Our Favorite Records of 2022

“Hound Dog” Hoover – Goin Down South, Mondays 1-3pm

1. Tedeschi Trucks Band, I Am the Moon – Best studio album yet by one of the best live bands out there. Epic – in four episodes released separately.
2. Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Crooked Tree – Bluegrass guitarist, banjo player, singer and songwriter Molly Tuttle keeps growing on this album. Got some help from Billy Strings too!
3. Buddy Guy, The Blues Don’t Lie – The young hot shot is now the last man standing for the golden age of Chicago blues. And the old guy is still making great records. Got some good guest artists to keep things interesting too, including Jason Isbell.

J-Mar – Transmission, Mondays 7-9pm

1. Photay, An Offering (International Anthem)
2. Phelimuncasi, Ama Gogela (Nyege Nyege Tapes)
3. Anadol, Felicity (Pingipung)

The sound of now is the future as heard through the past echoes of the present.

And also: Can’t wait for Yazmin Lacey’s Voice Notes to come out in Q1 of 2023!

DJubilee – Ear to the Ground, Mondays 9-11pm

1. Cursive is Code, The 1200 Bar Blues
2. John Howard, LOOK: The Unknown Story of Danielle Du Bois
3. Kris N., Tilted Summer

And also:

• Dillon Vanders, The Road Ahead
• Pete Mancini, Killing the Old Ways
• David Quinn, Country Fresh
• Cozy Slippers, Cozy Slippers

Mello-D – Groovy Potential, Tuesdays 5-7pm

1. Twen, One Stop Shop (Twen Enterprises) It’s been a few years since a local release occupied as much time on my turntable as any other record that same year. Twen’s album is groovy, infectious and rockin’. The songs are full of hooks and there’s a mild psychedelic vibe. Rock music is alive and well as long as Twen are in the game.
2. S.G. Goodman, Teeth Marks (Verve) An original singer/songwriter voice that taps into that Southern Gothic vibe, with stirring songs and occasionally tense emotional weight, delivered in both folky and authoritatively rocking settings. An artist fans of Wilco and the Velvet Underground can enjoy.
3. Ural Thoas & The Pain, Dancing Dimensions (Bella Union) Technically released in 2021 but not physically available until 2022 so I didn’t hear it until this year. This is my favorite new funky soul band. Ural Thomas is a soul singer from the ’60s & ’70s, backed by a hungry, young band. The album covers a lot of groovy ground, from classic soul ballads to deliciously funky tracks in a variety of styles. There’s some playful vocalese and an overall upbeat, positive vibe to the whole thing, something we can all use more of these days.

And also: Shoutout to the archive release of Charles Stepney’s home recordings, Step On Step (International Anthem), which finally reveal the depth of Stepney’s artistry as a musician. All of his recordings until now feature his arrangements & songwriting as recorded by the artists he produced (Earth Wind & Fire, Rotary Connection, Minnie Riperton, Ramsey Lewis, Phil Upchurch and others). Now we get to hear the man himself playing his tunes.

Michael Scatter – Scattershot, Wednesdays 10am-Noon

1. Veuve Scarron, Deal With It
2. Los Pao Paos, Los Pao Paos
3. Des Lions Pour Des Lions, No(s) Border

And also:

• El Turco Perro, Carnavaleado
• DITZ, The Great Regression
• Al-Qasar, Who Are We?
• Pinch Points, Process
• Ghost Woman, Ghost Woman
• Amphibian Man, Flaming Home
• Say Sue Me 세이수미, 10
• Gilla Band, Most Normal
• Stiff Richards, Stiff Richards
• Messer Chups, Hyena Safari
• Noa Mal, My Corrupted Hard Drive
• Astéréotypie, Aucun mec ne ressemble à Brad Pitt dans la Drôme
• Sweet Knives, Spritzerita
• The Paranoyds, Talk Talk Talk
• Das Black Milk, Heart OK Low Freedom
• Fleur, Bouquet Champêtre
• Crime of Passing, Crime of Passing
• “One Law Fi Dem” single by The Hempolics

DJ Nexus – Musical Mysticism, Wednesday 4-5pm

1. Big Thief, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You – Incredible songwriting.
2. Vinyl Williams, Cosmopolis – Beautiful, trippy soundscapes
3. Wet Leg, Wet Leg – Fun!

And also:

• Kikagaku Moyo, Kumoyo Island
• µ-Ziq, Hello
• Tove Lo, Dirt Femme
• Spiritualized, Everything Was Beautiful
• Tosca, Osam
• Kin Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Butterfly 3001
• Beach House, Once Twice Melody
• Beth Orton, Weather Alive
• Kraftwerk, Remixes

DJ Headwalker – Spin Cycle, Wednesday 11pm-Midnight

1. Anklebiter, Demo 2022
2. World of Pleasure, World of Pleasure & Friends EP
3. Mindforce, New Lords

BECAUSE THEY ALL RIP and we need to showcase more femme identifying people in hardcore.

Matt Worm – Tapeworms, Wednesday at Midnight

1. Lynn Avery & Cole Pulice, To Live & Die In Space & Time – I’m an absolute mark for anything that could possibly be described as “ambient jazz,” but it’s rare the sounds therein feel so instinctively comforting. a gentle balm for the back of your eyelids.
2. La Roche, Liye Liye – “A psychedelic mystery tour into the Democratic Republic of Congo’s furthest experimental fringes” sign me up to be a fly on that wall.
3. Sexual Jeremy, The Real Sexual Jeremy – If Slint and John Zorn got into one of the transpods from The Fly

And also:

• V/A, Water Levels – a compilation of invented soundtracks to water levels in made up video games
• Sunflower, Plain Sight – astounding that a beat tape can pull this off in 2022
• Bill Orcutt, Music For Four Guitars

DJubilee – Greetings From Nashville, Thursday 6-7am

1. Jason Erie, Tiny Fires
2. Sara Syms, The Darkest Light
3. Ryan Sobb and the Dead Mall, The Dead Mall

And also:

• Derek Hoke, Electric Mountain
• My Politic, Missouri Folklore: Songs & Stories from Home
• Palm Ghosts, Post Preservation

DJ Rhatfink – The Continental, Thursday 7-9am

Top Songs

1. S. G. Goodman, “Work Until I Die”
2. VR SEX, “Live In A Dream”
3. Ribbon Stage, “Dead End Descent”

And also:

• Wet Leg, “Chaise Longue”
• Punku, “Ancestral” (Novalima Remix)
• New Friends, “Doomed”
• Justin Poindexter, Paul DeFiglia, David Christian, “So Good At Being In Trouble” [Local]
• Burkish, “New Rose” [Local]
• Adrian Quesada, “El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes”
• Yawn Mower, “Elevation”
• Twin River, “Over And Over”
• Shearwater, “Laguna Seca”
• Jasmyn, “Find The Light”
• Francis Of Delirium, “The Funhouse”
• Evolfo, “The Changer”
• Currls, “Honey”
• Kid Kapichi, “Rob The Supermarket”
• Archers Of Loaf, “In The Surface Noise”
• Elf Power, “Soft Trash”
• Black Country, New Roads, “Good Will Hunting”

And one bonus track:
Spiritualized, “Always Together With You”

DJ Anna – Untune the Sky, Thursday 2-3pm

1. Erin Rae, Lighten Up (4AD)
2. Big Thief, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You (Good Memory)
3. Weyes Blood, And IN the Darkness, Hearts Aglow (Sub Pop)

And also:

• The Beths, Expert In a Dying Field LP (Carpark)
• Elf Power, Artificial Countrysides LP (Yep Roc)
• S.G. Goodman, Teeth Mark LP (Verve Forecast)
• Robyn Hitchcock, Shufflemania LP (Tiny Ghost)
• Kids on a Crime Spree, Fall In Love Not In Line LP (Slumberland)
• Melody’s Echo Chamber, Unfold LP (Fat Possum)
• Wet Leg, Wet Leg LP (Domino)
• Cat’s Miaow, Songs ’94-’98 LP (World of Echo)
• Les Calamités, Encore! 1983-1987 LP (Born Bad)
• Tall Dwarfs, Unraveled: 1981-2002 4 LP box set (Merge)
• Norma Tanega, I Am the Sky: Studio & Demo Recordings 1964-1971 2 LP set (Anthology Recordings)
• Various Artists, C85 3 CD box set (Cherry Red)
• Various Artists, Typical Girls Volume 6 LP (Emotional Response)

Chris Nochowicz – The Indie Hangover, Thursday 3-4pm

1. Fontaines D.C., Skinty Fia
2. New Age Healers, Demolition Stories
3. The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Fire Doesn’t Grow On Trees

And also:

• Pale Blue Eyes, Souvenirs
• Karate, Guns & Tanning
• Guest Directors, Oh To Be Weightless In The Sky

DJ Erica – Soul of the City, Thursday 4-6pm

1. Moonchild, Starfruit – Jazz infused soul from LA band “Moonchild” is amazing. This is their 5th album but the first one with guest artists. My favorite songs are “Tell Him” featuring Lalah Hathaway and “You Got One” featuring Alex Isley.
2. Robert Glasper, Black Radio III – Produced and musically accompanied by Robert Glasper, and like “Black Radio” and “Black Radio II,” this album features amazing artists like Q-Tip, H.E.R., PJ Morton and more. My favorite songs are “Black Superhero,” “Why We Speak,” “Better Than I Imagined”
3. SAULT, 11 – One of the group Sault’s 5 albums that were released in November 2022, this is one of my favorites because it has all-around good vibes. My favorite song is “Fight For Love”

And also:

• Deborah Jordan & K12, Human
• Beyonce, Renaissance
• Rapper Big Pooh, To Dream in Color
• Danger Mouse & Black Thought, Cheat Codes
• S-Wrap, Rashad thaPoet, The Varsity, The Other Side Too

DJ Stu.0 – Early Onset Nostalgia, Thursday 10-11pm

1. Tim Bernardes, Mil Coisas Invisíveis
2. Kikagaku Moyo, Kumoyo Island
3. Dungen, En Är För Mycket och Tusen Aldrig Nog

And also:

• Courtney Jaye, Hymns and Hallelucinations
• Rich Ruth, I Survived, It’s Over
• Spoon, Lucifer on the Sofa
• Daniel Avery, Ultra Truth
• Twen, One Stop Shop
• Weyes Blood, And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow
• Goat, Oh Death

DJ Ed – Eighties Schmeighties, Friday 10-12pm

1. Guided by Voices, Tremblers and Goggles by Rank – Yet again Robert Pollard and the boys (Doug Gilliard, Mark Shue, Kevin March and Bobby Bare Jr) have put out some high quality product. This record is unique in that the songs are longer and dabble in the more neglected of Bob’s 4 P’s (Punk, Pop, Psych and Prog). Prog gets its due on this record. The songs are longer and though Pollard’s reliable hooks are still there these songs benefit from more patient listening (like some wine benefits from time in the glass). GbV’s catalogue is so huge that it can be off putting to neophyte listeners. This record is very friendly to the new listener so if you’re up to a little adventure take a listen!
2. Joan Armatrading, Live at Asylum Chapel – For some reason I can’t figure out why Joan Armatrading is so highly underrated in the USA. Evidenced by the consistent availability of Joan’s old albums at used record shops. She’s never put out a bad record so pick one up for 3.99 next time you’re at Great Escape. Personally I’ve been more committed to promoting her music weekly on Schmeighties. This live album was recorded last year and released this past November. Armatrading sounds great essentially doing a survey of her long career. She’s been making music since the early 70s.
3. Fontaines D.C., Skinty Fia – So these Dublin rockers are not a fluke. I thought their debut was transcendent but wasn’t sure they could wash rinse repeat. This record is proof that these guys are for real (or maybe Too Real). And bonus, they put on the best live show I’ve seen since…. I’m not sure when. Mr Narrator these guys are The Clash to me.

And also: Ariel Bui, Real & Fantasy – check out Bond; Dry Cleaning, Stumpwork – check out Gary Ashby; Wet Leg, Wet Leg – check out Wet Dream

Highly anticipated 2023 releases: local synth punk duo She Comes in Colors and local folk punk Sunny War’s Anarchist Gospel

Laurel Creech – All About Nashville, Friday Noon-1pm

1. Amanda Shires, Take It Like A Man
2. Marcus King, Young Blood
3. Tami Neison, Kingmaker

And also: Melissa Carper, Ramblin Soul
All are rockin’ & exceptional talent!

Michael Roark – The Friday Afternoon Club, Friday 1-3pm

1. Wombo, Fairy Rust
2. The David Joseph Apocadelia, Love Songs For The Apocalypse
3. Abraxas, Monte Carlo

And also: Additional picks.

• Spiritualized, Everything Was Beautiful
• Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, Reset

DJ TravisT – SHOW NAME, Friday 11pm-midnight

1. The Smile, A Light for Atracting Attention
2. Panda Bear (with Sonic Boom), Reset
3. Just Mustard, Heart Under

And also: Total Wife, A Blip — a great local release.

Chris Nochowicz – The Future of Jazz, Saturday 8-10am

1. Tom Hemby Band, Dealin’ It – (Local Release)
2. Randal Clark, Stargazer
3. Norman Brown, Let’s Get Away

And also:

• Rick Braun (Self Titled)
• Bill Heller, Passage
• David King, Look For Stars

DJ Brandon – Nashville Mixtapes, Saturdays 11-noon

1. BAND NAME, ALBUM NAME – DJ Comments

– From front to back, this 33-minute album is one great track after another. It ticks all the boxes for garage-psych fans and repeat listens reveal layers that give each song staying power.

2. Papercuts, Past Life Regression – As a longtime Papercuts fan, I’ve come to expect each Papercuts album to sound very familiar. There’s no denying that this is a Jason Robert Quever record and it’s his best one yet. There’s humor to some of the songs, which makes the entire listening experience refreshing.
3. The Soundcarriers, Wilds – It’s been 8 years since The Soundcarriers put out a record and I’ve missed them. They were pulled out of semi-retirement when the TV show Lodge 49 used some of their music and commissioned a recording. Evidently, that experience led them to write / record songs together again and now we have Wilds.

And also:

• Galore, Blush EP
• The Reds, Pinks and Purples, They Only Wanted Your Soul
• Ty Segall, Hello, Hi
• Breanna Barbara, Nothin’ But Time
• Bill Callahan, YTI⅃AƎЯ
• The Violet Mindfield, California Burning
• Matchess, Sonescent

popGeezer – This Is POP!, Saturdays Noon-2pm

Favorite Songs:

1. Wet Leg, “Chaise Lounge” – the most brutal earworm of 2022.
2. Maisie Peters, “Cate’s Brother” -she’s the next big thing.
3. Phoebe Bridgers, “Goodbye to Love” – exquisite Carpenters cover, featuring Bleachers.

And also:

• Trombone Shorty, Lifted – all the jams
• Harry Styles, Harry’s House – pure pop for now people
• Wet Leg, Wet Leg – brain-melting clever rock/pop

And still I played Caroline Polachek’s 2019 release “Pang” more than any other album in 2022.

DJ Ray – Beautiful Buzz, Saturday 9-10pm

1. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, When the Lights Go – Electronic music with a heart. My favorite kind.
2. Drama, Don’t Wait Up – Sexy and cool, every track on this Chicago duo’s EP is a banger
3. Say She She (Various Singles) – I love the sweet harmonies and disco vibes of the standalone singles they released this year, far more than anything on their full length.

And also: Excess by Automatic. Driving post-punk /new wave from an all-female LA trio.

DJ Laura – Runout Numbers, Sunday 8-10am

1. Caitlin Rose, CAZIMI – I love this album so much and can’t wait for the vinyl drop in January. I refer to driving & listening to this as Cazoomin’, a healing practice. Oh, and she’s a WXNA fan!
2. Carly Rae Jepsen, The Loneliest Time – Pop perfection once again from CRJ. She’s wistful, she’s playful, she’s hopeful, she does it all with production that isn’t boring like most modern pop stars.
3. Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, Nancy & Lee – Not brand new music but a beautiful reissue of this classic came out this year and as a Lee Hazlewood freak, I loved it. RO# is primarily catalog music so we spun from this quite a few times.

DJ Cajun Mitch – Sounds of the Bayou, Sunday 3-4pm

1. Dr. John, Things Happen That Way
2. Trombone Shorty, Lifted
3. Sean Ardoin & Kreole Rock & Soul feat. LSU Golden Band from Tigerland, Full Circle

DJ Nick – A Big Load of Trashy Noise, Sunday 6-7pm

1. Beach House, Once Twice Melody – A dream pop magnum opus.
2. Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, Reset – A 21st Century Pet Sounds.
3. black midi, Hellfire – More progressive, more kinetic, more, more!

Josh Mock – Sad Songs for Happy People, Sundays 10-11pm

1. Soul Glo, Diaspora Problems – They use the Philly hardcore punk scene as a vehicle to be aggressive, outspoken and confrontational about the American culture of anti-Blackness. Every song rips, makes you think, and strikes a nerve that would make many conservative white folks blush.
2. Caterina Barbieri, Spirit Exit – She’s the new queen of modular synth ambient. The songs all float and evolve slowly in an ethereal, vibey space, but with an edge of intensity that makes it hard to ignore or just use as background noise.
3. The Body & OAA, Enemy of Love – Every time The Body does a collab album with another band–and they do a lot of them–it exposes some as-yet-untapped well of creative possibilities in extreme metal that much of the rest of the scene had managed to overlook. To do so while exposing me to OAA, a producer I’d never encountered, makes it extra special.

And also:

• Chat Pile, God’s Country
• Aldous Harding, Warm Chris
• Drug Church, Hygiene
• Fucked Up, Oberon

Leanne Merritt – X-Posure, On Temporary Hiatus

1. Rachael Dadd, Kaleidoscope – Released by Memphis Industries. It is the ethereal British folk pop artist’s dazzling new lockdown album and her first since 2019’s Flux. It’s lush, honest, intimate and very moving. Themes of nature and celestial elements run throughout ‘Kaleidoscope’ and lend to the dreamlike quality of the songs. ‘Moon Sails’, the wistful first single is a collab with Kate Stables of This is The Kit, and totally hypnotized me on the first listen. ‘Ghost’ with repeated background vocals about dreams and freedom, is completely mesmerizing. ‘For Honey and Ray’ is a swirling perfectly crafted pop song that gives me life, as do all the other songs on it to be quite honest. This an album for the children of the stars.
2. Kikagakyu Moyo, Kumoyo Island – Released by Guruguru Brain. The incredible Japanese Psych Band’s fifth and most experimental album to date. It is totally magical and will take you on a madcap sonic roller coaster ride. It’s their imaginary fantasy island and the music is a total groove fest. I was thrilled to see them play these songs live in Nashville and in several other cities around the US on their bittersweet farewell tour this year
3. The Smile, A Light For Attracting Attention – Released by XL Recordings. The brilliant debut from the exciting new Radiohead side project, comprised of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, joined by Sons of Kemet’s drummer Tom Skinner. It’s got everything in it that I love, from the hushed hypnotic sad songs to punchy, post punk guitar fueled rants. It has the looseness and experimental edge that keeps it fresh. And you can tell that they are having fun! Seeing them play live at The Ryman with Robert Stillman was a highlight of my year.

And also: There were so many albums that I loved in 2022. I could name a slew! Many of them made me dance and sing at the top of my lungs. The top 3 I listed above were the ones I got lost in the most, but others I must mention that fed my soul were Dana Gavanski’s When It Comes on Flemish Eye/Full Time Hobby, Naima Bock’s Giant Palm on Sub Pop, Andrew Comb’s Sundays on Tone Tree Music, Cara Louise’s Wholesome Dread – Self Released, Total Wife’s A Blip on Warehaus Recordings , The Soundcarriers’ Wilds on Phosphonic, Heather Trost’s Desert Flowers on Ba Da Bing! Records and Kayce Laine’s wake up, dreamer