[JamieG]

It's that time of year again. Piccadilly Records top 100.

https://www.piccadillyrecords.com/counter/feature.php?feature=1287

Don't think I've listened to much new music this year but have enjoyed the colloboration between Waxahatchee and Jess Williamson, called Plains. Their country-rock album 'I walked a ways with you' has some great songs on it. A few of which wouldn't have been out of place on Waxahatchee's awesome St Cloud album from a couple years ago.

At the other end of the rock spectrum Ithaca's new hardcore album 'They Fear Us' is pretty good. Not sure it has quite the kick of their last effort but still a good listen.

[SA Chris]

A bit main stream, but I've tried to like Arctic Monkey's The Car, but find half the songs completely featureless, sounds like a boring version of LSP.

[jwi]

A bit early for Best new music of the year thread?

I still hold out hopes for better music. Last year some of the best French Variety got general release in France in mid december. So far DOMi & JD Becks debut is album of the year. I'll get back on this subject...

From that list from Piccadilly, I've only listened to four albums (K. Lamar, Kokoroko, S van Etten and Björk [but in this case listening is too generous of an adjective])

[Fiend]

It is too early yes!!

I presume there's nothing on that list I'd enjoy. And it doesn't even feature Ithaca - false advertising Jamie! (I haven't found TFU grabbed me enough compared to TLOI)

[JamieG]

Sorry, but I don't decide when Piccadilly Records do their end of year list. 

Plus, if you want a more American lean then Pitchfork has also done it's top 50. https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-albums-2022/

Maybe it isn't too early, I am right and you are all wrong. 

[Hoseyb]

Best is a strong adjective.
The most interesting musical discovery of this year has been Otoboke Beaver.

However I mainly listen to them in 30 second blasts

[wasbeen]

Just listened to Otoboke Beaver.

My word, that changes everything.

Truly thanks.

[jwi]

Best is a strong adjective.
The most interesting musical discovery of this year has been Otoboke Beaver.

However I mainly listen to them in 30 second blasts

Trop cool ! I haven't really listened much to hc/punk since 1998 but liked that a lot!

[butters]

Just listened to Otoboke Beaver.

My word, that changes everything.

Truly thanks.

For more wonderful Japanese insanity I highly recommend Blacklab - so heavy even Fiend might like it.

Osaka doom witch duo drop one of the most surprising tracks from their new album 'In A Bizarre Dream'. Their name (as they've pointed out) is a mix of Black Sabbath and Stereolab, two of their favourite bands. If you want to hear how these two differing elements might sound together, this is it.
Featuring a lead vocal from Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab no less.

<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zoO8xgrR9LE" title="Blacklab: Crows Sparrows and Cats (Official Video)" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Duma]

However I mainly listen to them in 30 second blasts

TBF this is about the average length of one of their tracks

[lukeyboy]

A bit main stream, but I've tried to like Arctic Monkey's The Car, but find half the songs completely featureless, sounds like a boring version of LSP.

Yeah, I absolutely love the early albums (Whatever people say I am, Favourite worst nightmare). High energy, witty and viscerally relatable in the way that The Streets is. From about AM onwards I've liked their music less and less, as it's moved towards a slower, crooning style.

I'm probably quite mainstream too but recently I've particularly enjoyed Wet Leg and Fontaines album 'Skinty Fia'

[SA Chris]

Yeah, I had high hopes for the album, as the singles sound similar to the LSP stuff, but album doesn't hold up.

I was unaware of the new Broken Bells album, until Jamie posted this, had it on all morning, as good as the other albums they have done.

[SA Chris]

Independent's list.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/best-albums-2022-beyonce-rosalia-b2244926.html

Enjoying Yard Act and Wunderhorse from Picadilly Records' list.

[andy moles]

I used to be all over end of year lists like Pitchfork's, but I don't find it a very useful way to discover music any more.

Because they're covering such a wide base of genres (and also have their perennial favourites who could release an album of experimental fart mixes and get in there) I don't find it any more likely to turn up music that I'll like than random trawling of reviews or gaming the Spotify algorithm.

Maybe it's that the way music is consumed is different now. These lists seem like a throwback to a time when a new style of music or big release was part of a cultural moment that everyone recognised, which hasn't really happened since, what, Oasis?! Now we're mostly in self-curated bubbles. I feel that unless it's coming from a person who you know shares a lot of your tastes, mass music recommendations are of limited value.

[teestub]

I guess some people do have a very broad music taste and therefore lists like Pitchfork work for them.

I’m not one of these people myself, but fortunately there are plenty of more focussed websites, like https://grizzlybutts.com/ if you like noisy music. I think lists of things you might have missed are probably more important these days, as Spotify etc. algorithms are likely to spit out the more popular stuff, but not necessarily the best stuff.

Pretty sure there are still big cultural moments happening in music, but they are happening to younger people 😄

[andy moles]

I think lists of things you might have missed are probably more important these days, as Spotify etc. algorithms are likely to spit out the more popular stuff, but not necessarily the best stuff.

I've actually been impressed that this is not the case. Spotify has played me stuff with <1000 play count, based on similarly niche things that I've listened to. It's true that it's not the only way to find stuff out there of course, and it has definite limitations.

Pretty sure there are still big cultural moments happening in music, but they are happening to younger people 😄

Maybe, but are there in quite the same way though?

[andy moles]

I guess some people do have a very broad music taste and therefore lists like Pitchfork work for them.

I would say my taste in music is quite broad, but it still doesn't necessarily peak in the same places. I do have a browse of these things every so often and find something I like, it's just a question of efficiency of time spent listening vs. striking gold.

[teestub]

I've actually been impressed that this is not the case. Spotify has played me stuff with <1000 play count, based on similarly niche things that I've listened to. It's true that it's not the only way to find stuff out there of course, and it has definite limitations

That’s fair, I’ve had some pretty niche self released recommendations from Apple too.

Maybe, but are there in quite the same way though?

I’m not sure, my experience of cultural moments such as Oasis or the Spice Girls was based around trying my best to avoid them so I’m not best placed to comment! I’m sure if one listens to R1 and goes to Yates or Outback of a weekend there will be more modern equivalences.

[andy moles]

I guess I spat that observation about cultural moments out as a half-formed afterthought, it's interesting though. I certainly don't have my finger on the pulse, I just don't feel that in my adult life there's been anything that compares to rave or punk or Woodstock or whatever. And it's tempting to connect that to the way that music is consumed.

[teestub]

I guess I spat that observation about cultural moments out as a half-formed afterthought, it's interesting though. I certainly don't have my finger on the pulse, I just don't feel that in my adult life there's been anything that compares to rave or punk or Woodstock or whatever. And it's tempting to connect that to the way that music is consumed.

I guess it depends how old you are so what your adult life is, but similar movements of initially niche music into the mainstream might include off the top of my head:
- the heavy metal big 4 in the ‘90’s (think Black Album is still one of the most streamed on Spotify)
- grunge in a similar period
- nu metal early 00’s
- dirty south hip hop in a similar period
- garage and grime twice (early 2000’s Kano So Solid etc. and late 2010’s Giggs, Stormzy etc)
- various dance music scenes that I have no idea about, but there was a period in which you could move without hearing Swedish House Mafia, and I bet there’s loads of people out there who have had Woodstock level experiences in Ibiza.

[Fiend]

Invention of jungle / drum'n'bass
Invention of hardcore techno / gabber
Invention of dubstep

All in my listening life and all going very strong to this day, obviously two of those have had pretty significant mainstream exposure / acceptance in their lighter / radio-friendly forms that I don't fucking like ofc

[andy moles]

Underground genres influencing the mainstream wasn't really what I meant, I was trying to describe something more amorphous where music is about more than music, where it defines or is associated with a particular moment in culture.

Maybe dubstep/grime is the nearest thing in the last 15 years?

[jwi]

Underground genres influencing the mainstream wasn't really what I meant, I was trying to describe something more amorphous where music is about more than music, where it defines or is associated with a particular moment in culture.

I do not think it is the same now. In a society defined by consumerism our sense of who we truly are is defined through the purchase of consumer goods (or services). There are no longer any records to buy (except for those who define themseves by their niche interest in vinyl), so naturally a record is no longer an important cultural or societal moment, even if it is a Beyonce record.

TL;DR Albums don't matter anymore. There is streaming.

[Fiend]

Andy - gets a vote from me, aye.

And worth reposting this: , a great snapshot of the emergence of the dubstep scene.

[teestub]

Underground genres influencing the mainstream wasn't really what I meant, I was trying to describe something more amorphous where music is about more than music, where it defines or is associated with a particular moment in culture.

What are your examples here then to get a sense of what you’re after, Woodstock? I know little about this really, not sure how much it was poeticised afterwards as being a representation of the hippy movement etc. but seems to have been a big deal. 

You also mentioned Oasis, I guess you were thinking britpop more broadly and ‘cool brittania’ (🤮)? I didn’t see that as much more than a trend in pop music for a few years.