#beardcore

My favorite records that came out this year, when I apparently listened to Spotify for roughly 35% of waking hours, for real:

1. Waxahatchee :: Saint Cloud -- Forty years from now there will be a viral video of a man coasting on a longboard with an interesting head tattoo and a large bottle of cranberry juice. He’ll be singing along to this Waxahatchee album, and the song will probably be “Fire.”

2. The War on Drugs :: LIVE DRUGS -- A live compilation of my favorite band of the past several years doing the best versions of their finest songs.

3. Neil Young :: Homegrown -- The lost Neil Young record that was recorded between On the Beach and Zuma. Classic sounds.

4. Run the Jewels :: RTJ4 -- The soundtrack of June 2020. Listen to their episode of Song Exploder.

5. Fleet Foxes :: Shore -- The sound of quarantine, working from home and walking around with nowhere to go. 

6. My Morning Jacket :: The Waterfall II -- Somehow better than the Waterfall I. My second favorite Jacket record since Z (2005).

7. Tom Petty :: Wildflowers & All the Rest -- Two words: more Wildflowers.

8. Sturgill Simpson :: Cuttin’ Grass - Vol. 1 and 2 -- Basically Sturgill’s Greatest Hits, bluegrass-style. A welcome turn.

9. Rose City Band :: Summerlong -- My favorite new band of the past year or two. (Check out their 2019 s/t debut, too.)

10. Hiss Golden Messenger :: Forward, Children -- HGM was the last concert I saw before COVID, and this show was within a month of that, when we could be in a room together. 

Nos. 11-50, in no particular order:

Kevin Morby :: Sundowner

Kurt Vile :: Speed, Sound, Lonely KV 

Taylor Swift :: folklore and evermore

Khruangbin :: Mordecai 

Israel Nash :: Across the Water

Israel Nash :: Topaz

Michael Nau :: Demo Versions, 2014 to 2017

Dehd :: Flower of Devotion

Tame Impala :: The Slow Rush 

Hamilton Leithauser :: The Lights of Your Life

Futurebirds :: Teamwork

Mac Miller :: Circles

Jeff Parker :: Suite for Max Brown

Bonnie “Prince” Billy :: I Made A Place

John Moreland :: LP5

Donovan Quinn :: Absolom

Real Estate :: The Main Thing

Soccer Mommy :: color theory

Stephen Malkmus :: Traditional Techniques

Jay Electronica :: A Written Testimony

Strokes :: The New Abnormal

Nap Eyes :: Snapshot of a Beginner

Damien Jurado :: What’s New, Tomboy?

Shabazz Palaces :: The Don of Diamond Dreams

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit :: Reunions

Future :: High Off Life

Woods :: Strange to Explain

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever :: Sideways to New Italy

Muzz :: Muzz

Freddie Gibbs :: Alfredo

HAIM :: Women in Music Pt. III

Trummors :: Dropout City

Chris Stapleton :: Starting Over

Cut Worms :: Nobody Lives Here Anymore

Jeff Tweedy :: Love Is King

Matt Berninger :: Serpentine Prison

Future Islands :: As Long As You Are

Bill Callahan :: Gold Record

The Flaming Lips :: American Head

The Avett Brothers :: The Third Gleam

Playlist on Spotify

New albums I liked and listened to the most this year, loosely ranked with an eye toward how much I'll listen in years ahead ...

Spotify playlist: The 50 Best Albums of 2025 for Real

Bonus playlist: The 20 Best Songs of '25 for Real

Wednesday :: Bleeds

Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band :: New Threats From The Soul

Fust :: Big Ugly

Tobacco City :: Horses

Big Thief :: Double Infinity

Florry :: Sounds Like...

Snocaps :: Snocaps

Dutch Interior :: Moneyball

Neu Blume :: Let It Win

Craig Finn :: Always Been

Bon Iver :: SABLE, fABLE

Sharp Pins :: Balloon Balloon Balloon

Alex G :: Headlights

Cory Hanson :: I Love People

Greg Freeman :: Burnover

Friendship :: Caveman Wakes Up

Kurt Vile :: Classic Love (ep)

Rose City Band :: Sol Y Sombra

S.G. Goodman :: Planting by the Signs

Geese :: Getting Killed

This Is Lorelai :: Holo Boy

Bruce Springsteen :: Tracks II: The Lost Albums

Neil Young :: Oceanside Countryside

Real Estate :: The Wee Small Hours: B-Sides and Other Detritus 2011-2025

Colin Miller :: Losin'

Brian Dunne :: Clams Casino

Cass McCombs :: Interior Live Oak

Silver Synthetic :: Rosalie

Tyler Childers :: Snipe Hunter

Momma :: Welcome to My Blue Sky

Yo La Tengo :: Old Joy

Steve Gunn :: Daylight Daylight

Panda Bear :: Sinister Grift

Glass-Beagle :: Early Riser

Cash Langdon :: Dogs

Chico States :: I Saw A Galloping Horse Cover No Ground

Jeff Tweedy :: Twilight Override

Radiohead :: Hail to the Thief (Live Recordings 2003-2009)

Iron & Wine and Ben Bridwell :: Making Good Time

Liquid Mike :: Hell Is An Airport

Tame Impala :: Deadbeat

Jerry David DeCicca :: Cardiac Country

Brown Horse :: All The Right Weaknesses

Sean Thompson's Weird Ears :: Head In The Sand

Water From Your Eyes :: It's a Beautiful Place

Beauty Saloon :: BS

Wilco :: Wilco Blue (Live)

Neil Young Archives :: Vol. III (1976-1987)

Bob Dylan :: Through The Open Window: The Bootleg Series Vol. 18

Bruce Springsteen :: Nebraska '82: Expanded Edition

*Many of these I didn't listen to nearly enough to pass judgement, especially the last few, which are included here moreso as a reminder to come back

Concerts (top to bottom): The Futurebirds, Billie Eilish (w/ Charlie), Drive-By Truckers, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Goose, and me at the Big Pink house (not a concert, but still)

I'm pleased to report it was a very good year.

Spotify playlist: The Best Albums of 2024 for Real

Bonus: The 20 Best Songs of '24 for Real

(Scene from the Tom Petty film "Heartbreakers Beach Party," directed by Cameron Crowe and originally released on MTV in 1983 -- shown in theaters nationwide in October 2024.)

MJ Lenderman :: Manning Fireworks

The War On Drugs :: Live Drugs Again

Johnny Blue Skies :: Passage Du Desir

Waxahatchee :: Tigers Blood

Rosali :: Bite Down

Lee Baggett :: Waves For A Begull

Vampire Weekend :: Only God Was Above Us

Father John Misty :: Mahashmashana

Good Looks :: Lived Here For A While

David Nance :: David Nance & Mowed Sound

This Is Lorelei :: Box For Buddy, Box For Star

The Hard Quartet :: The Hard Quartet

Ben Seretan :: Allora

Tim Heidecker :: Slipping Away

Wild Pink :: Dulling The Horns

Real Estate :: Daniel

Ducks Ltd. :: Harm's Way

Liquid Mike :: Paul Bunyan's Slingshot

Hovvdy :: Hovvdy

Futurebirds :: Easy Company

Trace Mountains :: Into The Burning Blue

The Clearwater Swimmers :: The Clearwater Swimmers

DIIV :: Frog In Boiling Water

Wildflower :: Green World

Neil Young & Crazy Horse :: Fu##in' Up

Billy Strings :: Live Vol. 1

Khruangbin :: A La Sala

Pearl Jam :: Dark Matter

Jessica Pratt :: Here In The Pitch

Trummors :: 5

Jeffrey Silverstein :: Roseway

Fruit Bats :: Starry-Eyed, In Stereo

Phosphorescent :: Revelator

Vince Staples :: Dark Times

Iron & Wine :: Light Verse

Strand Of Oaks :: Miracle Focus

Scott Ballew :: Rio Bravo

Chris Cohen :: Paint A Room

The Smile :: Wall Of Eyes

Billy Strings :: Highway Prayers

Nap Eyes :: The Neon Gate

Camera Obscura :: Look To The East, Look To The West

Blitzen Trapper :: 100's Of 1,000's, Millions Of Billions

Deer Tick :: Contractual Obligations

Friko :: Where We've Been, Where We Go From Here

King Hannah :: Big Swimmer

Hannah Francis :: Keeper Of The Shepherd

Color Green :: Fool's Parade

Mdou Moctar :: Funeral For Justice

Michael Nau :: Montrose Tape

Concerts (top to bottom): Vampire Weekend, The War On Drugs, Charley Crockett, My Morning Jacket, Band Of Horses, Olivia Rodrigo, The Wallflowers

Hot Water Music - Better Sense

With full intent and better sense

To recognize what is false and part with it,

Knowing doubtless by instinct

Which triggers thought on how to grow In soul

Without gold or praised lies

Which keep the sheep all right with anything