The Best Taste In Music (year end lists)
We don't typically do a year end countdown, but are always curious as to what you are listening to as we consider the Indie listener to have the best taste in music. The Head Instigator has parked his faves from past years below;
2024
The Smile : Wall of Eyes & Cutouts
Elbow : Audio Vertigo
Been Stellar : Scream From New York
Fontaines D.C. - Romance
MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks
IDLES : Tangk
Paul Weller : 66
Ed Harcourt : El Magnifico
Vampire Weekend : Only God Was Above Us
Travis : L.A.Times
The The : Ensoulment
Jack White : No Name
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds: Wild God
The Cure: Songs Of A Lost World
OMD : Bauhaus Staircase
Father John Misty : Mahashmashana
Local Natives : ...but I'll Wait For You
Maximo Park - Stream Of Life
Album I had a love/hate relationship with
Geordie Greep - The New Sound
Best Reissues
Talking Heads: 77
The English Beat : Special Beat Service
Wall Of Voodoo : Live 1979 (RSD release)
Fave Single of 2024:The Bug Club - Lonsdale Slipons
2023
LBJ (Lol Tulhurst, Budgie, Jacknife Lee): Los Angeles
Queens of the Stone Age: In Times New Roman
The National: First Two Pages of Frankenstein and Laugh Track
blur: Ballad of Darren
Wilco: Cousin
Gorillaz: Cracker Island
Ghost of Vroom: Ghost of Vroom 3
Creep Show (John Grant): Yawning Abyss
The Hold Steady: The Price of Progress
Yussef Dayes: Black Classical Music
James Blake: Playing Robots Into Heaven
Kevin Morby: This is a Photograph
Kevin Morby: More Photographs
Nabihah Iqbal: Dreamer
The New Pornographers : Continue as a Guest
Brian Eno: Forever Voiceless
Best reissues
The Replacements: Tim
The English Beat : I Just Can't Stop It
Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Honorable Mentions:
Gram Chatten: Chaos for the Fly
The Chemical Brothers: For That Beautiful Feeling
Local Natives: Time Will Wait for No One
The Mountain Goats: Jenny From Thebes
The Smile: Wall of Eyes (single)
Fave single of 2023: Yard Act: Trench Coat Museum (both album version and the 9 minute remix)
2022
The Smile: A Light For Attracting Attention
Interpol: The Other Side Of Make Believe
Andrew Bird: Inside Problems
White Lies: As I Try Not To Fall Apart
Wilco: Cruel Country
Beth Orton: Weather Alive
Working Men's Club : Circumference
Kevin Morby: This Is A Photograph
Death Cab For Cutie: Asphalt Meadows
Kennebec: Without Star Or Compass
Editors: EBM
Jack White: Fear Of The Dawn & Entering Heaven Alive
Viagra Boys: Cave World
Robyn Hitchcock: The Shuffle Man
Spoon: Lucifer On The Sofa & Lucifer On The Moon
Sudan Archives: Natural Brown Prom Queen
Jon Spencer and The HITmakers: Gets It Lit
Danger Mouse: Cheat Codes
TV Priest: My Other People
Father John Misty: Chloe & The Next 20th Century
alt-j: The Dream
Bloc Party: Alpha Games
Fontaines DC: Skinty Fia
!!!: Let It Be Blue
Sloan: Steady
The Mountain Goats: Bleed Out
Fave single of 2022: LCD Soundsystem: new body rhumba
2021
Elbow: Flying Dream 1
BadBadNotGood: Talk Memory
Death From Above 1979: Is For Lovers
Gary Numan: Intruder
Marconi Union: Signals
Hiss Golden Messenger: Quietly Blowing It
Public Service Broadcasting: Bright Magic
Dry Cleaning: New Long Leg
Prince: Welcome To America
Atmosphere: Word
Piroshka: Love Drips and Gathers
Flaming Lips: The Soft Bulletin Companion
David Bowie: Toy
2020
Doves: The Universal Want
Fleet Foxes: Shore
Working Mens Club: same
Flaming Lips: American Head
Jarv Is: Beyond The Pale
RTJ: 4
Matt Berninger: Serpentine Prison
Sylvan Esso: Free Love
Gorillaz: Song Machine 1
Jeff Tweedy: Love Is The King
X: Alphabetland
William Tyler: New Vanitas
Tame Impala: The Slow Rush
RJD2: The Fun Ones
Pearl Jam: Gigaton
My Morning Jacket:The Waterfall II
Travis: 10 Songs
Grant-Lee Phillips: Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff
Blitzen Trapper: Holy Smokes Future Jokes
2019
1) Andrew Bird - My Finest Work Yet
2) The National - I Am Easy To Find
3) Elbow - Giants Of All Sizes
4) Thom Yorke - Anima
5) Bon Iver - I,I
6) New Pornographers - In The Morse Code of Brake Lights
7) Wilco - Ode To Joy
8) Hayden Thorpe - Diviner
9) The Chemical Brothers - No Geography
10 Vampire Weekend - Father Of The Bride
2019 Honorables:
Son Volt - Union
The Hold Steady - Thrashing Through The Passion
Ride - This Is Not A Safe Place
Sandy Alex G - Sugar
Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow
The Specials - Encore
New Order - Live at MIF
Better Oblivion Community Center
Aldous Harding - Designer
The Raconteurs - Help
2018
Interpol: Marauder
Gregory Alan Isakov: Evening Machines
Josh Rouse: Love In The Modern Age
Damien Jurado: The Horizon Just Laughed
Grant-Lee Phillips: Widdershins
Gang Gang Dance: Kazuashita
DeVotchka: This Night Falls Forever
Arctic Monkeys: Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
Elvis Costello & The Imposters: Look Now
Cut Chemist: Die Cut
New Pornographers: Whiteout Conditions
Jeff Tweedy:Warm
Honorables;
Big Red Machine: Big Red Machine
Unknown Mortal Orchestra: Sex & Food
Death Cab For Cutie: Thank You For Today
Mastersystem: Mastersystem
Phosphorescent:C'est La Vie
Dirty Projectors: Lamp Lit Prose
The National: Boxer Live In Brussels
Charles Bradley: Black Velvet
Confidence Man: Confident Music For Confident People
Tony Bennett & Diana Krall: Love Is Here To Stay
Prince: Piano & A Microphone 1983