A shorter list than usual. I heard a lot of good stuff this year, but I watched so many movies, it didn't leave a lot of time for music. It probably doesn't help that I'm still listening to podcasts in the mornings before work rather than new music, which was my method for years (blame the pandemic, which upended the ways I do some things). Also, I didn't compile a list of reissues, because I didn't listen to enough to make it worthwhile, though I included two, Broadcast and Margo Guryan, in my top 10. And much like last year, I only went to one concert: Air performing Moon Safari. Totally worth the exorbitant price, especially since they played other material during the three encores. That said, I'm sorry I missed Meshell Ndegeocello at Jazz Alley. No guarantees, but I'll try to do better next time.
This is the same top 10 I submitted to the Village Voice Pazz & Jop Rip-Off Poll and Uproxx polls, plus five songs (see below), two album covers: Broadcast and Dean & Britta & Sonic Boom, and three videos: Sade's "Young Lion" (Sophie Muller), Tierra Whack's "Shower Song" (Alex Da Corte), and Floating Points' "Key103" (Akiko Nakayama).
I write about popular music and film and the relationship between the two. I'm Irish on one side, Italian on the other—British on both. I was born in Connecticut (Far From Heaven), raised in Alaska (Northern Exposure), and I've lived in Seattle, WA (Trouble in Mind) since 1988.
