This was a weird year in music for me. Lotta stuff early on I liked, less so as the year progressed.

I stopped listening to new music and that was a drain. RRR, a community radio station near me, provided some great recommendations but it wasn’t enough to keep me grooving by itself. (That and I didn’t shazam everything I loved the sound of.)

Really, I can trace some of my downswing to using Apple Music again instead of Albums (my Apple Music client of choice). Albums has a dedicated feed for new releases from artists in your library. That makes it a much more reliable source for new releases than whatever Apple Music’s trying to do.

Or, hell, maybe I just wasn’t all that into music in 2022. That could be it too. But I did love some stuff. So here it is.

Favourite releases

  • Candid by Ivy Soul. Smooth, soulful hip-hop. Stunning work.
  • Zeal & Ardor by Zeal & Ardor. I’ve been waiting for this for a while and it was worth it.
  • Gaijin 3000 by Elijah Nang. Killer concept album, fusing smooth electronica with a great sense of place.
  • Stumpwork by Dry Cleaning. Another classic from Dry Cleaning.
  • King Stingray by King Stingray. ‘Camp Dog’ might be the most delightful song I’ve heard all year. (The music video is great too.)
  • Electric party’s chrome girl – EP by Gut Health. “Inner norm” is just a banger. Really need to catch this band live. Reckon they’ll sound great.

Favourite discoveries

  • Anime, trauma and divorce by Open Mike Eagle. All-time great album name. (The hip-hop’s great too.)
  • Feral by RVG. More Australian punk, no surprise I love it.
  • Rule of four by HEXDEBT. I’m obsessed with this album. Big angry guitars.
  • Post earth by FEELS. Also obsessed.
  • Love songs: a time you may embrace by Krystle Warren & the Faculty. Warren is just incredible.

January

  • The Monumintal live recording by Tobe Nwige. The live performance of “Fye Fye” is one of the most uplifting things I’ve ever heard.
  • The recycling bin – EP by Aesop Rock. Look, I’ll just listen to anything Aesop drops.

February

  • Radical acceptance by Joy Guidry. A beautiful, moving exploration of gender identity and jazz. Just listen to it.

March

  • Jp5000 – EP by Junglepussy. All-time great album cover.
  • El abayarde by Tego Calderón. An absolute groove.

April

  • Love songs: a time to refrain from embracing by Krystle Warren & the Faculty. More goodness.
  • Black radio III by Robert Glasper. Glasper plus some incredible collaborators equals a good time.
  • Disco4: part II by Health. Loving this series of albums.
  • Death is a dream by HTRK. Great mix new stuff and reworked stuff.

May

  • Story – EP by DJ Krush. Everything Krush drops is worth a spin.

June

  • Rotsler’s rules by Black Cab. Black Cab remain one of the most enduring, vital bands in Melbourne.

July

  • Come apart (single) by Fazerdaze. I loved a Fazerdaze a few years ago – their music caught me right in a major shoegazey pop moment – but I kinda dropped off them. This new track was a lovely hit of nostalgia.

August

  • Made for this by JK-47. Banger hip-hop from Australia.
  • Pray for Party Dozen by Party Dozen. I’m honestly not sure I like this album but I keep hearing tracks from it on the radio and really liking them so, look, I don’t know.
  • CRAWLER by IDLES. This came out last year and somehow I missed it. An actual tragedy.
  • Rapscallion by The Murlocs. The Murlocs never really hit for me but, with Rapscallion, I’m in. Great indie rock.
  • Meanjin – EP by Thelma Plum. Plum doesn’t miss.
  • Cheat codes by Danger Mouse & Black Thought. This absolutely rules.
  • Care by CLAMM. More noisy Aussie punk? Yes please.

September

  • Experts in a dying field by The Beths. More Beths is always a good thing.
  • Covers – EP by Too Many Zooz. ‘Dragula’ has never sounded sexier.
  • 93 ‘til infinity by Souls of Mischief. Classic ’90s hip-hop that I had no idea existed.

October

  • Cold memory by Jade Imagine. Their earlier stuff didn’t really click for me but Cold memory has really hit.
  • The endless by Dreadnought. I’ve not really binged on a metal album for a while but this one really got its hooks in.

November

  • Young blindness by The Murlocs. My love affair with The Murlocs rolls on.
  • RTJ CU4TRO by Run the Jewels. A whole bunch of fantastic Latin American artists took RTJ4 and remixed every track. And it’s honestly better than the original.
  • It’s a wonderful life by Sparklehorse. I’ve not listened to this in over a decade but damn it’s good. Totally forgot how much I love it.

December

  • Damned damned damned by The Damned. A whole slice of early punk I didn’t know existed.
  • TNSW by These New South Whales. Look, I know I keep listing Aussie punk bands here. But I like them.
  • Mirror II by The Goon Sax. All-time great band name.
  • Blak matriarchy by Barkaa. Incredible energy, fantastic hip-hop.

Here are the recaps from 2020 and 2021.