Have to do it like that, because there’s only 4 albums from the list I’d consider in a top 10, and it would be massively misrepresentative of my enthusiasm for the three that aren’t APTBS to give them spots 2 through 4.
It is an inevitable byproduct of aggregation. There is a very healthy and thriving level of heavy music appreciation on here and there is also a very healthy (and increasingly) thriving ambient electronica scene too. But the most popular genes are the indie rock related ones. Some people like indie and hip hop, some people like indie and ambient, some people like indie and hardcore. But almost everyone likes indie. So when you have any kind of aggregated list the most popular things will always float to the top. No matter how good the respective qualities of albums by radiohead and mitski, radiohead will always win a poll because almost everyone will have heard it. It does not mean that we don’t have diverse tastes as individuals, a lot of us do, but when you aggregate things the universally popular floats to the top. It doesn’t mean that we all live in dull little silos necessarily, it just means that the intersect of those silos will never be hip hop, metal or ambient, it’ll be something most of us have as a (possibly lowest) common denominator.
I understand that of course, and I would certainly expect that to apply to, say, the top ten albums of the year selected by a simple poll (the reason that every year @sean bemoans that method of choosing an AOTY) - but this is more than 60 albums, more than two a week from a six month period. Many months there are few albums by non-white albums getting even a single vote, never mind getting into the top ten.
I’ve been thinking about this for some time - since we were all getting self-righteous about that ‘Best of British’ list produced by some crappy radio station. There was a nasty little troll in that thread who said a lot of unpleasant things but also pointed out that DiS was no more diverse than the list we were all decrying. Sad though it is, I think we have to admit he had a point. I rarely see any non-white music mentioned anywhere on here outside of the specialist hip hop and jazz threads (which are excellent by the way). It’s a real shame that the many knowledgeable and passionate people who contribute to those threads seem to be outside of the mainstream of DiS.
I really enjoy this thread each month and it’s introduced me to loads of great albums that I might have missed otherwise. It’s a shame that none of them are great hip hop or R and B or Jazz albums.
First time in a very long time that I have thought “indie-rock”(I really hate that phrase) has had a good year so far. The top 5 write themselves top 2 are probably my joint favourite albums of the year can’t decide between the pair of em.
DJ Koze - Knock Knock
A.A.L. - 2012-2017
Kamasi Washington - Heaven & Earth
Skee Mask - Compro
Nils Frahm - All Melody
Parquet Courts - Wide Awake!
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Sparkle Hard
Hookworms - Microshift
Shopping - The Official Body
Daniel Avery - Songs For Alpha
Feel a bit bad cos’ of those records shortlisted I only liked a handful, and the others I’ve not heard yet. Father John Misty is easily front runner for my AOTY and its not there. Umm… I did however really like/love these:
US Girls - In a Poem Unlimited
Malkmus and the Jicks - Sparkle Hard
Hop Along - Bark Your Head Off, Dog
Parquet Courts - Wike Awake!
The Breeders - All Nerve
Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel (although it still doesn’t live up to those first EPs)
Rolo Tomassi - Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It
Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar
Ought - Room Inside the World
The Wave Pictures - Brushes With Happiness
Parquet Courts - Wide Awake!
Christian Fitness - Nuance - The Musical
Iceage - Beyondless
Loma - Loma
Wye Oak - The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs
Obviously a bloody good 6 months when you have to leave any of these on the cutting floor!
Hilary Woods - Colt
Salad Boys - This Is Glue
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Sparkle Hard
Tropical Fuck Storm - ALDIM
Let’s Eat Grandma - I’m All Ears
Beach House - 7
Dawnwalker - Human Ruins
Hot Snakes - Jericho Sirens
Melody’s Echo Chamber - Bon Voyage