imported from Medium – Ken Schafer

January 6, 2018

Top 30 Albums of 2017
A bit of background from my 2013 preamble for those new to my lists:

I do this more for me — as a way of discovering new music — than for you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you to get as much joy from these amazing artists as I did this year. My list-making secret is to start a “long list” of albums I like at the beginning of the year. I keep adding when something strikes my fancy and use the year-end holidays to figure out which ones really made the cut.

For those interested, my previous Top 30 Albums are still online:
Overall I think it was a pretty good year for music. I loved the new sounds coming out of Toronto. Drake and The Weeknd have had such an impact on the music in the city and I’d say it’s been largely positive. More of that please. And I found myself returning repeatedly to more electronic, meditative soundscapes. Not sure if it’s me or the mood of the times.

Beyond the list here, I also listed to a lot of classical — digging in to the Harmonia Mundi catalogue — and jazz — Blue Note and ECM catalogues in particular.

And now, my Top 30 Albums of 2017! Enjoy!

Note these are in alphabetical order. I could never rank these absolutely — it would change daily.
- Waiting on a Song by Dan Auerbach
- Capacity by Big Thief
- Tenderness by Blue Hawaii
- Migration by Bonobo
- Freudian by Daniel Caesar
- Theory of Colours by Dauwd
- This Old Dog by Mac Demarco
- Mirage by Flitz & Suppe
- Oczy Mlody by The Flaming Lips
- Mysterium by Hammock
- H.E.R. by H.E.R.
- Black Origami by Jlin
- American Teen by Khalid
- Music To Draw To: Satellite by Kid Koala
- Damn by Kendrick Lamar
- A Pink Sunset For No One by Noveller
- Kelly Lee Owens by Kelly Lee Owens
- The Space Between by Majid Jordan
- No Shape by Perfume Genius
- Love Songs: Part Two by Romare
- Half-Light by Rostam
- Masseduction by St Vincent
- Big Fish Theory by Vince Staples
- Fin by Syd
- Ctrl by SZA
- Lonely Planet by Tornado Wallace
- Ladilikan by Trio Da Kali & Kronos Quartet
- Scum Fuck Flower Boy by Tyler, The Creator
- Colter Wall by Colter Wall
- A Piece of the Geto by ZGTO
I’d love to know what albums we have in common and which ones you think should have made my list but didn’t. Use the comments people, don’t be shy!

January 14, 2017

Top 30 Albums of 2016
A bit of background from my 2013 preamble for those new to my lists:

I do this more for me — as a way of discovering new music — than for you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you to get as much joy from these amazing artists as I did this year. My list-making secret is to start a “long list” of albums I like at the beginning of the year. I keep adding when something strikes my fancy and use the year-end holidays to figure out which ones really made the cut.

For those interested, my previous Top 30 Albums are still online:
And now, my Top 30 Albums of 2016! Enjoy!

Note these are in alphabetical order. I could never rank these absolutely — it would change daily.
- Upland Stories by Robbie Fulks
- Everything and Nothing by Hammock
- Eternally Even by Jim James
- Day Breaks by Norah Jones
- 99.9% by KAYTRANADA
- Love & Hate by Michael Kiwanuka
- Blood Moon by M. Craft
- Singing Saw by Kevin Morby
- Skip a Sinking Stone by Mutual Benefit
- Pennied Days by Night Moves
- Blonde by Frank Ocean
- My Woman by Angel Olsen
- Malibu by Anderson .Paak
- A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead
- For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have) by Huerco S
- A Seat at the Table by Solange
- Cashmere by Swet Shop Boys
- Starboy by The Weeknd
- The Life of Pablo by Kanye West
- Light Upon The Lake by Whitney
I’d love to know what albums we have in common and which ones you think should have made my list but didn’t. Use the comments people, don’t be shy!

December 31, 2015

Top 30 Albums of 2015
A bit of background from my 2013 preamble for those new to my lists:

I do this more for me — as a way of discovering new music — than for you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you to get as much joy from these amazing artists as I did this year. My list-making secret is to start a “long list” of albums I like at the beginning of the year. I keep adding when something strikes my fancy and use the year-end holidays to figure out which ones really made the cut.

There are seven females (or female lead bands) on the list this year — same as last year, but better than 2013. This year I notice the laid-back sound of many of these albums and I’m particularly struck by the split between other-worldly electronic stuff and rootsy singer-songwriter stuff.

I’d say the Allan Rayman album is my favorite of the year that just about no one knows about.

Finally, this list was made a bit harder this year with the shutting down of Rdio and my move to Spotify thereafter. Having tried them all, I still think Rdio had the best service with a good understanding of how community can make a service richer and increase lock-in. I don’t think the race to be the ultimate music streaming service is near complete — I only hope we can keep the competition healthy and innovating until we get there.

For those interested, my previous Top 30 Albums are still online:
And now, my Top 30 Albums of 2015! Enjoy!

Note these are in alphabetical order. I could never rank these absolutely — it would change daily.
- Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes
- But You Caint Use My Phone (Mixtape) by Erykah Badu
- Imager by Barbarossa
- Fi by Bibio
- Vulnicura by Björk
- The Magic Whip by Blur
- Another One by Mac Demarco
- Caracal by Disclosure
- Surf by Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment
- Elaenia by Floating Points
- Morning/Evening by Four Tet
- Currency of Man by Melody Gardot
- Vestiges & Claws by José González
- Art Angels by Grimes
- Sunday by HNNY
- Ego Death by The Internet
- In Colour by Jamie xx
- Goon by Tobias Jesso Jr.
- To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
- Lustmore by Lapalux
- Peace Is The Mission by Major Lazer
- Beauty Pageant by Kacey Musgraves
- Hotel Allan by Allan Rayman
- Company by Slime
- Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens
- Songs to Make Up To by Ta-ku
- Currents by Tame Impala
- Love Songs For Robots by Patrick Watson
- White Men Are Black Men Too by Young Fathers
- XTLP by μ-Ziq
I’d love to know what albums we have in common and which ones you think should have made my list but didn’t. Use the comments people, don’t be shy!

February 24, 2015

Hello World!

Hello World!

(Moving blog to Medium edition)