Going to start with music, because I have two lists.
Best New Albums of 2022
Panda Bear & Sonic Boom - ResetReset unfolds in an enveloping way, surrounding the listener with layers of samples and vocals, Spector's Wall of Sound reborn, both familiar and new. Balancing out the sometimes childlike arrangements are biting and melancholy lyrics. This is a pandemic record for sure, delivering words of anger and sadness over music you can dance to. "One taste to break the fall/One wave to take us all to the shore/Can't say it's what you bargained for/It's Forever at the push of a button..." Reset is spiritually uplifting without ignoring the feelings that threaten to keep us tethered to our troubles here on earth.
Goose - DripfieldAs someone who loves guitar-driven complex music, Goose sits at the perfect intersection of Rush, Phish, and Steely Dan. There’s some good fusion work going on here, and this record is one I have listened to over and over, it suits any mood. I can’t wait to spend too much on resell tickets to see them as soon as I can.
Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In YouAdrianne Lenker is one of the best songwriters to emerge in the last few years, and this Big Thief album shows her range as both a singer and a lyricist, as well as the band’s stylistic prowess. This double album is a monster in all kinds of ways, and Lender’s lyrics simultaneously feel new and of the moment, but also fully in the Americana folk tradition.
Taylor Swift - MidnightsMidnights is a great concept album, and continues Taylor Swift’s evolution into a true album artist. This is coheasive, yet stretches in a few different directions. “Vigilante Shit” might be my favorite track from this, combining dark folk lyrics with a dark pop sound for something perfect at midnight.
The Smile - A Light for Attracting AttentionThe Smile is ‘not Radiohead’ but it sounds so much like a sequel to that band’s best album, In Rainbows. Melodic and winding, with some of Yorke’s best vocal work in a while, it shows that there is still new territory for Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and producer Nigel Godrich to explore.
Best New-to-Me Albums of 2022
The Detroit Escalator Company - Soundtack [313]I did not know this was a 1996 release until putting this list together. I am not always into electronic music, especially anything approaching ambient, but this whole album is just perfect mood music. It reminds me a lot of the Drive My Car score and would also be perfect for driving, especially in the wet. Find here on Bandcamp.
Archie James Cavanaugh - Black and White RavenI picked up this record on a whim because of my continued interest in learning more about Native American artists in all media, and was absolutely delighted. While it does have definitive elements from Cavanaugh’s Tlingit heritage, it also blends that with soul, funk, jazz, and disco. It feels distinctly 70s, and the release by the Numero Group (one of my new favorite labels) is sublime.
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane - Duke Ellington & John ColtraneI like jazz music a lot, even though I have still barely scratched the surface of the vast genre. This was another vinyl impulse buy for me, and I love it. Instrumental jazz is my preference, and this sits at a perfect midpoint between traditional jazz and Coltrane’s signature sounds, making it extremely accessible, yet no less accomplished.
Traffic - The Low Spark of High Heeled BoysI got really into Traffic this year, especially this album and John Barleycorn Must Die. Maybe the next logical step from my newfound love for Steely Dan, Traffic has their own take on fusion. I’ve really been enjoying digging deeper into 70s music, and this album is exceedingly easy to listen to while also offering some nicely complex compositions.
Stephen Sondheim - Company (Original Broadway Cast)After finally watching Original Catt Album: Company, I could not stop listening to this album. Hopefully I will finally watch the show in 2023!
Best Books I Read in 2022
I read 44 books this year, a step down from the last few years, but these were the ones that impacted me the most. I plan to write more about my reads next year, but for now, here is a list!
The Will to Change by bell hooks
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Star Wars: Brotherhood - Mike Chen
Termination Shock - Neal Stephenson
Disney’s Land - Richard Snow
My favorite comics of 2022
Eight Billion GeniesWriter: Charles SouleArtist: Ryan Browne
She-HulkWriter: Rainbow RowellArtist: Various
Human TargetWriter: Tom KingArtist: Greg Smallwood
NightwingWriter: Tom TaylorArtist: Burno Redondo
Batman/Superman: World’s FinestWriter: Mark WaidArtists: Dan Mora & Travis Moore
My favorite TV Shows of 2022
Andor
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Only Murders in the Building
House of the Dragon
My Best Film Writing, 2022
I wrote over 50(!) pieces for MovieJawn this year, and these are my favorites:
My Top 15 Movies of 2022 (some of my best reviews are excerpts/linked within)
Printing The Legend, all 10 entries of my westerns column to date
My review of The Batman, co-authored with Rosalie Kicks