Some years it’s tough to pick 31 songs and 2022 was definitely one of those years. Maybe it’s because musicians have just emerged from quarantine, maybe the industry is putting more money out there, or maybe we’re just paying more attention. Whatever the reason, these songs likely would have made the 31 list on weaker years so it seems only right to share our runners-up list.
Read MoreHere’s to Matt Pinfield and the amazing show that was 120 Minutes. We watched every episode, even if only we wound up liking only a handful of videos. But 120 Minutes was always entertaining, diverse, and engaging. In tribute we offer a video playlist based on our 31 Songs from 2022.
Read MoreOf late it feels like music was slumped over the wheel, exhausted from years of struggle against a cruel pandemic and concert grift. It’s not like we didn’t find great songs, but the contenders’ list was often short. Even favorites didn’t always come to the table with winners.
Then comes 2022, swinging in like an exuberant toddler who is way ready for nap time to be over. We had around 150 albums in the evaluation queue, dwarfing lists from recent years. Most albums had more than a few banger tracks which made picking the shortlist pretty tough.
Read MoreKnown for epic soundtracks and the seminal post-punk ska-pop masterwork, Oingo Boingo, Danny Elfman knocked me dumbstruck with his single Happy. That, alone, was a gift but it was just a first offering. Elfman’s got a full album out now and, while it pulls from every aspect of his career, it showcases his moody angst perfectly. Neither pop nor inaccessible artsturbation, this new work comes from a space only Elman occupies. Glad he let us in.
Discovered PONCTUATION via Letterkenny: French garage-punk sitting adjacent to White Denim and The Lovely Eggs, all wild-haired great-grandchildren of The Sonics
The Other Liverpudians, the Wombats, roar back with one of the best singles of 2022!
45 years of the Specials and they’re still bringing joy to protest.
Read MoreWe first heard Simple Kid open for Suede at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire way back in 2002. It’s rare for us to get excited by an opening act but Simple Kid defied history and won us over. I’d thought he’d long since vanished but I was very wrong – and happily so. Love the new tracks!
Read MoreI don’t know who books musical acts on Colbert’s Late Show but they’re good enough to merit a listen no matter what. Genesis Owusu is only one but very great example:
I would have never discovered Sator if the Devo newsletter hadn’t called them out. It’s a perfect little album of short, tight post-punk sounds reminding me of both the Ramones and the Dickies. Fun, sharp, awesome.
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