Year 9. I kinda didn’t want to do the words/writing thing with this one…so set your phasers for lazy.
THE LIST
50. Wilco — Cruel Country
Why: Solid group of Country songs. Like Being There but less rock more 70s.
Genre: Alt-Country
For Fans of: Waylon, Willie, Wilco
49. fleshwater — we’re not here to be loved
Why: This is a Deftones record.
Genre: Deftones
For Fans of: The Deftones
48. The Hanging Stars — Hollow Heart
Why: The harmonies and songwriting.
Genre: Psychedelic Alt-Country
For Fans of: The Jayhawks, Sepia Tone Filters
47. Venom Prison — Erebos
Why: Sick Riffs.
Genre: Deathcore
For Fans of: Sick Riffs and creepy cover art.
46. Elzhi + Georgia Anne Muldrow — Zhigeist
Why: Elzhi is great at old-school technical rapping even if a bit corny, and Georgia Anne Muldrow has great production.
Genre: Boom Bap Hip-Hop
For Fans of: Drinking Strawberry Milk
45. CMAT — If My Wife New I’d Be Dead
Why: Catchy choruses and just enough angst mixed together in a singer-songwriter/alt-country cocktail.
Genre: Alt-Country
For Fans of: Crying at Parties
44. Wild Pink — ILSYM
Why: The run from Sucking On The Birdshot to ICLYM.
Genre: Sleepy Indie
For Fans of: Chamomile Tea and That Same Movie You’ve Been Watching For Years
43. Ethel Cain — Preacher’s Daughter
Why: Layers and Textures.
Genre: Slowcore
For Fans of: Parks and Rec Episode Where They Pretend It’s The Olden Days But In This Version Patton Oswalt Is A Serial Killer
42. Kenny Beats — LOUIE
Why: Beats sound good. Activate neurons.
Genre: Instrumental Hip-Hop
For Fans of: Giant Bowls of Cereal
41. Sweet Pill — Where the Heart Is
Why: This is a Further Seems Forever album.
Genre: Midwest Emo
For Fans of: Further Seems Forever
40. Cult of Luna — The Long Road North
Why: Brutal and haunting.
Genre: Sludge Metal
For Fans of: The Movie Speed But The Opposite If You Go Over 15mph You Die
39. Foxtails — fawn
Why: Raw and feeling.
Genre: Emo
For Fans of: Trying to Clean Your Teeth With A Toothpick And Making Your Gums Bleed
38. wiki + Subjxct 5 — Cold Cuts
Why: Album full of some damn cold cuts.
Genre: Hip-Hop
For Fans of: Curb Episode Where Larry Has A Sandwich Named After Him But Hates It So He Tries To Steal Ted Danzen’s Sandwich
37. Say Sue Me
Why: I like Indie Rock.
Genre: Indie Rock
For Fans of: Ian Cohen
36. Nicholas Craven + Boldy James — Fair Exchange No Robbery
Why: Filthy production and winter vibes.
Genre: Boom Bap Hip-Hop
For Fans of: The Woodchipper Scenes in Fargo
35. Laufey — Everything I Know About Love
Why: Beautiful voice over beautiful jazz.
Genre: Jazz Vocalization
For Fans of: George Eliot’s Middlemarch But Set In 1970
34. Elucid — I Told Bessie
Why: Lyricism and production, plus the opening track.
Genre: Experimental Hip-Hop
For Fans of: Taking 12 Shots of Vodka and Washing It Down With 12 More of Espresso
33. Nas — King’s Disease III
Why: Wow, Nas made a good record again.
Genre: Hip-Hop
For Fans of: Just Plain Ol’ Rappin’
32. Mindforce — New Lords
Why: It kicks major hardcore ass.
Genre: Hardcore
For Fans of: Kicking Ass.
31. Slowbleed — The Blazing Sun, A Fiery Dawn
Why: Riffs are amazing.
Genre: Thrash Metal
For Fans of: Ripping Off Your Leather Jacket And Howling At The Moon After You Win Late Night Putt-Putt
30. Daniel Rossen — You Belong There
Why: Some really cool guitar stuff.
Genre: Folk
For Fans of: Walking In The Woods Alone With A Clif Bar And Whiskey
29. Max Cooper — Unspoken Words
Why: Metaphysical Physicality.
Genre: IDM
For Fans of: Intelligent Dance Music
28. Jack J — Opening The Door
Why: I like to listen to techno while I wash the dishes.
Genre: Techno/EDM
For Fans of: Listening To Techno While You Wash Dishes
27. Salamanda — ashbalkum
Why: Fun and unique IDM.
Genre: IDM
For Fans of: Hector and Tuco Salamanda
26. Miscreance — Convergence
Why: This is a Death record, except more chaotic and cooler album art.
Genre: Death Metal
For Fans of: Van Wizards
25. KnXwledge — 家.V1
Why: KnXwledge does House music.
Genre: House
For Fans of: Vibing While Working From Home
24. Autonoesis — Moon of Foul Magics
Why: Interesting songwriting and bedroom production actually serves the music well.
Genre: Black Metal/Thrash Metal
For Fans of: Watching a Space Documentary While Extremely Hungover
23. Della Zyr — 비타민과 우려 Vitamins and Apprehension
Why: Fade into static and float into the ceiling.
Genre: Shoegaze/Midwest Emo
For Fans of: Typing Ascend Into GIF Search and Just Picking One
22. Plains — I Walked With You A Ways
Why: Katie Crutchfield is cooler than you or me.
Genre: Alt-Country
For Fans of: Chewing On A Stalk of Grass With Your Thumbs In Your Belt Loops
21. Little Simz — NO THANK YOU
Why: Gorgeous production with thoughtful lyricism and delivery.
Genre: Hip-Hop
For Fans of: Chilling
20. S.G. Goodman — Teeth Marks
Why: Infectious songwriting and introspection.
Genre: Alt-Country/Singer-Songwriter
For Fans of: Six Pack of Lonestar — Nothing Snooty
19. Conway the Machine — God Don’t Make Mistakes
Why: Gritty.
Genre: Hip-Hop
For Fans of: That Time Like Once A Decade Where Rick Ross Has A Cool Feature
18. Beach House — Once Twice Melody
Why: Swimming in a dream pop ocean with waves of reverb and cotton candy.
Genre: Shoegaze/Dream Pop
For Fans of: I Already Said Cotton Candy
17. Weyes Blood — And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow
Why: Her voice.
Genre: Art Pop
For Fans of: Warm Fuzzies
16. Black Country, New Road — Ants From Up There
Why: Good direction and huge growth from their previous record, while still maintaining the raw energy and emotion.
Genre: Chamber Pop/Post-Punk
For Fans of: Sitting In A Dive Bar, Reminiscing
15. Richard Dawson — The Ruby Cord
Why: The Hermit.
Genre: Folk
For Fans of: The Medieval World and Post-Apocaylptic World Colliding On The Same Canvas
14. Rolo Tomassi — Where Myth Becomes Memory
Why: The juxtaposition between vocal styles.
Genre: Progressive Metal
For Fans of: Wading Through A Sea of Ash, But At Least You’ve Got Your Favorite Sweatshirt
13. SZA — SOS
Why: Melodic Depression.
Genre: RnB
For Fans of: Crying In The Club
12. An Abstract Illusion — Woe
Why: Satisfying incorporation of other genres and textures while still managing to cut through with buzzsaw riffs.
Genre: Progressive Metal
For Fans of: Playing DnD But Using Metal As The Soundtrack Instead
11. Duster — Together
Why: The guitar tone.
Genre: Slowcore
For Fans of: Grocery Shopping At Midnight With Headphones In
10. White Ward — False Light
Why: Atmospheric, haunting, and a saxophone. Like living in a desolate windswept plain with only your thoughts, the cold, and a saxophone.
Genre: Black Metal/Saxophone
For Fans of: Saxophone
9. The Beths — Expert In A Dying Field
Why: 90s guitar tone with catchy melodies and heartfelt lyricism.
Genre: Indie Pop
For Fans of: Remembering All That, Clarissa Explains It All, and Alex Mack, But Now We’re All Thirty-Five and Old
8. Counterparts — A Eulogy for Those Still Here
Why: The first song is about a cat. Also, the drum fills.
Genre: Metalcore
For Fans of: Absolutely Destroying Your Steering Wheel By Drumming In Traffic
7. billy woods — Aethiopes
Why: Like Jazz Rap in a haunted house.
Genre: Experimental Hip-Hop
For Fans of: Scooby Doo, Where Are You? But This Time Scooby Is In A Housing Project
6. Alvvays — Blue Rev
Why: I think by now, we’ve established that I like fuzzy guitar tones and women who can sing.
Genre: Indie Pop
For Fans of: Fuzzy Guitar Tones and Women Who Can Sing
5. Makaya McCraven — In These Times
Why: Beautiful jazz composition that mix genres like classical music, afro-funk, and dance.
Genre: Jazz Fusion
For Fans of: It’s Early And You Have To Work But You Have Trouble Waking Up Even With Coffee
4. Roc Marciano + The Alchemist — The Elephant Man’s Bones
Why: Production is so stanky.
Genre: Hip-Hop
For Fans of: The Stank
3. Wake — Thought Form Descent
Why: Brutal and frenetic riffs that smash like waves made of amps.
Genre: Black Metal/Death Metal
For Fans of: Meditating In The Eye Of A Hurricane
2. Big Thief — Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
Why: S-tier songwriting that never gets old despite having 20 tracks.
Genre: Indie Folk
For Fans of: Fairytales
- Sadistik + Kno — Bring Me Back When the World is Cured
Why: Cinematic, lush, and moody production filled with incredible lyricism, wordplay, and flow.
Genre: Hip-Hop
For Fans of: Rain Forever.
