It’s that time of year again where we search the recesses of our alcohol/drug addled brains in an effort to remember what albums we jammed out to the most this year. I for one, had a pretty hard time choosing as it seems that the the “Covid Logjam” finally started to break up and a plethora of great music was released over the last twelve months. Regardless, I consulted with my Magic 8 Ball and whittled the field down to the final ten! I also included my recommended tracks for each album in a handy little playlist for your listening pleasure. So, without further doo-doo, here’s my picks for 2022 (in no particular order, because I don’t believe in order)! Happy 2023, comrades!
- Craig’s Brother – Easily Won, Rarely Deserved – These melodic punks from Santa Cruz returned with new tunes in 2022 after a ten year hiatus and I couldn’t be happier. Plus, the thirteen track LP was released via People of Punk Rock Records, one of my new favorite labels!
- Shrug Dealer – Infested – More melodic punk but this time from NYC! This album (released via Bypolar Records) was close to not making my list due to the fact that three of the eight tracks are really short (one clocks in at seven seconds) but the album in it’s entirety is just so damn good, I couldn’t leave it off.
- Celebration Summer – Patience in Presence – These elder DC punks are relatively new but that doesn’t make their debut full length any less impressive. All eleven tracks are flawlessly performed and catchy as fuck. What else do you need form an album?
- Sarchasm – Conditional Love – Although this East Bay pop punk trio personally attacked me by announcing this was their final album, I’m still including them in my list. All the feels that one can feel across a dozen elegantly written tracks. Now, someone please tell me they were only joking so I can get my life back in order!
- Bob Vylan – Bob Vylan Presents The Price of Life – After 35 years of listening to punk rock, it can start sounding pretty repetitive. That’s why I love acts that step outside of the typical three chord, blistering fast rock sound that has come to define the genre. This duo from the UK epitomizes that ideology with this hip-hop/punk fusion gem.
- Thick – Happy Now – No Top Ten List is complete without an awesome Garage-y Punk band and in 2022, this Brooklyn, NYC based trio scratched that itch for me. The thing that most garage bands are lacking is thoughtful writing. Not so with these ladies and that’s one of the (many) reasons the LP made my list!
- Soul Glo – Diaspora Problems – This album was perpetually on my rotation of albums I listened to throughout 2022 and because it was released so early in the year, it happened to be my most played new album of 2022! That fact alone automatically nets it a spot on the list but toss in some old school hardcore vibes and frenetic vocals and you got me hooked!
- Upper Downer – No Refills Left – This LA based street punk act was one of the many (superb) new bands signed by SoCal super label Wiretap Records this year and they kicked off their tenure with their new label by releasing one hell of a banger! Aggressive, guttery, antiauthority-ism all wrapped up in a nice, pretty, little bow! Once again, Rob & Co. look like geniuses!
- The Flatliners – New Ruin – Fat Wreck fan favorites, The Flatliners returned with their first new music since 2017 and I’m sure this latest LP made quite a few AoTY Lists because it harkens back to the early days of the group in it’s musicality and that’s definitely not a bad thing.
- New Junk City – Beg a Promise – Ok, I know I said I didn’t list these albums in any particular order but this was probably my favorite album of the year. So much so that I couldn’t decide on which track to include in the playlist, so I added two. From start to finish, this one is a masterpiece. Excellent song writing with heartfelt, relatable lyrics, hooky choruses, extra shreddy guitars, these Atlanta punks are firing on all cylinders. If you aren’t already onboard, time to hop on this midnight train to Georgia.
