Welcome to our fourth installment for our 2022 quarterly playlist! Feel free to jam the playlist below while reading what our writers had to say about each selection. Tell us what your favorites are in the comments, as well as any new artists you may have discovered here — or, alternatively, tell us what we missed! Thanks for reading/listening, and stay tuned for the cumulative 2022 playlist later this week and the Community’s Top 50 LPs (and Top 10 EPs/Live Albums/Compilations) of 2022 next week!
Tracklist:
16 – “The Floor Wins” Into Dust
The sludge metal veterans returned this year with a brand new, uncanny full length that further explores the misery, deception and sad realities of American life. Centerpiece “The Floor Wins” peeks into the ugly downward spiral of drug addiction that haunts the country right now. The scorching riffs and aggressive vocals create a suffocating atmosphere that works really well with the lyrical content. –Raul Stanciu
The 1975 – “Wintering” Being Funny in a Foreign Language
I’m not exactly a fan of The 1975 in general for plenty of reasons that many of this music site could articulate. “Wintering” doesn’t really set itself apart from all my…
One of my goals in 2022 was to spend more time reading user content, which resulted in the monthly Best User Reviews lists. There is a a lot of talent hidden beneath the “official” ranks of this website, and below is a list containing many of those writers. Consider this a heartfelt thank you to everyone who put time and effort into creating worthwhile content over course of the past year. So without further ado, please join me in congratulating the below users for their efforts!
Category I: User Recognition
Tier 1: These reviewers made one appearance on the monthly “best-of” list for user reviews. We’d love to hear more from you!
On March 2, 2018, the heavy music/core-sphere collectively lost their minds over Rolo Tomassi’s coming-of-age release Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It — an album that purportedly elevated them from cult status to masters of their genre-spanning scene. I say ‘purportedly’ not because there is any doubt in my mind that this is true, but because on that same day, I was re-reviewing Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago for probably the third time, somehow unaware of Rolo Tomassi’s existence — let alone the fact that they were exploding in my backyard. Despite several interventions over the next few years by friends-who-care in an attempt to turn my attention towards this magnificently mathy/metallic/hardcore act, it was somehow 2022’s Where Myth Becomes Memory that marked my first real introduction to the band — and finally, I’d like to join my cohorts in saying: holy fucking shit. In other words, Rolo Tomassi has a new disciple.
Where Myth Becomes Memory represents the ideal intersection between beauty and aggression. Listeners who can rightfully declare themselves fans already know this, but I’m still marvelling at the way the band effortlessly swivels between the shimmering and resplendent (consider “Almost Always”, replete with its breathtaking pianos and rapturous crescendo) and the nakedly aggressive (those blood-curdling shrieks in “Cloaked”). Rolo Tomassi have reached a point in their songwriting where these…
In spite of my overwhelming and undying appreciation for single-paragraph reviews, few things are more stressful than having to explain why an album is good in one sentence. Of course, you could just say: “it’s good”… but that’s boring and, frankly, unconvincing. You could go the opposite route and use fancy words like “enchanting” or “grandiose”, but that’s just…too much. You could, instead, simply repeat the album title: “and in the darkness, hearts aglow”…but that’s…ugh, fine, that’s kind of perfect here. Weyes Blood’s music may be good, enchanting and grandiose, but Natalie Mering’s latest record adds some surprising splashes of darkness to her palette. The album’s themes of loss and loneliness construct a sense of cohesion the slightly subdued theatricality more than welcomes. It’s an experience best experienced more than once, twice or thrice until each note subtly assumes the moment in the spotlight it deserves.
Even though this spotlight may be dim due to the surrounding darkness, “It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody” and “Twin Flame” present wonderfully memorable choruses that demand attention and repeated listens alike. However, the album’s most impressive cut comes in the form of “God Turn Me Into a Flower”: a subdued number that bathes Mering’s gorgeous voice in equally gorgeous doses of ambience, and takes its time unfolding into a truly magical meditation on loss. While I…
2022! What a year, huh? It feels like the tide has finally washed ashore all those records that were created during that long hibernation period that was the Covid pandemic. Crippled Black Phoenix are no different, and Banefyre‘s one hour and a half running time is good proof that the British squad have done their homework. Now with full-time singer Joel Segerstedt sharing vocal duties with Belinda Kordic instead of featured singers (which was a great idea by the way!), the band struck back this year with a behemoth of an album. Banefyre sounds BIG and mighty, all without losing the Phoenix’s prowess for mesmerizing melodies and suspenseful build-ups that have become the band’s seal. This is, no doubt, an imposing album — but also an incredibly rewarding experience if you have the time and the will to let it flood your senses. And I know you do; otherwise, why would you be reading this list in the first place?! –Dewinged
“Consensus” means that I have to write about my personal album of the year as if it belongs in the 49th spot. Bronco sands down the weirder edges of Orville Peck’s debut album in favor of grandiose songwriting that makes full use of…
Hello and welcome to the first instalment of this year’s maybe-annual JAWs!
Here are your questions:
Who Are You?
I am johnnyoftheWell!
How Are You?
I am well. I am in a cafe procrastinating an essay deadline and stressing about my laptop battery, which is not long for this world. How are you?
How Was 2022 For Music?
2022 was(/is!) pretty awesome for music! There have definitely been a few lulls, but I’ve had an overall great time digging up silly treasures, listening to people’s recs and just following them trends (which has been a good deal more fruitful than in previous years lemme tell ya). 2022 is good!
What The Flying Frick Is A JAW?
One of my best features tbh, but also um, it had a definite phrasing and I forgot it. (This one’s for you, Cimnele:)
It might have been an acronym for something like Johnny Awards Winners or Jackpot Ablutions from the Well, but I think in my head at the moment it’s a syllabic abbreviation from Jotw AWardsor maybe JotAWwww. It is absolutely not an initialism – say Jay Ayy Double-you out loud and I will slap you and eat mx.
tl;dr it’s a nice way to spotlight some year highlights that I think deserve to be spotlit.
I’m not posting a full list from the year or declaring an AOTY at this point because the Cram is still in session…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the entire month of December 2022. These releases have been condensed into one post as, historically at least, December is a slower time for new musical releases. In the meanwhile, our staff will be working on compiling their highly anticipated “Top Albums of 2022” feature, so stay tuned to see what we anoint as the album of the year. With regards to the below releases, please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums. From our staff and userbase to you, we wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday season. We’ll see you in January!
– List of Releases: December 2, 2022 –
brakence: hypochondriac
Genre: Hip-Hop/Pop/Electronic Label: Columbia
Celestial Season: Mysterium II
Genre: Doom/Death Label: Burning World Records
Galcher Lustwerk: 100% Galcher
Genre: Electronic/House/Techno Label: Ghostly International
Hammers of Misfortune: Overtaker
Genre: Power/Progressive/Heavy Metal Label: Metal Blade
Isafjørd: Hjartastjaki
Genre: Post-Rock Label: Svart Records
John-Allison Weiss: The Long Way
Genre: Indie-Rock/Pop-Punk Label: Get Better
Leftfield: This Is What We Do
Genre: House/Techno/Electronic Label: Virgin Music
Metro Boomin: Heroes & Villains
Genre: Hip-Hop Label: Republic
NOFX: Double Album
Genre: Punk/Pop-Punk/Hardcore Label: Fat Wreck Chords
Another year down… As always, these were my favorite albums of the year regardless of originality, impact on any genre, or any other superfluous qualifier. The only thing that mattered was how much I personally enjoy it. As has kind of been my thing, instead of rambling on my own for 50 entries, I prefer to highlight some of the other users on the site and their opinions. I think it breaks up the monotony. Thank you everyone for another year of music and thank you to the users whose posts I’ve highlighted below.
** Absolutely brutal. Now THIS is how you mix an album. The sound production is clean yet retains extremely heavy crushing guitar tones that pierces through an epic melodic soundscape. Vocals are powerful and dirty to the core. Phenomenal release here. I just seriously don’t get the dislikes for this. I love it all.— ShadowNeko
** Doesn’t have the same lightning in a bottle magic of Melancholy, but Shadow of Intent are very good at what they do. There isn’t a bad song here, but comparing the relatively tame Reconquest to Melancholy’s phenomenal Dreaded Mystic Abyss represents the gap between the two albums. That said, been spinning Saurian King and the title track(s) since release; Elegy II: Devise is…
As we reach the end of another incredible year of music, I’ve decided to deviate from my typical awards ceremony in favor of something a little more traditional. Maybe I’m just getting old, but the thought of constructing yet another bloated set of “categories” with GIF-hyper presentation and endless embedded videos made me feel…tired. So, in retiring that format at least temporarily (RIP Sowing’s Music Awards, 2014-2021), I present to you — plain and simple — my Top 50 Albums of 2022. I hope you find some quality releases and/or songs here that you might not have otherwise discovered. Thanks for a great year, and I hope you have a very safe and enjoyable holiday season. See you in 2023!
Oscillating between power and beauty, Everything Was Forever is grandiose and thrilling at its best and still very solid/serviceable even at its perceived worst. This band was one of my favorite discoveries of 2022; just high quality indie-rock with no unnecessary frills.
Upon being asked how they would like to be introduced, Victor Pakour and Wyatt Ininns admitted they were not quite sure how to do that themselves – and perhaps that is the best introduction to Ruby Haunt. While the dream pop duo have been putting out albums at a rapid pace since the mid-2010’s, their presence in the reverbed-out DIY Bandcamp scene can only be described as reminiscent of the very music they release: rather subdued and introverted.
Thankfully, their music speaks for itself. This year’s Cures For Opposites is a gorgeous collection of ethereal songs blending synths and gaze in a way few other bands are capable of. While they may be in a state of constant creation with seven full lengths under their belt, the duo found some spare time to chat with Sunnyvale and JesperL (the proud co-founders of Sputnikmusic’s Ruby Haunt fanclub).
This sheer size of the Ruby Haunt discography, some seven years in, might actually be the best place to start: could you describe what your process is like? How have you gotten to a point where you can release so much music without it detracting from the overall quality of the music?
Victor: We don’t overthink the process or set unrealistic goals. We both love working hard and are very passionate about writing / making music. The feeling we get from making and subsequently sharing demos is so special and I don’t think that feeling will ever change. I think that’s why we…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 25, 2022. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 25, 2022 –
Black Lava: Soul Furnace
Genre: Death/Black Metal Label: Season of Mist
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 18, 2022. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 18, 2022 –
Anna Mieke: Theatre
Genre: Folk Label: Nettwerk
Candlemass: Sweet Evil Sun
Genre: Doom/Heavy Metal Label: Napalm
Disturbed: Divisive
Genre: Nu-Metal/Hard Rock Label: Reprise
Gatherers: ( mutilator. )
Genre: Post-Hardcore/Emo/Progressive Rock Label: No Sleep
Neil Young & Crazy Horse: World Record
Genre: Folk/Rock Label: Reprise
Nickelback: Get Rollin’
Genre: Grunge/Pop-Rock Label: BMG
Pole: Tempus
Genre: Electronic/Techno/Minimal Label: Mute
Richard Dawson: The Ruby Cord
Genre: Folk/Experimental Label: Domino Recording Co
Roddy Ricch: Feed tha Streets III
Genre: Hip-Hop/R&B Label: Bird Vision Ent
Röyksopp: Profound Mysteries III
Genre: Electronic Label: Dog Triumph
Ruby Haunt: Cures For Opposites
Genre: Dream-Pop/Indie-Rock Label: Haunt
slowthai: UGLY
Genre: Hip-Hop Label: Interscope
Tallah: The Generation of Danger
Genre: Nu-Metal/Hardcore Label: Earache
Thaiboy Digital: Back 2 Life
Genre: Hip-Hop/R&B Label: YEAR0001
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 11, 2022. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 4th, 2022. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 4, 2022 –
Anna Of The North: Crazy Life
Genre: Indie Pop Label: PIAS Recordings
Big Joanie: Back Home
Genre: Post Punk Label: Kill Rock Stars
Black Anvil: Regenesis
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal Label: Season of Mist
The Blue Stones: Pretty Monster
Genre: Indie Rock Label: MNRK Heavy
Born Without Bones: Dancer
Genre: Alt Rock / Emo Label: Pure Noise
Brkn Love: Black Box
Genre: Alt Rock Label: Spinefarm
Cavetown: Worm Food
Genre: Indie Pop / lo-fi Label: Warner
Coco Jones: What I Didn’t Tell You [EP]
Genre: Hip Hop / Soul Label: Def Jam
Daniel Avery: Ultra Truth
Genre: Techno Label: Phantasy Sound
Dayseeker: Dark Sun
Genre: Experimental indie Rock / r&b / Alternative Label: Spinefarm
Welcome to the final SputStaff Top 10 of 2022! For this installment, our staff decided to dive into Bjork’s extensive discography and select her ten best songs. We felt it was a good time to reflect given the recent release of Fossorra — so if you’re new to Bjork, this might be the perfect place to catch up! Below are five honorable mentions who narrowly missed the cut, followed by the official list itself. Don’t miss out on the Spotify playlist near the end of this article either, where you can jam our selections all in one easy-to-access place. So without further ado, please continue below and enjoy!
