![JME Contributor Matthew Shaw with some of his favorite albums](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_1280,h_1280/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Staff-Picks-Albums-scaled.jpg)
As we spin the final grooves of 2022, JME Contributors are recapping their favorite music of the year.
My approach to music listening reminds me of the way former Daily Show host Jon Stewart used the action of a youth soccer match as an analogy for the short-attention span of cable news. In essence, the entire rosters of both teams descend upon the ball, the ball squirts aimlessly out of the pile, and once they identify where the ball has gone, both teams converge on it again, repeating the pattern in a chaotic loop.
In the same way, my attention can be drawn to one record one week, only to obsess over something completely different the next. But looking back at my 2022 listening habits, themes are evident. I was captivated by albums by several classically trained artists who creatively blended jazz or symphonic tradition with contemporary sounds (Robert Glasper, Ben Marc, isomonstrosity, Sudan Archives) and further endeared to artists who found a new voice traversing well-trodden paths (Plains, Angel Olsen, Drugdealer). Meanwhile, I found that there is always something impressive about an artist who, while maybe not diverging from the approach that brought them to my attention to begin with, is able to produce the best work of their careers (Dehd, Kevin Morby, Black Thought).
Here’s the list of soccer balls I chased this year.
Black Radio III, Robert Glasper
- Stream Black Radio III
Glass Effect, Ben Marc
- Stream Glass Effect
isomonstrosity, isomonstrosity
- Stream isomonstrosity
Big Time, Angel Olsen
- Stream Big Time
Cheat Codes, Black Thought and Danger Mouse
- Stream Cheat Codes
This Is A Photograph, Kevin Morby
- Stream This Is A Photograph
A Few Good Things, Saba
- Stream A Few Good Things
Natural Brown Prom Queen, Sudan Archives
- Stream Natural Brown Prom Queen
I Walked With You A Ways, Plains
- Stream I Walked With You A Ways
Blue Skies, Dehd
- Stream Blue Skies
And 20 more albums I really liked:
Earth Worship by Rubblebucket, Meridian Brothers & El Grupo Renacimiento by Meridian Brothers & El Grupo Renacimiento, Being Funny in a Foreign Language by The 1975, Lawn by Aldous Harding, Cruel Country by Wilco, GHETTO GODS by EARTHGANG, (watch my moves) by Kurt Vile, Where I’m Meant to Be by Ezra Collective, Melt My Eyez See Your Future by Denzel Curry, Finally, New by They Hate Change, Hi-Fidelity EP by Lava La Rue, MAHAL by Toro y Moi, We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong by Sharon Van Etten, Hiding in Plain Sight by Drugdealer, JID013 by Katalyst, Skinty Fia by Fontaines D.C., Stumpwork by Dry Cleaning, Computers by Visitation, Panama ’77 by Daniel Villarreal, God Save the Animals by Alex G
![Featured image for “Song of the Day | “Empty Trainload of Sky” by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings”](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_391,h_294/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/unnamed-50-e1721997801135.jpg)
Song of the Day | “Empty Trainload of Sky” by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
![Featured image for “The Neighborhood Playlist | July 20”](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_540,h_449/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/The-Neighborhood-e1704830645677.png)
The Neighborhood Playlist | July 20
![Featured image for “Jax Music Hour Playlist | July 20”](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_540,h_414/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Jax-Music-Hour-e1704723913466.png)
Jax Music Hour Playlist | July 20
![Featured image for “UK Shoegazers Slowdive to Kick Off New Fall Tour at St. Augustine Amphitheatre”](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_675,h_420/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/slowdive-Press-Photo.jpg)
UK Shoegazers Slowdive to Kick Off New Fall Tour at St. Augustine Amphitheatre
![Featured image for “Flipturn, St. Paul & the Broken Bones Highlight this Year’s Two-Day Florida Fest in Jacksonville Beach”](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_540,h_403/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Untitled-2024-07-24T151804.763-e1721848818603.png)
Flipturn, St. Paul & the Broken Bones Highlight this Year’s Two-Day Florida Fest in Jacksonville Beach
![Featured image for “Song of the Day | “Coast” by Kim Deal”](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_1280,h_853/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/unnamed-49-scaled.jpg)
Song of the Day | “Coast” by Kim Deal
![Featured image for “The Latest Collab from Dillon and Batsauce Serves Up High Quality Production with Kindred Spirit Kool Keith”](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_1280,h_1280/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Dillon-Batsauce-2-scaled.jpeg)
The Latest Collab from Dillon and Batsauce Serves Up High Quality Production with Kindred Spirit Kool Keith
![Featured image for “Song of the Day | “Lie 95” by Bartees Strange”](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_400,h_250/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/unnamed-5-e1721330907160.jpg)
Song of the Day | “Lie 95” by Bartees Strange
![Featured image for “Newly-Released Archive Recordings of Neil Young & Crazy Horse, ‘Early Daze’ is a Crucial Document of the Group’s Prime Era”](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_1280,h_770/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/EarlyDaze-scaled-e1721326426509.jpg)
Newly-Released Archive Recordings of Neil Young & Crazy Horse, ‘Early Daze’ is a Crucial Document of the Group’s Prime Era
![Featured image for “Jax Music Hour Playlist | July 13”](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_540,h_414/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Jax-Music-Hour-e1704723913466.png)
Jax Music Hour Playlist | July 13
JME Live Music Calendar
![Summertime in the City](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/STITC-Banner-fa5f93227958d7149ba502f8b5ee70b6.jpg)
![Ben Brough Art Release](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-23-at-11.50.54-AM-030a9320daf5c952936e71bd5dc1bbba.png)
![Matt Woods](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Screen-Shot-2024-07-25-at-1.35.52-PM-dff6e4913415fb48eb49b0689f3097a0.png)
![Faze Wave](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-23-at-11.44.25-AM-cc05c8dee500cf6f75933a95fd90e056.png)
![Donny Osmond](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1180X517-MAINEVENT-DonnyOsmond-V1-4d1b878ccc-ae06d66784dc1e87c5b83519a60e6488.png)
![Statewide Emergency Tour](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/SOE_1000x500_copy-3765da7353041b592b312b1429a3950c.jpg)
![Stop Light Observations](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/image-asset-a779840fd9511cc98521f24fc535f1e0.jpeg)
![The Kreepy Tikis](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/6-27-the-kreepy-tikis-d038fbfe762d342da19554ecf954bcfb.png)
![Mark Williams and Friends](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/448471784_122153899268180910_8389483604573055323_n-b1f0ee004b93db3d3ef4eb8e0d25bd42.jpg)
![rickoLus](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img/https://www.wjct.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/rickoLusaccordian-0fe9d1a7470b151df5ec6cefd576fecf.jpg)