best music of 2017

albums (in no particular order except the top 10)

the national - sleep well beast
the barr brothers - queens of the breakers
hazel english - just give in/never going home
dent may - across the multiverse
yellow days - the tree i climb
kendrick lamar - damn.
okey dokey - love you, mean it
fleet foxes - crack up
gun outfit - out of range
charlotte gainsbourg - rest
kevin morby - city music
moses sumney - aromanticism
flo morrissey & matthew e. white - gentlewoman, ruby man
yumi zouma - willowbank
bedouine - s/t
omni - multi-task
sza - ctrl
luna - a place of greater safety
broken social scene - hug of thunder
rostam - half-light
david bazan - care
kamasi washington - harmony of difference
cut worms - alien sunset
big thief - capacity
the jesus and mary chain - damage and joy

whispertown - i'm a man
critical track: born to ride

tennis - yours conditionally
critical track: fields of blue

molly burch - please be mine
critical track: torn to pieces

nick hakim - green twins
critical track: cuffed

slowdive - s/t
critical track: don't know why

sharon jones & the dap-kings - soul of a woman
critical track: these tears (no longer for you)

aldous harding - party
critical track: what if birds aren't singing they're screaming

mike edge - s/t
critical track: been so long

dan auerbach - waiting on a song
critical track: king of a one horse town

jay som - everybody works
critical track: baybee 

playlists

2017 cq best albums
2017 best songs not from best albums

best music of 2016

favorite albums in no particular order except for the top ten

albums:


drugdealer: the end of comedy

the growlers: city club

big search: life dollars 

charlie hilton: palana

ultimate painting: dusk

kevin morby: singing saw

cate lebon: crab day

cass mccombs: mangy love

car seat headrest: teens of denial

woods: city sun eater in the river of light

idris ackamoor: we be all africans

nap eyes: thought rock fish scale

diiv: is the is are

adrian younge: something about april ii 

michael kiwanuka: love & hate

whitney:  light upon the lake

kevin krauter: changes

10. frank ocean: blonde
- critical track: "ivy"

9. the shacks: s/t EP
- critical track: "this strange effect" (kinks version still better, but love this too)

8. psychic ills: inner journey out
- critical track: "baby"

7. black marble: it's immaterial 
- critical track: "frisk"

6. wilco: schmilco
- critical track: "if i ever was a child"

5. frankie cosmos: next thing
- critical track: "fool"

4. michael nau: mowing
- critical track: "winter beat" 

3. chris cohen: as if apart

- critical track: "in a fable" 

2. andy shauf: the party

- critical track: "eyes of them all"/"quite like you"

1. angel olson: my woman
- critical tracks: "sister"/"shut up kiss me"/"never be mine"

playlists:

cq-best-albums-of-2016

cq-best-other-tracks-of-2016

best music of 2015

favorite albums in no particular order except for the top ten...

albums:

natalie prass - s/t

the arcs - yours, dreamily

bc camplight - how to die in the north

kamasi washington - the epic

lower dens - escape from evil

deerhunter - fading frontier

colleen green - i want to grow up

jessica lea mayfield and seth avett - jessica lea mayfield and seth avett sing elliott smith

beirut - no no no

moon duo - shadow of the sun

velvet underground - the complete matrix tapes

panda bear - panda bear meets the grim reaper

d'angelo & the vanguard - black messiah (technically 2014 release)

sonny & the sunsets - talent night at the ashram

martin courtney - many moons

palehound - dry food

matthew e. white - fresh blood

10. unknown mortal orchestra: multi-love
  - critical track: "the world is crowded"

9. leon bridges: coming home

- critical track: "coming home"

8. amen dunes - cowboy worship

- critical track: "i know myself"

7. julia holter: have you in my wilderness

- critical track: "feel you"

6. helen: the original faces

- critical track: "right outside"

5. father john misty: i love you, honeybear

- critical track: "true affection"

4. tiaras: s/t

- critical track: "thought i could know"

3. kurt vile: b'lieve i'm goin' down

- critical track: "i'm an outlaw"

2. faith healer: cosmic troubles

- critical track: "until the world lets me go"

1. tame impala - currents

- critical track: "the less i know the better"

playlists:

best albums of 2015

best other songs of 2015



Best Music of 2014!

Here are my favorite albums in no particular order except for the top ten...

Albums:

Viet Cong - Cassette EP
Alvvays - S/T
Avi Buffalo - At Best Cuckold
James Vincent McMorrow - Post Tropical
Mac DeMarco - Salad Days
Hospitality - Trouble
Tennis - Ritual in Repeat
Happyness - Anything I Do Is Alright EP
Kevin Morby - Still Life

Springtime Carnivore - S/T
Ty Segall - Manipulator
Fear of Men - Loom
Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
Robert Plant - lullaby and...The Ceaseless Roar
Beck - Morning Phase

Top ten and playlists after the jump...

Best Music of 2013!

Best Albums
(In no particular order, but * next to ultra, ultra awesome)

1. Kurt Vile: Wakin on a Pretty Daze* & it's a big world out there (and i am scared) EP

• Critical Tracks: "Never Run Away" and "Never Run Away String Synth"

2. Jonathan Wilson: Fanfare*

• Critical Track: "All the Way Down")

3. Devendra Banhart: Mala*

• Critical Track: "Your Fine Petting Duck"

4. Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires of the City*

• Critical Track: "Step"

5. Unknown Mortal Orchestra: II*

• Critical Track: "Monki")

6. The National: Trouble Will Find Me

• Critical Track: "I Should Live in Salt"

7. Cults: Static*

• Critical Track: "I Can Hardly Make You Mine"

8. Phoenix: Bankrupt!

• Critical Track: "Drakkar Noir"

9. Ty Segall: Sleeper

• Critical Track: "Sweet C.C."

10. Washed Out: Paracosm*

• Critical Track: "All I Know"

10 More and the Spotify playlist after the jump...

best of 2012 playlists

playlists!!!!

Best Songs From 30 Best Albums of 2012

Most Awesome Songs of 2012 From Albums That Didn't Make the Top 30 

that time of year again. here are my top 30 best of 2012. playlists in the next post.

and yes, i left grizzly bear, kendrick lamar, frank ocean, fiona apple and japandroids off on purpose.

30. Chairlift: Something

• Critical Track: "Sidewalk Safari"

29. Tanlines: Mixed Emotions

• Critical Track: "All of Me" 

28. Porcelain Raft: Strange Weekend

• Critical Track: "Drifting In and Out"

27. Tops: Tender Opposites

• Critical Track: "VII Babies"

26.Wild Nothing: Nocturne

• Critical Track: "Shadow"

25. Sic Alps: S/T

• Critical Track: "Wake Up It's Over II"

24. Jeff the Brotherhood: Hypnotic Nights

• Critical Track: "Mystic Portal II"

23. Howler: America Give Up

• Critical Track: "Back of Your Neck"

22. Twin Shadow: Confess

• Critical Track: "Five Seconds"

21. Casket Girls: Sleepwalking

• Critical Track: "Heartless"

20.Chromatics: Kill for Love

• Critical Track: "The River"

19.Tamaryn: Tender New Signs

• Critical Track: "I'm Gone"

18. Foxygen: Take the Kids Off Broadway

• Critical Track: "Teenage Alien Blues"

17. Tennis: Young and Old

• Critical Track: "Origins"

16. Ty Segall: Twins

• Critical Track: "Would You Be My Love"

15. David Byrne and St. Vincent: Love this Giant

• Critical Track: "Weekend in the Dust"

14. White Fence: Family Perfume Vol. 1 & 2

• Critical Track: "Hey! Roman nose"

13. Beach House: Bloom

• Critical Track: "Troublemaker"

12. Allah-Las: S/T

• Critical Track: "No Voodoo"

11. Nick Waterhouse: Time’s All Gone

• Critical Track: "Say I Wanna Know"

**Top 10 After the Jump**

phat trax.

i made a spotify playlist of a bunch of songs that do justice to some of the bands that got left out of my last post.

enjoy.

some of the best tracks of 2011

best of 2011. trust me.

35 is a weird number, i know. 20 wasn't enough and i could have easily gone to 50, but that would just be boring to read. and yes, call me crazy, but i left out fleet foxes, bon iver and even thurston moore and kate bush. i love them (especially kate), but they're all on enough lists. i actually left out a lot of albums that i liked...lots of competition this year, people. gotta get it together. 

ready? here it is. in 10 words or less.

BEST ALBUMS OF 2011*

after the jump. 

re-start button: pushed.

it's been over a year since i posted anything on my precious little blog.

coming up...my best of 2011. 

in the meantime, this: