The 50 Best Albums of 2022 So Far
The 50 best albums of 2022 offer sublime music as major artists return with new albums and brilliant new sounds bubble up from the underground and worldwide.
Music
At Gorillaz Live 2022 (Berlin) We Dance at the End of the World Party
Modern life is rubbish and the world might really be ending but as Gorillaz’ “Dirty Harry” says, all we want to do is dance at the End of the World Party.
Andrew Bird’s ‘Inside Problems’ Burrows into Pop History
Andrew Bird’s Inside Problems burrows into Beethoven, the Velvet Underground, ’60s pop, and his own back catalog.
JazzMatters: The Best New Jazz of June 2022
PopMatters jazz critic Will Layman rounds up the best new jazz albums of recent vintage, including some thoughts on Paul McCartney and Ron Carter.
MUNA Explore the Joys and Traumas of Being Queer on New LP
Synthpop trio MUNA craft an LP boldly exploring how being queer is composed of both joys and traumas, and that there’s no shame in messily embracing both.
Vadim Neselovskyi Takes Us to ‘Odesa: A Musical Walk Through a Legendary City’
Taking inspiration from Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Vadim Neselovskyi takes us on a guided tour through the city of his childhood, leaving a bittersweet impression.
Francisco Martin Gets Real with Pop-Rock Scorcher “hate you to love myself” (premiere)
Singer-songwriter Francisco Martin opens up while trying pop-rock on for size with the electric guitar-driven “hate you to love myself”.
Punk Wouldn’t Have Spread So Far Without the Sh*t Media
Simultaneously inside and outside by either choice or circumstance, punk has always had paradoxical – sometimes hostile – relations with TV, radio, and the internet.
Pearl Jam Leave Us Wanting More in Berlin Concert
Pearl Jam at the Waldbühne in Berlin had a crowd of 22,000 screaming their adoration – until the set abruptly and unexpectedly ended.
Glenn Jones Lets the Music Guide Him on ‘Vade Mecum’
American primitive guitar master Glenn Jones continues to let the music guide him instead of the other way around on Vade Mecum, an approach that’s never led him wrong.
The Progressive Nostalgia of Bala Desejo’s ‘SIM SIM SIM’
To fans of Brazil’s 1960s tropicália and 1970s psicodelia, Bala Desejo will sound like a natural extension. SIM SIM SIM is warm and gorgeous.