It’s time to say farewell to another year of great music. I hope you discovered some new favorite songs and artists from the Extended Hear Hear Universe in 2022 — thanks for reading and listening along.
Of course, we couldn’t cover everything — and as you know, I love using year-end lists to discover all the good stuff I missed. So consider this playlist-palooza a gateway for new sounds to shuffle, and see you in 2023.
My personal favorite albums this year came from: Alvvays, Dehd, Harry Styles, Peach Pit, Plains, Steve Lacy, Wet Leg, and Whitney.
My fave songs of the year are compiled here.
And as always, all of the featured songs + artists below have been added to the Hear Hear playlist!
3 playlists for emerging artists & hidden gems
Music blogs: Fortunately, still a thing in 2022! These three, in particular, remain essential for keeping up with the times.
Gorilla vs. Bear’s best songs of 2022. GvB is “hyperfocused on discovery and emerging artists” and I’m thankful for their year-end compilations of best albums, EPs, and songs. A few highlights…
“Nobody Gets Me,” SZA: I haven’t had the chance to give SZA’s new 23-track album the time it deserves, but love this sweeping acoustic ballad.
“Shotgun,” Soccer Mommy: The ‘90s alt-rock revival continues with a modern twist in this captivating song from Soccer Mommy’s Sophie Allison — paired with the sleek production of Oneohtrix Point Never.
“Step by Step,” Braxe + Falcon ft. Panda Bear: If you ever had an Animal Collective phase, don’t miss this hypnotic French house tune featuring the distinct multi-track harmonies of their singer, Panda Bear.
“Danielle,” Fred again: A major rising star this year, Fred makes “festival-ready house anthems” with a distinct emotional pulse.
“Quicksand,” Hatchie: Consistently catchy dream-pop from the Australian singer-songwriter.
“History,” 070 Shake: After her rise to fame as a featured collaborator of Ye-who-must-not-be-named, 070 Shake is still making bombastic hip-hop anthems on her own. (Although I prefer the album opener, “Web.”)
New Commute: Albums of the Year. The mysterious, Instagram-forward New Commute has been a valuable platform to keep up with off-the-beaten-path folk, funk, country, and more.
Their list features many artists you’ll recognize from past Hear Hear issues: MJ Lenderman, Widowspeak, Drugdealer, Kate Bollinger, Young Guv, and Julianna Riolino.
Also featured: Martin Courtney’s Magic Sign. If you like Real Estate, make sure to check out this second solo album from their lead singer — which basically sounds like a new Real Estate album. (And a bit like The Byrds, as Pitchfork noted.)
Small Albums: BEST 100 TRACKS OF 2022. Another Insta-friendly outlet, Small Albums is a great source for under-the-radar indie and pop-punk bands like Caracara, Anxious, Strawberry Generation, and many more. Don’t miss the easygoing “San Francisco” from Bonny Doon, the relentlessly chill trio that served as Waxahatchee’s backing band on her Saint Cloud tour.
3 personal lists with top-tier taste
Rostam’s 2022 Favorites: True to his skills as a producer, Rostam’s annual playlist has a knack for identifying innovative sounds. This year’s mix is full of wonderful discoveries — warm indie rock from Julian Julian, a dance-pop banger from Hudson Mohawke, vibey solo tunes from The xx vocalist Oliver Sim, a bouncy piano groove from Aldous Harding, and a shape-shifter from Ross Simonini featuring Purr’s Eliza Callahan. (Added all of ‘em to the Hear Hear playlist.)
25 Best Songs of 2022, from NYT music critic Lindsay Zoladz: A lovely way to sample standout tracks from some of the year’s biggest albums, including five huge pop records I’ve been diving deeper into lately (The 1975, Beyoncé, Rosalia, Taylor Swift and Carly Rae Jepsen) and two of 2022’s top indie darlings (Alex G and Weyes Blood). I also had missed the new Florence + The Machine single which is a real gem, on par with her old classics.
💯 Favorite Songs from Carefully Curated’s Patrick Mahan: Featuring “Singapore’s premier indiepop propagandists” Sobs, “blue-collar political indie-rock” from Good Looks, and pop-punk perfection from Rat Tally.
Here’s to discovering more great songs, albums, and artists in 2023! In classic corny fashion, I’ll leave you with this stellar Brandi Carlile performance from SNL’s holiday episode a few weeks ago. Happy new year.