Here's a run-down of my favorite music this year. Please feel free to share your favorite tunes -- or any other year-end thoughts about music, movies, life...

 

Old Pros Makin' it Look Easy

Kurt Vile – B’lieve I’m Goin’ Down (easygoing, funny, and gliding)

Alex G – Beach Music (album most likely to make me say, "Ooh, I love this part")

Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell (calm, thoughtful and beautiful)

 

Pure Pastoral Pop With Psychedelic Overtones

Sam Cohen – Cool it (most likely to be mistaken for Olivia Tremor Control)

Charlie Brand – Monsoons (most likely to be mistaken for Seals & Crofts)

Vetiver - The Errant Charm (most likely to be mistaken for Fleetwood Mac)

Martin Courtney – Many Moons (most likely to be mistaken for Real Estate)

 

Old Times Never Felt So Good

Ryley Walker – Primrose Green (my third favorite Van Morrison album)

Tobias Jesso Jr. - Goon (my favorite Elton John album)

Natalie Prass – Natalie Prass (my second favorite Dusty Springfield album)

 

Future Jazz

Kamasi Washington – The Epic (Coltranes John and Alice)

The Breathing Effect – Mars is a Very Bad Place (funky and loose)

Floating Points - Elaenia (dancefloor jazz)

 

Space Music, Pink Floyd Category

Death and Vanilla - To Where The Wild Things Are... (pillows of vintage synth)

The Amazing – Picture You (epic landscapes from Sweden)

Dungen – Allas Sak (mighty)

 

Space Music, Brian Eno Category

Gaussian Curve - Clouds (melodic and airy)

Bitchin Bajas - Transporter EP (zones)

Bitchin Bajas & Natural Information Society – Automaginary (drones)

 

They Say that People Never Change, But That's Bullshit

(three bands that traded their guitars in for synths)

Tame Impala - Currents (a massive leap sideways)

Mac DeMarco – Another One (shows off his classical songwriting chops)

The Holydrug Couple – Moonlust (a sunnier psychedelia from this Santiago band)

 

The Groove

Ultimate Paintings - Green Lanes (VU, Loaded edition)

Protomartyr - The Agent Intellect (The Fall edition)

Los Colognes – Dos (Dire Straits edition)

J. Fernandez - Many Levels of Laughter (Stereolab edition)

Damaged Bugs – Cold Hot Plumbs (Devo edition)

 

My Favorite Poetry This Year

Jessica Pratt – On Your Own Love Again (mysterious songs)

Destroyer – Poison Season (old crank)

Fred Thomas - All Are Saved (young crank)

 

Albums I'm Still Happily Chewing On

Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly

Jim O'Rourke - Simple Songs

Panda Bear - Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper

 

Albums I Spent a Dumb Amount of Time Listening to This Year

Jeff Bridges – Sleeping Tapes

Jeff Lynn's ELO - Alone in the Universe