bathhouses. Bathhouses, for those unaware, are places where gay men meet to have sex with each other. Hence house music - the music played for when gay men wanted to fuck. Donna Summers early category, Patrick Cowley and Frankie Knuckles were the sounds of bathhouses. I Feel Love was remixed, torn to pieces and repurposed in every way imaginable. Does Beyonce know this? Does Beyonce intentionally sing "I wanna house you" as the first lyric of the song as a nod to this history? I'm inclined to believe she does given she also sings "I'm too loose to be tied up". If she was told by astute song writer to make these references, does it actually matter? That's part of the Beyonce brand. They can be innocuous lyrics or Beyonce promotion of gay sex. Pop music can be fun. 

[Gorka]

Panda Bear + Sonic Boom album is great, it's like another Person Pitch.

[RPS]

On 13/08/2022 at 08:58, Gorka said:

Panda Bear + Sonic Boom album is great, it's like another Person Pitch.

Yeah, it is an exceptional album. Really fun and engaging stuff. 

The Black Midi album is really great as well. Chaotic, claustrophobic in nature. Loud and intricate. 

I listened to the Big Thief album. Not a huge fan. I love their Tiny Desk concert. 

The new Hot Chip is great - the band have definitely hit a consistent level that will never reach the bands early highs. But still a great album to put on when needing a pick me up.

Salamanda album is great ashbalkum. Surreal, layered, playful electronic music. I think you would classify it as ambient techno - got that techno groove, but relaxed. 

[Skummy]

the new Black Midi album is superb, for sure. It reminds me of Mr. Bungle in terms of how readily it hops around between genres and moods, but with none of the slightly smug and "wacky" edge that's put me off them in recent years; it always feels consistent, even when it's taking some really weird left turns. Definitely one of my favourites of this year so far.

 

[VerbalPuke]

I'm gonna check this Black Midi group out. Sounds interesting. 

Ok yea, i think I can dig this. I'll have to give this whole album a real listen.

[VerbalPuke]

On 20/08/2022 at 18:34, Skummy said:

the new Black Midi album is superb, for sure. It reminds me of Mr. Bungle in terms of how readily it hops around between genres and moods, but with none of the slightly smug and "wacky" edge that's put me off them in recent years; it always feels consistent, even when it's taking some really weird left turns. Definitely one of my favourites of this year so far.

 

Yes, I've listened to the album and this is spot on. I love the album and would like to get a physical copy. I need to hear it in my home stereo. Its chaotic and wild but very musical and tight if that makes sense.

I even pick up a bit of Frank Zappa and Primus in parts. The guitar and drum especially in Welcome to Hell reminds me of Primus, but these guys are more interesting (and I like Primus a lot). 

But its definitely its own unique thing, definitely right up my alley. Gonna have to backtrack on the rest of their stuff. 

[GA!]

Okay, so I have listened to the new Muse album a couple of times. It is... all right. Continues the trend of them being a parody of themselves; and the decent ideas in here are buried under a pile of overproduction again.

Their sort-of-idea-which-they-don't-fully-follow was to create an album where each track sounds like it's from a past album... which leans into the parody of themselves part nicely, but also means as a body of work isn't cohesive at all. The best track by a mile is the album closer, embedded below, that despite the title would be a great direction to go in - a slightly scuzzier, indie sound that uses those damn Queen pastiches more as a background effect.

 

[METALMAN]

That Muse song achieves something quite impressive in being over the top and bombastic while also being utterly unmemorable and boring.

Also the worst thing about Muse was and is the face the bassist makes when he is rocking out. Someone needs to stop him.

[RPS]

The new Mars Volta is really good. It's not proggy at all. A great mix of rock and pop with lots of Latin influence. I don't think long time fans will love but I certainly enjoy it.

I really dug the Sudan Archives album. I'll need to find a time to listen to it again.

I thought the Rina Sawayama album was fine. 

Brasileiro Garantido album is great if you like house music. Definitely influenced by Detroit's scene and very sample heavy. 

I liked the GOON album. It's a mix bag of indie rock. I may not listen again but I highly recommend it. 

The Jockstrap album is super intriguing to me. Along the TMV, listened to it 3-4 times. It's very interesting. It's moving up my AOTY rankings. 

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Electric Callboy's album is wonderful fun.

[VerbalPuke]

So my copy of Black Midi Hell Fire on vinyl arrived. I'm currently listening to it off my nut on mushrooms, this is the best album of the year. This is fucking incredible, shut it down, this is just mother fucking perfection. I adore it. 

[RPS]

On 18/09/2022 at 01:01, VerbalPuke said:

So my copy of Black Midi Hell Fire on vinyl arrived. I'm currently listening to it off my nut on mushrooms, this is the best album of the year. This is fucking incredible, shut it down, this is just mother fucking perfection. I adore it. 

It's definitely the best rock album in a long time. It's challenging, interesting, dynamic and so dense. 

Welcome to Hell is such an amazing song because simultaneously makes you want to rock out, intrigued by how the song literally is flipped on its head like ten times and completely stressed out. 

[Benji]

Between "Anaconda" and now "Super Freaky Girl" I am 100% convinced that Nicki Minaj could take any classic track, use it as a sample, and I would love it.

[Krabby]

The Jonas Brothers (whom I don't mind) song "Only Human" has really sweet instrumentals, and especially at the beginning - it makes me think a Ska band is going to drop a banger when the song begins and then it's like "oh its the Jonas Bros - I guess thats fine"

[DFF]

Been a few months, thought I'd check back in here. What albums have people been impressed with of late? 

My current top 20:

01 - Ghost Toast - "Shade Without Color"

02 - Gilmore Trail - "Impermanence" 

03 - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - "Omnium Gatherum" 

04 - Cult of Luna - "The Long Road North"

05 - Wilderun - "Epigone"

06 - Riverwood - "Shadows and Flames"

07 - Puppy - "Pure Evil"

08 - Sergeant Thunderhoof - "This Sceptred Veil" 

09 - Stratovarius - "Survive"

10 - Weddings - "Book of Spells"

11 - Aeternam - "Heir of the Rising Sun"

12 - Hannah Peel - "The Unfolding"

13 - An Abstract Illusion - "Woe"

14 - Conjurer - "Pathos"

15 - Blind Guardian - "The God Machine"

16 - King Buffalo - "Regenerator" 

17 - Dream Widow - "Dream Widow" 

18 - Sylvaine - "Nova" 

19 - GGGOLDDD - "This Shame Should Not Be Mine"

20 - Kurokuma - "Born of Obsidian"