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Top albums and films (and other stats) for 2021
Albums
(It's 11, my list, my rules)
- The August List - Wax Cat
- Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage
- Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg
- illuminati hotties - Let Me Do One More
- The Limiñanas / Laurent Garnier - De Película
- Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
- Mogwai - As the Love Continues
- Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams
- SUUNS - The Witness
- Villagers - Fever Dreams
- Teice - Nowhere, Now Here
Films
(my full stats for 2021 can be seen on Letterboxd)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Dune
- Cruella
- The Mitchells vs. The Machines
- Petite Maman
- Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
- Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
- One Night in Miami…
- Promising Young Woman
- Last Night in Soho
Books
I read 38 books in 2021, a bit short of the 50 I was aiming for.
Games
This was the year of big RPGs for me: Mass Effect: Legendary Edition and The Witcher 3 took up most of my time, but honourable mentions to Scandi fairytale Röki, Crow-on-a-mission Death's Door, and the weird as hell The Sexy Brutale.
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Top albums and films (and other stats) for 2020
Albums
- Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
- beabadoobee - Fake It Flowers
- Black Casino and the Ghost - Farewell Marshal Brunswick
- Thee MVPs - Science Fiction
- Rose City Band - Summerlong
- Run The Jewels - RTJ4
- Sault - UNTITLED (Rise)
- L.A. Witch - Play With Fire
- Sorry - 925
- SPICE - SPICE
Films
(my full stats for 2020 can be seen on Letterboxd)
- Buffaloed
- Jojo Rabbit
- Little Women
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire
- Parasite
- Palm Springs
- Queen & Slim
- Rocks
- Lovers Rock
- Soul
Books
I read 46 books in 2020, thanks in part to a Pratchett re-read and a global pandemic.
Games
Virtual worlds were a fantastic way to shield myself from the state of the world in 2020. Some highlights were: Outer Wilds, Kentucky Route Zero, A Short Hike, Breath of the Wild, and of course, Animal Crossing.
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Top albums and films of 2019
As has become tradition.
Albums
- Aldous Harding - Designer
- Angel Olsen - All Mirrors
- Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center
- The Brian Jonestown Massacre - The Brian Jonestown Massacre
- Death Of The Maiden - The Girl With The Secret Fire
- Deerhunter - Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?
- Karen O & Danger Mouse - Lux Prima
- Martha - Love Keeps Kicking
- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen
- Sleater Kinney - The Center Won't Hold
Films
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Top albums and films of 2018
It's been a year hasn't it.
What with all that going on out there (waves hand in general direction of the world), it's felt like I haven't had enough mental space for films or music during 2018.
I thought I'd seen very few films this year, but my Letterboxd stats only report a small drop on previous years. The same with music, I wasn't sure if I could put together ten. I was very wrong on that front. I'd taken in more than I thought.
That's the advantage of these posts, it's an opportunity to take a step back and reflect.
So, in no particular order… (okay, alphabetical):
Albums
- Dream Wife - Dream Wife
- Goat Girl - Goat Girl
- Gwenno - Le Kov
- IDLES - Joy as an Act of Resistence
- Low - Double Negative
- Lucy Dacus - Historian
- Lucy Leave - Look//Listen
- Our Girl - Stranger Today
- Shannon Shaw - Shannon In Nashville
- She Makes War - Brace For Impact
- Tess Parks & Anton Newcombe - Tess Parks & Anton Newcombe
Films
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Top albums and films of 2017
Around this time last year I foolishly said
Well, the less said about the state of 2016 in general, the better.
… little did I know.
Thankfully it was another cracking year for music and cinema. So here are my top ten albums and films of 2017. Film was especially difficult to narrow down to ten.
Albums
- The August List - Ramshackle Tabernacle
- The Black Angels - Death Song
- Cigarettes After Sex - Cigarettes After Sex
- EMA - Exile In The Outer Ring
- Hanni El Khatib - Savage Times
- Kelala - Take Me Apart
- Loyle Carner - Yesterday's Gone
- Mogwai - Every Country's Sun
- The National - Sleep Well Beast
- St. Vincent - Masseduction
Films
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Top albums and films of 2016
Well, the less said about the state of 2016 in general, the better.
However, it's been another inspiring year for music and film, so here are my picks of 2016. In no particular order, and as it's my house I didn't limit them to ten.
Albums
- Wussy - Forever Sounds
- Stephen Steinbrink - Anagrams
- She Makes War - Direction Of Travel (As I mentioned last year, it was always going to make a second appearance)
- Gitta de Ridder - Feathers
- Sad13 - Slugger
- Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
- Martha - Blisters In The Pit Of My Heart
- Julia Jacklin - Don't Let The Kids Win
- Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation - Mirage
- Agnes Obel - Citizen of Glass
- Angel Olson - My Woman
- Car Seat Headrest - Teens Of Denial
- Cavern Of Anti-Matter - Void Beats / Invocation Trex
- Emma Pollock - In Search Of Harperfield
- Heron Oblivion - Heron Oblivion
Films
(If you want to see what I picked when limited to ten films, then you can have a look at my Letterboxd Top Ten for 2016)
- Arrival
- Deadpool
- Zootopia
- Sing Street
- Hail, Caesar!
- Hunt for the Wilderpeople
- The Nice Guys
- Swiss Army Man
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Kubo and the Two Strings
- Midnight Special
- Captain America: Civil War
- Jungle Book
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Top albums and films of 2015
Continuing the semi-regular (i.e. not at all regular) list of my favourite films and albums from this year.
Albums
(It's been a fantastic year for music, and it's been tricky to narrow this down to ten, so I didn't)
In no particular order:
- Car Seat Headrest - Teens Of Style
- Black Casino And The Ghost - Until The Water Runs Clear
- Blur - The Magic Whip
- Eliza Rickman - Footnotes For The Spring
- Esther Joy Lane - Esther Joy Lane EP
- Fort Romeau - Insides
- Lady Lamb - After
- Low - Ones and Sixes
- She Makes War - Direction Of Travel (technically not out until next year, but I was a backer and have an advanced copy so I'm including it here anyway. I'll probably include it next year too)
- Sleater-Kinney - No Cities To Love
- Speedy Ortiz - Foil Deer
Films
Again in no particular order:
- The Force Awakens
- Ex Machina
- Whiplash
- Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
- Me And Earl And The Dying Girl
- The Martian
- Sicario
- Inside Out
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- Superbob
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Albums of 2013
In no particular order, my albums of 2013.
- Black Casino And The Ghost - Some Dogs Think Their Name Is No
- Comanechi - You Owe Me Nothing But Love
- Endless Boogie - Long Island
- Erika Nockalls - Imminent Room
- Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse
- Jetplane Landing - Don't Try
- The National - Trouble Will Find Me
- Public Service Broadcasting - Inform - Educate - Entertain
- Queens Of The Stone Age - …Like Clockwork
- Waxahatchee - Cerulean Salt