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Music

My year in music marked a big return to mostly well-known albums and songs. Listening, and relistening to many of my favorites from 2021 and before. I’ve been reflecting on why this is. It might be sign of my getting older? Perhaps I’m listening to new music in Spotify and I don’t know actually what I’m listening to? (Algorithms, etc).

Whatever the reasons, my “Top 10 Songs” for 2022 as tracked by spotify only contains one song released in 2022! (Wild by Spoon). When I read Pitchfork’s Top 50 Albums of 2022, I honestly could say I knew only one of the top 10 albums.

Ah, but what does it really matter if the music is new? Great music is great music and here are a few things I really enjoyed this past year:

Concerts

We went to several great concerts this year. It was great to be hearing live music again.

Plains concert at First Avenue, November 18, 2022

Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee and Jess Williamson crushed this concert, playing some of their solo stuff, their songs as Plains and a few covers as well. Concert Review

The War on Drugs concert at The Palace February 16, 2022

I Don’t Live Here Anymore was one of my favorite albums over the past two years by far. This concert, coming out of the COVID lockdowns was just a happy, joyous, overwhelming moment. We grooved out hard and then got super tired and had to head home. We didn’t quite have our concert legs under us as of yet. Set List

Mt. Joy concert at Stubb’s in Austin – November 5, 2022

To celebrate our 20th and 21st wedding anniversaries (COVID put a damper on #20) – we headed down to Austin for the weekend. First time there! Mt. Joy is a new to me band this past year (the influences of a teenage daughter!) and this show, the last night of their tour, was a gem. Outdoors, ethusiastic crowd, really nice Texans, good food.

Jason Isbell at First Avenue September 24, 2022

This concert was amazing. The band was so fired up and the crowd was electric. It was a gift to have the opportunity to go to this show on the night that they received their star.

There were several other fun and amazing concerts this past year: The Wild Hearts Tour at Surly Festival Field. The National at Surly Festival Field. Golden Smog at First Avenue. Ryan Adams at Austin City Limits. The Elovaters at the Ford Amphitheater in Vail, CO (an especially beautiful setting).

I love live music.

Albums

Despite the spotify Top 10 songs not being a lot of new stuff – I did love a bunch of new albums from the past year:

Gemini Rights by Steve Lacy Honestly, I’m intimidated by this album. I can’t write intelligently about it. There is so much happening. I keep listening to it. He is clearly a genius.

Wet Leg by Wet Leg This debut album was super fun. Bummed I missed the concert at First Ave.

Every Shade of Blue by The Head and the Heart I loved their first album and “Virginia” was a constant fixture on our family playists.

Palomino by First Aid Kit I’ve been a fan of their since their first album – it seems like everyone else caught on in town here because tickets were impossible to get.

Lavender Days by Caamp #daughterinfluences This album connects through time for me… I can envision myself, freshman year in college, just completely jamming out to this one.

Cruel Country by Wilco Of all the Wilco albums, I would not say this one is my favorite, but the esteem with which I hold Jeff Tweedy and the rest of Wilco continues to grow. It makes me happy knowing they’re out there making music.

A few other Music favorites:

Okay, I’m an unabashed Taylor Swift fan now. She is on heavy rotation in our house.

I also love the new Blends feature in Spotify. It’s been great connecting with my family and friends over shared favorites and discovering new songs.

Do you get goosebumps when you listen to music? I was surprised to learn that this doesn’t happen to everyone! (~50% of people?) The song Phoenix by Big Red Machine gets me every time. Right at the beginning, and then as soon as Justin Vernon’s voice comes in at the refrain.

There’s more, to be sure. Despite not listening to a lot of new music this past year, I listened to a ton of music. Looking forward to more great music in 2023.