Most Listened Albums 2022

Updated Top 100 Albums

Best Concerts of 2022

9. Interpol + Spoon - I didn’t know much of the material that Interpol played since they played from all of the albums and I only really know Turn on the Bright Lights. However it was a solid show with Spoon opening (who always put on a good performance).

8. Spirit of the Beehive - A nice little underground concert for one of my favorite debut artists of 2021. Most of the material translated really well live.

7. Broken Social Scene - It was amazing to see the majority of You Forgot It In People be performed live as well as some of the best songs from their other albums, including the self-titled album which has some of the best BSS songs. A must see act for You Forgot It In People enjoyers.

6. The Avalanches - This was the first DJ set that I’ve ever seen and it was a fantastic ones. This tour was effectively the tour for latest Avalanches record, with We Will Always Love You being the main focus of the set. The songs here were as vibrant as ever, and the inclusion of God Only Knows in the set was a very welcome surprise.

5. Freddie Gibbs - Freddie was just out there rapping on top of his beats and played pretty much every hit song that he has had since Piñata. Just a great performance all around. Also redveil opened for him and he was a great opener as well.

4. Denzel Curry - This was my second time seeing Denzel, the first being a HIVE in 2021. This was a longer set and was as hype as I expected a Denzel concert to be. The new tracks translated pretty well live, especially WALKIN, and his trap bangers were awesome live.

3. The Smile - Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Tom Skinner were all killer live. It’s very clear that they are experienced at this point in performing live and know how to rock out. All of the tracks on their record this year translated to live performance very well and the new tracks that they performed were also killer and make me very excited for the next record.

2. Kilby Block Party (Phoebe Bridgers/Clairo/Animal Collective/Car Seat Headrest/Soccer Mommy/Alvvays) - The Kilby Block Party was one of the best value concerts/festivals that I went to this year. I got to see a good portion of my favorite artists of the past five years all in one spot. Soccer Mommy was the first act that I saw and I was able to hear some of the new singles that she had just released. Car Seat Headrest had some rocking guitars in their set. Alvvays previewed their tracks for their upcoming album and played most of the bangers from their previous two albums. Animal Collective’s latest record translated really well live and was an unexpectedly fun set. Clairo, despite some audio issues, was a great performer and seeing Sofia live checks off one of my bucket list items. Phoebe Bridgers was the last set of the festival, and she was by far my favorite. It was liberating seeing her live and I was able to get in my feels with Smoke Signals and Funeral. Sidenote - the festival had free water which should be something that all festivals implement and helped in that Utah heat. Overall a great festival and would highly recommend anyone in Utah that likes indie music to go to the festival.

1. Jockstrap - This was the most unexpectedly 10/10 concert that I’ve been too. The tickets were cheaper than everyone else on the list aside from Spirit of the Beehive, and yet Georgia and Taylor performed as if they’ve been touring for decades. The set was a mix between the slower folksy cuts where Georgia’s vocals are the centerpiece and a full on dance set. The dance songs in the set were so incredibly fun to dance to. The best tracks in the night were 50/50, Debra, and Robert. I had only listened to Robert earlier in the night, so I was not familiar with it when it came on, but it was a nice change of pace. It has a hip hop beat with Injury Reserve on top with live mixing by Taylor, and then going into only what I can describe as an Egyptian type synth which I could listen to on loop for eternity. 50/50 was the last song of the night and was the best song to mosh to. If they tour again, I’m 100% prioritizing seeing them again.

Books Read in 2022

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Once of the best thrillers that I’ve read and certainly top 2 for the books that I’ve read this year. The politics and characters along with the many intense scenes make this one of the best in the genre.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking - It was a sometimes dry, but interesting account of some psychology. If you like reading about psychology I’d recommend it.

Mr. Mercedes - Another thriller that I read this year and it was pretty good. Although not quite as compelling as Dragon Tattoo, it was my first Stephen King read and it was a great one to start with.

Submission (Michel Houellebecq) - An interesting book as it was a satirical telling of the political landscape in France. A little bit self-indulgent, but would recommend for anyone wanting to read into the mind of someone with political takes in France.

Life of Pi - One of the best books that I read this year. I wasn’t expecting it to be as violent as it was considering all of the highlights that it got from the media when the movie came out, but it was a very vibrant read. I see why it is a classic in many peoples eyes, and I’d put it in that class as well.

Last Bus to Wisdom - A nice book to cap the year off. It’s just a fun adventure book from the perspective of a boy going to another household for the summer. A lot of interesting characters and fun stories that are told throughout the book.