Favorite Music :: 2024

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Some singles, some EPs and some full-length albums.

These have been 50 of my favorite releases of 2024. Selections are in alphabetical order because you can’t rank music.

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

  • Wood Blues by أحمد [Ahmed] // BC //

  • Ghosted II by Oren Ambarchi / Johan Berthling / Andreas Werliin // AMZN // BC //

  • Bullets In The Chamber by Arrested Development // BC //

  • Tension by Mulatu Astatke & Hoodna Orchestra // AMZN // BC //

  • This is Basic by Basic // AMZN // BC //

  • Across the River of Stars by Beachwood Sparks // AMZN // BC //

  • Live in Paris 1973 by Can // AMZN // BC //

  • Close Encounters of the Third World by Creation Rebel // AMZN // BC //

  • Songs of A Lost World by the Cure // AMZN //

  • Love Changes Everything by Dirty Three // AMZN // BC //

  • 100% Sahara Guitar by Etran De L'Aïr // AMZN // BC //

  • When I’m Called by Jake Xerxes Fussell // AMZN // BC //

  • Lives Outgrown by Beth Gibbons // AMZN //

  • Mahal by Glass Beams // AMZN // BC //

  • Goat by Goat // AMZN // BC //

  • No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead by Godspeed You! Black Emperor // AMZN // BC //

  • the Collective by Kim Gordon // AMZN // BC //

  • Blu Wav by Grandaddy // AMZN // BC //

  • Dead of Night by Maalem Houssam Guinia // BC //

  • the Handover by the Handover // AMZN // BC //

  • In Waves by Jamie xx // AMZN // BC //

  • Chain of Light by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Party // AMZN // BC //

  • Diamond Jubilee by Cindy Lee // AMZN // BC //

  • Manning Fireworks by MJ Lenderman // AMZN // BC //

  • Bright Future by Adrianne Lenker // AMZN // BC //

  • Drop 7 by Little Simz

  • Two Improvisations by Joshua Massad & Dylan Aycock // AMZN // BC //

  • Locust Land by Bill MacKay // AMZN // BC //

  • Funeral For Justice by Mdou Moctar // AMZN // BC //

  • the Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis by The Messthetics // AMZN // BC //

  • Night Palace by Mount Eerie // AMZN // BC //

  • Walking After Dark by Mountain Movers // AMZN // BC //

  • David Nance & Mowed Sound by David Nance // AMZN // BC //

  • Bleed by the Necks // AMZN // BC //

  • The Way Out of Easy by Jeff Parker ETA IVtet // AMZN // BC //

  • Le Rêve de Polyphème by Polyphème // BC //

  • Deep Time by Prairiewolf // AMZN // BC //

  • Bite Down by Rosali // AMZN // BC //

  • Water Still Flows by Rich Ruth // AMZN // BC //

  • Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace by Shabaka // AMZN //

  • Exotic Birds of Prey by Shabazz Palaces // AMZN // BC //

  • Passage Du Desir by Johnny Blue Skies (Sturgill Simpson) // AMZN //

  • Time Is Glass by Six Organs of Admittance  // AMZN // BC //

  • Small Medium Large by SML // AMZN // BC //

  • Africa Yontii by Tidiane Thiam // AMZN // BC //

  • 5 by Trummors // AMZN // BC //

  • Tiger’s Blood by Waxahatchee // AMZN // BC //

  • In the Running 3 by Wet Tuna / DUNZA by Wet Tuna / DUNZA // BC //

  • Woodland by Gillian Welch & David Rawlings // AMZN // BC //

  • Acadia by Yasmin Williams // AMZN // BC //

Soundtrack to the Collective Meltdown (2021) :: A Holiday At The Sea (MEGA) Playlist

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The next time you’ve got nearly 5 hours to kill, I’ve got the mix for you! These are not necessarily my “favorite songs of 2021.” Instead, these are choice cuts; one representative track from each of my favorite 50 albums of the year. Regardless of length.

Get ready for a ride.

Tracklist:

  1. Pray for Peace by Ustad Saami from East Pakistan Sky

  2. Recessinater by Birds of Maya from Valdez

  3. The People vs. the Rest of Us by Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble from NOW

  4. Bell Song by 75 Dollar Bill featuring Barry Weisblat from Social Music at Troost Vol. 1

  5. Ya Rossoul by Khaira Arby from Khaira Arby In New York (Live In 2010)

  6. Movement by Bell Orchestre from House Music

  7. Broken Mirror (A Selfie Reflection)/Composition 9 by Matthew E. White and Lonnie Holley from Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection

  8. Riddim Rek Sa Niouy Mom by Wau Wau Collectif from Yaral Sa Doom

  9. All That They Left You by Six Organs of Admittance from The Veiled Sea

  10. Days Like These by Low from Hey What

  11. VBS by Lucy Dacus from Home Video

  12. Brothers by Phil Cook from All These Years

  13. Dark In Here by the Mountain Goats from Dark In Here

  14. Djougoh by Nahawa Doumbia from Kanawa

  15. The Call by Madlib from Sound Ancestors

  16. Beat Up Born Where I Come From by Ghost of Vroom from Ghost of Vroom 1

  17. Dovetail by Girls in Airports from Leap

  18. descension (Out of Our Constrictions) III by Natural Information Society and Evan Parker from descension (Out of Our Constrictions)

  19. Beowulf’s Trip by Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders from Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders

  20. World is Turning by Rose City Band from Earth Trip

  21. Disposable Thumbs by Endless Boogie from Admonitions

  22. Staggering With a Lantern by Mountain Movers from World What World

  23. Albuquerque by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis from CARNAGE

  24. OUR SIDE HAS TO WIN (for D.H.) by Godspeed You! Black Emperor from G_d's Pee At States End!

  25. Juvenescence by Yasmin Williams from Urban Driftwood

  26. Invisible Map by Derek Piotr from Making and Then Unmaking

  27. You Can Regret What You Have Done by Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy from Superwolves

  28. This Old World by Billy Strings from Renewal

  29. Kelp Highway by Drew Gardner from Drew Gardner

  30. Jnoun ! by Bachar Mar-Khalifé from Ghost Songs

  31. In Remembrance Of Those Fallen by Sons of Kemet from Black To The Future

  32. Bertha The Cool by Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog from Hope

  33. Give Me Back My Loving by Leo Nocentelli from Another Side

  34. Don’t Let The Tears by Howlin’ Rain from The Dharma Wheel

  35. Tree of Tule by Daniel Lanois from Heavy Sun

  36. Way To Cairo by Native Soul from Teenage Dreams

  37. Ethiopian Sunshower by Adrian Younge And Ali Shaheed Muhammad from Brian Jackson JID008

  38. Zengadyw Derekou by Hailu Mergia from Tezeta

  39. Ya Habibti by Mdou Moctar from Afrique Victime

  40. Tropicale Moon by Mouth Painter from Tropicale Moon

  41. Natural Facts by Wet Tuna from Eu’d To A Fake Boogie Volume 4

  42. Shrinks the Day by Ryley Walker and Kikagaku Moyo from Deep Fried Grandeur

  43. Musungu Elongo Paints His Face White to Scare Small Children by Kasai Allstars from Black Ants Always Fly Together, One Bangle Makes No Sound

  44. Trap Life by Sault from Nine

  45. Désert by Dobe Gnahoré from Couleur

  46. Part 1 by Elkhorn from The Golden Lag

  47. If It Comes In The Morning by Hiss Golden Messenger from Quietly Blowing It

  48. Morning River by Steve Gunn from Other You

  49. Shiva With Dustpan by Ryley Walker from Course In Fable

  50. Cortez the Killer (live) by Neil Young and Crazy Horse from Way Down In The Rust Bucket

  • Browse my favorite albums of the year

  • Browse my “2021 Yearly Wrap-it-Up” which is really a ramble about seeing Phish

  • Browse my favorite books of 2021

  • Browse my favorite movies of 2021

  • Browse my favorite television of 2021

  • Listen to a nearly 5-hour very low quality mix of one song from each of my favorite albums of 2021 called “Soundtrack to the Collective Meltdown”

2021 Year In Review :: Favorite Albums

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Here’s the dealio, my coolios.

Each year, I keep a running diary of sorts of all of the things I liked each year. If you’re interested (which I doubt you are), you can follow along with my real-time unedited yearly bookkeeping here.

At the end of each year I try to cull down the music section to what really defined my year musically. No ranking. Just great music. Here are 50 of my favorite 2021 albums in alphabetical order.

Albums In Visual Alphabetical Order:

Albums In Alphabetical Alphabetical Order:

  1. Social Music at Troost Vol.1 by 75 Dollar Bill

  2. Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders by Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders // Elixor of Life by Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders

  3. Khaira Arby in New York (Live in 2010) by Khaira Arby

  4. House Music by Bell Orchestre

  5. Valdez by Birds of Maya

  6. Carnage by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis

  7. All These Years by Phil Cook

  8. Home Video by Lucy Dacus

  9. Kanawa by Nahawa Doumbia

  10. The Golden Lag by Elkhorn

  11. Admonitions by Endless Boogie

  12. Drew Gardner by Drew Gardner

  13. Ghost of Vroom 1 by Ghost of Vroom

  14. Leap by Girls in Airports

  15. Couleur by Dobet Gnahoré

  16. G_d's Pee At States End! by Godspeed You! Black Emperor

  17. Other You by Steve Gunn

  18. Quietly Blowing It by Hiss Golden Messenger

  19. The Dharma Wheel by Howlin’ Rain

  20. Brian Jackson JID008 by Brian Jackson, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Adrian Younge

  21. Black Ants Always Fly Together, One Bangle Makes No Sound by Kasai Allstars

  22. Heavy Sun by Daniel Lanois

  23. Now by Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble

  24. Hey What by Low

  25. Sound Ancestors by Madlib

  26. Hope by Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog

  27. Ghost Songs by Bachar Mar-Khalifé

  28. Tezeta by Hailu Mergia

  29. Afrique Victime by Mdou Moctar

  30. Dark In Here by the Mountain Goats

  31. World What World by Mountain Movers

  32. Tropicale Moon by Mouth Painter

  33. Teenage Dreams by Native Soul

  34. descension (Out of Our Constrictions) by Natural Information Society/Evan Parker

  35. Another Side by Leo Nocentelli (1971)

  36. Making and Then Unmaking by Derek Piotr

  37. Earth Trip by Rose City Band

  38. East Pakistan Sky by Ustad Saami

  39. Nine by Sault

  40. The Veiled Sea by Six Organs of Admittance

  41. Black to the Future by Sons of Kemet

  42. Renewal by Billy Strings

  43. Superwolves by Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy

  44. Deep Fried Grandeur by Ryley Walker And Kikagaku Moyo

  45. Course In Fable by Ryley Walker

  46. Yaral Sa Doom by Wau Wau Collectif

  47. Eau’d To A Fake Boogie Volume 4 by Wet Tuna

  48. Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection by Matthew E. White and Lonnie Holley

  49. Urban Driftwood by Yasmin Williams

  50. Way Down in the Rust Bucket by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

  • Browse my favorite albums of the year

  • Browse my “2021 Yearly Wrap-it-Up” which is really a ramble about seeing Phish

  • Browse my favorite books of 2021

  • Browse my favorite movies of 2021

  • Browse my favorite television of 2021

  • Listen to a nearly 5-hour very low quality mix of one song from each of my favorite albums of 2021 called “Soundtrack to the Collective Meltdown”

Yasmin Williams and Kaki King :: New Sounds Live at Brookfield Place

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I started out looking for live Yasmin Williams performances but quickly landed on this broadcast from New Sounds Live at Brookfield Place, curated by WNYC’s John Schaefer. This episode features brilliant performances and insightful interview segments with Yasmin Williams and Kaki King as well as the debut duo performance of a new piece written by Williams.

If you’re a fan of beautifully innovative guitar music, this is the turkey you want to jive.

Setlist:

Yasmin Williams

  • Juvenescence

  • Interview

  • I wonder

  • Dragonfly

  • Through the Woods

Kaki King

  • Interview 

  • Default Shell

  • Godchild

  • Can’t Touch This, Or That, Or My Face

  • Lorlir

  • Puzzle Me You

  • Nails

  • Bowen Island

  • Antrhropomorph

  • Night After Sidewalk


Together:

  • Instant Happiness

  • Visit Yasmin Williams’ official website

  • Follow Yasmin Williams at Facebook

  • Follow Yasmin Williams at Twitter

  • Purchase Yasmin Williams’ music at Amazon

  • Visit Kaki King’s official website

  • Follow Kaki King at Facebook

  • Follow Kaki King at Twitter

  • Purchase Kaki King’s music at Amazon