January 31, 2025
jmunney
Best of 2024, Best of Music 2024, Music
Alice Merton, Ariana Grande, Cage the Elephant, Camila Cabello, Charli XCX, Chris Stapleton, Dhani Harrison, Father John Misty, Fever Ray, Future Islands, Jack White, Justice, Kacey Musgraves, Kim Deal, Kim Gordon, Lauren Mayberry, Lenny Kravitz, Megan Thee Stallion, Milky Chance, Pharrell, Reneé Rapp, Sabrina Carpenter, Sleater-Kinney, Snoop Dogg, St. Vincent, Tame Impala, Tenacious D, The Beaches, The Black Keys, The Cure, The Last Dinner Party, The Smile, Tommy Richman, Tori Kelly
Every week, I check the schedule of new albums coming out and listen to the ones that catch my ear. Then I make a note throughout the year of the ones that made a strong impression. And then to finalize my Best Albums of 2024 list, I re-listened to everything on that shortlist to confirm whether or not I did in fact like them enough to enshrine them among the crème de la crème.
As for my favorite new songs of the year, they can be hard to find, since I live in a city with reliable public transportation, and thus rarely drive, and thus rarely listen to the radio. So I hope that I’ll encounter some good ones on the albums that I seek out, or that they otherwise reach me via pop cultural osmosis. Also, I try to stick with songs that were released as singles, but it’s okay if they weren’t.
Anyway, here’s the music that happily stuck with me in 2024:
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January 19, 2024
jmunney
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television
Chad, Founders Day, Green Day, I.S.S., Little Ropes, Origina, Saviors, Sleater-Kinney
Welcome back, Chad. (CREDIT: The Roku Channel)
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Founders Day (Theaters)
–I.S.S. (Theaters)
–Origin (Theaters)
TV
–Chad Season 2 (January 19 on The Roku Channel) – Chad’s back. On a new home!
Music
-Green Day, Saviors
-Sleater-Kinney, Little Ropes
June 11, 2021
jmunney
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television
Big Mess, Censor, Danny Elfman, Garbage, Holey Moley, In the Heights, Michael Bolton, No Gods No Masters, Path of Wellness, Sleater-Kinney, The Celebrity Dating Game, The Hustler, Tuca & Bertie, Zooey Deschanel
The Celebrity Dating Game (CREDIT: Craig Sjodin/ABC)
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–In the Heights (Theaters and HBO Max)
–Censor (June 11 in Theaters, June 18 On Demand)
TV
–Tuca & Bertie Season 2 Premiere (June 13 on Adult Swim) – Should I watch Season 1 first?
–The Celebrity Dating Game Series Premiere (June 14 on ABC) – Zooey Deschanel and Michael Bolton finally team up!
–Card Sharks Season Premiere (June 16 on ABC)
–Holey Moley 3D in 2D Season Premiere (June 17 on ABC)
–The Hustler Season Premiere (June 17 on ABC)
Music
-Danny Elfman, Big Mess
-Garbage, No Gods No Masters
-Sleater-Kinney, Path of Wellness
January 31, 2020
jmunney
Best of 2019, Best of Music 2019, Music
Ariana Grande, Beck, Best of 2019, Billie Eilish, Brittany Howard, Camila Cabello, FKA Twigs, Harry Styles, Lana del Rey, Lizzo, Sleater-Kinney, The Black Keys, The Chemical Brothers, Tyler the Creator, Vampire Weekend
It’s been a few years since I’ve made an Albums of the Year list, but I really felt compelled to make one for 2019. Here are the audio compilations from the recent past that really made an impact on me:
14. Camila Cabello, Romance – Fun and bouncy.
13. Harry Styles, Fine Line – I like where Harry is headed.
12. Beck, Hyperspace – Reliable Beck.
11. Brittany Howard, Jaime – Great, big rockin’ voice goes solo.
10. The Black Keys, Let’s Rock – They never stopped rocking.
9. Ariana Grande, thank u, next – Lots of adventure from Ari.
8. Sleater-Kinney, The Center Won’t Hold – Band broke up, music’s still great.
7. Tyler, the Creator, IGOR – I feel so comfortable inside this album.
6. FKA Twigs, MAGDALENE – FKA reminds me of Bat for Lashes.
5. Vampire Weekend, Father of the Bride – Those Vampire Weekend guys have still got a hold on me.
4. Lana Del Rey, Norman Fucking Rockwell! – What a soundscape!
3. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – Just plenty of fun.
2. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You – I love you, too!
1. The Chemical Brothers, No Geography – Apocalyptic concept album.
August 16, 2019
jmunney
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Television
47 Meters Down: Uncaged, Blinded by the Light, Danny McBride, Good Boys, Jody Hill, Sleater-Kinney, The Center Won't Hold, The Righteous Gemstones, Where'd You Go Bernadette
CREDIT: HBO
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Blinded by the Light (Theatrically Nationwide)
–47 Meters Down: Uncaged (Theatrically Nationwide) – Morbid curiosity.
–Good Boys (Theatrically Nationwide)
–Where’d You Go, Bernadette (Theatrically Nationwide) – Cinematic uniqueness.
TV
–The Righteous Gemstones Series Premiere (August 18 on HBO) – Danny McBride and Jody Hill’s latest collab!
–Baskets Series Finale (August 22 on FX)
Music
-Sleater-Kinney, The Center Won’t Hold
February 20, 2016
jmunney
Best of 2015, Best of Music 2015, Music
Alabama Shakes, Carly Rae Jepsen, Disclosure, Kendrick Lamar, Major Lazer, Miguel, Sleater-Kinney, Tame Impala, The Arcs, The Weeknd
As my best albums list is the “Best Albums I Listened To” as opposed to just the “Best Albums,” it is more pointedly subjective than my other best of lists. I usually do not listen to enough albums each year to really be able to definitively say which are the absolute greatest. Thus, instead of focusing on objective critical analysis, I am concentrating more on my own personal experiences with each of these entries.
1. Tame Impala, Currents – The Australian psychedelic rockers’ latest gets my top spot because it is one of those vaunted albums in which I wanted to listen to every track over and over, both as a whole and individually. Tame Impala’s previous release, Lonerism, is one of my favorite albums of all-time; I am counting my blessings that its follow-up is now in the same category.
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