In a year when it’s become increasingly transparent that not only do independent artists fail to make any reasonable income from selling / streaming their music but also that most of them lose money touring rather than make some, we should feel all the more blessed that there is still so much beautiful music pouring …

In a year when it’s become increasingly transparent that not only do independent artists fail to make any reasonable income from selling / streaming their music but also that most of them lose money touring rather than make some, we should feel all the more blessed that there is still so much beautiful music pouring out of the creative energy channels of artists around the world that even an old indie kid with an admittedly limited range of musical preferences finds consolation in new sounds all year. Thank you to all bands, artists, and labels for keeping at it! To keep music close to your heart is one of the most important things to help with the preposterous stuff life throws at us and here’s a list of the 10 albums that served this purpose best to our entirely non-representative ears in 2022. We’d like to add that this year there were no less than six albums that we saw in a joint no. 10 spot. In the end, we settled for the one we played maybe one more time than the others, but honorary mentions must be made here of the wonderful longplayers released by Chorusgirl, The Shop Window, Dot Dash, The Orchids, & Convinced Friend.


If you find something on this list that you like, please consider buying it directly from the artists / labels via the given bandcamp links or from any other source selling music. Every little helps to make sure artists receive some money for the effort they’ve put into producing these songs. Thank you, take care, and all the best for next year!


 


10. Cozy Slippers – Cozy Slippers (KUS / Subjangle Records)



 


 


 


Cozy Slippers by Cozy Slippers


 


9. Deanna Petcoff – To Hell With You, I Love You (Royal Mountain Records)



 


 


 


To Hell With You, I Love You by Deanna Petcoff


 


8. Coral Collapse – Symmetries (s/r)



 


 


 


Symmetries by Coral Collapse


 


7. Joyride! – Miracle Question (s/r)



 


 


 


miracle question by joyride!


 


6. Martha – Please Don’t Take Me Back (Specialist Subject Records)



 


 


 


Please Don’t Take Me Back by Martha


 


5. Alvvays – Blue Rev (Transgressive / Polyvinyl Records)



 


 


 


Blue Rev by Alvvays


 


4. Gladie – Don’t Know What You’re In Until You’re Out (Plum Records)



 


 


 


Don’t Know What You’re In Until You’re Out by gladie


 


3. Jeanines – Don’t Wait For A Sign (Slumberland Records)



 


 


 


Don’t Wait For A Sign by jeanines


 


2. Lande Hekt – House Without A View (Get Better Records)



 


 


 


House Without a View by Lande Hekt


 


1. Snow Coats – If It Wasn’t Me, I Would’ve Called It Funny (Alcopop Records)



 


 


 


If it wasn’t me, I would’ve called it funny by Snow Coats