In some ways, I kind of appreciate Kanye’s complete mental breakdown into a black skinhead of sorts, because while I don’t want literal fucking neo-Nazis like Nick Fuentes getting attention and sway in our politics, the reality is that people like him have held sway in the background for some time now, and they are the logical conclusion of white grievance peddlers like Trump and Tucker Carlson. Fuentes has his own delusions, but at least he is quite honest about what horrors he would like to unleash on the country.

Americans need to take a good look into the dark heart of this movement, realize just how ugly and dangerous it is at its core, and make sure that people who hold such ideologies never hold power again.

Merry Listmas all! I can’t wait to tabulate your (hopefully clearly laid out) lists!

1. Sudan Archives-Natural Brown Prom Queen

2. Nilufer Yanya-PAINLESS

3. Fontaines DC-Skinty Fia

4. CMAT-If My Wife New I’d Be Dead

5. FKA Twigs-Caprisongs

6. Gang of Youths-Angel in Realtime

7. Ethel Cain-Preacher’s Daughter

8. Real Lies-Lad Ash

9. Rosalia-Motomami

10. Shygirl-Nymph

11. Saba-Few Good Things

12. The Weeknd-Dawn FM

13. TSHA-Capricorn Sun

14. Nia Archives-Forbidden Feelingz

15. Vince Staples-Ramona Park Broke My Heart

16. Denzel Curry-Melt My Eyez See Your Future

17. Big Thief-Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You

18. Perfume Genius-Ugly Season

19. Christine & the Queens-Redcar les adorables etoiles (Prologue)

20. Beth Orton-Weather Alive

21. Fred again..-Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022)

22. HAAi-Baby, We’re Ascending

23. Destroyer-LABYRINTHITIS

24. Bad Boy Chiller Crew-Disrespectful

25. Hercules & Love Affair-In Amber

Pheature

01. Spoon – Lucifer on the Sofa

02. Sharon Van Etten – We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong

03. Oso Oso – Sore Thumb

04. Caracara – New Preoccupations

05. Mitski – Laurel Hell

06. MJ Lenderman – Boat Songs

07. Zach Bryan – American Heartbreak

08. Horsegirl – Versions of Modern Performance

09. Stars – From Capelton Hill

10. Jane Inc. – Faster Than I Can Take

And 5 More For Good Measure

11. The Reds, Pinks & Purples – Summer at Land’s End

12. Death Cab for Cutie – Asphalt Meadows

13. Belle and Sebastian – A Bit of Previous

14. Camp Trash – The Long Way, The Slow Way

15. Yard Act – The Overload

For me, 2022 was really awful at times. I had emergency surgery, I was sick for long stretches, and Covid finally found me. All the while, though? The music was spectacular. My top-end favorites were incredible, the deep-cut picks were strong, and my live music experiences were better than ever before. 

I’m happy to report I’m in good health at year’s end, and I’m happy to celebrate another Listmas. I hope everybody has a peaceful and happy December, and thanks to the Stereogum crew for sharing great sounds throughout the year! Spoon Forever!

Only want to reinforce the already known fact that Chat Pile hit us with a sincere blast of truth on the same day as RENAISSANCE. Hands down the most memorable music moment for Oklahoma City in a who knows how long. It might not be for everyone, but God’s Country is about everyone.

01. Chat Pile — God’s Country

02. Rachika Nayer — Heaven Come Crashing

03. Beyoncé — RENAISSANCE

04. Junior Boys — Waiting Game

05. SZA — S.O.S.

06. Beach House — Once Twice Melody

07. Burial — ANTIDAWN

08. Preoccupations — Arrangements

09. Alvvays — Blue Rev

10. Nilüfer Yanya — PAINLESS

11. The Brian Jonestown Massacre — Fire Doesn’t Grow On Trees

12. Wet Leg — Wet Leg

13. Soul Glo — Diaspora Problems

14. Pusha T — It’s Almost Dry

15. Spoon — Lucifer on the Sofa

16. Special Interest — Endure

17. Panda Bear & Sonic Boom — Reset

18. Spiritualized — Everything Was Beautiful

19. Blood Incantation — Timewave Zero

20. Drake & 21 Savage — Her Loss

Betting big money on SZA today!

Wearing my stereogum shirt under my button down and cheesy teacher tie in support of the gum team.

∙ Gang of Youths – angel in realtime.
∙ Wild Pink – ILYSM
∙ Soul Glo – Diaspora Songs
∙ Alex G – God Save The Animals
∙ MJ Lenderman – Boat Songs
∙ Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
∙ Rolling Blackouts CF – Endless Rooms
∙ Nilufer Yanya – PAINLESS
∙ Young Guv – Guv III
∙ The 1975 – being funny in a foreign language
∙ Young Jesus – Shepherd Head
∙ ME REX – Pterodactyl/Plesiosaur
∙ Destroyer – Labyrinthitis
∙ Disq – Desperately Imagining Someplace Quiet
∙ Kevin Morby – This Is a Photograph
∙ Pendant – Harp
∙ Bartees Strange – Farm To Table
∙ Dazy – OUTOFBODY
∙ Kurt Vile – Watch My Moves
∙ Alvvays – Blue Rev

Gang of Youths made such an out and out masterpiece to me… I’m still a little miffed it’s not EVERYWHERE right now. Granted, I’m not really confused about it, but I am miffed about it.

I’m lurking more often than posting here, but I wanted to let y’all know that I have found more great music through this site – writers & commenters alike – than I do anywhere else, and it’s been very deeply appreciated. Reading this list makes me aware of how many of these albums have been my traveling companions through what has been a roller coaster year for me. And many of them were albums I first found here. Thanks so much to all y’all for sharing and guiding the way you do. And now to scan all your comments for things I’m sure I missed before now!

Hello TNOC community. I haven’t been around here in many months, and I do miss the community. Since we’ve entered the virtual 21st century, I haven’t had anything worth contributing to the discussion because I just don’t know 90% of these songs. Also, since my son started college three months ago, my morning routine is different, work is busier, and I rarely would be able to post anything in those first couple of hours after 8:30 a.m. when everybody posts.

But I am drawn back here today because the deaths of Christine McVie and Irene Cara within the last week compelled me to come back.

Although I own and love most of Stevie Nicks’ solo albums, many of my favorite Fleetwood Mac tracks are Christine McVie songs. She was such a direct, down-to-earth counterbalance to Stevie Nicks. And while there are a lot of Christine McVie Fleetwood Mac songs that still get tons of airplay–and several that have become Madison Avenue staples on commercials–I have had a couple of her best and less-appreciated songs in my head the last two days: Sugar Daddy (what a flat-out banger this one is) and Warm Ways (just gorgeous). Also, Little Lies is probably my favorite F-Mac song of them all other than Sara. R.I.P. Christine.

And, Irene Cara. Only 63. Damn. Those who recall my regular postings here when I was a true regular back in the virtual ‘80s (if any of you are still left) will know that I have Flashdance on my short list of very favorite #1s of the decade. It’s perfectly sung. I still love it because Irene’s vocal performance is so strong as to override the very dated, purely 1983 production. I still love it despite the song never having left heavy rotation on classic hits formats everywhere. R.I.P. Irene.

I hope you all are well here at TNOCS. Again, I miss the community very much.

I’m not and I don’t really understand this reaction. It would be one thing if Stereogum or Pitchfork were milking this for every click – because they could have been posting on this multiple times a day if they covered it even to the extent that the mainstream non-music media is – and they have made a clear decision not to do that. But when one of the biggest names in 21st century music, someone whose work has been championed and critically lauded by the site, is engaging kind of this rhetoric, at a moment where the far-right is making all kinds of inroads into the mainstream? It’s not really something you can just ignore. Like are they just supposed to pretend the biggest story in the music world isn’t happening and then next time Ye wants to drop an album they cover it like a normal album?

subject line: URGENT: OUR FUTURE IS AT STAKE

message: Galacto,

More than ever before, we need to get AS MANY VOTERS AS POSSIBLE on our side. Time is RUNNING OUT to stop the GREATEST CRISIS of our time. The VERY SOUL of our community is AT STAKE.

PLEASE, Galacto, will you do your part and VOTE for Imperial Triumphant’s “Spirit of Ecstasy” as album of the year? Or at least for like Chat Pile or Boris or something? If you don’t, this most vital prize in music might be given to some TWEE BULLSHIT or to A BAND NAMED AFTER A YEAR.

The people know what they need. They need to maintain their DIGNITY by voting for an album of howling art-deco-inspired chaos that TOTALLY WHIPS ASS. No one understands better than I do what difficult choices are at stake in your decision. But the time has come to BAND TOGETHER and take music back FOR THE PEOPLE. Standing with you in these troubled times,

Senator Elizabeth Warren