These ten represent the one’s that I’ve listened to over and over this year. Albums that came out earlier in the year had a big advantage. I just haven’t had a chance to listen to the new Arcade Fire or Gross Ghost albums to justify putting them on the list. And all of these certainly benefit by being in genres that I listen to. This is, by no means, a list of best albums. But these are the ones I’ve loved. Or at least liked a lot.

You might notice that the list has a big Hopscotch Music Festival representation. Six of these played the festival this year. Heck, I had to leave one of them early to rush across downtown Raleigh to catch another. A seventh, Hiss Golden Messenger, played the festival a year before.

Also, that this list contains three local artists is reflective of the impact of my local music scene on my listening habits.

The List

Savages – Silence Yourself

Mikal Cronin – MCII

Hiss Golden Messenger – Haw

Phosphorescent – Muchado

Waxahatchee – Cerulean Salt

Torres – Torres

Mount Moriah – Miracle Temple

Kurt Vile – Wakin on a Sunny Daze

Wooden Wand – Blood Oath of the New Blues

Ryan Gustafson // The Dead Tongues – The Desert

 

For the record, a few artists that had albums that were in contention: My Bloody Valentine, Arcade Fire, Gross Ghost, Kanye West, Death Grips, The National, Thee Oh Sees, Hookworms.

The photographs are of the acts I’ve been fortunate enough to see and photograph.