Jesus frickin’ Christ, what a year. And not in the way you’d expect. Yes, it’s been a very very shitty year for progressive politics but it’s been an incredibly great year for music. And I know I’ve only listened to a fraction of the good stuff that’s out there.
I managed to whittle it down to 32 of my favourites from the year, but it could have easily been 40 or more, check the honourable mentions below.
Rather than the old Purple Radio mix server, I’m now uploading my shows to Mixcloud. Look I can embed it!
If you’d like to listen via Spotify, I have handily embedded it here. Spotify is an easy way to get access to the full albums though, of course, I recommend you go out there and put your money down directly.
- Oy – Space Diaspora from Space Diaspora
- Loscil – Anthropocene from Monument Builders
- David Bowie – Girl Loves Me from Blackstar
- Xenia Rubinos – Black Stars from Black Terry Cat
- Beyoncé feat. Jack White – Don’t Hurt Yourself from Lemonade
- Savages – Sad Person from Adore Life
- Anna Meredith – Shill from Varmints
- Plaid – Baby Step Giant Step from The Digging Remedy
- Factory Floor – Dial Me In from 25 25
- Audion – There Was A Button from Alpha
- Surgeon – EGS-zs8-1 from From Farthest Known Objects
- Pet Shop Boys – Burn from Super
- Tudor Acid – Never Let Me Go from Crossing
- Black Peaches – Suivez-Moi from Get Down You Dirty Rascals
- Tortoise – Shake Hands With Danger from The Catastrophist
- Beth Orton – Petals from Kidsticks
- Jameszoo featuring Steve Kuhn – The Zoo from Fool
- Exploded View – No More Parties in the Attic from Exploded View
- Julianna Barwick – Heading Home from Will
- Laura Cannell – A New Theory of Eclipse from Simultaneous Flight Movement
- Oliver Coates – The Irish Book of Death & Flying Ships from Upstepping
- Ichi – Wakka P from Maru
- Mogwai – Pripyat from Atomic
- ANOHNI – Crisis from HOPELESSNESS
- Klara Lewis – Else from Too
- Jenny Hval – The Great Undressing from Blood Bitch
- Meilyr Jones – Refugees from 2013
- Agnes Obel – Stone from Citizen Of Glass
- Modern Studies – Black Street from Swell to Great
- Tindersticks – Were We Once Lovers? from The Waiting Room
- Mavis Staples – Action from Livin’ On A High Note
- Martin Creed – It’s You from Thoughts Lined Up (see below!)
- Low – Silent Night from Christmas
Honourable Mentions:
- School of Seven Bells – SVIIB
- Bat for Lashes – The Bride
- Roisin Murphy – Take Her Up To Monto
- Jessy Lanza – Oh No
- Bon Iver – 22, A Million
- Keenya – Moment Invisible
- Aphex Twin – Cheetah EP
- Ocoeur – Reversed
- Andrew Weatherall – Convenanza
- Oren Ambarchi – Hubris
- Andrew Hung – The Greasy Strangler Soundtrack
- Radiohead – A Moon-Shaped Pool
- Lung Dart – As I Lay Drying
And finally, a bit of Christmas not-quite-what-it-seemsness from the always amazing Martin Creed.
the svelte one 