ALBUMS // 2023

I didn't listen to as much new music in 2023 as years past - much more into building a vinyl collection now. But here are the ones that I did spend time with and listen to a whole bunch. 

1. Billy Woods & Kenny Segal // MAPS

2. Hotline TNT // CARTWHEEL

3. Ratboys // THE WINDOW

4. Slow Pulp // YARD

5. Yo La Tengo // THIS STUPID WORLD

6. Young Fathers // HEAVY HEAVY

7. Wednesday // RAT SAW GOD

8. Mitski // THE LAND IS INHOSPITABLE AND SO ARE WE

9. Protomartyr // FORMAL GROWTH IN THE DESERT

10. Jeff Rosenstock // HELLMODE

--------------------------

And a few more that were close:

• Tim Hecker // NO HIGHS
• Noname // SUNDIAL
• Nourished By Time // EROTIC PROBIOTIC 2
• Boygenius // THE RECORD
• Black Thought // GLORIOUS GAME

Good luck in 2024. It should be a doozy. 

___________________

ALBUMS // 2022

 Good night for the die-hards. 

1. Alvvays / Blue Rev
2. Billy Woods / Aethiopes
3. Big Theif / Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe
4. MJ Lenderman / Boat Songs
5. Destroyer / Labyrinthitus
6. Danger Mouse & Black Thought / Cheat Codes
7. Alex G / God Save The Animals
8. KA / Languish Arts
9. The Paranoid Style / For Executive Meeting
10. Empath / Visitor
11. The Beths / Expert In A Dying Field
12. Black Country, New Road / Ants From Up There
13. Kendrick Lamar / Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
14. Florist / Florist
15. Wilco / Cruel Country
16. Burial / Antidawn
17. Earl Sweatshirt / Sick!
18. KA / Woeful Studies
19. Beach House / Once Twice Melody
20. The Smile / A Light For Attracting Attention

ALBUMS // 2021

 

Better late than never I suppose. Been compiling a list for this year and remembered that 2021 was a year we had and I never got around to it. Here's what I liked best last year. 

.
1. Fiddlehead / Between the Richness
2. KA / A Martyr's Reward
3. Cassandra Jenkins / An Overview of Phenomenal Nature
4. Bo Jackson / Boldy James & The Alchemist
5. Dinosaur Jr. / Sweep It Into Space
6. Low / Hey What
7. Tyler the Creator / CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
8. Armand Hammer & The Alchemist / Haram
9. Floating Points & Pharaoh Sanders / Promises (ft. The London Symphony                                               Orchestra)
10. Sons of Kemet / Black To The Future
11. Damien Jurado / The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania
12. The Weather Station / Ignorance
13. Iceage / Seek Shelter
14. The War on Drugs / I Can't Live Here Anymore
15. Spirit of the Beehive / Entertainment, Death
16. Dry Cleaning / New Long Leg
17. Jazmine Sullivan / Heaux Tales
18. Jeff Parker / For Folks
19. The Hold Steady / Open Door Policy
20. Guided by Voices / Earth Man Blues 

ALBUMS // 2020

 

If you're reading this right now I'm very curious as to what led you here. I mean, PHW has been mostly on permanent snooze-control for about 6 years except for the annual year-old reflections, so there are not many avenues leading to this site anymore. But thanks for finding it somehow! And I genuinely hope you find some new shit to check out here. As awful as 2020's overall rep will deservedly be, it wasn't all bad. There were some silver linings; some flashes of normalcy peaking thru the buttstorm. One of those was the relentless stream of fantastic new music that never let up all year even as the world shut down. The other was plenty of time at home to soak it all in. (side note: I would bet somebody else's money that this is the first time my year end list has ever had 3 albums made by Jeffs). Anyway, here are my favorites of this decade of a year we've all suffered thru:

50.  BACKXWASH | God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It

49.  KEIYAA | Forever, Ya Girl

48.  JEFF PARKER | Suite for Max Brown

47.  RON MILES | Rainbow Signs

46.  NANA GRIZOL | South Somewhere Else

45.  KAATAYRA | Toda Historia pela Frente

44.  BARTEES STRANGE | Live Forever

43.  HELENA DELAND | Someone New

42.  NO AGE | Goons Be Gone

41.  JEFF TWEEDY | Love Is The King

40.  ADULKT LIFE | Book of Curses

39.  CHARLI XCX | how i'm feeling now

38.  KELLY LEE OWENS | Inner Song

37.  DEHD | Flower of Deception

36.  NATION OF LANGUAGE | Introduction, Presence

35.  DESTROYER | Have We Met

34.  THE FLAMING LIPS | American Head

33.  SAULT | untitled (Rise) 

32.  EMPTY COUNTRY | Empty Country

31.  LOMELDA | Hannah  

**********************************************************

30. ARMAND HAMMER | Shrines

29. PORRIDGE RADIO | Every Bad

28. TAYLOR SWIFT | Folklore

27. BOLDY JAMES & STERLING TOLES | Manger On McNichols

26. EMMA RUTH RUNDLE & THOU | May Our Chambers Be Full

25. CHUBBY & THE GANG | Speed Kills

24. PERFUME GENIUS | Set My Heart On Fire Immediately

23. YVES TUMOR | Heaven To A Tortured Mind

22. RUN THE JEWELS | RTJ4

21. THE MICROPHONES | Microphones in 2020

20. DEERHOOF | Future Teenage Cave Artists

19. JAY ELECTRONICA | Act II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn)

18. BONNY LIGHT HORSEMAN | Bonny Light Horseman

17. BOLDY JAMES & THE ALCHEMIST | The Price of Tea In China

16. TURIA | Degen van Licht

15. SHABAKA & THE ANCESTORS | We Are Sent Here By History

14. KA | Descendants of Cain

13. SAULT | untitled (Black Is)

12. THE STROKES | The New Abnormal

11. ADRIANNE LENKER | songs/instrumentals

10. AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE | on the tender spot of every calloused moment

9. FREDDIE GIBBS & THE ALCHEMIST | Alfredo

8. PROTOMARTYR | Ultimate Success Today

7. SUMAC | May You Be Held

6. PHOEBE BRIDGERS | Punisher

5. DOGLEG | Melee 

4. JAY ELECTRONICA | A Written Testimony

3. WAXAHATCHEE | SAINT CLOUD

2. JEFF ROSENSTOCK | N O D R E A M

1. FIONA APPLE | Fetch the Bolt Cutters

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SONGS // 2020

 

There is little I can add to the 2020 conversation that hasn't been said already and with far more poingancy. But it's a real good thing that songs were here for us this year. Most of the artists on this list are not making a lot of money from music under the best of circumstances. If you happen upon this list I hope you find a few new songs to love and I hope you still remember them and the people who wrote and performed them when the world gets back on its feet. 

100. Try To Be On My Side Now | 2nd Grade

99. After the Rain | Jeff Parker

98. Turned to String | No Age

97. Both of Us | Jayda G 

96. Look To | Ratboys

95. O Castigo Vem A Cavalo | Kaatraya

94. Chinatown | Bleachers (ft. Bruce Springsteen)

93. Pommelhorse | Armand Hammer (ft. Curly Castro)

92. Hvnli | KeiyaA

91. Country Pride | Aduklt Life

90. Lucky | Ganser

89. Sweeter | Leon Bridges (ft. Terrace Martin)

88. Black Magic | backxwash

87. Drown | Teenage Halloween

86. Give/Take | Porridge Radio

85. Grace | The Soft Pink Truth

84. Gospel For A New Century | Yves Tumor

83. Middle America | Pure X

82. Little Boy | Sault

81. It's Too Late to Look At The Blossoms | Dave Harrington &                                  Kenny Wollesen 

80. Interstellar Love | Thundercat

79. WAP | Cardi B. (ft. Megan Thee Stallion)

78. Scottie Beam | Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist (ft. Rick Ross)

77. Hunger For A Way Out | Sweeping Promises

76. Undone | Lande Hekt

75. Yankee and the Brave (Ep. 4) | Run the Jewels

74. I Don't Love Me Anymore | Oneohtrix Point Never

73. A Robin or A Wren | Jeff Tweedy

72. Crash | Nilufir Yanya

71. Pta | The Lawrence Arms

70. Cue Synthesizer | Destroyer

69. two reverse | Adrianne Lenker

68. Describe | Perfume Genius

67. Enemy | Charli XCX

66. Jangle Manifesto | Nana Grizol

65. All My Best Shit | SPICE

64. Night | Kelly Lee Owens

63. Giant Slide | Boldy James & The Alchemist 

62. Delete Forever | Grimes

61. Someone New | Helena Deland

60. Garden Song | Phoebe Bridgers

59. Party With The Kids Who Want To Party With You | Bad Moves

58. The Mission's End | Jason Molina

57. Shiny Suit Theory | Jay Electronica (ft. The Dream)

56. Boomer | Bartees Strange

55. Ghosts | Bruce Springsteen

54. Got Flicked (The Rebirth) | Boldy James & Sterling Toles

53. Rock and Roll | Trace Mountains

52. People I've been sad | Christine and the Queens

51. Dora | Tierra Whack 

50. The Valley | Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou

49. It's Infinite | Lomelda

48. Ohio Tpke | Jeff Rosenstock

47. Savage remix | Megan Thee Stallion (ft. Beyonce)

46. Wildfires | Sault

45. Levitating | Dua Lipa

44. Thought vs. Everybody | Black Thought

43. Loner | Dehd

42. Future Teenage Cave Artists | Deerhoof 

41. Starfall | Salem

40. Walking In The Snow | Run the Jewels

39. You 'n Me Sellin' Weed | The Flaming Lips

38. Guilty Conscience | 070 Shake 

37. St. Cloud | Waxahatchee

36. Qadir | Nick Hakim 

35. Marian | Empty Country

34. Rush & Fever | Nation of Language

33. Black Parade | Beyonce 

32. Seminal Art | Cafe Racer

31. Born Confused | Porridge Radio

30. Ossifrage | Turia

29. Deep In Love | Bonny Light Horseman 

28. Kyoto | Phoebe Bridgers 

27. Consumed | Sumac

26. At The Door | The Strokes

25. Ender | Dogleg 

24. For Her | Fiona Apple 

23. Song 33 | Noname 

22. Grenfell Forever | Chubby & the Gang

21. Home | Caribou

---------------------------------------------

20. Little Kid | I Thought That You'd Been Raptured

19. Jazmine Sullivan | Lost One

18. Frank Ocean | Dear April

17. Weather Station | Tried To Tell You

16. Charli XCX | Detonate

15. Perfume Genius | On The Floor

14. Ka | Old Justice

13. Taylor Swift | Peace

12. John Prine | I Remember Everything

11. Adrianne Lenker | Dragon Eyes

10. Phoebe Bridgers | I Know The End

9. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist (ft. Tyler, the Creator) | Something To Rap About

8. Protomartyr | Processed By The Boys 

7. Waxahatchee | Can't Do Much

6. Grimes | Idoru

5. Dogleg | Kawasaki Backflip

4. Jay Electronica | APIDTA

3. Haim | The Steps

2. Fiona Apple | I Want You To Love Me

1. Jeff Rosenstock | No Dream

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------