Favourite Things I Heard in January 2019

Albums
1. Future Hndrxx Presents: THE WIZRD - Future 
2. Heard It In A Past Life - Maggie Rogers

3. We All Shine - YNW Melly

4. Still Love - Raz Simone
5. new breed - DAWN

6. Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center
7. Assume Form - James Blake
8. Tomb - Angelo De Augustine
9. Future Ruins - Swervedriver
10. The Unseen In Between - Steve Gunn

Songs
1. "Unshaken" - Single - D'Angelo
2. "August and Everything After" - Single - Counting Crows
3. "Harmony Hall" - Single - Vampire Weekend
4. "I Found You / Nilda's Story" - Single - benny blanco, Calvin Harris and Miguel
5. "Never Stop"- Future Hndrxx Presents: THE WIZRD - Future
6. "sauce" - new breed - DAWN
7. "Dylan Thomas" - Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center

8. "Mile High" feat. Metro Boomin and Travis Scott - Assume Form - James Blake
9. "Seventeen" - Remind Me Tomorrow - Sharon Van Etten
10. "Yellow Bike" - Phoenix - Pedro the Lion

Best music of 2018...so far

This is usually the place where I'd write some quasi-clever introduction wondering at how fast the years has gone by, adding something about music remaining one force for good in the world and trying to end on a positive note. And while all of that is technically true, it feels monumentally unimportant in light of the last few weeks of news. 

So, here's my list of 25 favorite albums (ranked this time) from the first six months of the year, followed by 50 songs. 

But more importantly, here's organizations fighting the country's cruel border policy. Support them: 
Move On - Families Belong Together
RAICES fundraiser
Support ACLU
Catholic Charities USA
SLATE collection of organizations

Albums
1. Black Panther The Album - Various Artists 

2. Golden Hour - Kacey Musgraves

3. Daytona - Pusha T 

4. Good Thing - Leon Bridges

5. Come Tomorrow - Dave Matthews Band

6. Sleepwalkers - Brian Fallon

7. Between Two Shores - Glen Hansard

8. Girl Going Nowhere - Ashley McBryde

9. Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino - Arctic Monkeys 

10. Redemption - Jay Rock

11. Scorpion - Drake

12. Everything Is Recorded by Richard Russell - Everything Is Recorded 

13. On the Train Ride Home - The Paper Kites

14. Camila - Camila Cabello

15. Sway - Tove Stryke

16. 7 - Beach House

17. Light of Mine - KYLE

18. The Future and The Past - Natale Prass

19. Tell Me How You Really Feel - Courtney Barnett 

20. Letters of Irrelevance - Patrick Paige II

21. Die Lit - Playboi Carti

22. November - SiR

23. CARE FOR ME - Saba

24. Lush - Snail Mail

25. Dirty Computer - Janelle Monae 

Songs
1. "King's Dead" - Black Panther The Album - Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Future and James Blake
2. "Golden Hour" - Golden Hour - Kacey Musgraves
3. "The Games We Play" - Daytona - Pusha T 
4. "Star Treatment" - Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino - Arctic Monkeys
5. "The Middle" - Single - Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey
6. "Lucky Man" - Between Two Shores - Glen Hansard

7. "You Don't Know" - Good Thing - Leon Bridges

8. "Never Be The Same" - Camila - Camila Cabello
9. "Musta Been Something" - Free Yourself Up - Lake Street Dive
10. "Bloody Waters" - Black Panther The Album - Ab-Soul, Anderson .Paak and James Blake

11. "Watson" - Sleepwalkers - Brian Fallon

12. "All the Stars" - Black Panther The Album - Kendrick Lamar and SZA 

13. "New Light" - Single - John Mayer

14. "I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)" - The Continuum Project - Lindsay Ell

15. "Sway" - Sway - Tove Stryke

16. "Doesn't Matter" - Single - Gallant

17. "Bet Ain't Worth the Hand" - Good Thing - Leon Bridges

18. "Fallingwater" - Single - Maggie Rogers

19. "X" - Black Panther The Album - ScHoolboy Q, 2 Chainz and Saudi

20. "If You Know You Know" - Daytona - Pusha T

21. "Here On Out" - Come Tomorrow - Dave Matthews Band

22. "Short Court Style" - The Future and The Past - Natalie Prass

23. "Give Yourself a Try" - Single - The 1975

24. "Fake Like" - Music for the Long Emergency - POLIÇA and s t a r g a z e

25. "Reborn" - KIDS SEE GHOSTS - KIDS SEE GHOSTS

26. "The Story of Adidon" - Single - Pusha T

27. "Call Out My Name" - My Dear Melancholy, - The Weeknd

28. "Rainbow" - Golden Hour - Kacey Musgraves

29. "Friday Morning" - Con Todo El Mundo - Khruangbin

30. "Wow Freestyle" feat. Kendrick Lamar - Redemption - Jay Rock

31. "Etta James" - Sleepwalkers - Brian Fallon

32. "On the Low" - Sway - Tove Stryke

33. "Sandra's Rose" - Scorpion - Drake

34. "Morning View" feat. SZA - WWW. - Towkio

35. "Touchscreen Navigation" - SR3MM - Rae Sremmurd

36. "A Little Dive Bar Dahlonega" - Girl Going Nowhere - Ashley McBryde

37. "Move Me" feat. Octavian - Single - Mura Masa

38. "Once in My Life" - I'll Be Your Girl -The Decemberists

39. "Honey" - Three/Three - Dabrye

40. "'Til It's Over" - Single - Anderson .Paak

41. "Toy Soldier" - Single - The Menzingers

42. "No Shame" feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR - SUPERFLY - Future

43. "This Too Shall Last" - Encore - Anderson East

44. "2006" - Tracyanne and Danny - Tracyanne and Danny

45. "Music on My Teeth (feat. Jose Gonzalez)" - Knock Knock - DJ Koze

46. "Between the Houses" - On the Train Ride Home - The Paper Kites

47. "Time Flies Either Way" - Passwords - Dawes

48. "Heat Wave" - Lush - Snail Mail

49. "Oh My" feat. SL, Yung Fume and Tiggs Da Author - Crop Circle - Nines

50. "Lost in Japan" - Shawn Mendes - Shawn Mendes

Missing from playlist:

26. "The Story of Adidon" - Single - Pusha T

Favourite things I heard in June 2018

Albums
1. Come Tomorrow - Dave Matthews Band

2. Redemption - Jay Rock
3. Scorpion - Drake
4. The Future and The Past - Natalie Prass
5. Lush -Snail Mail

6. No Shame - Lily Allen
7. EVERYTHING IS LOVE - Beyonce and Jay-Z
8. Password - Dawes
9. K.T.S.E. - Teyana Taylor
10. ye - Kanye West

Songs
1. "I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)" - The Continuum Project - Lindsay Ell
2. "Here On Out" - Come Tomorrow - Dave Matthews Band
3. "Short Court Style" - The Future and The Past - Natalie Prass
4. "Give Yourself a Try" - Single - The 1975
5. "Reborn" - KIDS SEE GHOSTS - KIDS SEE GHOSTS
6. "'Wow Freestyle" feat. Kendrick Lamar - Redemption - Jay Rock
7. "Sandra's Rose" - Scorpion - Drake
8. "Move Me" feat. Octavian - Single - Mura Masa
9. "Time Flies Either Way" - Passwords - Dawes
10. "Heat Wave" - Lush - Snail Mail

Favourite things I heard in April 2018

Albums
1. Crop Circle - Nines

2. On the Train Ride Home - The Paper Kites
3. CARE FOR ME - Saba
4. Dirty Computer - Janelle Monae
5. Joyride - Tinashe

6. In the Rainbow Rain - Okkervil River
7. The Louder I Call, the Faster It Comes - Wye Oak
8. Vide Noir - Lord Huron
9. For Now - DMA's
10. Critical Equation - Dr. Dog

Songs
1. "Nice for What" - Single - Drake
2. "OTW" - Single - Khalid, 6LACK & Ty Dolla $ign
3. "Between the Houses" - On the Train Ride Home - The Paper Kites 
4. "When the Night Is Over" - Vide Noir - Lord Huron
5. "I Like That" - Dirty Computer - Janelle Monae
6. "'LOGOUT" feat. Chance The Rapper - CARE FOR ME - Saba
7. "Prior Things" - Bark Your Head Off, Dog - Hop Along
8. "He Don't Want It" - Joyride - Tinashe
9. "Kevin's Heart" - KOD - J. Cole
10. "No Tears Left to Cry" - Single - Ariana Grande

Favourite things I heard in March 2018

Albums.

1. Golden Hour - Kacey Musgraves
2. Girl Going Nowhere - Ashley McBryde
3. Language - Starchild and The New Romantic
4. Every Little Thought - Hurry
5. Historian - Lucy Dacus

6. Tearing at the Seams - Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats
7. Cocoa Sugar - Young Fathers
8. Clean - Soccer Mommy
9. United We Swing - Wynton Marsalis Septet
10. May Your Kindness Remain - Courtney Marie Andrews

Songs
1. "Oh, What A World" - Golden Hour - Kacey Musgraves
2. "Call Out My Name" - My Dear Melancholy, - The Weeknd
3. "Livin' Next to Leroy" - Girl Going Nowhere - Ashley McBryde
4. "'Til It's Over" - Single - Anderson .Paak
5. "Get the Fuck Off My Dick" - Single - Vince Staples
6. "Once in My Life" - I'll Be Your Girl -The Decemberists
7. "Language" - Language - Starchild and The New Romantic
8. "Boyfriend" - Castles - Lissie
9. "Eureka" - Single - The Hold Steady
10. "Lost in Japan" - Single - Shawn Mendes

Favourite things I heard in Feb. 2018

Albums
1. Black Panther The Album - Various Artists
2. Sleepwalkers - Brian Fallon
3. Everything Is Recorded by Richard Russell - Everything Is Recorded
4. Dear Annie - Rejjie Snow
5. Nobody Has to Know - Onra
6. A Whole Fucking Lifetime of This - American Pleasure Club
7. What a Time to Be Alive - Superchunk
8. Someone Out There - Rae Morris
9. Blood - Rhye
10. Wait for Love - Pianos Become The Teeth

Songs
1. "X" - Black Panther The Album - ScHoolboy Q, 2 Chainz and Saudi
2. "Etta James" - Sleepwalkers - Brian Fallon
3. "Bloody Waters" - Black Panther The Album - Ab-Soul, Anderson .Paak and James Blake
4. "Opps" - Black Panther The Album - Vince Staples and Yugen Blakrok
5. "Morning View" feat. SZA - WWW. - Towkio
6. "Bloodshot Red Eyes" feat. Infinite and Green Gartside - Everything Is Recorded by Richard Russell - Everything Is Recorded
7. "Honey" - Three/Three - Dabrye
8. "Charlie Brown" feat. Anna of the North - Dear Annie - Rejjie Snow
9. "Fulton County Jane Doe" - By the Way, I Forgive You - Brandi Carlile
10. "Say Something" feat. Chris Stapleton - Man of the Woods - Justin Timberlake

Favourite things I heard in Jan. 2018

Albums.
1. Camila - Camila Cabello
2. Between Two Shores - Glen Hansard
3. Post- - Jeff Rosenstock
4. The House - Porches
5. Ruins - First Aid Kit
6. November - SiR
7. Big Bossin Vol. 2 - Payroll Giovanni and Cardo
8. Earthtones - Bahamas
9. Culture II - Migos
10. Encore - Anderson East

Songs
1. "Lucky Man" - Between Two Shores - Glen Hansard
2. "Never Be the Same" - Camila - Camila Cabello
3. "Something New" feat. Etta Bond - November - SiR
4. "9/10" - Post- - Jeff Rosenstock
5. "This Too Shall Last" - Encore - Anderson East
6. "God's Plan" - Single - Drake
7. "Rapped My Way" - Big Bossin Vol. 2 - Payroll Giovanni and Cardo
8. "Passing Out" - Harder Love - Strand of Oaks
9. "Gang Gang" - Culture II - Migos
10. "Spoiled Milk Titties" - Ephorize - CupcakKe

Best music of 2017...so far

It's hard to believe 2017 is halfway over already.

In many ways, the first six months of the year have flown by, but in others, it feels like ages have passed since Jan. 1. So far 2017 has been an unsettling and unsettled year, and that has led to strange new reality, where terrorists target pop music audiences, and leaders snipe at each other over social media instead of working together.

Although most of the albums released in the first half of the year were written before the 2016 election and its successive uproar, the best music of the year manages to reflect the anxiety and search for hope so many are experiencing.

And there's been a lot of great music released in the past six months. So much that you'd be forgiven for missing some of the year's best just trying to keep up with it all. But I'm here to help with my list of 10 best albums you might've missed in the first half of the year. 

Best albums of the year so far (arranged alphabetically)

1. Prisoner – Ryan Adams 

2. Number 1 Angel – Charli XCX 

3. City of No Reply – Amber Coffman 

4. Tourist in This Town – Allison Crutchfield

5. More Life – Drake 

6. Pure Comedy – Father John Misty 

7. We All Want the Same Things – Craig Finn 

8. Crack-Up – Fleet Foxes 

9. The Far Field – Future Islands 

10. The Nashville Sound – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit 

11. Near to the Wild Heart of Life – Japandroids 

12. DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar 

13. Melodrama – Lorde 

14. The Search for Everything – John Mayer 

15. After the Party – The Menzingers 

16. City Music – Kevin Morby

17. Goths – The Mountain Goats 

18. One Foot Out – Nines

19. No Shape – Perfume Genius 

20. Process – Sampha 

21. Big Fish Theory – Vince Staples 

22. From A Room: Volume 1 – Chris Stapleton 

23. Ctrl - SZA

24. Drunk - Thundercat

25. The World's Best America Band – White Reaper