Welcome to the FTA contributors lists of what they loved in 2022! This is not presented as or meant to be a “best of” list and each list comes from the individual contributors as their own (and as such, you will see some repeats along the way). They serve more as personal snapshots into what we were all listening to and loved rather than a definitive list as one monolith called “Full Time Aesthetic”. We all have pretty different tastes and things we love and we all bring just a little something different to the table. Additionally, the lists are in alphabetical order and as such, aren’t ranked, it’s just about sharing what we love and care about the most aka “tell me a punk runs this blog without telling me a punk runs this blog.”
This blog truly is a sum of its parts and all of the lists reflect that so well and run a massively wide gamut of sounds, styles, and level of notoriety—from slick pop records by the world’s biggest stars recorded on million dollar budgets with famous producers down to lovingly self recorded/released DIY noise punk gems from the local NYC music community and beyond. But no matter what, each and every album or EP on this list meant something to all of us and was a big part of our 2022.
There will may be things you’re surprised to see (or perhaps not see) here, but we hope if you see something you’re unfamiliar with, you’ll dig in and explore it more and perhaps find a new love. If you missed our list last year, it is packed with heavy hitters from 2021 and full of plenty more to explore so be sure to check it out. Also be sure to check out our EIC’s Letter from the Editor which contains her list of all of her favorites from 2022; check that out here.
Read on and tell us what you think/loved in 2022!
Amanda Meth- Contributing Writer
- 100 gecs– Snake Eyes (Atlantic)
- Beyoncé– RENAISSANCE (Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia)
- Blair Lee– The Puppy Game (self released)
- Carly Rae Jepsen– The Loneliest Time (School Boy/Interscope)
- Charlie XCX– Crash (Warner)
- Debbie Dopamine– Pets (self released)
- Julia Wolf feat blackbear- Gothic Babe Tendencies (Poorchoice Music)
- Mitski– Laurel Hell (Dead Oceans)
- MUNA– MUNA (Saddest Factory)
- Shilpa Ray– Portrait of a Lady (Northern Spy)
- Taylor Swift– Midnights (Republic)
Billy Faith- Contributing Writer
- Angel Olsen– Big Time (Jagjaguwar)
- The Beths– Expert In A Dying Field (Carpark)
- Big Thief– Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You (4AD)
- Black Country, New Road– Ants From Up There (Ninja Tune)
- Black Midi– Hellfire (Rough Trade)
- Built To Spill– When The Wind Forgets Your Name (Sub Pop)
- Caamp– Lavender Days (Mom+Pop)
- Cate Le Bon– Pompeii (Mexican Summer)
- Charli XCX- Crash (Warner)
- Earl Sweatshirt– SICK! (Warner)
- Ethel Cain– Preacher’s Daughter (Daughters of Cain)
- Fontaines DC – Skinty Fia (Partisan)
- JID– The Forever Story (Dreamville/Interscope)
- Kendrick Lamar– Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (Aftermath/Interscope)
- Lung– Let It Be Gone (Romanus)
- Orville Peck– Bronco (Columbia)
- Plains– Plains (Anti)
- Soul Glo– Diaspora Problems (Epitaph)
- The Wonder Years– The Hum Goes On Forever (Loneliest Place on Earth/Hopeless)
- Yard Act– The Overload (Island)
Brianna DiGioia- Contributing Photographer
- Aldous Harding– Warm Chris (4AD)
- Big Thief- Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You (4AD)
- British Soccer– Cool Horse (Invisible Motorcycle Club)
- Built To Spill- When The Wind Forgets Your Name (Sub Pop)
- Horsegirl– Versions of Modern Performance (Matador)
- Jenny Hval– Classic Objects (4AD)
- Julia Jacklin– Pre Pleasure (Polyvinyl)
- Marisa Anderson– Still, Here (Thrill Jockey)
- Mitski- Laurel Hell (Dead Oceans)
- Suss– Winter Was Hard (Northern Spy)
- SZA– SOS (Top Dawg Entertainment/RCA)
- Tummyache– SOAK (Tone Tree Music/Tummyache)
Chantal- Contributing Writer
- Cloakroom– Dissolution Wave (Relapse)
- King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard– Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava (KGLW)
- Leathered– A Reckoning (Attention Space Cadets)
- The Mountain Goats– Bleed Out (Merge)
- Pictoria Vark– The Parts I Dread (Get Better)
Edwina Hay- Contributing Photographer
- Beyoncé– RENAISSANCE (Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia)
- billy woods– Aethiopes (Backwoodz Studioz)
- billy woods x Messiah Muzik– Church (Backwoodz Studioz)
- Börn– Drottningar dauðans (Iron Lung Records)
- Daddy’s Boy– Great News! (Drunken Sailor Records)
- ELUCID– I Told Bessie (Backwoodz Studioz)
- Frida Kill– EP 1 (Insecurity Hits)
- The Hate Change– Finally, New (Jagjaguwar)
- Leikeli47– Shape Up (Hardcover/RCA)
- Open Mike Eagle– a tape called component system with the auto reverse (Auto Reverse)
- Quelle Chris– DEATHFAME (Mello Music Group)
- Soul Glo- Diaspora Problems (Epitaph)
- Weeping Icon– Ocelli EP (Fire Talk)
- Wrecking Crew– Sedale Threat (self released)
- Zora– Z1 (Get Better)
Jenifun- Webmaster
- Adwaith– Bato Mato (self released)
- Big Joanie– Back Home (Kill Rock Stars)
- Cheerbleederz– Even In Jest (Alcopop!)
- Panic Shack– Baby Shack (self released)
- Rash Decision– Year of the Silence (self released)
- Swansong– Happy To Be Here (self released)
- Yard Act- The Overload (Island)
Kate Bell- Contributing Writer
- Angel Olsen- Big Time (Jagjaguwar)
- Attia Taylor– Space Ghost (Lame-O Records)
- Big Joanie- Back Home (Kill Rock Stars)
- The Crystal Furs– In Coastal Light (Reckless Yes)
- Dehd– Blue Skies (Fat Possum)
- Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio– Cold As Weiss (Colemine)
- Elk City– Above the Water (Magic Door)
- Johanna Warren– Lesson for Mutants (Carpark)
- Juliett Class– Juliett Class (self released)
- June McDoom–June McDoom (Temporary Residence LTD)
- Kristeen Young– The Beauty Shop (self released)
- Mattiel – Georgia Gothic (Heavenly Recordings)
- Sault– 11 (self released)
- Sharon Van Etten– We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong (Jagjaguwar)
- Sunflower Bean– Headful of Sugar (Lucky Number Music/Mom+Pop)
- Weak Signal– War and War (self released)
- Weeping Icon- Ocelli (Fire Talk)
Kevin McGann- Contributing Photographer
- Black Country, New Road- Ants From Up There (Ninja Tune)
- Bonobo– Fragments (Ninja Tune)
- Dry Cleaning– Stumpwork (4AD)
- Fontaines DC- Skinty Fia (Partisan)
- Gift– Momentary Presence (Dedstrange)
- King Hannah– I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me (City Slang)
- Sorry– Anywhere But Here (Domino)
- Spoon– Lucifer On the Sofa (Matador)
- The Smile– A Light for Attracting Attention (XL)
- Wunderhorse– Cub (Communion)
Nick AD- Contributing Writer
- Boris– W (Sacred Bones)
- Dezron Douglas– ATALAYA (International Anthem)
- Editrix– Editrix II: Editrix Goes to Hell (Exploding In Sound)
- The French Tips– All the Rage (self released)
- Homeboy Sandman– There in Spirit (Mello Music Group)
- IVY SOLE.- Candid (self released)
- KMES– King Mike Entertainment System (State Champion Records)
- Kikagaku Moyo– Kumoyo Island (Guruguru Brain)
- Makaya McCraven– In These Times (International Anthem/Nonesuch)
- Marlowe– Marlowe 3 (Mello Music Group)
- OFF!– Free LSD (Fat Possum)
- PLOSIVS– PLOSIVS (Swami)
- sensoren– Idiot Brain (Chameleons Risen)
Mike Borchardt- Contributing Writer
- 95 Bulls– Go Home (self released)
- Bartees Strange– Farm to Table (4AD)
- Brook Pridemore– Glad to Be Alive (self released)
- Dad– Human Garbage (Fear Icon)
- Dead Tooth– Pig Pile (Trash Casual)
- Debbie Dopamine- Pets (self released)
- Frida Kill- EP 1 (Insecurity Hits)
- Grim Streaker– Mind (Mothland)
- Kissed by an Animal– I don’t have to explain myself to you (Handstand/EWEL)
- Mary Shelley– Look at You (Sweatshop Unlimited)
- Oceanator– Nothings Ever Fine (Polyvinyl)
- Shilpa Ray– Portrait of a Lady (Northern Spy)
- Spite FuXXX– Find Out (Make Believe)
- Rebelmatic– Mourning Dove (Coffee Grind Media)
- Venus Twins– RAXIS (self released)
- Weeping Icon- Ocelli (Fire Talk)
- Winter Wolf– Unwell (Academic Punk)
Ray Rusinak- Contributing Photographer
- 2nd Grade– Easy Listening (Double Double Whammy)
- The Beths- Expert In A Dying Field (Carpark)
- Camp Cope– Running with the Hurricane (Run For Cover)
- Craig Finn– A Legacy of Rentals (Positive Jams/Thirty Tigers)
- Elway– The Best Of All Possible Worlds (Red Scare)
- Gladie– Don’t Know What You’re In Til You’re Out (Plum)
- Oceanator– Nothings Ever Fine (Polyvinyl)
- Timeshares– Limb (Wiretap)
- Will Stewart– Slow Life (Cornelius Chapel)
- Young Guv– Guv III (Run For Cover)